Character Development

Following previous research surrounding ADHD, I decided to use simple, easy to distinguish shapes and colours to represent different conditions. This leaves room to introduce conditions that may have similar symptoms to ADHD at a later date.

I started off sketching different shapes as characters but ultimately decided that it wasn’t the direction I wanted to go in for my brand. It seemed the shapes were random and not relevant to the topic of the animation. From there, I decided to try to distinguish the conditions through colour rather than shape. I sketched a simple image of a brain and used a variety of colours relevant to the conditions they were to portray.

ADHD can be represented by orange (Inclusive Employers, 2024), Autism by blue (The Treetop, 2023), Dyslexia by red (Go Red, 2019) and Neurotypical by black and white.

Following creating these digitally, there are some tweaks I’d like to make post proposal, such as making the colours for ADHD more orange rather than yellow, but these are the basic designs for the characters in my animations.

Branding

The following are my brand guidelines, showing the recommended colour palette, logo, typography and imagery. The colour palette covers a range of neutral and pastel colours including the primary and secondary options to allow for colour contrast within the brand, while keeping everything to the same standard.

I have given options for the logo, including use of one colour and a single image to allow for several uses and gave some examples on what not to do with the logo. I designed this logo to incorporate a question mark and a brain to represent the lack of knowledge the general public could have on the topic. I have used a rounded typeface within the logo to compliment the rounded lines within the animations and to give the text a casual and exciting feel, which will aid in grabbing the audiences attention (Terber H, 2023).

For the primary font I have chosen Bondoni MT, because it gives off a professional look, with the option of several levels of bold (bold, black, pro black), with a secondary font of hello headline woo regular which is used in the logo.

Web Design

To get inspiration for my website design, I accessed the website Dribbble; a website that showcases designs from other graphic designers.

From searching for website designs that are for mental health/ neurological conditions, it gave me ideas on how I could best present my website. I did have a preference towards websites which used simple, bold illustrations, as I felt it was interesting yet not overwhelming, which could provide a starting point for my website.

For my website, I will complete design on Figma, and once I am happy with the design I will use Elementor through WordPress to develop it into a functioning website.

I have created a very simple design/plan for a few pages of my website(s), which can be seen below, with a video evaluation explaining briefly my decision-making process on this.

Multimedia Assets

Website for those with ADHD:

For this website I plan to use primarily short animations to explain different areas of the condition, such as how ADHD impacts the brain, coping mechanisms and treatments. I hope to make these animations short and interesting whilst still giving the necessary information following recommendations from part 3 of my proposal.

I will research what styles of music best hold the attention of those with ADHD and incorporate that into my animations, whilst not breaking copyright laws.

The main software I will be using will be Adobe Animate and after effects, with the potential of using Maya for any 3D work.

Website for the family and friends of those with ADHD:

For this website I will be using a combination of some of the animations created for my first website, animations showing how to best support those with ADHD and an edited video showing what it’s like to live with ADHD.

I will use techniques taught throughout this course for the colour, typography and composition to design this website and for my animations/videos.

The main software I will be using will be Adobe Animate, After Effects and Premier Pro, with the potential of using Maya for any 3D work.

Summary

In summary, by defining the brand guidelines, I am able to ensure that my brand is consistent throughout and the brand remains identifiable to the public. It can also save time by giving me the necessities to any work required for the website, in terms of colour and typography.

I will continue to use websites such as Dribbble and Pinterest to gain inspiration and create mood boards to help develop my branding for the website, and ensure my brand guidelines are suitable for each website, yet also stay cohesive with each other, and therefore keeping the brand recognisable, yet accessible. I will use the software available to create my multimedia assets, ensuring that I make use of storyboards to plan and develop my ideas. By planning all aspects of my project, I will ensure that I stay on track in terms of time management and there will be fewer mistakes.

Reference list

Go Red (2019). Home | Go Red. [online] Available at: https://www.goredfordyslexia.org/#:~:text=Go%20Red%20For%20Dyslexia%20is [Accessed 23 Feb. 2024].

Inclusive Employers (2024). Understanding ADHD Awareness Month. [online] Inclusive Employers. Available at: https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/awareness-day/adhd-awareness-month/#:~:text=ADHD%20Awareness%20Month%20facts%20you%20should%20know&text=There%20is%20an%20opportunity%20to.

Terber, H. (2023). 26 Bubble Canva Fonts That’ll Make Your Design Pop. [online] Goofy Designer. Available at: https://goofydesigner.com/bubble-fonts-on-canva/#:~:text=Bubble%20fonts%20are%20fun%2C%20light [Accessed 23 Feb. 2024].

The Treetop (2023). Autism Colors & Symbols: What They Mean. [online] www.thetreetop.com. Available at: https://www.thetreetop.com/aba-therapy/autism-colors-and-symbols#:~:text=The%20organization [Accessed 23 Feb. 2024].