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HEATHER DOUCETTE GR 620 visual thinking fall 2015
PROCESS & DEVELOPMENT
YOUTH TRIATHLETES Designer: Heather Doucette
TABLE of CONTENTS
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07 DISCOVERY 08 most passionate topics 10 topics for investigation 11 topic choice and outcome 13 AUDIENCE 14 insight 15 sketches 16 target audience 19 INSPIRATION 20 keywords 21 single minded proposition 22 mood boards 29 VISUAL LANGUAGE 30 visual language posters 38 visual elements 40 initial identity 45 DELIVERABLES 46 website 60 event 74 products 84 RESOURCES 85 research resources
youth triathletes: process & development
DISCOVERY 08 most passionate topics 10 topics for investigation 11 topic choice and outcome
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MOST PASSIONATE TOPICS FAMILY—My family is my priority in life. I try to do everything I can to help contribute
and support my family. I feel that your immediate family should come first before anything else because they are the ones that will always be there for you. STAY-AT-HOME MOM—I love being a stay-at-home mom because it gives me the
opportunity to watch my baby grow until he starts Pre-Kindergarten, and spend quality time with him. I also love setting my own hours for school and working online. Being a stay-at-home mom is also financially best for our current situation, and I’m able to help my husband out with things that he can’t do while he’s at work. EDUCATION—Growing up I had a hard time in school because I was bored with it.
When I was in my twenties, I finally I felt ready to continue my education and receive a bachelor’s degree in something I was interested in. Now I feel that it’s important for people to find what they are passionate about and become more educated about what they’re interested in. TRAVEL—I haven’t traveled to as many places as I would have liked to and there are a
lot more places I would like to go in the world. I feel passionate about travel because it’s a way to learn and understand other cultures in the world. It’s important, especially as a designer, because it helps you to better communicate with others.
TRIATHLON —I finished my first triathlon a little over
a year ago and fell in love with the sport. The other competitors, spectators, and event volunteers are extremely supportive no matter what your level is in the sport. After completing a triathlon, I always have the biggest feeling of accomplishment even though I don’t win anything. Finishing is the biggest reward.
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TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION FAMILY UNEMPLOYMENT—The impact of unemployment causes emotional distress
which affects both the person who lost their job and their family immediate family members. Financial hardship can create a divide between families because of the stress it can cause. I would like to find a way to promote the types of benefits that are available to families who are struggling. DEPRESSION IN STAY-AT-HOME MOMS —Stay-at-home moms can easily become
depressed when they start to feel isolated and imprisoned at home. Low-income stay-athome moms struggle with depression, sadness, and stress more than other low-income employed moms. I would like to investigate ways that stay-at-home moms who are unemployed can find work from home. FINDING YOUR PASSION —The majority of people don’t know what their true
passion is. People are living unhappy lives because they are unmotivated or inspired by what they are doing with their life. I would like to investigate ways that people can find out what they are passionate about and improve their life. CULTURAL VIEWS ON OBESITY—The World Health Organization estimates that
there are over 300 million people in the world that are obese. In America obesity is viewed as unhealthy and unattractive, while in the Pacific Islands obesity is viewed as a sign of wealth and power. I would like to investigate why there is a difference in cultural views when it comes to obesity.
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YOUTH TRIATHLETES FACT: According to the USAT 2014 statistics, the percent-
age of triathletes under the age of 25 is only seven. PROBLEM: The majority of youth are unaware of the benefits
of triathlon events. OUTCOME: I want to provide information on the benefits of tri-
athlons to potential youth participants.
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AUDIENCE 14 insight 15 sketches 16 target audience
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INSIGHTS A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT IS NOT WELL KNOWN —Most people think that
triathlons are for people who have always been an athlete growing up, or for people who do marathons and are excellent swimmers. THE RESULT OF UNDERSTANDING THE INNER NATURE OF THINGS—People of all
levels of physical activity, including people who don’t know how to swim, can train to participate in a triathlon. AN INTROSPECTION —Since not many people know about triathlons, they don’t really
acknowledge them or look into them further unless someone they know recommends it. Or they just avoid learning more about it because they already assume they won’t be interested. THE RESULT OF AN ACUTE OBSERVATION AND DEDUCTION— Once people
understand that they are also capable of completing a triathlon and what it involves, they might be more willing to try it. AN UNDERSTANDING OF CAUSE AND EFFECT BASED ON IDENTIFICATION OF RELATIONSHIPS AND BEHAVIORS —If people understood more about the benefits
of triathlon, more people might be willing to try one or become involved in some way.
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audience: sketches
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YOUNG CHILD DEMOGRAPHICS ▶ 5 year old ▶ Youngest child ▶ Lives in California ▶ Attends kindergarten TRAITS ▶ Started swim lessons as an infant and now knows how to swim. ▶ Loves to run and play outdoors. ▶ Is sociable at school and has friends in the neighborhood. ▶ Enjoys playing competitive sports such as soccer in the little league. ▶ Received first bicycle with training wheels on third birthday. ▶ Loves exploring and learning new things. ▶ Wants to learn a new sport.
OLDER CHILD DEMOGRAPHICS ▶ 10 years old ▶ Middle child ▶ Lives in Florida ▶ Attends the fifth grade TRAITS ▶ Knows how to swim recreationally in the pool or ocean. ▶ Has a bicycle and enjoys riding with family and friends. ▶ Played competitive sports such as basketball and football. ▶ Enjoys making new friends. ▶ Looking to try a new sport or activity. ▶ Ran first 5k with parents at age eight. ▶ Step-mom has completed a few triathlons.
THE PARENT DEMOGRAPHICS ▶ 33 years old ▶ Married ▶ Two children ages 7 and 9 ▶ Works full time TRAITS ▶ Works full time during the week in the Coast Guard. ▶ Looking for an outdoor activity the children can do together. ▶ Has completed a few short distance running races non-competitively. ▶ Wants the children to gain self-esteem through accomplishments outside of school. ▶ Wants to promote a healthier lifestyle within the family. ▶ Has a friend who has completed a triathlon. ▶ Has taught the children how to swim and ride bicycles. audience: personas
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INSPIRATION 20 keywords 21 single minded proposition 22 mood boards
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KEYWORDS: ENCOURAGING ADVENTUROUS SOCIAL
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SINGLE MINDED PROPOSITION
JOIN THE FUN!
swim bike run three in one! inspiration: keywords & SMP
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ENCOURAGING MOODBOARD The images in this moodboard are based off of the feelings of movement, direction, humor, and empowerment.
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inspiration: moodboard
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ADVENTUROUS MOODBOARD There is also movement inspired in these images, as well as outdoor environments.
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inspiration: moodboard
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SOCIAL MOODBOARD This moodboard is about communication, bonding, teamwork, and enjoying the moment.
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inpiration: moodboard
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VISUAL LANGUAGE 30 visual language posters 38 visual elements 40 initial identity
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SOCIAL
INITIAL POSTER DESIGN—focusing on socialization and
SECOND POSTER DESIGN—use of connected circles to
community between a youth group.
show the connection between each sport .
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ADVENTUROUS
INITIAL POSTER DESIGN—used different elements from
SECOND POSTER DESIGN—merged all of the sport ele-
each sport such as water, concrete, and track.
ments into one continuous track.
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ENCOURAGING
SECOND POSTER DESIGN—keeping the same geoINITIAL POSTER DESIGN—brought elements from each
sport and used geometrical shapes to create the middle triangle as a focus.
metrical triangle shapes, but focusing on more abstract graphics. The seal was used to represent swimming, the bear on the bike is inspired by the circus, and the lion was chosen for it’s tenacity.
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FINAL POSTER
In the final poster, graphic elements were refined and the geometrical triangle elements remained from the second “encouraging� poster design. The animals were all changed to a polar bear to create unity between the sports. A polar bear was chosen because they are tenacious, can run and swim. Colors were made to be brighter to attract the attention of the younger youth audience.
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ELEMENTS
ELEMENT 1: Color
ELEMENT 2: Image and Illustration
Light blue—Represents swimming
Flat illustration style and polar bear
Yellow—Represents cycling
representing each triathlon sport.
Dark pink—Represents running Bright Green—Used for text and graphics Navy Blue—Used for text and graphics
SWIM
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BIKE
TEXT & GRAPHICS
RUN
TEXT & GRAPHICS
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ELEMENT 3: Graphic Device
ELEMENT 5: Typographic
Simple geometric triangular shapes, lines
Combination of all-caps (emphasis on
between and next to shapes.
words), lower-case, bold, and italic in sans-serif Avenir and Minion for text.
ELEMENT 4: Compositional
Bold use of triangular shapes and scale. Placement of lines between shapes.
Avenir LT Pro Light Avenir LT Pro Light Oblique Avenir LT Pro Book Avenir LT Pro Book Oblique Avenir LT Pro Roman Avenir LT Pro Oblique Avenir LT Pro Medium Avenir LT Pro Medium Oblique Avenir LT Pro Heavy Avenir LT Pro Heavy Oblique Avenir LT Pro Black Avenir LT Pro Black Oblique Minon Pro Bold Condensed Minon Pro Bold Condensed Italic Minon Pro Regular Minon Pro Italic Minon Pro Medium Minon Pro Medium Italic Minon Pro Semibold Minon Pro Semibold Italic Minon Pro Bold Minon Pro Bold Italic visual language
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INITIAL IDENTITY
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INITIAL DESIGN
The initial identity began with sketching and creating rough digital drafts of symbolic, word, and combination marks. My initial designs became the foundation for the three triangles and name combination in the final design.
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REFINEMENT
After the initial design, my second set of drafts provided further exploration in the triangles, as well as other possibilites through the sports symbol.
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FINAL DESIGN
My final desing included the three triangles representing each sport, and pointint in the same direction to give the feeling of movement. Each color of the triangle represents swimming, cycling, and running.
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DELIVERABLES 46 website 60 event 74 products
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WEBSITE My goal for the website deliverable is to provide an interactive website for parents, youth triathletes, and potential participants. A place where youth and their parents can connect with others and receive information, encouragement and advice reguarding triathlons. I plan to meet that goal by providing a website the includes coaching, information, advice, training, and upcoming events. Subscribers to the website will also be emailed up-to-date information on triathlon news and upcoming events.
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SKETCHES AND INITIAL DESIGN Sketches included three differnet variations of layout for each webpage. The initial design was based on the initial “encouraging� visual language design poster.
FINAL DESIGN The final was redesigned to include all of the updated elements from the visual language, and to be user friendly for both parents and children.
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HOME PAGE
▶ Links to social media sites only on the home page. ▶ Polar bears are animated to move across the screen from right to left. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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COACHES PAGE
▶ Colored arrows are animated to move into the screen from the left when page opens. ▶ Coach photo changes when map location is clicked. ▶Page for both parents.
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INFO PAGE
▶ Polar bear is animated to move up from inside of the triangle when page opens and stops where the polar bear is shown. ▶ Triangle buttons to additonal info pages. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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INFO PAGE: RACE
▶ Image buttons for each section of the race. ▶ Scroll down for more information on page. ▶ Duotone over image when link is hovered. ▶Page for both parent.
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ADVICE PAGE
▶ Polar bear is animated to move into the page from left to right when page opens, and stops at the point of the triangle. ▶ Buttons to additonal advice pages, text changes colors when hovered on or clicked. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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ADVICE PAGE: RACE DAY
▶ Each advice page has image from button on the front advice page. ▶ Scroll down for more information on page. ▶Page for both parents.
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TRAINING PAGE
▶ Polar bear is animated to move across page from left to right only once when page is first opened. ▶ Triangle buttons to plan and log pages. Text and triangle change color when hovered over or clicked. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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TRAINING PAGE: PLANS AGES 5-9
▶ Polar bears are animated to move into place from right to left starting with swimming bear and ending with running bear.Animated only once when page is first opened. ▶ Scroll down for more information on page. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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EVENTS PAGE
▶ Polar bear is animated to move into the page from left to right when page opens, then stops in triangle. ▶ List of race events in closest search result. ▶Page for both parents and youth.
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EVENT My goal for the event deliverable is to provide a combination of products and marketing materials to create interest in triathlons for youth. The event deliverables include a goodie bag, t-shirts, swim caps, water bottles, banners, posters, and medals. The goodie bag, t-shirt, swim cap, and water bottles are given before the race with the intent to motivate the youth. The posters and banners will be used to promote the event as well as guide and encourage the youth on their journey. The medals are given for all finishing participants and as an award to the first, second, and third finishers for each age and gender group.
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Meet Brayden, he is 10 years old and participating in his first triathlon event. After registering for the event and checking in, he will be given a goodie bag of his choice containing a swim cap for his age group, a t-shirt, and sports bottle to bring on his journey. In this section, he will be representing Tenacious Youth in a youth triathlon event.
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T-SHIRTS T-shirts are given out to registrants when they pick up their goodie bags before the race. Participants can choose between three different design options
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GOODIE BAGS When the goodie bags are handed out to participants, they have the choice between four different designs. Three of the four represent each different sport within the triathlon, while the fourth one is a combination of swimming, cycling, and running. So the youth can choose a bag with their favorite sport, or all three if they prefer.
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SWIM CAPS Swim caps are included in the goodie bag and colors are based on the age of the participant. The white swim cap is for ages 5-9, and the blue swim cap is for ages 10-15. The different colors will help the volunteers and event staff in the safety and organization of participants.
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WATER BOTTLE The water bottle is also included in the goodie bag when participants check in for their event.
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BANNERS Banners are used during the event to help motivate and guide the youth through their journey. Each banner represents either swimming, cycling, or running and is located on each route of the specified sport of the triathlon for easy guidance for the youth.
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POSTERS There are four different poster designs which can be used in a variety of ways, such as during the event or for marketing and advertising purposes.
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MEDALS There are four different medals that can be earned during an event. Every participant will receive a finisher’s medal, while the top three finishers in each age and gender group will receive a first, second, or third place medal.
FINISHER
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
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PRODUCTS My goal for the product deliverable is to provide a variety of products including triathlon top and bottoms, transition bag, transition mat, hat, gym bag, and medal holder. The products will help to promote the brand and either encourage potential youth to participate, or motivate existing participants.
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TRIATHLON TOPS & BOTTOMS The triathlon top and bottom suit give the youth triathletes a couple options in what they want to wear during an event. Rather than having a full suit, the tops and bottoms give the youth more variety and gender neutrality, with an option of mix-matching the sets.
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TRANSITION MAT The transition mat gives the youth not only a place to put their transition items, but it also assists the youth in locating their items during the transition phase (time between each sport). The bright color stands out against the ground, and the waving bear is a symbol of motivation and encouragement.
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TRANSITION BACKPACK & HAT The transition bag is great for holding all of the gear the youth will need during the transition phase of the event such as shoes, socks, water bottles, towels, goggles, and swim caps. The design of the bag represents the three sports to motivate youth during transition in the completion of the triathlon. The hat can be used by both particpants and supporters of the youth triathletes. It includes the name, logo triangles, and polar bear triathletes to represent the youth.
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GYM BAG The gym bag can also be used by anyone, participant or supporter to represent youth triathletes. It can be used in training, or youth can bring it to an event to carry fresh clothes and additional gear they might need.
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MEDAL HOLDER The medal holder is a perfect for hanging and showcasing medals that youth triathletes earned during their event. It has a polar bear for each sport as a reminder of what they have accomplished and hopefully motivate them to continue to participate in future events.
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RESOURCES
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RESEARCH RESOURCES TITLE: Beginner Triathlete LINK : http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/category-view.asp DESCRIPTION: A forum to discuss triathlon, gear, nutrition, weight loss, injuries,
Ironman forum and classifieds. TITLE: USAT Youth Triathlon Promo Video LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcGWOmhcqSw DESCRIPTION: A video promoting the benefits and experiences of youth triathletes. TITLE: Fundamentals of Youth Triathlon: A Beginner’s Guide for Parents and
Competitors (Volume 1) LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Youth-Triathlon-BeginnersCompetitors/dp/1469996677 DESCRIPTION: A book about the fundamentals of youth triathlon to help prepare beginners with techniques, equipment, nutrition, races, and additional information for the youth’s parents. TITLE: Shelley Flowers, Youth Triathlon Coach LINK: http://www.triyouthclub.com/about-the-team DESCRIPTION: Shelley is a Level 1 USATF Coach, Certified Personal Trainer
(CPT), Sport and Strength Conditioning Specialist (SSCS), Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI), and Youth Conditioning Specialist (YCS). TITLE: Brayden Doucette LINK: My Step-son DESCRIPTION: My step-son Brayden is currently 11 years old and has recently
participated in a youth triathlon. He will be able to provide information on his personal experience, thoughts, and feelings on the event. TITLE: USA Triathlon Demographics LINK: http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/demographics.aspx DESCRIPTION: Current demographics for triathletes in the USA. Also explains the
statistics for youth triathletes under the age of 25.
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