Design study, Waterfront
Waterfront Plan Open House
A self-initiated design study: Get a broad mix of residents to review the draft waterfront plan and submit comments 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
- Waterfront
- Audience
- Residents, renters, and business owners near the bayfront who will live with the plan for decades.
- Objective
- Get a broad mix of residents to review the draft waterfront plan and submit comments before the deadline.
- When and where
- Wednesday, March 10 | 5 to 8 pm, Bayfront Plaza Hall
Concept A: Shape What's Next 12
Reminds residents the plan will shape the bay their kids grow up with, which makes commenting feel personal. Type style.
Concept B: Plain Plan Talk 12
Promises plain language and real people to talk with, lowering the bar for residents who skip formal hearings. Scene style.
Concept C: Before the Pour 12
A wry reminder that the easiest time to change a plan is before anything gets poured. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Shape What's Next 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 6.18 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 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 6.18 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 6.18 to 1 |