THE WEEK IN DESIGN 18

Fewer, Bigger, Better.

It will come as no surprise that resource in the department is stretched.  With the market as it is, we are all working harder, but clearly, we need to work smarter.

The 'fewer, bigger, better' ethos is about value.  The progress of the last few months will all be for nothing if less resource leads to the same volume of work as, understandably, this will lead to a reduction in quality.

If we dilute the output (or oversaturate with weak solutions), then we fail.

Far better then, that we concentrate on the big experience, the design/story which will get the most hits throughout the day, have the most visual impact or translate to the most output media.

If we give this form of output the time and effort, both in design and production, then we will achieve the most value.

As always, the best explanation is by example:

For Male/Female Drinking, the early commission and clarity of information enabled a conversation about possible solutions.  With the time to generate an environment, 3D elements and strong relevant artwork,

successful communication and a stylish treatment were achieved.  This should be our base benchmark.

On NHS Inspections, the design to commission not for programme team, but for the days output, meant that much more time could be allocated to the solution.  Where we know a piece of communication can run for

the whole day, value is brought by investing the same amount of time as we would for 4 separate stories.  The crucial thing here is getting into the mindset that it is not Viz commissioning which allows us to achieve this.

Success is not brought by a piece of kit or an individual artist, but by the allocation of appropriate resource, time and the required communication between teams.  The solution would have been just as successful if 

generated in the live area with these other factors being equal.

With Church Investments, the key was connection and analysis.  To communicate complex data successfully, teams need to work together to show relevant information with the appropriate emphasis and this will 

always require the luxury of time.

Understandably, this approach is not always possible.  We are a breaking News organisation after all, but if our default setting is 'value not volume' we will communicate more successfully, we will look better and be 

more able to manage the pressure of delivery.  We will shortly begin an overhaul of the LUCI template system which will put more and better tools at everyones disposal.  In the meantime, please look to the advice of 

the Live Area Leaders/EP's on requirements for prioritisation and engage in cross Design/Edit/Day Teams cooperation.

CDE

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THE WEEK IN DESIGN 17

Brand (new) Connection

Who are we?
We are Sky News

What do we do?
We bring you the stories

It stands to reason therefore that the best way to communicate, whilst reinforcing our brand message, it to generate treatments which are are perfect amalgamation of our brand and the subject brand.
In this way, we communicate the story, retain connection with the package and own the design for Sky News.

Examples this week which do just that (plus, of course, some which do not).

With the NHS story, we had a very easy fit.  The blue and white of their brand, together with subtle medical paraphernalia, sits comfortably with our new design direction.  In addition, the cleanliness of the design, with white space doing the hard work of focussing the viewers attention, keeps a positive sterile feeling.

Yoghurt Culture could well have been a commercial.  It feels fresh, sharp and clean.  A simple, bold, uncluttered treatment sits perfectly with our output.  Combine this with primary cut outs and information designed in-situ and we have a combination of channel and story brand.

The Duchy design could have been a complex challenge.  On the face of it, an earthy, environmental, hand treated brand would not sit comfortably on Sky News and a regal treatment which demands a serif typeface would have alarm bells ringing.  The solution though is quite simple: keep it simple. Keep it clean, uncluttered, keep the background clear and utilise our signature tracking animation. 
By doing this, we can get away with a myriad of 'rule breaks'.


…and where we should have done better…

The BBC's brand is iconic and over the years has been distilled down until only one aspect remains; the logo.  The squares or cubes are now so embedded into the philosophy, they even informed the geometric exterior styling of NBH (seen in the background of this design).  So it's a little lazy to slap text over the top of footage taken at a building which very few people would recognise, let alone associate with the BBC (clearly, neither would we use TVC, though at least the viewer would understand what we were talking about).  The complexity of the background also backs you into a corner; there's no where to go, nowhere to add any imagery which may further the story, leaving you with what is basically a bullet point text solution.


The potential for a clear simple amalgamation is obvious.  It should go much further than the example below, but it's a starting point for direction.

So let us always consider Subject brand, Object brand and Channel brand in all our output.

CDE.
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THE WEEK IN DESIGN 16

Information is beautiful.

Or if you prefer, to paraphrase Roberto Benigni, L'informazione è bella

Unusually, opening this week with the inspiration links.  Dan Roulstone has us all looking at an awards site set up by market researchers Kantar.

It's of great interest, since its premise is the collaboration between journalism, design and experience.

Partly because we aspire to the level of beauty attained in some of these pieces, mostly because we have the ambition to work to a collaborative approach which potentially attains such nirvana.

The site interface:

http://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/

Last years winner:

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/war.casualties/index.html

So; what is our current aspiration/success coefficient?

The Allergy design from last week was one of the most elegant seen on the channel.  It looks like an Apple interface and in terms of pure communication is close to perfection

Beautiful simplicity, clean, clear, crisp treatment, easily digestible figures and relevant proportional splits all contribute to making the Debt sequence successful.  By cleaning up the screen and 

not over complicating the storytelling, we have arrived at communication in almost its purest form and yet we still entertain  and draw in the user.

There was a lot of debate around the maternity designs this week and initially they were less than successful.  What is inspiring, is that by everyone questioning relevance, legibility, style and 

Treatment, we ultimately arrived at something much more communicative and particularly stylish.

If we look at what's been achieved in the 3 previous examples, then look at the School Dinners design, there is a world of difference.  It follows many of the rules; bold imagery, 

text in free space, clear information and it communicates well, so why does it fail?  Broadly speaking, everything could be done better.  Image selection is good, but looks dated, text could 

easily have been bedded into the surface and the angles would have added dynamism.  The drop shadow is not required and the iconography is throw-away

The design for smog is another difficult one to define.  Overall, it's just beige and this leads to the design lacking impact and focus.  The only consistency across the animates is the background

and this could lead the viewer to disconnect, therefore we lose communication.  This could so easily have been different.  It's crying out for a designer solution, something using smoke 

and clear space…

…and yet…maybe this is too clean; too designed.  I look at these frames and ask myself, which one communicates grime, poor air quality, a dirty atmosphere…

So the point is, we can create visually stunning design, but let's be careful that in our quest for beauty, we do not lose sight of relevance and communication of the subject.

CDE.

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THE WEEK IN DESIGN 15

Cliché and stereotype

As we've seen over the past few weeks, there are times when we should look at design already generated to make a success of the new brief.

Sometimes it's an established brand, which has been worked on over the duration of a story, but sometimes it's the use of an established motif; something which instantly communicates the generic subject to the viewer to set the story.

Whilst always searching for new ways to communicate and new treatments, we should not be afraid of treading a well worn path if it is appropriate.

Nothing says boy and girl like blue and pink and pastel shades play well for babies.  The communication in this design is instant in both subject and information detail.  What lifts this design is the treatment.  It is modern, fresh, clean and confident.  So many times, we could have taken the route of toys, building blocks, or maternity ward set-ups, but retaining the cleanliness whilst utilising the cliché, makes it feel like the new ethos of Sky News Design.

Nothing says tourism like a passport and utilising a single device to communicate this is a good idea.  This stereotype has been worked up in advance, so that it is available when relevant to a story.
However, in this instance, the Health aspect of the subject (Health Tourism) is missing.  It would have been very simple, to embed this in the solution; a medical cross watermark or icon on the front, GP paraphernalia on the table.  We should be mindful of communicating all aspects.

Is it a cliché to use a coffee cup for a coffee company story? Perhaps, but like caffeine, it's an instant hit, defining the subject immediately.  We could have been stylish (coffee beans); we could have used reality (in-shop, in-situ), but this design strips back and cleans up the solution, bold use of cut out, 3D and logo, colours from the subject brand (without diluting ours) and still manages to satisfy design ego with little touches like the coffee stain rings.  Beautiful.

As we've seen over the past weeks, nothing says spying quite like a Spooks-esque, tech screen.  Instant communication and this project is now available for other to manipulate for similar use.  It's so much on brand, that it could define future map output, but beds into the package extremely well.

So do not fear the cliché or the stereotype, but always look to the elements we can add and developments we can make to life beyond the norm and create ownership.

Incidentally, the origin of cliché and stereotype are similar: Cliché is the onomatopoeic sound of ink being applied to metal type; stereotype is the french word for a printing plate of movable type made into a single mould for an oft used phrase.

See; design leads everything.

CDE
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THE WEEK IN DESIGN 14

Wallpaper?

In a week of Spending, Budgets and Banking, (stories which can be picture challenged, or end up always looking the same), two pieces stood out:

The Conway/Jones head to head piece was a triumph.  The key to its success was the performance of the conversation, because the political/economic argument was central 

to the information.  It is rare to be able to maintain the connection in this way through design, but crucially here, the viewer feels that they are listening to a discussion, 

whilst the information is subtly reinforced by the design.  The overall treatment is very much in keeping with our economy brand development from Hard Times to Budget 2012.

As a process, this worked because the premise was questioned at every stage and the best solution found.

Carney BoE was an interesting project.  Was began life feeling like wallpaper to fill a hole, developed a strong premise through its writing.  Connecting this with some 

excellent camerawork really allowed design to develop a strong, consistent and relevant street art premise.  Imagery reinforces a picture challenged script and communicates 

in a way which manages to be both down to earth and high-brow.

DEVELOPING STORIES

When we need to produce something quickly, or when a story has developed and been running for a while, we should look at successful design already generated.

As the whistleblower story has developed, so has our design.  The last three weekly mails have contained strong designs which have demonstrated consistency and ownership, 

but have evolved the style.  The above design stands apart from all we have done to date.  Where it starts, with the flight path premise, is a fine idea, but it rapidly releases the conceit

and begins to look messy.  There's real difficulty here because in the above examples, which could be taken as wallpaper for picture challenged stories, the design reinforces the story.

In this example, the design is confused and so is the message.  We use an image of The White House to represent EU Offices in DC and NYC and this appears to suggest conversations 

may have been bugged there, which is not the case.  We need to be more careful than this.  Throw away imagery can have serious repercussions.

Stylistically, please refer back to previous guidance.  We do not use text with surround.  Be very careful in your use of colour and please look at what has gone before when designing 

for an ongoing story.  The example frames below have all been successful over the past weeks.

Inspiration this week comes via Alistair Bunkall; an excellent piece from the government on Treasury on Spending Cuts. It's clear and engaging and leaves you in no doubt as to the intention.  Crucially, it's not too high-brow, but the quirky nature does not make the user feel patronised.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/what-is-the-spending-round-video

CELEBRATE     DESIGN     EXCELLENCE

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