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Cecilia Lam CMNS 325 Final Design Project The new drinking and driving laws in British Columbia, which were made effective on September 20, 2010, are the strictest in Canada. The consequences of being caught driving over the blood alcohol level are far worse than anyone could ever image. Drivers with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher or those who refuse to give a breath sample will face these penalties: receive a threemonth driving ban, receive a $500 fine, receive a $250 driver’s license reinstatement fee, have his or her vehicle impounded for 30 days, face possible criminal charges, and pay fees for towing, an interlock ignition device, and a responsible driver program. While most British Columbians of legal drinking age have most likely already heard that the laws have become stricter, they are unaware of what they risk losing if they are caught driving above the .08 blood alcohol level. Thus, my objective is to create a visual design that will make men at the bar aware of the details of BC’s new strict impaired driving laws and the harsh consequences of driving above the blood alcohol level of .08. The first step in forming my design was deciding on which format to use. I contemplated on posters and drink coasters, but figured that a slideshow would be the best way to reach my audience and get my message across. Posters at a bar are more effective for informing its audience about an exciting event. While most people in the bar do tend to look at their coaster, they are very small in size and I would not be able to include all the information while keeping the design visually appealing. Thus, I decided on a slideshow that is intended to be viewed in the men’s washroom of a bar. You may be wondering why I chose to focus on Cecilia Lam CMNS 325 Final Design Project the male drinker since the new law applies to everyone. As a server and bartender at a fairly new bar in Richmond, I can confirm that the majority of customers that drive home after having several drinks are men. My target audience is drunk men between the ages of 19 to 50, as that is the most common age of men who engage in the bar scene. As you can see, my design consists of five pages that include a large image with supporting text. I picked images, which would be easy for the viewer to understand without having to think too much. This is important because men are visual learners and this particularly applies to intoxicated men. I incorporated semiotics, which is the “study of signs.” According to the Simplified Semiotic Model, thought, symbol and object are all connected when conveying a message from the signifier to the signified. For example, the dollar sign ($) is a symbol that gets the viewer to reflect and think about all the associations connected to the object, which in this case is money. I carefully chose colour that would be consistent with the theme and would be effective. On the slides where I’m trying to inform the viewer of what he has to lose, I made the background black. Black is a strong colour that is often associated with negativity. It is a serious colour that can easily overwhelm the observer if used excessively. On these same slides I chose to use red for the text because of the same reasons. Red is a colour that is most often associated with danger. It is bright and easily draws attention. The last slide is meant to be encouraging in reassuring the viewer that he is being smart by not drinking and driving. I chose to use a purplish colour Cecilia Lam CMNS 325 Final Design Project because purple is the colour of royalty. It is most associated with wealth, prosperity and rich sophistication. In addition to colour, I was careful about the model I used for the last two slides. The model that appears in both of my slides is my coworker at the bar. In the slide where I am still informing the viewer what he has to lose by drinking and driving I chose a photo of her where she is not smiling and not looking directly at the camera. The fact that she is looking away emphasizes her distance and unwillingness to communicate with a loser who does not have money or a vehicle. In the last slide I chose a photo of her with two other girls because they are all smiling and they look welcoming. Cecilia Lam CMNS 325 Final Design Project Works Cited 1) CBC News. (2010, September 20). B.C. Drunk Driving Laws Irk Cival Libertarian. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/09/20/bcimpaired-driving-laws.html 2) Manghani, S., Piper, A., and Simons, J. (2006). Images: A Reader. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE 3) Precision Intermedia. Color Psychology and Marketing. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.precisionintermedia.com/color.html 4) SoSuave.com. (1998-2011). Nightclub and Bar Scene Statistics. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://www.sosuave.com/quick/tip278.htm 5) The Duane Storey. (2010, September 20). BC’s New Liquor Laws. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://www.duanestorey.com/2010/bcsnew-liquor-laws/