Week 1 – October 5-9, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered life as we know it. It is a living invisible organism that is sweeping through our nation and the world. Families are devastated, they had to watch helplessly as their loved ones die without comfort or support and then bury them without the support of others from the community who would normally offer comfort to the grieving family.
Volunteering in a community organization was second nature to me. One of my passions is to give back and paying forward that which other forerunners had invested in my life to make it better. I had a job to do and it was to create messaging that would persuade others to be empathic enough to look out for their neighbors during the COVID-19 Crisis. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing, always keeping in mind and showing empathy for those with pre-existing conditions. Since I was known for my poetic ability I was told to use poetry as a persuasive tool. I have told many stories using poetry some funny, others serious but none that could make a difference between life and death.
While I was eager to do my part in helping save lives through COVID prevention messaging; I was weary in my spirit. What do you do when the client is not a creative person asks you to do a project that breaks every design rule you were taught? In the course of studying Communication Design, I learn that is about giving the client what they want but creating a message that provokes the target audience to take the appropriate action required to fulfill a need or solve a problem.
The regular Joe or Jane for that matter think I am the hottest new upcoming designer New York has ever seen. Show it to a professional creative and they will pick it apart telling you what part they like and where to find a trash bin to throw the rest. The thing I find troubling is that no two person critique is the same. The thing that one person likes is the very thing that the other hates. Thus my creative dilemma.
The good thing about it is that the client liked it and I have made my mark in the community. The lesson I learn from this dilemma is to use the tool you were given in school such as color theory typography then focus on what the client asked to do. My advice to my fellow creatives is to make sure your message is focused on the right target audience. The message should clear, succinct, and solve the problem. And yes it must be persuasive enough to make your audience get up and take action. The esthetics and design concepts are the additional tools to help in your persuasion. I have come to learn from personal experience that creative designs are subjective.
