Communication Artifact/Collaborative Design

The Seuss Factory

Collateral--consumer

Communication Objectives

The communication objectives of this “Fun in a Box” meal deal are:

•        Stimulate a want and desire for this product;
•     To affect the customer in such a way that they reach for their wallet and/or purse and make a purchase.

Design Principles

Typestyle: the typestyle used on this box is consistent with the type used on the website, and both are in the style of “Dr. Seuss.” It is important to public perception to use the same whimsical style made popular by Dr. Seuss books.

Composition: The images on the box and cups are obviously framed within the physical dimensions of each object. As with every good design, balance is of utmost importance. An asymmetrical layout works well with Dr. Seuss’s images—this allows for the movement within Seuss’s images, while providing the needed balance.

Contrast: I’ve tried to keep true to the contrast of Seuss’s work. Many of his creations have a hard “edginess” about them, yet they are also surrounded with softness—fur or hair, the roundness of the trees, etc. The lines and color also offer contrast, as seen in the image of the Cat in the Hat. There is also the contrast of the bright colors of the cups played against the soft pastel background of the meal box.

I felt like continuity between artifacts in this project is important, so this is what I’ve/we’ve strived to achieve.

Figure/ground relationship: though it may be hard to see in the above picture, the background on the box includes pastel colors in various (almost cloud-like) shapes. I felt this kept to the whimsical nature of the Seuss theme, as did the bold colors of the cups--enhancing, but not distracting from, the characters and other images. 

The Cat in the Hat image is a good use of the principle of closure in that only the top half of his body is seen; yet our eyes tell us that the rest of him is there, though out of sight.

Personas

While we are appealing to kids, we realize parents are the ones with the money. So the appeal is to kids who will get Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa to shell out the cash. Yet there is much for adults to like about this theme park.

Grandpa Max Smith is 67. He’s just retired and is struggling to feel useful in this new role. He lives in the same town with his son and granddaughter. He says theme parks are a waste of time and money, but he's really jealous because he never got to go to Disneyland when he was a kid. He secretly wishes he could have had that experience as a kid. He sounds like he's against going to a theme park, and complains that it's too juvenile and he's too old, but he's looking forward to taking his granddaughter to the SEUSS FACTORY, going on a few (tame) rides with her, and buying her lunch and treats and snacks and memorabilia.

Papa John Smith is 37. He goes to work everyday at a local factory, where his wife Pamela also works. They have one child. Papa spends his days installing knobs on widgets as they come down the assembly line. It’s boring and tedious, but he’s been there for fifteen years, and likes the fact that his job gives him a paid vacation. He's really just a big kid at heart--he wants to go to every theme park he can for himself--he lets his daughter tag along as an afterthought. He’s more excited for himself that he is for his child. He even goes on the easy rides with his daughter, though he often wonders how it’s going to look if he goes on the rides alone when his daughter gets bigger and loses interest. But he’s not too worried; he’ll figure something out by then.

Jane Jones-Smith is six. She’s a wide-eyed, innocent child, whose mother has read books to her as long as she can remember. Her favorite books are anything by Dr. Seuss. She is naturally imaginative, and her mother has always encouraged Jane to use her imagination. She wants to grow up and draw pictures and write children’s books, after she becomes an astronaut and flies to Mars.

Communication Objectives

The communication objectives to this project are to stimulate a want and desire to visit the park, and by so doing, affect a sale. That is, to make someone get online and give us a card number, or come to the front gate and purchase a pass. The theme and communication objectives also carry over into food and souvenir items offered for sale in the park.

ABOUT

            The Seuss Factory is an amusement park based on the fertile imagination of Dr. Seuss. The park is filled with the bright colors, crazy characters, and zany inventions that have made generations of children fall in love with Dr. Seuss. The park was designed for and caters to kids of all ages, from the oldest to the youngest, and the tallest to the shortest. Come spend the day!