Evaluation

My final leaflet does what it intended to do - scare and inform in a way inspired by the world of fiction and sci-fi. I made two final tests, in 100gsm and 200gsm paper. Whilst the 100gsm variant was too thin and flimsy, the weight of the thicker one made the black ink crack when folded. In the version that would actually be mass produced, however, black paper would be used with coloured ink, and so this issue would be avoided. 

The final make is produced very simply through one fold, and although this may seem dull it adds to the leaflet's practicality, reduces print costs and increases usability. 

Whilst at some points I regretted abandoning the high-realism variant, ultimately I decided that my final one was indeed the right choice. It mitigates the boring, expected, logo-ridden aesthetic, and instead installs a fresh, new and highly appealing design. It is scary, practical and experimental - exactly what it's meant to be. 

Feedback on what theme to take

From the very beginning I knew that one of my major challenges would be to decide on the tone of my leaflet. A publication dealing with such an extreme emergency means that what it says and how it says it is much more sensitive to tone and theme than the average leaflet. 

I decided there was three ways I could tackle this. The first was to produce what I thought the leaflet would realistically look like in a real-world situation. It would be highly serious but not necessarily scaremongering, and would take influence from past government documents and themes, being plastered by the logos of government documents and abiding by their vague and loose design guidelines. The result of this is below. 

My second solution can be sound below. Taking inspiration from emergency systems in the world of science fiction, this leaflet is intended to scare and frighten to the highest degree. The viewer is overwhelmed by information and barked orders, all presented in a way which insinuates that it's being shouted. I want people to be able to imagine the scarred remains of this document scattered on the ground in a post-apocalyptic nuclear world. It is a booklet from the world of fiction for the world of fiction. 

My third experiment was abandoned in the early stages due to peer feedback. Intended to calm the audience, it would've been riddled with shades of blue and calming tones, but it was decided that this would be inappropriate and ineffective. It wouldn't indicate seriousness, and its tone would've freaked people out. 

Following a review done by friends and peers, it was concluded that the top document looks very government-like, and whilst they'd read it they wouldn't see it visually as a hugely important or scare-inducing document. The bottom document however, would entice and horrify them into reading immediately due to its extreme and almost violent visual appearance. 

Dramatic Inspiration for my Emergency Leaflet

The ship's self destruct system on the film Alien is a great example of a dramatically scary but highly practical information system. It is designed to be used quickly and seriously. The colours and pictograms highlight the seriousness of the system - it is not something to be used lightly (partly because it's a nuclear self-destruct system). 

I think a similar aesthetic could be used for the variant of my public information leaflet which is designed to scare and force action. It has to be shocking but official and easy and immediate to understand. People have to understand how serious this is. 

The manifestation of Leeds College of Art's identity in my wayfinding system

Leeds College of Art is by definition a fun, quirky and colourful establishment. It utilises a wide but systemised range of colours along with conflicting but harmonious typography to create an identity that hybridises the past and the present. It pays homage to the history of the college and of art as a whole without losing view of the future. 

I have carried both of these elements forward in my system. I have used LCA's colour system and then subtly extended it to allow both for a broader and more flexible range of shades to make room for area linking and to create clear visual differences. I've also employed typefaces that are visually similar to LCA's primary typefaces; I chose Akzidenz because it's visually similar to, but more legible and practical, than Grot. It also represents the creative, quirky and colourful nature of the college through the visual tension present in the typeface because of its long tails and lack of straight edges. 

A Review of Healthcare Leaflets

Government issued leaflets are pretty rare now; the majority of comparable deliverables are by the NHS. Whilst the quality of them varies, many are actually well designed. This one above is simple and effective - it uses minimal text to show an engaging statistic and a clear directive, and the use of an image of a survivor adds emotional appeal and the sense that it's more likely to affect you. They usually use very cheap, often glossy stock, with a limited amount of colours to help keep printing costs down. A template will probably have been created to make it easy for any member of staff to design similar material. 

This leaflet cover is pretty great. It sticks perfectly to BHF's graphic identity, utilising their colour palettes and typefaces to great effect. The minimalist vector graphic of a brain crossed with a road systems cleverly engages the audience by making them consider the meaning behind it; which of course is the metaphor that a stroke is like meeting a dead end in your brain. The colour choices appropriately stick with BHF's visuals but don't detract but instead enhance the overall theme and message - red and yellow as warning colours infer danger. 

Emergency Information, Procedures and Contingencies: How the public is informed of an attack

Emergency information regarding attacks to the UK is rarely distributed by leaflet, but in targeted areas such as transport hubs it is sometimes used. The above, very specific, leaflet was distributed in 2014 by Metropolitan Police to inform people what steps they should take during a firearms attack. 

This is the companion booklet to the Protect and Survive film series, and to the right is the US equivalent. A booklet seems much more appropriate in this case than a folded leaflet due to the trivial, spammy and take-away-esque aesthetic of many leaflets and the connotations they carry. Extreme emergency information is to be distributed and retained, not discarded, and so they must be durable and useful - something you want to keep. 

Whilst imminent attack alerts were traditionally delivered by sirens, there are now digital solutions in place to work both alongside and as stand-alone systems. Emergency alert systems broadcast messages on TV and Radio, and alerts are now delivered en-masse to smartphones. Following an attack and the potential destruction of all standard broadcasting services, BBC Radio 4 would take on its role as the national emergency broadcaster. A leaflet on emergency public notifications would have to inform them that alerts are delivered in this way, and that they must be abided by. 

Public Information Film: "Protect and Survive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGMdnod8VPI

The Protect and Survive film series was designed to increase public awareness of what to do in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK. It can be seen as the UK equivalent to the US series Duck and Cover, but the tone of voice and the presentation is of polar opposites. 

The films consist of a monotonous and ominous narrator voicing what to do in numerous situations; pre-attack warnings, fallout preparations, casualty procedures, and finding shelter. They're scary to the extent it could be labelled scaremongering, whether intentional or not, but the information within them is very useful and important. Because of the nature of the video it is aimed at a large variety of age groups, but the focus is on middle aged people with families to protect, made clear by the 'nuclear family' on the Protect and Survive logo. 

Directions and instructions are given in a very simple and to-the-point manner, making them clear and impactful but also quite scary. The casual discussion of what to do with a dead body in your house is no light matter, and so perhaps shouldn't be presented like it is either. 

The use of a miniature model house is more appropriate than using an actual house because it is easier to locate exactly what areas the narrator is discussing, and because of its basic design it is easier to apply the same instructions to your own house. Perhaps something similarly universal could be included in the leaflet. 

Secret 7" 2015 Designs

Concept designs for 'Reflections' album