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Future Jobs, Investments and Growth for Ireland and Europe The 2019 European Semester

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Context 
For the second year in a row,  the European Commission requested me to design the branding for their annual Country Specific Recommendations seminar. The 2019 event focused on the future of employment, both in Ireland and in the European Union as a whole.
Brief
It was requested that the branding would draw in a younger, diverse audience – it was crucial that the event felt welcoming and open to the public. In particular, they wanted an eye catching design that would stand out, both on social media, and in print.
Process
I began my design process with a mind map and exploratory sketches. I considered the concept of “employment” from many angles, and in particular, was cautious about staying away from ‘cliche’ depictions of certain professions. After doing some research, I noticed many of the illustrations I was looking at felt flat and predictable.  I decided to take a broader approach. I avoided making the visuals too literal, and created a series of more abstract illustrations depicting working life. Simplifing the illustrations into abstract patterns, suggested various aspects of working life, without being too explicit. This allowed me to avoid basing my illustrations on stereotypes of different professions. In keeping with the client’s request, I adopted a bright, colourful and eye catching colour palette that would help to draw in a younger audience.

Challenges
One of the most challenging aspects of this particular project was the client’s concern about the colour scheme – in particular, the use of the colour pink. I drew their attention back to the brief, and communicated to them how I felt the colour scheme was eye-catching, and would draw in a younger audience. In my research, I had noted that many employment fairs (that would similarly draw in a younger audience who as concerned about work prospects) also used very vibrant colour schemes. After further consultation, they decided to trust my judgement, and the design was successfully pitched to them.

Conclusion
The turnout for the event was almost double what it had been the previous year, with a noticeably younger audience. My design met the needs outlined in the brief, fulfilling the client’s ambition to increase attendance, and drawing in a more diverse age group of attendees. This project was an excellent opportunity. Getting to work on the branding for this event a second year in a row allowed for reflection on how my process and designs had developed from the previous project. It was a privilege to be asked back to work on the 2019 event branding.

Institute of International and European Affairs: Annual Report 2018

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Context 

This Annual Report was produced for The Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Ireland’s leading international affairs think tank. They are a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to provide a forum for all those interested in EU and International affairs.

Brief

The brief was as follows:

  • To create a cover design featuring the most significant IIEA guest speakers from 2018 on the cover.
  • To produce a design that would engage younger audiences, and reflect the energy and passion in the organisation.

 
Process
I began the design process by identifying what an annual report should represent:

  • Communicate values and principles of the organisation.
  • Celebrate milestones.
  • Record and accountability.
  • Engage existing and potential audience.

 

I came to these conclusions by researching annual reports from other leading think tanks, such as Chatham House and Bruegel. Looking at their publications also helped to inform how I approached the design of the annual report. As the cover would need to feature photos of several important IIEA speakers, I also compiled examples of photographic collages. I felt that a collage approach would allow me to produce a more dynamic and interesting composition with the speaker photographs.

When I came to the designing the publication, I began with the cover. I requested that the IIEA provide me with a list of the speakers they wanted featured on the cover. I then looked at what subjects these speakers had spoken on. Using the assets that were originally used to promote each of these speaker’s talks, I created a mix media collage, featuring the speakers and the imagery that represented their speeches throughout the year. This created a strong visual link between the speaker and their individual subject matter. It also allowed for a colourful and vibrant cover design that would help the IIEA engage a younger audience, as was requested in the brief.

For the layout, I remained faithful to the IIEA’s brand colours, but I also updated the colour scheme to appeal to a modern audience. Gradients allowed me to successfully make that expansion on the IIEA’s existing colour palette. Circles and lines are used as motifs throughout piece to represent a conversation or dialogue coming “full circle”.

Challenges
The IIEA is an established organisation with a long history. This design was completely new direction for the organisation’s publication designs.  Convincing staff to buy into such a radically different approach proved to be a challenge. I also had to carefully balance appealing to new younger audiences, while still respecting the IIEA’s existing members. By collaborating with representatives from the Research department throughout the process, I was able to keep a clear focus on what my client needed me to deliver. I had to work to a strict deadline – due to scheduling constraints the entire project had to be produced within a month, in time for the AGM.

Conclusion
I was able to secure a positive reception from both the IIEA and its member base with this design. This was a very rewarding and interesting project to work on. I learned a lot about managing my work load under tight time constraints. Organising my process effectively was crucial to me meeting the client’s deadline.