DVB201 Typographic Design │ Assessment 2 │ April Ra │ N10045112
Week 8 - Task 1
Label Critique
Product
Earth Choice Laundry Liquid Top & Front Loader – Pure Clean
1. How many typefaces were used ?
The product used 3 different types of typefaces for a logo, subtitle, and smaller text. The logo itself is a typeface. The serif font has been used for the logo ‘earth choice.’ The sans-serif font is used for the subtitle and smaller text and there are different typefaces within the same font family(e.g. bold and thin). Lastly, the script font is used for the subheading on the front and back of the product label.
2. What kind of typefaces are used and how do they relate to each other?
The bold serif font is used for the main heading(logo) to show the brand's identity of a closer connection to nature, by having a more traditional and classic feel due to the large, bold, smooth serif font. The sans-serif font is used for the subtitle which is beneath the main logo.
The sans-serif font is used for the legibility and for a more professional, cleaner look due to its basic, simple, and sharp edges. The smaller text below is also a sans-serif font, and this typeface was used to describe and highlight key words about the eco-friendly product. The casual script font on the subheading were used for the product scent and type. This script typeface looks more friendly and loosely connected, which conveys a warm, friendly, and organic look to the label design. Script font also helps to achieve a harmonious relationship between the serif and sans-serif fonts.
3. How did the designer use space and alignment to organise the text?
The main logo title is central aligned, and the word ‘choice’ has loosened tracking. Except the main logo title, the designer used left alignment for the rest of text, and this left alignment leaves ragged right side, and it gives certain dynamic to the text. The text on the back of the product is also left aligned, except the main logo title and the illustrated direction description that are central aligned. The left aligned text enhance the legibility and readability although there are large volume of body text on the back of the product.
4. What were the treatments used to differentiate text and organise information — size, scale, treatment (colour, effects)?
The text of larger scale and size is used to be read first, and it is the most important part of communication to capture buyers' attention. The largest text is the logo ’earth choice’, followed by the subtitle ‘Laundry Liquid’, then the product type and the scent ‘top & front loader’ and ‘pure clean’, and then the smallest text for the keyword description. The use 2 different colour, white coloured sans-serif font and blue coloured script font also create clear sense of hierarchy.
The back of the product use the lighter blue and brown colour for the text and beige colour for the background. use of beige background and brown coloured text enhance the eco-friendly and organic feel to the product. overall, this colour pallet emphasis the brand identity and create connection to the front and back of the product label.
5. What are the other elements on the label (logos, images, graphics, rules, background colours)?
The main earth image on the front label draw the eye towards the main logo title. The earth image is specifically showing the country of Australia, as to showing that the brand is made in Australia and thus it is locally made product. The white and yellow flower image and brown laundry basket image also captures the attention immediately and explains the product type and scent of the liquid visually. The craft paper tag image background on the back of the product used to highlight there isn’t harmful chemicals and product is eco-friendly. The use of natural and earthy toned craft paper tag image help this part of the text to stand out from the rest of the text and emphasis the eco-friendly brand identity.
6. What is your opinion about the quality of the label? Does it work? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Is it effective? Why do you think that is?
I think the quality of the label emphasise that the product is eco-friendly and is safe product to use. The aesthetic is clean and fresh due to the colour palette and chosen typefaces. The few graphics used help to identify the products smell and purpose of use. The sans-serif font is simple and legible and paired script font is friendly, playful and organic. It effectively uses a hierarchal scale to display the information in the order of importance. The blue and white colour on the front label looks aesthetically pleasing and brings the reminiscent of cleanness, but the gradation of the light blue background reduces the contrast between the typeface and background and make it less effective on its legibility. I think it might have been more effective label if there were stronger contrast to emphasize the information. The brown and blue colour on the back label effectively delivering the brand identity, and the bold heading is working well by marking each paragraphs. But the tight spacing and multi column grid makes layout looking bit cluttered.
7. How does the use of type and its organisation on the label influence the aesthetic quality and efficiency of this label?
The serif font of the logo looks professional and classy and grounded the brand, to make it seem more environmentally friendly and more approachable. The organic script font add friendly and casual feel to the label. The sans-serif font allows information to be legible as possible, with such small font sizes, as well as brings a sense of modernism to the product. The design quality of type on this product's label are simplistic in terms of font, but it is more difficult in the sense that the back of the label may start to feel cluttered due to the amount of information that needs to be included. However, this does not have a significant impact on its quality and efficiency because it prioritises the most relevant information for consumers. Overall, The composition of type and its organisation on the label influences the aesthetic because the text used isn't harsh or intimidating. The text flows with each other and there isn't an strong interruption. The aesthetic quality shows the purpose of the product and it appropriately describe that it is a laundry cleaning product by use of the suitable image.
