RICHARD THOMAS JENNINGS GRAPHIC DESIGN_ MFA THESIS
Š2019 Richard Thomas Jennings All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,without the prior written permission of Richard Thomas Jennings, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Contact: Richard@rtjennings.com Published by Richard Thomas Jennings of online MFA Graphic Design degree at Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA. Printed and bound by GO Graphics, New York, New York, USA.
“INFORMATION IS_
GIVING OUT; COMMUNICATION IS GETTING THROUGH.” _ Sydney J. Harris
ABOUT AN MFA THESIS This thesis is an in-depth exploration of a chosen topic that identifies problems in the world around us. The purpose is to find ways that graphic design can be used to address and implement a possible solution that demonstrates unique design thinking. This includes a variety of research techniques, strategies, explorations, development and execution of deliverables.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01_ CONCEPT............................................................................. 07 Context_
The Problem_
Archetype Exploration_
Archetype Exploration_ Bell Curve
User Testing 01_ Concept
Quantitative & Qualitative Surveys_
Quantitative & Qualitative Surveys_ Analysis
Developing A Strategy_ To Move Forward
User Testing 02_ ProMoji Design
User Testing 03_ Website Promo & Educational Videos
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY................................................................ 107
Thesis Statement_ Draft
Identity Introduction_
Mood Boards_
Logo Development_
Identity Guidelines_
03_ PROMOJI............................................................................ 135 .
Thesis Statement_ Final
ProMoji Development_
Educational Posters_ General & Specific Use
Promotional Items_
Communication Videos_ Storyboards
Community Videos_ Storyboards
Website_
Website_ Promo Video_ Storyboard
Applications_
04_ PRESENTATION.................................................................. 189 .
MFA Thesis Overview Video_ Storyboard
MFA Thesis Presentation Slides_ Storyboard
Conclusion_
“LET THE DATASET_ CHANGE YOUR MINDSET.” _ HANS ROSLING
01_ CONCEPT
01_ CONCEPT
CONTEXT_
CLARITY IN COMMUNICATION_ In this age of technology, we have grown close globally but are we using technology as the sole way of communicating?
DO YOU CONSIDER EMOTICONS TO BE A LANGUAGE?
“…this is just the tipping point: some outlets have claimed
Throughout the process of discovery, one topic stood out
that emoji (emoticons) are an emerging language that
amongst the others—my passion about the importance of
could soon compete with English in global usage. To many,
communication and the negative impact of miscommunication,
this would be an exciting evolution of the way we communi-
especially in work-life experiences.
cate; to others, it is linguistic Armageddon.” Source: Cohn, N. “Will emoji become a new language?” BBC: Future. October 13, 2015
TFI: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION Topic Descriptive Paragraph:
Insight:
I am addicted to texting. I’ve noticed that I struggle with
Emoticons are competing with the English language in global
grammar and spelling. I wonder what long-term effects this
usage.
has on our written communication skills?
Course of Action:
TFI:
I need to research if emoticons have visual characteristics and
Step 1. Space saving emoticons is in mainstream use.
expressions to potentially communicate complex ideas.
Step 2. This is causing us to communicate in a truncated way. Step 3. I would like to investigate if there is any way to infuse grammatical structure in our digital communications.
WHICH DO YOU ASSUME HAS THE GREATER IMPACT ON THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE, SOCIAL MEDIA OR MOBILE DEVICES?
“Today around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves.”
Source: Pew Research Center. “Social Media Fact Sheet.” Pew Internet. January 12, 2017
The vast majority of Americans – 95% – now own a cellphone of some kind.
Source: Pew Research Center. “Mobile Fact Sheet.” Pew Internet. January 12, 2017
Insight: Pew Research Center found that 95% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind, while 70% of Americans use social media to connect with one another. Course of Action: I need to determine if people would rather message than talk on their mobile devices.
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DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNICATION GAP?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TOPIC ASSUMES ABOUT THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE?
Insight:
Insight:
Language barriers create gaps in communication that could
We are communicating less and less in person and relying more
be solved by the use of emoticons.
on written communication to connect via message and email.
Course of Action:
Course of Action:
I need to explore if emoticons exude common visual
It is important that I evaluate this angle of the topic to determine
characteristics across different cultures.
the base need for better communication.
IS THE USE OF EMOTICONS SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN AGE GROUP?
I focused my view on a specific issue, then took each question and explored looking for the answer to each through research.
Insight:
Each question required developing a corresponding insight
The accessibility of emoticons on social platforms has opened
with a course of action. As a result, I began to see the topic
the usage age range to all users.
from various perspectives.
Course of Action: I need to investigate the extent of usage, which could determine a certain age group.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE USE OF EMOTICONS AFFECT THE TONE OF YOUR MESSAGES?
“The study measured both between-platform and within platform analysis, measuring not just the gap between interpretations of Android and Apple emoji, but the gap between an emoji’s intended meaning and its interpretation by a given platform.”
Source: Feldman, B. “If Emoji are the Future of Communication…” NYMag. April 11, 2016
Insight: There is a gap in creating tone in written communication, whereas emoticons need less explanation. Course of Action: I need to explore comparison examples of where communication is more effective with the additions of emoticons.
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01_ CONCEPT
THE PROBLEM_
10
ENVIRONMENTAL_
CULTURAL_
01. Misinformation
10. Social Media – Tweeting
02. Negativity
11. Black America
03. Clarity
12. Cross-Cultural Experiences
ECONOMIC_
PERSONAL_
04. Quality
13. Addiction to Connection
05. Loss of Opportunity
14. Misread
06. Globalization
15. Lack of Writing
POLITICAL_
EMOTIONAL_
07. Ambiguity
16. Frustration
08. Misinterpretations
17. Confusion
09. Translation of Foreign Phrases
18. Isolation
01. There is so much fake news that exists . . ........................................ Misinformation 02. We are bombarded with so much information................................................ Noise 03. Clarification helps us to understand impact ................................................ Clarity 04. There needs to be truth and honesty in marketing .. .............................. Confidence 05. Builds substandard deliverables ................................................................ Quality 06. People need to rally based on commonality . . .....................................Globalization 07. Valuing the intelligence ........................................................................ Ambiguity 08. This word has lost its meaning .. ..................................................................... Love 09. Accuracy in translation is vital .............................................................. Translation 10. Too reliance on virtual connections ........................................................ Addiction 11. Portrayals in media causes negativity .......................................................... Black 12. Socialization is negatively affected . . .................................................... Integration 13. When no one wants to listen ...................................................................... Conflict 14. Emoticons have affected the way we communicate . . .................................. Writing 15. We have become less concerned with accuracy . . ...................................... Sloppy 16. Losing the ability to physical connect ................................................. Emotionless 17. Rhetoric can confuse people . . ............................................................... Confusion 18. Potential to build positive bridges .. ........................................................ Closeness
After a mapping exercise, I looked at each cluster and identified three elements from each area that I found the most intriguing. I then looked for the most interesting connections. Three words became important to my topic; clarity, quality and ambiguity.
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01_ CONCEPT
ARCHETYPE EXPLORATION_
01. REVOLUTIONARY_
03. CHEERLEADER_
I’m a tech aficionado. Bring it on!
I love keeping connected to friends using my iPhone. It’s fun!
Traits:
• Constantly searching for new technology and latest
• Loves the challenge of texting only using emoticons
• Active on 6 or more social sites regularly
• Only handwriting is signing their signature on a credit
communication vehicles or emojis
card slip
• Uses a daily aggregator for news
Traits:
• Loves finding new technology
• Texts using emoticons and loves writing emails
• Active on two or more social sites; loves to comment on everyone everyone’s posts, shares personal life details daily (text posts and images)
What They Think:
What They Think: “I’m a real tech geek and not afraid to say it. My circle of
• Uses greeting card websites
“Communicating using email and texts are the best! I get excited when there is a new phone model release.
friends are like-minded because we speak our own social
I especially love being connected with everyone I know
language. I believe one-day handwriting will be come
and being able to see what it is happening in their lives.
obsolete. You won’t even need to write your signature,
It so easy to comment and share what’s on my mind.”
it will be an iris scan. Can’t wait!”
02. PROFESSIONAL_
04. MEDIATOR (ME)_ It is so easy to communicate via tech devices. I can keep
I believe one day we will only communicate via technology.
my interactions short and sweet.
Traits:
Traits:
• Must have the latest smart phone and tablet owner
• Texts for efficiency and uses emoticons to convey tone
• On two social media sites daily but a member of others;
• Reads physical magazines and books
• Concerned about the loss of handwritten communication
• Main source of communicating at work and personal is through technology platforms
• Texts sometimes only using emoticons and loves writing emails
regularly; emails are main way of communicating
• Active on 4 or more social sites; in to posting on Facebook and sharing images on Instagram
• Owns a reader; uses a daily aggregator for news
What They Think:
14
uses social media websites as a sort of diary
What They Think:
“Communicating using email and texts are my preferred
“I love technology and how it has allowed us to connect
way of connecting! I get annoyed when people misuse
globally. I rarely talk on the phone unless I have to. Still
emoticons or emojis. It is a waste of time trying to figure
believe in talking in-person. It is so much easier to get tone
out what they are saying. There needs to be a course in
and ideas across using emoticons and emojis. However,
grade school on how to communicate using technology.
I do see that it is hard to connect with others because of
I love have information at my fingertips.”
device dependency.”
Based on the theory of the bell curve, I built out my archetypes. It was enlightening to start understanding my audiences in a broader sense.
05. TRAINEE_
07. DIPPER_
I think technology is changing the way we communicate.
I feel forced to communicate using my iPhone because
I struggle to keep up.
everyone else is.
Traits:
Traits:
• Smart phone and appreciates technology
• Smart phone owner
• Texts frequently and uses a few emoticons to convey tone
• Texts Occasionally and uses internet slang, not emoticons
• On a few social sites but likes to look at other’s post but
• Only on Facebook
• Worried about the loss of handwriting
• Looks at the internet occasionally
rarely posts
• Reads physical magazines and books but travels with a reader for ease
• On the internet daily for news
What They Think: “I don’t understand why people are always on their phones
What They Think:
but I love that I can search the internet whenever I need
“I believe technology has made life easier to connect.
to. You know people love using those little smiley faces but
I really like texting and emailing. I think using emoticons
feel I would rather use internet slang like LOL or TY. My
is fun but I wish I understood them better so I could use
favorite is LOL, Lots Of Love (Laughing Out Loud).”
them more. It’s so much fun looking at what other people’s posts but concerned about putting out my information.”
08. OLD SCHOOL_ I hate that people are always looking down at their devices
06. NOVICE_ I feel like technology is making us communicate is small bites and that’s not always necessarily good.
typing and not looking up at the world around them! Traits:
• Flip phone owner
Traits:
• Loves talking on the phone or in person
• Smart phone owner
• Not on social media
• Texts using the smiley face emoticons
• Loves handwriting out thank you cards
• Only on Facebook
• Reads only physical books and magazines
• Reads physical magazines and books
• On the internet daily for shopping and news but trusts network news
What They Think: “I really like texting and sending emails. It’s such a quick
What They Think: “I love interacting with people face-to-face. I am so sick of how people are so dependent on their devices and don’t understand the use of all those little icon images. What’s the point? I don’t get what they are about.”
way to connect with people. I feel comfortable using internet slang and emoticons because it helps get my tone across. However, I have a problem with people not typing out full sentences or complete thoughts. It frustrates me.”
15
01_ CONCEPT
ARCHETYPE EXPLORATION_ BELL CURVE
16
I made a conscious decision not to use images of people to represent my archetypes. Because they are not defined by gender, race or age. They are defined by their connection to technology. So I developed simple representations that evolved over the curve.
17
ARCHETYPE EXPLORATION_ BELL CURVE
19
01_ CONCEPT
USER TESTING 01_ CONCEPT
20
The participants were engaged from the beginning of the event. Having the prework survey gave me an insight in to their communication and device behavior. Everyone was passionate about sharing their views and the information I gathered helped shape my direction.
21
01_ CONCEPT
22
USER TESTING 01_ CONCEPT
DISTILLATION & DESIGN_
TOP INSIGHTS_ INSIGHT 01 Emojis are not a language and are casual in use. INSIGHT 02 Understanding meaning is important when using emojis, they can cause misinterpretations. INSIGHT 03 There is professional sensitivity using emoticons. INSIGHT 04 There is confusion around the meaning of several emojis. INSIGHT 05 There is a need to find the perfect representation for each emotion.
The biggest aha moment came when I asked myself questions about the underlying issues. People want to effectively communicate with each other. Tone was the most prominent driving factor, in addition to clarity and professionalism.
23
01_ CONCEPT
24
USER TESTING 01_ CONCEPT
USER TESTING SUMMATION_
BACKGROUND_
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES_
Pew Research surveyed 21 countries and found that 75% of cell
phone owners say they prefer texting than talking over the phone.
Being a fan of communicating using technology, I have noticed over
02. Design a mobile application reference guide that helps
the years how visual elements, such as emoticons, have allowed us
workplace users define the meaning of each emoticon for
communicate quickly and broadly with the infusion of tone. However,
business use. This app would send daily push notifications
due to the grammatical limitations of these visual representations,
are they creating a base for miscommunication?
01. Design a set of emoticons for professional use in texts, emails and workplace social platforms.
to help educate workplace texters on the use of emoticons.
03. Design workplace promotional materials that will promote
effective business emoticon use in communication.
PROBLEM_
04. Design a blog that is a place for people to share their
Emoticons are not a language built on grammatical structure but
experiences, issues, and best practices about
they are being infused in to all of our daily communications. Often
communicating in the workplace.
people texting, unaware of their intended meaning, will misuse emoticons causing confusion on the receivers end. This is causing a lot of miscommunication. AUDIENCE_ People in the workplace that text on their cell phones and tend to communicate via social business platforms as the primary way to communicate with each other. OUTCOME_ Minimize the amount of miscommunication by creating clarity and driving professionalism when using emoticons in our daily workplace communication.
25
01_ CONCEPT
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ QUANTITATIVE SURVEY_ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 01. What is your gender?
06. What platforms do you use at work to communicate?
• Male
25%
• Female
75%
02. What is your age?
• 18-25
5%
• 26-35
24%
• 36-45
28%
• 46-55
35%
• 56 or older
8%
03. Are you a manager?
• Yes
57%
• No
27%
• No answer
6%
04. What is your profession? (88 responses)
• Marketing
8
• Self-Employed
5
• Academic
13
• DSM
6
• Communication
3
• Administration
6
• Recruiting/HR
3
• Sales
8
• Creative
21
• Ops & Production
3
• Health Services
5
• IT
3
• Legal
3
• Correctional Officer
1
05. What are your main forms of communication at work? List in order from most to least:
71
Phone/Video
37
Text
33
Phone/Video
27
In-Person
20
28
List in order from most to least:
Outlook
81
Message/Text
51
Slack
28
Skype
6
07. Do you believe showing your feelings in your written communication is professional?
• Yes
16%
• No
15%
• Sometimes
69%
08. When sending workplace written communication what are the emotions you feel is necessary to convey for clarity? Please list as many as possible.
?? Shrug
15
Accountability
3
Agreement
2
Annoyed
4
Apology/Sorry
3
Appreciation
4
Approval
3
Concern
9
Confidence
4
Confusion
8
Detail/Clarity
10
Direct/Facts
11
Disappointment
16
Don’t Worry
3
Empathy/Compassion
11
Encourage/Support
6
Excitement
17
Feedback Needed
4
Friendly
8
Frustration
15
Good/Great Job
17
Happy
36
Help
2
Honesty
3
Humor
14
• Your Manager
60%
Important
10
• Your Colleagues
85%
More Info/Update
2
• Your Team
90%
Passion
4
• C-Suite Leaders
32%
Greeting/I feel…
3
• Your Outside Vendors 35%
Pleased
6
Positivity
7
Proud
5
Reassurance/Okay
5
Remorse
2
Reply or Don’t Reply
4
Respect
2
Sad/Unhappy
5
Sarcasm
5
Shrug/I Don’t Know
3
Thankful /Gratitude
19
Urgency (or level of)
14
Understanding
4
09. Do you think emojis should be used in workplace written communication?
• Yes
30%
• No
28%
• Exceptions:
42%
10. Do you feel it is appropriate to send or receive emojis from: (Select all that apply)
11. Are you ever confused by an emoji’s meaning?
• Yes
38%
• No
62%
• If so, which one:
- Acronyms
- Too many to name
- Most of them
- Prayer vs applause
- Eggplant, Clown Face, Yam/Potatoes, Chicken leg
- LOL
- Slightly smiling , grinning faces, pray/high five,
object emojis
- Upside down smiley face
- Confused by the context of its use at times
- Red-cheeked smiley embarrassed or glowing
with happiness?
- Sometimes laugh vs cry
- Faces are clear to me except for the laughing crying
- More appropriate in slack, not in email
- Ambiguous facial expressions
- Based entirely on familiarity with clients
- Pain that they wary over platforms
- Smiley or Winky face only
- P.S. if you can design an eye-roll– fantastic!
- Informal communication with co-workers
- That’s what Google is for
- Only with close relationships or casual
- Once used will reciprocate
- On the fence
- Depends on company culture
- Within a team only
- Casual emails but not official communication
- Lighten the tone of written communication
- Various because people read different meanings
into different symbols
Through this research method of online surveying, I was to begin the process of identifying basic business terminology to build my set of ProMojis. Survey was sent through Facebook and emails to spread the word.
29
01_ CONCEPT
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS_
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS_
Emoji use is not defined by age or gender but impressions tend to
01. What is your gender?
be more feminine.
• Male
Creative and academic professions are more comfortable communi-
02. What is your age?
cating with emojis in the workplace.
• 18 – 25
• 26 – 35
• 36 – 45
• 46+
Main platform for communication in the workplace is email followed
• Female
by texting.
03. What is your profession?
69% of the respondents felt that there was at times a need to show
04. Are you a manager?
feelings in their communication. 16% definitely yes and 15% no.
• Yes
Emotions are necessary in workplace communication but the needs
05. When you are writing work emails and texts, what emotions
should be aligned with business responses.
or feelings do you most often need to communicate? For
(WHAT EMOJIS TO CREATE)
example, do you want people to know you are being sarcastic,
• ?? Shrug
thankful, or pleased?
• Detail/Clarity/Facts Needed
• Disappointment
• Empathy/Compassion
• Excitement
07. Do you think gender plays a role in the use of emojis?
• Frustration
• Good/Great Job
08. What do you think of people who use emojis when they write
• Happy
• Humor
• Important
If not, why?
• Thankful/Gratitude
• Urgency
10. Can you give me an example where using an emoji caused
72% of the respondents think some form of emojis have a place in workplace written communication. Using emojis was based on relationship familiarity and office culture. Use with colleagues (85%) and team (90%) ranked the highest. There is an established familiarity with emojis. 62% of the respondents felt they’re not confused by their meaning.
06. Do you feel it is appropriate to send or receive emojis from your manager, work peers or staff? Why?
to you? 09. Do you think emojis are effective in communicating emotion?
a problem at work? 11. Do you think there’s an alternative to emojis? If so, what is it? 12. If you heard there was a set of emojis that were designed for workplace communication, what would be your expectations? What differences would you expect from current emojis? 13. Which work platforms would you access these new emojis? 14. In which ways would you like to be informed about how to use these new emojis?
30
• No
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS_
POTENTIAL INSIGHTS & DELIVERABLES_
Expressing Workplace Emotion
01. Expressing Workplace Emotion
In work communication the most common emotions are expressing
In work communication the most common emotions are express-
pleasure (pleased) or displeasure (disappointment) when it relates
ing pleasure (pleased) or displeasure (disappointment) when it
to performance of a deliverable or action.
relates to performance of a deliverable or action.
Emojis are Casual
Deliverable:
Current emojis are too casual to use in workplace communica-
Create an interactive HR Training module that educates and trains
tion unless you have an established “casual” relationship with the
employees how to use the work emoji set effectively.
receiver. Emoji Impressions Overall they are viewed as being unprofessional and are too cartoony in nature for the workplace. Work is viewed as a more serious environment. Establishing Norms Identifying a way and getting buy-in from a group is important for successful communication. People need to know that it is okay to communicate in a certain way with approved tools. Levels our perception of each other. Emoji Clarity This is an important aspect so that there is no misunderstanding of the meaning. There is a need to teach/create a common “language”. Clarifying the Message The rate in which we communicate requires us to be effective in getting our point across. Adding pictograms to our words are an effective way of conveying tone and intention immediately. Color Impressions Color fundamental in conveying tone. The more color or brightness
02. Establishing Norms Identifying a way and getting buy-in from a group is important for successful communication. People need to know that it is okay to communicate in a certain way with approved tools. Levels our perception of each other. Deliverable: There is an opportunity here to foster empathy in the workplace. Create a blog that creates a platform for people to discuss the use of the emojis. Blog would need to be cultivated. 03. Emoji Clarity This is an important aspect so that there is no misunderstanding of the meaning. There is a need to teach/create a common worklife experience “language”. Deliverable: Create break area posters and ‘tip & tricks’ cheat sheets for continual education. Also develop an electronic publication reference guide app that lives on the computer and mobile device using Adobe DPS (Digital Publishing Suite).
the less professional the message is perceived. Usability It is important that emojis have a consistent style and can be easily accessed across multiple platforms and applications: desktop and phone. After evaluating the data from my interviews, I began to see how I could define success through my potential deliverables.
31
01_ CONCEPT
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEY_ ANALYSIS
32
33
01_ CONCEPT
FACTS ABOUT COMMUNICATION_
34
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Americans spend 26 minutes a day texting and send 5.3 more texts than the number of calls they make. It is becoming the preferred method of communication in the office.
Texting is becoming a primary source of business communication, emojis are normalized in text chats and consequently are seeping in to our workplace written communication.
5 Facts About Communication in the Workplace You Need to Know by E. Kostelnik, Entrepreneur
35
01_ CONCEPT
NONVERBAL EXPRESSIONS_
36
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Oftentimes, it’s hard to understand the context or meaning behind a message that’s received electronically. But in person, facial expressions and nonverbal cues increase understanding.
Facial expressions are important, so it is necessary to preserve this element in any new emoji set.
Facial Expressions in Nonverbal Communication: Importance & Explanation by Study.com
37
01_ CONCEPT
STATE OF TELECOMMUTING_
2005 working from home in millions
38
2017 working from home in millions
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
As we work apart from each other more and more, translating nonverbal gestures will be more necessary for good work communication.
The State of Telecommunting in the U.S. in 2017 by WorkFlexibility.org
39
01_ CONCEPT
WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY_
72%
of people use their phones for work
40
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
As people use their devices more often, they will expect emojis to be available on everything they use to communicate.
How Technology Impacts Workplace Productivity Today by Highfive.com
41
01_ CONCEPT
WORKPLACE PROFESSIONALISM_
42
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Putting a cartoonish wink at the end of your sentence undermines your credibility and communicates that you were too lazy to explain your intentions.
Emojis are too cartoony, they are childish and affects the perception of our communications.
Are Emoticons Unprofessional? by Ackertinc.com
43
01_ CONCEPT
COMMUNICATION INFLUENCES_
18 to 25
5%
26 to 35
24%
36 to 45
28%
46 to 55
56 or older
35%
8%
Emoji use by age.
44
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Emoji use is not defined by age but can be influenced by whether or not we are communicating with a company leader.
Quantitative Survey Results
45
01_ CONCEPT
IMPACTING COMMUNICATION_
text message, Slack & Skype
Outlook
How we communicate at work.
46
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
The greatest way to impact how we communicate at work is to focus on email.
Quantitative Survey Results
47
01_ CONCEPT
EMOTION IN THE WORKPLACE_
yes
no
16%
15%
sometimes
69%
Showing emotion in written communication is professional.
48
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
A need exists to show emotion in written workplace communication, but we need to educate about conveying professionally.
Quantitative Survey Results
49
01_ CONCEPT
WORKPLACE EMOTION_
COMPASSION
DISAPPOINTMENT SHRUG THANKFUL FRUSTRATION
HAPPY URGENCY CLARITY
IMPORTANT GRATITUDE
HUMOR
EXCITEMENT
DETAIL GREAT JOB EMPATHY FACTS NEEDED
Emotions to convey in written work-life experiences.
50
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Emojis that are used in workplace written communication must convey responses for tone and giving feedback.
Quantitative Survey Results
51
01_ CONCEPT
DETERMINING NEED_
no
yes
Should emojis be used in workplace written communication?
52
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Most people are not resistant to the idea of using emojis, but still a significant amount of people are yet to be convinced that they need help in the workplace.
Quantitative Survey Results
53
01_ CONCEPT
DETERMINING INTERACTION_
manager
60%
colleagues
85%
90%
team
c-suite
vendors
32%
35%
Who would you send to or expect to receive emojis from?
54
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Comfort is a factor in emoji use. People use emojis with people they know, for example between colleagues, and between managers and their direct reports.
Quantitative Survey Results
55
01_ CONCEPT
BASIC UNDERSTANDING_
no
yes
Do you understand the meaning of emojis?
56
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
This result clarified the impact that social norms has on adoption—education is a key factor to retention..
Emoji meanings are generally understood, therefore clarifying meanings is not a priority.
Quantitative Survey Results
57
01_ CONCEPT
EXPRESSING WORKPLACE EMOTION_
58
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
“I do like to let people know that I am pleased and that they are appreciated, also, displeasure. The reverse, people need to know when I am displeased with their performance or decisions they are making.� _ Judy, Managing Attorney, Age 46+
In work communication the most common emotions are expressing pleasure (pleased) or displeasure (disappointment) of a deliverable or an action.
Qualitative Interview Results
59
01_ CONCEPT
EMOJIS ARE CASUAL_
60
manager
co-worker
co-worker
co-worker
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Emojis are too casual to use in work-life interactions unless you have an established “casual” relationship with the receiver.
Qualitative Interview Results
61
01_ CONCEPT
ESTABLISHING NORMS_
62
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
“If it is someone with a pre-existing relationship, it changes meaning. If it is someone new, especially work-wise then I would think it’s unprofessional because they do not have the establishing norms yet.” _ Mariana, Art Director, Age 26–35
To establish emoji use, workers need to understand the norms of the company.
Qualitative Interview Results
63
01_ CONCEPT
EMOJI CLARITY_
38%
64
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
A sizeable proportion of workers are still confused by some emoji meanings, a common “language” would help communication.
Qualitative Interview Results
65
01_ CONCEPT
CLARIFYING THE MESSAGE_
66
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Because speed in which we communicate is important, emojis need to convey tone and intention immediately.
Qualitative Interview Results
67
01_ CONCEPT
COLOR IMPRESSIONS_
68
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Color is fundamental to tone. However, the more saturated and bright the color, the less professional the message seems.
Qualitative Interview Results
69
01_ CONCEPT
TOP-DOWN APPROACH_
70
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
Leadership drives company culture, so use and/or endorsement by the leadership would help drive adoption of emojis.
Qualitative Interview Results
71
01_ CONCEPT
STIGMA_
72
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
“It is no different from when women apologize for no reason in meetings. Or if they say excuse me to get by and say I am so sorry. Why do we do that? There are body cues and language that we absolutely put gender on.” _ Nikki, HR Leader, Age 36–45
Some of the miscommunication around emojis use comes from stereotypes about the kind of people who use emojis.
Qualitative Interview Results
73
01_ CONCEPT
PERSONAL OBSERVATION_
74
QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE SURVEYS_ ANALYSIS
While conducting research I noticed there is a great deal of interest and opinion about emoji use but not a lot of specific research about how they are used in business.
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01_ CONCEPT
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY_ TO MOVE FORWARD BACKGROUND
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
The difference between emoticons and emojis is simple.
Emoticons are font-based representation of human expressions
like :-) —emojis are their graphical counterparts. Currently
270 billion messages are sent per day and somewhere around
helps workplace users define the meaning of
6 billion emojis are sent per day. (Christian Brucculeri, CEO,
each emoji for business use.
Snaps). Did you know that 80% of all smartphone users are
currently using texting for business (eWeek)? This has given
will promote and guide employees to effectively
me pause to think. Being a huge fan of texting and emailing,
business emojis use in communication.
I have noticed over the years how emojis have allowed us com-
municate quickly and easily with the infusion of tone. Driven
their experiences and best practices about
by the use in social media platforms and mobile devices, they
communicating in the workplace.
are now becoming infused in to all of our daily communications
including work because they allow us to communicate a big
module that could help HR educate the work
part of nonverbal communication.
force on effective use of emojis in work-life.
PROBLEM Emojis are fun and lighthearted. They allow us to communicate a broad range of emotions efficiently and in a way that words sometimes cannot. Here lies the problem with the use of emojis in a business setting—they are too casual in nature. Often people will infuse these emojis in to their work communication causing miscommunication. I would like to investigate the ability to visually express tone that is appropriate for business communication. AUDIENCE Managers in the workplace that text and communicate via social business platforms as the primary way to communicate with each other and their staff. Focusing on this group will help drive adoption and change. OUTCOME Minimize the amount of miscommunication and drive professionalism by fostering better communication. This will help build a positive company culture by improving daily workplace communication.
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01. Design a set of emojis for professional use in texts, emails and workplace social platforms.
02. Design a mobile application reference guide that
03. Design public workspace printed posters that
04. Design a blog that is a place for people to share
05. Design an interactive desktop quiz-training
Being a huge fan of texting and emailing, I have noticed over
HOW WILL I DO THIS?
the years how emojis have allowed us communicate quickly
and easily with the infusion of tone. I have often wondered if
there are any guidelines about using emojis in business com-
munication?
helps workplace users define the meaning of
each emoji.
Currently 270 billion messages are sent per day and 6 billion emojis are sent per day. We are communicating less and less in person and relying more on written communication to connect via message and email. Did you know that 80% of smartphone users are currently texting for business? This has given me pause to think‌ Driven by the use in social media platforms and mobile devices, emojis are becoming infused into our daily work communications because they allow us to convey a big part of nonverbal communication.
01. Design a set of emojis for professional use in texts, emails and workplace social platforms.
02. Design a mobile application reference guide that
03. Design public workspace posters that will
promote and guide employees to effectively use
emojis in their daily business communication.
04. Design a blog that is a place for people to share
their best practices about communicating in the
workplace.
05. Design an interactive desktop quiz-training
module that could help Human Resources
educate the workforce on effective use of emojis.
We have become reliant on emojis to fill the gap. Emojis are fun and lighthearted, they allow us to communicate a broad range of emotions efficiently. Here lies the problem with the use of emojis in a business setting—they are too casual in nature. The message is easily skewed by the simple addition of an emoji—see how the meaning changes. Often people will infuse these emojis in to their work communication causing miscommunication. I would like to investigate the ability to visually express tone that is appropriate for business communication. I defined my audience range and held an event to help zero in on those most impacted by the use and misuse of emojis in daily communications. After my event I was able to determine my target. They are managers in the workplace that text and communicate via social business platforms as the primary way to communicate with each other and their staff. Focusing on this group will help drive adoption and change. I feel my areas of investigation will be to minimize the amount of miscommunication by focusing on quality. Drive professionalism and fostering better communication by looking for ways to eliminate ambiguity. Also, try to build a positive company culture by improving daily workplace communication through clarity and understanding.
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01_ CONCEPT
DELIVERABLES STRATEGY CHART_
Topic Area Business Communication
Insights & Information
Emojis are too cartoony, which communicates in a childish way and affects how we are perceived at work.
Strategies
Create an emoji set that is less cartoony and is more likely to be perceived as professional.
Materials & Description
An emoji set designed just for business communication that conveys the following 7 emotions: • Disappointment
• Excitement
• Like/Great job
• Important
• Thankful
• Frustration
• Urgent Advanced prototype for use on the website as .svg files.
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DEVELOPING A STRATEGY_ TO MOVE FORWARD
Outcome
Target Audience
Stakeholders
Improve business communica-
Managers and HR profession-
Office workers that primarily
tion by making emojis more
als seeking to improve team
communicate via writing.
acceptable and professional.
communications.
To aid communication by estab-
There is a great deal of interest
Some of the miscommunication
lishing emoji use workers need to
and opinion about emoji use but not
around emojis use comes from
understand the norms expected
a lot of specific research about its
stereotypes about the kind of
of them by the company.
use in business.
people who use emojis.
Create ways for organizations to
Conduct, collect and make
To use emojis more effectively we
communicate the norms of emoji
available research about emoji
have to breakdown stereotypes of
use within the company culture.
use in the workplace.
who uses emojis and why.
Make a simple emoji project website
Create a short book that contains
Create an environmental design
that hosts emoji set, quiz, links to
research about emojis use in the
that gets people interested in, and
information, and a place comment
workplace visual and promotes
wanting to use emojis to work better
and share opinions. Host shareable
the Communimojis:
together. Possibly hosted in HBO:
videos:
• Emoji project website quiz
• Wall/floor graphics
• 3 short videos educating about
• Data collected in GR 810
• Video for a screen (15 secs)
improving communication
• Data sourced from elsewhere
• Interactive/tactile installation
• 1 video showing communimoji working in slack/email
(TBD)
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01_ CONCEPT
MATERIALS MATRIX_
“ProMoji” Emoji Set / 3 points
Create a set (15) emojis conveying the emotions appropriate for business use: urgent, disappointment, excitement, like/great job, important, frustration, and more
Convert to Slack and make in to a typeface to use in email
Emoji set to give the ability to communicate in a way that is perceived professional
Emoji in the Workplace / 1 point
Create a promotional system that gets people interested in, and wanting to use emojis to work better together—consists of the following items:
Poster (2 sets): educate & in-use
Water Bottle and Note pad
Notebook and Tissue Box
Stress Reliever Balls and Ref Pieces
Promotional system that gets people interested in and wanting to use emojis to work better together and breakdown stereotypes
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DEVELOPING A STRATEGY_ TO MOVE FORWARD
MATERIALS MATRIX
Website Emoji Culture / 4 points
The ProMoji project improves business communication by fostering and promoting emoji use in the workspace. The audiences are managers and human resource professionals seeking to improve team communication in a productive way.
The emoji project is a sales website with social media channels hosting the ProMoji set and has the following functionality:
A quiz about emojis in the workplace which links to information about emojis in the workplace and has a place to comment and share opinions
Downloadable beta version of ProMoji set and sharable videos
3 videos that show how emojis can improve workplace communication
Working prototype—4 pages: built in Invision for development
Website to aid communication by establishing emoji use — w orkers need to understand the norms expected of them by the company
81
01_ CONCEPT
GANTT CHART_
82
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY_ TO MOVE FORWARD
83
01_ CONCEPT
CONTRACT_
84
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY_ TO MOVE FORWARD
User feedback evolved several of the deliverables during the process of development—postcards became additional educational posters, and the sticker sheet became ProMoji user reference tools.
85
01_ CONCEPT
USER TESTING 02_ PROMOJI DESIGN
Thursday, April 18, 2019
USER TESTER_ 01
Participant: Jen McDearman Occupation: Director, Copywriting & Editing Method: Video Recording Time Duration: approx. 30 mins
Testing: After a brief introduction, the participant reviewed the identities and chose which one was the most engaging for her. I then laid out the ProMojis and had her match the names with the visuals. I pulled the ones that she were wrong and had her place them again. After, we talked about the ProMojis and their meaning. Overall she was excited to participate and thought they were useful. She picked her top three that she felt she could see herself using in her team communication. Participant Usage: mobile, iPad, email, Slack Insights: 01. Education is extremely important for adoption and usage 02. No need to review identity 03. Some terms she was not familiar with—Thought Shower
and Sweep the Shed
04. There were difficulties with a few visually—Amplify,
Take It Offline, and Thought Shower
05. Definition is important to understanding the visual 06. Visually consistent 07. Color helps drive meaning Note: Participant asked for her face not to be shown.
Quote: “There is an appetite for using ProMojis in communication now versus a couple of years ago. I don’t think I would have used them three years ago.”
86
Example of her use in email:
87
01_ CONCEPT
Monday, April 22, 2019
USER TESTER_ 02
Participant: Heather Thomas Occupation: Director, Acct Management & Ops Method: Video Recording Time Duration: approx. 20 mins
Testing: After a brief introduction, I then laid out the ProMojis and had her match the names with the visuals. I pulled the ones that she got wrong and had her place them again. Instead of her trying another round on her own. We walked through each on together—carefully questioning the issues surrounding what was difficult about finding the visual and definition connection between each. Very insightful. Participant Usage: mobile, iPad, email, Slack Insights: 01. Education is extremely important for adoption and usage 02. Adjusted the review process with more specific
questions and answers
03. Color is an important cue 04. Once we walked them, there was definitely greater understanding 05. Definition is just as important as the name to
understanding the visual
06. Issues with connection on Great Job – “looks like a W” 07. Issues: Bleeding Edge, Circle Back, Deep Dive, Note: Participant asked for her face not to be shown.
Eyeballs, Great Job, On Your Radar, Ping, Pivot,
Push the Envelope
08. Note: English is not her first language- interesting take
visual meaning
09. Very positive response to this testing Quote: “This was a fun exercise!”
88
USER TESTING 02_ PROMOJI DESIGN
Example of her use in Slack:
89
01_ CONCEPT
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
USER TESTER_ 03
Participant: Jeff Boyle Occupation: Manager, Print Prod & Fulfillment Method: Video Recording Time Duration: approx. 20 mins
Testing: After a brief introduction, I laid out the ProMojis and had him match the names with the visuals. I pulled the ones that were wrong and had him place them again. Instead of trying another round, we walked through each on together—carefully questioning the issues surrounding what was difficult about finding the visual and definition connection between each. Participant Usage: mobile, iPad, email, Slack Insights: 01. Education is extremely important for adoption and usage 02. Adjusted the reviewing process with more specific
questions and answers
03. Color is an important cue 04. Once we walked them, there was definitely greater understanding 05. Good feedback for fixing – thought shower, deep dive, amplify 06. Issues: Amplify, Bleeding Edge, Deep Dive, Drill Down,
Excitement, Eyeballs, On Your Radar, Pivot, Thought
Shower, Unpack, Wires Crossed
07. He was extremely engaged and wanted to help problem
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solve for a better direction
USER TESTING 02_ PROMOJI DESIGN
Example of his use in email:
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01_ CONCEPT
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
USER TESTER_ 04
Participant: Chihiro Nishihara Occupation: Senior Art Director Method: Video Recording Time Duration: approx. 25 mins
Testing: After a brief introduction, I laid out the ProMojis and had her match the names with the visuals. I pulled the ones that were wrong and had her place them again. Instead of trying another round, we walked through each on together—carefully questioning the issues surrounding what was difficult about finding the visual and definition connection between each. Participant Usage: mobile, iPad, email, Slack Insights: 01. Education is extremely important for adoption and usage 02. Adjusted the reviewing process with more specific
questions and answers
03. Color is an important cue 04. Once we walked them, there was definitely greater understanding 05. Good feedback for fixing – Unpack, Take It Offline,
Thought Shower, Excitement
06. Issues: Excitement, Eyeballs, On Your Radar, Ping, Push
the Envelope, Take It Offline, Thought Shower, Unpack
07. Note: English is not her first language – interesting take
visual meaning
Quote: “I kept thinking about what each color means.”
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USER TESTING 02_ PROMOJI DESIGN
Example of her use in Slack:
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01_ CONCEPT
Thursday, April 25, 2019
USER TESTER_ 05
Participant: Shonda Cuberson Occupation: Director, Employee Com & Engmnt Method: Video Recording Time Duration: approx. 20 mins
Testing: (This process has now become a routine) After a brief introduction, I laid out the ProMojis and had her match the names with the visuals. I pulled the ones that were wrong and had her place them again. Instead of trying another round, we walked through each on together—carefully questioning the issues surrounding what was difficult about finding the visual and definition connection between each. Participant Usage: mobile, iPad, email, Slack Insights: 01. Education is extremely important for adoption and usage 02. Adjusted the reviewing process with more specific
questions and answers
03. Color is an important cue 04. Once we walked them, there was definitely greater understanding 05. Good feedback for fixing – Excitement, Eyeballs, Amplify 06. Issues: Amplify, Bleeding Edge, Excitement, Pivot,
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Take It Offline, Thought Shower
USER TESTING 02_ PROMOJI DESIGN
Example of her use in email:
95
01_ CONCEPT
USER TESTING 03_ WEBSITE PROMO & EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Participant: Heather Thomas Occupation: Director, Acct Management & Ops Method: Pictures & Audio Recording Time Duration: approx. 15 mins
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USER TESTER_ 01
Testing:
Relevant Observations:
After a brief recap introduction about the direction of the
01. Videos are a good length for attention span
thesis, I explained the videos and their use. I asked Heather
02. Upbeat music created positive response
to watch first the website promo video and then the individual
03. Best-in-use scenarios were
communication and community videos. It was important that
04. Frequency of videos are important for retention
I observed her facial expressions and nonverbal gestures
05. Voiceover was more engaging than just music
throughout the process. I asked that she share her initial
06. Font is friendly and important to storytelling
thoughts and then share any individual points that she would like to make.
Quotes:
“I like how it’s visual.” “Website is intuitive.” “I love how the videos vary and some are done just with instruction.” “It just makes communication so much easier.”
An interesting discovery surfaced in this last user testing phase, it yielded less insights than the two prior, but more relevant observations.
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01_ CONCEPT
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Participant: Jen McDearman Occupation: Director, Copywriting & Editing Method: Pictures & Audio Recording Time Duration: approx. 15 mins
98
USER TESTER_ 02
USER TESTING 03_ WEBSITE PROMO & EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Testing:
Relevant Observations:
After a brief recap introduction about the direction of the the-
01. Simplicity helps drive messaging
sis, I explained the videos and their use. I asked Jen to watch
02. Important to drive traffic to the website.
first the website promo video and then the individual communi-
03. Best-in-use videos are important for driving
cation and community videos. It was important that I observed
her facial expressions and nonverbal gestures throughout the
04. Once we walked them, there was definitely
process. I asked that she share her initial thoughts and then
share any individual points that she would like to make.
05. For all elements, e.g. Posters, should all have
adoption of ProMojis. greater understanding videos to educate
06. Feeding information through videos has positive
responses and engagement
Quotes:
“Good balance of reading and voiceover.” “I love Take It Offline, it is so needed!” “I like the website, it’s clear and easy to use.”
99
01_ CONCEPT
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Participant: Maura Clifford Occupation: Executive Assistant Method: Pictures & Audio Recording Time Duration: approx. 15 mins
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USER TESTER_ 03
USER TESTING 03_ WEBSITE PROMO & EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Testing:
Relevant Observations:
After a full introduction about the direction of the thesis and
01. Upbeat soundtrack is important
the user testing process, I explained the videos and their use.
02. Quality of voiceover is important
Maura attended the first user testing session but did not see
03. Visuals need to be simple
the development of the ProMojis—I wanted to see the videos without prior knowledge of the second user testing would yield new insights. I asked Maura to watch the website promo video first and then the individual communication and community videos. It was important that I observed her facial expressions and nonverbal gestures throughout the process. I asked that she share her initial thoughts and any individual points.
Quotes:
“They videos are instructive, I would use them!” “Formal is boring, this is fun thing.” “I like the fun element of it because it has to appeal to a wide audience.”
101
01_ CONCEPT
Thursday, November 7, 2019 Participant: Jeff Boyle Occupation: Manager, Print Prod & Fulfillment Method: Pictures & Audio Recording Time Duration: approx. 15 mins
102
USER TESTER_ 04
USER TESTING 03_ WEBSITE PROMO & EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Testing:
Relevant Observations:
After a brief recap introduction about the direction of the
01. Giving scenarios for use is important.
thesis, I explained the videos and their use. I asked Jeff to
02. Testing knowledge is good for retention.
watch first the website promo video and then the individual communication and community videos. It was important that I observed his facial expressions and nonverbal gestures throughout the process. I asked that he share his initial thoughts and then share any individual points that she would like to make.
Quotes:
“I love the Wires Crossed one... it’s a great way of diffusing a situation!” “I would definitely explore the Facebook page” “If this became universal, I think in today’s world with the craziness of communication where you get 800 emails, if you could make simple responses, like these ProMojis, take a ton of pressure off.”
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01_ CONCEPT
Thursday, November 7, 2019 Participant: Matt Kinni Occupation: Senior Graphic Designer Method: Pictures & Audio Recording Time Duration: approx. 15 mins
104
USER TESTER_ 05
USER TESTING 03_ WEBSITE PROMO & EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Testing:
Relevant Observations:
After a full introduction about the direction of the thesis and the
01. Website–simplicity and driven by iconography
user testing process, I explained the videos and their use. This
was the first time Matt was exposed to the thesis project. It was
02. There is already a comfortable factor with using
exciting to gather thoughts from a entirely fresh perspective
without any prior user testing knowledge. I asked Matt to watch
03. Typography is key for visual messaging.
was important for the project authenticity. emojis, so this does not seem so foreign.
the website promo video first and then the individual communication and community videos. It was important that I observed his facial expressions and nonverbal gestures throughout the process. After, I asked that he share his initial thoughts and then share any individual points that he would like to make.
Quotes:
“It’s simple and intuitive. Very easy to use.” “I feel like this is where we are going for the future.” “It’s very friendly.” “The friendly typeface on a personal level is very engaging to me.” “From a brand and style point-of-view, I think it is right on.” “I love the color scheme. You’re covering a whole spectrum which makes sense when dealing with expressions.” “I agree with you that today emjois are more on a personal level and not professional, but we are now having this need to show expressions.”
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“IT HAS BECOME_
APPALLINGLY OBVIOUS THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY HAS
EXCEEDED OUR HUMANITY.” _ Albert Einstein
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
THESIS STATEMENT_ DRAFT
The emoji project improves business communication by fostering and promoting emoji use in work-life experiences. The audiences are employees, managers and human resource professionals seeking to improve team communication in a productive and professional way.
108
IDENTITY INTRODUCTION_
The visual guide establishes and details the design vocabulary for The Emoji Project. It is meant to guide the development of the elements while reinforcing the brand values and identity.
Discourse_ Geometric_ Transitional_
109
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
MOOD BOARDS_
KEYWORD_ DISCOURSE
110
111
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
KEYWORD_GEOMETRIC
112
MOOD BOARDS_
113
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
KEYWORD_TRANSISITONAL
114
MOOD BOARDS_
115
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
LOGO DEVELOPMENT_
IN THE BEGINNING_ It evolved with a targeted conversation with Thesis 1 instructor.
POTENTIAL THESIS NAME 01. Communicating with Emojis in the Workplace 02. Communicating Professionally with Emojis 03. The Emoji Project 04. Workplace Emojis 05. Emoji Intelligence 06. Emotion in the Workplace 07. Professional Interpretation 08. Emojis In Use 09. Emojis: Perception in Meaning 10. Emojis: Insights & Possibilities 11. Mixing it Up 12. Emojis as Business Information 13. Do you know what I mean? 14. Mining Emotion in the Workplace 15. Mining Workplace Emojis 16. Units of Workplace Emojis 17. The Rule of Emojis 18. Rethinking Emojis 19. Shaping Business Culture with Emojis 20. Processing Emoji Emotion 21. Contextualizing Business Emojis 22. Pro-Emoji 23. Communemoji 24. Adapting the Emoji
116
This was first real exploration at trying to identify the name, tagline and possible keywords for development. From this exploration, evolved The Emoji Project which spoke to the entire thesis but the name Pro-Emoji helped name the set of emojis. The tagline needed to address the messaging but original was too broad. As I narrowed my focus, targeting the entertainment sector emerged. Keywords were so important to creating the visual identity. Transitional remained, structured evolved to geometric, and symbolic changed to discourse. POSSIBLE TAGLINES
POSSIBLE KEYWORDS
01. Communicating in the Workplace
01. Emotion
02. Translating Workplace Communication
02. Transitional
03. Affecting the Way We Communicate
03. Expressive
04. Changing the Way We Communicate
04. Clarity
05. Enhancing the Way We Communicate
05. Clean
06. Meaning and Usage
06. Movement
07. Work, Affect and Communication
07. Repetition
08. Communicating with Emotion
08. Continuity
09. Changing the Forms of Communicating Emotion
09. Adapting
10. Forms of Workplace Communication
10. Professional
11. Forming Workplace Communication
11. Minimal
12. Professional Interpretation Through Emojis
12. Sophisticated
13. Communicating Beyond the Alphabet
13. Change
14. Empathy in the Workplace with Emojis
14. Evolution
15. Navigating Workplace Communication
15. Reveal
16. Impacting Workplace Emotion & Communication
16. Movement
17. Embracing Change
17. Sway (Back-and-Forth)
18. Fostering Communication Change
18. Flow
19. Changing the Way We Communicate
19. Fluidity
20. Understanding Workplace Communication
20. Structured
21. Deciphering the Code
21. Abbreviated 22. Conversion 23. Mapping 24. Bold 25. Orderly 26. Compact 27. Personification 28. Symbolic
117
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
LOGO_ FIRST ROUND
4.5 inches
Grayscale
118
LOGO DEVELOPMENT_
LOGO_ FINAL ROUND
2.5 inches
Grayscale
Focusing on clarity of message, it was decided that ProMoji spoke to the entire project, whereas using it in conjunction with The Emoji Project created confusion.
119
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
USES_ APPROVED
Half type version:
Half type version:
120
4 color
1 color black
Grayscale
121
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
USES_ UNAPPROVED
DO NOT distort
DO NOT use in a shape
DO NOT outline
DO NOT add a drop shadow
DO NOT replace with another typeface
122
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
DO NOT alter 4 color scheme
DO NOT use color in dots
DO NOT add patterns
DO NOT use gradations
DO NOT change the colors
123
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
CLEARSPACE_
Center
Clear Space
124
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
Clear Space: When tagline is removed
125
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
Aa TYPOGRAPHY_
Helvetica_Light
Headers & Body
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
`~!@#$%^&*()-=_+[]\{}|;’:”,./<>?
126
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
Aa Helvetica Rounded_Bold Oblique Headlines & Callouts
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 `~!@#$%^&*()-=_+[]\{}|;’:”,./<>?
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02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
COLOR PALETTE_
128
C/M/Y/K
R/G/B
HEX
90/52/16/30
1/85/126
00557D
69/7/0/0
19/181/234
1385EA
0/0/0/60
128/130/133
808285
0/0/0/80
88/89/91
58595B
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
C/M/Y/K
R/G/B
HEX
16/100/100/2
203/34/41
CA2229
0/59/100/0
245/132/31
F5841F
2/15/90/12
223/188/47
DFBC30
67/0/100/27
67/145/55
439136
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02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
PHOTOGRAPHY_
130
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
ILLUSTRATION_
TALK BUBBLES
CONNECTION LINES
131
02_ VISUAL IDENTITY
WEBSITE GRIDS_
HOME PAGE Navigation Bar
Visual Icon Map
Visual Fold Line
132
IDENTITY GUIDELINES_
Based on the dimensions 1366px by 768px with an extended frame of 1536px, the dotted line represents the visual fold.
COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATION PAGES Navigation Bar Sub Navigation Bar
Video Icon
Details/Downloads
Visual Fold Line
133
“WE NOW LIVE IN_
A WORLD WHERE, A CONVO WITHOUT A SMILEY EMOJI WILL BE PERCEIVED AS RUDE.” _ PUNNY LEONE
03_ PROMOJI
THESIS STATEMENT_ FINAL
The ProMoji project improves business communication by fostering and promoting emoji use in work-life experiences. The audiences include managers, human resources professionals, and employees
who seek to improve team communication. Although the project’s solution speaks to all business sectors—finance, healthcare, technology, and more—its main focus is the entertainment sector.
03_ PROMOJI
PROMOJI DEVELOPMENT_
RESEARCH ENTERTAINMENT TERMINOLOGY_
01. Amplify: in business it means to improve 02. Approved: confirmation direction or project is good to go 03. Ballpark: estimation or approximation 04. Bandwidth: the energy, time or mental capacity to deal with a situation 05. Bleeding Edge: when cutting edge is not enough, be ahead of the trends 06. Blue Sky Thinking: not allowing reality or current thinking cloud your thoughts 07. Bottom Line: the final result 08. Bricks, Clicks and Extra Flips: take a look at all opportunities 09. Build Consensus: socialize the idea or project for input 10. Call Me Back: reach out by phone and not email, message or Slack 11. Circle Back: re-visit a subject at a later date 12. Confidential: important information to keep private 13. Datafication: measure or support by using data 14. Deep Dive: need more of a thorough analysis 15. Deliverable: quantifiable good or service 16. Digestible: easy to understand, nice to look at 17. Drill Down: get to the root of an issue 18. Ducks In A Row: organization 19. Email Me Back: reach out by email and not phone, message or Slack 20. Evergreen: stay relevant over time 21. Excitement: excited about a direction of project or communication 22. Eyeballs: need more people to look at this 23. Funny: laughing with and not at the person 24. Gone for the Day 25. Got it: understand where you are going, move forward 26. Great Job: confirmation on a job well done 27. Hard Stop: when something must end because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got important things to do 28. Ideation: process of creating new ideas 29. Important: pay attention to details or this message, task or project 30. Incentivize: keeping aware of what is going on for positive impact 31. Joking: keeping it light in conversation, positive teasing 32. Lean In: stepping up, pushing forward (be assertive)
138
Delivery: list of 69 focused on 20
33. Low-Hanging Fruit: easy to accomplish tasks or problems 34. Love It: extremely happy with the direction of project or deliverable 35. Make A Case: form a coherent argument for something that is deemed important 36. Make It Disruptive: go against the norm; fresh approach; shake things up 37. Mission Critical: essential for success of a project or task 38. Moat: protect the idea or product 39. Move the Needle: make a significant difference 40. On Break 41. On Vacation 42. On Your Radar: heads up about something coming your way 43. Out of Pocket: unavailable for a period of time 44. Out to Lunch 45. Out Sick 46. Outside the Box: thinking or approaching a task in a different way 47. Percolate: spread an idea 48. Ping: send a message or get in touch with someone 49. Pivot: change direction to a more successful approach 50. Please Advise: need your thoughts or direction 51. Push the Envelope: test the limits by seeing how far you can safely go 52. Reach Out: connect with someone by any means possible 53. Results-Driven: only the results matter 54. Rightsizing: staffing a project for success 55. Scope: work that needs to get done and what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to do 56. Slack Me Back: each out by Slack and not phone, message or email 57. Snackable: bite size information or content to draw people in 58. Sweep the Sheds: need more details 59. Synergy: to make things or people work together for positive results 60. Take It Offline: when this does not include a larger audience; private 61. Take the Lead: take ownership and accountability 62. Thank You 63. Thought Shower: when you invite others to share their ideas with you 64. Transformative: dramatic or delightful change through blue sky thinking 65. Transparency: sharing what is really going on 66. Unpack: to examine an idea or concept, piece by piece 67. Urgent: time sensitive; needs to be made a first priority 68. Value Add: a positive impact you need to add 69. Wires Crossed: misunderstanding
139
03_ PROMOJI
EXPLORATIONS & VARIATIONS_
E EXCITEMENT
GREAT JOB
140
L
PROMOJI DEVELOPMENT_
The idea was to explore all variations from personification to playful and minimal. Important finding during this process was that color is important part of soliciting emotional responses.
141
RICHARD JENNINGS : 00107735 03_ PROMOJI 05.17.19 GR 830 OL1: Thesis 2 - Exploration Instructor: Jeremy Stout
STARTER SET_
A
B
C
D
E
F
01 AMPLIFY
APPROVED
BLEEDING EDGE
CIRCLE BACK
DEEP DIVE
IMPROVE PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE
PROJECT IS GOOD TO GO
STAY AHEAD OF TRENDS
REVISIT AT A LATER DATE
MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS
GET TO THE ROO
PUSH THE
DRILL
02 LOVE IT
MOVE THE NEEDLE
ON YOUR RADAR
PING
PIVOT
EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH PROJECT
MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE
HEADS UP ABOUT SOMETHING
REACH OUT
CHANGE DIRECTION FOR SUCCESS
UNPACK
WIRES CROSSED
TO EXAMINE AN IDEA OR CONCEPT
MISUNDERSTANDING
03
142
TEST TH
E
P DIVE
OUGH ANALYSIS
VOT
TION FOR SUCCESS
Exploration_FINAL
PROMOJI DEVELOPMENT_
Delivery: 20 visual icons User testing was pivotal in developing and evolving the design of this ProMoji starter set. Critical feedback became positive visual adjustments.
F
G
H
I
DRILL DOWN
EXCITEMENT
EYEBALLS
GREAT JOB
GET TO THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE
ABOUT A DIRECTION
NEED MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED
JOB WELL DONE
PUSH THE ENVELOPE
SWEEP THE SHED
TAKE IT OFFLINE
THOUGHT SHOWER
TEST THE LIMITS
NEED MORE DETAILS
MINIMIZE AUDIENCE
INVITE OTHERS TO SHARE IDEAS
143
RICHARD JENNINGS : 00107735 03_ PROMOJI 05.17.19 GR 830 OL1: Thesis 2 - Exploration Instructor: Jeremy Stout
TYPEFACE_ PROMOJI.OTF
A
B
C
D
E
F
01 AMPLIFY
APPROVED
BLEEDING EDGE
CIRCLE BACK
DEEP DIVE
IMPROVE PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE
PROJECT IS GOOD TO GO
STAY AHEAD OF TRENDS
REVISIT AT A LATER DATE
MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS
GET TO THE ROO
PUSH THE
A
B
C
D
E
DRILL
02 LOVE IT
MOVE THE NEEDLE
ON YOUR RADAR
PING
PIVOT
EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH PROJECT
J
MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE
HEADS UP ABOUT SOMETHING
REACH OUT
CHANGE DIRECTION FOR SUCCESS
UNPACK
WIRES CROSSED
S
MISUNDERSTANDING
K
03 TO EXAMINE AN IDEA OR CONCEPT
144
T
L
M
N
TEST TH
E
P DIVE
OUGH ANALYSIS
VOT
TION FOR SUCCESS
Exploration_FINAL
PROMOJI DEVELOPMENT_
Delivery: typeface The font was built using an extension for Adobe Illustrator called Fontself Maker. Each ProMoji is assigned an uppercase alphabet.
F
G
H
I
DRILL DOWN
EXCITEMENT
EYEBALLS
GREAT JOB
GET TO THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE
ABOUT A DIRECTION
NEED MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED
JOB WELL DONE
PUSH THE ENVELOPE
SWEEP THE SHED
TAKE IT OFFLINE
THOUGHT SHOWER
Q
INVITE OTHERS TO SHARE IDEAS
F
O
TEST THE LIMITS
G
P
NEED MORE DETAILS
H
MINIMIZE AUDIENCE
I
R
145
03_ PROMOJI
RICHARD JENNINGS : 00107735 04.27.19 ILL 332 OL1: Interactive & Vector Art: Cross-Listed as GR 800 OL2 Instructor:Tom Ellsworth
ANIMATED GIFS_
A
B
C
D
E
F
01 AMPLIFY
APPROVED
BLEEDING EDGE
CIRCLE BACK
DEEP DIVE
IMPROVE PROJECT OR PERFORMANCE
PROJECT IS GOOD TO GO
STAY AHEAD OF TRENDS
REVISIT AT A LATER DATE
MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS
Animation: animate yellow lines individually moving up
Animation: check mark from left side down and back up
Animation: trend marker draws on bottom up weaving through circle
Animation: arrow draws on right to left;
Animation: arrow dives in between waves
Anima arrow draw breaking first
PUSH THE E
DRILL D GET TO THE ROO
02 LOVE IT
MOVE THE NEEDLE
ON YOUR RADAR
PING
PIVOT
EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH PROJECT
MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE
HEADS UP ABOUT SOMETHING
REACH OUT
CHANGE DIRECTION FOR SUCCESS
Animation: orange outline grows like a heart beat monitor
Animation: needle moves left and right
Animation: oepn circle rotates around the blue dot
Animation: each move out from center
03 UNPACK
WIRES CROSSED
TO EXAMINE AN IDEA OR CONCEPT
MISUNDERSTANDING
Animation: box cracks open with the arrow pushing through
Animation: red lines connect to corresponding dot
146
Animation: arrow draws on, when arrow gets close turns grey to green
TEST THE
Anima enverlope from rec
PROMOJI DEVELOPMENT_
ProMoji Animation Exploration_v1
Delivery: 20 animated GIFs and SWFs The exploration was to investigate the translation of static images to an animated state for increased engagement. To see animations, visit: www.facebook.com/ProMojiProject
E
F
G
H
I
DRILL DOWN
EXCITEMENT
EYEBALLS
GREAT JOB
GET TO THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE
ABOUT A DIRECTION
NEED MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED
JOB WELL DONE
tion: ves in waves
Animation: arrow draws down breaking first top gray line
Animation: color plus all flicker on and off
Animation: color circles look as if they are blinking continuously
Animation: each check draws on left to right
OT
PUSH THE ENVELOPE
SWEEP THE SHED
TAKE IT OFFLINE
THOUGHT SHOWER
TEST THE LIMITS
NEED MORE DETAILS
MINIMIZE AUDIENCE
INVITE OTHERS TO SHARE IDEAS
Animation: enverlope skews from rectangle
Animation: bristles look as if they are sweeping
Animation: lines blink from top to bottom
Animation: marks blink on randomly then cloud turns yellow
DIVE
UGH ANALYSIS
ON FOR SUCCESS
tion: on, when ts close to green
147
03_ PROMOJI
EDUCATIONAL POSTERS_ GENERAL & SPECIFIC USE
GENERAL_ 01
150
Delivery: 3 general and 4 specific posters Size: 40x27 and 27x40 inches From the user testing, it was apparent that education is a vital tool for adoption and use. Once users were able to clarify the meaning they felt they could clearly understand use.
GENERAL_ 02
GENERAL_ 03
151
03_ PROMOJI
SPECIFIC_ 01
154
EDUCATIONAL POSTERS_ GENERAL & SPECIFIC USE
SPECIFIC_ 02
155
03_ PROMOJI
SPECIFIC_ 03
156
EDUCATIONAL POSTERS_ GENERAL & SPECIFIC USE
SPECIFIC_ 04
157
03_ PROMOJI
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS_
MOUSEPAD
158
IPHONE CASE WITH PULLOUT PANEL
Crafted reference tools for and targeted to where users would use them easily. Retention is an important factor for adoption.
159
03_ PROMOJI
COFFEE/TEA MUG
160
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS_
NOTEPAD
161
03_ PROMOJI
BANK CHARGER
162
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS_
WATER BOTTLE
163
03_ PROMOJI
STRESS RELIEVER HAND BALL: 20 TOTAL_ ONE OF EACH PROMOJI
164
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS_
TISSUE BOX
165
03_ PROMOJI
COMMUNICATION VIDEOS_ STORYBOARDS
FRAME 01: COMMUNICATION: LOVE IT
FRAME 02: COMMUNICATION: LOVE IT
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: None
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough time to type a long gushy response that could be misinterpreted when you are extremely happy about the direction of a project? Just text a ProMoji.
FRAME 03: COMMUNICATION: LOVE IT
FRAME 04: COMMUNICATION: LOVE IT
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
166
FRAME 01: COMMUNICATION: WIRES CROSSED
FRAME 02: COMMUNICATION: WIRES CROSSED
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: None
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: Ever feel frustrated by the back-n-forth of an email thread that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to go anywhere? Writing that response, could create an HR nightmare, so why not diffuse the situation by simply admitting you we are coming from two different perspectives by emailing a ProMoji.
FRAME 03: COMMUNICATION: WIRES CROSSED
FRAME 04: COMMUNICATION: WIRES CROSSED
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
167
03_ PROMOJI
FRAME 01: COMMUNICATION: TAKE IT OFFLINE
FRAME 02: COMMUNICATION: TAKE IT OFFLINE
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: None
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: Worried that an argument or difference of opinion is being aired in front of others in a group email? You know it would be better just to meet in-person than having written communication that will haunt you later. Simply email a ProMoji.
FRAME 03: COMMUNICATION: TAKE IT OFFLINE
FRAME 04: COMMUNICATION: TAKE IT OFFLINE
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
168
COMMUNITY VIDEOS_ STORYBOARDS
FRAME 01: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
FRAME 02: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
FRAME 03: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
FRAME 04: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
ANIMATION: Rings build outward and repeats
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
169
03_ PROMOJI
FRAME 05: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
FRAME 06: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO YOUR COMPUTER…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
170
COMMUNITY VIDEOS_ STORYBOARDS
FRAME 01: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
FRAME 02: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
FRAME 03: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
FRAME 04: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type and rings build out-repeat 2 or 3 times
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
171
03_ PROMOJI
FRAME 05: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
FRAME 06: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type and rings build out-repeat 2 or 3 times
ANIMATION: Typing on of type and rings build out-repeat 2 or 3 times
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
FRAME 07: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type and rings build out-repeat 2 or 3 times VOICEOVER: None
172
COMMUNITY VIDEOS_ STORYBOARDS
FRAME 08: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
FRAME 09: COMMUNITY: HOW TO LOAD PROMOJIS TO SLACK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
173
03_ PROMOJI
FRAME 01: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
FRAME 02: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
FRAME 03: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
FRAME 04: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
174
COMMUNITY VIDEOS_ STORYBOARDS
FRAME 05: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
FRAME 06: COMMUNITY: BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ON FACEBOOK…
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
ANIMATION: Typing on of type
VOICEOVER: None
VOICEOVER: None
175
03_ PROMOJI
2.1 ProMoji Website Wireframes
WEBSITE_
1366px by 768px
WIREFRAMES_ INVISION PROTOTYPE
2.1 ProMoji Website Wireframes
Richard Jennings // 00107735
1366px by 768px
GR 850: Thesis 3 // Instructor: Sandra Isla // 09.22.19
01_ Homepage
01_ Homepage
QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_
H C
Q
H
02_ Quiz (10 questions) QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ PLEASE READ EACH QUESTION AND CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER
When you need someone to...
Q
01_ reach out to more people…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
02_ dig more into a given subject…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
2.1 ProMoji Website Wireframes
Black Dot Returns Home Quiz Questions:
C
01_ reach out to more people… 02_ dig more into a given subject… 03_ change course on a project… 04_ know their project is approved…
03_ change course on a project…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
04_ know their project is approved…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
05_ be aware of something…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
06_ talk about a subject 1:1…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
07_ report back to you about something…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
08_ their project or action exceeds expectations…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
09_ involve more people…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
09_ involve more people…
10_ examine idea or concept…
(choose from 3 ProMojis)
10_ examine idea or concept…
1366px by 768px
01_ Homepage
Grey Dot Returns Home Q represents Quiz Page COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ CQUIZ_ represents Community Page H represents How to Improve Communication Social Media: Facebook and Tumblr
05_ be aware of something… 06_ talk about a subject 1:1…
Richard Jennings // 00107735
GR 850: Thesis 3 // Instructor: Sandra Isla // 09.22.19
07_ report back to you about something…
08_ their project or action exceeds expectations…
Grey Dot Returns Home QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ Q represents Quiz Page 03_ Community_Download_Sharable Clips (3 Videos: 15 secs) C represents Community Page 02_ Quiz (10 questions) Dot Returns HBlack represents How toHome Improve Communication QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ Video 01: How to load toand useTumblr on computer Social Media: Facebook DOWNLOAD FULL PROMOJI SET_ H Video 02: How to load to Slack QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ Video 03: About Facebook Page 01 _VIEW _COMMENT _DOWNLOAD _POST FB _POST TMBLR • Post comments/videos about your use PLEASE READ EACHCQUESTION AND CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER • View new posts “see what’s new”
02 Q
_VIEW _COMMENT _DOWNLOAD _POST FB _POST TMBLR
03
_VIEW _COMMENT _DOWNLOAD _POST FB _POST TMBLR
When you need someone*Videos to...will be photo driven with type
02_ Quiz (10 questions) 176
01_ reach out to more people… 02_ dig more into a given subject… QUIZ_ COMMUNITY_ COMMUNICATION_ 03_ change course on a project…
PLEASE READ EACH QUESTION AND CHOOSE THECommunication BEST ANSWER 04_ How ProMojis Improve Workplace (3 Videos: 15-30 secs)
04_ know their project is approved…
(choose from 3 ProMojis) (choose from 3 ProMojis)
Black Dot Returns Home (choose from 3 ProMojis) Quiz Questions: 01_ reach (choose out to more people… from 3 ProMojis)
H H
Social Social Media: Media: Facebook Facebook and and Tumblr Tumblr
C C
Q Q
02_ 02_ Quiz Quiz (10 (10 questions) questions) QUIZ_ QUIZ_COMMUNITY_ COMMUNITY_COMMUNICATION_ COMMUNICATION_ PLEASE PLEASEREAD READEACH EACHQUESTION QUESTIONAND ANDCHOOSE CHOOSETHE THEBEST BESTANSWER ANSWER
When When you you need need someone someone to... to... 01_ 01_reach reachout outto tomore morepeople… people…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
02_ 02_dig digmore moreinto intoaagiven givensubject… subject…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
03_ 03_change changecourse courseon onaaproject… project…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
04_ 04_know knowtheir theirproject projectisisapproved… approved…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
05_ 05_be beaware awareof ofsomething… something…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
06_ 06_talk talkabout aboutaasubject subject1:1… 1:1…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
07_ 07_report reportback backto toyou youabout aboutsomething… something…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
08_ 08_their theirproject projector oraction actionexceeds exceedsexpectations… expectations…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
09_ 09_involve involvemore morepeople… people…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
10_ 10_examine examineidea ideaor orconcept… concept…
(choose (choosefrom from33ProMojis) ProMojis)
03_ 03_ Community_Download_Sharable Community_Download_Sharable Clips Clips (3 (3 Videos: Videos: 15 15 secs) secs) QUIZ_ QUIZ_COMMUNITY_ COMMUNITY_COMMUNICATION_ COMMUNICATION_ DOWNLOAD DOWNLOADFULL FULLPROMOJI PROMOJISET_ SET_
01 01
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
02 02
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
03 03
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
Black Black Dot Dot Returns Returns Home Home Quiz Quiz Questions: Questions:
01_ 01_ reach reach out out to to more more people… people… 02_ 02_ dig dig more more into into aa given given subject… subject…
03_ 03_ change change course course on on aa project… project… 04_ 04_ know know their their project project is is approved… approved… 05_ 05_ be be aware aware of of something… something… 06_ talk about 06_ talk about aa subject subject 1:1… 1:1…
07_ 07_ report report back back to to you you about about something… something… 08_ their project or action 08_ their project or action exceeds exceeds expectations… expectations… 09_ 09_ involve involve more more people… people… 10_ 10_ examine examine idea idea or or concept… concept…
Black Black Dot Dot Returns Returns Home Home Video 01: How to load Video 01: How to load to to use use on on computer computer Video 02: How to load to Slack Video 02: How to load to Slack Video Video 03: 03: About About Facebook Facebook Page Page •• Post Post comments/videos comments/videos about about your your use use •• View View new new posts posts “see “see what’s what’s new” new” *Videos *Videos will will be be photo photo driven driven with with type type
04_ 04_ How How ProMojis ProMojis Improve Improve Workplace Workplace Communication Communication (3 (3 Videos: Videos: 15-30 15-30 secs) secs) QUIZ_ QUIZ_COMMUNITY_ COMMUNITY_COMMUNICATION_ COMMUNICATION_
01 01
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
02 02
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
03 03
_VIEW _VIEW_COMMENT _COMMENT_DOWNLOAD _DOWNLOAD_POST _POSTFB FB_POST _POSTTMBLR TMBLR
Black Black Dot Dot Returns Returns Home Home Video 01: Explain Video 01: Explain use use of of Love Love ItIt Video Video 02: 02: Explain Explain use use of of Wires Wires Crossed Crossed Video Video 03: 03: Explain Explain use use of of Take Take ItIt Offline Offline *Videos *Videos will will be be type type driven driven with with voiceover voiceover
177
03_ PROMOJI
WEBSITE_ INVISION PROTOTYPE
178
WEBSITE_
HOME PAGE_ ROLLOVER STATE
For details on how to access the prototype, visit: www.facebook.com/ProMojiProject
179
03_ PROMOJI
QUIZ PAGE
180
QUIZ PAGE_ SELECTIONS
WEBSITE_
COMMUNITY PAGE
COMMUNICATION PAGE
COMMUNICATION PAGE_ VIDEO PLAY
COMMUNITY PAGE_ VIDEO PLAY
181
03_ PROMOJI
WEBSITE_ PROMO VIDEO_ STORYBOARD FRAME 01.01
FRAME 01.02
ANIMATION: None
ANIMATION: Show rollovers of elements with text
VOICEOVER: Welcome to ProMoji website.
VOICEOVER: When you rollover the ProMojis you can identify the available content areas.
A one stop place for all the information you need to know about this exciting new communication tool for the workplace. Here you can explore quizes to test retention, community to share thoughts and shop for promo items, and communication with example videos for best use scenarios.
Don’t forget the also explore the yellow outlined circles to directly access a desired area without have to visit the page. Notice you can also connect to the content areas from the top right navigation bar, which also includes links to ProMoji’s facebook and tumblr sites. The top left gray dot returns back to the homepage. Let’s select “Quiz”
182
FRAME 02.01
FRAME 02.02
ANIMATION: None
ANIMATION: Show how rolling over each ProMoji reveals an underline. Show what it looks like to select at least the top four questions. Scroll down based on VO
VOICEOVER: From this page you can test your knowledge! Quizes will update every two weeks and announced through your company’s email and the ProMoji facebook page.
VOICEOVER: From each set of 3 ProMojis, elect the one that best fulfills the statement below. Now move on to next. (select top 4) At the end of the quiz, you can select submit and also print a custom poster of your results. From the top navigation, let’s now select “community”
183
03_ PROMOJI
FRAME 03.01
FRAME 03.02
ANIMATION: Show animation over video buttons
ANIMATION: Select video button and video player appears Background screens back
Scroll up and down based on VO
VOICEOVER: From this page you can see instruction videos on how to load ProMojis to your computer, slack and best of all connect with others through ProMoji’s facebook page. Oh and let’s not forget merchandise! Find the perfect item to help with retention and show your ProMoji love! Items range from mousepads, mugs to custom ProMoji reference smart phone covers. Let’s select the video on “How to load ProMojis to your computer.
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VOICEOVER: After the video plays, simply click outside of the video window to return the page. (click back to page) Note, you can comment, like, dislike, or download to your facebook or tumblr site. Now let’s select “Communication”
WEBSITE_ PROMO VIDEO_ STORYBOARD
FRAME 04.01
FRAME 04.02
ANIMATION: Show animation over video buttons
ANIMATION: Select video button and video player appears Background screens back Click blue dot and return back to homepage.
VOICEOVER: From this page you can view quick animations on how you can use ProMojis...
VOICEOVER: (video plays) Fun, right!
Like quizes, this page will update every two weeks and announced through your company’s email and the ProMoji facebook page.
Here you can return to the homepage by clicking the dot in the top left corner.
Let’s select LOVE IT and watch the video.
(back to homepage) I hope you have found this tour of the ProMoji website insightful. Please remember to view the ProMoji website and click FOLLOW for the latest information updates and to connect with others.
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03_ PROMOJI
APPLICATIONS_
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Visit: www.facebook.com/ProMojiProject
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjmfagd
TUMBLR
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“LET YOUR FAITH_
BE BIGGER THAN YOUR FEAR.” _ IDK
04_ PRESENTATION
04_ PRESENTATION
MFA THESIS_ OVERVIEW VIDEO_ STORYBOARD
FRAME 01
ANIMATION: ProMoji logo and dots appear, lines connect and MFA title types on VOICEOVER: Welcome to the introduction of MFA Thesis
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FRAME 02
FRAME 03
ANIMATION: Dots pop on individually by row next to phone, the phone blue “fills” up and 72% copy types on
ANIMATION: talk bubbles appear like a conversation and all 4 emojis appear
VOICEOVER: I have noticed over the years, business communication has moved away from verbal interaction to texting and email.
VOICEOVER: During this time our communication has been infused with the use of emojis and emoticons, often inappropriate for professional work-life experiences
FRAME 04
FRAME 05
ANIMATION: 4 silhouettes appear first, top set - circle and line move in different directions and then repeats for the bottom set too.
ANIMATION: ProMoji appears and then tagline types on
VOICEOVER: My goal was to address this issue by developing a set of emojis and user tools specifically designed to aid in professional workplace communication.
VOICEOVER: They are called ProMojis – professional emojis.
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04_ PRESENTATION
FRAME 06
FRAME 07
ANIMATION: Ball on left is there, 2nd ball appears from behind the first and the third appears from behind the second. then the lines appear
ANIMATION: image does a very slow pan zoom in to Chihiro
VOICEOVER: The target audiences are employees, managers, and human resource professionals seeking to improve communication in a productive way.
VOICEOVER: From the user testing, I uncovered that employees are comfortable using emojis but felt they were too casual in nature.
FRAME 08
ANIMATION: Circles all appear, then dark circles and rings build out and repeat VOICEOVER: And they would use them if they were more professional in nature, and eliminated ambiguity and misinterpretation.
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MFA THESIS_ OVERVIEW VIDEO_ STORYBOARD
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ANIMATION: Slow zoom in to center VOICEOVER: The challenge I faced was focusing on education and creating a community for successful adoption.
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04_ PRESENTATION
FRAME 10
FRAME 11
ANIMATION: words all pop on randomly
ANIMATION: Slow pan and zoom in to logo
VOICEOVER: Through user testing, I was able to focus my thesis on a common set of emotions and responses needed for effective work-life communication.
VOICEOVER: Posters and marketing promotional items
FRAME 12
FRAME 13
ANIMATION: Slow pan and zoom toward Chihiroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finger
ANIMATION: appears on
VOICEOVER: were created for the workspace,
VOICEOVER: along with a reference website.
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MFA THESIS_ OVERVIEW VIDEO_ STORYBOARD
FRAME 14
FRAME 15
ANIMATION: blends to this screen
ANIMATION: Left image appears first and the other 5 pop on individually
VOICEOVER:
VOICEOVER: I created videos to show users how to use ProMojis in their daily communication tools
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FRAME 17
ANIMATION: image of website in screen scrolls up to the bottom of the facebook pg
ANIMATION: www.facebook.com/ProMojiProject types on
VOICEOVER: Also, to help drive a sense of community, I created a Facebook social site where employees could share and view comments, while gaining knowledge on best-in-use scenarios.
VOICEOVER: To learn more visit or simply search Facebook for the ProMoji Project and share your thoughts!
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04_ PRESENTATION
MFA THESIS_ PRESENTATION SLIDES_ STORYBOARD
SLIDE 01
ANIMATION: Build TALKING POINTS: Welcome to my ProMoji MFA Thesis Presentation. I would like to start by sharing an introduction video... [video plays - intro video]
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SLIDE 02
SLIDE 03
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
As you can tell from the video, I am fascinated with the way we
I set out on a creative journey to find answers and possibly a solution
communicate in the workspace. I think this stems from overseeing
to these questions.
a team of 45 creative-minded people in varying demographics. I had to ask myself, could there be a solution that could help increase I have found myself communicating more and more by email,
productivity in work-life experiences?
texting and using Slack. I began intensive research to understand emojis and their From the first instance of emoticons, I have embraced the idea
relationship in communication and I uncovered several insights:
of using emojis at work: 1. It is debatable whether or not emojis are a language. But struggled with their casualness. 2. Understanding meaning is crucial. Will someone misinterpret my approach as being too friendly? 3. There are social stigmas around the use of emojis in work-life As a leader, am I sending the wrong message about workplace
communication.
etiquette? 4. There is confusion around meaning based on cultural Also, could I offend someone and make this an HR issue? So I began to wonder if anyone else felt the same way.
and social norms. 5. Visual representation is more effective when simplified.
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04_ PRESENTATION
SLIDE 04
SLIDE 05
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
From my research insights, I was able to determine 3 areas of how I would define success: First, Visualization I would need to develop visual representations for a range of common business terminologies... and because the work field is so broad, I decided to focus on the entertainment sector. Second, Education As with any new tool, you must be taught and shown how to use it by establishing best practices. Third, Implementation There needs to be effective forms of outreach and support to create a community for adoption.
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From my first user testing, I uncovered 4 major points. 1. Age and gender are not factors 2. There exists a need for using emojis in work-life experiences 3. Integration into existing forms of communication is important 4. People are using texting and emails as a main form of connecting on work projects
MFA THESIS_ PRESENTATION SLIDES_ STORYBOARD
SLIDE 06
SLIDE 07
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
My second user testing was focused on effective communication and
In my third user testing, I was surprised to find out that this testing did
education.
not yield as many ah-ha moments as I expected.
Here I was able to build and test:
But I did gain considerable knowledge about the usefulness of the following training tools:
A specific set of emojis for work-life experiences and rate their effectiveness,
1. a Website about ProMojis
Second, a set of marketing posters to help educate
2. a Facebook community page
and promotional items to help with retention
and 3. training videos
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04_ PRESENTATION
SLIDE 08
ANIMATION: Build TALKING POINTS: Once I established the name of my project, I was able to build visual guidelines for all the elements. In the video I mentioned that the name ProMoji comes from two wordsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Professional and emoji
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MFA THESIS_ PRESENTATION SLIDES_ STORYBOARD
SLIDE 09
ANIMATION: Build TALKING POINTS: My next goal was to develop my ProMojis. An extensive exploration through surveying and interviewing was conducted. Evolving from basic shapes, to visually simplifiedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;during this process the message and intention became clear. I narrowed my initial development to a set of 20 with room to grow.
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04_ PRESENTATION
SLIDE 10
SLIDE 11
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
Taking in account the feedback in user testing 2, color became an
To help market daily use, I developed two sets of posters:
essential factor, First set of 3, to teach the meaning of the ProMojis themselves, Red, signifies serious business terms and second set of 4, focused on day-to-day use scenarios Yellow and Orange, represents process and creativity Green, positivity and movement, and Blue, highlights business activities. Not only did I create a typeface, but I also animated them as well
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MFA THESIS_ PRESENTATION SLIDES_ STORYBOARD
SLIDE 12
SLIDE 13
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
When it came to promotional items,
To help drive a sense of community, I created a website...
I determined that users would be on desktops or mobile devices,
For my thesis I built the prototype in Invision. Here is a video to help
so I created promotional items that focused on education -
understand all the features.
Incorporating the definitions onto mouse pads and pullout sleeves for
[video plays - website video]
your smart phone devices.
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04_ PRESENTATION
SLIDE 14
SLIDE 15
ANIMATION: Build
ANIMATION: Build
TALKING POINTS:
TALKING POINTS:
From this thesis exploration, the results show that this project is viable
Thank you so much for making the time for me to present my final
and could be brought to market.
thesis to you.
I entered this journey because I personally yearned to gain more
Are there any questions?
knowledge about the field of graphic design. But hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I have learned and will take with me... Not everything can be approached linearly, you must be willing to examine all sides and poke holes, and sometimes start again Trust what you are hearing and seeing, observation is important Planning is vital for success, but be flexible and willing to pivot and most important, trust the process, it works!
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MFA THESIS_ PRESENTATION SLIDES_ STORYBOARD
“THE PROBLEM_
CONTAINS THE SOLUTION. CONSTRAINTS SERVE AS KINDLING FOR EXECUTION.” _ MICHAEL BIERUT
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04_ PRESENTATION
CONCLUSION_
The ProMoji project improves business communication by fostering and promoting emoji use in work-life experiences. The audiences include managers, human resource professionals, and employees who seek to improve team communication in a productive and professional way. Although the project’s solution speaks to all business sectors—finance, healthcare, technology and more—its main focus is the entertainment sector. This thesis is an in-depth exploration of my chosen topic that identified a problem in the world around us. My purpose was to find ways that graphic design could be used to address and implement a solution that demonstrated unique design thinking. Throughout the process of discovery, one topic stood out amongst the others—my passion about the importance of communication and the negative impact of miscommunication, especially in worklife experiences. We are communicating less and less in person and relying more on written commu-
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nication to connect via message and email. During the research phases, I uncovered three ideas became important to my topic; visual clarity, quality of the message, and eliminating ambiguity. Also, I was able to establish that my audience was not defined by gender, race or age. They are instead defined by their connection and dependency on technology. Through user testing, I was able to identify that people want to effectively communicate with each other and that they struggled with tone, clarity and professionalism. This is where my design opportunities emerged. Design a set of emojis to give the ability to communicate in a way that is perceived professional. Create a promotional system that gets people interested in and wanting to use emojis to work better together and breakdown stereotypes. And finally, promote emoji culture by focusing on communication platforms that help workers understand the norms expected of them
by the company. A plan of action was established and achieved. I created a starter set of emojis, called Promoji—converted to a typeface and animated gif files. Developed visual guidelines, created a set of educational posters and website, designed promotional items, built training videos, and established a social media presence. From this thesis exploration, the results show that this project is viable and could be brought to market. I entered this journey because I personally yearned to learn more about the field of graphic design and also this idea that I would like to eventually teach—but I gained so much more. Here’s what I have learned and I will take with me—not everything can be approached literally, you must be willing to examine all sides, poke holes, and sometimes start again. Trust what you are hearing and seeing, because observation yields opportunities. Planning is vital for success, but be flexible and willing to pivot.
And finally and potentially the most important, trust the process, it works.
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04_ PRESENTATION
RICHARD THOMAS JENNINGS_ 00107735 Typography: Helvetica Light and Helvetica Rounded Bold Oblique Design Tools: Adobe Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC, and InDesign CC MFA THESIS DEVELOPMENT GUIDES William Culpepper, Sandra Isla, Anitra Nottingham, Jeremy Stout, and special guidance from David Grynfogel
PROMOJI GRAPHIC DESIGN_ MFA THESIS Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA www.rtjenningsthesisproject.com