Company High Street Edit

 

For my promotional magazine, I will be laying it out in the same style as Company's HIgh Street Edit to maintain continuity with their brand extensions as well as the design of the app. All the pages will be white and plain, however, they will be filled with images making them seem a lot more colourful. In addition, only a few pages will have a lot of text on them, the rest will be more visually stimulating!

VM & Display Show

On Tuesday I went to the VM & Display show in London that housed all things to do with display ranging from technology to stands. It was here that I found out about a camera system that takes an image of something (predominantly clothing) and takes the picture with different background options. It has been created to show clothing for mannequins so the background can be removed from the clothing. This technology would be perfect for my Stylist Edit app so that backgrounds can be removed immediately from around the clothing. It's just a shame the exhibition was after the dissertation. Their website is www.styleshoots.com.

Dissertation Printing & Binding

After having a look on Bob's Books and Blurb websites, I have decided to get my dissertation printed at the library. Firstly, I am worried about my time management and not being able to have my creative copy ready in term and I don't want to rush it, plus both of these websites focus more on photobooks rather than actual written copies, therefore I feel they won't be able to create my dissertation to its fullest potential. I don't think a 'book' type binding really fits with my brand as it's quite a formal look, therefore I am going to opt for 'perfect binding' done at the library which looks more like a magazine as this is the look I am going for. This also gives me the opportunity for some more time to really perfect my dissertation layout.

Clueless

In the film Clueless, the main character, Cher Horowitz, has a computer that suggests outfits for her to wear every day. I realised that this is basically the premise for my app, and thus I intend to use this within my promotion. Most girls (within the target demographic) have seen or at least heard of the film Clueless and are aware of her computer outfit generator, therefore it makes sense to link the app and the film together within the promotion to appeal to girls who have always wished for their own outfit generator. In addition, with there currently being a 90's revival and the film Clueless being in the spotlight again it means more consumers will be aware of the concept and can now have their own version through Stylist Edit!

Dressipi

Dressipi is an online service that offers something similar to the Stylist Edit. Their service is centered to their website online, although they do have an iPhone app that works out what size you are in every different shop, as shops can be generous or small with their sizing. 

On their website they sum up what their brand and service is about. 'Dressipi is a free fashion advice and recommendation service. We give you the know-how to dress your shape and update your style – and a quick and easy way to find the best clothes and brands for you. We create an accurate profile for you, called aFashion Fingerprint®, based on your own body shape, style and preferences. All of our fashion and style advice is unique to you and based on your Fashion Fingerprint®.Our top styling team identify the most inspiring and flattering types of clothes for you. They give you a free personal Style Guide, that includes a list of your wardrobe Must Haves and the styles you should avoid.And then every day, our technology searches all brands online, from high street to high end, looking for Recommendations that best match your Fashion Fingerprint® , to present your own daily edit of the season’s best pieces.'

The service requires a user to sign up before you can use it, so I tried it out. It also requires a lot of information about your body e.g. weight, height, to calculate what clothing is best for your body shape. This feature is very good, as it really does act like a stylist in the sense of knowing what's correct for your body. However, it takes ages to trawl through every single clothing brand to determine whether you like them or not before the site can start giving you personal recommendations. This is incredibly time consuming and in all honesty I gave up after a while. After using the service for a long time, it's obvious it will build up an idea of what you as a consumer likes and doesn't like, it doesn't seem like a very instant service. What is good about it though is that it suggests outfits based on trends and body shapes, it works out what colours work best on you given your hair, eye and skin colouring and provides helpful advice. 

All in all, it is a good service and I was worried it may detract consumers away from my own Stylist Edit, however upon researching it, it's different to what I'm offering, plus my app has the advantage it's mobile so can be taken anywhere. I do like the concept of having a 'fashion fingerprint' and think they should definitely consider taking this service into an app so users can always have it when they're shopping. What I have taken from Dressipi is to make sure my own app isn't too time consuming or makes consumers wait around for things.

Social Media Marketing

I got some books from the library about social media marketing in order to help me with my promotion text in my dissertation. The following is some of the key information I sourced from the books.

The Social Media Marketing Book- Dan Zarrella

• Retweets are the most powerful mechanisms for marketers on Twitter
• Between 11am and 6pm is the most popular time for retweeting
• Retweets with links get retweeted more
• Becoming a 'trending topic' will generate more buzz and awareness
• Applications on Facebook are proving popular to attract audiences, whether its an app game or something to enhance the promotional message. It may be something to consider creating an app to promote the service, Rimmel have done this before when they launched a new lipgloss.
• 'Currently, Facebook is the dominant social networking site and it has the most features useful to the social media marketer. It began in universities, so Facebook boasts a commanding percentage of college students as members. Recently, however, it's fastest growing segment has been users older than 35, and recent data suggests that the 35-54 age group has become bigger than the 18-24 age group. For these older users, Facebook presents a middle ground between the stuffiness of Linkedin and the adolescent playground of Myspace, and is a fun but easily navigable place where they can reconnect with old friends.'

Social Media Marketing A Strategic Approach- Melissa Barker, Donald Barker, Nicholas Bormann & Krista Neher

• YouTube reports that their user base is broad in age range, 18-55, evenly divided between males and females and spanning all geographies.
• People over 65 are adopting Facebook quicker than any other accounts
• 48% of people over 55 have Facebook accounts
• Facebook is more popular with younger people but has significant penetration in all age groups. According to Morpace research, 84% of those 18-34 have Facebook pages compared to 61% of those 35-54 and 48% of people over 55.
• Brands that are successful on social media are 'participatory'. They interact with the community, answer questions and thank those who respond.
• Having a personality is key on social media. Sharing personality helps build common ground and trust. A bureaucratic or forced tone is not a very appealing call to interact. Instead building a feeling of trust and common interest makes it more likely that people will find the social media campaign to be engaging and worth participating in.
• Video is a very popular medium because it can create a stronger connection with consumers. For many people, video stimuli are more appealing than dry text or listening to a podcast. Also the more senses that are involved in gathering information, the more engaging the process becomes.
• Marketing with social networks has several advantages for firms, allowing them to find talent, build brand awareness, find new customers and help conduct brand intelligence and market research.
• Social networks allow a brand to engage its target audience in ongoing conversation, which can both draw in new business and increase customer loyalty.
• Twitter users retweet content they enjoy or can vouch for so it is a signal of approval when a retweet occurs.
• Social media measurement is the determination of the volume of the content and the sentiment toward a brand or topic on the social web. The volume of content is a 'quantitative measurement', while judging sentiment is a 'qualitative measurement'. The number of posts, comments, tweets, retweets, likes, and follows are instances of quantitative metrics, while mentions, comments, conversations and feedback about a brand are examples of qualitative metrics.  

Stylebook Promotion

Stylebook is my app's main competitor. It's an american app so isn't that well known over the UK giving my app the edge and also a USP. This is also the most well-known personal styling app out of all the ones I've found being recognised in magazines and newspapers. I've researched into their promotion to get an idea of how they advertise their app for inspiration. I've found, however that they barely advertise at all here in the UK. 

I've found images that look like adverts but I've got no credit for where they came from. I myself have never seen an advert or editorial about the app before in any magazines or newspapers and it's only through googling personal styling apps that I came across this one. Therefore I'm not entirely sure how they promote their product in England. Saying this, I have seen one article in Cosmopolitan's Fashion bi-annual that mentioned the app. 

They do have a Facebook page but only post on there a few times a week. Their post content is advertising the product, their accompanying Youtube videos and if they've been written about in any publications. Their Youtube page features videos on how to use the app and all it's different functions.

I was surprised that there was no real advertising strategy for this app in the UK, however they are more famous in the US. This also gives my app the stand-out feature as consumers who have never heard of Stylebook will the only know and recognise the Stylist Edit app thus bringing in a wider audience to it. 

Company Magazine's Budget

The following information outlines Company magazine's rate cards and gives some form of indication as to what their overall budget is. (All this information is from Brad)

COMPANY MAGAZINE 

Display
Display Colour DPS	£20,080.00
Display Colour Page	£10,040.00
Inside Back Cover	£15,060.00
Inside Front Cover	£15,060.00
Outside Back Cover	£15,060.00

On average there are around 5/6 double page spreads but these are mainly promotional advertorials. There are around 25 single page spreads.

COMPANY HIGH STREET EDIT

Display
Display Colour Page	£5,500.00

On average there are around 7 double page spreads and 10 single pages spreads.

COMPANY WEBSITE

MPU	MPU 2 Bottom - ROS	£29.00	CPM
MPU	MPU 2 Bottom - Targeted	£36.00	CPM
MPU	Top - Targeted	£38.00	CPM
MPU	Top - ROS	£30.00	CPM
Leaderboard	ROS	£20.00	CPM
Leaderboard	Targeted	£22.00	CPM

Adverts on the website are obviously considerably cheaper but change a lot more frequently and don't have the same advertising power as prints in a magazine.

There are no adverts within the Weekly Edit App. 

Company Magazine Promotion

FACEBOOK

Company post on Facebook up to 5 times a day. Their posts don't solely focus on promoting the magazine either, they range from celebrity gossip, fashion trends, beauty tips, street style and music. Their Facebook page is almost an interactive version of the magazine posting snippets of what content goes in the publication and allowing the followers to comment and interact. All their social media content is more promoting the Company brand rather than the magazine. They post in a colloquial style, giving a really friendly vibe and always with a visual attached to make everything seem more appealing. They do promote the magazine and other extensions of the brand on the Facebook page and make sure that keep promoting the magazine throughout the month so consumers don't forget to grab a copy. The colour palettes of their visuals is also key as the retain the pastels of the magazine.

TWITTER

Company's Twitter feed is a lot more busy than their other social media platforms, this is probably because it is easier to create content on Twitter and it can be deemed less 'annoying' as it's only a tiny 140 character post. On average, Company post about 30/40 times on Twitter on a weekday, with less content being posted at the weekend. Another reason for regular posting may be to attract all audiences- obviously those who check Twitter all the time will catch most of the posts, but those who can only read Twitter at certain parts of the day still get frequent content from the brand. Again the posts aren't always promoting the magazine, however there is more promotional magazine content on their feed. They post the same content as the Facebook page although they have the luxury of being able to repeat posts a few times without it getting annoying to consumers. Most of the tweets they post have links back to the website or other social media platforms, so they are always tying together their forms of brand extension. 

YOUTUBE

The Youtube page isn't used as much as the other social media platforms, however they are beginning to utilise this platform. During the promotion of their most recent cover star (Youtube blogger Zoe Sugg), they used a Youtube video to break the news of their cover star, they also released further videos of behind the scenes, an mini interview with Zoe and other teaser clips surrounding the magazine. Other content on the Youtube channel includes beauty and fashion hauls, Q&As with their staff and more behind the scenes content from the magazine. All their content is very focused on getting interaction from their readers.

INSTAGRAM

Their Instagram feed is another platform whereby the focus a lot of attention on. There is a happy medium between the regularity of posts on Facebook and Twitter here, posting up to 10 times a day unless there is an event on e.g. the Brit Awards. Like their Twitter & Facebook, their posts are concentrated on promoting the brand. There are lot more visuals of behind the scenes, fashion, press days, and beauty, as well as posts of the magazine content and snaps from their office. In the run up to their most recent cover star, they posted snaps building a buzz around who it might be. In addition, following the release of Zoe Sugg being the face of April, they posted lots of images promoting her shoot and the magazine. They also do this regularly with other cover stars as if those who follow the brand's Instagram receive exclusive information about the magazine. As well as their magazine publication they also promote the Weekly Edit App and other brand extensions.   

MAGAZINE

There is some promotion of Company magazine within other magazines usually of the same publisher. Office magazine, Elle and Cosmopolitan often run adverts advertising the magazine. Company also do a lot of self promotion within their publication. They often publicize their bi-annual magazine within the monthly magazine, as well as do a lot of adverts based around their weekly app. Company have begun doing a lot of reader events giving their consumers advice on how to get into the fashion, blogging, beauty and music industry. They run adverts within their magazines as well as sometimes articles about the events to engage more awareness of it. This heightens the fact that Company are a very friendly brand and incredibly focused on having interaction with their readers. As well as promoting their brand extensions within their magazine, they also advertise their website showing the readers there are other platforms to access more Company content on- they aren't simply a monthly magazine and stop there. 

SPONSORSHIPS

Company magazine sponsors Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model with the winner getting the cover star space on the September issue. They are involved within the programme as well as using social media to interact with fans about it.

New Look also sponsors Company's Blogger Awards and do promotional pieces within the magazine.

EMAIL

Company do send out emails around 3 times a week. The majority of emails are laid out like their website in a newsletter format promoting things going on on their website, social media platforms and magazine. More often they are promoting their website. They also do 'postcard' emails whereby they simply promote their app, shop, and magazine. 

More Mintel Findings

REVIEW OF 2013 CONSUMER TRENDS IN CLOTHING MARKET- DECEMBER 2013

• Shoppers have continued to increase their spending on clothing, despite the squeeze on incomes: growth in spending has remained well above inflation between 2008 and 2013. Mintel's quarterly Consumer Confidence Trackers show that people have spent more liberally on buying clothes, whilst cutting back elsewhere, such as on big ticket goods or on leisure.- Links well within my survey- clothing expenditure may have grown, but a lot of consumers impulse buy and then never wear the items.
• Both women and men have become savvier clothes shoppers following the economic downturn and are tending to purchase new garments when they are reduced and comparing prices more before buying. Mintel’s consumer research found that 61% of women and 50% of men mostly bought clothes on sale/special offer and 29% of all consumers shopped around comparing prices before buying in 2013, up from 25% in 2012.  
• The change is partly due to heavy discounting by many retailers, which has meant that people no longer need to wait for the seasonal sales. Although the increased popularity of shopping for clothes online and of purchasing fashion from pureplays Amazon and eBay, which sell items on discount all year round, has also played a part.
• The keenest clothes shoppers aged under-35 are increasingly demanding not just fashion-led clothing, but also frequently updated collections that are changed at least every six weeks, with 48% of this age group agreeing with this.-Links to target demographic
• The growing 25-34-year-old demographic, which is set to rise by 9% in the next five years, is slowly overtaking the younger under-25 age group to become the most influential clothes shoppers, as 15-24s are facing more financial pressures. This is in part due to 25-34-year-olds higher disposable income, but also to their growing interest in fashion. Mintel’s consumer research shows that they are the highest spenders of all age groups on clothing and the most interested in the latest fashion.- Key demographic don't have disposable income, and are facing financial pressure which means they need to utilise clothing they already have hence the need for this app.
• The youngest consumers aged 16-24 are becoming less important for fashion since they are increasingly squeezed and are consequently cutting back on clothes and shoes purchases. Other age groups are growing in number and are becoming more fashion interested meaning that there are rising opportunities for clothing retailers targeting consumers higher up the age spectrum.

YOUNG PEOPLE ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION WITH FASHION- APRIL 2013

What 16-25 year olds have been spending money on

• Clothes remain a high priority for under-25s, with one in five spending most of their extra money on clothes
• While under-25s are still relatively confident about their finances, the latest quarterly Consumers and the Economic Outlook shows that young people have become slightly more cautious and while they remain avid clothes shoppers, there has been a seven percentage point drop in those who have bought new clothes in the last three months in April 2013 compared with July 2012.
• The latest research, however, highlights that young people appear to be increasingly adding to their savings, which has increased by seven percentage points in the last year, instead of splashing out on fashion.- Making use of the clothing they already have, whereby the app can help them feel fashionable without buying new pieces
• This cautiousness is impacting on their future spending plans and only just over two fifths intend to buy new clothes in the next three months.
• Young women, on the other hand are still the main female clothes shoppers, with almost seven in ten buying clothes once a month or more and around half of these young females shopping as often as two-to-three times a month. While female 16-24s continue to go shopping often there has been a clear shift in their shopping behaviour. They are a third more likely to mostly buy clothes when they are on sale in 2013 compared with 2012 and 14 percentage points more inclined to mainly buy clothes for replacement, something which had previously tended to be the preserve of older consumers. Females in full-time education have cut back the most and all of these attitudes are accentuated among this demographic.-The apps target demographic is students and those without disposable incomes.
• 
• Young women have become significantly less impulsive, with almost four in ten in buying less clothes on impulse or as a treat than they did 12 months ago in 2013, up from three in ten in 2012. This represents a big change and 16-24s are now the age group that has cut back the most on treating themselves, which will have major implications for young fashion retailers
• Females aged under-25 consumers have become much more discerning about the price of the garments they are buying and there has been a ten percentage point increase in the proportion of female under-25s who are shopping in the same stores but buying less expensive items.

WHAT ARE SQUEEZED CONSUMERS SPENDING ON- JUNE 2013

• In 2013, consumers are prioritising clothing spend more than in comparative periods in 2012 and 2011 according to Mintel's Tracker survey.

• Shoppers are continuing to increase their spend on clothing and footwear substantially, even in real terms. The category seems to be more important to consumers than ever.

ASOS LAUNCHES VALUE RANGE- AUGUST 2013

• Mintel’s latest consumer confidence tracker shows that young people are increasingly feeling the economic squeeze. One in four 16-24s described their financial situation in August 2013 as “Tight – I am making ends meet, but only just”, which has risen from one in six the previous year. 
• At the same time, there has been an almost 10 percentage point drop in young people stating that they are “OK – I get by, but there’s not a lot left” in the last year and a slight rise in those stating that they are struggling, although this group still remains small.
• 
• Young people are cutting back on their discretionary spending and Mintel’s research shows that as a result of this fashion has become less of a priority, with an eight percentage point fall in 16-24s spending their extra money on clothing and jewellery to just over a third in the last 12 months. More young consumers are now putting money in their savings account than spending it on buying new clothes.

FASHION ONLINE- AUGUST 2013

• Consumers are turning to online fashion and recommendation sites such as Dressipi to help with the wealth of choice online and to give them ideas about what clothes to buy
• Dressipi is an online fashion and recommendation service that aims to offer users advice on dressing for their shape and style. Customers are shown a curated selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories selected by the company's team of personal stylists.
• The wardrobe organiser app Cloth has been developed to incorporate weather data and suggest outfits accordingly. Cloth has partnered with weather site Wunderground, meaning that when choosing an outfit, the user can select the weather tab and the app will suggest the best outfits for the conditions. 
• MINTEL INSPIRE TREND- These functions tie in with the inspire trend 'Guiding Choice', which is all about how consumers faced with too much choice and too little time are looking for shortcuts. This has led to a variety of tools and tactics aimed at helping consumers to make choices. We have already seen how retailers such as Netflix and Amazon have introduced 'if you liked this, you'll like that' functions to their websites.

DIGITAL TRENDS- SEPTEMBER 2013

• Tablets are starting to have a huge impact on online media consumption, as well as m-commerce as people start to use 'mobile devices' for activities that most are reluctant to do on smartphones (eg shopping online, reading news and watching/streaming videos in particular)
• Laptops are most commonly used second screen (62%), followed by smartphones (44%), desktop PCs (32%) and tablets (23%). In total some 86% of consumers who own one or more of these devices have second screened. - Whilst people are watching television they are also on their devices- instead of producing television adverts it is more beneficial to produce adverts for second screen devices.

Survey Results

I conducted another survey two weeks ago focused entirely on the Stylist Edit service. I received 100 responses thus my results are a lot more conclusive and reliable. In addition, the majority of people who answered the survey were between 20-24 which is the main target age of the service, moreover, the next popular age group was the 16-19 which again is part of the target demographic.

Naturally, owning an iPhone or an iPad came out as the most popular choice, which works well given that the app will be released on iOS software first. I was surprised that only 24% of respondents read Company magazine every month given that it was the most popular magazine on my previous survey. Overall, 50% of respondents rarely, or never read Company magazine, which again was a massive shock. Not many people download or read the Company Weekly Edit app either, although I'm not too surprised at this result as I feel Company don't promote the app as much as they could, plus the fact it costs 69p may put people off downloading it, which makes me want to consider that the Stylist Edit app is free.

Despite Company not being as popular as I previously thought, the concept of my app is, with 67% of respondents saying they would use the service, whilst another 67% regularly seek fashion advice from either friends, peers or magazines. Furthermore, 91% of respondents have unworn clothing in their wardrobes hence there is definitely a market for a service which helps utilise this.  It's also worked well in terms of my results that most people either never get round to wearing their unworn clothes, have nothing to go with them, they were impulse buys or simply don't like them anymore. Hence the app will provide a new lease of life for these unworn and disliked clothes hopefully so that consumers will enjoy wearing them again. In addition, 87% of people admitted to pre-planning outfits either all the time or some of time again showing there is a market for a service that provides outfit suggestions.

In terms of promotion, it is clear that the majority of people use Twitter, Instagram and Facebook thus this is where the main social media marketing will take place. There will also be some forms of promotion on Pinterest, however it may be difficult to promote over that social media service.

App Design

Here are a few quick sketches of some design ideas I've had for my app. The app will definitely work on portrait on both iPhone and iPad as this is the standard way to use both items. I think the iPad version will look a lot less cluttered because there is more space to work with, however both designs will be slightly different to each other in terms of layout. The iPad design will probably have the left hand bar there permanently for users to be able to navigate easily and quickly around the app, whereas the iPhone version will have a button to access the navigation menu at the top (like on Facebook). At the moment, I have concentrated on using circles in my design but I will also experiment with different shapes and even text, however I do like the use of circles. In addition, there will be a swipe across navigation to see outfits and clothes as I feel this is a a motion everyone is familiar with, plus given the success of Tinder with their swipe feature, this is an easy way to navigate.  

Layout Inspiration #5- User Interfaces

The following information is from Mashabale.com regarding trends in user interfaces:

• Twitter, Facebook and now Instagram lead the way in design inspiration for future apps. Twitter was the first to adopt the pull down to refresh feature that is now used by the majority of apps.
• Colours are a really strong way to make apps stand out from the crowd.
• Textured backgrounds are another design element that's incredibly popular. 'Texture can add a tremendous amount of personality to an application, but developers should be mindful of how text and button elements look on top of the background. The wrong color choice can make content unreadable or buttons hard to find'
• Clean, minimalistic designs are always popular and appeal to consumers.'Using shadows to create the perception of depth can give these buttons and interface elements a more "touchable" look and feel, while also appearing more striking.'
• Thin fonts are also more aesthetically pleasing. 'On mobile devices, the combination of thinner type and high resolution screens often makes for a more readable experience. It also helps differentiate apps. Thin sans serif fonts are often coupled with text-driven designs or with designs that utilize background texture.'

The following information comes from Hongkiat, and outlines the 'hottest' user interface trends for 2014.

• Grid Layout Systems- Social news feeds have always been in a streamlined fashion such as Twitter or Tumblr. Nowadays even many Facebook pages scatter timeline updates to appear like a grid. This isn’t something you can force into any old website. There needs to be a purpose, the user experience always comes first. In situations using thumbnail images or text updates the grid layout condenses everything into an easy-to-read format. Everything is skimmable yet still coherent and it doesn’t require much space on the page.
• Flat Design Elements- Buttons have been made sleeker and flatter, 'using natural box shadows, text shadows, or rounded corners'
• Expanding Search Bars- But there is a growing popularity for building semi-hidden or expanding search bars into your layout. The user clicks a magnifying glass icon or clicks into the form itself, and then it expands wider to allow for more text input.'
• Quick Registration Forms- Try to keep all registration forms quick and to the point. Many newer webapps include the signup form right on their homepage to capture as many visitors as possible. This happens when a new visitor is curious about your product, sees the form only has 2-4 fields and decides to go for it. You may be shocked at how well this strategy works for capturing new users.'

The following are more key trends presented through a different website Gizmodo

• Layers & Depths within apps- creating visual hierarchy between options in the app
• Blurring- 'the process by which certain layers within the UI of applications are more and more commonly being blurred. It's a logical and quite natural solution to keeping the UI minimal while still creating effective hierarchy of elements.'
• Experimentation with transitions- 'With the use of layers – or simply navigating through an interface – comes the need for clean and simple, yet unique methods of transitioning from one layer or section of the interface to the next. It needs to be smooth, but not feel sluggish. It's a fine balance between the two, even more so when you take into account the desire to stand out amongst the crowd, but such restraints continue to push innovation and creativity.'

Layout Inspiration #4- General Apps

The following are general app screenshots from a variety of different apps. The majority of screen shots were taken from an iPad so it's clear to see that the left hand side bar is a popular and prominent feature within the design. Although I do really like the bottom bar, I think that's something that may have to be kept on iPhone designs rather than iPad. Another predominant feature within these app shots are the use of either dark or white backgrounds presumably so that everything stands out and is clear. I definitely won't be using any crazy colour scheme or effects within the background of my app. Incidentally, as seen in the River Island screen shots (third image) images of clothing work much better on a white background. In addition, I definitely think some sort of box/grid system would be a good way to differentiate between outfits and navigational options.  My favourite layouts here are the Tumblr, Pinterest and River Island as they are easy to use, clear and sophisticated and appealing to the eye. 

Layout Inspiration #3- Fashion/Styling Apps

The above apps are all personal styling and fashion apps. My favourite layout is the Stylebook app (the last image), as it's clear, sophisticated and looks really easy to use. In addition, the layout is quite similar to that of Facebook with the options/menu down the left hand side of the app. Therefore users feel like they already know the design layout. I've never seen an app with it's menu bar on the right hand side, therefore left will always be used in the design of my own. I think it's also very important to have the menu and navigation available to use at all times so users can quickly swap between what they're doing.

I quite like navigation tools at the bottom of the app screen similar to that of Instagram and What I Wore Today (third image). That way it leaves the rest of the screen free to be used for the app rather than half of it covered by a menu bar. However, it's only really on iPad layouts that the menu bar is at the side as there isn't much room for that on an iPhone. It may be something to consider whether to have two slightly different layouts for an iPad user and iPhone like Facebook does. 

One of the layout ideas I particularly like is the first image whereby the home screen is a series of boxes with different options in. I think this would make understanding the app easier upon first play with it and also keep everything simple and sleek. From the home screen, the navigational options would either then go along the bottom or along the side. I think it's definitely going to be easier to create an iPad version of the app because there is a lot more space to work with. 

I also really like the use of white backgrounds with different sized circles in (see second image). The circles are also something Company uses a lot within their magazine layout (see here), therefore in terms of continuity that would work quite well on a home screen. In addition, it may be an idea to have circles representing clothing items, with bigger circles for the items they wear the most therefore consumers can visually see which items of clothing they wear the most and least.

App Logos/Icons

The icon of my app is very important in terms of promotion as this essentially is the packaging for the product. Originally, Company's Weekly Edit app had it's own icon but has since moved into the App Store Newstand under the Company magazine digital version. My app, on the other hand will be a stand alone app and have its own icon.

Its important to keep the icon very simple and sophisticated looking. There isn't much space in an icon therefore it can't be too busy, plus personally I am turned off overly- busy app icons as they look cheap. I don't think my icon will be simply a symbol as that doesn't tell the user what the app does or is. For example, Snapchat, Whatsapp and Stylebook. Whatsapp and Snapchat have become famous and globally recognised through their symbol, however Stylebook hasn't and not many people would know the brand or what the app did just by looking at the icon.

My icon will definitely have text in and be similar to the likes of River Island and Style.com. I am considering a coloured background based around the main colours I end up choosing for the entire app. As blue is a colour most people are drawn to (Facebook and Twitter both use this colour probably for that reason), I think I will use a pastel blue. Or even a pink because it's obviously quite a girly app.

Company's brand name will be on there so consumers know it is part of the Company extension and obviously the name 'Stylist Edit' will be on there as well. I will play around with different fonts that Company use when creating the logo, but I think the one they use for the Weekly Edit app and their High Street Edit magazine will work best to maintain continuity.

Layout Inspiration #2- Company Magazine

The following images are a selection from Company magazine and their bi-annual magazine Company High Street Edit. 

I much prefer the layout and themes of Company magazine, therefore that's definitely a direction I want to go in with my app design. The pastel colours work really well together and have become synonymous with the brand as well as the fonts which are definitely something I will be using within the app. What I also like about the layout is the use of little details (see picture two) e.g. the paint brush strokes behind text, the squared paper backgrounds, the squiggled astrix marks by titles all help to give the magazine a relaxed, friendly, almost scrapbook type feel. This is something I want to try and incorporate within the app as I feel these little details are what people most associate with the brand. The magazine prides itself of being like a 'fashion blog' in terms of its layout and style, therefore given that my app is all about fashion and personal styling I want to replicate that theme within the design. 

Their High Street Edit layout is similar to their Weekly Edit app in terms of fonts, style and colours, so ultimately, I think I will be drawing most of my layout inspiration from here so it's in keeping with the app design thus consumers can appreciate that the apps and bi-annual magazines are an extension of the brand. As the app is mainly image based, fonts here are crucial and I will definitely be used the block capital type within the design.