Design study, Experiences
Fireworks Over the Bay
A self-initiated design study: Help crowds plan fireworks night ahead, with transit, viewing areas, and safety tips, so the evening runs smoothly.
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
- Experiences
- Audience
- Families and visitors planning to watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the shoreline.
- Objective
- Help crowds plan fireworks night ahead, with transit, viewing areas, and safety tips, so the evening runs smoothly.
- When and where
- Sunday, July 4 | 9 pm, Viewing all along the bay
Concept A: Everyone Looks Up 12
Celebrates the rare moment when the whole city looks up at the same sky at the same time. Type style.
Concept B: Plan the Night 12
Puts logistics first, transit, viewing areas, and arrival time, since crowds are the biggest headache. Scene style.
Concept C: Leave It to Us 12
Uses humor to steer people away from backyard fireworks, since the professionals have the show covered. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Everyone Looks Up 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 5.16 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 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 5.16 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.16 to 1 |