There’s no denying that last few months have been exhausting rollercoaster of emotions dealing with the throes of Covid-19. Livelihoods have been jeopardized, economies destabilized, and otherwise normal patterns of life have been called into question.
As different states and organizations have mounted their defense against the virus's spread, a variety of visual guides to social distancing have emerged, some better than others. Today we look at a handful of Covid-19 awareness posters and discuss their strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of design. All comments aside, please be sure to follow the advice and practice good social distancing. Just because design is lacking doesn't mean the information is any less valid or urgent.
The CDC
More than likely you've seen the CDC's official posters. They're the most commonly used notices in office buildings and apartment complexes. Overall, the posters are okay. They have all the information you need per the social distancing guidelines. The colors work well together and the text is readable. Biggest change I would make: more vivid colors. As I've seen these posters around town, my overall impression is that they're very muted. Subtle changes in color saturation and darkness are maybe a little too soft? It can be difficult to really see what's going on in each frame.
The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has put out this poster illustrating essential safety procedures. I like it. It's simple, clear, and unambiguous. Biggest change I would make: move the cougher's hand closer to his face. If you're trying to illustrate good behavior, make it explicitly clear.
California Department of Public Health
The California Department of Public Health produced this beauty and I love it. The copy is clear and well organized and the illustrations are clean and explain the info well on their own, which is big. Non-text communication can go a long way, especially in neighborhoods if mixed race and language backgrounds. I think the design team for the California Department of Health nailed it on this one.
Seattle & King County Department of Public Health
Last but not least, we'll take a look at what King County has put out here in Seattle. Many versions of the above poster have been put out into circulation, each one tuned to the location in which they are displayed. For our purposes here, we'll just look at the residential poster. I really like these posters. Am I biased because I live in Seattle? Maybe. But is it still one of my favorites? Yes.
It's refreshing to see a poster with a color palette that isn't centered on some version of blue. I love blue, don't get me wrong, but everyone is using it. The orange is a nice pop and adds a bit of urgency to the message. The graphics are good and clearly illustrate the text they accompany. The check marks are a nice touch as well, creating a list aesthetic and reinforcing that all the steps should be followed. Sadly, I've seen more of the CDC's posters than this one. Hopefully soon we'll see none of them.
Remember: stay safe, keep your neighbors and families safe, keep your distance, and cover your mouths. And please, follow the posters.
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