RESEARCH MANAGEMENT

Nature Portfolio have a strong reputation as a leading academic publisher. They also provide a range of solutions to help research management teams within universities achieve their research objectives. We were asked to create a short motion graphics-led video to help raise awareness of this lesser-known suite of products.

Before writing the script we gathered detailed input from a group of stakeholders across the marketing team. This helped us to concentrate on the key messages that would resonate most strongly with the target audience. It was decided that we should focus on the impact a successful research strategy can have on an institution's reputation. We developed visual ideas alongside the script writing so that the animation and voiceover would be tightly integrated.

Early storyboard sketches

We decided to base the film around a core set of simple icon designs representing students, research papers and the academic institution. We animated these in dynamic and playful ways to help accentuate key themes of the voiceover. Visual devices we employed include graphic patterns that bloom to show students flourishing in a positive research environment and radiating 'reputation lines' attracting students and funding towards the institution. The animation was designed with a strong central composition so that it could be easily adapted for different formats and platforms.

The video can be viewed on the Nature Portfolio YouTube channel.