Week 5 Creative Brief Part 2: Bringing strategy to life through design!

After 4 weeks of learning about the fundamentals of brand communication, it’s finally time for us to start making creative content that is capable of meeting client objectives!
But first, the power of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols to influence behaviour and thought directly or indirectly. In a nutshell, semiotics is all about using something (icon, index or symbol) to ‘stand in’ for something else. Or, the use of verbal or nonverbal communication to replace the real thing.
In the absence of a police officer, why do we behave on the roads? Road signs! That’s an obvious example of the power of signs. They work even though they look and feel NOTHING like meeting a real-life officer in uniform. Why do both the police officer’s uniform and the road sign both hold authority, even though they are just… things?
Colours are also another powerful example. They can even hold immense cultural importance, despite colour being a completely subjective experience for individuals. Colour blindness, for instance demonstrates this.

Power of Semiotics:

[Demonstration of how semiotics works from the Gruen Transfer. Running time: 3 minutes]

Our playground today is the power of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols and how they are powerful communication shortcuts that can evoke or provoke reactions!

Think about how imagery – visual representations of ideas through photographs, illustrations, art, design have the power to influence thought, behaviour, attitudes and worldview, without having to show the ‘real thing’ or be at the ‘real place’!!!
Let’s go.

STEP 1: EXCHANGE CREATIVE BRIEFS TO RESPOND TO [15 minutes]

You will exchange your creative brief from the earlier part of the week with a classmate today to respond to.
Alternatively, if you can’t make it to class go to the Week 5 Workshop Part 1 forum, locate an ‘Avozilla’ creative brief from one of your coursemates to respond to.
Go to Week 5 part 1 to locate.
ROLE PLAYING TIME! We’ll be swapping creative briefs, i.e. you will NOT be creating a design based on your own brief, you will be responding to a coursemate’s brief!
Remember you need to stick to the creative and strategic objectives outlined in the creative brief outlined by your classmate (CLIENT). Use the brief to guide your design and copywriting decisions.
This is a crucial step. This is not art class. This is us coming up with a creative solution to the client’s problem as defined in the brief.

Copy and paste the URL to the brief here. Subscribe to each others blogs, start networking!

Step 2: INTERPRET THE WRITTEN STRATEGY THROUGH DESIGN [60 minutes]

Using Photoshop or Canva, create a print/web advertisement (depends on the creative brief, use the appropriate size and template!) based on your interpretation of the creative brief provided by your coursemate.

Post the print ads to your blog, along with the creative brief you were assigned or given.
Design a rough artwork – focusing on brand identity elements – colour palette, logo, message, placement, foreground, background, signs and symbols, patterns. Make sure you are basing your creative decisions on the instructions found in the creative brief.
You should consider have the following in your designs (remember your job is to translate the strategy from the creative brief into an advertising message, composed of verbal and nonverbal communication set in a place, real or imagined:
- 1. Foreground
- 2. Background
- 3. Mindfulness about visual heirarchy in layout process. E.g. rule-of-the-thirds, symmetry, geometry, light, shadows, lines, shapes, patterns)
- 4. Brand Identity – Brand name, colour scheme, font, tone of voice
- 5. Call-to-Action – availability, social media, SMP to be used as headline. Subtitle to reinforce message.
We’ll show the designs to the owner of the creative brief next week for feedback.
That’s because in our business, it’s good to offer an alternative if the client doesn’t like or vibe with the first draft. It’ll help us narrow down what they would like to see. This saves us a lot of time in the long run.

Step 3: Upload completed advert your blog and provide the link for it here. Remember you were supposed to respond to someone else’s creative brief!

Provide the URL/weblink here please.

You will need

1. copied creative brief and

2. design in response to the strategic objectives of the creative brief assigned/given to you.

On Monday, Week 6: Show the advertisements to the person you’ve swapped creative briefs with and ask them for their feedback

Ask them this – did your design meet the strategic objectives outlined by your coursemate?
Which of the design/messaging brand identity and advertising message elements were hits and which were misses? Revisit the design and make improvements.
How can you make improvements to the draft to help build up brand image/equity – the perception in consumers’ minds about the value and distinctiveness of the product/service.
Take on board the feedback to make changes to complete this activity.