Campus Signage Project
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| "Why do English Majors get Jobs?" Found in Reavis Hall. |
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| I have no idea what this sign is for or what it means. Found in Reavis Hall. |
I found the above images for the Campus Signage Project while walking through Reavis Hall. The first image, "Why do English Majors get Jobs?" is the one I will focus on for this project, the second image with pictures of what I think is Hugh Hefner is just intriguing, but I won't attempt to redesign it as I have no idea what it's advertising.
I like (or dislike rather) the English Majors sign for this project for a few reasons. The headline is a typical attempt at attention grabbing. By capitalizing the key words in the headline the designer was hoping to capture a few moments of passersby time, just long enough to get to them to understand the benefit of their product to them, and then to get them to take action later on the sign. The Capitalization of key words I think is ok, but what I really don't like is the copy itself.
"Why do English Majors get Jobs?" Is confusing once the reader gets through the rest of the sign. The sign doesn't tell anyone why an English major gets a job, rather it lists different degrees people can get in English at NIU. Also, the word "Why" should be replaced by "How". Asking why I would get a job as an English makes me feel like I'm unlikely to get a job with an English degree, which I already know. I am more interested in How to get a job with an English degree.
The rest of the sign should then tell me how to get a job with my English degree, or what path to take for my best chances at getting a job.
FWIW, I can perhaps suggest some context for that sign: it's designed to be a recruitment tool. The numbers of English majors has dropped precipitously in recent years, and this flyer/sign is attempt to recruit new English majors with the prospects of jobs. I'm certainly not suggesting it is doing so effectively, but that does explain the "why" vs "how" -- "how" might be interpreted to be an internal audience (you are already an English major and want advice on how to turn that into commercial skills), and opposed to "why" which seems aimed more at an external audience.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe "how" is a better strategy for both audiences, particularly insofar writing and communication are important across the board.
Of course, we could then look at placement and ask exactly who they expect to be walking around Reavis, and we could also ask if the current design really serves a recruitment purpose.
I like that you are able to write you thoughts in a way that is understandable to me. I agree something is just not right with the poster you choose. I also feel that the pictures don't do justice for the students of NIU. Most of the people on the flyer look to be over the age of 40, and I am being generous when I say that.
ReplyDeleteI think it would go a long way to say why English majors get jobs, maybe from a marketing standpoint, you could misspell a word.
I think your off to a great start.