Design study, Community
Summer Youth Jobs
A self-initiated design study: Get teens to apply for paid summer jobs at parks, the harbor, and libraries before the deadline.
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
- Teens and young adults looking for a first paid job, and parents who want them working close to home.
- Objective
- Get teens to apply for paid summer jobs at parks, the harbor, and libraries before the deadline.
- When and where
- Apply by Friday, April 16, Online or at any library
Concept A: First Paycheck 12
Captures the pride of a first paycheck and a first reference, the start of a working life. Type style.
Concept B: No Experience Yet 12
Breaks the first-job catch, no job without experience, by stating plainly that training is included. Scene style.
Concept C: Paid Outdoors 12
Contrasts a sunny job by the bay with a summer stuck indoors, a pitch teens get right away. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of First Paycheck 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 |