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.
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.
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.
CDE
C.
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