SEIU 1199 is the largest union in the U.S. As part of their efforts to help their members they run various campaigns to encourage legislators to pass legislation that will help workers. They take a particular interest in healthcare reform to ensure that all workers have access to affordable coverage (a major issue in the U.S.). Through their sub-organisation, the Healthcare Education Project, they approached me to help out with the campaign in trying to reach small business owners and clergy members. The goal was to help them understand how the current health insurance system is hurting their business and how reform can help alleviate their healthcare problems, both for them and for their staff.
The site (and its companion site aimed at religious leaders) was focussed on New York State business owners and set out to both inform owners and serve as a means for them to get involved with the broader campaign. I also designed the identity for the campaign. The site design is based on a cooler palette aimed at business owners and was intended to be approachable and not too off-putting (ie too cool, or not for people like themselves). It had to appear professional and organised, since many campaign sites can seem very haphazard which hurts the campaign’s appearance and reputation.
The site homepage features custom photography of real-life New York business owners, as it was important to help the site appeal to real people by not seeming too ‘stock’ like. Simple and direct messaging helps viewers understand what the campaign is about and directs them to the other pages to find out more information and hear stories of how health insurance currently affects business owners. Finally there is a section wherein owners can join a petition to the NY Governor and other legislative officials to urge them to pass health insurance reform legislation.
This site was a small part of the overall healthcare reform campaign, which took form through so-called ‘Obamacare’ package in 2010. As the campaign is now over, the site has been deactivated.
The site was awarded with a prestigious Graphic Design USA (publication) USA Web Design Awards for 2011, and also with the award for Interactive Excellence in the 2011 Communicator Awards.