Building identity two : Revised character concepts

The initial designs I created using vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator were unable to convey the life I wanted in the brand. The images below show three of the potential “flavours” and these images were too flat. The brand needed a uniform design and during this stage of development and multiple attempts I was unable to get them in line with my expectations.

This aesthetic was a continuation of the style from the previous post.

I tried to refine the heads, but the detail would always be lost and the image became “colder” as a result.

This led to a period of experimentation in photoshop applying a multitude of adjustment layers to the models I had selected. Each character utilises a tri-tone colour scheme to ensure each has a unique aesthetic applied to them.

It was during this stage that the brand style guide was developed. This document was referred back to constantly throughout the rest of the development process and was key to creating a unified aesthetic throughout.

The images below show the evolution from the vector concept towards its final form.

Refined version of “Berry Blast” using the same trichromatic scheme from the vectorised period.

This was the final illustration i developed for the “Citrus Charge” flavour. This required a lot of tweaking to help to differentiate it from the next two flavours. During this period, I came to learn most of the fruits I wanted to use tended to have a yellow or orange tint to them.

This was a photo of my sister I took on a night out and the lighting helped provide a strong contrast, providing warm tones throughout the image for “Sparkling Summer”.

This is the only image I didn’t take myself, my friend Jaymie kindly allowed for me to use this image with her permission. It felt perfect for the brand as she stands tall and empowered, exemplifying everything I wanted to see in Audere (Darrell, 2023)

Each of these “characters” feel unique in their pose and fit the template for the can design that came later. This development stage was pivotal as it guided the general feel of the brand and helped the rest to fall into place.