Design Brief

Overview

Over the course of this project, I will be designing for Hospitality House of Charlotte. Hospitality House of Charlotte was started in 1985; it provides a “home away from home” shelter for out-of-town families who have come to Charlotte to visit their loved ones in the hospital. It reached nonprofit status in 1987. The project will include a logo, poster, brochure, and website for the organization. Using a cohesive system of design, I will attempt to unite all of the assignments and communicate to my audience that each one represents the same organization and their message. Hospitality House of Charlotte already has a working website and logo, although I will be redesigning both, in my style of design, while keeping in contact with my client in order to keep my redesigns within their needs. A brochure and poster promoting their organization is needed, however, and, I as stated before, I will be sure to keep in contact with my client over what they want to be represented and expressed. My client will be Kimberly Melton, executive director of Hospitality House of Charlotte, and she has stated that she will introduce me to Susan Ross, the director of development.

Final due date for the project is Thursday, April 28.

Service Sector Review

Hospitality is the focus of this organization with added emphasis on convenience and amenities. Hospitality House of Charlotte is located across the street from Carolinas Medical Center, literally within walking distance, and roughly 3 miles away from Presbyterian Hospital. Hospitality House of Charlotte asks their guests to pay a $40 charge per room per night. They provide two twin beds and a private bath for their overnight guests, as well as a common room which features internet access and television, a fully stocked pantry for complimentary meals, a sunroom for quite reflection, a play area for children and a laundry room. They also have a day guest program that allows for guests to stay at the house, free of charge, with all of the above amenities (sans overnight room), but requires no cost.[1]

Any hotel nearby could be considered a major competitor, especially those with low pricing, a national awareness towards their brand, and those closer to Presbyterian Hospital. One such hotel is the Days Inn about a mile and a half from Presbyterian Hospital. They are located in the heart of the downtown area with starting rates at $45 a night, only $5 extra than a night at Hospitality House of Charlotte. 25 inch televisions are located in all non-smoking rooms and king size beds are located in all single rooms. It opened in 1973, 18 years before Hospitality House of Charlotte, and was renovated in 1993. It features 2 stories with connected rooms and an adjacent restaurant.[2] Some Days Inn hotels include a complimentary breakfast and internet access.[3]

Econo Lodge offers two hotels near Presbyterian Hospital, one 2 and another 3 miles away. The one located 2 miles away has a starting rate at $60 a night and offers a complimentary breakfast, internet access, seasonal outdoor pool, two-room suites, room appliances and pet accommodation (for an extra $25 per pet).[4] The Econo Lodge 3 miles away has rates starting at $45 a night and offers the same amenities as the one above (only it is an extra $10 for the pet accommodations).[5] The Econo Lodge is part of Choice Hotels International, which offers a reward program for those who not only stay with Econo Lodge, but any of their hotels as well.[6]

Trends in the industry seem to be internet access, complimentary meals, and television as means of convenience and possible enticements to have guests choose their hotels. In a state of economic crisis, the hospitality business must rely on low prices, which are a priority, plus the added cost of the hospital room would almost require a cheap place to stay until the family’s relative was out of his/her room. Hospitality House of Charlotte offers walking distance to one of its associated hospitals and is located near the other. It also offers something the other hotels do not, and that is its day program for those who don’t need an overnight room but might need the stress-free environment.

Target Audience Review

Target audience is towards visiting family members who live outside the Mecklenburg county area with patients of any age admitted to the hospital, donators, and volunteers. Volunteers’ would range from male and female, teens to adult (possibly 16 to 55), possibly middle to upper-class. Donators would range from male or female adults, ages 30 to 80, most likely upper and upper-middle class and maybe those that have had a bad experience with not being able to find a place to stay in unfamiliar territory during a family crisis. Those visiting the house would range from female and male, ages 18 and up; even though the house accepts all ages into its facility, children would not have the power to make the decision to stay there.

Places that the audience may come in contact with the product may include hospitals, newspaper articles, from families in the Mecklenburg area who have had pleasant experiences with the house, outside surrounding areas of the Mecklenburg area, and perhaps further away (Hospitality House of Charlotte has had visitors from 49 states and over 30 countries).[7]

Company Background

Hospitality House of Charlotte was created because of the lack of overnight housing for families who live outside of the Charlotte Mecklenburg area but with relatives being treated at Charlotte hospitals.

Hospitality House of Charlotte started as MMAE’s Inn (Mecklenburg Medical Auxiliary and Endowment) in Charlotte, North Carolina, 1985, after a healthcare survey noticed that out of town families needed a place to stay and they often found themselves staying at the hospital. In 1998, the name Hospitality House of Charlotte was adopted to better reflect their affiliation with the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses (NAHHH) and to reflect the hospitable service it provides to the families. The organization is operated by a board of directors headed my chairmen Glenda Wooten and is funded by numerous donators, volunteers and guests. Staff help operate the house, including my client, Kimberly Melton as executive director, Susan Ross as director of development, Angie Bush as business manager, and Dana Plummer as administrative assistant.[8]

Advantages of the organization include low overnight prices, complimentary kitchen with stocked pantry, close distance to both hospitals, one within walking distance, play area for children, laundry facilities, sunroom for personal relaxation, and they help with arranging transportation to and from the hospital.[9]

Disadvantages would be prepayment for the nights you plan to stay (if unsure how long you’ll be they ask for a 5 night prepayment but offer a refund for says you don’t stay with them), other hotels closer to further hospital around the same price as their overnight fee, and they only offer housing to those outside the Mecklenburg area.

I plan to include the relationship between the organization and the hospital as well as a “home away from home” feeling in my design.

Business Objectives	Design Strategies
Ensure all assignments feel as thought they belong to the same organization.	I’ll design a systematic color scheme that will easily cross from one assignment to the other. Use consistent typographic fonts to ensure that font is associated to the organization and is recognized as such. Use concise imagery of the Hospitality House of Charlotte.
Create a “home away from home” feeling in the work to ease visiting family members.	Use imagery of the organization’s house to imply a warm, home feeling. Warm color scheme perhaps. None, if rare, sharp angles in the design.
Relate the house to the hospital, letting volunteers, donators, and the general populace what we do.	Implement in the logo so the message can be carried throughout the project on all assignments. Combine the idea of the home with that of the hospital, but not to implement the idea of illness or injury.

Phases

Logo

• Phase 1

30-50 thumbnails and 15 b/w roughs.

• Phase 2

Narrow list of roughs to 3, put in color.

• Phase 3

Choose one and refine.

• Phase 4

Finish

Poster

• Phase 1

20 thumbnails and 10 poster roughs

• Phase 2

Narrow roughs to 3, refine.

• Phase 3

Choose 1 and continue refining.

Phase 4

• Finish

Brochure

• Phase 1

10 Concept directions

• Phase 2

Narrow to 2 concepts.

• Phase 3

Refine 1 concept.

• Phase 4

Finish

Website

• Phase 1

Design 3 website roughs.

• Phase 2

Refine 1 rough.

• Phase 3

Finish

Research Questions

• How do you target audiences outside of the state?
• How have volunteers heard of you before?
• Why have previous users of Hospitality House of Charlotte used you before, instead of nearby hotels?

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[1] http://www.hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org/staying_with_us.asp#guest_programs

[2] http://www.hotels-rates.com/hotels_reservations/property/9790/#top

[3] http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/days_hotels?variant=

[4] http://www.hotels-rates.com/hotels_reservations/property/126265/#amenities

[5] http://www.hotels-rates.com/hotels_reservations/property/12407/#top

[6] http://www.choicehotels.com/en/choice-privileges?sid=ADIIi.bhw_rgAA9g.13

[7] http://www.hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org/about.asp

[8] http://www.hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org/staff.asp

[9] http://www.hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org/staying_with_us.asp