“Unite” is a three part
series of single page advertisements designed for Game Workers Unite to be
printed in Game Informer, a national video game magazine. Upon gathering
information and forming components, a set of visual communication pieces were
created.
Data and information: Information
was gathered on Game Workers Unite, Union functions in the U.S., information
regarding Game Informer, and reports of game workers and their working conditions.
Game Workers Unite serves as
a platform that unites game workers seeking to change working conditions in
their field. Aside from connecting workers, Game Workers Unite also offers
information on improper working conditions and how to spot them. While they are
not a union, the company outwardly supports the possible formation of them.
Though unions are not easy to establish, they have been proven in the past to
greatly improve working conditions in trade and artisan fields of work,
including other design fields.
Game Informer requires
$261,929 for one full page color print in their magazine. 84% of consumers
are male, and have a median age of 32, and the magazine had over 30 million
readers in 2014. While the Game Informer’s target audience is video game
consumers, the magazine is seen as an influencer of game reception. They
reviews and exclusive previews of upcoming AAA titles, greatly influencing consumers
on whether or not to buy a specific game. This influential power in the
industry results in many game worker readers.
Countless articles have been
published over the years describing poor working conditions for game workers in
large game design studios and companies. Many of these articles report 80-hour
work weeks, poor compensation foor salaried workers, crunch that puts excessive
pressure on designers, and threats toward game workers of being fired for
speaking out about their work conditions. In summary, the negative associations
given by game workers to their field are of fear, exhaustion, and oppression.
Design Parameters: 3 visual communication pieces with
8 ¼” x 10 ¾” bleeds, 8” x 10 ½” Trims, and 7 ½” x 10” non bleeds. All submitted
files had to be PDF/X1-a
Visual Message/ Concept: Once
research was complete, three different visual concepts were formed. All advertisements in the project convey a strong visual message utilizing principles of hierarchy, proximity, and few visual elements. For the horn,
the message was to convey the power given to workers by unions to be heard,
whether it be in requests for alterations in working conditions to their
employer, or to connect with other members for a cause. The words “Be Heard” were
to indicate to readers that they were being called to action. For the spear, the
message was to place readers as victims of abuse and that they needed to seek
help. With the swords piece, readers were shown the need to fight the rigid
structure that game development has become. All advertisements would point
readers towards Game Workers Unite as a source of positive change, and to
entice them to look into the company and their mission.
Analysis of Design: In the horn advertisement, attention
flows from the mass of brightly colored words, along the horn, and to the
mouthpiece where the words “Be Heard” are located. Additional information
regarding the message of the piece and a call to action is located just far
enough above the bulk of the composition that audiences could skip over it or
easily find it if interested in the message. The multiple bright colors applied
to the word mass indicate them to be the voices of multiple people, visually
representing a group of individuals. Because the horn is labeled “Unions”, the
words emanating from them are defined as a unionized group of people. The mouthpiece
of the horn is place directly adjacent to the words “Be Heard”, which places
readers as a part of the message and challenges them to read more, in which
case the information above gives them the means to act.
Summary: The designer and
sender- Game Workers Unite- broadcasts through Game Informer a message of visual
communication calling for awareness and action to game worker receivers. Receiver
response is to investigate sender and decide whether or not to support their mission.
