Design study, Maritime
Learn to Sail Saturdays
A self-initiated design study: Fill beginner sailing lessons with first-timers and break the idea that sailing is out of reach.
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
- Maritime
- Audience
- Teens and adults who have never sailed and assume it is only for people who own a boat.
- Objective
- Fill beginner sailing lessons with first-timers and break the idea that sailing is out of reach.
- When and where
- Summer Saturdays | 9 am to noon, Harbor Green Boathouse
Concept A: That First Breeze 12
Captures the moment the sail fills for the first time, the feeling that turns a nervous beginner into a sailor. Type style.
Concept B: No Boat Required 12
Removes the biggest barrier head on: you need no boat, no gear, and no experience to start. Scene style.
Concept C: Know the Ropes 12
Plays on the old saying to promise that by the end of the morning, beginners literally will. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of That First Breeze 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 6.59 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 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 6.59 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.59 to 1 |