Katarina Birkmaier Leisurful May 10 2022
Leisurful Katarina Birkmaier, Senior Project Book May 10 2022 Bachelor of Science in Visual Communications Visual Communications: Art + Graphic Design Farmingdale State College, State University of New York
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Introduction The Product Unique Value Competition
Personas Cultural Relevance Visual Strategy Marketing Strategy
Introduction
From the beginning, Katarina has always been
Leisurful is the solution Katarina came up with.
interested in creative hobbies. In her senior year in
Leisurful is an app that helps working adults spend
high school, she decided to take her artistic pursuits to
more time on their hobbies. By offering a more
the next level. When attending community college, she
personalized experience, Leisurful outshines similar
had to learn to balance her time between her studies
applications in the market.
and leisure. As she progressed into a four-year state
Katarina hopes that by launching her Senior
college while working a part-time job, this balancing
Project she will finally be able to prove to herself her
act became harder to manage. To her, there seemed
capabilities as a designer and as a problem solver. She
to be too little time to commit to hobbies that would
hopes that by completing the Senior Project, she will
benefit and challenge her. This perspective distorted
be able to say that she created a brand that follows
her time management, and led to an extensive amount
the design thinking process that is used in the working
of time surfing the internet and watching television
world. In addition she hopes that her brand, Leisurful
for countless hours. Katarina faced a conundrum of
inspires people to commit more time to their hobbies
spending a considerable amount of time facing a
and self-interests.
screen rather than spending it on something new and fulfilling, such as a hobby.
The Product
What is Leisurful? Leisurful is a free mobile app that provides users full control of what hobbies they would like to track and what goals they want to pursue related to their hobbies. The main goal of the app is to provide working adults more control over how they spend time on their hobbies Users will be able to name their own hobbies and their own hobby-related goals so users can fully personalize their own experience on the application. The application also provides a calendar feature where users can schedule hobbies for the future and are able to plan their hobbies in a more consistent manner. The users’ profile is the home to their analytics and achievements. Users can earn badges and points that can allow them to level up each time they complete a hobby session. A unique feature the application has is a photo gallery, where the user can add photos related to their hobbies.
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IOS Icon
Android Icon
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Home
Hobby Hub
Profile
The home section is the area where
This area of the app is where users can
The user’s profile will provide users
users can see the snapshot of their
view, edit, add and delete their hobbies.
their analytics and weekly reports. It
weekly and daily goals and events.
This area also provides easy access to
also gives users the ability to see their
It also provides users the ability to
the accomplishments gallery.
achievements and their accomplish-
start a hobby session and shows users recent gallery photos.
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ments gallery.
Calendar
Goals
The calendar in the application can
The goals section can be seen in
The hobby sessions is a function
be viewed in both daily, weekly and
daily, weekly and monthly views that
where users can create sessions
monthly views that gives users the
helps prioritizes the user’s goals.
dedicated to their hobbies of choice.
ability to add hobby related events.
Hobby Sessions
At the end of each session users can take a picture that can be added to their gallery.
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Unique Value
The Problem The problem Leisurful attempts to solve is the issue that working adults do not have enough time to pursue their hobbies. This is a greater issue than it may seem, and in a study done by Alight Solutions in 2020, 71% of respondents indicated that spending more time on themselves and their leisure activities was one of their priorities (Alight Solutions). Hobbies have also been proven as a healthy way for employed individuals to combat work-related stress. A survey done in 2017 dictates that 65% of employed adults between the age of 18-29 indicated that having a hobby would be an effective strategy to avoid burnout (Statista Survey). Katarina conducted her own research through interviews and questionnaires and she discovered that 20 out of 21 interviewees want to spend more time on their hobbies.
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Why Leisurful Works Leisurful provides a personalized experience that tailors to the user and their hobbies. The application encourages users to make goals and to schedule time for their hobbies. When a new user first opens the app they will be prompted to take a five question quiz. This quiz will help the user create their first hobby and their first goal. Analytics and a hobby related photo gallery are added features in the application that promote the user’s confidence and encourage users to continue using the application. The functions of the mobile application connect with the brand values. Leisurful values personal growth, exploration of interests, positivity and joy. Leisurful brings these values into the application and their marketing story.
Competition
Competitors The competition Leisurful faces today attempts
this feature is that it limits the user’s ability to plan
to solve the same issue of managing time for hob-
and track hobbies that do not appear in the directory
bies, but they are not as effective. The competitors
of hobbies. Improvements can be made to their ana-
offer some of the same functionalities but they do
lytics section of the application as well as their goals
not offer the same amount of customization and
section. Goals on the Hobbycorn application have
personalization that Leisurful does. There are two
limited customizability options and users can not set
main competitors that relatively address the issue
specific goals related to their hobbies.
Katarina’s Senior Project solves. The primary compet-
Smarter Time is a general time tracker that gives
itor is Hobbycorn, a mobile application where users
users the ability to track activities, set goals and look
can learn about hobbies and track their own hobbies.
at analytics of each activity. The primary feature is
The secondary competitor is the time tracking mobile
the Timeline that involves users logging in their
application Smarter Time.
activities throughout the day, including work, driving,
Hobbycorn is a mobile application that has a sim-
phone usage etc. This gives the user knowledge of
ilar function in comparison to Leisurful. Users are able
how they spend their time throughout their day. This
to plan and track their hobbies and access analytics
high amount of detail is great for a general purpose
related to their hobbies. The application has a small
time tracker, but can be a hassle for users who just
directory of well-known hobbies that a user is able to
want to spend more time on their hobbies.
choose and track their progress for. The downside to
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Competition Matrix The competitors do not measure up to Leisurful because Leisurful offers a more personalized experience for the user. Although Hobbycorn offers some of the same functionalities as Leisurful, it does not offer much customization when adding hobbies and setting goals. Hobbycorn is a one-size fits all attempt for users to start and track their hobbies. Smarter Time does offer more customization and better analytics the user can view, but some functionalities are not free. The app is a general time tracker application with a main purpose that is separate from Leisurful.
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Very Personalized
Not Hobby Focused
Hobby Focused
Not Personalized
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Personas
Target Audience Leisurful is an application that can be used by
The tertiary persona is the Stressed. This persona
many adults who want to spend more time on their
reflects a more general portion of the target audi-
hobbies, but employed adults are a demographic that
ence; the Stressed persona reflects both the primary
will benefit the most from the application. After con-
and secondary personas by emphasizing the stress
ducting research, three main personas were found:
individuals commonly experience. This persona is an
the Full-Timer, the Multitasker, and the Stressed.
employed male that is thirty years old and who uses
The primary persona is the Full-Timer. This persona is a thirty-six year old female with two jobs who also has a child. She is an individual who would need a more satisfying experience from their hobbies in order to whisk them away from the daily pressures work and other responsibilities. The secondary persona is the Multitasker. This persona reflects the younger generation of employed individuals who also go to school. The Multitasker is a female twenty-four year old who works a job and studies at college. Often the job is part-time and may not always be the only reason as to why they do not spend more time on their hobbies because school can be cited as another main factor.
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hobbies as technique to combat stress.
The Full-Timer • 36 years old “I need a more rewarding experience from my hobbies, they are not satisfying enough to take me away from my responsibilities”
Full-Time Job and a Part-Time Job
The Multitasker • 24 years old “I spend more of my leisure time sleeping, I want to spend more time on my hobbies” Part-Time Job / College Student
The Stressed • 30 years old “I feel that when I spend more time on my hobbies, I get less stressed and worried” Full-Time Job
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Cultural Relevance
How is Leisurful relevant? Research was conducted that influenced the development of the three personas and the mobile application. Two outlets of research included an online survey and in-person interviews of employed individuals. Fifty-four surveys and twenty-one interviews were conducted. By conducting this research, the development of the personas became tailored to the common factors that prevent people from spending time on their hobbies including work, school, family and health. The surveys demonstrated how valuable leisure time is for working adults as forty percent of respondents who worked between thirty-one to forty hours a week said they had less than six hours of leisure time. The interviews also showed this as eight out of the twenty-one interviewees indicated having at least two jobs.
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40%
Of survey respondents who work between 31-40 hours a week said they have less than 6 hours of leisure time
83%
Of survey respondents who work said they wanted to spend more time on their hobbies
8 out of 21
20 out of 21
Interviewees expressed having at least two jobs
Interviewees said they wanted to spend more time on their hobbies
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Visual Strategy
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Defining the Visual Strategy The visual strategy of Leisurful is fun, vibrant and playful. The visuals the brand uses distinguishes Leisurful from the rest of the competition. This involved creating a recognizable logomark that expresses the freedom people feel while enjoying their hobbies. The fluid motion of the logomark illustrates the freedom people experience from hobbies. The logomark is complemented with the wordmark that maintains the same fluidity that the logomark exudes. The brand uses a color palette of blues with complemented with green and pink. The supporting green and pink add contrast against the dark blue. The blues represent calmer emotions that are associated with relaxing hobbies and leisure time while the pink represents the fun and creative aspects related to hobbies.
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Logo Progression
. Initial Logo
Final Logo
The initial logo was seen as too dark and it was suggested to connect the period and the letter “f” more closely. The shape of the logomark was also too sharp and angular so changes were made to give it a more rounded appearance. Initial Logomark
Final Logomark
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Final Logo
Final Horizontal Logo
Final Vertical Logo
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Logo Variations
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Logo Clear Space and Minimum Size
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
The logo has a minimum size requirement. The main logo should be presented at a size no smaller than 1 inches, or 75 pixels wide. The vertical logo should be presented no smaller than .75 inches, or 55 pixels wide.
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1" 75px
.75" 55px
Logo Misuse
DO NOT change the color
DO NOT flip the logomark
DO NOT distort or squeeze the logo
DO NOT change size of logomark
DO NOT make the logo unreadable
DO NOT skew the logotype
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Color Palette
PANTONE 2728 C RGB: 0, 71, 186 CMYK: 96, 78, 0, 0 HEX: # 0047ba
PANTONE 7689 C RGB: 35, 141, 193 CMYK: 79, 33, 7, 0 HEX: # 238dc1
PANTONE 0921 C RGB: 153, 230, 216 CMYK: 36, 0, 21, 0 HEX: # 99e6d8
PANTONE 698 C RGB: 244, 211, 214 CMYK: 2, 19, 8, 0 HEX: # f4d3d6
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Typography
Aa Aa Heading
Body Text
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789
Adonis Bold
BigCity Grotesque Pro
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Copywriting Expression
Positive Inspiring Loving
Helpful Upbeat
Casual Warm
Encouraging
Optimistic Fun Assuring Kind Caring
Cheerful Comforting
Friendly Leisurful • Page 48
Uplifting
Illustration
A flat minimal illustration style was used to communicate the brand message throughout Leisurful’s marketing strategy. These illustrations depicts multiple hobbies that appeal to the target audience. There is the yoga enthusiast, the bookworm and the painter.
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Iconography
Jan
Jan
Jan
2021
STOP
Maintaining a consistent iconography style is very important for easily recognizable imagery that users can identify with for different sections or aspects of the app. A moderate stroke weight gives the appearance of the icons contrast and the use of rounded strokes evokes the friendly presence that is associated with our brand.
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Marketing Strategy
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Marketing Concept The marketing concept was inspired by qualita-
this is by the beach, and for others their happy place
tive and quantitative research that was conducted
is in the clouds. The consumer interaction relates to
prior to the creation of the app. Hobbies often bring
the marketing concept by prompting consumers to
joy to people in different ways and consumers have
take pictures of them doing their hobbies and their
different interests. We decided to express this concept
happy place with the hashtag #myhappyplace. We
in our marketing. The tagline throughout the cam-
advertised our campaign through multiple outlets
paign is “Where is your happy place?” which poses the
such as social media, outdoor advertising, subways,
question to the consumer where their potential happy
and magazines.
place is while they pursue hobbies in their leisure time. The advertisements prompt consumers to find their happy place by using the application, which will allow them to spend more time in their happy place. The illustrations used for the advertisements reflect common hobbies consumers have such as reading, painting or doing yoga. The Illustrations depict people doing their hobbies and experiencing (via a thought bubble shape) their happy place. For some
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Social Media
For Instagram, a carousel was made to better demonstrate the various hobbies and happy places each character experiences. At the end the tagline “Where is your happy place” is shown to prompt the user to check out the application on the app stores.
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Social Media
Other social media advertisements include a Pinterest post and a consumer interaction post that prompted users to post photos of their recent hobby accomplishment with the hashtag #myhappyplace .
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Web Banners
Web banners were created to supplement the landing page website that was made to inform users about the mobile application.
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Landing Page
The landing page website is responsive and was designed to informs users about the main function of the mobile application and tells users where to download the app.
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Magazine Ad
A print and digital magazine advertisement was made in the magazine called Breathe which is a magazine dedicated to self-care, mindfulness and creativity. The content of the magazine matches the brand and marketing concept of Leisurful.
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Outdoor Advertisements
Outdoor advertisements such as horizontal and vertical billboards, bus shelter and train station ads were made to appeal to working individuals who commute by car and public transportation.
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Subway Advertisements
Subway advertisements such as light up billboards and train wraps were made to appeal to working adults that commute using the subway.
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Stationery
A full-stationery set was designed to appeal to the target audience. The stationery set includes a business card, letterhead, envelope, folder and notebook.
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Merchandise The promotional items addressed the varying needs and desires of the target audience. Stationery items such as pens, notepads, sticky notes and desk calendars were designed as items to be used at work or for productive purposes. Due to the nature of the prototype being a mobile application, gadget and technology-based products such as phone cases, popsockets, flash drives and airpod cases were designed. Common lifestyle merchandise such as stickers, pins, keychains, mugs, tumblers and tote bags were designed as general promotional items that would appeal to a broad range of consumers.
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