OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Making Cities Green - Broad Existing Green Design

Existing Projects, Campaigns, Ads, Regenerations etc

Co- Operative Bank : It's Good to be different Advert 

The campaign by the Co - op aims to celebrate people who are doing things differently to make a positive change. This is used to promote their Everyday Rewards scheme which is part of their newly extended ethical policy. This ad follows Richard who is a Guerrilla Gardener who goes around London making communal or disused spots more green. The advert works well in setting up the story of Richard and takes you on a journey from where he comes from to the finished outcome of his work. Understanding where he comes from and seeing his 'view' of London through his eyes makes  you understand why he has become a Guerrilla Gardener and makes the veiwer emphasise with him and know why he wants to make a change. Journying around with him allows viewers to follow him and the plants from the start to finish of the advert. Seeing plants at all stages of the film shows how they are the focus of what he does rather than him. The process of him planting up an area with his family shows how the activity is a family activity and that everyone can get involved reflecting how easy it is to do. By focusing on him communicating with the public and how the public are engaged with what he is doing, this reflects and emphasises the Co - ops friendly and community spirit, suggesting they share the same values as Richard.

RHS Greening Grey Britain

The Greening Grey Britain Campaign aims to get people to commit to changing their grey spaces e.g. concrete front gardens into greener places. The campaign name Greening Grey Britain works well in simplifying the concept of converting concrete areas into more natural areas as well as highlighting the wider aim of the campaign which is to make cities and towns greener through small changes individually. Naming Green and Grey within the campaign title creates contrast within the branding emphasising the positiveness of green when compared with grey.

Their captions for events create a sense of togetherness and that they are there to help and support you with things that you might want to do or change in your own space. This creates a personal feel to the event and reflects how individuals can make a difference with support. The use of natural props at the event shows how greenery can easily be integrated into a small space with little effort showing how easy it is to convert spaces into greener places. The use of lime green as the predominant colour for the the exhibition stand complements the imagery and props however lets the greens within these other items stand out. 

The branding for the campaign creates a playful and energetic feel through the use of illustrative / hand written type which reflects the positive and pro active approach to the issue. The more rounded type also reflects an organic feel which reflects the natural aspect and plants that the campaign is trying to promote. The use of a restrictive colour pallette of greens reflects the environmental side however the message of Greening Grey Britain could have been better reflected through the addition of some grey within the design, to show how green is better than grey. The use of a banner across the design creates the impression of promoting the idea. The image at the top of the logo however is a little unclear as to what it is, whether it is an outline of a city or a tree line. This could be made clearer by refining the lines further in the case of it being a city outline, or adding more detail if a tree line.

Britain In Bloom Campaign 

The Britain in Bloom Campaign is a national gardening competition where tows or city community groups try to create the best displays within their area. The campaign promotes greener and cleaner towns and cities whilst also bringing communities together and giving people pride in their work and their area. The main graphics for the whole campaign consist of a logo which is used throughout their material. The use of the bubble around the logo creates a sense of growth and mimics the shape of the top of a tree in a simplistic way, which draws comparisons with the use of the tree within the bubble shape. Using a blossoming tree as the main imagery for the logo reflects the concept of being in bloom in a clear way. The typeface used for the campaign name is quite tall and thin reflecting a sense of height and draws comparisons with the the branches of the tree within the imagery.

The certificates for the awards ceremony continue the use of the colour scheme within the logo, creating consistency throughout the design. The use of the illustration of a town at the bottom of the certificate creates the impression of striving for an idealised green town or city. The use of the block colour within the image also creates a sense of  a clean and perfect landscape.  

The Pothole Gardener aims to highlight unattractive and sometimes dangerous potholes around cities through miniature installations. The designs aim to bring happiness to viewers through bright planting and miniature scenes. The designs are effective in capturing peoples imaginations and engaging the public, making them want to investigate what they are about.  The designs work well as a way of highlighting potholes and making them look nicer and people take more care around them so as not to damage the works. The longgevity if the pieces however is questionable and the works most likely act as a temporary highlight of the issue, however the experience will stay with people who have seen the works, making a lasting effect in other ways. 

 

Seed bombs are often used by Guerrilla Gardeners as a way of easily spreading and planting plants in different areas and usually hold the seeds of meadow flowers. These seed bombs have been created so that they have a symbol stamped into them during the production of them. This acts as a way of identifying what type of plants will grow from that seed bomb. The use of the stamp provides a simple way of branding all the items without the need for costly printing methods, also the imperfect nature of the stamp mark works well with the organic product. The designs for the different plants are reflective of old age symbolism and pictograms for the elements creating an almost alchemic feeling, that when mixed with water and soil a reaction will occur.  

This design uses moss on the wall as a natural graffiti. The use of this material reflects how nature can grow anywhere if given the chance and works well in contrasting against the material of the wall behind. The use of the material makes a statement in terms of what it is saying however is subtle in the respect of it becoming part of the landscape around it as it literally becomes part of that landscape. Using the singular verb 'Grow' is a clear action however this can be interpreted in different ways by the viewer both in terms of the action of what to grow (e.g grow plants or growth in terms of as a person) and wider issues that it may concern (e.g. the need for more greenery within cities which may be reflected by the contrast between the landscape and the design itself.).

The integration of nature into urban settings as within this piece is an interesting idea. The use of the grass acts both as a contrast to the urban environment, enabling nature into cities as well as acting as a form of wayfinding making it focal point within the landscape. 

This poster design highlights how urban agriculture can be integrated into city living as an alternative to conventional agriculture out in fields. It uses spots of color to show potential areas around a city e.g. rooftops and green walls, that could be used for urban agriculture. The use of varying sized dots makes it clear that there are large areas of un-utilised space as well as drawing attention to an issue or an approach that perhaps viewers had not heard about as well as making them think about space within cities in a different way.

This design is to promote Guerrilla Gardening within cities and towns. The format of the design plays on the use of labels within gardening which act as a way of marking and identifying where and what is growing in that spot. The use of the title From the Ground Up reflects the growth of plants whilst suggesting that making a difference to spaces can start anywhere as long as you have a plant and somewhere to grow it. On the back there is a call to action saying 'get to the root of the problems in your community'. This suggests that there are various problems that are associated with areas with little greenery e.g. crime, bad health etc. The design literally points out the problem with the shape of the label highlighting the issue by putting it in places to be brightened or improved, whilst also reflecting how people can individually make a difference through simple actions such as planting something in their community.

This seed bomb packaging design plays on the shape of a grenade reflecting the guerrilla aspect of guerrilla gardening. The caption 'Throw it Grow it' reflects the action of planting the seeds however links it back to a sense of Guerrilla warfare against unloved areas. The yellow colour of the outside sleeve helps to identify what the seeds inside are good for, which in this case is pollinators e.g. bees so the yellow reflects the colour of these insects. The use of the compostable grenade packaging means that the this can be planted with the seeds within creating a fully disposable solution 

This urban furniture works well in allowing elements of nature to be unearthed through the 'peeling' back of concrete slabs to create functional pieces in the form of seats and benches. Designs like these could be an interesting way of combining the needs of people and nature into street design through the use of planting in these 'revealed' areas. The contrast between the concrete and soil / water like glass reflects juxtaposition of both the urban and natural within the city.

https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/co-op-bank-launches-good-different-position-guerrilla-gardener-ad/1385422
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=1Xl6rDO5h8E