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dwl incorporated
Getting Ahead
DWL was looking for an innovative and interesting
piece to explain the benefits and features of their core
product offering, an Internet software known as Unifi.
“The key objective of this project was to produce a tech-
nology brochure that would appeal to top-level business
people with little or no technology background,” says
in-house art director Shawn Murenbeeld. In trying to
develop a theme that would tie in all of the product’s
key attributes and benefits, the idea of using the human
head emerged. “As the control center for the body, the
human head has many parallels with the Unifi product,”
explains Murenbeeld. “When I looked it up in the dictionary,
there were a lot of different variations I could use, like
‘get ahead and stay ahead.’ It was very powerful.”
The first challenge came in trying to locate a prototype
head to work with, but nothing from mannequins to
wooden hat forms seemed to fit the bill. “I eventually
hired a wood carver and gave him a sketch of what I
wanted. He went in with a chainsaw and carved out a
CLIENT:
DWL Incorporated’s enterprise
customer management applications
consolidate fragmented customer
relationship management (CRM),
back-office, and e-business
systems into unified industry
solutions.
FIRM:
DWL Incorporated
(in-house creative services)
ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER:
Shawn Murenbeeld
MANUFACTURER OF HEADS:
Sculpture Connection
ILLUSTRATOR:
Shawn Murenbeeld
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Michael Kohn
COPYWRITER:
Alex Baird
ABOVE: On the cover image, a
wooden head was sanded and
oiled. Then old computer parts,
purchased from a junk store, were
attached with reusable adhesive
putty called Tac’N Stik. The interior
is broken up into six modules,
each featuring a key attribute
of the product.
Graphic Design That Works
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W)
96
rough shape with no eyes or gender,” recalls
Murenbeeld. “Once I had the carved heads, I just
added stuff to them.” Several Styrofoam heads were
also carved. Everything from international magazines
and newspapers to refrigerator magnets, connectors,
and computer parts were used to symbolically convey
the message of each key attribute. “For the module on
security, I went to a fence place, bought barbed wire,
and twisted it into an invisible tornado,” details
Murenbeeld. “The barbed wire was held in place with
this clever device created with washers and bolts.”
Once the heads were photographed, it was a challenge
to get all of the colors to match and the gradations to
be consistent. The layout, however, was a breeze. Each
spread features the concept illustration, a select quote
from a customer, a clever headline, and the appropriate
text to explain each featured attribute.
LEFT: To illustrate the concept
Push Our Buttons
, various
household knobs are adhered
to a Styrofoam head that is
painted gray and speckled
with black latex paint. The
copy and a customer quote
also work together to convey
the message.
BELOW: The head series is also
used for a promotional packet.
The postcards function as
leave-behinds in customer
hotel rooms at tradeshows.
What Works
By symbolically using the human head in various ways,
the innovative product brochure was able to clearly
explain all of the product’s main attributes and benefits
in an interesting and captivating way, attracting
attention from top-level management. As a result, the
brochure has been well received by both prospective
clients and business partners alike. “IBM was so
impressed that instead of developing materials for us
to promote Unifi, they let us design our own material,”
adds Murenbeeld. Because of the versatility of the head
image, it became the standard icon for Unifi.
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