I've created artwork for a number of vehicle wrap jobs, from buses to Smart cars, but I don't think any of them was as much fun to do as the van livery for the Longdown Activity Farm van. Using cartoon elements I created for their leaflets and promotional material, I was asked to come up with a design that reflected the spirit of the farm. The results are really striking against the dark grey paint job and it's certainly going to stand out when on the road. You definitely couldn't sneak off somewhere in it.

The original design that I did was much more ambitious, featuring animals sat with swept-back ears as if in an open backed van with a roof covered in boxes of produce, chickens and chicks, but it was in danger of trying to do too much. The final version simplifies the design and uses the yellow straw bales to add a vibrant contrast to the charcoal grey of the paint.

Any vehicle design has to take in a number of factors, such as placement of door handles and number plates, how the doors move, and where they sit when they're open. Also, as a designer I often need a reality check from the people actually outputting and applying the graphics, in this case Splash Display, because not everything I lay out can be possible when the curvature, or even the material, of the panels is taken into consideration. 

Longdown Activity Farm are very pleased with the result, so if you see it out and about on the road be sure to give it a wave.