25 Years of EdTech

25 Years of EdTech - Cover

25 Years of EdTech

Martin Weller, Professor at the UK’s Open University, got in touch regarding the aesthetic for a book he was earnestly applying the finishing touches to – 25 Years of EdTech.

Of course, as Martin knows, the Visual Thinkery process means that together we’ll create 10 book covers, as well as anything else we pick up along the way. This includes even suggesting alternative titles for the book (which is outrageous, when you think about it) but even this creates a different lens to get an alternative glimpse through.  

Interestingly, the first idea was the one that eventually stuck:

25 Years of EdTech - X-ray Goggles

 

But there are a few others that I think deserve an honourable mention. I was tickled by the idea of a relationship between parent and child (but I want to go this way!) 

25 Years of EdTech - Ed & Tech

 

And it’s not long before I’m drawing robots. (And then the world of assessment will be miiiiiiiine!)

25 Years of EdTech - The scaling up of Edtech

 

I like “The Web Years” as it reminds me of the common biographical strapline (the wonder years, the wilderness years…) and suggests that there has always been some sort of technology in Education, but only recently has it involved the web. Here we go again, here we go go go to the temple of consumption… (apologies – you probably didn’t need reminded of that song…)

25 Years of EdTech - The Web Years

 

ISDN – Now that will change everything…

25 Years of EdTech - Dodgy Connection

 

We’re never far from someone taxonomising all the things. But not me – I’m more of an alchemist…

25 Years of EdTech - Alchemist's Handbook

 

In reflection, there were small elements from a number of these ideas that made their way into the final cover. Some consciously, and others less so.

Now Remix this…

As part of the promotion of the book, AU Press asked if would be possible to create a remixable front cover. So I (Bryan) set about separating the visual elements so that they could be remixed using the Fabulous Remixer Machine. Hair highlights, skin tone, background – but maybe more importantly the text on the glasses and the strapline at the bottom. Have a go!

25 Years of EdTech - Remixer

And Finally…

Quite often ideas appear as mini-stories in 3-panelled comic strip format. A couple of these made it into the book. I don’t think it matters what the content relates to, there is always a place for visual humour… 

25 Years of EdTech - Year Zero

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BFFP – Gloves and Masks

BFFP – Gloves and Masks

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Open University – Open Degree Programme

Open University – Open Degree Programme

Message

BFFP – Gloves and Masks

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Glove Head

BreakFreeFromPlastic – Masks and Gloves

I’ve seen them on the streets around where I live. Discarded surgical masks that no-one will touch. Encouraging others to see the impact this has on our environment is no easy task. 

As always with the Visual Thinkery process, we met as a group to have a facilitated conversation about the issues at large.

 

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Surgical Gloves

 

I (Bryan) try to catch as many visual ideas as possible. At the outset it’s hard to know what will resonate with the process participants or the audience. Going wide, and creating at least 10 ideas allows us to test and measure what resonates, in order to then improve or combine ideas further.

I want a better future

What is the motivation behind the making/buying of a reusable mask. Self preservation probably for most, but what about a sense of hope for the people we share community with?

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - I want a better future

Sit back and prepare for takeoff…

A strong idea to emerge from the conversation was the aesthetic of Airline Safety Instructions. As a metaphor, it’s very recognisable: “Place over nose + mouth and breathe normally” with lots of opportunity for adding a degree of humour…

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Safety Instructions

Often there is a requirement for multiple translations of the same visual ideas. Also, splitting into engaging chunks for social media campaign engagement.

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Safety Instructions

Look mom, no words…

If there’s a way to talk in pictures without using any words, it’s also worth pursuing.   

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Happy Planet

And Finally

The idea of a “wave” of plastic came directly from the conversation, so by creating a custom brush, we did just that. Find out more about BreakFreeFromPlastic’s Mask and Glove campaign.

 

BFFP - Gloves and Masks - Wave of Masks

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Open University – Open Degree Programme

Open University – Open Degree Programme

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Open University – Open Degree Programme

OU Degree Programme

Open University Degree Programme

I have to confess, I didn’t know much about the Open Degree Programme from the Open University, until Martin Weller asked if we could help capture the visual essence of it to help get others up to speed. 

At its inception, 50 years ago, the Open University in the UK only offered an open programme. Think of the broadest collection of modules that could be put together to form a degree course. Think of each person, charting their own course. Of course, this appeals to me (Bryan) greatly – following the path of greatest interests, rather than my own academic journey which seemed much more like the path of least resistance…

 

OU Open Degree - Path of greatest interest

 

As usual, we had an open facilitated conversation lasting about 90mins with the team, which was recorded so as to go back through the conversation to hunt for visual clues, chiefly metaphors and humour.

Brave

Undertaking a degree programme requires bravery, but being able to follow your interests requires even more.

 

OU Open Degree - Brave Learners

Paths of Greatest Interest

During our conversation, one of the team mentioned the “tree of possibilities” when considering all of the possible paths through an Open degree course.

OU Open Degree - Path of greatest interest - tree

The Rebel Degree

Another phrase that was used in our conversation to describe the people who favoured a more flexible degree structure was the “Rebel”…   

OU Open Degree - Rebel Degree

And Finally

It’s always helpful to listen out for an off-the-cuff comment that resonates with the others on the video call…

OU Open Degree - The clue is in the title

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GO-GN

GO-GN

I love a wide brief. Getting people together, and using dialogue to see what we can be unearthed. GO-GN is a postgraduate research programme, connecting and furthering those involved in researching Open Education. They asked if I could help with a brand refresh, and create a set of visual assets along the way.

In order to capture all the voices, we took the approach of facilitating two conversations: one for participants and a second for the GO-GN team.

GO-GN Thinkery Conversation
We had two really rich conversations. I live draw while the conversation is taking place, by using a document camera, but also record the conversations so I can go back through them later and harvest and clues I can tune into. 

Ideas

A rich conversation also leads to many ideas. My aim is always to capture as many of them as quick sketches.

GO-GN suitcase sketch

Creating a Visual Language

The trouble is, creating a fresh brand for an organisation is tricky. In some ways it’s like buying a bold new coat. Liking it isn’t enough. You’ve actually got to wear it. What are you as an organisation trying to say? To whom are you trying to say it? If you find an aesthetic that fits well enough, it can be used as a visual language, to communicate a feel which is sub-consciously absorbed. 

One of the prompts in our discussion used a poster-making technique to unearth ideas from the participants on the call. An idea emerged relating to “the golden age of travel”, which led to us nailing down a bold visual language. It’s quirky yet intentional. It has momentum built in.

A quick shout out to the Fabulous Remixer Machine – for providing the necessary inverted earth projections too!  

Listening with your eyes open

Video conversations underpin the Visual Thinkery 10 ideas process. By seeing someone as they talk, it’s possible to hear a richer voice. One of the participants in the call, Caroline Kuhn, used this gesture while speaking of the care and respect that exists in the GO-GN network. And it had to be drawn…

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DRS Manifesto

CMALT Core Principles

DRS Manifesto

The team from Zero Waste Europe got in touch about developing a visual aesthetic for a manifesto they had created. Manifesto you say? Yum. But what is a DRS? I’m glad you asked. As I soon learned, DRS stands for Deposit Return Scheme. It involves a product manufacturer charging slightly extra (the deposit) when using a container and then refunding this extra cost on the container’s return. This way, plastic containers can be collected by the manufacturer and reused or at least recycled.

In terms of visual ideas it was obvious that this manifesto would need to educate the reader. So that meant getting visually underneath the explanation of the DRS. I started thinking about what a DRS brand might look like, and by playing around with the letters, I noticed that the R and S could interact in a way that might suggest actions of deposit and return. 

The EU flag is circular in appearance, and therefore lends itself well to saying something about a circular economy. 

I also noticed quite by accident when putting all the partner logos together that they could form the shape of something: a container – a great metaphor for the manifesto itself. We’re all in this together.

DRS Manifesto - Title page
DRS Manifesto - What is a DRS?
DRS Manifesto - Why implement DRS?
DRS Manifesto - A call to action
DRS Manifesto - Partners
DRS Manifesto - References & Notes

After the first draft, the team suggested adding more of a human element to the aesthetic. This is where the idea for the many hands lifting up the containers came from. Suddenly there was a different feel to the manifesto – it somehow became active! The power of the human body to subconsciously communicate.

Overall, the team felt that we’d struck a good balance between professional and punchy, and it’s true – the hand-drawn elements feel friendly and genuine, whilst the typeset narrative feels authoritative. Most importantly, it carries a simple design, and it’s this playful simplicity that disarms the intended audience and allows them to engage with the manifesto and it’s message. 

You can read more about the DRS Manifesto here.

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