RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
Sketchbook research, analysis ideas for Week 3.
Perfect is the enemy of the good - Voltaire
For creatives, perfectionism can be an asset. It can push us to improve and innovate. But if that critical internal voice gets too loud, it can do more harm than good (Haversat, 2015).
When perfectionism becomes stifling, we choose to do nothing instead of risking failure; it becomes the enemy of authentic art. When you are solely focused on the result, you don't spend time on the development stages, and often you only find the solution by doing the work. As a result, you take fewer risks and don't allow yourself to fail (Armstrong, 2019).
If you cannot fail, you cannot learn – Eric Ries
Development of YourBreastSelf Campaign
During this week's development process and peer revision and dialogue, I discovered some holes in my research and avenues I needed to explore further, redirecting my campaign and strengthening my argument.
Brands promoting natural beauty
I found I had explored artists and exhibits promoting natural beauty, but not brands themselves. I discovered more brands making grounds in the market than I expected which showed me that my campaign would gain traction with a movement already begun.
1) The Dove brands ethos is that beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove features real, diverse women and not models in their advertising. Women are portrayed as they are in real life with no digital distortions (The 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge', 2021).
2) The Arie brand promotes a positive body image with their "Don't Change You. Change Your Bra!" campaign that garnered 1.2 million followers.
3) Modcloth shows the same product on five different sized models on their online platform. This way, you can see all different shapes and sizes wearing the same swimsuit, dress or top.
4) Nike now offers all size collections up to a 3X in their range. Nike has made sure that all body sizes can now work out fashionably and recently have added plus-size mannequins to their retail stores (Awesome Companies Promoting a Positive Body Image, 2021).
Fig. 1: Dove, 2021.
Fig. 2: Modcloth, 2021.
Fig. 3: Nike, 2021.
Younger generations embracing a positive body image
I made the mistake of presuming the younger generation would be as influenced and affected by social media's false portrayal of beauty as millennials and had targeted an educational campaign in their direction.
My research revealed the opposite. Generation Z is pioneering a surge in unapologetic transparency and unconditional self-love by rejecting and restricting an overly curated Instagram aesthetic. Now more than ever, generation Z's are showcasing their unedited and natural selves on their primary feeds, trailblazing a radical new standard for beauty that pushes to celebrate rather than conceal flaws and differences.
The younger generation will now become my cheerleaders and the target audience to back my movement and spread the word. I created an animated gif for Instagram aimed directly at this target audience to gain their support and grab their attention using humour together with an inspiring message.
IMAGINE
While conceptualising and sketching various avenues for the project, I realised that my goal could only be realised with a campaign comprising multiple executions targeted at different audiences.
#YourBreastSelf Campaign Includes:
· Logo
- The logo typography and design mimics the shape of a breast in a playful, endearing manner.
- The vibrant pink colour is inherently feminine, identifies with the breast cancer association but conveys strength, power and play.
· Posters
· Website
· Exhibition
· Workshops
· Online store
· Animation
Your Breast Self Logo
Your Breast Self Posters
Your Breast Self Animation
Your Breast Self Website
REFLECTION
Don't force things; take your time.
Creativity is a natural process that needs to be nurtured, harnessed, and cultivated. It's difficult to be imaginative when you're so focused on creating (You Can't Force Your Employees to Be Creative. Here's What to Do Instead, 2021).
The first half of my design career was spent sitting in front of my computer from nine to five, forcing myself to work and be creative. This resulted in stress, anxiety and mediocre work that frequently took longer than it should have to execute. Trying to be creative when you are not in a state of mind puts you in a box and limits what you can achieve.
About midway through my career, I tried a different approach and only spent time designing when I felt creative and inspired. When I was stuck, I would go for a walk, play sport or the piano and revisit my work, later on, feeling refreshed. It might sound like waiting around for serendipity to strike, but it's a more deliberate process that allowed my ideas to flourish.
Reference: Inc.com. 2021. You Can't Force Your Employees to Be Creative. Here's What to Do Instead. [online] Available at: <https://www.inc.com/thomas-oppong/creativity-cannot-be-forced-and-what-truly-innovative-companies-do-instead.html> [Accessed 16 October 2021].
References Armstrong, R., 2019. Here's Why Perfectionism Can Hinder Creativity – and How You Can Beat it.. [online] Skills Share Blog. Available at: <https://www.skillshare.com/blog/heres-why-perfectionism-can-hinder-creativity-and-how-you-can-beat-itnbsp/> [Accessed 16 October 2021].
Reference: Haversat, C., 2015. Perfectionism holds us back. Here's why. [online] Ted.com. Available at: <https://www.ted.com/talks/charly_haversat_perfectionism_holds_us_back_here_s_why#t-220664> [Accessed 16 October 2021].
Reference: Dove US. 2021. The 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge'. [online] Available at: <https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/about-dove/dove-real-beauty-pledge.html> [Accessed 16 October 2021].
Reference: Curvy Swimwear Australia. 2021. Awesome Companies Promoting a Positive Body Image. [online] Available at: <https://www.curvyswimwear.com.au/blogs/news/awesome-companies-promoting-a-positive-body-image> [Accessed 16 October 2021].
Image 1, 2, 3: 2021. Awesome Companies Promoting a Positive Body Image. [image] Available at: <https://www.curvyswimwear.com.au/blogs/news/awesome-companies-promoting-a-positive-body-image> [Accessed 16 October 2021].