5 Boards (personal)

Collaboration Evaluation

Working with Craig went well. We both had similar ambitions going into this brief and also for the future. Our common interests are typography and corporate identity. We applied our skills with type and layout together to an extent however we each generated our own outcomes and drew them together to make conclusions. We worked mainly in college but also at each other’s houses. In fact most of our good ideas came from being out of college, perhaps because it was easier to focus on our brief without others working on their briefs around us.

The contract that we wrote and the roles we applied ourselves didn’t always stay as we had planned. It worked out well in that way, because we worked so well together that it seemed as though we should spend as much time working together as possible. We generated lots of ideas while together but almost always agreed not to test them, on account of them seeming weak from the beginning. If there is one thing I have learned it is to at least develop any idea to a point where it can be clearly seen to not be effective.

The work produced was good overall. We should have tested a wider variety of concepts and also generated far more visuals. Though the final designs were strong in my opinion. The concept was strong although to really have the desired effect it would need to be produced at industry standard, as the scratch and sniff process is impossible to actually achieve. But for the sake of proposing a concept it works.

My personal involvement within the brief was to be the photographer, layout designer, re-touching photographs and organisation. This worked well, with Craig being the main visualiser of initial ideas, as he has a very good eye for drawing quick ideas of anything you throw at him. Concept and idea generation was always done together because we figured if one of us didn’t understand the direction as well as the other, the work would not be balanced. As the brief progressed the role of organiser and time manager became more important as it was my role to make time for printing and photo shooting.

The typography module helped with some of the layout issues although I feel we could have refined it further and looked at some more interesting layout ideas. However this was an advertising brief, so the overall outcome had to be accessible at a glance.

Overall I am happy with this brief acting as a segue from second year leading into the FMP. I am definitely more confident with my own designs and believe in the choices I make. Working as a collaboration is something I want to look into over summer. I have several very talented friends, who study a variety of media production including photography and film editing and shooting. This will give me a chance to practice my editorial skills in both digital and print media. Looking forward to it.

Poster and Spread

(writing 27th May)

Knowing what I now know about range and distribution this collaborative brief seems like a bit of a let down. The work I produced is satisfactory, however it is now clear that I could have produced a lot more of the range.

Had I the knowledge I have now I would have produced the entire range across all of the sports. It would simply be matter of sourcing or taking some more photographs and altering the colour choice as well as the copy. Although, I suppose this is what it is all about. Doing something, then looking back and realising what you have learned.

Poster Development

Open publication - Free publishing - More treatments

Poster Idea

Spreads #2

Promoting the Experience
Scratch and sniff

Visualising the Publication

Initial Spread Idea

This idea was pretty much just something to take to crit too show the development of a visual style.
Also includes a possible tag line which is in development and a obviously a layout idea.

Colour Treatments

Open publication - Free publishing - More tests

I think from this is is clear that the single colour treatments are working more effectively than the two colour.

Spreads

Formative Feedback

Point has been raised that we have not targeted families, however we have made an informed decision that targeting families is not as important. Mainly because P&O have already addressed this audience and because there would be a conflicting message between the adventure audience and the family audience.

Poster treatments need to be considered further in relation to the message of adventure and P&O.

Agreed that the main issue to address is not the price of ferry tickets being low, but instead sell the experience. This was our current angle anyway, so that is fine.

Considering the style of illustration, make sure it appeals to all the audiences.

A scenic background to give a taster of the beauty and experience of the sea. Photographed, illustrative.

A tone of voice needs to be established. This is our primary focus at present. Do we have a short, concise slogan or tag line. Or should there be more of a dialogue with the audience?

The inclusion of images of an image of a ferry is a decision that Craig and myself need to come to a conclusion about. We would quite like to do it without using imagery, mainly because it is hard to obtain decent photography of ferries.

We need to evaluate why existing campaigns for P&O aren’t working. Or how it is not working for our audience.

Analyse the magazines, the style of them and the layouts available.

The Campaign Rage

Mail Shot Idea

P&O Manifesto Idea

Experiencing P&O Ferry Travel Sketches

The Ferry Experience and Tag-lines

Tabbed CV

Spread Treatment

First Person

The only problem with this, is that it is very dull indeed. Hardly captures the character of P&O, or at least how P&O want to appear.

Crit Feedback

Overall the message was good. We have identified the specific audience we are going to target, that being active sports enthusiast. Also we have developed our concept further and refined it to promoting the 'experience' of ferry travel as desirable for this target audience.

Our designs need to target them correctly now, in the right contexts. So we now need to think about the most likely places for these audiences to view and take time to actually engage with our work.

Premature Idea

Yes I know I should not really be designing at this stage. I just really wanted to design something... anything, amid all this research.

Response From Crit

Issues Raised from Crit.

Cut target audience right down to:

Active sports enthusiasts

• Families are strongly addressed across the current P&O advertising campaign.
• There will be an obvious gap in the aesthetic between the two markets.
• Figure out why active sports people would want to drive to the location after the ferry crossing.
• A tag line, or a series of tag lines may need to be developed, or a series of tag lines.
• Primary research into current market, why do they like using ferry, if not, why not?

The two main aspects to focus on. The experience of ferry travel / The driving experience for the adventurous market.

Crit Rationale Pitch

Main Problem

Identified that P&O have an existing customer base, however they are not reaching new wider markets such as skiers, snowboarders, cyclists, campers and families. These markets currently use cheap flights as an alternative.

Concept

Highlight the convenience of ferry travel, by bringing to light the benefits that are overlooked by our target markets. Such as cheaper prices car access, which includes increased amount of luggage for sports equipment and general family luggage.

Direction

A print and ambient media campaign. Including 48 sheets, magazine spreads, posters, flier, bus stop ambient media and other hypothetical ambient media image treatments.

Questions brought to crit

• Our audience does not consider even finding out whether it would be worth using a ferry as an alternative to cheap airline flights. Therefore would you agree a print based and ambient media campaign is the best way to raise awareness?

• It is evident that P&O have a limited knowledge of what it is they need to do to raise awareness of their ferry services. Their target audiences stated in the brief are Skiers, Snowboarders and Families. Would you agree that they could increase the range of a new market by considering other activity sports such as cycling, surfing, rock climbing and camping?

• Do you think these initial ideas are suitable, considering they are not physically realistic, but with Photoshop we can exemplify the potential of ambient advertising?

• At present the style of illustration is not decided. There is the option of using photography or another illustrative technique. Photography is a challenge, as it would involve gathering a lot of props and potentially unrealistic photos such as photographs of a ship. So far the idea of developing an illustrative style is far more realistic. Opinions?

Bus Stop Ambient Media Maquette

Instead of having a multitude of design sheets exemplifying our poster and vinyl designs and explaining their context. I have decided to create a maquette to accurately illustrate where each design will be placed, and also clarify the context clearly.

I have created this net which replicates the layout of a standard UK bus stop. All window space is to be designed for.

Rationale

Audience

Bridging working and middle classes, targeting families, campers, travellers, skiers/snowboarders/cyclists (activity sports enthusiasts).

Context

Print campaign, including 48 sheets, magazine spreads, point of display leaflets and ambient media.

Problem

P&O Ferries are retaining old customers, but not reaching new customers who opt for cheap plane flights, due to outdated negative pre-conceptions of Ferry travel.

Concept

Reach and retain a wider range of customers for P&O Ferries via a print campaign.