THE WEEK IN DESIGN 30

Appropriate treatment

When striving for consistency of brand and treatment, we should never ignore the emotive tone of the story.

Design can be an instant indicator to the happy/sad, serious/celebratory coefficient, so we should be mindful of the power we wield.

Take the two designs below.  Generically in the category of 'children', the treatment differs greatly because of the tone of the story.

STOLEN CHILDREN CLIP

Stolen Children is communicating statistics of child abduction.  Serious, sad, highly emotive and the gritty, slightly sinister nature of the treatment is wholly appropriate.  There is a sense of 

drama, without ever overstepping the mark and the family motif feels like an analogy for lost childhood.

PARENTAL LEAVE CLIP

Not that this isn't a serious story (the work/home life balance around maternity and paternity), but we are communicating details around a time of celebration and the child mural approach 

feels wholly appropriate.  It is warm and engaging, communicating a positive feeling from the start, but the detail is never lost.

From a design perspective, I'm a little perplexed by the decking at the bottom, but we can let that pass…

However, we need to be careful and prepared to be internally critical of ourselves.

DRINK DRIVING CLIP

For drink driving, I think we get away with it; just.

The design is communicative, clean, clear and crisp and the pure info graphic treatment always plays well with volume and scale.  

It is beautifully achieved and stylistically just where we'd like to be.

However, the serious nature of this subject is trivialised a somewhat by the animation.  It's a little quirky; slightly jocular even and we are in danger devaluing the message.  Easing this back and 

potentially muting the colours slightly would have made this excellent.

From both sides of the fence, we should be expressing the tone of the story and treatment idea at the point of commission and never take these things for granted.

CDE

C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 29

The return of the Design Excellence Awards

After a months break due to overwhelming workload (for everyone), the design awards have returned.This is an opportunity for us to value check our work and reward that which is outstanding.

For the first time, we have decided to open the voting to the whole Newsroom; after all, we are not just measuring the quality of design; this is about success.  

How well does a piece communicate?  Does it demonstrate excellent collaboration? Did it fit well with the package (and does it sit well with the Sky News Brand).

Combine these factors together with design and beauty and we have success.

The award is given to both the designer and producer who worked on the piece.

You can view the 5 clips shortlisted on the following link

DEA 4 SHORTLIST

and then vote for your preference on the link below (which is also embedded in the viewing site above).

VOTE HERE

Please enter your name so that we can avoid duplicate votes, but your vote will be invisible to other users, so that anonymity can be maintained.

The poll will close next Friday 22nd November and the winner announced.

Good luck

CDE

C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 28

Flow.

One of the greatest challenges in any piece of communication is flow; the ability to continue the story, benefitting the experience.  The best way to achieve this is by working together.

The recent Energy Price Rise story provided just such an opportunity.  By communication with design (and the undeniable skill of cameras and creative ideas of the producer), 

a beautiful sequence of shots was provided, allowing the application of information whilst maintaining the package flow.  

So far so good.

Below is the generated design.

To say this is disappointing is an understatement.  When you are given a gift of such bold, dynamic shots, the very least anyone would expect is that you don't destroy them.  

We should work with footage, whether provided or requested and make sure that there is no conflict, but here elements are fighting for attention; logo, subject, icon, genre, figure and 

image, all conflict, creating an unsuccessful whole.  Utilising assets which do nothing to strengthen our ownership of the design (yellow text, invented arrow), relegates this even further.

All of this adds up to a sequence which breaks the flow of the package and therefore story.

It is most disappointing, since with such beauty at our disposal, the solutions can be very simple.  The examples below are generated exceptionally quickly.  None of these are glorious, 

but glory is not the requirement here; we get that from the shots provided and the way that placement maintains the flow of the piece.  Embed the text, 

or make the application so simple that it doesn't kill the shot and communication will always be more successful.

Flow will always be maintained by information applied in situ, but relevance is key to success in this regard.  

SUGARY DRINKS CLIP

The design for Sugary Drinks is successful in this regard.  Again, the provision of a great shot maintains the flow of the package far more so than if the information had been displayed on 

An irrelevant wall or other blank space.  The way the design is laid out is beautiful and communicative.  If I have one criticism, it's that we could have perhaps worked harder to maintain 

a direct correlation with the drinks subject, but this solution was relevant to the environment in which the subject was shot. 

Finally, an example of where a 'barrier piece' is just what is required.

ENERGY SWITCHING CLIP

Enlivening a piece where it's possible the same old generic footage will be trotted out time and again presents its own challenge; how to reengage the audience.  

In the case of Time to Switch, taking a motif such as the dial has direct relevance to title, subject and action.  It doesn't hurt that it stands out in the package, because it becomes 

the 'science bit' where information so often appears.  It's beautifully realised and directly informative.

So be mindful of flow within a story or package.  We are all in the business of communication and ownership of individual sections is never as successful as owning part of the whole.

Inspiration this week from the final shortlist for the Information is Beautiful Awards.  Sadly, we didn't make the final cut after making the longlist, but the pieces below 

(though overly long for our requirement) give an indication of what can be achieved.

INFORMATION IS BEAUTIFUL SHORTLIST

CDE

C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 27

What makes the wall?

There has been much debate this week as to where we are successfully using the wall and why.  The crucial first step in understanding this, is realising that the wall is not a magic box of tricks, which will somehow make up for failings elsewhere.

We'll shortly be setting up some working groups with stakeholders from all areas to discuss how and where we can improve, but for now let's look at what I consider the most successful to date – GDP from Monday.

GDP WALL CLIP

Though there are still lessons to be learned (particularly with scale vs tightness of shot), GDP was an outstanding piece of work.

So what made it so successful?  Actually, in breaking it down, there is little need for detail.

Well written

From peg to concept to script.  All individual aspects were considered, then seamlessly knitted together

Well briefed

Communication with Design, Gallery and Presentation was well connected.  

Well designed

The treatment is appropriate and relevant; the bluprint premise coming from construction and indicating growth. Though it is deceptively simple, the focus is very much on the information, on the story.  Also, crucially, design knew how the wall would be shot.

Well choreographed

The sequence flows; the animations and sections have relevance.  In other presentations on the day, we moved seamlessly to locations and 2-ways.

Well presented

Colin is both engaged and engaging.  He uses the space on the stage, the depth in camera and the canvas of the screen

Well directed

When we needed to be tight, we were tight.  When we needed to beside, we were wide.  We utilised the depth of the studio to emphasise scale and detail.

All of these aspects played to the strengths of the wall (scale, resolution, mobility) and the strengths of individuals producing the content for it.

Overall, there was good communication and connection; it was well produced.  Broadly speaking, everyone did their job.

Success can be defined by understanding what each area will be doing and here, everyone understood their responsibility, communicated it and took ownership of it.  

This is why it was strong; we worked together.

CDE

C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 26

The Wall

The launch of the new wall has been a triumph which belies (or reveals) the hard work which went into getting it there.

As a project, it was exceptionally well connected, with editorial, technical, structural, development and design working hand in hand.

As always, there have been frustrations along the way but we will debrief on this and as we develop our presentation personality, 

we will come up with new and exciting ways to exploit some of the elements we always wanted to include.

From a design and development perspective, immense thanks are due to:

• Przemek Pluta for the interface and technical development – basically, everything 'clever' about it
• Harry Ward and Aaron Smillie for the design concept and build of the sequences for Immigration Week
• Phil Billmore for solving the seemingly impossible task of live data for Digital Devices in the final week
• Gareth Winter for the new ethos of story brands.
• Brent Jones and Roland West for ensuring connection and delivery. 
• Mark Jones and Chris Sharpe for brand and design direction

As always, the engagement of the whole team beyond these individuals has been key; you should all take credit.

The designs for Immigration UK have been a triumph of information, presentation and collaboration, they tie in with our new visual language 

and demonstrate the capabilities of storytelling when the wall is in use.  It cannot be overstated that without your dedication, not just to deliver, 

but to deliver exceptional creative solutions on time, we would not have made it across the line.

It's not for me to thank others, but without the dedicated editorial connection from Jamie Wood and Julie Weight 

and the directorial engagement of Jon Bennett, there would be no solution here.

Development will continue over the coming weeks with web interface control and we are already generating 

the next step in the visual language used on walls for next week.

For now, incase you missed the 4 meter high thing in the corner of the set, check out the text links to clips below. 

WEATHER WALL                           IMMIGRATION UK                   US DEBT WALL

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 25

A Digital Language

Ahead of Immigration UK, concentrating this week on the tremendous output from the Digital Team.  

Our Digital output gives a real lesson in how to communicate, plan and commission for information design.  

As an active, non-linear experience, the level of detail and depth which can be achieved is tremendous, 

but adds real complexity to the process.  Clear understanding of the subject matter and capabilities of the technology is required from all stakeholders.

In terms of design and development, Digital platforms present their own challenges and the key indicator 

of success is the User Experience – how well do people interact with the solution.  The end results 

for Immigration UK push the boundaries of the tech across all devices.  It's been a huge effort from 

Serge, Ranjeet, Sabina and James on design and development, but as always, the creative and analytical engagement from the editorial team has been incredible.

Crucial in the process however, is how well this experience reflects (or is reflected by) the on-air brand and 

as you will see from the output next week, we have brand consistency, but everything is fit for purpose.  

The nature of the new wall in set requires the brand to be darker and richer; Digital output requires more 

brightness and cleanliness and the two are tied together by a full frame treatment which bridges 

the transition from dark to light, the ambition being that the home user takes the digital output as a 

partner piece to the output.  We should never lose sight of the number of viewers browsing depth on 

the iPad whilst watching the channel.

The links below give a flavour of the output across iPad and Online, but content is also available on mobile.

Gain or Strain for Online

British Citizenship Test for iPad

Border Control: In or Out Test for iPad

British Citizenship Test for Online

Border Control: In or Out Test for Online

Immigration General Impact - including Hotspot Map for iPad

Hotspot map for Online

CDE.

C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 24

Beautifully simple

Our visual language has now developed to such a stage that we can design with beautiful simplicity.  A quick look at any latest 'digital' offering, iOS7, Windows 8 search, shows that the world is more accepting 

of a graphic treatment.  This move away from skeuomorphism as previously popularised by the Apple/Dieter Rams era, allows information design and data visualisation to be our focus.

However, as with any flexible brand, there is a sliding scale of how graphic/real we should be.

The pure digital nature of Google's product and identity lends itself to the cleanest end of the spectrum.  As we've seen in previous weeks, when we design in a way which fits our brand, but indicates the subject, 

we have success on two fronts.  The manipulation of the Google identity, embedding information within it, reinforces the connection to the subject.  With Google's penchant for 'doodles' the quirky nature of the 

design is a perfect fit.

Google animation

The stark simplicity of Lying Managers, echoes corporate brochure design and stock business imagery.  Without belittling the subject, the clever use of speech bubbles forms a direct correlation between 

what people say and the statistics.

The first change in approach is apparent with Device Prices.  When dealing with physical objects, we are best served by showing them.  However, by building these in a 3D environment (rather than filming in situ),

We are better able to control lighting, design and treatment, so that information does not suffer.

Pilot Tiredness is a very interesting one.  We could easily have designed this around In-flight safety cards, transit signage or airline tickets, and the design would have been beautiful.However, a serious subject 

such as this, requires instant communication and for us to steer away from any form of trivialisation.  Aircraft + text does this immediately and though it comes almost all the way to reality, it stays within our brand.

As a composition, it's beautiful.

Lots of debate on the Gaming design this week.  A hugely planned and meticulously thought out piece, it never the less drew raised eyebrows in terms of brand ethos.  Subjectivity will always play a strong part in 

any creative critique and this should be encouraged.  Only by debating relative merits can we value check and evolve.

My personal take, is that there will always be a place for treatment beyond the norm.  Where a high-end conceit can be justified on the merits of the story or the impact which it achieves, we should embrace it wholeheartedly, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't question.

I love this design as it represents the online games my 5 year old plays – harking back to the 8-bit of my youth without going too far.  If I'm being critical, I would have placed greater emphasis on the information, which is a little lost and kept the sequence full frame out of the device – if the premise translates, then it doesn't need it.

Gaming animation

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 23

MUMSNET POLL

Effort where Effort is Due

Whenever resource is squeezed, we should be mindful of where we allocate resource.  Prioritisation is key, but we must accept we work in a Breaking News organisation

and as a result we can be charged with working on solutions for numerous stories even when we are restricted.

It is therefore imperative that we put the effort into the highest priority output, or, crucially, where we can make the best visual impact.

Equally therefore, where resource is limited, we must ensure we keep any graphic solutions, simple and clear, with the emphasis on communication.

I can't honestly say whether this was a high editorial priority, but it was certainly an opportunity for visual impact.  The Supporting the Blind design was 

an exceptionally successful translation of  traditional idea: contain the information within the eye test chart.  On first impression, it may appear a little disingenuous, 

but of course many individuals who are registered as blind do have some residual vision which can be tested.

The pull-focus treatment, along with an elegant camera move makes for a very beautiful design; well worth the effort.

SUPPORTING THE BLIND

As a simple solution, I'm pleased the design for the Mumsnet poll chose to ignore the route of designing in their online brand (this approach had been discussed), 

as the story had nothing to do with them as a brand.  We should be mindful of this in the future, when designing Twitter, Facebook and YouTube graphics – are they the story?

Instead, it concentrated on communicating the poll data and breaks this down very successfully and simply:

• Who are we talking about
• What are the headline figures
• What are people saying

For Syria Chemical Weapons, again there was a very simple premise: utilise the points of the star within the flag as indicators for the points to be illustrated.  

This allowed for communication of the idea that there were many points to be followed without compromising legibility.  It's nice to se a relevant graphic approach 

where we could easily have been drawn to a more convoluted or image based solution.

As always, not everything was so successful this week…

Quite often recently, when time has been tight of resources stretched, we are drawn into unsuccessful solutions.

For School Uniforms, this should really have ben nothing more than a very simple template graphic.  There is a slight ambition to directly relate the information with 

the imagery, but broadly this fails.  Had there been time and ambition, this would have made a very stylish infographic in illustrated style – 

a Jackie Magazine style 'cut-out and dress 'em up' would have worked well, though I'm assured workload and ambition did not warrant it.

The result is unsuccessful.  Text over faces, no text in free space, information hard to read, messy and convoluted.

We need to be careful that work such as this, generated quickly does not come to define our output.  If we're generating one of these for every three of the successful 

solutions above, that's still too much.  We must communicate better, prioritise more vigorously and accept a more limited solution, so that effort can be best utilised.

Thanks

Chyaz

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 22

Specials

In design terms (as with editorial), there is a unique challenge in outputting a 'single day special'.
How do we  create bespoke and exclusive treatment whilst retaining strength of brand?

The key is to play to our brand strengths.  As our visual identity is flexible and not restrictive, we are able to use core assets in different ways.
We retain a clean crisp design ethos, utilise our colours and keep the information strong, but by manipulating these elements to fit with the subject brand,
we make the output feel exclusive.

Special output such as State of Emergency at the weekend, will always be driven by the coverage and the data, so in this regard relies heavily on 'Digital Companions' - the arena
where we provide added value through mobile and tablet.

The key challenge here is to be even more consistent than we would be ordinarily – retaining the same brand assets, using them in the same way, outputting exactly the same
designs across all devices.  This requires consideration of all platforms and the time of brand generation.

We are on an automatic winner using hospital transit signage for this brand – this is design for easy translation of information in a clean space and is instantly recognisable.

As an editorial/design challenge it's been interesting to see how data and questions require manipulation, so that they are communicated easily without confusing or skewing the results.

Starting with the sting, here are some examples of our weekend output.

State of Emergency sting

CDE
C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 21

Starting with inspiration this week and remembering that creativity is not just about design.

A lesson in how to think and promote from our partners at Sky News Arabia.  Would this work over here?

Sky News Arabia Stunt

Clearly scheduling and tone are all important, but for the right market at the right time, it's a great way to emphasise the everywhere message.



To this weeks work and yet again we are demonstrating strength in brand.

Design generated in the style of the Ask.fm site, the fortunate similarities in brand colours benefit both ownership and storytelling. A clip of the sequence can be found here Ask.fm gfx

As above, the success of the Wonga graphic is in the merge of brands.  Utilising the Wonga sliders as animation tags is inspired, but the real success here is how clean, clear and crisp the information is.

As with last weeks Cancer drugs, the elegant use of 3D, depth and signature animation in Hospital Food was exceptionally successful.  We should pay particular attention to the way in which assets animate.  It is an oft ignored area but when you consider the way in which we film things (and, crucially, ways in which we would never shoot), then we have a whole new area we can own as part of our brand.  Dynamism and subtlety have their parts to play.  We should ensure we are relevant in our use of camera, whether real or virtual. The clip can be viewed here Hospital Food Gfx



Thanks
C.

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 20

In search of perfection

As we said last week, we have defined a new benchmark.  Always when you look at what is acceptable, you need an eye on where our ultimate goal lies.

This week, amongst some very strong work, there was one Live Area piece which stood out.  With all the criteria of the last 5 months specified, this piece ticks every box, so let's look at why.

Communication

The information is clear, it is kept in clean space which communicates best. Crucially though, the whole thing feels connected; communication will always be better whole the piece reads as a whole.

Idea

Use of paraphernalia and the subject brand, combines well with a relevant animation transition.

Design

Beautiful composition which factors in depth, but doesn't compromise legibility.

From a design ego perspective, the amalgamation of 3D elements, environment and pure, clear information is exceptional.

Brand

Use of brand colours, a bright treatment, but simplified and muted to fit well with the package and the tone of the story. We have real ownership of the design; this could not have been generated for any other network.

Without a doubt, it is Clean, Clear, Crisp, Confident

Without compromising the tone of the story, the treatment remains Premium, Sophisticated, Aspirational.

Crucially in all of this, the product has simplicity.  It doesn't pretend to be more than it is; it doesn't work too hard.

From brief to delivery, a clear expectation was given from both sides.  Communication was strong and enough time was given to ensure a successful product.

I've enclosed a link this week, because one of the most important aspects of any piece of communication, is how well if fits with the elements around it.

Sky News Cancer Drugs Graphic

The balance struck here is one where there is enough stand-out to define an 'information section' without jarring with the rest of the package.  

Writing the piece to split the graphic gives the whole piece an identity and makes the communication ever more successful.

Thanks

C. 

THE WEEK IN DESIGN 19

Where we put the effort

A couple of weeks leave refreshes the mind and makes us look again at where our priorities lie.

A snapshot of recent work shows a range of quality from the very good to the very poor, but the vast majority would fall into 

the category of 'ok'.  Broadly, this is work we would have been very pleased with 5 months ago when we started the new ethos 

and it is testament to how far we have come to say this is no longer good enough – we are victims of our own success, the bar has 

been raised and more is expected.

The crucial thing here is attention to detail; are all aspects of the product as successful as each other

• Communication
• Idea
• Design
• Brand

Where one is weaker, it can relegate the product to the 'ok' pile and all aspects should be considered before work begins.

Often, we're talking about the tiniest of tweaks

The idea is still strong. Better brand and therefore ownership, better communication with the specified location, improved text layout and emphasis.  

Clearer communication of the subject, retains the beauty of the design.

By ensuring we pay attention to the details and planning well from the start, we make sure none of the principles 

weakens the product.

The best work of the last two weeks has centred around our brand environments; those arena we generate to indicate subject and to hold information.

For the hospital graphic, the environment is one previously utilsed, but the treatment is new.  It has the clinical aspect nailed and

Gives us the ability to keep information in free space, where it doesn't pretend to 'be' anything other than information. 

This means neither it, nor the viewer have to work to hard to impart the facts.

It's always good to be surprised by the success of a piece of design.  The exercise graphic is a prime example.  A simple premise of an old school workout sheet, with the text information embedded, proved an elegant, stylish,

deceptively simple solution to a problem which could easily have been over complicated.

Crucially, what elevates both these pieces is that they are true to the guiding principles; strength in communication, an idea which sells the story, well designed and on brand

This is our new benchmark.

Thanks

C.