Health Canada Tobacco Control Project Study

Project study: Tobacco Control through Creative Design (for Health Canada)

"Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool." - anonymous

Over the past several years, we have worked with Health Canada's Tobacco Control Programme to develop a series of communications products in support of smoking cessation, and specifically in the area of second-hand smoke and the teenage audience. We have also completed successful evaluations for Health Canada. David's earlier work as a strategic consultant and art director for the design of Health Canada's public Web site and intranet, as well as numerous print assignments for the department over the past ten years, led to specific work on the Blue Ribbon Ribbon Campaign against second-hand smoke. The first initiative was to develop the Blue Ribbon motif and write and design the public Web site for the Blue Ribbon campaign.

Health Canada Blue Ribbon Web presence home page

Blue Ribbon Web site home page [ Launch English site | Launch French site ]

Specifically for the high school audience, we chose the tactic of deputizing outside parties to bring the message back from peers and in a language that would resonate for them.

This began with producing an original rap song to be used as part of a music video for the same audience. [ Hear the song in English (mp3) | Hear the song in French (mp3) | Hear the backing track (mp3) ]

This song then became an integral part of the multi-media Smokefree Spaces Activist Toolkit CD-ROM we developed (using Macromedia Director) to teach activist youth how to get together with others and take action against second-hand smoke. Our approach to developing this product included testing of concept and usability of information architecture and graphic design with youth from several provinces, as well as hiring a 16-year-old to help edit all text intended for the teenage audience.

Smokefree Spaces Activist Toolkit English home page

Smokefree Spaces CD-ROM (English home page, video screenshot) [Order one (it's free!)]

We also developed packaging for this product, including CD surface design for the twin Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM and a descriptive CD carrier.

Smokefree spaces CD-ROM Case and CD [Order one online (they're free!]

To help teachers use the CD-ROM in the classroom, we also wrote and adapted a bilingual Facilitator's Guide for the CD-ROM.

Smokefree Spaces Facilitator's Guide [View PDF or order one (they're free!]

We have also designed and produced other products for the campaign, including Blue Ribbon enamel lapel pins and Blue Ribbon tattoos.
Smoke-free Spaces Motivators: Order Form
(PDF, 385K)

We also developed stickers that students can print on their own laser printers, using store-bought pre-cut Avery labels.

Blue Ribbon self-print stickers [Get the English sticker PDF | Get the French sticker PDF]

Our popular blue ribbon design has also been adopted in Japan for the country's "I Love Clean Air" campaign.

We also developed downloadable wallpapers for both Windows and Macintosh computers.

Blue Ribbon Wallpapers

We used other media to target other audiences as well. For instance, the Y2Quit screen saver developed for medical professionals, demonstrates our ability to develop screen saver for both Windows and Macintosh platforms, as well as the installers and online presence to go with them.

Sample screen shot for Y2Quit screen saver