Researching the market it became apparent that the vast majority of magic aimed at children, with the exception of thematic bundles, is presented in a formulaic format, with fairly slick packaging. To develop magic's presence in this target area I decided that my design should be a reaction against this very clean approach; I wanted to make magic a bit more funky, appealing to a younger audience.
This was not just a punt in the dark. Working in a school during the project I took the opportunity to do a little bit of market research. I showed a number of existing magic related logos that I had collected from the net, plus images of child-oriented magic products, to a group of sixty 9-11 year olds. A number of patterns emerged: the most popular logo was for a magic suppliers called Magic Geek. A sizeable minority preferred Magic Bunny a stylised and glossy rabbit character with some cute value. A number of children also cited products that projected value for money via claims about the number of tricks or illusions contained.
The popularity of the Magic Geek logo seemed to confirm my hunch that an alternative 'surf-style' approach might work.
The development of the Jack Rabbit character arose from a hybrid of the Jack, found in a deck of cards, plus the rabbit traditionally pulled from the top hat. The line and treatment gives him a sassy irreverent character that I think will appeal to the target audience. The use of carrots and carrot type seemed to follow as a natural development - a kind of visual pun. As a character I think he has a range of applications from t-shirts and merchandise through to animation and motion graphics.
I am quite pleased with the concept but not so content with its application and and the execution. I think that I have spontaneously over-egged some of the graphic elements. I need to consider the application more carefully. Greater appreciation of marketing techniques would certainly assist. In addition to this the production values of the prototype push it too close to being home-spun rather than cool trashy. I need to keep an eye on quality and restraint. Parts of the design draw on ubiquitous design elements and demonstrate an over-reliance on what I have just discovered in Photoshop rather than thoughtful concept-led design.
The hand-drawn type works quite effectively in the context but I am still working with type on a trial and error basis. I must increase my knowledge and understanding of how type and layout works.
Time is also a issue here. Moving on to the next brief means that opportunities to reflect, revisit and extend have gone begging. In future it would be nice to think that I could take one brief to its logical and satisfying conclusion.
