Know The Signs PSA Ad Campaign Image 1, 2, and 3
I was given an assignment to make three Public Service Announcements (PSA) print ad posters for my Graphic Design class I was taking at BYU-Idaho. The subject matter was of my choosing and I needed to make the posters to a specific audience and ask that a behavior needed to change. I chose my audience as any adult who has contact with a child, be it a parent, teacher, relative or friend. I wanted to focus on Early Intervention for children with Autism and focus on signs that children might be displaying that might be a trait for children on the Autism Spectrum. Studies have shown that early diagnosis and early intervention results in a better and brighter future for the children. As a parent of three children on the Autism Spectrum, I know how important early intervention is. I would like all parents, and anyone who is in close contact to children, to be able to recognize the signs for a better outcome and to know there is help.
The following steps outline how I created this campaign.
RESEARCH
One of the first steps that I completed in this assignment was the research. I wanted to know if there was any other campaigns that dealt with this topic? I also wanted to know the facts about Autism. There was a small campaign done a few years ago about Autism Awareness, but didn't really point out the signs. This is the following information that I discovered while doing research about this topic that I found interesting:
FACT 1
1:36 children in US have Autism
1:45 adults in US have Autism
4:100 boys and 1:100 girls
Boys are 4x more likely to be diagnosed than girls
FACT 2
Autism can be reliably diagnosed by a specialist by age 2, but
the average age of autism diagnosis in the U.S. is 5 years.
The average age of first intervention in the U.S. is 4.7 years.
FACT 3
Only 21% of people with disabilities, including autism, are employed.
Nearly 60% of people with autism in the U.S. are employed after
receiving vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. These are
state-provided services that help autistic individuals explore
possible careers, find a job and secure needed accommodations
in the workplace.
70% of eligible autistic individuals in the U.S. receive VR
The next part of my research was getting to know the signs of Autism. How was I going to create a campaign if I didn't know about the subject matter. I found a great deal of information on the CDC website and here are some visuals that I found that showed some signs.
Examples of Autism Signs
SKETCHES
The next part of the design process was sketching, my old nemesis! I wanted to give myself enough material to draw so I did a written brainstorm on many different ways I could show the signs of Autism. I wanted enough to have 36, so I kept writing until I felt I had enough, then I would take a break and come back when I had more creative juices flowing. I would keep a small notes file in my phone and when the idea popped into my head I would write it down. I then took my written ideas and drew them as best as I could.
Sketches
The next step was to take my sketches and create them digitally. I made three different campaigns with three ads each. I then chose which one that had the best feedback and that I felt best represented my message.
Examples of other possible campaign ads
After making my choice for the campaign ad I improved a few things with the designs and then was able to present them in some Photoshop Mock Ups. I wanted to show the campaign ad in the environment I knew was my target audience, so I chose shopping malls, parks, and everyday places one would see the ads. I obtained the Photoshop Mock Ups from Adobe Stock.
Photoshop Mock Ups of Campaign Ad
In conclusion, I feel that I made a successful campaign. I feel that spoke to my target audience and asked them to educate themselves to know the signs of Autism. I am hoping to have a better outcome for the future with early diagnosis and prevention.
