On all of these emails, I sourced visuals from Chegg’s stock photo library - non-'stock-looking' hero shots and extras from on-going photo shoots headed up by staff art directors. After reading the brief and copy, my process started with searching the library then comping up visuals that would best tell the story for the ask: for example, students displaying stress, humor, urgency, defeat, relief, et cetera. Working with the creative director, I edited mocked up emails until approved. Once we had our approved hero image, I photo retouched it to match Chegg's style. Finally, I produced the completed emails shown.
This email shows my art direction. My challenge was you show a contrast - good test outcome / sad test outcome. After pitching a number of concepts (stinky food v. treats, happy v. sad kids), I set out to use a contrasting pair of images from Chegg’s stock photo library. I was able to find contrasting images from different shoots which featured the same model - a bonus. I further amplified the Chegg visual style by adding the white margin doodle art. Once my concept was approved, I explored different animation techniques until deciding on the simple wipe shown. Finally, I produced the completed email shown.
On this email, my art direction challenge was to show the Chegg Study service as a student’s trusted study companion. Also, there was a request to utilize a product shot on a mobile device. I thought personifying a mobile phone with a Chegg product screen would be a great way to get a fun, impactful animation. After quickly mocking concepts like a video game with our Chegg phone shooting down worrisome calendar alerts and the Chegg phone with a superhero fluttering cape visuals, I concepted our Chegg phone as the study pal that would sweep all your calendar alerts out of your way - clearing the way for success. Once my concept was approved, I explored different sweeping animations and refined them into the one shown below. Again, I produced the completed email shown.
This email shows my art direction. My challenge was to show a celebrating tutor. After pitching a number of concepts (happy, partying, interacting with tutees on a laptop as shown), I narrowed down my concept to be a tutor on a laptop in a scholastic context, somehow celebrating - a more celebratory version of the far right image above. Searching Chegg’s stock photo library with no good results, I lucked out: an adjacent photo shoot was in progress for Display Ad and UX images. I sent a mock of the email to our photographer and with some quick requests and instruction, I retrieved the yellow sweater image as shown. My CD and I liked the celebratory nature of the 2nd image above, so I explored animating confetti into it. Finally, I produced the completed email shown.
This email shows my art direction. My challenge was to show a student procrastinating. After pitching a number of concepts (dire look, startled/stressed, zonked out as shown), I narrowed down my concept to have the student look like they were *actively* procrastinating. Searching Chegg’s stock photo library, I found many defeated or tired images of students - not many passed the test where the student looked active in their procrastinating. Finally, I found a series where the talent struck a balance between goofing off while looking intentional about it: I sent a mock to CD, got it approved, then I set out to explore the animated headline style. Finally, I produced the completed email series as shown.
