Design study, Technology
Permits Online
A self-initiated design study: Move permit applications online by showing how easy the new portal is to use from a phone or computer.
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
- Technology
- Audience
- Homeowners, contractors, and event organizers who apply for permits and dread the line at city hall.
- Objective
- Move permit applications online by showing how easy the new portal is to use from a phone or computer.
- When and where
- Open around the clock, From any phone or computer
Concept A: No More Counter Line 12
Promises the end of the counter line, the part of permitting people dread most, and hands that time back to them. Type style.
Concept B: Three Clear Steps 12
Walks through the steps, apply, upload, and track, so first-time users know what to expect. Scene style.
Concept C: Pajamas Allowed 12
Shows someone filing a permit in slippers on the couch, the opposite of the old counter line. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of No More Counter Line 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 5.26 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 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 5.26 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 5.26 to 1 |