kill bill 6 social awareness camaign

PROJECT 1Designing to Speak Your Mind

AMANDA KERNTHE ROLE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IN SOCIAL AWARENESS

PROFESSOR WILLIAM CONRAD APRIL 4, 2010]

TABLE OF CONTENTSPROJECT OBJECTIVES ...................................................3INTRODUCTION & RESEARCH ................................... 4-6STRATEGY & BRAINSTORMING ....................................7RESEARCHING CAMPAIGNS .........................................8GETTING INSPIRED .................................................. 9-11ROUGH DRAFTS ..................................................... 12-16LOGO COMPS ......................................................... 17-18RESEARCHING ADVERTISING VEHICLES ....................19PROJECT IMAGERY ............................................... 20-23BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN ......................................... 24-29MALL DIRECTORY CAMPAIGN .............................. 30-32MALL FLOOR CAMPAIGN ...................................... 33-36FINAL THOUGHTS ........................................................37

AMANDA KERN | PROJECT 1 | THE ROLE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IN SOCIAL AWARENESS | PROFESSOR WILLIAM CONRAD | MAY 2, 2010

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PROJECT 1 OBJECTIVESObjectiveDesign a body of work that aims to create public dialog regarding a specific social issue of your choosing. Your final solutions can be in any format, provided it is appropriate to the subject matter: a series of posters, a magazine, a Web site, informational mailers, or any combination thereof. The rationale for choosing the construct should be validated by your choice of topic and target audience. The topic can be as general (domestic violence) or as specific (child abuse in rural areas) as you wish. You must determine your target audience and your tenor immediately. Will you use humor? Satire? Shock? An appeal to intellect? Only then can you determine what elements will be best fitted to the project. The objective is to communicate the desired message to the desired target audience in as effective a fashion as possible.

ProcessDue at the end of Unit 2 in PDF format. The design brief should include the following components: • introduction • researchmethodology • targetaudience • geographicscope(regional,national,etc) • adescriptionofthestrategy • objectivesthatdefinedyourdesigndecisions.Although word count is not an accurate factor in determining your brief’s degree of thoroughness, 1,000 words is a reasonable estimate.

Research & process componentYour topic must be thoroughly researched before you begin any serious design work. Subject matter that focuses on divisive issues must include research on the opposing viewpoint as well as the viewpoint to which you adhere. You must fully understand the scope of the issue before you can hope to address it in an informed fashion. Research should also include examples (in visual and written form) of past design work done for the same cause. Download visuals as you run across them, and save URLs in a file for future reference. This research should be compiled neatly in a project binder for your own reference.

Other areas of process include written brainstorming, thumbnail sketches, and computer developed roughs. Word association brainstorming with a pen and paper is an excellent way to discover unique solutions. Once you have completed your research, write down any key words from your research, and begin writing other words that are in any way associated. Such an exercise may help facilitate your creative explorations. Thumbnails should show evidence of extensive exploration.

Design componentDesign a substantial body of work that aims to create public dialog regarding a specific social issue of your choosing. Your final solutions can be in any format, provided the format is appropriate to the subject matter. If print work is a component of the project, the work should be comped in a professional manner. The objective is to communicate the desired message to the desired target audience in an effective fashion as possible.


INTRODUCTIONKill Bill 6Currently in Florida legistration is attempting to make provisions to Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 7189 that would establish a system of accountability for educators by focusing a teacher’s salary on their student’s ability to succeed in standardized testing. Though it’s great that the government wants to establish a better system of accountability, connecting a teacher’s salary to how well their students perform on standardized tests is not a wise idea. It teaches students that passing a test is more important than learning and it only discourages faculty. In fact, many teachers are considering relocating due to this bill. For my project I would like to create social awareness against passing this bill and hopefully focus on the importance of a teacher’s role in our children’s education.

The BillFlorida House of Representatives intends to make this bill effective July 1, 2010. This bill’s provisions states, “Revises provisions relating to teacher preparation programs, school district compensation & salary schedules, appraisal of education personnel, & educator certification requirements; requires school districts to develop & implement end-of-course assessments; creates Performance Fund for Instructional Personnel & School-Based Administrators; provides employment criteria for newly hired classroom teachers; authorizes school districts meeting certain requirements to seek an exemption from certain laws.”


RESEARCHFacts about the billThe following are a few facts behind the bill and would help understanding the reasoning for why it should not be supported.

•ThebillwouldapplytoFloridapublicschools. •StudentswouldbemeasuredintheirsuccessontheFCAT

(Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). •Thebillwouldpunishteachersifstudentsdon’t“makethe

mark” by affecting teacher’s salaries. •ThebillwouldapplytoFloridapublicschools. •Thebillwouldn’tpromotethinkingorlearning,it’dpromote

test taking. There is a fear that children would be in classrooms that are transformed into “test-prep” classes.

•Thebillprohibitsteachersfromearningincentivepayforpursuing a graduate degree.

•Thebilldecreasesateacher’senthusiasmandcreativityasan educator because they become far more concerned on preparing students to pass a standardized test.

•Continuedpoorstudentperformancecouldleadtoateacher’stermination. The bill creates fear of job security.

•Thebilldoesnottakeintoaccountthevarietyofinfluencesstudents have during their school years such as family influences,variationsoflearningstyles,differentneeds,backgrounds, and interests.

SOURCESSenate Bill 6 / House Bill 7189: An Open Letter to Our Legislature. http://www.examiner.com/x-12824-Dade-County-Education-Policy-Examiner~y2010m3d27-Senate-Bill-6--House-Bill-7189-An-Open-Letter-to-Our-LegislatureFEA: Senate Bill 6 / House Bill 7189: Side by Side Facts. http://feaweb.org/sb-6-and-hb-7189-side-by-side-factsCivic Concern: Tell the Florida House and Governor Crist: Stop SB 6/HB 7189! http://www.civicconcern.org/action/stop_sb_6/HB7189-EducationPersonnel.http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=44566&SessionId=64


RESEARCHTarget Audience & Geographic scopeThis bill affects the state of Florida, though it wouldn’t be surprising if other states followed suit. If the bill is passed it’s likely to gain attention beyond Florida. I know of no educators that approve of the bill and if it is passed it will likely be heavily protested as it has been recently. This bill would also affect other states because if it passes it would likely lead to many teachers relocating to other states. It would heavily impact Florida’s educators by pushing many of the most qualified away from the state. It’s likely that less qualified educators would fill positions to meet needs.

The target audience would be any educator, parent, grand parent, or anyone who cares about the education of children. Though it would be directedtowardsthoseinfluencedbyK-12education,othereducatorswouldbeinfluencedbecauseitdoesimpacthowourchildrenwilllearn and perform in higher education. It would certainly be directed to legislators and the governor too.


STRATEGY & BRAINSTORMINGHow I’ll help Kill Bill 6My strategy would include a focus on the negative impacts this bill would have on our children and on educators. It will deter the idea of the Billbyinformingtheaudienceofinfluencesonlearningsuchashowallchildren learn differently and a teacher’s salary should not be based on a student’s ability to learn. Ultimately it’s the teacher’s job to teach but it’s thestudent’sresponsibilitytolearn.Manyfactorswillinfluencehowwellstudent’slearnandthoughateacherisaninfluence,theyarenottheonlyinfluenceonachild’seducationalsuccess.Howaboutmakingtheparentsmore accountable for their children’s education too? How about promoting programs that would help those students in need of additional attention who are also the ones at risk of failing the tests?

I’m still debating on how I’ll pull this off visually, but I’d love to make an emotional connection with the audience to help them see that we are only harming our children’s educational futures more. We’re also only discouraging teachers and pushing them away from the state.

I will likely keep with the theme of “Kill Bill 6” because it has gained attention with those protesting the bill. I’m considering a “help wanted” theme or perhaps one that is statistically driven. I’ve also considered a photographic driven campaign that drives the audience emotionally.

Word AssociationAs I researched I strategized a series of words and phrases that will likely impact my direction with this project.

educationFCATstandardized testingdiscouragementlearningtest-prepmake the markkill bill 6money/fundingcompensation

salaryresponsibilityincentiveprotesthelp wantedno experiencethrow teachers under busprioritygrades

A or Fpass or failwages successfailuretest takingaccountability


RESEARCHING CAMPAIGNSSearching for Social AwarenessDuring the first week of the course we all searched for examples of social awareness campaigns. This research helped us all see the impact design can have on making others socially aware of issues and causes going on. I found the cancer and allergy awareness campaign and the aids campaign the most effective during my research. They used either bold imagery or facts that caught your attention.


GETTING INSPIREDWanted inspirationI began by researching old examples of “wanted” posters with the thought that I could potentially use a wanted theme to create awareness.


GETTING INSPIREDTypography inspirationI began looking at design insiration and felt inspired by typography usage. Because teachers are on a budget I could see this being a low cost project that could involve screenprinting. Strong typography with minimal imagery could really leave a lasting and memorable impact.


GETTING INSPIREDTypography inspirationI enjoyed thinking of ways typography could be pushed to help create the visuals. The messaging could be really powerful and insighfully created through the use of typography and minimal imagery.


INITIAL ROUGH DRAFTSKill Bill 6 Poster DesignI began by conceptualizing posters because I felt they would have the biggest impact. Instantly my mind thought of a “wanted” theme similar to the old wester posters. The imagery would likely be illustrative. The messaging would focus on a teacher being “wanted” that was able to make sure students made the grade. Additional type in “detail” would likely go into the detail of how they would be teaching to test, not to learn and enrich students lives.


INITIAL ROUGH DRAFTSKill Bill 6 Poster DesignI went with another concept with a “can you...” theme. I feel the “can you read?” would be ideal to catch someone’s attention. It would be bolder and larger to grab attention. Smaller text below would simply say how teachers would lose their pay or how Florida would likely lose teachers due to the bill.


INITIAL ROUGH DRAFTSKill Bill 6 Poster DesignI did consider using imagery for the “can you...” campaign. I could envision photos of a teacher interacting with students or a close up of a student’s face that could evoke an emotion. Another concept I considered was a poster that just said “kill bill 6” but it would be comprised of illustrative elements that relate to education.


INITIAL ROUGH DRAFTSKill Bill 6 Poster DesignI considered a “thought” theme too where there’d be one larger thought bubble to grab our attention with the main tagline. All others would be other “thoughts”. One poster would be made with student thoughts. Another poster would be made with teacher thoughts. I think this would be the MOST impactful overall. I would illicit actual thoughts from teachers and students so the results would be authentic.


INITIAL ROUGH DRAFTSKill Bill 6 Logo DesignI sketched out a few ideas for logos. I played with the concept of the six and the typography. I find a minimalistic and clean logo suitable. I considered a child like version, but don’t think it’d be best. The bottom right logo seems closest to what I think would be suitable.


LOGO DESIGN DIGITAL COMPSKill Bill 6 Logo DesignI had a typographic logo in mind for this initiative. Though some of the feedback from my classmates did express concern over the relationship the “kill bill” theme had with the movie series “kill bill” I elected to keep with the theme because of the recognition it had already received throughout the state. I had considered changing it to “nix 6” but realized that it wasn’t wise to stray away from an effort that was highly recognized by the public. The fact that those behind starting the opposition and using “kill bill 6” says a lot about how strongly opposed they are to the bill and in turn I felt the grey, black and yellow colors would be an ideal solution to grab attention.

I began with initial typographic concepts using ITC Franklin condensed and extra codensed. I also went with one version italicized.


LOGO DESIGN DIGITAL COMPSKill Bill 6 Logo DesignThough I felt the initial logo comps were impactful I explored more with typefaces in the logo and found using the typeface “misproject” to be ideal for the final logo. I explored with positioning of the 6. As much as I enjoyed the centralized positioning of it I found it to be a challenge to read. I explored with the use of “brackets” around the 6 and felt this could be a great way to help that 6 stand on it’s own and be identifiable with or without “kill bill”.


RESEARCHResearching advertising vehiclesThough I knew I wanted to design a poster I began to dig further into the types of way this advertising campaign could gain exposure beyond just a poster design. I realize that a poster was an effective way of exposure but that to gain full recognition this campaign would likely need other advertising vehicles to really capture the public.

As I explored the possibilities of where to advertise I began to find potential in billboards, mobile vehicle advertising, and bus advertising. I feltoneofthebiggestinfluencesmaybemalladvertising.


PROJECT IMAGERYLocating & taking photosThough I initially was compelled with typographic ideas I realized that photography would be a compelling way of making an impact along with the messaging created. Because I have a background in photography I was opposed to resourcing stock photography for this assignment. I have been in the classroom numerous times taking photos the last two + years so I began by looking through classroom photos that could potentially work for this assignment.


PROJECT IMAGERYLocating & taking photosAfter searching through thousands of photos I had taken since fall 2007 I found most of the memorable photos to involve the expressions on the faces of the children, the atmosphere of the classroom, and the educational experience in general. I realized quickly that though I had a lot of photos to begin with I’d have to search beyond just the photos I had taken in the classroom.


PROJECT IMAGERYLocating & taking photosI also resourced photos I have taken of older children that could possibly work for this project. I felt that portraits might help leave a strong impact because the public could relate the messaging with a face to make the messaging more memorable.


PROJECT IMAGERYLocating & taking photosThough I had strong initial photos I realized I wanted a more diverse group of photos to add to both the age group and perception of the campaign. I took a few older children out to capture photos that could potentially be used in the campaign. Because I was taking a more serious approach with this campaign I coached the kids into mostly taking photos with more serious expressions to help make the impact more memorable.


BILLBOARD CAMPAIGNMaking a big impact.I began the campaign with billboard designs. I felt the need to go big with this messaging and felt it’d make a big impact from a distance. I focused on the strong portaits of the children with messaging that evolves around the concept of how this bill does not promote learning but test taking. I tried to tie in as many of the concerns across the multiple campaign and felt that the bold statements said from the perspective of a child to be something that’s tough not to remember. The following pages will share the billboard concepts designed to promote this campaign.


BILLBOARD DESIGNMaking a big impact.


MALL DIRECTORY CAMPAIGNMaking a big impact.I pushed the billboard design a step further and felt the mall directory signage would be an ideal location to advertise. I used some of the same imagery but some I changed up to fit the new dimensions. I also have some new messaging added to this series of the campaign. The campaign could be also used at a smaller size as a poster campaign in schools.

The following pages will feature the mall directory campaign.


MALL DIRECTORY CAMPAIGNMaking a big impact.


MALL FLOOR CAMPAIGNMaking a big impact.I suppose it would only be fitting to do a bit more mall advertising by addinggraphicstothefloorthroughoutthemall.TomethisisalmostlikeShephard Fairey’s “sticker” campaigns where I could use spots that are heavily travelled to bring constant reminders to “kill bill 6”. The following pageswillsharethefloorcampaign.


MALL FLOOR CAMPAIGNMaking a big impact.


FINAL THOUGHTSReflecting on project 1.This campaign holds a lot of potential to be expanded to many other advertising vehicles. It could easily be translated to posters, various outdoor displays, bus advertising, newspaper advertisement, and more. I hope the mixture of photography and messaging were perceived in a way which leaves an impact with the viewer to want to do more to help eliminate the bill.

If I had more time I would have wanted to pursue approaching this also from the teacher’s position. Unfortunately the timing and scheduling didn’t work out to take that approach.

In the midst of this project this bill was veto’d by the governor so I must admit I lost steam in the midst of the project feeling as though this project was pointless now that the bill is no longer being passed. However, despite this bill the meaning behind the messaging says a lot and could likely be translated into another educational initiative. It’s evident that the school systems do think highly of standardized testing so perhaps it might be worthy towards another cause that confronts standardized testing.


kill bill 6 social awareness camaign

Documents

project binder

project imagery

serious design work

bill effective

amanda kern project

design componentdesign

design brief

specific social issue