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Public Awareness Campaign

 

Choose a topic that you'd like to educate the public about.

Pick something that is close to you and something you believe in.

  • dangers of texting while driving

  • importance of being screened for breast cancer or prostate cancer

  • recycling

  • dangers of food additives

  • sending letters/gifts to our troops overseas

  • providing shoes for African children

  • helping AIDS orphans in poor countries

  • pet adoption

  • spaying and neutering pets

  • adult illiteracy

  • pesticide usage

  • digging wells in third world countries

  • save art education!

  • rhino poaching

  • importance of wearing a skateboard helmet

You will be creating a campaign which includes a unique name, logo and targeted design pieces which will educate the public about the issue. You will also include a call to action or provide a way that the public can help or get involved with the issue.

 

STEP

1

Define Campaign

  1. Decide on an issue or cause that you'd like to educate the public about. Define the problem.

  2. Who is the demographic you will be targeting?

  3. Exactly what do you want the public to do?

  4. Come up with a catchy, unique campaign title or phrase.
    This will be the glue that holds the entire campaign together.

skateboard helmet example page
Adobe CC protest example page

helpful reminder about presentation & font consistency (Yes I want you to make a template)

STEP

2

Research

Collect applicable data for your campaign. Use the interwebs and googling to find information, data, and statistics that you can use in your campaign. Look back at the goal of your campaign (previous step) and look for information that supports your goal.

What visuals will help you to support your goal?

DOCUMENT AND CITE ALL OF YOUR SOURCES!

skateboard helmet example page - 2 page PDF
Adobe CC example page - 2 page PDF

STEP

3

Thumbnail Sketches

Small, quick, variety. It's NOT about the drawing ability. It's about idea generation, concept and brainstorming.

skateboard helmet sketches
Adobe CC sketches

STEP

4

Type Study

Search for fonts with the "voice" that complements your concept, theme, and message.
Compare fonts side by side.

We'll study the importance of SIMPLICITY in logo design.

skateboard helmet type study
Adobe CC type study

STEP

5

THE POSTER

The Overview
Design a poster for your campaign. We just did an in-class activity in which you described how professionally designed advertisements caught your attention. So, your poster design needs to have a "hook" to grab the viewer's attention. Refer to in-class demonstrations and instructions for further information and helpful hints.

 

Process Book
Document your process along the way from step A to B to C to Z. Here's an "in progress" process book. The process is a tool to HELP you arrive at a creative solution.

 

1. Brainstorming

This is going to require some serious thought, effort, & creativity. This won't be easy. If it were, would the client need to hire a graphic designer?

You've got 2 very specific questions to answer:
A. What is the hook? - How are you going to creatively catch the viewer's attention? Figure out what is predictable and then think of the opposite. Think outside the box. Think about analogies or metaphors? Think about using shock, contrast, humor, emotion, irony, etc.

B. What is the specific action item? - What exactly do you want the public to do about your issue? It needs to be something measurable.

 

2. Visual Inspiration
What visual styles or techniques do you think would serve your poster well? What would help communicate your message? What appeals to your target audience?

Keep "do-ability" in mind. You know your abilities with Illustrator and Photoshop. You also know the time frame that we have to work on this project. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.

 

3. Specific Text
What exactly will the actual text be? What is L1, L2 and L3? What fonts make sense? The text must briefly inform the viewer of the overall issue.

Level 1 - Keep it short. This is where you'll likely use a novelty font because it can help convey your message.

Level 2 - This will likely will be the action item...but not necessarily. It could also be a sub-headline which could further help explain the Level 1 headline. It could be info about the overall issue. Novelty fonts are OK, but make sure that it is readable.

Level 3 - This is the least important info on the poster so it will draw the least attention. Novelty fonts are NOT appropriate here. Readability is paramount.

 

4. Refined Sketch
This is a large scale mock up sketch (pencil) of the poster design and layout. Drawing ability isn't important. You can use simple geometric shapes to convey imagery. What's important here is layout, placement, size, & proportion. Where will imagery go and how big will it be? How much space will your level 1 text occupy?

This is where you will you will demonstrate the techniques that you've studied! Breathing room, alignment, hierarchy, contrast/readability - these are NOT optional.

 

Source imagery - "Thou shalt not useth low-resolution imagery lest ye be smited!" So sayeth thy design teacher." That comes straight out of Kennedy 1:1. Interweb imagery MUST be high resolution. Period. You are encouraged to use graphicstock.com as a resource...seriously, college design students would kill to have this resource!

Clearly document source imagery.

 

Final Poster
• 11" x 17" vertical or horizontal
• 0.25" safety zone on all 4 edges (workable area = 11.5" x 17.5")
• final poster compiled in Illustrator (due to vector text)
• use as much or as little Photoshop as you feel comfortable with
• check web site for saving & submitting info

 

Process Book
Compile, organize and make print-ready the physical process book.

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