Based on the success of our creative work for the BBSRC Innovator of the Year awards 2018, we were approached by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to create graphics for an important launch event held at the British Library.
The UKRI is a UK public body combining seven research councils, Innovate UK, and Research England, for which this event was the official launch.
An exclusive group of 400-500 guests, that included Government Ministers and chairs from each research council, gathered to hear the short speeches from Sir John Kingman and Sir Mark Walport (Chair and Chief Executive of UKRI respectively), outlining the ambition for the UK to become the most innovative country in the world. Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, confirmed the government’s support and commitment with a 2.4% of GDP investment by 2027, with further words of support from Sam Gyimah MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.
For tothepoint, the main challenges were the timeframe and speed of turnaround that was required plus working within a pre-determined budget. We had 12 days from being briefed to the delivery of designs for creative, impactful, engaging graphics including the sourcing and installation of display systems around the vast space within a 2-hour time slot pre the event.
Once we had discussed the brief, the first step was to visit the event location at the British Library with the client. Beyond plans and written briefs, this really helps us to understand the space, spot potential issues, determine the scale and where best to place displays and graphics from a visitor and people flow perspective for maximum impact.
Given the tight timings, during this site visit we created simple sketched plans to discuss and agree how many displays we needed to brand the space, draw the eye and inform people as well as to check all could be delivered within budget. We also discussed various options to determine the best display systems to use that could work within the budget and the timeframe.
Based on the outline content brief, our creative work utilised typography, large format imagery and iconography to tell a simple narrative and communicate key facts about the UKRI and the teams involved. The combination of large dramatic hanging banners from the gallery, to the pop-up and pull-up displays that we had selected, allowed for the tight turnaround the British Library required, as well as giving us the flexibility to move things around the space at the last moment.
Considering the schedule and the urgency from our clients’ perspective, the end result was simple, clean, informative design that both directed and educated the visitor. There was some great feedback at and after the event and social media was buzzing with the success of the launch. And we even finished the job under budget.