Designing a campaign to increase census participation
because $22 billion is at stake for the state of Massachusetts.
because $22 billion is at stake for the state of Massachusetts.
City of Boston
Design Lead,
Product Designer
City of Boston,
Department of Innovation and Technology
1 month
PROBLEM
10 years. 1 shot.
10 years. 1 shot.
Conducted once every 10 years, the United States census is fast approaching for 2020. We were tasked to increase census participation because $22 billion is at stake for the state of Massachusetts. These funds are to be spent towards social welfare programs to help those in need.
There are three overarching problems we need to tackle:
🙈 There are two censuses that will be taken at overlapping times. The city takes an annual census count, so residents may be unaware that a federal census is being taken, leading to a severe undercount for national data.
🙊 Three neighborhoods (Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan) have the lowest census participation rates.
🙉 Given the current political climate of the country, there is huge distrust with the government.
SOLUTION
3 Problems. 3 Designs.
3 Problems. 3 Designs.
Given that key objectives included maximizing census participation, ensuring designs that were authentic, inclusive and representative of all Boston residents, was an absolute must.
Photo Campaign: Optimizing census exposure to increase awareness throughout the city.
Social Media Campaign: Consolidating a centralized theme among the city’s many social media platforms.
Educational Campaign: Disseminating information in an interactive and engaging manner.
RESEARCH
Why aren't people participating?
Why aren't people participating?
We need to understand 'the user'. More specifically, we need to know what factors played into a lack of participation with the census. This is a very complex, multi-layered situation because the root of the problem stems from larger societal issues to smaller individual behavior and circumstances. Understanding drivers of change is crucial to get people to take action on a large societal scale.
Our research process consisted of a two-part method:
1. Literature Reviews: we synthesized findings from a collection of census studies and reports given to us by the city.
2. Interviews: we wanted to talk to people from target areas to get first-hand perspectives regarding their opinions of the census.
Our research process consisted of a two-part method:
1. Literature Reviews: we synthesized findings from a collection of census studies and reports given to us by the city.
2. Interviews: we wanted to talk to people from target areas to get first-hand perspectives regarding their opinions of the census.
RESULTS
People are scared of the government.
People are scared of the government.
After conducting extensive research through literature reviews and interviews, we identified the major barriers and incentives to filling out the census.
Major Barriers to Census Participation
Research showed that people do not participate in the census because of fear and misconceptions of the federal census. On the contrary, we found that people do particpate due to altruism and the thought of helping other individuals and communities. Therefore, there are 2 conditions to be met for increasing census participation:
1. Educating people of what the census is.
2. Explaining how census data affects them and how it benefits their communities.
1. Educating people of what the census is.
2. Explaining how census data affects them and how it benefits their communities.
LOGISTICS
Branding
Branding
Colors: These are the primary and secondary colors driving the personality of the site. They provide a modern take on the city's diverse past, and work well together to create the site’s visual brand.
Typography: With its design inspired by urban streets and the posters found there, Montserrat is bold, strong, and official. Yet, it has a few small quirks that give it a friendliness and warmth that you don’t usually find in such sturdy sans-serifs.
Lora is a well-balanced contemporary serif typeface with roots in calligraphy. It is polite, poetic, and warm as a typeface and is well suited for body text. Technically, Lora is optimized for screen appearance, but works equally well in print. Pair with Montserrat whenever possible to reflect our bold, yet human voice.
Lora is a well-balanced contemporary serif typeface with roots in calligraphy. It is polite, poetic, and warm as a typeface and is well suited for body text. Technically, Lora is optimized for screen appearance, but works equally well in print. Pair with Montserrat whenever possible to reflect our bold, yet human voice.
DESIGN PROCESS - EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN
Information desemination.
Information desemination.
We performed multiple design studios to determine what the ideal medium to spread awareness of the census was, and ultimately decided that an infographic was the perfect platform because it is extremely simple, engaging, and allows for a wealth of information to be consolidated in a central area.
Significant iterations of the infographic are shown below.
Iterations below display further refinements to the final product. Each element was meticulously analyzed, refined and placed where it is right now.
DESIGN PROCESS - PHOTO CAMPAIGN
Empathy and reliability.
Empathy and reliability.
The photo campaign was created to maximize the federal census exposure in a compact, relatable and engaging format. It is designed for the widespread display throughout Boston (at metro stops, billboards, etc.) to "meet them where they're at". Additionally, it emphasizes what's at stake for residents while displaying a diverse and comprehensive representation of Boston.
The sketches below are the result of multiple design studios in determining the layout of the design.
The sketches below are the result of multiple design studios in determining the layout of the design.
Displayed below are subsequent iterations that show distinct improvements towards the final design.
DESIGN PROCESS - SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Unifying a theme & creating a brand.
Unifying a theme & creating a brand.
Because the city has a multitude of social media accounts spanning across various platforms, we created a social media campaign/toolkit that consists of formatted graphics for respective social media platforms. This will consolidate census branding and tie a common theme throughout the various social media channels to prevent confusion.
CLIENT REACTION
A standing ovation!
A standing ovation!
The faces of city officals lit up in joy and excitement during our presentation. Upon wrapping up, they stood up and cheered with pride, approving of our design proposal. We had two follow up presentations at city hall to approve our campaign for implementation throughout the city of Boston.
UPDATE:
It's official! Get ready to see my face throughout Boston during the timeframe of the census campaign (starting March). Our campaign has been approved and will be implemented throughout the city!
UPDATE:
It's official! Get ready to see my face throughout Boston during the timeframe of the census campaign (starting March). Our campaign has been approved and will be implemented throughout the city!
I don’t know why I look so uncomfortable in this picture. Awkward!
