Design study, Waterfront
Art Along the Bay
A self-initiated design study: Introduce the new waterfront sculptures and get people to walk the full art trail with a map in hand.
These are self-initiated studies, not client work. Each is a fictional campaign; none was commissioned by, produced for, or approved by any agency or organization.
The brief
- Line of business
- Waterfront
- Audience
- Residents and visitors who walk the waterfront and may not know new public artworks are installed.
- Objective
- Introduce the new waterfront sculptures and get people to walk the full art trail with a map in hand.
- When and where
- Open daily | Dawn to dusk, Shoreline Park to Pier 5
Concept A: Through Local Eyes 12
Highlights the local stories behind each piece, so people see their own neighborhood reflected in the art. Type style.
Concept B: Trail Map 12
Gives people a clear route with a start, an end, and a map, turning scattered pieces into a real outing. Scene style.
Concept C: Camera Roll Ready 12
Leans into how people actually experience public art today, phone in hand, and invites them to share it. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Through Local Eyes 12
The first direction adapted rather than translated: the headline, supporting line, and call to action rewritten in Spanish, with the layout reflowed for the longer text. Type style.
What was checked
Every one of the 48 pieces was checked as it was composed. The lowest text contrast measured anywhere in this study is 5.20 to 1, against a minimum of 4.5 to 1. Type sizes are in the units of each format: pixels for digital formats, and for print, units of the drawing at the sizes shown.
| Format | Minimum type size | Smallest set | Lowest contrast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster, 18 by 24 inches | 11 | 13.2 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 5.20 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.20 to 1 |