Design study, Environment
Drains to the Bay
A self-initiated design study: Get residents to keep soap, oil, trash, and yard waste out of storm drains, which flow straight to the bay.
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
- Environment
- Audience
- Homeowners, renters, and small businesses who wash cars, hose patios, or tend yards near storm drains.
- Objective
- Get residents to keep soap, oil, trash, and yard waste out of storm drains, which flow straight to the bay.
- When and where
- All year, especially before rain, Every street drain in town
Concept A: Straight to the Fish 12
Follows a single drop from the curb to the fish, making an invisible path feel personal. Type style.
Concept B: Easy Swaps 12
Offers swaps that cost nothing, like washing cars on grass, sweeping instead of hosing, and bagging clippings. Scene style.
Concept C: Fish Didn't Order 12
Gives the fish a voice, politely declining the soap, oil, and cigarette butts sent their way. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Straight to the Fish 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 6.08 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 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 6.08 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.08 to 1 |