Brief 3 - JB Springs - Evaluation

Seeing the designs of each of the different avatar personalities all together shows how they work as a group and have both similarities between them, successfully using facial and arm expressions to represent pensive, happy, excited and saying goodbye. Also seeing the designs in context both in educational resources as well as part of the JB Springs website and brand, shows how well they coincide with the original design style of the company and how they are an addition which instantly creates a more child friendly, approachable style and a more engaging experience for the Springtelligence project.

In terms of evaluating the final designs, firstly looking at the successes, the design is successful in the way that it definitely meets the three key criteria set by the company of being, fun, engaging and inventive. As well as being educational by explicitly relating to springs and the wire-forms that they are created from as the, the designs have used springs to create a set of avatars which are very simple but effective. The characters work well in the context and to the audience that it will be seen and used, its cute and playful and children will be able to relate to it and it ultimately makes learning more engaging.

Working and designing with a live client brief worked well, as there was a solid, well informed brief to work to, as well as existing brand designs and material to work from. Although the design wasn’t submitted or selected by the client, the final avatars in context show how the designs have answered each element of the brief and feel a part of the existing company.

If the project were to be pushed further or alternated in any ways, one aspect would be the animations and gifs, to develop these further and in a much more detailed style of animation with more movement and incorporation of the type possibly in after effects. Also if the design was selected it would have been rewarding and interesting to see it in different context and being used in real life.

In conclusion the design meets the brief successfully, providing the company with an engaging and fun avatar to work alongside and represent their Springtelligence project.

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Gif Development

Another suggestion was to develop the illustrations by animation or gifs, brining the characters to life, adding movement creating a more engaging piece of design for the target audience of children. Each emotion of the avatar was developed to add slight variations of movement in the form of gifs, again taking inspiration from the manipulation of both wire-forms and springs. 

Brief 3 - JB Springs Development - Letterforms

The designs were then developed further to create letters and the name of the character from the lines and parts of the wireworm designs. This pushed the project further in a different direction, creating characters and a typeface  which were explicitly linked. 

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Development

Below show experiments with colour, seeing if the designs work outside of just monochrome or black and white tones. Using the different shades of blue from JB Spring’s identity helps to see if the designs work alongside their personality, logo, company and website. Also experimentations with negative space, seeing if the design was successful on coloured backgrounds.

Feedback suggested that the simplicity of the designs worked well and they work better because they aren’t complex or detailed. As well as the human elements of the arms, feet and heads coming across through the designs, there were also elements of letterforms. 

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Feedback

• Try and animate the body of the character, the wires, arms and legs, not just the face to play on the wire form idea more and to make it more obvious and explicit.
• The character works well in the context and to the audience that it will be seen and used, its cute and playful and children will be able to relate to it and it makes learning more engaging. 
• Where the name of the character has been made, maybe show more explicitly where the type has been made and come from, maybe the type forms from the character within the animation or the type then fades into the character. 

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Final Designs

The white characters on the darker blue background was the most successful, as it fits alongside JB Springs existing branding, whilst also helping the designs to stand out. However the vector illustrations are versatile and can be used in any variations off colours, whichever is appropriate for the context they are being used in across the different variations of media that Springtelligence uses.

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Animations

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Feedback

• Wire form idea works well, has come from valid research and you can see what it is and how the idea has been formed. 
• Simplicity actually works well, they don't need to be too complex or detailed.
• Letterforms can be seen within the characters, maybe play on this, could go into word or letterforms then come back together as characters. 
• Characters would work well if they were animated, only needs to be simple animation, moving from side to side, more engaging for children.
• Bringing the characters to life, adding voices and movement. 

Brief 3 - JB Springs - Brief

Brief 3 - JB Springs

Brief

JB Springs are embarking on a project named ‘Springtelligence’, which will provide knowledge and skills in areas of spring design, engineering and manufacturing to address the current skills gap in the spring industry. The project will start at Primary School level (5-10 year olds), teaching children the basics of springs. For this, looking for an artist to design a company avatar that they can use as a mascot to promote Springtelligence.

Background/ Considerations

Established in 1895 as John Binns & Son (Springs) Ltd, JB Springs has witnessed many changes in the manufacturing landscape, whilst remaining a family-run company. JB Springs now proudly operates from purpose-built premises equipped with the latest technologies in the production of springs and wire forms.

Mandatory Requirements

-        The avatar will be called “Max Stress”. 

-        There are no stipulations or limitations on the form the avatar takes – the design should be related to springs in some way but this is open to interpretation – so be creative! 

-        There are no specifications on colour. 

-        Consider the uses of the avatar and the audience – 5-10 year old children.  

-        Think FUN, ENGAGING and INVENTIVE!

Deliverables

-        The designer will be asked to produce four images of the avatar: 

-        Neutral – happy and smiling (main version used) 

-         Excited 

-        Thinking / pensive 

-         Saying hello / goodbye