Mulberry Tree

    

Mulberry Tre

Mulberry

The Mulberry tree grows in the wild in many world regions, the fruit before they become mature were white, green, pale yellow before the fruit turns pink to red when ripening to the dark purple or black. Which makes the fruit sweet flavour when ripped.   

The black mulberry was imported to Britain in the 17th Century which was useful in the cultivation of silkworms. Which leads use to the silk industry, where the leaves especially from the white mulberry are used for the sole food source for the silkworm. In Greece the tree is wide speared especially in Peloponnese, in the middle ages the tree was know as 'Morea'.

Peloponnese

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_(plant)

• In Southern Europe the fruit is used for jam's and sherbet. 
• The fruit was also used in folk medicine to treat ringworm. 
• Mulberry Cocktails
• Mulberry Cheesecake
• Mulberry Cake
• Mulberry ice cream

Mulberry Cake

Mulberry Cocktails

Mulberry Jam

Mulberry Cheesecake

Mulberry Ice cream 

Paper Mulberry Tree

In the family of the Mulberry Tree, the paper tree is from the Native to Eastern Asia. The bark is composed of very strong fibres and can be used for making high-quality paper.

• Japanese tissue
• Japanese paper
• Hanji

The tender leaves and twigs can be used to feed deer which is why the nickname is "Deer's Tree".

The paper tree was brought to the pacific during the polynesian migrations, which the bark of the is widely used to make Tapa cloth. 

The tree also has a high consumption of water which chokes out the native flora, when you cut the tree the tree releases a latex which is extremely sticky and ruin clothing. 

 

Japanese Paper

Japanese Paper

Hanji

Tapa Cloth

Paper products

After looking into the tree itself, I like the idea of doing something that links to the tree. Like the wooden furniture idea I wanted something that wasn't as big and as hard to package. 

• Notebooks
• Packs of paper in all sizes
• Wrapping papper
• Books
• Paper bags 
• Wallpaper 

Mulberry itself already have products such as organisers, inserts and books that look into the history of the store and the photographers. However i could look into doing more with paper as the mulberry tree is good for paper, I could look more into other things from the list and extended them to have a stationary or interior products such as wallpaper. 

Silk Products 

The tree is linked to silk, so I was thinking Mulberry could do something with silk. 

• Bedding
• Material
• Thread
• Pillows/throws

I like the idea of Mulberry have there own interior collection as silk and wood can be used. Then bedding, pillows, throws, lampshades etc could be sold with the materials from the trees. 

As the furniture idea was to big this could be another area to look at, as people will spend good money on having nice things in houses.

Another idea I had for silk was a lingerie line? As underwear are a timeless classic to every women and is a luxury itself. I think this would be a good idea as they don't do a lingerie line yet so this could be another line for there fashion line. Plus the fashion for lingerie is always changing and developing with styles and colours.

Water 

As the tree has a high consumption of water, the idea of Mulberry having its own water suply. So water bottle's would be sold in the shops and in other stores. 

Doll and Teddy's

Classic Barbie dolls

I looked the traditional barbie doll that many kids have. I liked this idea as barbie is in itself a timeless classic, overtime barbie has changed it's look, the clothes have been changed to fit with new fashion trends overtime. 

I also looked at how the boxes that they came in have changed or been made to fit with the special edition, what I liked when looking at images on google 

Barbie Basic Range

The Barbie Basic Range

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_Basics

The new Barbie Basic Range features 12 dolls which all have different faces, skin tones and different little black dresses. To accompany the range of dolls you can buy accessory packs:

• Sliver pack
• Gold pack
• On trend eighties
• Evening wear

Like the dolls they are designed to be bought at a low price. These dolls are apart of the 'Black Label Collection' which means they have an age limit which is 14+ as they are seen to be more collectible then a toy.

This website shows the original range as seen in the above picture along with the collections within the existing collection. They have been added to make the collection more of a collectible item, with the dolls having different outfits or accessory's. There are six collection's within the original:

• Collection 001.5
• Collection Red
• Collection 002
• Collection 002.5
• Collection Red 2
• Collection 003

http://www.barbiecollector.com/showcase/category/barbie-basics

The packaging for these dolls are not very special as you would think they aren't made for a specific babrbie they are all the same shape and typeographic layout. This could be do with the fact they want to keep the dolls in a low price range where as if it was original barbie in 1959 then they might make the packaging more luxuries. 

Here are some examples of the packaging for these dolls, like I said simple. They have managed to keep a similar theme going with just simple changes of colour or background colour to fit in with i.e. the red collection they changed the colour to red instead of maybe black like the original. So even though the packaging isn't luxuries they have made sure that it fits in with specific collection. 

If I was to do the doll idea I would like to actually have the packaging more as luxury product like the Mulberry bags themselves so they could be made with leather? So if any scraps left over in the factories could be used in the design for the packaging. I think this would then fit in with what the brand is about-natural leather.  

 Some sketches to show what I'm thinking when i say using scraps to decorate the box. I do like the idea of having the leather randomly on the box but it needs to be done tastefully so it doesn't look to tacky as the brand itself is not. I would like to have the leather match the collection so it fits in, also I think if a certain bag made out of particular leather i.e. ostrich or alligator is sold in a certain shop exclusively then the doll and box will also be sold there. The box will then have the scraps of leather also featured on the box to make it a collectible. 

I think this will be a nice way to match the doll to the product. 

Like the Basic Range for barbie, I think it would be a good idea to have an age limit as the people that shop at Mulberry aren't young children anyway but this just show they aren't to play with. 

I wouldn't like the dolls to be as expensive as the bags as they are already cost a lot so I have to think about this as well?! 

Here I was looking at the packaging again and I was visualising how I could create a box for the doll. I looked into the buckles that are used on the bags as a little twist on the box. So each collection of the doll will link with the bag via the buckle?

However after my crit I'm not sure this is right direction as it's quite close to the brand and what they are all about. 

With the help from ollie I was able to bring my design's to life for the style of box that I wanted, I was able to create them on Illustrator

Illustrator design's

This is the design for the opening for my doll box, to fit in with the bags of mulberry,  this clasp is from the 'Willow Collection'. This is just an example of what I think would be a good box for the new product I was playing around with the idea of card for the box but then to leather as further design of the box which looks really good and would fit in well with the brand. 

Doll Houses 

I thought this was a way to get away from the brand and focus more on the idea of dolls and what is sold with them instead of linking the idea to the existing brand. 

So the idea of doll houses came about in my crit, I would also look at the little furniture as this could also be something that is sold along with the dolls. As a little extra.  

Having the little furniture to go with the house is a very nice little extra, as a little connection to the mulberry brand it could be wooden furniture as this is a link to the name. This is just a different direction to the doll idea that is a bit more different.

I like the idea of this being a luxury product, high end price as doll houses were a statement piece in the child's playroom but is now classed as a collection piece among adults where they collect the furniture and dolls. This unlike the furniture idea I can easily package the pieces, as they could come in packs of sets so like bedroom set, bathroom set or even a food set.

Here are a few ideas of a box that could fit in the box, I wanted something simple that shows the luxury of the product without being to tacky like a normal child doll house box as that doesn't really fit in with the timeless classic idea. 

I can see this box being black or cream just because they are such clean cut colours and not to over the top if I was to add the logo somewhere like the top like iv drawn. I do like the idea of using a similar clasp to the bayswater bag however I'm not sure if this is brining the existing brand to much into it?

Crit's

Have more than one idea to explore! 

The main thing's to think about is to:

• Explore
• Packaging
• Concepts 
• Advertising Strategies 

After my crit my ideas were liked the idea of limited edition, one off pieces and hand crafts were liked. So I think I'm going to focus on the furniture/interior and look more closely at the idea of dolls. 

Furniture/Interior

Look into what to do for packaging like cardboard boxes, bags, cellophane bags/wrap to think how to wrap certain objects like sofa's, chairs, mirrors etc.

Have an idea what type of furniture?

Dolls

I could look into more about barbie's and other dolls like rag dolls or china dolls and see how the particular doll fits in with the collection's of Mulberry as this could be a link to the store. 

This could then lead on to how I can package the dolls which could be simpler then the furniture/interior idea.

18th crit

After speaking today with the doll idea I should look more away from the brand with this idea and that I maybe should focus more on the furniture idea. But for the dolls idea I could look at dolls houses and the furniture as people collect these and they can be seen as a timeless classic. This then could lead on to have dolls with teddy products?

With the furniture idea, talking to some of the class helped me find a soft of connection such as Mulberry logo has a tree included into it so the idea of wood furniture is a good idea. Along with carrying on with leather sofa's, chairs etc as there are classic pieces. I do think this is a good idea to keep away from the existing products.

• look at doll house furniture
• old fashion teddys
• look again at wooden furniture that is expensive
• maybe think of a new idea?   

Ollie Wenman 

Works at 'Hurricane' which is an advertising and packaging graphics studio. He also studied at University of Gloucestershire studying Graphic design.

He has worked on brands such as Beautific and Zico designing the labels etc.

He showed us how to make things have a 3D effect on Illustrator and how to do the same on photoshop but a bit more simpler. You can also collect texture of things from google like metal, wood, fabric etc. We also were told shadows help create the appearance of what an object should look like such as a box and its lid.

This will be a lot easier to visualise my ideas rather than hand making them or taking photograph's especially if your not very good at taking photo's.  

Mulberry Interior/Furniture

I think the idea of Mulberry having a furniture range is a good idea as its a timeless classic because you always need furniture, however in time the fashion changes to french style, georgian style and shabby chic.
After visiting the library I looked at different home deco books I looked at:

The first book 'Essentially French' by Josephine Ryan and then 'Classic Interior Design' by Henrietta Spencer Churchill. These books I collected from the library to get some inspiration for how the stereotypical rich family live. 

Some pages from the books:

Looking at these pages has just given me an insight to the furniture and the look of the furniture that I might want my new idea to sell. I like the grand chandeliers that are made to be a focus point in a room or a statement chair that is positioned to be a statement piece.  In the bedroom the four poster bed is always seen in grand houses as they are a sign of money and luxury. 

I could look into statement pieces of furniture?    

Wooden Furniture

As just a starter to this idea I looked at wooden furniture as a main focus, I think this is a nice good sold product. You can get really beautiful wooden pieces like tables and I think this will be a good way to move the brand on. Just because the name Mulberry is a type of wood so I think its a nice simple connection that people wouldn't think of. I also could look into having the wood Mulberry as part of the furniture but I would have to look into the wood a bit more. However oak is a good quality expensive wood that might work?  

Interior

• Lampshades 
• Bed sheets, pillows, throws
• Mirrors
• Curtains
• Cushions
• Towel's/Kitchen towels
• Rugs
• Picture frames
• Canvases
• Lights
• Door mats
• Wallpaper
• Bath Mats
• Shower curtains
• Switches
• Plugs
• Door handles

This way wood, silk, cloth could be used to make certain things as this links to the Mulberry tree. They can be easily packaged unlike the big pieces of furniture. This can also be linked to the timeless classic idea as interior design people always update it and certain things never grow old they are just always improving. 

Home Furnishings

• Bathroom 
• Living room
• Kitchen
• Bedroom

Instead of having such an open idea of interior for Mulberry, home furnishings might just be a bit more focused and then I can have a few areas covered with products. 

For some examples I looked at 'NEXT' which have just opened up a home furnishing store:

Just by looking at the website for next, I think this would be a good idea for the brand as there are many areas in houses that can be accessorised.
I could look into brining the idea of the tree producing paper into it, like wallpaper or draw linings and the silk can also be brought to the products like pillows covers and throws. This could then be linked together and have a meaning towards the tree.

Logo

I wanted to try out a few idea's that I had and see how things worked i.e. colours and fonts. I started of by hand but found it easier to do idea's straight onto inDesign as I was able to create many ideas.