Beyond the Book - Project 1 sample box and books

Visual Advocacy - Possible Directions

Comparisons Campaign

Cats and Children
This would consists of printed material that would juxtapose cats and children.
-Possible things we do for children that we should do for our cats also.
-potty train, vaccination, doctor visits, birthday presents, treats, introduce them to new things, spend extra time with them, play dates, babysitting, toys.
-Placing suggestions on products that are manufactured for cats.
Litter box, cat bowls, kitty, cat food, cat toys, cat treats, cat beds.
-encouraging owners to think of their pet as more being with emotional needs rather than something divorced from "human".

Cats and Accessories
print campaign that compares cats to accessories that are not necessary for our life but beautify and enhance. such as a tv, dvd player, ipod, digital photo frame, fancy table, decorative object.
-questioning the role that our pets play in our life.



Call for action

Feed the strays
Tracking where strays hang out. Possibly encourages people to leave food out.
Leave a paw print where you see one. marking?
possibly have a comparison or suggestion on the paw print.
-making people aware that it isn't good or normal that domestic cats are outside on the streets.
-Could be downloaded from a website.

Save the Cats
Over population has caused mistreatment. Value rare and unique things yet we all want the object until there are too many.

Cat Endangered
The most endangered cat... the domesticated cat... the one we abandon.


Bonding Experience

Making Memories
Suggestion of games to play with pets.
Would be seen on products that cat owners buy.
-Litter box, litter, cat bowls, kitty food, cat food, cat toys, cat treats, cat beds, collars and tags.
or could be sent out by veterinaries.
-Word associations that compare cats to children.

Visual Advocacy - Research

9.6 million animals are euthanized annually in the United States.
13,000 animals were euthanized in Kansas City Shelters in 2008.
in the last six years this number has dropped from 38,000 animals in 2002 due to the efforts of many adoption facilities that have created no kill programs which enable cats to be rescued from facilities that do still euthanize healthy cats and kittens. This also has increased the number of cats that need to be adopted and has not effected the abandonment rates of kansas city area.


How can graphic design help prevent the abandonment of Cats in Kansas City.

The related problem is that Cats are being treated as a commodity to a lifestyle. Dispensable. Cats are one of the most easily obtainable pet. They are usually free to procure which leads to irresponsibly people impulsively acquiring a kitten. The fun times eventually wear off and these pets end up on the streets or in shelters. This consumeristic attitude towards cats results in thousands of homeless cats throughout the KC area and is a serious problem.

Reasons for Abandonment or Relinquishment of Cats:
- Moving
- Too many animals in the household / incompatibility
- Landlord not allowing pet
- Cost of pet maintenance
- Owner having personal problem
- Allergies in family
- House soiling


Audience
Cats in shelters range from kittens to senior cats who can be as up to 20 years old. Cats live in many situations including in family’s with and without children, multiple animals or with one person. For this reason Cat owners range from young children to the elderly. The common thread between owners who abandon their pets is an attitude that the pet is expendable and not a part of the family.


The goal is to encourage an emotional bond between
pet owner and pet.

One of the reasons stated by a worker at the Humane society that animals are being abandoned was because of a lack of connection or bond with their pet. She stated that often pet owner who relinquished their pets didn’t care weather or not they would be euthanized. as if they were merely “throwing out a couch”.


The number of abandoned and relinquished cats in shelters will decrease with a stronger connection between owner and pet.

More Process

Timeline

The four piece I will be creating are:

schedule, name tag (print media)
interactive piece (screen media)
directional piece (rational)
stickers (emotional)

more explorations

Brand Identity

some of the things I learned from "designing brand identity".

Things that good brands have:

They are bold, memorable and appropriate to the message. They are easily recognized out of context. They provide a consistent image and persona of the company. Work a in different media, scale, color or black & white.