Interpret Statement:
The U.S. Forest Service needs better ways to educate people on fire safety because I learned that the most effective way to fight destructive forest fires is to stop them from happening in the first place.
What I Have Learned From My Research:
When I initially set out on this project, my idea of what the problem was and what needed to be done was completely different from what I know now. After getting in contact with a forest ranger in Allegheny National Forest, my project was basically flipped on its head. My idea at first was that we could change how equipment is used or improve upon it somehow to make forest firefighting more effective. Through all my research, however, I realized that the problem lies within the source. The most effective way to fight a fire is to stop it from occurring at all. Thus, I needed to redefine my problem statement.
My Three Design Principles:
Easy To Access
Mass Distribution
Free To Access
Fire safety information needs to be easy to access as most people will probably not go out and actively search for it. There are a lot of different ways that fires can start that most people might not even think of, so when someone asks a question, "Is this fire safe?" a quick and easy easy response is necessary.
Fire safety information does not do any good is only a few people have access to it. In order to be as effective as possible, it needs to be available to as many people as possible.
Safety information of any kind must be absolutely free. People would be much less incline, if at all, to purchase fire safety information. There is also the problem of people being able to afford it in the first place. Fire safety information must be 100% so everyone has equal access to it.
Brainstorming Solutions:
TV & Internet Ad Campaign
The idea for this solution is to create a series of ads that would play on TV and the internet. This would be the most accessible to people as most people either watch TV and/or use the internet. This would not be without drawbacks however. The money required to air these ads would be much more than I could provide for this project, and more than I could seek reasonable funding for. There is also the problem of people using ad-blockers and not seeing them.
Informational Poster Campaign
A poster campaign would be similar to what was done with the Smokey Bear campaign. Smokey Bear became famous for his "Only You" posters, and still are easily recognizable today, showing just how influential a poster campaign can be. These posters can be put up in populated or highly traveled areas where they will be easily seen by a lot of people. They are also very cost effective as the only costs involved would be making the posters and possibly paying for help putting them up if needed.
Increased Signage Around Fire-Prone Areas
Increasing fire-safety information around fire-prone areas would be a great way to target the hotspots for fires and give the greatest cost-to-fire reduction ratio. However, this solution only targets fire-prone areas and does not help spread fire-safety information in areas where it could also be useful. This solution only partially fill the design principle of mass distribution as it only targets a small area.
My Proposed Solution:
Poster Campaign
Why This Solution?
All of the aforementioned solutions fit my three design requirements, however, the poster campaign fits them all the best. Posters and cheap and easy to make and distribute, which is a huge help when trying to distribute information on a large scale. They can also be quite persuasive which is also good for their effectiveness. The Smokey Bear campaign has already showed great success in the past with poster campaigns. Giving those styles of posters a revitalized, updated, and more modern design and feel will also prove effective.
How Will It Be Done?
My plan is to study the posters used by the Smokey Bear campaign from the 1940s to the 1980s and see how they communicated fire safety information, and what made the most successful posters. I want to create posters that are designed more for the modern era and will prove just as effective as the ones used in the past. These posters will be put up in public areas where they will be seen the most, and where they are the most accessible. Special consideration will be given to national forests and fire-prone areas.