Friday 28 November 2014

Brief 6 / D.S.M / Research


Brief:


My Theme:



I didn't really know much about the council so I had a look on the website to see what things they are associated with. The first thing that came to mind was how boring and dull the branding is on the site. I know it has to appeal to different audiences but I think it could be more engaging and contemporary.

 

I had a look at the services that they provide first. I didn't realise the amount of subjects they cover so I think I am going to design a campaign that promotes the services the council provide as I'm sure most people wouldn't be aware of the range they are involved in.

Services 

I want to have a look at what each category covers so I can try and get a better idea of what they are about and how I can represent this visually.

-Adult Social Care 



Working in social care is about providing personal and practical support to help people live their lives. It’s about supporting them to maintain their independence, dignity and control.


-Bins & Recycling 



From bins and bulky item collections to recycling services.


-Environmental Health 




-Births, Deaths & Marriages 



We manage birth and death registrations, certificates, marriages, civil partnerships and citizenship applications.



-Children, Families & Careers 




Leeds is home to more than 180,000 children and young people. Our ambition is to become the best city in the UK for them to grow up in by making Leeds a Child Friendly City.​​​​​​​​


-Schools & Learning




-Council Tax & Benefits 



find information on Council Tax charges and property bands, what discounts and exemptions are available, ways to pay, and what happens if you don't or can’t pay. You can also find information on Council Tax Support, Housing Benefit and free school meals.​​​


-Housing 



Advice and information about housing for council and private tenants; help if you are looking for a home; adaptations and improvements; advice and guidance for landlords; what to do if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.​


-Learning & Job Opportunities 



We want Leeds to be the best city for jobs and skills. Find out what learning and job opportunities are on offer where you live. Jobshop Services provided by the Employment and Skills Service has supported over 3,000 people into work over the past year.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


-Neighbourhoods



In this section you can find out what we are doing to make Leeds the best city to live and the best city for communities​​​​​​​


-Parking, Roads & Travel



We work to make roads and pavements in Leeds as safe and well maintained as possible. This section has information about current roadworks and planned transport improvements as well as parking, public transport and cycling. You can also report potholes and any other road problems and apply for a licence if you need to temporarily obstruct a highway.



-Public Health 

Public health is about creating communities where everyone has positive wellbeing and health, it's not just about health services and treating diseases, it's much wider and includes housing, social care, sport and fitness, improving education, employment and tackling the underlying causes of illness and unhappiness.

Through research we look at the effect that factors such as genetics, personal choice and the environment have on your health. We use this evidence to develop programmes, educate, promote healthy lifestyles and prevent disease and injury.




-Planning 



We provide information and access to all aspects of planning policy and the planning application process in Leeds.​​



Focussed Research 

Ive had a re-think and decided to focus my brand on the attractions that the council provide. There are nine places to visit that consist of galleries and museums. I will use the same format of creating a campaign that promotes the attractions to the public. 




Welcome to Leeds Museums and Galleries. Find out all about our nine fascinating museum sites and discover all the fun, friendly and exciting events and activities that take place across Leeds each week. Discover all about our museum collections, how we store and care for them and how to get involved with us.


The nine attractions are:


-Abbey House Museum 

A lively, interactive museum which was short-listed for the Guardian ‘Kids in Museum Family Friendly Award’ in 2011. Wander the beautifully created authentic Victorian streets for a glimpse of life in 19th century Leeds.


-Discovery Centre 

Home to over a million wonders, Leeds Museums Discovery Centre cares for the city’s collections.


-Kirkstall Abbey

Welcome to Kirkstall Abbey, one of the most complete examples of a medieval Cistercian abbey in Britain. Set in wonderful parkland along the banks of the River Aire, Kirkstall Abbey boast historic architecture amid a haven of wildlife and greenery.



-Leeds Art Gallery

The official website for Leeds Art Gallery. Located in the city centre and free of charge, the art gallery offers an inspiring and fun visit for all.


-Leeds City Museum

Experience a world of discovery... explore four floors of interactive and exciting galleries. Come face-to-face with the Leeds tiger, step into Ancient Worlds to meet Nesyamun, the Leeds mummy and dig for fossils in the Life on Earth gallery.


-Leeds Industrial Museum 

Housed in what was once the world's largest woollen mill, Leeds Industrial Museum houses a wealth of gems located in a beautiful riverside setting. Step back in time to learn about the industrial history of Leeds from manufacturing textiles and clothing to printing, engineering and locomotives, which the city was world famous for.​​


-Lotherton Hall 

Enjoy a fantastic day out at Lotherton Hall, a charming Edwardian house and country estate once home to the Gascoigne family. There is something for everyone to enjoy here; from the country house to the bird garden, the gardens and exhibitions, the shop and stables to the woodland walks and playgrounds.​​


-Temple Newsam 

One of the most celebrated historic houses in the country, this Tudor-Jacobean mansion has over forty restored rooms open to view. It is steeped in a rich history from its royal links to the lives of the ordinary people who lived and worked on the Estate.​​​​​


-Thwaite Mills Watermill

Thwaite Mills is one of the last remaining examples in Britain of a water-powered mill. Let one of our guides help you explore the mills and discover the importance of water power to Leeds' industrial heritage.












These are the current colours and icons used to represent each attraction. I think they are dated and look really dull and boring. I want to use a vibrant colour scheme with more engaging icons in my designs.
Council Brand Guidelines Examples  

I think creating my own brand guidelines will be the best way to present my ideas so I wanted to have a look at some existing examples for different councils in the UK. 

Belfast City Council:




Merton Council:




Medway Council:




City of Edinburgh Council:



Looking at the guidelines has helped me to understand how to present my ideas clearly and what I will need to include. For example, Fonts, Colours, How to use the logo correctly, How to position elements...etc. Although the guidelines are clearly communicated they look really corporate and boring, so I won't to create some interesting visuals that are more engaging.



Aesthetic research 


I like the colours used in the examples above. They are more engaging and contemporary that the ones currently used.




I want to use vector style graphics in my designs to represent each attraction. The examples above use simple shapes to create illustrations that have instant impact.






The examples above are the kind of style I will be looking to achieve for the attraction illustrations.


This design has more detail in the illustration but is still interesting and engaging.






The examples above use outlines to form the illustrations, this is another style to consider when creating my own.


This example has 9 different colours. This is the kind of colour palette I am thinking of using as there are easily distinguished.





These examples use flat graphics for the icons, this is another style to consider. 




The examples above use flat graphic that use shading to give them depth. Also the shape of the icon is something to consider, I could use a circle, square, hexagon.... 



Fonts 








I have been looking at potential fonts to use. I think I want to use a serif font for headlines and sans-serif font for smaller copy to give some contrast and hierarchy to balance out the type.


Colour Swatches










No comments:

Post a Comment