Download CMNS 325 final project paper

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/