Design Doctor

An easy audit covering design, production and distribution, which through simple Q & A processes never fails to affect positive change.

Case Study 1 - STA Travel brand photo shoot & library

Audit

Our initial audit found that STA Travel was producing up to 600 artwork items per year for print including brochures, advertising, in-store and on-line. Not only did photo libraries not have the picture content to match their business, but the extremely high usage rates were proving restrictive and prohibitive.

Proposal

HEARD Creative proposed creating a photographic wish list based on all the up-coming promotions, events and publications. A costs analysis and feasibility report concluded that a commissioned photo shoot would produce a catalogue of brand images tailor-made to STA Travel's specific requirements.

Result

A four day shoot in Ibiza, using STA Travel staff as models resulted in over 2800 frames and over 60 master brand images, all with exclusive and unlimited copyright, at a fraction of the cost of photo library rates. These images proved so successful that STA Travel UK subsequently sold usage rights to 3 other global STA Travel divisions.

Case Study 2 - International Student ID Card - Guide Book

Audit

Our initial audit found that the existing 120 page publication produced centrally and distributed to all global outlets was struggling, as the booklet was often out of date by the time it reached the end user, it was cumbersome to carry whilst travelling and expensive to produce and ship. Furthermore, not everyone travels the whole world, therefore large sections within the guide were deemed wasteful.

Proposal

From research, it was clear that target market uses the internet for all its travel needs, before and importantly, during their travels. HEARD Creative proposed a wallet-sized booklet to introduce all the benefits of ISIC and directing the traveller on-line to check up-to-the-minute deals, discounts, helpful travel tips, ways of staying in touch and responsible travel.

Result

The agent's response greatly exceeded expectations, with an initial order of 700,000 copies reaching a final order of over 1.2 million booklets being produced in 4 different languages. There were very considerable cost savings in this solution and this format has now become the recognised standard.

Big Ideas

Yours or ours, whatever it may be, we have a wealth of experience of making bold and dramatic plans come to life.

Case Study 1 - FCO Gogapyear.com Website

Challenge

Existing booklet handout was expensive to produce and only reached small audience. The existing FCO website was unappealing to this audience, difficult to navigate and had too much information.

Brief

To create a stand-alone website specifically tailored to the needs of young gap year travellers. Instantly updateable, globally accessible and very user-friendly.

Result

Very positive feedback from FCO and partners within the youth travel industry. Reaching larger audience with 2,800 hits per day, launched on BBC Breakfast News and now accessed from over 50 countries. Entering 2nd phase of development in 2006.

Case Study 2 - Lightbox Flag-ship Store

Challenge

Based on the great success of their trade-only lighting business, the client wanted to translate their offer to the high-street.

Brief

Using the 200 page business plan and 18 months of research, create a complete concept store on Deansgate, Manchester - ‘The Ikea of the lighting world’. 7000 sq ft, over 1000 different lights (most individually switched) and only 8 months to complete from start to finish.

Result

Very well received by the client and the public alike - awaiting first year results. Plans to roll-out 22 stores more throughout the UK.

Creative Reform

Complete visual transformation created through analytical research, creative thinking and bold design invention.

Case Study 1 - The Body Shop At Home

Challenge

Existing Body Shop at Home format had become visually very tired with an ineffective, expensive and wasteful print format. The product was badly presented and revenue-per-page was down.

Brief

Complete design and photographic overhaul to re-launch to existing market and attract new consultants. Increase efficiency of catalogue as the key sales tool to be used by consultants and customers alike - all within the exiting budgets.

Result

Very well received by Body Shop at Home. The new style and design adopted by both UK and USA Body Shop Retail for in-store. Second edition commissioned and templates supplied to Body Shop International. Photography rolled out on to packaging and POS. Considered by the Design Director to be one of the best pieces that the Body Shop has commissioned in many years.

Case Study 2 - Greaves Travel / BA Holidays

Challenge

Existing formats were old-fashioned and the product was hard to access. Conventional brochures considered too generic for a company specialising in genuine luxury travel - no visual representation that Greaves is a specialist company selling the ultimate in bespoke tours in any of the applications.

Brief

To create a package that can be individually tapered by the sales consultants for each telephone enquiry. To allow for personalisation of correspondence - create brand differentiation and visually champion the quality of the product and the Greaves service.

Result

“We are delighted with the brochure HEARD Creative designed for us. It fully complies with our brief and we are praised daily by prospect clients due to its ease and efficiency. We feel that the overall aesthetic is an ideal visualisation of Greaves Travel’s ethos and style.”

Tanya Dalton - Press & Marketing Manager

Beautification & Simplification

Clarification of brand offers and messages in all forms of communication - Sometimes all it needs to maximise design effectiveness.

Case Study 1 - Borders Windows & Point of Sale

Challenge

Amongst extreme high-street competition, it was felt that window and in-store messages were too complicated visually and the impact was being lost amongst the busy interior and exterior environments.

Brief

To create a visual identity campaign and style-guides for all media that greatly simplifies the message and creates bold and eye-catching standout.

Result

Very well received internally and externally - initial concepts tested at the launch of the Oxford Street branch and then run out across the whole Borders chain of 65 stores.

Case Study 2 - Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition

Challenge

Long-standing tradition of featuring one single artist on all materials to promote the Summer Exhibition felt to be restrictive and an inaccurate representation of the broad cross-section of work on display.

Brief

Using typography only, create an identity that captures the ‘spirit’ of the show and a compelling advertising campaign to be used across all media.

Result

A good response from Academians and the public alike. Recognised as bold in concept and proved to have very good recall at research. Considered to be so successful that HEARD Creative were invited to create similar campaigns for the following 2 years.

All Brand

Brand implementation, fulfilment and design management across a number of applications and media.

Case Study 1 - STA Travel - Experience is Everything

Scope

Challenges

Continuity, differentiation, short lead times, tight budgets and an extremely busy Marketing Department.

Result

15 years of consultancy. CIMTIG and Guardian Travel Awards. Awarded Cool Brand Leader 2 years in row, 2004 and 2005.

Case Study 2 - Mediaedge:cia

Scope

Challenges

Reporting to the central global marketing team in London, HEARD Creative's challenges are to create strict continuity and maintain quality on a global scale (199 offices in 79 countries), including multi language variations across different publications.

Result

Awarded Gold at the Chicago International Mobius Awards for 'Corporate Image Building through Design'.

“HEARD Creative is a valued design partner for Mediaedge:cia. Their creativity, implementation skills and understanding of our marketing needs has paid dividends for us over the past seven years. It's a pleasure to work with an enthusiastic team who are as passionate as we are about promoting our brand to clients, prospects and our own people.”

Nathalie Alfred, Partner, Marketing and Communications, Global
Mu Ali, Communications Manager, Global

Contact Us

Should you want to know more about HEARD Creative and would like to meet, the man to call is Mark Arn.

T: 020 7253 6688
E: mark@heardcreative.co.uk

HEARD Creative
4 Underwood Row
London N1 7LQ

Work With Us

HEARD Creative are about to embark on the Investors in People accreditation programme and hope to be completed by mid 2006.

We are always looking to meet new designers. If you would like to bring your book in with a view to working with us on a potential full, part time or work placement basis, the man to call is Simon Collins.

T: 020 7253 6688
E: simon@heardcreative.co.uk

If you are a digital / interactive creative or a programmer, the man to call is James Verity.

T: 020 7253 6688
E: james@heardcreative.co.uk

HEARD Interactive

Check out our interactive work at HEARD Interactive.