Collected assignments designing at creative agency Paper Dog. Design initiatives aligned with the Endemol Shine Group visual identity and communication needs. Responsibility for creating branded digital tools to client demands.
Endemol Shine Group is a global content production and distribution company. The company has over 700 productions on 270 platforms and channels. During my role at Paper Dog I worked with their in-house team servicing design requirements.
The company had two main design outputs. First was the design organisation for the company's MIPCOM attendance. MIPCOM is an annual television festival held in Cannes, France. This was a key event in the company calendar, with new shows premiered and sold to agents from around the world.
The second output was creating visuals and presentations for new shows or formats. This process occurred all year round. Most often this required quick action to meet production deadlines.
Ahead of MIPCOM 2017 the company enquired about creating their show brochure as a mobile app. The client had found conference attendees often tear out pages for key shows of the brochure. This means key titles are missing and show information is unavailable.
I worked with the internal team to visualise the interface design of the new app.
Navigation had two main groupings for key features. Tabs highlighted the users main actions for show titles. The user could also save or search a show from the tabs. All other features position within an off-canvas menu.
This means show information has clear prominence, making it direct to find and view.
The client wanted to draw extra attention to flagship shows. So selected titles position for browsing within the first tab. Search page has a form field and category buttons for different search requirements.
This meant specific content was easier to access amongst 231 show titles in total.
Show information pages include seven data points and user response options. All show data included matches the information within the show print brochure. The user can preview a trailer (where available) or react to a show by liking or sharing.
These features as a result gave a new level of interactivity and response for the client. From these simple features it indicated how new introduced titles were being received.
Creation of collected design and brand assets. These are critical representations of the company to global markets and stakeholders. Used by company marketing and sales departments to sell and promote show catalogue.
Previous to introduction of the mobile app the company used Flipping book services. These favoured for easy accessibility and means of distribution to international representatives. The company pitched to create a custom version. This they would embed within their own website. The purpose was to use the software functionality with a custom brand finish.
I collaborated with colleagues in the programming team of Paper Dog's Hungary-based office. Together we implemented the new user interface to the current FB software functionality.
The custom interface represented the visual look and feel of corresponding brand assets. Styled feature buttons in the lower menu were consistent to the mobile app. This formed visual clarity between the active brand tools available at MIPCOM.
The tool was positive received by the client. Shared online the tool provided the functionality of service with enhanced visual design.
I designed the company's brochure concepts for MIPCOM in 2016 and 2017. These where for both the Finished Programmes and Formats show catalogues. This was challenging as the design development process had many stages of iteration.
The final outcomes are minimal in nature. Yet the process to reach this point crossed many different design amendments.
My designs take influence from the International and Swiss graphic styles. These visual styles already evoke within Endemol's current brand identity.
This resulted in a minimal, classic application of typography and brand palette colours.
Design of editorial spreads displaying featured content for show titles. Each brochure includes a wide range of titles with varying importance and information. The designs prioritise show imagery to catch the viewer's eye.
Each brochure contains more than 90 show titles. This meant content management was essential with updates supplied up to the day of print.
Following the brand's visual ethos and guidelines page layouts are generous with space. Content has a clear hierarchy with show titles and sub-titles. Colour is present within show imagery for greatest attention.
I learnt through this project the importance of organisational systems when collecting content. With over 140 shows across two brochures it was vital to automate content updates.
This was also critical when producing different channels of output for this information.
New pilot shows or future show series need promotion. For this the company produced many pitch presentations or documents. These communicated key information about the shows, looking to attract new buyers. I designed many of these formal presentations for the company over a two year period.
Due to production demands, many of these documents are in need of a fast turnaround time. Information might be late in confirmation and mean changing the presentation structure. A selection of workable versions help assist with the required amendments needed.
This meant working quick to create low fidelity drawings for possible layouts. These were often sketched by hand to give an impression of element placement or position.
I enjoy working in this way. I liked seeing within a single days work how a design evolved through many iterations.
Presentations produced using a combination of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Following client sign-off the page layouts become published via online channels.
Additionally I would create the presentation as a Powerpoint version. This gives the client an editable presentation format for future use.
It was fantastic working for Paper Dog and with Endemol Shine Group. I loved the fast learning and volume of design development I produce on many projects. The process of collaborating with the Endemol team was fruitful and very enjoyable.
The quick nature of the television industry means design decisions get made fast. I evolved my abilities to generate creative ideas and outcomes to tight deadlines. This developed both my problem-solving and technical software skills on the job.
I am grateful for my collaborations with the Paper Dog developer team. I gained knowledge about coding and programming languages from working together. I experienced the critical importance of daily communication in pursuit of success. Designing with a deeper understanding of the technical possibilities improved my design solutions.
