ERECTOR | Visual Strategy Guide // GR604 Student Project

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Visual Strategy Guide


ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

GR. 6 0 4 NATU RE O F IDE NTIT Y

About This Book

Encouraging creativity and ingenuity has always been the core of ERECTOR. Based on the core of our brand, we further evolve a new mission statement to guide the new ERECTOR to step into a new era. The visual strategy guide starts with our brand history. We establish a new and strong mission for our re-branding objectives. Also, we identify our new vision, target audience, competitors, and brand potentials in the future. The goal of this phase is to identify what will guide the new ERECTOR to move forward and thrive in the future.

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Visual Strategy Guide


ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

GR. 6 0 4 NATU RE O F IDE NTIT Y

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This Is ERECTOR

Our New Approach

Brand Overview

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Our New Mission

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How We Started

14

Re-branding Objective

42

How We Grew

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Our Keywords

43

How We Contributed

25

ERECTOR Today

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Timeline

34

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

3 Our New Vision Our Audience

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Our Competitors

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Brand Attributes

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Past to Future

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Contents 02


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fig.01 Boy playing with Erector Set

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1 ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

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This Is ERECTOR 01


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Brand Overview

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How We Started

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How We Grew

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How We Contributed

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ERECTOR Today

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Timeline

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Brand Overview Erector Set (its trademark is styled as “ERECTOR”) The brain behind the Erector Set was Alfred is a brand of a toy construction set. The set conCarlton Gilbert (A.C. Gilbert), a toy manufacturer sists of a collection of small metal beams with and Olympic gold medalist. The inspiration regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, mechanical behind the Erector Set came to Gilbert whilst parts such as pulleys, gears, and small electric commuting from New Haven, Connecticut to New motors. It was the first-ever American construction York City. Based on his observation of the steel toy equipped with moving parts and motors, work along the railroad, he had the idea of prowhich made it more realistic and had a number viding children materials to build whatever they of technical advantages over the other similar want to play with. construction toys at that time.

fig.02 The kneeling boy label used by Erector on the metal box in late 1933– early 1934 fig.03 The first Erector motor and gearbox, about 1918 (on the right)

The first-ever American construction toy equipped with moving parts and motors. 13


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How We Started The story of ERECTOR began with our founder Alfred Carlton Gilbert observing the steel work along the New York and New Haven Railroad in 1911. Gilbert is on his train from New Haven to New York City. Looking from the train window, he saw that workers were building a powerline tower using steel beams being used on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Then he envisioned the steel construction girders

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into miniature forms with different material for children. Inspired, Gilbert and his wife spent a night making cardboard girders and working with them until they fit together like the girders he had seen on the railroad towers. As they worked with the girders, they found they could make many things with them. These cardboard girders eventually evolved into the Erector Set.

fig.04 The New York and New Haven Railroad


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

“I looked out the window and saw steel girder after steel girder being erected to carry the power lines. It seems the most natural thing in the world that I should think about how fascinated boys might be in building things out of girders.” —A.C. Gilbert, the inventor of the Erector Set

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In 1913, at the Toy Fair held in New York City, A.C. Gilbert first introduced the ERECTOR brand and sets to the toy world. The first sets were called by A.C. Gilbert ‘The Erector / Structural Steel & Electro-Mechanical Builder’. These sets had evenly spaced holes for bolts to pass through and used screws, bolts, pulleys, and gears similar to those used during real construction. Accessory sets were also available to allow children to upgrade basic sets.

The first Erector Set was introduced at the New York City Toy Fair in 1913. 16


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

fig.05 The box top of #1 Erector set in 1913 fig.06 The first Erector Set in original wooden box

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ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

fig. 07 The A.C. Gilbert co-workers in 1921

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How We Grew Company Rename In 1909, Gilbert co-founded a company ‘Mysto Manufacturing’ which made magic sets. In 1916, it was renamed the A.C. Gilbert Company and moved to a five-block complex in New Haven, Connecticut. New products were also launched, including a line of pressed-steel cars and trucks and a line of educational scientific toys.

The Invention of Enameled Wire In June 1916, Gilbert founded the Toy Manufacturers of the u.s.a and became the first president of the organization. A group of toymakers met at the Hotel McAlpin in New York to establish an organization to support and promote the relatively new American toy industry. The organization is now called the Toy Industry Association. Throughout the years, the Association has actively promoted the toy industry, philanthropy, and the developmental, entertainment, and lifetime benefits of play for children. And to this day, the Association continues to work with medical experts, consumer groups, and government agencies to ensure the safety of toys.

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fig.08 The Mysto Manufacturing Company in Westville, Connecticut (Left) fig.09 The A.C. Gilbert Company in New Haven, Connecticut (Right) fig.10 The Hotel McAlpin in New York was the site of the Association’s inaugural meeting in 1916


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

The Toy Manufacturer of USA Gilbert successfully used enameled wire to create small, fractional horse-power electric motors, something that had eluded even the engineers at industrial giant General Electric. With this new electric motor, Gilbert designed the Polar Cub fan, which could be manufactured in the toy industry’s slow winter season and be sold during the summer months. By diversifying, the company was able to keep workers employed year round.

fig.11 1916–1919 #6 Erector set with the new motor (Left) fig.12 Polar Cub fan designed by A.C. Gilbert (Right)

1916 was one of the most eventful and successful years in the history of ERECTOR. 21


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The following year, in 1917, with the manufacturing of Erector Sets, Polar Cub Fans, Mysto Magic Sets, and the new Chemistry Sets it had developed, the A.C. Gilbert Company opened the world’s largest toy factory at Erector Square in New Haven, Connecticut.

The A.C. Gilbert Company opened the world’s largest toy factory 22


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

fig.13 A boy playing with Gilbert Chemistry set, which was invented in 1917 fig.14 The A.C. Gilbert Company’s toy factory at Erector Square in New Haven

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How We Contributed Gilbert’s toys change the toy industry. Gilbert was one of the first makers of educational toys with the belief that playing was an essential part of learning. In 1917, the United States officially entered World War I, and the U.S. Council of National Defense began considering a ban on Christmas toys so that people would be able to buy more war bonds. A. C. Gilbert believed toys were too important to give up, both for educating children and for overall morale. The Toy Manufacturers of the U.S.A. appointed Gilbert to convince the council, made up of the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of Commerce, the

Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Interior. Knowing he would only have a few minutes at the end of the day to convince the council, Gilbert brought some of his company’s toys along to help make his point. Shortly after passing around the toys in the meeting, the men were on the floor playing with them. The meeting ran past the scheduled time...to three hours. In the end, the council decided against banning Christmas toys, and Gilbert let the men keep the toys he brought to the meeting. A. C. Gilbert was praised by the press as “The Man Who Saved Christmas.”

fig.15 A.C. Gilbert posing with a Ferris wheel Erector Set model

A.C. Gilbert was praised by the press as “The Man Who Saved Christmas” 25


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“Not only were construction to learning tools, showed the lon of fostering inv creativity, inge problem solvin —A.C. Gilbert, to the U.S. Council of National Defense, 1917

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

these oys valuable but they ng-term effects ventiveness, enuity, and ng abilities.� 27 02


ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

fig.16 Two boys playing with Erector robot

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World War II World War II interfered with Gilbert’s toy production, and in 1942, the A.C. Gilbert Company switched fromtoy production to military production. War products made by Gilbert included flares, mines, range indicators for anti-aircraft guns, and electric motors for the trim tabs of fighter planes. In 1943, the company received an Army-Navy “E” award in 1943 for its contributions to the war effort. It was the first of four of the awards the company would receive during the course of the war. Gilbert’s toys would also contribute to the war in another way. As the popularity of the Erector Set had grown over the years, it was used by architects and engineers to build test models of structures and machines. During the war, the Erector Set was used to design and test a portable bridge, which would go on to be used by Allied soldiers in Europe. The bridge could be carried by soldiers in 10-foot sections, and used to replace bridges destroyed by the Germans army as they retreated across Europe.

Artificial Heart The origin of the artificial heart was a device made with an Erector Set and a motor at the Yale Medical School in New Haven. In 1948, an Erector Set was used to build the precursor to the modern artificial heart by Drs. William Sewell and William Glenn of the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. William Glenn backed the idea as part of his student William Swell’s research project for a medical degree. Sewell built a bypass device outside a dog’s body by using Erector set parts and an Erector set motor to pump blood to the heart. The external pump successfully bypassed the heart of the dog for more than an hour.

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fig.17 The A.C. Gilbert Company is converted to manufacture parachute flares in 1942 (Top) fig.18 The illustration of the portable bridge during the war (Bottom) fig.19 The Sewell heart pump, built by William Sewell Jr. and William Glenn in New Haven by using Erector Set


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

“Between 1913 and 1966, Gilbert sold more than 30 million Erector Sets, earning its nick name as ‘the world’s greatest toy,’ but it’s hard to consider it a toy.” —Bruce Watson, the author of A.C. Gilbert’s biography: “The Man Who Changed How Boys and Toys Were Made: The Life and Times of A.C. Gilbert, the Man Who Saved Christmas”

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ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

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ERECTOR Today ERECTOR by MECCANO Gilbert retired in 1954 and published his autobiography, The Man Who Lives in Paradise, the same year. By the end of his life, Gilbert had over 150 pattens to his name, earned his place in sports history, and founded one of the most profitable toy companies in the world while somehow managing to remain a family man. He died in 1961, at the age of 76. Although his company went out of business just a few years after he passed, Gilbert’s legacy continues to live on. After a series of corporate buyouts and mergers, the ERECTOR brand was eventually bought by MECCANO, its mission is: “To give today’s young minds the tools to become tomorrow’s innovators.” In recent years, the ERECTOR brand has refreshed. The Erector Set principle with dozens of innovative kits allows children (and adults) to create classics like the ferris wheel to cool new designs like a motorcycle, a roadster, crane, and skyscrapers like the Empire State Building. With a wide range of prices and skill levels, there’s an Erector Set for everyone. In 2008, MECCANO launched a line of robotic products called SPYKEE. It is a builtit-yourself robot. SPYKEE has a webcam, a microphone, a speaker and two engines. It can move, see, hear, speak, take pictures, record videos, etc.

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fig.20 ERECTOR by MECCANO Meccanoid XL 2.0 RobotBuilding Kit, STEM Education Toy (Top) fig.21 MECCANO SPYKEE wifi spy robot (Bottom)


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Today ERECTOR and MECCANO are sold together with their mission: “To give today’s young minds the tools to become tomorrow’s innovators.” 33


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Timeline 1913

1917

1941

1961

A.C. Gilbert markets

The A.C. Gilbert Com-

The Gilbert Hall of

A.C. Gilbert died.

his first construction

pany opened the

Science opened in

At his death, he

set under the name

world’s largest toy

New York City.

“ERECTOR”. It was the

factory at Erector

first-ever American

held 150 patents for his inventions.

Square in New Haven.

(construction) toy equipped with mov-

Gilbert convinced U.S.

ing parts and motors.

Council of National Defense to reject a proposal to ban Christmas

fig.24

toys. He was praised by the press as “The Man Who Saved Christmas.” fig.22

1910

20s

fig.23

30s

40s

50s

60s

1916

1920

1942

1954

The company was reor-

The A.C. Gilbert Com-

The A.C. Gilbert Com-

Gilbert stepped down

ganized and changed

pany established its

pany switched from

as president of the A.C.

its name from Mysto

radio kits. The radio

toy production to

Gilbert Company. His

Manufacturing Com-

station, WCJ in New

military production.

son, A.C. Gilbert, Jr.

pany to the A.C. Gilbert

Haven, included a

During the war, the

took over the company.

Company.

sports review program,

Erector Set was used

which was the first

to design and test a

Gilbert published his

A.C. Gilbert founded

radio sports program

portable bridge.

autobiography

the Toy Manufacturers

in the U.S.

“The Man Who Lives

of the U.S.A. as the

in Paradise.”

organization’s first president.

fig.25 classic (1924—1932)

type i erector (1913—1923)

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transition (1933—1937)

return to prominence (1938—1945)

material substitutions (1946—1952)

type ii erector (1924—1962)

business is boomin’ (1953—1959)

decline (1960—1962)


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

1967

1989

2002

2017

The A.C. Gilbert

A.C. Gilbert Discovery

Company declared

Village was opened in

The Boys and Toys

launched new STEAM-

bankruptcy.

Salem, Oregon.

Were Made,” a biogra-

focused designs.

“The Man Who Changed

ERECTOR by MECCANO

phy of A.C. Gilbert Gabriel Industries

was published.

bought the assets. Gilbert was portrayed by Jason Alexander in

1978

the made-for-TV movie “The Man Who Saved

Gabriel Industries

Christmas.”

was taken over by Columbia Broadcasting Corporation (CBS).

70s

80s

90s

2000

2010

2019 Re-branding ERECTOR with our new mission and approach 2020

bankrupt

1962

1984

2000 MECCANO bought the

With sales declining,

CBS sold the Ideal

the Gilbert family

Company and ERECTOR

ERECTOR brand and

sold the A.C. Gilbert

to View-Master.

unified its presence on

Company to the

all continents. The two

Wrather Corporation

brands are sold under

and were no longer

the MECCANO brand

involved in the company.

name, with the Erector Set being marketed as “ERECTOR by MECCANO.”

fig.22 The box top of #1 Erector set in 1913 fig.23 The A.C. Gilbert Company in New Haven, Connecticut fig.24 The Gilbert Hall of Science in New York

fig.26

type iii erector (1963—1988)

fig.25 The A.C. Gilbert is converted to manufacture parachute flares in 1942 fig.26 The first ERECTOR by MECCANO set

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“Magic was the key to every toy Gilbert sold. And each worked a kind of magic back when most Americans made things instead of just selling them, and when industry, not information, was the label of the age. Gilbert boys together built America. They built the roads, factories, dams, buildings, cars, trucks and tractors, the simple gadgets and rocket science that brought the country out of the 19th century and hurled it toward the 21st.” —Bruce Watson, the author of A.C. Gilbert’s biography: “The Man Who Changed How Boys and Toys Were Made: The Life and Times of A.C. Gilbert, the Man Who Saved Christmas” 01 36


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2 ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

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Our New Approach 01


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Our New Mission

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Re-branding Objective

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Keywords

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Inspire peo apply their ingenuity t collaborati building Our New Mission

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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

ople to r through ive 41 02


ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

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Re-branding Objective ERECTOR’s philosophy is not just simply providing construction materials to build and invent new things, it is an essential learning tool. The new ERECTOR will not only keep practicing the STEAM educational approach to engage people to think, learn, and practice, but also support people to turn their current modest ideas into innovations in the future. We will provide people

a more supportive environment that brings all creative minds together, no matter what gender, age group, cultural background. These will become ‘ERECTOR people’, exchanging knowledge and developing meaningful relationships while working on actual projects. This can drive effective social changes in the world, such as community building, city planning, and addressing global issues.

We will always believe in the power of building and impact the world to engage more people to better utilize their inventive potentials to benefit the world. 42


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Our Keywords Based on the re-branding objective, we generated three keywords to guide the new ERECTOR to move forward and find the right direction and strategies to expand in the future.

Collaboration

Provide welcoming and supportive environments to include more people and promote collaborative building

Inventiveness

Engage and inspire people’s ingenuity through building and inventing

Contribution

Support people to realize their inventive ideas to benefit the world

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3 ERECTO R RE-BRANDING PROJECT

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Our New Vision 01


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Our Audience

46

Our Competitors

64

Brand Attributes

70

Past to Future

72

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Our Audience With our new mission, it’s important for us to identify our new audience accurately to create effective and responsible design for them. The new ERECTOR will attract and gather a wider range of people who are willing to share the philosophy of collaborative building with us. Our future audience is made up of creative thinkers

The Game Addict

and makers, problem solvers, future inventors and change makers. We will support them to drive real changes and foster bigger innovative contributions to the world. Together we will spread our impact throughout the world and create a better future.

The Concerned Dad

The Ongoing Learner

The Ambitious Young Inventor

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03

Our Future

05

The Ou 07 46


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

e Audience

The Creative Introvert

The Empathetic Designer

The Dedicated Educator

The Beauty Promoter

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04

06

utliers 08 47


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The Ambitious Young Inventor “I want to create things that can change and help the world.” —Kaitlin Stewart

Demographics

Kaitlin Stewart age

10

g ender

Female

lo cation

Philadelphia

living s ituation

3rd year in elementary school and living with her parents and a dog

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

05 07

04 06

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities She moved from the uk to the us due to her parents’ work, but she really likes the new school because it has very good steam programs. She is not interested in dolls like many girls her age because she prefers to create new things with her hands to fix things around the house. She loves to disassemble some appliances at home because she is curious about how they are made, sometimes destroying them unexpectedly. She built a shelter for feral cats by using waste materials because she cares about animals and wants them to be more comfortable.

She often looks at things from a unique perspective and always likes to ask “weird” questions that her parents or teachers cannot answer because she always keeps thinking and observing the things around her. She hopes there could be more resources for her to get knowledge because she loves learning new things and getting inspired but she usually can only read books and research online. She doesn’t have many friends mostly because children around her don’t share the same interests as her.

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02

The Creative Introvert “I want to meet like-minded friends so that we can learn, have fun and improve together.” —Ziqin Li

Demographics

Ziqin Li age

22

g ender

Male

lo cation

Seattle

living s ituation

An international architecture student living alone

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

05 07

04 06

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities He finished his high school in China and chose to study abroad because he thinks it helps him widen his mind. When the instructor asks students to do brainstorming, he always writes down more things than the other students because he is a creative thinker. When he was a little kid, he used some sticks and clay to build little houses even though kids around him were playing with Legos because he liked using simple materials to build things by himself. He often likes to spend a lot of his time in the library reading books and acquiring knowledge because it provides him resources to practice creative thinking.

He doesn’t make many friends because of the language problem and his introverted personality makes him shy about talking with others though he would like to build relationships with them. He often does an excellent job on his own projects, but he is not good at collaborating with others and usually behaves poorly in group projects because he is not very good at communicating with others and explaining his ideas. He follows many online discussion groups about architecture and mathematics and is very active when sharing his thoughts with strangers because he feels more comfortable connecting to people virtually.

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fig.29

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03

The On-going Learner “I want to live like a young adult, think creatively and pursue the dreams of my youth.” —David Keenan

Demographics

David Keenan age

73

g ender

Male

lo cation

Cincinnati

living s ituation

Retired and living with his daughter’s family

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

05 07

04 06

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities He is preparing to pursue his second degree in engineering because he wants to realize his childhood dream. When he was a young kid studying in Toronto, his school science projects got prizes every year because he had many wonderful ideas and loved to create things with his own hands. He used to play with construction toys with his childhood friends and now he is playing with his granddaughter because these toys help him unlock many great ideas, practice his problem solving abilities, and stay creative. He goes to the community college to learn computer skills because he thinks it helps him stay connected to modern society.

He often helps his neighbors solve daily problems, such as fixing their televisions and microwaves because he likes to help people solve their problems and make their lives easier. He participates as a volunteer in some campaigns to appeal to the public to pay attention to global issues, and he also wonders if there is anything else he can do to change the current situation because he would like to see the world developing more positively. He always loves to spend time with his family doing outdoor activities because he wants to stay active and healthy.

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fig.30

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04

The Empathetic Designer “I want to create valuable designs that can benefit people and the world.” —Roseli Nann

Demographics

Roseli Nann age

41

g ender

Female

lo cation

Los Angeles

living s ituation

An industrial designer who loves adventure and to travel with her partner

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

05 07

04 06

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities She and her partner usually spend at least 2–3 months traveling because they love to broaden their minds and experience diverse cultures. She loves immersing herself in nature because she believes that nature has unlimited possibilities to explore. She loves to use her camera to capture every interesting observation on her trip because it can help her get inspiration for her designs. She keeps many travel journals at home that record her thoughts, feelings, and some original sketches of her designs because she enjoys taking a look at these beautiful memories, and sometimes they can give her new ideas.

She is good at communicating with people and hearing different people tell their stories because it helps her think divergently and identify ideas or problems. She loves taking challenges and figuring out solutions both in traveling and working because it can help her stay creative. She believes in the power of collaboration and likes to work with other people because she thinks good collaboration can solve problems effectively and be a great opportunity to exchange knowledge.

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fig.31

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05

The Concerned Dad “I want to help my son better communicate and socialize, and pursue his dreams like other kids.” —Pedro Guillermo

Demographics

Pedro Guillermo age

38

g ender

Male

lo cation

San Francisco

living s ituation

A grocery store owner living with his 8-year-old autistic son

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

05 07

04 06

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities He tries his best to spend most of his time with his son because he wants to understand more about him. Even though often times his son doesn’t respond, Pedro talks to his son every day because he tries to know what he is thinking about. He has taken his son to many organizations that support children with autism because he wants to help him communicate and socialize, but no significant results have been achieved yet. He researches some articles about kids with autism online because he wants to find ways to help his son live a healthy and happy life just like the other kids.

He bought his son some car and robot construction toys because he had noticed that he has an interest in cars and robots when he took him to the children’s museum. He hopes he can help his son find kids who share the same interest and they can play together because he thinks it could be helpful for his son to make friends and start talking. He hopes there could be some reliable resources that can support his son to develop his interests and positively transform his life because he feel he cannot give his son a complete education at home.

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06

The Dedicated Educator “I want to spread knowledge and help my students succeed and pursue their dreams and careers.” —Samantha Lewis

Demographics

Samantha Lewis age

34

g ender

Female

lo cation

Boston

living s ituation

A college professor teaching computer science and living alone

01 03

02

Our Target Audience

06

05 07

04

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities She often asks her students to do some courserelated activities instead of giving lectures because she thinks it can better engage students to learn and encourage their creativity.

Every semester she arranges a group project for her students because she believes in the importance of collaboration and wants her students to practice their interpersonal skills.

She likes to encourage her students to ask questions because she thinks it helps them to think more deeply and more creatively.

She refines her lesson plans every semester because she wants to improve her lessons and teaching methods based on students’ feedback.

She always reads books and goes to public speeches about education or her field of study because she wants to gain new knowledge to better support her

She always tries her best to answer every student’s questions because she wants to see all her students learn well and eventually succeed.

students to learn, think, and explore. She always observes her students thoroughly both in class and through their homework because it helps her have a deeper understanding of each student’s unique abilities and potential, which is important for her to give personalized advice.

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07

The Game Addict “I want to be more successful in the virtual world.” —Ganesh Aryan

Demographics

Ganesh Aryan age

01 03

16

g ender

Male

lo cation

Virginia

living s ituation

Lives with his busy parents and usually stays home alone

02

Our Target Audience

06

05 07

04

The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities He started to play video games when he was a young kid which made him feel less lonely because most of the time he stayed home alone due to his parents’ busy work.

He is always inactive in the group projects at school because he doesn’t like talking a lot and making eye contact with others while he can win the game by himself in the virtual games.

He prefers building his city and whatever he wants in virtual games because he thinks there are too many limitations in the real world, which is boring.

He thinks the traditional building toys are too old-school and less interesting than the new technology because the new technology has so many innovative possibilities.

He used to play with construction toys because at that time most of his friends played with this kind of toys, but now almost everyone is playing video games.

He gets good grades at school even though he spends a lot of time playing video games because he is a quick learner and has a very good memory.

He feels more comfortable and confident in the virtual world because he thinks he can achieve bigger success in the games.

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The Beauty Promoter “I always want to make myself and others look beautiful.” —Annie Vannelli

Demographics

Annie Vannelli age

26

g ender

Female

lo cation

New York

living s ituation

Works in cosmetics sales and lives with her boyfriend and two cats

01 03

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Our Target Audience

05 07

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The Outlier

08

Lifestyle & Activities She grew up with Barbie dolls and she always asked her mom to buy new clothes for her dolls because she wanted to make them look more beautiful and unique than her friends’ dolls.

Most of her salary is spent on buying cosmetic products and clothes, not the lastest iPhone because keeping herself looking beautiful is the most important.

She always held her favorite doll in bed every night when she was a little girl because that was the most important and favorite toy in her childhood.

She often spends several hours reading fashion magazines or watching beauty YouTubers’ videos every day because she needs to catch up on the latest beauty and fashion trends to make sure she looks perfect every day.

When she was a kid, she tried to play robots and trains with her younger brother but she gave up eventually because she just felt it was boring and these toys look ugly and clumsy. She never buys ikea furniture because she thinks assembling things by herself wastes her time.

She can do unique and great makeup for her customers and they love it because she has her unique perspective about beauty and thinks creatively based on the individual’s needs.

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Current Competitors Current competitors for ERECTOR are other educational construction toy companies. What makes ERECTOR unique is that it not only focuses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics), but also it still keeps metal parts and relatively complicated structures as a

Engino Engino is a STEM-focused construction toy company. It has a unique system that enables children to build fast and easy fully functional technological models, which helps encourage children’s creativity and inventiveness while playing.

LEGO LEGO a toy brand known for its interlocking plastic bricks. It is manufactured by the LEGO Group, a Danish toy production company. It helps release children’s potential while playing with bricks to eventually create a positive impact in the world.

MEGA BLOKS MEGA BLOKS is a line of construction set toys, which is the most popular product of MEGA brands, a Canadian toy company owned by Mattel. It helps parents throughout the world nurture their

Timberkits Timberkits are mechanical models made of wood and construction kits for children and adults of all ages. It helps children and adults step into the world of Automata and unlock their creativity.

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hundred years ago and makes kids and adults use real tools to build and disassemble, which provides them a more authentic building experience to let them feel they are real engineers. This helps people to think more creatively and critically while cultivating their engineering skills.


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

K’nex K’Nex is an educational toy company known for its STEAMagination™ construction toy system that consists of many interlocking plastic components. It helps inspire children’s imagination while having fun with building toys.

BEST-LOCK BEST-LOCK is a construction toy brand of plastic building bricks that are compatible with LEGO. It offers different sized blocks including standard blocks, Junior Blocks, and Baby Blocks.

ELENCO ELENCO is a STEM educational toy, hobby, and electronic instruments company based in the Chicago. It inspires, motivates, and challenges children of all ages to invent, explore, solve problems, and practice real-life skills.

KEVA Planks KEVA Planks cuboid wooden (maple) block toys for children and adults. It’s known for its same size block pieces without glue and connectors. It helps practice communication skills, the understanding STEAM, and inspire creativity while playing together.

KAPLA KAPLA is a wooden (pine) construction toy set for children and adults. The sets is made up of unique size blocks without glue, screws, or clips. It allows children / adults to build, create and experiment by using their own imagination.

MECCANO MECCANO is a model construction toy brand. The construction kits consist of metal nuts and bolts that allow children / adults to build with limitless possibilities. It focuses on promoting engineering and robots that support STEAM education.

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Adjacent Competitors Adjacent competitors for ERECTOR are those brands that encourage creativity and ingenuity through building. They focus on helping people who are interested in science and engineering,

Alderac Entertainment Group Alderac Entertainment Group, or AEG, is a publisher of role-playing games, board games, and collectible card game products.

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. It develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internetconnected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.

LeapFrog LeapFrog is an educational entertainment and electronics company. It designs, develops, and markets technology-based learning products and related content for the education of children from infancy through grade school.

Exploratorium The Exploratorium is a museum that allows visitors to explore the world through science, art, and human perception.

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and would like to practice creative thinking, build or create things with their own hands, and improve their problem solving abilities.


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Children’s Creativity Museum The Children’s Creativity Museum is a hands-on multi-media art and technology experience designed to build creative confidence in children ages 2­–12.

Popular Mechanics Popular Mechanics is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring the latest news about automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics.

The Tech Interactive The Tech Interactive is a science and technology center. It has many exhibits dealing with energy efficiency, customization, exploration and genetics. Its exhibits are interactive and allow the viewers to engage in the learning experience.

WIRED WIRED is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics.

The Home Depot The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, supplying tools, construction products, and services. It aims to be the one-stop shopping for the do-it-yourselfer.

Science Channel Science Channel is an American pay television channel that is owned by Discovery, Inc. It features programming focusing on the fields of wilderness survival, ufology, manufacturing, construction, technology, space, prehistory and animal science.

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Aspirational Competitors Aspirational competitors for ERECTOR are identified in terms of our re-branding initiative. Those brands focus on providing both kids and adults a collaborative environment that encourages

TED Talk TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. It covers almost all topics from science to business to global issues.

Medium Medium is an online publishing platform of social journalism that collects amateur and professional people and publications, exclusive blogs or publishers. It helps people expand their mind through gaining compelling ideas, knowledge, and perspectives.

NISE Network The National Informal STEM Education Network is an American nonprofit organization that aims to build the capacity of informal science education institutions and research organizations to work together to raise public awareness, understanding, and engagement with current STEM across the US.

Maker Faire Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to “celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset�.

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their ingenuity and supports them in turning their inventive ideas into changes and innovations that can benefit the world.


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

OpenIDEO OpenIDEO is an online platform for creative people everywhere to come together and create solutions for big societal problems. It’s a dynamic resource for tackling significant global challenges. It’s a place for people to share and collaborate to design better for social good.

Creative Education Foundation The Creative Education Foundation is a nonprofit membership organization of creativity theory and practice. It fosters creativity and giftedness including dialogue, serious play and training programs, conferences, programs, publications and other services.

IDSA The Industrial Designers Society of America is a membership-based not-for-profit organization that promotes the practice and education of industrial design through education, information, community and advocacy.

Public Workshop Public Workshop creates uniquely engaging opportunities for youth and their communities to shape the design of their cities. It supports youth to participate as citizens and leaders in the design of their communities, and addressing the most pressing challenges in the world.

Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey of the Mind is a creative prolem solving program involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution to the problem at a competition.

Werqwise Werqwise is a California based collaborative workspace provider enabling businesses and professionals to work smarter by leveraging our thoughtful partner resources, flexible workspaces, events, and community.

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Brand Attributes In order to have a deeper understanding or our competitors, in this section, we identified 20 attributes that can describe our current and adjacent competitors. These attributes are

About The New ERECTOR

divided into four categories: positive / good, negative / bankrupt, neutral / descriptive, and the attributes about the new ERECTOR.

Experimental Innovation Community Collaboration Contribution 70


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

Positive / Good Negative / Bankrupt Neutral / Descriptive The New ERECTOR

About Our Competitors

Construction Possibility Fun Technology Inventive Delicate Ingenuity Awesome

Challenging Educational Mechanical Imagination Functional High quality Engineering

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Past to Future Our Past The old ERECTOR was about encouraging and inspiring ingenuity through playing with construction toys. It mainly targeted boys and their families to support boys to be scientists and engineers. The overall feeling of the brand was male, realistic, mechanical, and practical.

Keywords

Boys Traditional Childhood Mechanical Construction

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Chair Texture Person Object Architecture Food / Drink Activity Animal

ERECTOR


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Past to Future Our Future The new ERECTOR will be a more diverse, collaborative, and vibrant brand that targets all people with creative minds, no matter what gender, age group, or cultural background. It will be dedicated to inspiring people to apply their ingenuity through collaborative building. The new ERECTOR community will support more people to work together to drive positive social changes that can benefit the world.

Keywords

Diversity Community Collaboration Sharing Vibrant

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Object Person Activity Chair Architecture Texture Animal Food / Drink

ERECTOR


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54818024/sad-mexican


VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

fig.32

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fig.33

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fig.34

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School Academy of Art University School of Graphic Design Course GR.604 Nature of Identity Instructor Hunter Wimmer Typeface Neue Hass Unica Roboto Slab

Š 2019 Mengyi Shao All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the copyright holder.

This book is a non-commericial project for educational purposes and is not intended to represent or replace the original brand.

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