Wednesday 24 November 2010

Art is everywhere, and that makes me happy

Our class visit to the V&A’s 20th Century exhibit reinforced in my mind one key benefit of being a designer – we are one of the few classes of artists that have the ability to create art that the average person can interact with every day.

Like any typical museum exhibition, the 20th Century collection sits behind glass. Visitors mosey along a well-worn path glancing at each artifact. If something catches their eye - they skim its description written on a small plaque and learn why it’s important. However, what made these pieces of art unique is that only a relativity short time ago, they were simply props in a normal person’s day-to-day life – furnishing his home, clothing her back, helping her clean the carpets or sitting in his office. The sleek lines and functionality of a typewriter, the playful pattern on a child’s dress, the organized layout of a car manual – all of these things were hand-crafted by a designer. They then entered and exited the consumer’s life and can now be celebrated alongside some of the greatest fine art ever created.


It’s fun to guess what things in my life I might find myself viewing in a museum one day. The computer I type this blog post on? The mobile phone sitting next to me? The trendy boots on my feet? What about these cool post cards we grabbed at the V&A?


Maybe even (fingers-crossed) one of my own future designs….

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Business for Design: Logotype concepts

Here is a sampling of logotype options for the two business names I'm exploring for this module. I haven't applied color yet, but this shows what I'm thinking as far as typography and composition.

Button:

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Kettle:

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Wednesday 17 November 2010

Takin' care of business

To ensure I stay on track to meet the Jan. 20 deadline for the RSA/Design Project A, I created this timeline and corresponding check list.

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Oh, hello friend blog

My friend showed me this blog a few weeks ago. Not only is the content interesting and innovative, the overall look and organization is really great. So many ideas for beautifully designed crafts. Truly inspiring!

Objects and Moods

The names I chose to explore for the creative business also happen to be names of objects that I feel describe me and my com design style.

Button

The object:
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The mood:
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Kettle

The object:
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The mood: 
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I am currently working on logo type concepts for these names and should be posting my ideas within the next few days. Stay tuned!

Friday 12 November 2010

What's in a name?



My research for Design Project A to date has led me to one clear problem – The Blue Cross is not understood by the general public because of the ambiguity infused within its name and branding.

This week, I spent quite a bit of time reading through a very helpful text entitled Charity Marketing: Meeting Need Through Customer Focus by Ian Bruce. In it, Bruce delves deep into what makes a successful charity brand. To determine this, one must examine the organization’s “presented identity” including the name of the charity itself. Bruce states that a well-positioned name must be distinctive, relevant, memorable and flexible. Using this as criteria, I’m going to evaluate Blue Cross’ current name and branding scheme by giving a small visual survey to a small sampling of people.

Readers of my blog can check out the survey here and leave their responses in the comments field below.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Proposition - Design Project A

Below is a quick snap shot of my proposal for the RSA project - giving and getting.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Research progress - Design Project A

This week I met with a member of The Blue Cross media relations team and made general inquires about the organization’s general communications strategy and how the fundraising and communications departments are structured. She was able to give me a general overview and suggest other departments and employees I could meet with to learn more. She was able to provide a key piece of past research the company conducted – The Blue Cross Supporter Donor Profile – which outlines who typically gives to the organization, how and why.

I have written up key issues discussed but will not post them here in case they consider the information classified.

Also, this week I conducted some secondary research into other top animal charities in Britain and noted their apparent branding and messaging tactics. I noted what about them made them clearly recognizable as an organization for animals. I observed their use of social media and whether it appears successful or not.  I also researched other organizations with similar names that could highlight the causes of some of the confusion behind Blue Cross’ purpose.


I then took a look at how these organizations approach their messaging. Many, like the Blue Cross, take a conservative approach. Imagery is typically an animal suffering. This may or may not be followed up by images of the animal rehabilitated.

Dogs Trust:


Dogs Trust YouTube page:


PDSA:


PDSA "Well Vetted" online gift site:


RSPCA:


RSPCA "Give Animals a Voice" site:


RSPCA "Political Animal" site:


RSPCA "Think Pig" Facebook application:


The only one that clearly deviated from this strategy was the RSPCA. Though they discuss very serious issues, they are able at time to approach it in a humorous way. To quickly illustrate the different impacts – check out the overview videos of the Blue Cross and RSPCA.

Further research to be done:

Primary:
  • Follow up with members of the Creative Services and Direct Marketing teams that were suggested. Request informational interviews
  • Investigate other Blue Cross facilities (shelters, shops, etc.) in the area to visit and meet staff
  • Continue observing everyday interactions of clients and staff at Blue Cross Victoria hospital
  • Try to get in touch with communications team of other charities researched to get a firm understanding of whether strategies noted above have been successful or not

Secondary:
  • Research animal charities in other parts of the world and note their communications strategies – are they similar/different?
  • Read up on the psychology that fuels giving. Do those that typically give to other charities match the profile of the average Blue Cross supporter?
  • Read up on the psychology behind companion animals. Why do people love their pets? What here can be exploited in messaging?