Gary Neil, one of our craft mentors, introduced us to the idea of visual ingredients. It has certainly helped me to try and be more respecting of the visual side of things. The proper application of a visual ingredient, much like a cooking ingredient, can lift a piece of work.

More recently Richard Russell, one of our copy mentors, encouraged us to pick up items as we stroll down a supermarket aisle and really look at the brands. Study the look of them and the words printed on them.

I like cooking and I can be found in local food stores picking up ingredients. The two lessons from our mentors, have made me notice what’s on the outside as much as what’s on the inside. The following ingredients I spotted in my local East Asian and Afro-Caribbean store. There’s an innocence to these products. But just the look of them made me want to reach out and pick them off the shelf.

Ackee – A fruit that is essential for Jamaican cuisine. liked the characters, there’s an old school charm to a cartoon person on a packet.

Fufu – A West African staple. There’s a lot going on. And I’m sure the multiple fonts are breaking conventions. But the colours and the Mondrian like pattern along the side look delish.

Mystery Ingredient – This was placed next to the sweet buns I like. There were no English words to indicate what it was. But the packet looked so bold and cool that I snapped a picture. There’s real emotion in the duck’s eyes too. I wonder what he’s thinking?

Infused Green Tea – There was a new line of fruity flavoured green teas on display. I picked one up to see if what’s inside tasted as good as the design looked.

Thank you SCA mentors! Shopping will never be the same again.

@Simplyp85