One day, while on a walk in Interlaken Park, our creative director Daniel and his 7-year-old son noticed a terrifying beetle that looked ready for battle. Upon closer inspection, they were inspired to identify the crazy creature. Little did they know, their bug’s eye view would inspire our latest animation and challenge us to take a closer look at our creative process.
The Seattle Public Library asked us to create an animation that would excite kids about their Summer of Learning program and this year’s theme to “explore your world.” It had to capture a voice that would appeal to a diverse bunch of kids without being too childish, reference native Puget Sound plants and animals, and use watercolors from local artist Yessica Marquez.
These requirements led to an animation far different than the ones we typically build for our corporate tech clients (who tend to think of bugs as bad things). Here’s how we put our own creativity under the microscope:
We asked lots and lots of questions
We tapped into kids’ innate curiosity from the get-go, posing the sorts of provocative questions an elementary school student would appreciate. When we sourced our nature images, we asked ourselves, “What kind of plant is that? Is it native to the Pacific Northwest? Would a bee pollinate that flower?”
We got down in the weeds
As adults, we often fail to notice the natural wonders that surround us. This animation was our chance to get up close and personal with bugs, birds, and trees. The more we learned, the easier it became to convey the joy of exploration to the young scientists who we know will dig this program.
We used our hive mind
This project had a tight timeline, so we had to be resourceful and especially collaborative in order to deliver. We used a collage approach and pulled images from multiple sources. This allowed us to divide the work among more designers, then weave everything together cohesively.
Are you ready to bring newfound curiosity to your marketing? It’s time to make some new discoveries!