The Big Bang Creative Methodology

I had just woken up to the much-appreciated cold front after an extremely scorching fall of 2023 in Dallas, and looking forward to doing nothing over the weekend, my favorite thing of all time. However, as is usually the case, every time you plan to do nothing, something comes up. I picked up my phone, and one of the few times this season, I actually remembered to tweak my fantasy team, when I saw messages from a Unilever Alumnus, and I just knew it meant something to do had found me.

DEFINITION

A few days later, I found myself in a meeting with the marketing team, receiving a brief for a limited edition concept redesign for Amstel Malta. Immediately, I thought to myself: "How would Ray and Charles Eames approach this project?"

Firstly, I knew they would completely ignore the fact that the team was only asking me to share 3 options in the first round of drafts. As a designer, I firmly believe that the job is only done when I have satisfied my own design curiosity. However, as is usually the challenge for every designer, this had to be delivered within the agreed timeline.

INCUBATION

I perused all the information from the brief packet, market research, the data on competitors, and the brand guidelines - my favorite piece of information about any brand, as it tells you what you can and cannot do with it. I was determined to make it through the weekend unwinding, but I couldn't help searching for cool designs and pre-researching before the actual research phase during the incubation period. I'm sure Professor Tony Brock would be both impressed and disappointed - impressed that I was determined to stick to a schedule, yet disappointed that it wasn't perfectly aligned.Despite my design-focused weekend, I did manage to get through the rest of my Football Manager season and catch up on all our TV shows. All in all, it was an awesome weekend.

RESEARCH

I had my research plan meticulously laid out. I would start by studying the brief packet again, then dive deeper into the Amstel Malta brand architecture, looking beyond the Nigerian market to see how the product was faring globally. After that, I would venture into the wild - exploring platforms like Pinterest, Walmart, and Amazon to study the evolution of canned drink designs over time.

During my research, I came across some existing Amstel Bier designs, and I only hoped the Nigerian hierarchy would be as bold and innovative with the Amstel Malta packaging. My deep dive also unearthed some beautifully simple Pepsi can designs, which I found incredibly inspiring.

Armed with this wealth of research and insights, I felt ready to begin the sketching process, eager to channel my design curiosity into a truly remarkable limited edition concept for Amstel Malta.

Dallas canned drinks reckon, Walmart, December 2023.

Lagos canned drinks reckon, Shoprite, December 2023

EXECUTION

I have to confess that I sketched throughout the research phase and even "cheat sketched" during the incubation period. Some ideas were just too exciting to wait, and I simply couldn't resist putting them down on paper. I sketched everywhere - in my sketchpad, notebook, and even on the back of my T-Mobile bill, à la the legendary Paula Scher.

Imagining bursts of flavour projecting outward from the Amstel Malta logo

Re-imagining integral elements such as the barley leaves

DEPLOY

Another confession: I didn't just sketch throughout the research phase, but I also stopped mid-iteration to capture additional ideas that popped up. I allowed myself the freedom to explore and experiment, fueling my creative process.Once I had satisfied my design curiosity with an extremely cluttered Adobe Illustrator document, featuring double-digit artboards in the 20s, I was ready to double back to my incubation thoughts. I wanted to tell the story for each option, exactly how it came to me, with some technical additions, of course.This iterative approach, blending research, sketching, and storytelling, allowed me to develop a robust and well-rounded concept for the Amstel Malta limited edition packaging. By embracing the creative journey and giving myself the space to explore and experiment, I was able to tap into the full depth of my design potential and deliver a truly exceptional solution.

See the Initial presentation made to the Amstel Malta marketing team

Presentation