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Objective
My team and I were tasked with developing a national campaign highlighting the benefits of the metric system and why the United States should fully integrate it into our daily lives.
Outcome
Our team designed a social media strategy that incorporated a suite of “metric” icons, infographics, branded materials for sale and a viral video to raise awareness for this campaign and highlight the benefits of the metric system.
Role: user researcher, conceptualization, strategy
Skills: community engagement, design thinking, systems thinking, network development, communication design
What do Americans think?
The first step was to get a solid sense of how Americans currently feel about the metric system. We wanted to interview a variety of individuals that currently use the metric system in their professions - chefs, teachers, journalists, doctors and scientists - as well as everyday American citizens. We also interviewed individuals that have leverage in system change and regulations, including lawyers, lobbyists and policymakers.
Campaign Style.
Part of our team did a comprehensive evaluation of a variety of different campaigns that have been successful over the last 15 years.
Let's keep it light.
We assessed the different tones we could take and all felt that choosing a light and playful style would be the best angle to use. Particularly given the heaviness of so many campaigns at the moment we were fully aware that the issue of transitioning to the metric system is pretty low on the list of priorities for most people, so maintaining a consistent state of levity was the way to go.
Metric icons.
A handful of animated icons were designed to capture this playful feeling. We also used the hashtag #makeamericametricalready as an homage to the trump campaign slogan which is widely known.
Designs for sale.
We showcased these design on a variety of items and made them available for purchase.
Metric infographics.
We consistently heard that the average American really has no idea how to think about the metric system in everyday life. To address this we developed a series of infographics that helped familiarize people with common measurements.
Facebook.
We built a facebook page.
Twitter.
And a twitter account.
Viral video.
One of our most successful strategies was a video featuring one of our teammates Danielle Hernandez asking everyday New Yorkers what they know about the Metric system. This video when viral and reached 3 thousand views in only 3 days.