Public Information Leaflet 1.9

Evaluation

The aim for this brief was to create an informative leaflet based on a public information film, taking into account relevant research to produce informed decisions. I researched a lot into the subject area of the video which gave me a lot of scope for content. DirectGov was the most informative source I found, predominantly due to the 'THINKBIKE' campaign as there were a lot of recent facts and figures. I used a lot of research from OUDG404 because I'd looked into a lot of publications and layout techniques in that module which I was able to transfer into this one. Although I did research into different types of leaflets and folding techniques, it would have been beneficial to have found some leaflets to critique based on content, tone of voice and layout. 

I decided not to use a generic fold such as the basic gateway or concertina fold because people get those posted to them on a regular basis and I didn't want my leaflet to be mistaken for a takeaway menu. I made the shape to be square because it made the designing easier and is also balanced. My research into different types of layouts and folds was a big influence, especially the farm safety publication because it was made for the same purpose. I became inspired by how a simple fold can make the leaflet so much more engaging and thought provoking. 

The structure of my leaflet made placing the information into the document harder than I thought because I had folds and different sizes flaps. I had to make sure my measurements and information was all the right way round which was helped by me printing the publication off so that I could mark what side will have information on the front and vice versa. 

I still don't feel confident that there is enough information as I wanted to give an advice section on how to avoid having an accident. However, I struggled a lot with the limited space and size so made the type and imagery bigger in order for it to be visible when printed to scale.

This project made me think about the delivery of the information which informed my design decisions, especially for the choice of stock and leaflet design. Unfortunately I was unable to produce the leaflet complete with the strip of card to rip off due to a lack of time and experience, however this concept was influenced by thinking how I can deliver my information to the target audience.

The target audience for my leaflet is extremely broad due to the huge age range that are motorists. Originally I was going to cater from 17-70+, however based on my outcome I think it is for 17-30 due to the friendly colour scheme. The QR code and the social media websites is also aimed at a younger audience. This is relevant because young drivers are less experienced, therefor more likely to have a crash with a motorbike. 

I don't think I planned enough before putting the information into the leaflet because the layout on each section seems very random and disjointed. I experimented a lot with different variations, using grid systems, but i'm not used to working on such a small scale. As a result, I kept it simple but there is still a lot of white space which makes the information easy to read however the overall composition looks disjointed.  

I found creating the infographics very time consuming, especially when I had the leaflet and content to make too which is why I have only produced one example. However I enjoyed researching into it, especially 'Information is Beautiful' as it gave intuitive examples of how huge amounts of information can be presented in a clear and concise way. 

Organising numerous crits was useful because it allowed me to get feedback at different stages of my creative process. This informed design decisions backed up by my research. I need to ask more specific questions about my work, especially colour, instead of just asking for a general opinion because I struggle with bringing my concept to life with coherence and consistency. I felt I struggled a lot with finding a colour scheme that was friendly yet appropriate for the serious and sensitive issue. 

I am pleased with how the leaflet unfolds as it splits the information into small sections and as a result, makes the information easier to digest. However, I should have explored more concepts with how to display the information to make it more engaging for the target audience.