Graphic design - Select Living Group
RESEARCH
To create installation guides that are both functional and of high quality, we began by looking at competitor installation manuals, to assess what works and what does not work, and take notes on how we could create something that was better and clearer for the user.
PLANNING & WRITING
In order to ensure our manuals were accurate, we had to really get to grips with the details of the product. Working with Select, we planned out the stages of installation and, from the client's notes, wrote all the instructions, top tips and important notes for the manuals.
EXAMPLE PAGE
Once the page plans were finalised and approved, we created a sample page to give an idea of how the manual could be laid out, along with an illustration example. We wanted the design to be simple to complement the Select brand, but with scope to adapt with future brand development.
ILLUSTRATION CREATION
Once the example page was signed off, we got to work creating illustrations in Adobe Illustrator. As we went we formalised an illustration style that is used throughout all the manuals.
MANUAL CREATION
Combining the illustrations and copy, we put the whole document together, editing and adjusting as we went to create a coherent document that's easy to use and understand.
PROOFREADING & FEEDBACK
With this amount of complex technical information, it was important for us to allow for several rounds of feedback to refine and clarify the instructions and illustrations so that they most accurately represented the products and processes in question.
THE RANGE GROWS
As Select's product catalogue expands, we continue to help them produce quality installation manuals for their entire range of products, and they now have a valuable library of digital assets which is available to their customers for free.
Zoe
She / her; green / blue. Zoe is a designer, daydreamer and self-anointed snack queen. Once described as “so awkward she’s charming” by a friend, there isn’t a day that goes by without her accidentally slipping in an innuendo. In winter, she hibernates in a blanket of books and netflix, but by late spring emerges with her trusty birkenstocks, ready to go on photography adventures and socialise with the neighbourhood cats. If she were a pokemon she would without a doubt be Pikachu, but a buzzfeed quiz has determined her to be a Magikarp. She’s a firm believer that buzzfeed quizzes cannot be trusted, under any circumstances.
Mel
She / her; red / blue. Mel is a writer, editor and designer. Equally happy hiking a muddy trail as playing tabletop roleplay games by candlelight. Will seize any opportunity for a party, as long as said party features copious food, prosecco and hits from the 1980s. Her true passion lies in words. A student of literature, she is fascinated by enduring myths, etymology and science fiction. Kurt Vonnegut is her hero. “We are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
PROJECT TIMELINE
THE CLIENT
Select Living Group sells low-maintenance garden upgrades designed to give people more time to enjoy their garden without all the hard work. Their products include eco-friendly composite decking, artificial grass, artificial plants and artificial plant walls.
THE GOAL
Select needed some installation manuals to help their customers understand how to build their products. They wanted to create a valuable resource for their users to make the installation process easy and enjoyable. It was important for them to make something different from the standard documentation supplied by the industry.
THE SOLUTION
For us, simplicity was key. Using good design language with plenty of negative space on a page, we designed some pages with the aim to make the layout as calm and uncluttered as possible.
Understanding that users can only absorb a limited amout of new information at a time, we broke the content down into bite-size stages.
We translated the technical information provided by the client into accessible instructions that everyone can understand.
Developing a unique illustration style, we created technical drawings that show the important details in a clear, consistent and visually appealing way.
THE TEAM
Our creative guild, led by our layout expert Mel.
THEY SAID
The guys over at Rusty Monkey are fantastic. They have truly transformed the way we market, as well as operate as a business.
The journey started with ourselves trying to find a professional marketing agency to produce installation manuals for our products. I had conversations with 3 or 4 marketing agencies in the area. Before price had even come into it, our decision had been made. Matt listened and, more importantly, understood the purpose of what we were trying to do.
Slowly but surely, we have started increasing our retainer with these guys and we haven’t looked back. I’ve learned a lot since getting to know everyone there. The business relationship they offer is far more personal than anything I’ve experienced before.
Looking forward to the future!
-- Joe, Select Living Group
THE OUTCOME
The result is a range of easy-to-follow manuals that have helped their customers install their products with ease. They were so happy with the results, Select went on to ask us to help with their brand, website and marketing strategy.
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