Design study, Waterfront
Seawall Repair Detour
A self-initiated design study: Steer path users onto the signed detour during seawall repairs and keep them coming back once it reopens.
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
- Walkers, runners, and bike commuters who use the bayfront path every day.
- Objective
- Steer path users onto the signed detour during seawall repairs and keep them coming back once it reopens.
- When and where
- Now through April 30, Bayfront path near Pier 3
Concept A: Stronger Shore 12
Explains the why, a stronger seawall that protects the path for decades, so the detour feels worth it. Type style.
Concept B: Follow the Arrows 12
Uses bold directional graphics and plain steps, so people know the route before they reach the fence. Scene style.
Concept C: Worth the Wait 12
Owns the inconvenience with a smile and a promise, which builds more patience than an apology. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Stronger Shore 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 |