The Creative Process
A look behind the scenes
Competitor Analysis
To begin the visual process, I conducted a competitor analysis. I identified competitors that are currently apart of the mentoring industry. The goal of the competitor analysis is to identify each company’s mission, pricing, top features, strengths, weaknesses, and differentiators. Conducting the competitor analysis allowed me to understand how my competitors position themselves in the marketplace, identify potential opportunities, and see how my creative solution will measure up. I evaluated two specific competitors, Mentoring.org, a direct competitor, and Mentorly, an indirect competitor.
Case Study and Visual Analysis
In addition to the competitor analysis, I conduced a visual analysis and case study of three relevant campaigns. A visual analysis identifies characteristics of images, forms, and objects while exploring the visual relationships within the context in which they were created. For the purpose of this research, I will conduct a visual analysis of three case studies to ensure the design and brand direction best speaks to the target audience of junior professionals and senior professionals.
A case study is a form of research that involves in-depth investigation utilizing multiple sources to gather data and study the effects of change within context. For the purpose of this research, I will conduct three case studies to determine the visuals, messaging, and overall marketing strategy that best speaks to the target audience.
Campaign Typography
I utilized Basic Sans, an Adobe Fonts typeface, as the chosen typography direction of the campaign. Basic Sans is a Grotesque typeface that simultaneously offers function and personality with its many details. Basic Sans is designed by Daniel Hernandez and features fourteen fonts. This design choice is influenced by the typography we see in my case studies, visual analysis, and competitor analysis research. The Basic Sans typeface demonstrates clean lines and geometric letterforms that I highlighted throughout the campaign. The typeface may also be utilized for web and print design, which makes it a perfect option for my multi-level marketing campaign.
Campaign Color Palette
The color palette of cream, seafoam green, forest green, and orange speaks to the target audience of junior professionals (mentees) and senior professionals (mentors) alike as these colors are popular among Millennials and Generation Z. We see similar color palettes throughout the visual analysis, competitor analysis, and curated mood boards. It is the goal of the chosen color palette to reflect a sense of sophistication, and lightness, with a nod to a vintage aesthetic.
My Image Gallery
We learn in Chapter One of my Thesis that Millennials find themselves in a position of “image management,” focusing on themselves as the “hero” of their life story. They value authenticity, loyalty, and their reputation.
My goal for the image gallery was to capture the absence of mentoring as well as the act of mentoring, to enhance the overall visual communication of my campaign and create a stronger message that the target audience can relate to, making them the hero of the campaign.
I am thankful to my colleagues at ORAFOL Americas, Inc. and my friends for their willingness to step in and help me with this project. With their assistance, I was able to capture moments of working together, working independently, and moments of longing for something more.
Website
I decided to name my multi-level marketing campaign Lead Forward with the tagline “Bring Mentoring Back.” I chose the name Lead Forward because it coincides with my thesis title The Decline of Mentorship and The Urgency to Share Valuable Knowledge with the Next Generation. The campaign name Lead Forward suggests to lead forward the next generation, looking ahead to what is to come. I also wrote a small blurb of promotional copy that you will see throughout the campaign deliverables:
Do you wish you had more guidance when it comes to your career? Do you wish you had someone to pass down your industry knowledge to? Mentorship is at an all-time low, just when people need it most. We need leaders, leaders who can Lead Forward the next generation. Join the movement and help us Bring Mentoring Back.
My goal was to design an educational website that informs the audience about mentorship while telling a story. As the viewer clicks through the pages of the site, they discover What Is A Mentor, Benefits
of Mentoring, Famous Mentors, Mentorship + Community, Why Is Mentorship Declining, and discovering how we can Bring Mentoring Back.
The website was created utilizing the Wix website builder. I started off with a generic template to build out the wireframe of each page and finalize the navigation. Once the outline of the website was set up, I began customizing the layout, alternating between the desktop and mobile view to ensure all of the features worked appropriately. I utilized my campaign typeface, Basic Sans, and my campaign color palette, which were featured in Chapter three.
I worked with typography and imagery from my image gallery to create dynamic content throughout the website. I utilized research statistics and key research points to drive home the five specific questions that I aimed to answer throughout my research. You may recall these questions from Chapter One:
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What is a mentor, and how do they mentor successfully?
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Why are mentorship and community important?
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What are the benefits of mentorship?
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Why is mentorship declining?
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How can the practice of mentorship be rejuvenated?
I strategically placed engaging quotes from influential people on each page throughout the website. I also included a Fun Fact at the end of each page about mentorship, elaborating on a relevant piece of information that supports the page’s main topic. All of these elements create a visual story that works to engage and educate the target audience simultaneously.
I decided to keep the Lead Forward campaign website nested under my business website, Christopher Creative Group (CCG). You will see throughout my deliverables I market the Lead Forward campaign as an initiative of CCG. The Lead Forward campaign is one that would appeal to small and large businesses alike. Connecting the Lead Forward campaign to CCG gives the theoretical project a real-world environment to exist in. Readers of the Thesis are therefore able to see what it might look like if other businesses adopted the Lead Forward initiative as well.
Posters
The set of three posters were created in Adobe Illustrator. I edited the photography in Adobe Photoshop. I like designing pieces with smaller amounts of text in Adobe Illustrator because I can manipulate the type quickly rather then working in Adobe InDesign or another program. I prefer working in Adobe InDesign when I am designing pieces with larger bodies of text.
My goal for the set of three posters was to portray the action of moving forward. I executed this with the imagery and typography without creating too much visual chaos. I used layering, color overlays, and simple shapes to create the photo effect you see in each poster on the following pages. The message is simple: Lead Forward Bring Mentoring Back. I also utilized part of the campaign blurb that is featured on the website to tie the two deliverables together:
We need leaders, leaders who can Lead Forward the next generation. Join the movement and help us Bring Mentoring Back.
The QR code allows for quick and easy access to the campaign website. The overall concept is engaging and draws the viewer in. Each poster is displayed within mockups that I licensed using my Adobe Stock subscription. The mockups feature real-world locations in which the posters would be placed to reach my target audience if the campaign was implemented; within a community, office space, or college campus.
Environmental Graphics
The set of three environmental graphics were created in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. My goal was to give the environmental graphics a different look than the posters, showcasing the versatility and breadth of the campaign. I did not want the campaign to be one dimensional, so I chose to feature primarily typographic compositions. I focused on a few key statistics and impactful statements from my research. It is important to tie in all design elements to each other when building a multi-level marketing campaign such as this one. My ultimate goal is that all of the pieces of the campaign speak as one.
Each environmental graphic is displayed within mockups that I licensed using my Adobe Stock subscription. The mockups feature real-world locations in which the environmental graphics would be placed to reach my target audience if the campaign was implemented: an office space conference room, outdoor building graphic, and community bus stop billboard.
Promotional Video
My goal for the Lead Forward promotional video was to have a clear call to action (CTA), asking people to join the movement, stand up and be a leader, and become a mentor. The CTA of “become a mentor” is not explicit. It is more underlying. The copy in the video is meant to strike curiosity, possibly convict, and ultimately create a feeling of wanting to participate and be a part of something bigger than yourself.
I created the video graphics in Adobe Illustrator based on my initial storyboard layout. I like to design each “slide” as I call them, as the finished look, after the animation is complete. Then, I save each layer of the graphic, separating images and text, as a PNG file and upload those images into Adobe Premiere Pro. I realize that Premiere allows the designer to edit text, imagery, etc. However, I prefer to do it this way. I have more control over all of the elements this way. If I do need to make any changes to the design in Illustrator, the links in Premiere update automatically, so this allows for a quick and fluid workflow.
The graphics you see in the video are consistent with the rest of the Lead Forward campaign. I carry out the same typography, imagery, and color palette throughout the video. As with the environmental graphics, this video allows me to bring a new dimension to the campaign. The animation and kinetic typography brings a new sense of life to the campaign as the elements appear in and out of the frame.
The music I chose for the video is licensed from Adobe Stock Audio. I searched for a fitting audio track under the category of “Inspirational.” I wanted the music to feel upbeat, inspiring, and motivating. The chosen track is titled Success.
Social Media Campaign
I created the Lead Forward social media campaign graphics in Adobe Illustrator. The graphics are based on my initial sketches and mood board inspiration that you saw in Chapter Three. I designed a six- frame carousel for Instagram, one static image for X (square format), and one static image for Facebook (landscape format).
The graphics you see in the social media images are consistent with the rest of the campaign. I carry out the same typography, imagery, and color palette throughout the social media graphics. As with the environmental graphics, and the promo video, this form of marketing allows me to bring a new dimension to the campaign. I utilized the same technique from the poster designs to portray the action of moving forward.
I was excited to create a carousel for Instagram as each frame connects to the one before it and the one after it. This technique allowed me to utilize the various shapes that are portrayed throughout the campaign to create each connection. The design itself is reminiscent of the promotional video look and feel. This is the latest way social media influencers are increasing their interactivity with their posts and their target audience.
For the X social media image, I chose to utilize another image from my image gallery and replicate the look and feel of the poster layout, incorporating the short campaign blurb above the campaign title:
We need leaders, leaders who can Lead Forward the next generation. Join the movement and help us Bring Mentoring Back.
The Facebook social media image utilizes a graphic that was created specifically for the campaign promotional video. This graphic standing alone creates intrigue and encourages the viewer to click on the link that would be included in the post copy, encouraging the viewer to discover more about the Lead Forward initiative.
