Design Strategy - End of Year Show Evaluation

6B2 - Evaluating my design skills and projects.

The designs shown in different contexts and mock-ups show that they work well not only as a cohesive promotional campaign but also that if the designs were printed and used in real life they would still continue to be successful on paper as well as on screen.

The most successful element of the designs which is the main focus is the typeface, inspired by mosaics, it really captures the history and personality of the university across both buildings which also means that it works well in terms of both the Degree End of Year show at Blenheim Walk and the Foundation End of Year Show at the Vernon Street site.

The shapes and illustrations of people are successful at introducing a human element and representing the students themselves which was specifically mentioned in the brief, showcasing the range of different talents that will be on show, whilst also keeping a celebratory feel to the design. It also shows the university in a more professional light, bringing together the creativity of students, but also the business and professional aspect of the university and its new build and courses.

Improvements or developments which could be made, are further experimentations with colours as the existing colours may be seen as too subdued or unsaturated and may not mean the posters stand out or turn heads when placed on outdoor or printed adverts. The colours need to be more vibrant and bolder, with a more abstract approach to make the designs and university itself stand out against other advertisements and competing university shows or other events.

The campaign designed as a creative team, ultimately wasn’t selected, therefore it would have been interesting to see the designs being printed and used in real life. As well as this as a further development to the project and if the designs were selected, social media would have been another area to focus the designs around, incorporating the typeface into gifs and using the same colour scheme across the different platforms.

In conclusion the design is successful in terms of creating a cohesive promotional campaign, with a focus on the university’s history and the students showcasing their work. However, the marketing and senior management team were on the lookout for a bolder, more out there, abstract campaign which would attract attention and turn heads.