Project Overview
In the summer of 2025, the state of North Dakota passed a new and controversial law banning personal electronic devices from all classrooms. As part of the Fargo Public Schools (FPS) communications team, I was tasked with establishing the art direction for the public campaign to communicate this significant rule change to our constituents.
Design Strategy: Firm, Clear, and Reassuring
My role involved creating the core key art—a poster that would serve as the foundational asset for the entire campaign, including digital and video components.
The design approach was developed to be both firm and reassuring (or “comforting”) to address the controversial nature of the policy. I worked closely with key decision-makers to land on a strategy that visually asserted the well-thought-out merits of the rule:
- Firmness: The poster’s visual foundation is the massive red “no symbol” (circle with a slash) and bold, clear icons of banned devices (tablet, controller, smartwatch, and earbuds), which immediately communicates an unambiguous prohibition.
- Reassurance: The headline, “DEVICES OFF, LEARNING ON,” reframes the policy, shifting the focus from the loss of devices to the gain of enhanced learning. The background image of school lockers reinforces the idea of proper storage within the educational context.
Execution and Impact
Working in parallel with our multimedia producer, I created the art assets for a full announcement set of images and videos.
While the rule change was met with significant initial criticism online, the campaign has thus far proven effective in “breaking the ice” about the new policy. The poster serves as the central piece of communication, currently featured prominently throughout school buildings. The comprehensive visual strategy successfully helped the district communicate clarity and purpose during a challenging policy transition.
