Penguins Without Borders: How the Character was Created for an Internet Provider
The Internet in Vladivostok is strongly associated with the three largest local telecommunications companies: Dalsvyaz, Alliance Telecom and Vladlink. For fifteen years of development of services, Internet providers have managed to master, it seems, all areas of the city. And the struggle for new subscribers has grown into competition for already connected.
The methods are used not only pricing and service, but also advertising. Dalsvyaz, for example, created and powerfully pumped the Disly bear cub. At some point, it was found that this character is present almost everywhere. “Alliance” contrasts advertising budgets of Dalsvyaz with ingenious advertising messages and a kind of graphic creatif.
Vladlink was lagging behind its competitors in this respect. But this summer, the company turned to the Black Fox studio. To us that is.
Initially, the order was received for the redesign of the internal Internet subscriber service system (CCIS). Developing a design concept, we proposed a series of character icons, a different one for each section of ICS. At first they were little funny robots.
The customer liked the idea. We even managed to draw two dozen sketches and paint some. And suddenly ... the customer changes the task.
')
So, the task was set - to develop an image of the character of the company. And it must be a penguin.
Characteristics have been designated such:
Three studio artists joined the work on the character and created many sketches.
- Of the options we are most suited penguin from the fourth set. However, he is angry. Maybe because his feathers on his head resemble devil horns?
By reducing and softening the "eyebrows" decided to make the bird kinder and nobler.
- And now with simplicity overdo it. Instead of dedication appeared naive. The penguin seems to be asking for forgiveness for something he has not yet committed.
We decided to change the beak, the shape of the eyes, reduced the tuft, increased eyebrows.
Then they dressed up the character in a branded T-shirt.
- Character accepted!
After character approval, it was required to draw almost 40 icons in the form of penguins. They were to be used in the design of the Internet service system for VladLink subscribers.
We draw penguins for seven main sections of ICIS:
- All penguins are taken. From the two options for the “Promotions” icon, choose a penguin with a guitar. Let's put on the penguins now. For example, a shirt is perfect for the “Statistics” penguin, “Services” is a tuxedo with a bow tie, “Promotions” is a T-shirt, etc.
Now it was necessary to draw icons for subsections. First, verbally, they gave a rough concept for each of the icons. Then the artist began to turn the word into a drawing.
- Let's take the penguin rushing on a sled on the belly as the “Turbo-button” icon, and a red flame behind the sleds, like a rocket.
Icon "Turbo-button" changed, but in its own way. As a vehicle invented turbo booster. Who will say now that penguins do not fly?
True, then the number of accelerators was reduced to one.
- And on the pointer “FAQ” let's write: Wi-Fi, VPN, Internet, LAN.
Another batch of penguins:
Almost everything was agreed. As the icon “Appeals to the technical support”, we chose a penguin with a hammer and a telephone receiver. The “VPN session” icon did not pass the verification, which was then renamed to “Connection statistics” (so as not to frighten subscribers with strange names). Having considered all possible options, the customer proposed the following:
- The long-suffering “Connection Statistics” can be depicted as a penguin pulling long paper with holes at the edges.
- “Replay-TV” should remind a sleeping penguin. Let's put a glass of popcorn in his wing, which crumbled. And close your mouth.
The work was coming to an end:
- As the icon "My contract" choose the one where the bird stands. Instead of the costume that the Tarifa penguin is holding, let's paint a men's shirt. In the figure “Access to the local network”, I propose to make the penguin plug the other end of the wire into an outlet. And instead of “nek” on the cubes write “user”.
Icon "Free Services" - three different gifts.
The customer did not agree with the “Balance replenishment” icon (although, in our design, it perfectly complemented the Turbo-button icon). After working through several verbal options, it was suggested to focus on where the penguin will pay for the service through the cybercass.
The last icon, which was supposed to bear the name “Rental Prefix”, was decided to relocate as an illustration to the stub for the “Television” section of the site (this service is under implementation). However, the penguin had to drag the television, not the console. The offer was accepted ...
... and implemented in color.
The remaining penguins were also painted in the corporate colors of the company and distributed into the relevant sections:
Later, on the basis of the existing character, a favicon and a shortcut to the desktop were developed.
After everything we had experienced, both the penguin and the customer were already like relatives to us. Therefore, the development of the design of the Internet service system of subscribers was not particularly difficult:
According to the customer, users of the Vladlink network were very surprised by the changes. Soon even the customer’s competitors spoke about the penguins and the new design of the CCIS.
But the reaction of some marketers amused. Placing a character development case on the local marketers portal, we were surprised to read that the penguin was “color and stylistically dalsvyazelny” and that “it is necessary to change the color of the penguin” ... How can you confuse a penguin with a bear, and remained unclear.
The customer is actively promoting the character. The penguin is already present on all advertising and souvenir products of the company, used in the design of customer service points.
Queue - for the company's website.
The methods are used not only pricing and service, but also advertising. Dalsvyaz, for example, created and powerfully pumped the Disly bear cub. At some point, it was found that this character is present almost everywhere. “Alliance” contrasts advertising budgets of Dalsvyaz with ingenious advertising messages and a kind of graphic creatif.
Vladlink was lagging behind its competitors in this respect. But this summer, the company turned to the Black Fox studio. To us that is.
Initially, the order was received for the redesign of the internal Internet subscriber service system (CCIS). Developing a design concept, we proposed a series of character icons, a different one for each section of ICS. At first they were little funny robots.
The customer liked the idea. We even managed to draw two dozen sketches and paint some. And suddenly ... the customer changes the task.
')
So, the task was set - to develop an image of the character of the company. And it must be a penguin.
Characteristics have been designated such:
- Agile and emotional
- Not fat, but not thin.
- Painted in corporate colors (orange and blue)
- Unlike the Linux Mascot - Tux Penguin
Character's birth
Three studio artists joined the work on the character and created many sketches.
- Of the options we are most suited penguin from the fourth set. However, he is angry. Maybe because his feathers on his head resemble devil horns?
By reducing and softening the "eyebrows" decided to make the bird kinder and nobler.
- And now with simplicity overdo it. Instead of dedication appeared naive. The penguin seems to be asking for forgiveness for something he has not yet committed.
We decided to change the beak, the shape of the eyes, reduced the tuft, increased eyebrows.
Then they dressed up the character in a branded T-shirt.
- Character accepted!
Icon development
After character approval, it was required to draw almost 40 icons in the form of penguins. They were to be used in the design of the Internet service system for VladLink subscribers.
We draw penguins for seven main sections of ICIS:
- All penguins are taken. From the two options for the “Promotions” icon, choose a penguin with a guitar. Let's put on the penguins now. For example, a shirt is perfect for the “Statistics” penguin, “Services” is a tuxedo with a bow tie, “Promotions” is a T-shirt, etc.
Now it was necessary to draw icons for subsections. First, verbally, they gave a rough concept for each of the icons. Then the artist began to turn the word into a drawing.
- Let's take the penguin rushing on a sled on the belly as the “Turbo-button” icon, and a red flame behind the sleds, like a rocket.
Icon "Turbo-button" changed, but in its own way. As a vehicle invented turbo booster. Who will say now that penguins do not fly?
True, then the number of accelerators was reduced to one.
- And on the pointer “FAQ” let's write: Wi-Fi, VPN, Internet, LAN.
Another batch of penguins:
Almost everything was agreed. As the icon “Appeals to the technical support”, we chose a penguin with a hammer and a telephone receiver. The “VPN session” icon did not pass the verification, which was then renamed to “Connection statistics” (so as not to frighten subscribers with strange names). Having considered all possible options, the customer proposed the following:
- The long-suffering “Connection Statistics” can be depicted as a penguin pulling long paper with holes at the edges.
- “Replay-TV” should remind a sleeping penguin. Let's put a glass of popcorn in his wing, which crumbled. And close your mouth.
The work was coming to an end:
- As the icon "My contract" choose the one where the bird stands. Instead of the costume that the Tarifa penguin is holding, let's paint a men's shirt. In the figure “Access to the local network”, I propose to make the penguin plug the other end of the wire into an outlet. And instead of “nek” on the cubes write “user”.
Icon "Free Services" - three different gifts.
The customer did not agree with the “Balance replenishment” icon (although, in our design, it perfectly complemented the Turbo-button icon). After working through several verbal options, it was suggested to focus on where the penguin will pay for the service through the cybercass.
The last icon, which was supposed to bear the name “Rental Prefix”, was decided to relocate as an illustration to the stub for the “Television” section of the site (this service is under implementation). However, the penguin had to drag the television, not the console. The offer was accepted ...
... and implemented in color.
The remaining penguins were also painted in the corporate colors of the company and distributed into the relevant sections:
Later, on the basis of the existing character, a favicon and a shortcut to the desktop were developed.
Design CID
After everything we had experienced, both the penguin and the customer were already like relatives to us. Therefore, the development of the design of the Internet service system of subscribers was not particularly difficult:
According to the customer, users of the Vladlink network were very surprised by the changes. Soon even the customer’s competitors spoke about the penguins and the new design of the CCIS.
Finally
But the reaction of some marketers amused. Placing a character development case on the local marketers portal, we were surprised to read that the penguin was “color and stylistically dalsvyazelny” and that “it is necessary to change the color of the penguin” ... How can you confuse a penguin with a bear, and remained unclear.
The customer is actively promoting the character. The penguin is already present on all advertising and souvenir products of the company, used in the design of customer service points.
Queue - for the company's website.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/108458/
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