Brief 1 / Creative Networks / Mike Mignola / Evaluation

Printing the final series was a good opportunity to see all the work together and demonstrated how well the collateral worked together as a set creating clear continuity between each individual element, thus creating a strong college wide identity for the event. When it came to setting up the event the space was arranged differently to proposed with meant a small deal of improvising with the available walls / fixtures. In the reception area we hung the largest set of A2 posters to immediately re-assure an external audience they were in the right building etc and create a strong opening to their user experience. From this the decor followed through to the main event space, which featured the creative networks presents vinyl, mirrored by two further poster sets with flyers placed on each table. This worked effectively in creating a centralised home for the event featuring a range of different promotional materials however noted for the next event the scale of the posters should be lager as from a distance they are lost within the available wall space. Finally a further poster set was placed on the route to the lecture theatre, once again as a means of reassuring the audience they were in the right place however this could be further extended in the future with floor vinyl as a means of way finding. 

As a first event we were pleased with the results as the space was appropriately decorated and was produced to a professional standard. However looking forward to the remaining events with a better knowledge of the space and format of the events, we agreed we would need to upscale the whole production with larger A1 and A2 poster series, increased numbers of posters / flyers and a more active way finding system. After the event we recited feedback from the CCE team thanking us for the work and that the resolutions were very well received and looked great, this reinforces we satisfied the clients needs and can use this as a platform to build from in developing the rest of the years promotional materials. 

"Just wanted to say thanks again for all your work – it all looked great and was very well received. I’ve got the remaining posters in our cupboard if you need any copies." 

- CCE Feedback

College Entrance 

Main Event Space 

Lecture Theatre walkway 

Brief 1 / Creative Networks / Mike Mignola / Flyer Development

The flyer designs took the rectangle directly out of the poster design as described in the original creative networks pitch, this creates seamless continuity between the printed collateral clearly reinforcing the presence of the event college wide. For this reason the front of the flyer design is taken directly from the poster so the audience can begin to become familiar with this format that will be produced consistently across all of the 16/17 cycle of creative networks events, with the only attrition being an LCA logo at the bottom of the flyer reinforcing the colleges backing of the Creative Networks programme. 

Translating the artwork onto the flyer required further manipulation, The tentacles worked well creating interesting shapes and curves to catch the users eye, this is contrasted with a stroke box with a much larger skull inside. This was altered from the original image to create a much simpler aesthetic that worked more appropriately on the smaller A6 scale of the flyer. This image also taken from the speakers work is punchy and lends itself well to the two tone colour scheme. 

When it came to printing the flyers we tested a black ink on red stock variant against full colour. We really liked the aesthetic the coloured stock provided however determined that it was too thin for purpose giving the flyers a cheap and un-fullfilled production value. From this it was concluded to use the full colour print method for this event, with note to look into to other stock options outside of college for the future events. 

Brief 1 / Creative Networks / Mike Mignola / Final Development

From the meeting with the CCE team it was established that the artwork would have to be altered to create a unique image to void and image rights concerns, it was also identified a set of 3 different posters would work effectively to create diversity within the promotional materials. Over these three posters we chose to stagger the box that would follow on to the subsequent events continuing this continuity and providing a more aesthetically balanced poster series. 

From the original development, I then chose the centred box to design around, with this change the original image needed to be modified to create a unique new image, avoiding the before mentioned image rights with the speaker. This was created through cloning individual tentacles balancing the image and creating a subtle juxtaposition to the harsh clean lines of the rectangle. 

With this imagery composition development I started to experiment with colour compositions, acquiring feedback from Jack and Lo it was decided to use a red colour palette for the poster as the speaker is most renowned for his work on Hellboy which is stereotypically red. From decision I trailed a solid monotone background however felt the sporadic addition of red dots within the tentacles added an extra element of depth to the image as the monotone original looked relatively flat. Looking at Lo's final design she had included elements of greyscale within her poster, developing further I experimented with the addition of two shades of grey which complemented the red to give the final design an even balance of white and colour. 

The final poster design works appropriately within the series created in collaboration with Jack and Lo. The rectangle features the distinct Hellboy Red for instant audience recognition, This box sits centred within the poster and provides all the information in one concentrated area therefore available at a glance, this is consistent across the poster series for ensured continuity. This makes the poster suitable for its environment within college particularly in busy hallways and communal spaces. To ensure this primary focal point stands out a monochrome colour palette was established however through development it was identified that the spot colour of the red could be sporadically placed within the imagery to remove the 'flat' aesthetic that was brought up in feedback of the monochrome variant, Instead this development injects a more playful and eye-catching use of colour. The imagery itself is modified from an original Mike Mignola sketch to avoid and image rights queries. The cloning of individual tentacles balanced the image around the full circumference of the rectangle and provides a stark juxtaposition against the clean lines of the box. These features allow a unique resolution to the design problems faces yet work appropriately in the collaborative set through the use of prescribed continuative features that will over time establish the creative network brand more assertively within the college environment. 

Final Design