Author: HibaDudin

Wychwood Project Rebrand

Background

The Wychwood Project is a registered conservation charity located in Wychwood, covering an area of 120 square miles. Its focus is to encourage and help locals to understand, conserve and restore the landscapes and habitats. The charity was started in 2000 with the branding remaining the same since its initial establishment. It now needs a refresh of the entire brand identity which will increase the engagement and reflect the conservation efforts in the local area. 

 

Brief/restated brief 

We aimed to create a professional brand identity that portrays the organisation’s values of conserving the landscape, wildlife and inhabitants in the Wychwood area. The new brand identity also had to ensure that it could be used to promote the charity and attract both a younger demographic as well as the current one. By applying the brand identity to different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter. We also designed a website storyboard that maps out an improved golden pathway, which the client can later develop into a fully realised website. For the visual identity the client requested to include some motifs from the old logo including the Oak tree and colours correlating to the theme of ‘conservation’. To create a recognisable brand identity that portrays the organisation’s values and message.

 

Deliverables 

The deliverables included a brand assets (e.g. colours, typography, name, strapline, logo), social media pages and a website storyboard which is consistent with all platforms. The aims for these are to showcase a new take on the brand identity which attempts to engage with a younger demographic whilst also introducing a revised name and strap line which accurately reflect the description of the organisation. 

 

Research and competitors 

Before starting the sketching process, we researched the different aspects of the organisation by going through their website and social media pages and identifying the most important parts of their work. This included things such as conserving the wildlife, the current oak tree logo and the colours used throughout. These all helped us to map out in which direction our initial logo sketches would go; which we concluded would be based around the ‘nature’ rather than ‘charity’ or ‘conservation’ aspects.

Looking at the current website helped to initialise the colour scheme which encouraged us to create colour scheme mood boards which we felt reflected the organisation. This was then used in the first vector sketches we created, along with some typeface experiments that we carried out. Through our research, we identified several conservation charities and organisations whose work and aims are similar to that of the Wychwood Project. This helped us to compare them, identifying which aspects made them each successful and unique, and what exactly our own designs need to compete. Notable organisations included:

  • RSPB 
  • The Earth Trust 
  • The Wildlife Trust 
  • WWF 

After comparing their brand identities, websites and social media pages, we noticed several features which each organisation shared that arguably made them successful in their field. These include:

  • The use of high quality photography to portray their organisation and its activities 
  • The use of colour across all platforms to create a unique brand identity which stands out from the rest and allows users to identify the organisation 
  • A mix of full length images and smaller images across their websites to keep users engaged 

The current audience for the Wychwood Project are typically older members who have time to volunteer in the activities. These members help the charity as they are willing to invest money into the projects. With the rebrand of the charity, the client wanted to maintain this current audience whilst also being able to engage to a wider demographic, such as families and children as well as local businesses and societal groups. 

 

Design development:

  • Name and strapline

In terms of the name and strapline, we researched other charities and organisations in the same field and analysed what works and what doesn’t; which are the most successful in reflecting their aims and values. We curated a list based on this which we felt were in line with Wychwood’s own aims. We curated a list of name and strapline ideas, where the client chose their favorite leading us to coming to a decision on which we should use. 

The final name: Wychwood Forest Trust

The final strapline: For wildlife and wild places

 

  • Logo

We sketched some initial ideas based on the client’s feedback. This involved the concept of an oak tree which would help to portray the organisation clearly to all users. After several experimentations with this idea, we decided to broaden our design concept beyond the simple idea of an oak tree and explore other elements. Referring back to the user study that we have made earlier we wanted the whole brand to be contemporary yet still connect to the existing market. This enabled us not only to create a design which was visually more appealing and generally unique, but also to break away from the regular circular design and play around with layout and colour. 

Using the client’s feedback for the new set of designs we managed to narrow down three visually different styles on which we could improve, we started to experiment with colour choice, typeface and the positioning of elements. The first logo is a hand-edited typeface created from an already existing typeface which we believe enables a sense of identity to the brand. The second logo is based around the basic idea of a tree, whilst combining other elements to create a unique visual design. The use of the owl and tree in conjunction with the ‘W’ creates an individual identity which audiences can easily relate to the organisation. The third Logo focuses on other elements of the Wychwood area rather than just the idea of an oak tree. The deer is the most visually recognisable and so can be identified by members of any age group.

While designing the logos we explored different colours schemes that had neutral tones with accented colours. Eventually, we stuck with a natural colour scheme to ensure that Wychwood’s message of conserving wildlife was still portrayed. As for the typography, the two chosen typefaces worked the best with the logos, colour scheme and layout. 

 

After back and forth feedback we reverted back to the core oak tree image, as it is what viewers associate the organisation with. For the final logo, it is based around the idea of a tree but presented in a graphic way. We revived the original logo with a contemporary twist, having redrawn the tree and re-coloured it to create an individual identity that is both nostalgic and relevant. Creating a silhouette makes the logo clear and cohesive, as well as allowing it to work more efficiently as a logo at any size. The bright, acidic green colour reflects the aim of engaging with a younger audience and allows the tree to be both recognisable and intriguing.

  • Typography 

The typefaces chosen are suitable for the organisation as they are legible and accurately reflect the organisation’s values of conserving wildlife and wild places. They were also chosen as they are timeless therefore unlikely to feel outdated. For the logo we used ‘Varela Round Regular’ using the acidic green as a dominant colour.  Based on our typographic knowledge we attempted to change the clients’ mind regarding this typeface, as we believed it would be too light to work when scaled down, however the client insisted on this typeface. For the headings we used ‘Montserrat Regular’ in the same green. As for the body text, we used ‘Asap Regular’ in a stone grey colour.

Logo: 20pt 

Body text: 25pt 

Headings: 40pt 

Website menu text: 30pt 

Website buttons: 60pt 

Strapline on website header: 100pt 

Website information (at bottom of page): 23pt 

All type sizes are relative to the website page size.

 

  • Colour scheme 

For the colour scheme we referenced the original branding while giving it a more contemporary feel. Using neutral tones throughout, alongside a vibrant green and neutral lilac. The green would be used to separate information (used in headings, boxes and contact icons) while the lilac is used in the form of interactive buttons (sign up, donate and support). Both these colours are emphasised in the cover and display photos. The background colour used for the website is a green-tone white that acts as a backdrop for the acidic green headings, lilac boxes and grey tone body text.

 

  • Social media

We chose three main platforms to focus on social media presence which are Facebook, Instagram and twitter. For the social media pages we combined both photography from the organisation’s existing websites and social media with our logo along with the matching colour scheme, to create a sense of cohesion among all platforms. The layout and size of elements within the logo were tested with the mockups to ensure that they were legible at any size required.

Facebook: the mockup for the logo can be used across all social media platforms. The photography is chosen to be cohesive with the logo design. The continuous use of green and the minimalist photography helps the audience to focus their attention on mostly the logo which is the first sense of the organisation’s identity which will be seen. Facebook mockups with the logo in both of its variants. Custom header pictures which include the strapline for the organisation. 

 

Instagram: the focus of the Instagram page is to create a complete individual identity for the organisation by combining both the logo design and the strapline. The mockup for the logo can be used across all social media platforms. The first mockup uses the logo in its original form, with green on white. We zoomed in on the logo to make the best use of the small space for the logo within the Instagram circle, to give focus. The second mockup uses the logo in its reversed colour form, with the white on green, which can be used as an alternate option. 

 

Twitter: having the mockups with the logo in both of its variants. Custom header pictures which include the strapline for the organisation. The mockup uses the same layout and image treatment as the Facebook page, creating a sense of cohesion throughout all the social media platforms. 

 

  • Website golden path

For the prototype we chose to do a golden path for the website. This included pages such as  the ‘Homepage’, ‘About us’ and ‘Donate and Support’. The design of the website pages are both simple and professional. It has a basic linear format which is seen on most websites, allowing it to be visually engaging to a wide audience and easy to update. We incorporated elements of the logo within most of the website such as the tree silhouette and solid coloured boxes to create cohesion. The background colour used is a pale green that acts as a backdrop for the acidic green headings and grey tone body text. We packaged the website storyboard to have screenshots of each page, a walkthrough of the prototype and the website assets used.

 

 

Reflection

We believe that we have created a refreshed brand identity which differentiates the Wychwood charity from other similar organisations whilst also clearly portraying its aims and values. One of the main challenges that we faced was not receiving enough feedback in time. Our schedules had to work around the clients, which made it harder to plan out future input logs and the different steps for our design stages. Another challenge we faced was the fact that we were unable to visit the site which meant that we did not have a full sense of what the organisation entailed, making research slightly harder as all we had to go off of was the organisation website, social media and the information provided by the client. As a whole, the job took much longer than anticipated as it was originally set to be done in June but due to COVID-19 and our main client leaving the organisation, our deadline was extended as the other clients were much more flexible. 

What we learnt from this job is how to effectively manage our time and the workload so that we are constantly on target to reach the deadline. We also learnt how to work with different types of clients and what way is best when dealing with certain problems, such as the client not responding to our emails and calls for three weeks. We both agree that the final logo produced would not have been our first choice due to the fact that we find it to be too generic as there are already many brands and organisations who have a tree within their logo design. Also, we found that it has a direct correspondence to their original logo which we both were trying to steer away from. This was evident in our vast experimentation of logo illustrations and styles where we played around with incorporating animals and even solely typographic designs. We both pushed to have a more current typeface with a thicker output, however the client insisted on having the typeface light and simple. Nonetheless, we had to push our design preferences aside and give the client what they wanted, in return they were extremely satisfied with the end result. Regarding the website, we were relatively happy with the final outcome as it was a refreshed version of the original, being more dynamic for different screen sizes and enhancing the overall user experience with straightforward navigation.

We both worked extremely well as a team, dividing the work equally and helping each other throughout the entire project. Working together also allowed us to manage the time which we put into each deliverable in order to ensure that each was produced to the best of our ability. In future projects, we will make sure to use more persuasive techniques to convince our vision to the client. 

Fine Art Degree Show website, catalogue social media design

Background

Every year, the art department hosts two art shows for finalist art students: the Winter Cabaret and the Summer Art Degree Show. Both shows always have a designated individual theme and branding. It is a moment for the students to showcase their work and make important connections. We will work together with a committee of art students to create a branding that clearly showcases what their year was about. At the time this report was submitted, the job was not yet completed, but in stages of near completion. 

Brief/restated brief 

This real job included two large projects: branding, a website, and social media assets for an event in December and branding, a website, social media assets, and a publication for the 2021 undergraduate art degree show. Initially, the job seemed to be smaller with a website that would be updated between the December event and the degree show and an overarching branding. However, after a meeting with the client and later with the art students, this job included two separate events. Our job was to work closely with the art students to produce visual identities that they were happy with and believe reflected the visions they had.

The Art Degree Show committee had an estimated budget, dependent on grants and fundraising (generated from the December event for the degree show), which aimed to cover the cost of all deliverables:

  • To create two sets of branding. One that represents a chosen theme by art students for their annual December event, and one that successfully encapsulates the fine art’s graduating class of 2020/2021.
  • To design and create a website to showcase students’ work and the live stream for the December event, as well as create a separate website showcasing finalists’ work and their live stream for the degree show. These websites needed to successfully use the branding in the point above. 
  • To create social media templates that will promote the events by showcasing students’ work and communicating important information, such as the link, date and time. This includes Instagram posts, icons, and live stream backgrounds. 
  • To design and create a catalogue of student work for the degree show. As with the website, this also needed to successfully implement the branding. Despite the coronavirus, the intention was to print the catalogue, however, it also needs to be suitable as a PDF. 

COVID–19

While this job already started during the pandemic, COVID-19 still posed several challenges. Our usual approaches to working with clients and in a group had to change. Instead of meeting face-to-face every week with the client and art students to go over work and discuss ideas, we held these meetings in Teams. Although this meant that we still had consistent meetings, our feedback was still compromised. It was more difficult to get responses from people behind screens than it would have been in an in-person setting. However, we worked through this, by following up with the students in a more informal setting when more feedback was needed. 

Further, the nature of the exhibitions changed. The winter cabaret and degree show moved from being in the art department to being fully online. Usually, these events would require physical invites, posters, business cards, and other promotional materials. This year, the deliverables were narrowed down to social media assets, websites, and other digital media. However, the major publication would still be printed, but this also had to be available in PDF format for people who could not physically be at the degree show. While this might sound like less work, there was more emphasis on the importance of the website, what it looked like, and what it was capable of.

Allocating roles

As a team of four students, we knew it would be beneficial to split up the roles based on our strengths and what we wanted to learn. Charlotte was the only one in our team who had experience with making websites, specifically using Elementor on WordPress. However, Liselot wanted to learn these skills. So, for the Winter Cabaret, the roles were allocated to be that everybody would work on creating branding, and then the website would be made by Liselot and Charlotte, while Hiba and Shanzeh worked on the social media assets. For the degree show, the roles changed a little. Branding was still shared (at the end only one person made edits to assure there would be no file mixups), social media was allocated to Hiba, the brainstorming and planning for the publication was a team effort, but making edits and designing each individual page was left to Shanzeh, and the website was mainly Liselot’s job. Charlotte helped both with designing individual pages for the publication and with designing the website. However, the team is planning to get back together again to input all the content for each individual artists’ website pages. This way Shanzeh and Hiba get to learn about website building as well and the work will be done quicker. 

The design process

Although this job was a two-in-one job, the design process for both was similar. However, by having two projects following each other so closely in time, we could apply what we had learned quickly. Our first approach assumed we would not need as much time to work on the branding. The schedule we had created and the client had signed off on reflected this. In the end, our branding took more weeks than we had planned, leaving us to create an entire website in less than two weeks. Although the winter cabaret had more of a time crunch than the degree show, we knew to expect to spend more time on the branding. Hence, we planned an entire term solely for perfecting the branding and how this would translate to the publication. 

For the website, we figured out that less time was needed than we initially expected. Even though we worked overtime to get the Winter Cabaret website finished, we knew not to worry as much about the degree show. The first time around, three of us also had not used WordPress before other than to post these reports, meaning much time was spent on learning as well. For the degree show’s website, these skills only needed refreshing. 

Themes

The themes for the events were solely chosen by the art students to best represent their year and work. To make both the December event and the degree show connect, the names were decided at the same time: Connectivité for the December event and Pièce de Distance for the degree show. They related both to how everything was online and at a distance the past year. Since Pièce de Distance is a play on pièce de résistance, the art students stayed within French-sounding names. For the design, we first focused on Connectivité, which was a mix of digital and renaissance. For the degree show, we made it its own event by having a complete opposite visual theme that focused heavily on technology and darker colours, meaning there was a contrast despite the unity. How we came to these visual themes is discussed below. 

Research

In order to fully understand the subject of Connectivite, we underwent some initial research into both the themes of connecting and the French Renaissance. This enabled a deeper understanding of each theme and some potential ways in which we could link these all together in a way that was fresh yet kept some of the historical Renaissance-style work which the clients wished to have. To keep our research organised and collated in one place, we created a shared Pinterest board that the art students could also add to, where we saved inspiration for several of our deliverables; the website, catalogue and the branding. 

We applied this process to brainstorm ideas for the degree show. By which we researched the theme “Pièce de résistance” in terms of context and the ways we can modernise it. According to the Merriam–Webster dictionary, the phrase translates to “An outstanding item or event, the showpiece.”Which is an immediate reflection of what the degree show is about, presenting the students best work forward. Similar to the winter cabaret, this theme still had French connections but leaned more on the theme of distancing, which was fitting because of the current pandemic and social distancing rules. Shown below are our Pinterest pages we used to collaborate with the students to brainstorm our initial ideas, allowing the students to add their own photos in order to better understand their vision. We did this both for the winter and summer shows, focusing on each one individually. This meant that we could work efficiently and bounce ideas between the members in a way that was quick and easy to do.

Branding

The branding for the events was based on the collaborative Pinterest boards with the art students. This way we could suggest visual themes and they could build on them as well as the other way around. It was clear that at the beginning of the design process of both the events, that there were many ideas. While the overarching theme of Connectivité was being connected digitally and in person, it still could be visually represented in different ways. The same was for Pièce de Distance, which was more about the distance. The design process for both of the events was very similar. We had a close collaboration with the art students due to our weekly meetings. Because of this, we were able to show multiple different directions we could take, narrow it down, and keep editing and narrowing it down further every week, which is shown in Figures 1–4 (for the winter cabaret) and Figures 5–9 (for the degree show) . Since the branding for the Winter Cabaret went smoothly, we knew that sticking to the process would also make branding the degree show go smoothly. One lesson for us after both these events, however, is to make sure to not show designs you are unsure of yourself (whether that is the logistics or the actual design), or else the client might fall in love with it. 

Winter cabaret (connectivite)

Figure 1: Initial ideas
Figure 2: Developed ideas
Figure 3: Branding options
Figure 4: Final branding
Figure 4: Final branding

Art Degree show (Piece de Distance)

Figure 5: Initial ideas
Figure 6: Developed ideas
Figure 7: Developed ideas 2
Figure 8: Developed ideas 3
Figure 9: Final designs
Figure 9: Final designs

 

Social media

Because of the pandemic, the art students and ourselves were forced to adapt and switch to online communication. This shift applied to the promotional material of the events, social media presence became crucial than ever, in this case, the artists wanted Instagram to be their main social media outlet. For the social media pages for both the events, we combined both the students work with our branding to create a sense of cohesion among all platforms. The layout and size of elements within the logo were tested with the mockups to ensure that they were legible at any size required. The purpose of the Instagram page is to create a complete individual identity for the events. The profile picture for the winter cabaret was straightforward, unlike the degree show by which we struggled to scale down the logo whilst maintaining legibility because of the angle of type and 3D output. We simplified the logo for the social media posts, by choosing the key sports that needed to stand out along with the appropriate background colour. For the winter cabaret, we designed a specific set of posts to lie a complete image when viewing the profile (shown in the image below), this made the show’s feed visually appealing, however, it was not functional. Taking that into consideration, for the degree show the designers and students had separate posts that can be shuffled and published anytime, hence the Instagram posts were designed to be more flexible; creating separate filler posts and backgrounds for the images which can be posted in random order, shown in Figures 10.

Figure 10: Art Degree show Instagram feed

 

Catalogue

Since the Winter Cabaret was promoted digitally, we only designed a catalogue for the art degree show. This was unfamiliar territory, which required extensive research and experimentation. Luckily, we had enough time to understand the standard catalogue format and the rules that needed to be implemented, whilst exploring graphic treatments (on text, images and stock). Within the initial stages of design, we started with a traditional grid and page layout that held the contents; images and text. Which was developed into different formats and layouts that were later refined and the final layout was chosen by the art students, shown in Figures 11–12. In the next stage, we applied our branding on both the text and images, to see which works the best. This experimentation continued with the cover design, which required several iterations as the first few designs were not cohesive with the inside pages, shown in Figures 13–21. 

Process

Figure 11: Initial ideas
Figure 12: Developed ideas

The overall feedback that we received was to simplify the imagery in order to focus on the students’ work and display the information clearly. It was challenging to find a balance between the students’ requests to focus solely on the images whilst also including the design elements of the branding. We eventually found a middle ground for stylising the title text while leaving the rest of the page clean and legible. Because of the simple design of the inside contents we created more visually engaging pages for the prelims. Using solid blocks of colour for the background and changing the alignment of text and shapes elevated the catalogue, overall creating a dynamic visual output.

Final catalogue

Figure 13: Catalogue cover spread
Figure 14: Catalogue spread 1
Figure 15: Catalogue spread 2
Figure 16: Catalogue spread 3
Figure 17: Catalogue spread 4
Figure 18: Catalogue spread 5
Figure 19: Catalogue spread 6
Figure 20: Catalogue spread 7
Figure 21: Catalogue spread 8

 

Website

The website was created using WordPress. In our team, only Charlotte had experience with this. We were very lucky because this meant that she already knew about Elementor and how to use the basics. Before going to WordPress, we designed the website in Illustrator so we knew what we were working towards. However, it would have been useful to have a better look at what was capable with Elementor before we did that. We convinced the art students about our ideas and had clear visions of what we wanted just to later figure out that we could not make it a reality. These ideas were not far-fetched, so it was quite a surprise when we couldn’t figure it out. For example, we wanted images to open in a light box with a caption and extra information. However, the plugins would not allow us to add the extra information, meaning we had to work around it and create separate pages for each artwork. It was extremely stressful to have to figure out alternative solutions when we only had two weeks to make the website, but we did it in the end.

Because of what happened with the Connectivité website, we knew to better prepare ourselves for the constraints we would have. Although the art students had some great visions with 3D websites and moving elements, we knew this would not be possible with our capabilities. Luckily, they ended up liking our proposed design as well. While the website’s general structure was not as dynamic as everybody (both us and the art students) would have loved, we made up for it by applying the branding as much as possible and making it look as much as the catalogue we had designed and they loved. Further, we also made a GIF for the logo to give the illusion of a 3D aspect. It was all about compromise. Unfortunately, at the time this report was written, the website was still being made, so there might be more obstacles that came our way. 

Winter cabaret (connectivite)

Figure 13: Winter cabaret website
Figure 14: Winter cabaret website

Art Degree show (Piece de Distance)

Figure 15: Art Degree show website (unfinished)

Reflection

Despite its challenges, this project was useful and eye-opening, as we were introduced to different media, particularly WordPress. It was also interesting to gain a true understanding of client budgeting, as many design choices depending on their funding, particularly print finishes. This emphasised the importance of a design that was realistic and achievable, with the resources available. This was also challenging because of the number of students involved, which naturally led to fresh ideas and feedback. This forced us to promote different ideas we favoured or compromise our designs to be more suitable to the range of students. By designing for two separate types of projects, the winter cabaret and the art degree show, this helped identify previous strengths and weaknesses in the project. This reduced any issues or mistakes in the winter cabaret to occur in the art degree show. By establishing a strong client relationship, ideas and feedback were shared more openly, leading to a more suitable and attractive project that the students favoured.