DSM Development

Initial Sketches

Brand/Logo development

I drew the icons and decided that the set of three below was more coherent and that the negative image in the middle of the heart was the simplest to understand and less confusing to the eye.

I then worked on the colour scheme I knew that the initial brand would be white with purple, as I had seen this used for leeds universities, and them there wasn't the connotations of the leeds football club (blue and yellow) I worked with the colour palette on illustrator and edited the colour accordingly, I selected vibrant warm colours that the white type would stand out.

Once I had picked the colour I assigned them to each category , people, place and professions i decided upon green for places as places included parks and countryside. People became pink as I felt that this colour suited the category because pink reminded me of the heart I had used and a heart is a representation of the human heart. 

I didn't like the people in the people icon as they where two and the other icons where singular items and so I changed it to a hand almost like a wave or a hi-five, I had originally tried to draw the hand but it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped and so I found a vector illustration online , I think that this is okay as it is a more conceptual brief.

New set of Icons 

I then designed the icons alongside the logo types and the colour, the icons where an opacity (similar looking to the type of the category) and then the heart in White with a blank image.

App Design 

I decided to create an online presence for the council, there isn't an app for the council at present and I haven't had much experience at app design and so this was my reasoning to try it out briefly on this brief. 

I decided that the first page would be like a landing page and the resident would have their own unique login , which they would receive by email or through the post , they would create their own password for this too . 

The idea behind this would be so that the user could look at their documents online or similar. 

For the design I felt that a purple background and the logo on its own was too boring and uninviting it didn't look appealing, and so I used my separate icons from people, places and professions I used them in white and dropped the opacity so they look like a background pattern rather than too bright and imposing on the 'LeedsLoves' logo. 

I also added the additional guest login for people who might not of received their letter or email, with their username, and forgot password as people may forget there password. 

I did try to use the icons in their original colours but they where too imposing and the colours where too much to take in all at once. 

I also tried a lighter more pastel colour, and I found that it wouldn't match with my vibrant colour scheme and that the deeper purple was warmer therefore more inviting.

I changed the landing page back to its original design without the option of logging in, I think that a login would make the council more complicated and people who are visiting Leeds not living in Leeds may want information on the places to go and wouldn't be able to access it without  a login. 

Other pages of the app in the sequence. On the last screen is the more specific facts about a place, in the bottom right there is a minimised map that would link to google maps when clicked and it would show you the location of the place, and give you the option for directions.

Leaflet (Print Presence) 

I decided that as well as an app a leaflet that could be handed out, picked up or delivered to residents of leeds. I wanted the leaflet to describe the services the council provided using the new category system, and so I looked at how the leaflet could be divided into 4 sections. 

Using an A3 sheet of paper that was landscape I folded it into four. After doing this I felt that there was enough space (by width) for the content. 

I then looked at how I could show all off the categories at once, and so I looked at cutting off a action diagonally which along the folds would reveal different information. 


The diagonal really worked, and so I designed the leaflet like this. 

The content of the leaflet would include a brief overview of the services within each section ( the white box is where an illustration relating to that theme would be) 

The purple theme is the LeedsLoves, it acts almost like a homepage and is an overview of the council themselves. The first page introduces the audience to the people who run the council. 

Each theme has two sections of the leaflet, on one side is the overview of the services, and the other would be illustrations of the people that work within that sections (for the purpose of the concept and time I drew circles where the faces of the people would be)

This leaflet would act as an introduction almost like a meet and greet thus making the council more personal and friendly.

Council Tax Bill Re-design

After looking at the online and print presence the council could have, I also remembered that DSM had mentioned it would be interesting to see how a council tax bill could look less serious and unapproachable. 

With my new design, the council tax bill would fall under the category 'people' and so this meant that the colour scheme would be pink, which in itself is less threatening to save money a council could print grey scale but I thought it would make the council seem more caring if they printed in colour, pink itself is warm and inviting, it could be seen as too unserious but I think that it lightens up the content.  

I had received a council tax bill by accident before, but I had never really looked at it as a first glance it is boring and serious. 
And so I looked on google images to see what other bills looked like.

For my layout I combined some of the elements of the bills I had seen and some of my own layout style. 

I also thought that the name 'council tax bill' was also uninviting and unfriendly therefore less human, and so I looked at different names for tax and bill, 



I eventually decided upon a city contribution statement, I feel that the word city suggests the money goes towards the city and not the council and the people in charge, I also then chose the word contribution as it suggests a willing to give money rather than being forced to (even though you still are) and then the word statement as it is less threatening than 'bill' but people know a statement is still a thing to be paid. 

I also looked at a re-design of the Leeds Breeze cards, these would fall under the category of places, Breeze cards entitle members to discounts, there are also different age cards, for instance a junior card allows more discount for swimming. 

Privilege Card

I started with an initial card design, it had to be the colour of the places category, I followed a similar design to the app home page, but I made the background hearts more opaque so there is only a slight pattern. 

I also added the main logo for places to the top right so that it becomes very clear and as well as this it adds more white space which balances the green.

I then remembered that a Leeds Card has different age levels, and so I applied this to my own card design,

I added the LeedsLoves... to the top left of the card, this would then link to the age of the member, junior, adult or senior. 

Another indicator I designed was that the colour became cooler as the age goes up, and I think that this fits the maturity, i.e. a junior would be seen as bright lively and energetic and they would prefer a card in the brightest colour. 

Other age indications are present in extra small, but simple details. For example the on 'Junior' card the word junior is followed by an exclamation mark.

I then revisited the cards and added a date of validity. This also helped distinguish the ages, a 'juniors' card exclaims their birthday and then when its valid to (16 years old) and then the adults card would run out on their 65th birthday (around retirement age) this card does not state the birthday as many adults wouldn't appreciate that information being on there. And then the 'seniors' card wouldn't have a date on it as it may seem quite offensive, the card would be valid for life as a senior. 

In total I think that I have created a variety of applications for the new city council brand, I am happy with the aesthetic and I feel that I enjoyed using brighter colours, I also liked the chance to design an app without it being a main piece of work, I feel that I need more practice at this and this was a step in that direction.

I am also pleased with the icons, and the way that I have thought about little details like in the privilege cards above. I feel quite confident in the brand and I like the way it fits the humanistic concept and it is friendly.