A Better Coronavirus Postcard

When I received “President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America” yesterday it seemed like a missed opportunity to communicate crucial information. So designer Deron Husak and I did a quick revamp. If you mistook the real card for junk mail and tossed it, we hope you read this version and take the important guidance to heart.

Here’s what we fixed:

• In the original, side 1 is wasted. The president’s name is three times larger than the most critical message, “Slow The Spread.” We replaced the large title with a statement that speaks directly to the issue.

• We removed the White House branding, which, in this highly polarized time, feels like it subtracts as much as adds. The authority of the CDC brand is more important here.

• We replaced the color blue, which is considered in direct marketing to be tranquil (and often associated with financial services), with red (which communicates urgency and first aid).

• The white border around the card, front and back, wastes space and shrinks the type. The larger the copy, the easier for those with poor eyesight.

• On side 2, the copy has been tweaked to be more concise and, in some cases, more detailed, and the URL is now more prominent.

Design matters — especially at times like this.

Let us know what you think.

Download a high resolution JPG of the redesigned postcard.

3/31 UPDATE: We had our concept printed at a nearby FedEx and it turned out great. You can use the above JPG to print your own — simply email it to your print shop and tell them you want it printed on 5x7 cover stock. They can do two per sheet and trim them. The cards should cost about $1 apiece.

Here is our printed version compared to the original, for reference:

Gregor Gilliom, Versatile Words
Deron Husak, Major Interactive