Research Reflection.

Reflection
 Since beginning my research to now having done all of it (unless more comes along when experimenting!) I have learnt a lot and also been able to expand my knowledge and ideas on where I want to take my FMP.
 I began by doing some initial primary research aimed at my demographic of women ages 18-25, the aim of this was to gather some information on the brands, colour palette and overall aesthetic that my demographic gravitate towards. What followed this was a lot of secondary research that was essential to complete before moving forward with the designs and actual making of my products.

What did I want to find out?
 When setting out on my research I had firstly hoped to find out what colour palette my audience like, then I hoped to find out why those were popular colours, did they have an effect on the product and brand and do certain colours and finishes of a product effect its retail price. I found this out which is one of the most important pieces of research I did as along with this came looking into pricing, websites that sell certain brands etc. In addition to this I also wanted to find out what were the most popular brands in the UK and why. I wanted to be able to compare them and their products as well as their retail prices and ways of advertising.

Types of research I did...
 I conducted both primary and secondary research to gather a large amount of information linking to my fmp. The research I undertook was done through a number of sources, including online articles, books, and submitting a questionnaire directly to my target audience. For me personally I found the secondary research the most useful, both for theoretical reasons as well as inspirational reasons, however on the other hand I also found that primary research was really useful, being able to directly ask my target audience through a survey as well as in person allowed me to hone in on certain brands and areas of a product to focus my work on.

Idea development & new inspiration
 To me this section of the FMP is arguably the most important. By allowing yourself to have the creative freedom to create a brand and range of products is very time consuming, specifically for the research section. For me and my idea development I found all areas of my research good to keep my ideas flowing, I found that as I was creating the research myself I could really specify and hone in on the things in which are important to me and the brand I am creating.
 After producing a large amount of my secondary research I found the site Pinterest to be crucial, it really started my visual and aesthetic ideas flowing, I was able to find the colour schemes and images online that I couldn't specifically get from a google search. For me there wasn't a particular brand or artist that I discovered, however I always had brands from the beginning of my FMP that had influenced me and inspired me to actually do this project, one of which being Anastasia Beverly Hills. I have spoken about their colour palette and products prior to this post but that is the brand I think inspired me to begin this project.

Three most important things...
 The three most important things I was able to gather from my research would have to begin at the questionnaire I produced. The was essentially the first piece of research I did where I washable to reach my demographic and ask the specific questions. From this I found out the price range they are happy with, along with the brands and products they currently use, which influenced the three end products I am deciding to create. In addition to this I was able to find out that colour palette and minimalism is their priority when it comes to purchasing new products.
  I also found that looking at the UK's top 10 brands really helped me in regards to research. By finding this internet article and producing a case study on the brand sit enabled me to look into why they make the list, is it their advertising, products, product packaging, associates etc. This also gave me a nice place to begin with my own research and what I should base my products off.
  Lastly I would have to say that my online advertising blog post and research was another crucial step for me. In this I looked at a number of sources such as different YouTube videos, sponsored Instagram posts etc to examine the brands that are advertised and who they associate themselves with. This was really helpful to me as of course one of the things I really want to do it product an advertisement banner for the site YouTube, along with a larger poster, therefore this helped me look into the analytics of adverts and their success, if this were to be taken to a larger level!

Confidence
Upon having completed all of my research I can say that I am a lot more confident about completing my products now. Using internet articles along with other forms of research I have been able to look at all types of brands and packaging that has influenced me to begin creating my digital visuals and advertisements! I think having completed my research I have changed the way in which I will advertise them. By this I mean the aesthetic and visual way, I think I want to now go for a more smokey, pastel, calm, plant visual type branding rather than the more matte black average branding. I think the way in which I want to produce my brand packaging will still be minimalistic too, just a more colourful version!

Any changes?
 In regards to if there is anything that has changed since completing my research I would say that little things here and there have most definitely changed. Ranging from products I should look to for inspiration (what is most popular nationwide and in my demographic?). I think my idea from the start was very visually strong however seemed a little hard, after completing my research I am more confident and therefore are happy to make the little changes in my work, as all of the changes are inspired by my new research findings. These specific changes can be found in every piece of research & the matching blog!