NEC Displays is a big player for computer users all around the world. But when it came to the education market, they found themselves with strong competition from Epson and InTouch.
Through discovery, I found that NEC Displays has much to offer the K-12 teacher. And while they already have their hands full, technology is an area in which they don’t need to spend time (I know this first hand with my work with teachers when I was much younger).
“Just ConNECt” was born. Once the concept was decided upon, we also presented three options for how it could be brought to life. In the end they went with “Straight Talk,” a no-nonsense message that should emulate the simplicity of the products themselves: they just connect.
For the design, we wanted the words to do the work. We followed their brand guidelines to the tee, but bent a few of the rules to develop striking layouts that would stand out against trade publications clamoring for the school district’s dollar — but all with an eye to make the instructor’s job in the classroom easier.
And although I am not a copywriter by trade, I worked with our copywriter to start with the pain points that teachers might have with technology (born from my experience as a technical assistant as a high school student). The syncopated, direct language was also intentional – it must simply work. And that white design element at the bottom? That’s a HDMI connector.
The other two layout concepts are included below. We imagined we could use them in the future as extensions or other creative options.
my roles
Art Direction
Concepting
Print Design