Many campaigns run by public health organizations grab attention by pulling at one of our strongest emotions -- fear. However, the efficacy of these fear appeal tactics has been highly debated and, although no solid conclusion has been reached, the most grotesque ads may actually have a negative effect in convincing people to quit smoking.
This infographic from cancer.org is informative and attention grabbing, and at the same time not so revolting that smokers block the message completely from their minds by taking another drag. Focusing on the benefits of quitting rather than the harms of continued use could make this ad is more powerful than the horrifying TV commercials we have all seen. However, looking at this graphic critically, I do have some comments and questions regarding the content and design choices.
First, making a spelling error in the title of an infographic is an easy way to lose retention quicker than it takes to strike a match. Somker? I have seen many creative fonts used to add style and lead a viewer's eye, but if a font is so obscure that you don't catch errors right away then it probably is too obscure for visual consumers.
Second, all of the actual information in the graphic is presented via text. Is this media vastly different from bullet points on a presentation? By using smaller images and a highlight color instead of verbose sentences many viewers, who might have chosen to walk away and light-up, will stick around long enough to learn the benefits that come 15 years after quitting.
Finally, a timeline is a very useful tool to convey information so quickly that it is subconscious, so why not extend the guidelines to present the timeline to scale? Maybe it was the designer's tough choice between form and function. Personally, I believe form follows function. What do you believe?
