NHS “Look Closer” 5 A Day Campaign
In response to a workshop brief to develop a design for a NHS “5 A Day” campaign, I explored an art direction process using sketching, visual mapping, mood boarding, and storytelling. These development methods enabled me to form a clear creative direction and produce a cohesive poster series centred around the concept “Look closer.” The campaign encourages audiences to reconsider fruit not as ordinary foods, but as sources of hidden health benefits, revealed through visual and conceptual focus.
The development process began with mood boarding and visual research, documented on a FigJam board. I analysed existing 5 A Day campaigns to understand different tones of voice, ranging from serious, information led approaches to more playful campaigns aimed at younger audiences. I also explored fruit textures and references from campaigns such as those celebrating “ugly” fruit shaped like hand symbols such as a thumbs up, which used humour and visual curiosity to engage viewers. This research helped define the tone of my campaign as visually bold, accessible, with hints of playfulness, rather than instructional or too serious. The close up imagery became central to the art direction, reinforcing the concept of discovery and supporting the message to “look closer.”
Sketching and visual mapping were key tools in refining the concept. I produced rough thumbnail sketches exploring typography placement, scale, and composition. Through this process, I determined that a minimal layout with large, close up fruit imagery and simple typography would create the strongest visual impact. The use of short, direct sentences separated by full stops, such as “Look closer. Sweet outside. Strong inside.” was an intentional storytelling decision. This structure creates a punctual, confident tone of voice, reflecting clarity with a play on words. It also ensures accessibility, as the message can be quickly understood in public environments where viewers may only engage briefly.
Storytelling played an important role in creating consistency across the campaign. Each poster focuses on a different fruit being an orange, strawberry, blueberry, watermelon, and banana, while maintaining the same visual structure and tone. This repetition creates connectivity and consistency, which are essential in art direction when working across campaign systems. The individual messages highlight unique benefits of each fruit while contributing to the overall campaign message. This approach allows the posters to function both independently and together as a series.
Prototyping and peer feedback supported refinement and decision making. Digital mock ups allowed me to focus on hierarchy, contrast, and legibility, ensuring the typography remained clear against the detailed backgrounds. Feedback from peers suggested the posters were strongest when viewed together, as the variation in colour and texture created visual comparison and reinforced the campaign concept. This insight influenced my understanding of how art direction works across multiple areas rather than isolated outcomes. NHS branding and the inclusion of a QR code were essential in establishing credibility and providing a clear call to action, connecting the visual outcome to its functional purpose.
These development methods strengthened my ability to make informed art direction decisions and maintain visual leadership throughout the project. Mood boarding established tone, sketching enabled experimentation, storytelling shaped clarity, and prototyping ensured effectiveness. This process demonstrated that art direction is not just about creating visually appealing outcomes, but about guiding a cohesive visual strategy that communicates clearly, consistently, and effectively across platforms. The “Look closer” campaign reflects how structured idea development supports a strong concept and meaningful audience engagement.
Figjam Board Link