Creating a communications strategy is perhaps one of the most important roles of a public relations practitioner. Practitioners create communication strategies to create prototypes on how to best reach their publics. This can include interpreting what type of language they will use in their communication and what graphics will accompany their work.

To create an impactful communication strategy, practitioners must learn how to do adequate research to back up their communications. Simply put, practitioners must fully know their publics before they attempt to communicate.

Incorporating research in drafting a communication plan can teach practitioners quite a bit about their target publics, including demographics, the time that they are most active on social media, their approximate locations, and many more factors.

Prototyping in Business Cards: The Islanders

When creating a business card, it is important to understand the basic components of the design that you are hoping to create. For example, we must look at the visual language, what the visuals will look like, the meaning behind the type and images present, and the connotations these components leave on the design.

For my business card, I plan to design for the New York Islanders, a hockey team out of Long Island, New York. My visual language will associate with the Islanders’ core principles of being involved in their community. In this way, I plan to incorporate the Islanders logo and the impact that they have had on the community.

The New York Islanders make it a point to visit children in children’s hospitals. This image from SBU News, 2011 shows the Islanders’ commitment to serving their community.

My business card and letterhead will be more image-driven. The islanders have a really impactful logo that really shows who they are, and I believe that if I format my designs based on the sense of consistency found in the logo, I can create a more seamless design.

In my design, I will make it my mission to have my type and images portray the Islanders’ commitment to serving the Long Island and global community. Additionally, I hope to portray the Islanders’ hockey skills and the fun offered to fans at Islanders games.

Why the Islanders?

This image from Sports Video Group shows the fun found in the New York Islanders’ UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

In my design, I hope to incorporate the same sense of frivolous fun that Islanders fans experience at the UBS Arena. I hope that my design can change some of the lives of individuals who may not be as involved in the hockey scene and draw more attention to the New York Islanders. Additionally, I hope to inspire preexisting Islanders fans to reflect on exactly why they love their team.