OUGD501: Final reflection

Using and challenging the visual communication strategies outlined in the critical writing, a poster series for The Green Party was created to raise awareness on the air pollution issue in Brixton, to as wider target audience as possible. In order to reach a wider target audience, the visual identity of the Green Party was included with less emphasis than the branding guidelines stated to be necessary. This was in the hope of bringing more focus to the actual issue itself rather than the political party. This would allow for the posters to be used in areas of high Conservative or Labour followers for example; therefore, achieving the communication to a wider target audience. 

By raising awareness of issues through the use of graphic design, political influences will be because of someone’s interest in the issue and then if this is a passion they are likely to then take an interest in the particular political party working on this issue. This is something that with the very obvious visual identity may not happen because the political party will be the first point of focus and there will not be much political change because if it is not a party of interest to the viewer then they are not likely to engage with the issue being communicated 

Based on the research into political advertising, the element of shock used in the UKIP ‘No border, no control’ campaign influenced the idea to use the Pantone swatch in a shocking and new way to visually communicate the invisibility of air pollution. The UKIP advertisement was thought to be one of the most powerful advertisements released in the most recent European election and the use of shock as a strategy of visual communication successfully influenced political changes within the 21^st century. 

In terms of design, the final outcome fulfils the brief as it is a professional poster series visually communicating the issue of air pollution within Brixton, London and showing that it is a Green Party concern. The design decision to reduce the emphasise on the visual identity of the Green Party successfully increases the target audience as more people will engage with it as an issue which may been less if the association to the Green party is instant and they are not a follower of the party.  

The use of the Pantone colour swatch effectively communicates that the colour of air pollution is invisible as the audience is able to make this association through the recognition that the colour at the top of the card has been removed. 

The decision to have the health issues in replacement of the colours name effectively shocks the audience and encourages the attention to then be drawn to the title which explains that it is air pollution that is causing the health issues.