Social Action Evaluation

Daniel Edwards

Final Sticker

Final StickerI didn’t want to overcomplicate the appearance of my sticker. It is for a very serious cause and the angle I took was that the information on offer should take precedence over aesthetic quality. For this reason, I did hold back slightly creatively and avoided going forward with a design that would miss the real purpose behind the creation of the sticker.

One thing I can say I am very happy with is the images I chose to feature on the front of the sticker. I searched for almost an excessive amount of time on Flickr to find the perfect faces that would be suitable for representing such an organisation.If I were to change anything about the images used it would simply be the order they appear in. On reflection I believe it would be more apt for the teenager to be between the two grown adults for hierarchal purposes, and also so it could appear like they are both caring for someone that was previously homeless. I imagine my reasoning for its current state is that I chose to alternate between genders.

My choice of colour was more or less already made for me. We had to stick very closely to SASH’s own colour scheme to make sure the design was recognisable by colour as well as name. Although I couldn’t move away from the green, the use of white was still a choice I could make on my own. The softness of the white creates a friendly balance of colour with the light green that ties in with the friendly and caring approach SASH take with their designs and their real-life operations too.

I made a conscious decision to use all lower-case for the ‘united against homelessness’ line. The reason for this is that I feel it comes across much more friendlier and welcoming that it would had it been in all-caps.

The word ‘united’ helps push SASH’s theme of togetherness. My initial line for the lower half of the sticker was ‘help us fight homelessness’ but I felt that the word fight added an air of aggression to the sticker, and my prior aim was for the complete opposite.

The copy fits perfectly within the shape of the sticker without it looking too messy or like I’ve had to make an effort to squeeze everything in. All the information that is needed has been made available very clearly.

The black line that currently surrounds the sticker is there only so you can distinguish where it is the sticker ends. If the product were to printed this line would not be visible.

Final StickerAlternate versionsThe amount of green on the first sticker is slightly overdone. It obviously ties in with SASH’s

colour scheme but it definitely needs another colour to balance itself with. It also makes the information at the top and bottom of the sticker almost unreadable, and that is the most important information there.

While I don’t necessarily have a problem with the image I have used – I actually quite like it – I feel an organisation like SASH definitely need a friendly face to further draw in anyone who is still weary about seeking their help. It is possible that the image would still work very well on a poster or in a leaflet in combination with other suitable images. I think if a range of stickers were to be made rather than one alone, a slightly different version of this sticker – perhaps with white instead of lime green – could still prove a success.

Another problem is that there seems to be some kind of haze or blur effect around the edges of the images which I must have neglected to get rid of at the time. It’s quite off-putting and simply wouldn’t be printable on the real product.

There is a lot wrong with the second sticker. The most apparent issue is that it’s simply depressing. As I have stated previously SASH are in need of a friendly face to help make those in need of help make the final decision, and the faces used on this sticker are uninviting and possibly off-putting altogether.

The colour scheme is black and very dark grey, which directly contradicts SASH’s own colour scheme. For something of this purpose these colours are almost as inappropriate and unneeded as red.

Both of the stickers feature the ‘help us fight homelessness’ line. This doesn’t help communicate SASH’s friendly and caring message, and with the second picture in particular it comes across as aggressive.

Final StickerComparison to existing products

My sticker is actually very similar to the top image. We have both used a lighter green in combination with white, although this is mostly because we have both had to stick to the same colour scheme.

One thing that sticks out to me is that we have both used smiling parental figures as a face for the advertisement of the charity. This is to aid the charity in its quest to be seen as a welcoming and caring charity.

Something I really like about this design is the use of a shape looks like a house to place information in. Although there isn’t much room for it now, I think doing something similar would have improved my work.

I’m also a fan of the softness of their green. The green I have used is very bright so its less easy on the eye. To improve this I would have dropped the opacity to around 85%. The softness of the fonts we have both used also ties in with the ‘happy family’ ethos.

The bottom image is the type of advertisement I wanted to avoid. It works with the idea placing guilt in whoever see’s it, and that clearly isn’t the type of angle SASH wanted us to take with our design work.

Overall the poster is very depressing. The font they have used does work very well with what they were attempting, as it both stands out clearly and maintains the dirty, grungy vibe.

It is also quite forceful in its nature. The emphasis on the word ‘don’t’ comes across as very aggressive. The mode of address is directed right at whoever is viewing it. I like to think my sticker simply makes them aware of a possibility.

Final Poster

Final PosterIn terms of aesthetics, the first thing that comes to mind is the combination of colour. I have used slightly darker greens than on my sticker. This is because I really wanted to stress the seriousness of the poster. It’s not a plea poster, but it is highly informative and has a lot of information that needs to be seen by those it is targeted at.

Similarly to the sticker, I didn’t want to overcomplicate a poster that served a higher purpose than simply being nice to look at.

I used typographical hierarchy to create separation between the title and the line that follows underneath. This is there to guide the readers eyes through the piece and help make the poster look as professional as possible.

I think I utilised the space on the poster well. All of the information on show is offered clearly and your eyes are guided to where you should start reading first. One issue I have with it is that is that the copy on the left hand side of the poster looks stretched out and empty in places. This is mostly because of the sentence structure, as the first two sentences are very short, but I do feel this was needed. Although I think it helps complete and fill the poster, the large block of text on the right may be off-putting to some, so the information may not successfully reach those who need it.

I decided the target the reader directly with the use of a rhetorical question. I was hoping that anyone who reads it really begins to think about how lucky they are, and possibly consider what spending a night outside in the cold would be like for a prolonged period. I decided to use the colour black for the sentence that comes after the question as this helps press into the readers mind the negativity behind the question. Although SASH aren’t at all a negative charity, I think it is ok to break through the friendly ethos once in a while to really push the seriousness of the issue at hand.

I used SASH’s own logo to help promote the charity further. If the logo is used on all of their products/advertisements it slowly becomes recognisable without simply being a supplement to a large poster or web page.

I began the copy in the green text box with “all you need to do is”. The reason I did this is so that anyone contemplating contacting SASH at least feels some loss of pressure as they make the big decision.

The picture used below the text hopefully helps supplement it and push the ‘one big happy family’ idea that has served SASH and similar homelessness charities so well. I even rounded the edges of the picture as to make the poster even more soft to look at.

Final PosterComparison to existing productsThe poster at the top is similar in its aim, but not at all similar in the way it is trying to achieve that aim.

They have instead chosen to grab the viewer’s attention with a large image and a lack of copy. They have still included all of the vital information, although in a very minimal manner. They rely on the viewer to go online to find out about what they offer, whereas my poster offers that information straight away.

We have also both used a question to the front the poster, although theirs isn’t rhetorical. They both serve the same purpose though: they ask the viewer to think. This poster wants you to consider what a homeless person really looks like, and if you should really believe in the stereotypical homeless person. Basically, they’re saying it could be a family member, or even you.

Their colour scheme is quite impressive. It develops the idea of warmth and safety, but also presses the seriousness of the poster. I’m very fond of the idea to put the word ‘light’ in its own colour; yellow. It almost looks candlelit and I have stated previously, it makes you think of warmth and safety.

This poster is about as minimalistic as it gets. It isn’t at all informative as it offers no information at all on homelessness or how those experiencing it can get through it.

They have made the central male figure almost transparent as a way to say those that walk past merely look through/past him as those he doesn’t even exist.

My poster on the other hand targets the viewer directly and allows them to learn both and about homelessness and about SASH themselves.

The key difference between my poster and this poster is that they do not serve the same purpose. This poster most probably hasn’t been made by a charity, it is just there to potentially raise awareness and make people stop and think for a second about the affected by homelessness.

Communicating the messageI believe both of my finished products do communicate the message very well. The intended message is that the public and homeless people in particular need to know that SASH are out there is they need their help.

Both the sticker and the poster offer all the needed information about SASH and how they can be contacted. Both products put precedence on the information rather than simply making a good looking design that may or may not catch people’s attention, but certainly won’t maintain it.

The whole ‘What we do’ section on the poster offers everything you need to know about how SASH help. It allows the reader to understand straight away that they can contact SASH and they will do all they can to help. It isn’t relying on the viewer to look online, when if they are homeless they most likely won’t have the internet to be able to do so, and I think this is key.

How effective are the techniques used?The techniques I used were centred around the mode of address. On the lower half of my sticker it says ‘united against homelessness’. This brings a feeling of togetherness and develops the idea of SASH and their employees tackling homelessness as a united front.

I also target the reader directly with a rhetorical question. This is done to lead the reader to have an introspective moment and consider how lucky they are, and how tough it must be for the homeless.

The use of friendly faces on my sticker also helps convey the feeling of being given a chance to be part of a family household again. The two adults play the part of parental figures to help draw in people who are warming to the possibility of housing the homeless for a short period of time, and the teenage boy is someone young homeless people may be able to connect to.

Public impactI believe if my products were presented to the general public they would both have a positive effect, though only if used correctly. The stickers would have to be handed out at charity shops and possibly on streets. The posters would be best placed in youth hostels and on walls in/outside pubs.

I do think the public would take kindly to the products and try and take in all the information on show. I do trust that the public would also put the time into reading all of the information on the poster about how SASH help the homelessness and perhaps develop an interest in taking in homeless people into their own home through SASH.