University of Minnesota College of Design

SHORT PROJECT 1
Context Sensitive Design Strategies

H1N1Pandemic
DHA 2351
Graphic Design I
Text and Image
Fall 2009

(Swine Flu & U)

Tuesday/Thursday pan•dem•ic |pan'demik|
8:30AM — 10:40AM (A disease) prevalent over an
305 McNeal Hall (MacBack) entire country or the world.

The start of fall semester and a new academic year is getting underway. Each fall,
unfortunately, also marks the beginning of flu season. This one is likely to bring some
potentially unusual challenges. We will experience not only the expected seasonal
influenza but also the 2009 H1N1 influenza, which is sweeping the globe in the first flu
pandemic in 40 years.1

Some viruses and bacteria can •Approximately 1/5 of the U.S. population attends or works in schools.
live from 20 minutes up to 2 •College age students are at higher risk for contracting H1N1. The virus is
hours or more on surfaces like highly transmissible, so students living in close contact such as in residence
halls are more likely to be exposed and contract H1N1.
cafeteria tables, doorknobs
•Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.
and desks.
Problem
Universities across the country, including the University of Minnesota, are expected to
be especially hard hit by the H1N1 influenza virus (swine flu) this fall. To date the U's
primary method of communication about the virus and preventative measures to help
thwart the virus's spread have been focused on e-mail updates that direct the viewer
to the University of Minnesota Emergency Preparedness Web site. While the informa-
tion there is helpful and thorough in both breadth and depth it is essentially trapped
in both time and place in whatever electronic device you happen to be viewing it on
at the moment. Given that the virus is most likely to be spread via direct and indirect
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/h1n1/poster.html

human contact in public spaces it would seem that a more context sensitive commu-
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/professional/school/additionalcomm.html

nication method would be a helpful addition to the Web-based information. What if we

could alert the viewer to nodes of virus transmission as they encounter them? What if
we could communicate preventative measures for virus transmission in the areas where
they might occur?
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/flu/materials/posters.asp
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Process
Working in small groups of three students each, first develop a public health message
regarding the H1N1 virus that you want to communicate to the College of Deign com-
munity in McNeal Hall. Second, determine what medium of communication you want to
use to carry your message: banner, poster, flyer, sticker, stencil, brochure, etc. (choose
more than one). Finally establish a strategy for the implementation of your message;
how will the viewer encounter your message? Will you simply affix a poster to a wall in
Minnesota Department of Health

the atrium or will you embed your message in the structure of the building itself? How
Department of Veterans Affairs

can you use the existing structure of the building (context) to amplify, emphasize or
World Health Organization

otherwise enhance (sensitize) your communiqué?

Due
WEB RESOURCES

September 22, beginning of class, for in situ critique of your context sensitive informa-
tion embeds and installations.
Flu.gov

1.University of Minnesota Emergency Preparedness Web site.

DHA 2351 / Fall 2009 7