OUGD504 - Design Production: Design For Print (Qualitative Primary Research)

Today I decided that I needed to start contacting different printers in the UK. I thought I would start by contacting printers in Leeds. I decided to do a search online to help me find some places to research in to further. I had already considered contacting a printing place I used to use when I was living and working in Ormskirk. I started by contacting Flexipress, however the person I needed to talk to wasn't available. I will be calling back tomorrow to inquire again. I then tried The Print Academy, whose website I had visited first:

When I made the phone call I was greeted with a message which informed me about how they are interested in commercial print as well as environmentally friendly print. This made me think I have definitely chosen the right company to contact. I ended up speaking to someone who didn't know everything I could have done with him knowing, but I may end up making a second phone call for some more information. I was able to ask him a few questions and he gave me some good feedback:

I asked whether he thought people were aware of vegetable based inks and their services or not and he said that often people don't know what they are, unless they go in to specifically print using vegetable based inks because they already know all about them. This answer helped me as there is obviously a gap in the market to fill here in terms of raising awareness.

I then asked whether they think they would benefit from a governmental scheme sending them information about vegetable based inks which they could pass on to their clients and the answer was a definite yes.

He mentioned that they do already have a lot of information on their website, and so I asked whether they have much inside of their building and he said that they have certificates up but not really much else. I therefore think they would benefit from some posters explaining and encouraging clients to use vegetable based inks instead. 

The overall feel of the conversation was 'the more information the better' so I think this says that my concept would be successful and I could possible even propose it to them as an idea.

The website below is their website. With clear links to all of the different sections.

This information will become helpful to me when I am relating it back to a governmental scheme as FSC were also included in the poster on the wall inside Hobbs. 

The sustainability policy is also something which I am strongly interested in and it is something I think more people should know about.

I also thought it would be interesting to download their booklet about carbon. It is interested to see what their graphic design is like and how they have portrayed information in a formal way. This is something I can take inspiration from too when producing my own work.

This video also helps give another insight in to paper and how it can be used effectively.

 


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