Design study, Community
Summer Reading Club
A self-initiated design study: Sign kids up for the summer reading club and keep them visiting the library through August.
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
- Community
- Audience
- Kids and teens, and the parents who want to keep them reading while school is out.
- Objective
- Sign kids up for the summer reading club and keep them visiting the library through August.
- When and where
- All summer, starting June 14, Harbor Library and branches
Concept A: Go Anywhere 12
Frames each book as a trip, so a summer close to home can still feel like an adventure. Type style.
Concept B: Simple for Parents 12
Lays out the simple steps for busy parents: sign up, read, log the books, and pick up prizes. Scene style.
Concept C: No Summer Slide 12
Pokes fun at the summer brain drain with a playground gag: the only slide kids need is at the park. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Go Anywhere 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 6.19 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 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 6.19 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.19 to 1 |