As part of an industry that needs to ensure safety as a priority, EffecTech felt they needed a visual aid for their employees as a point of reference and reminder of the values that they must maintain. In response, we designed and managed the production of a bespoke large format safety promise agreement panel, to be hung in the main reception, where all the signatories would be displayed alongside the dos and don’ts.

Skillsets

• Concept, design and layout
• Costings and procurement

What the client said

“Crayfish were very helpful, working closely with us to design and produce an eye-catching solution.”

Kate Leech, Marketing Manager, EffecTech

Natural England were establishing a new nature reserve called ‘Old River Dove’ that is located along the River Dove and near to Uttoxeter. It is an meander cut off from the present course of the river which was created by river engineering in the 1850’s. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) they wanted to use interpretation to highlight the key species and history of the site.

Deliverables

Crayfish Design were asked to produce a series of interpretation panels designs to visually show the diversity of the local wildlife; aquatic and emergent plant communities and specifically the range of dragonflies and damselflies. One of the boards was to show the historical changes to the site which included the straightening of the river. They wanted the boards to be visually rich and to include lots of species photographs.

Solution

We visited the site to explore and really understand the unique qualities and diversity of wildlife. Seeing everything from the ground level gave us the opportunity to take a wide variety of photographs and to capture a real essence of the site in our designs.

We then worked these together to form panels that used a base image with additional species incorporated. The main panel included a kingfisher perched on a branch, dragonfly nymphs and insects in the reeds, fish in the water, to rabbits and even cattle in the distant fields. This approach gave a rich tapestry to each panel design and something for the viewers to engage with.

The historical panel was a different type of challenge, as there were no illustrations or visual records of the works undertaken. We wanted to show the transition but without any  photographs we need to employ slightly different route. Our solution was to use a representation of the onsite planning using historical items juxtaposed with those from a more modern age, including maps and photos from the site. The change to the course of the river was all hand dug, so we reflected the engineering through a mixture of antique tools and earth works.

To best integrate into the location, each A1 panel was set in angled back lecterns in English Oak allowing viewers to cast their gaze over the river. The panels were produced with Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) boards.

Skillsets

• Onsite photography
• Photo manipulation
• Illustration
• Design and layout
• Production management

The theme and subsequent designs incorporated:

• Theme design and artworking
• Photo compositioning to create nature scenes
• On site photography
• Recreation of new and old maps
• Production of GRP panels and oak lecterns

What the client said

“Crayfish Design create vibrant, exciting designs that really engage people in the natural environment.”

Jaclyn Lake, Staffordshire Land Management Team, Natural England

GL events Owen Brown are a leading provider of temporary structures for events and exhibitions. As part of a tender for a contract with a prominent horse racing event, GL events Owen Brown were looking to bolster their proposal with some strong visual representations.

Deliverables

Crayfish Design were asked to create a series of illustrations for a range of proposed structures, these sketches would be produced in an impressionistic style and were to include the latest developments in their multi-level hospitality solutions.

Skillsets

• 3D visualisation
• Exhibition design

Concept and understanding

GL events Owen Brown provide state-of-the-art temporary structures for a wide range of uses, frequently dealing with clients who require solutions for prestige sporting and commercial events.

It was important that the visuals gave the right impression, showing the vibrancy of the event but with a draftsmans feel and attention to detail.

Solution

Crayfish Design worked closely with the GL events Owen Brown marketing team to interpret their sketches and construction plans into three dimensional CAD models. These were then used as a basis to render a series of pencil and water colour based illustrations.

This approach enabled us to quickly change the composition and orientation of each layout, allowing us to define a set of illustrations that would best compliment the structures.

What the client said

“Crayfish Design have created bespoke design concepts for GL events Owen Brown on several occasions. Their personal approach and ability to ‘think outside of the box’ in order to achieve a viable solution, makes them Owen Brown’s first port of call when the in-house design team require additional support. We recently completed a large tender for a world-renowned sporting venue, and as part of that submission we were required to produce several visualisations of our proposed concept. With our deadline fast approaching and the need to ‘wow’ a client with the highest expectations, we turned to Crayfish Design – and they didn’t disappoint.”

“From concept through to completion, Jim and the team managed our project in a professional yet personable manner, every detail was dealt with impeccably and nothing was too much trouble. We were absolutely delighted with the finalised concepts and I have no doubt that they helped to strengthen our position when tendering for the event.”

“I would have no hesitation in recommending Crayfish Design to anyone who was looking for an agency capable of delivering both a professional service and an exceptional final product.”

Lucy Beasley, GL events Owen Brown