The most significant findings and surprises relevant to my project cycle was how difficult it is to decide what information is key to getting an audience to understand your campaign at first glance and how to visually represent that information so people will stop to look at it for more than one second. My project has advanced because I have figured out which elements I want to leave out and what images represent the brand the best. I have learned that styleguides are very intricate and exact so going forward I will need to refine my specifications so my plans for the brand are extremely clear.
The infographic established for the New Roc City campaign is different from the ones I have studied because it doesn’t have an overwhelming central graphic. Instead it incorporates a lot of small images, patterns and colors that relate to the brand. It is also different because it doesn’t have a very linear order. It is similar because it puts the important information at the forefront and follows a theme from top to bottom. I used the fence, circles and swooshes as a break between information and a form of continuity.
The styling specifications are important for defining and controlling my campaign because it keeps the fun, playful image consistent. The logo has been redesigned to reflect the community aspect of the brand. It focuses on the idea that New Roc City is like having a city in your backyard. It will elevate the brand because it will promote the image of being a neighborhood staple and a place to get away. The color palette exemplifies the essence of the brand because it exudes a playful, bright image. The hue of the red, yellow-orange, green and purple are bold and explosive to project the energy and liveliness of the activities at New Roc City. Halftone patterns and sunbeam spirals are appropriate because they create a sense of motion. The multicolored tile pattern is evidenced throughout the New Roc City building interior, inspired by the Grand Central station tile in New York City. The fonts that were chosen for the campaign fit the brand because: (1) the headline font is used in the logo and has an artistic, hand painted feel that looks natural against the fence icon; and (2) the tagline and body copy font is very legible at different sizes with unique curves and angles. The images that are suitable for the campaign include interior and exterior shots of the company. Alternative images can be of families laughing and similing or playing activities related to those offered in New Roc City.
The style guide sketch illustrates the character of the brand using visual elements that will be used across the campaign, like the fence and cityscape. The information is positioned in a way that is active, so the viewer’s eyes will jump from left to right and down the page. It provides insight into the look of the overall infographic. The current layout of the style guide may change depending on the space for getting all of the basic guidelines clearly across to the user but it is a start for building a cohesive look within the infographic and brand.
The infographic wireframes reflect the New Roc City Project Brief because it allows the client to grasp the narrative of the brand in order of importance. According to Josh Smith, “in almost any piece of research, there is a “hero” that leads the story. This piece of data will make your jaw drop. Once you find it, it becomes a way to organize the project and solidifies the hierarchical structure of the infographic. Supporting elements are then arranged to tell the rest of the story (Smith, J.).” The hierarchy of each New Roc City infographic focuses on the header, intro and style specs as the “hero” while the rest of the information supports it. Those key elements are the most important because they get the essence of the brand across and relay the direction that the campaign is taking; a place for family fun with vivid colors, bold fonts and playful angles of shapes and imagery. Through the use of engaging charts and graphs, the supporting elements will deliver the data with more “showing” than “telling” so the client will understand the information at first glance. Amy Balliet of Killer Infographics suggests “when you have an opportunity to display information visually, take it…If there isn’t any data viz, or if a bunch of pictures are missing context, then you are doing too much telling and not enough showing (Balliett, A.).” She also recommends organizing the data and sectioning off information without relying entirely on headings and color breaks as a good way to break monotony. The element that brings the ah-ha to the viewer is the hook or primary take-away and Balliett recommends placing it in the center or very end of the infographic to grab attention. The ah-ha element should have the most visual weight. The infographic should end with a lasting impression and a clear idea of the hook.
Information comes before design. Data is the foundation of every infographic and one must take the time to learn what it is about, where it’s from and what makes it interesting and unique. Then, design and aesthetics are used to make the information more compelling.
Out of the “20 Inspiring Animated Infographics,” I found the animated infographic on Oil Addiction produced by GOOD the most interesting. One factor that made it appealing is the vintage, old TV style that was applied to the graphics. Another factor was the dramatic music that intensified as the message intensified and got more serious. It takes you through a journey along with the graphics. The third factor that made it appealing are the words and sentences that had a slight sarcasm and humor to it in relation to the image. For instance, the “Fear of Shortage” text pops in with a comic dramatization of a women screaming, with the sound of a woman screaming in the background. It illustrates the concept that the woman is overreacting to the fear of oil shortage but it has a slight humor to it at the same time. The transitions came in on beat with the music, giving it an effective flow, and kept the viewer’s eyes moving all around the screen because images came in from all sides. I also found this infographic interesting because the information was connected as if someone was telling a story and often showed a cause and effect, for example, a question would appear and then the next information would be an answer.
A style guide communicates directions to any creative professional or marketer using their logo. They help protect your logo usage and keep branding consistent. It Instructs how you want your brand to be depicted, addresses the logo’s meaning and physical representation guidelines and alternative representations (like black & white and grayscale), and clarifies colors, fonts on logotype and website and collateral. It also addresses logo don’ts.
