The illustrator behind a new COVID messaging campaign says she hopes the new posters will grab people's attention and reinforce the public health messages.
With face masks becoming mandatory in shops from tomorrow, a new batch of public awareness posters has been launched by the Government and health officials.
The poster campaign is mainly aimed towards people who are out commuting, socialising and shopping.
Fatti Burke, the Waterford-based illustrator behind the new posters, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh about the project.
She was initially approached by the TBWA agency which is working with the HSE on COVID messaging.
She said: "They approached me to revamp the public awareness messaging campaign... to just refresh the visual identity that's around the COVID messaging... to grab people's attention and reinforce the vital messaging.
"We were told there were five key messages to illustrate: those were wearing masks, washing hands, coughing your coughs and sneezes, maintaining social distance, and then to also download the COVID Tracker app."
Revamp
The yellow, black and white Government posters have become a common sight during the pandemic, but Fatti said she was encouraged to use lots of colour and her own style for this latest campaign.
The campaign encourages people to continue safe behaviours of hand washing, physical distance, wearing face coverings, covering coughs/sneezes and using the COVID Tracker app.
Posters designed by well-known illustrator Fatti Burke.@HSELive | #HoldFirm | #MaskingForAFriend pic.twitter.com/DIsHSd7nPg— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) August 6, 2020
She suggested: "If we get really used to seeing the same colour scheme or images all the time, then maybe we can kind of start to ignore it or not take it in as much.
"I think by revamping it, it's going to remind people out in public of those messages."
Fatti says she was given a lot of free rein, and the HSE didn't come back with too many changes.
She observed: "I think they were just happy for me to use my style.
"Since I have a background in graphic design, I think I have a good understanding of what's going to catch people's eyes out in public."
Fatti said she her style tends to speak to children and younger people, and she hopes the messages in the new posters gets through to teenagers.
She said she also enjoyed the short deadline for this project compared to the months-long process of producing a book.
She observed: "I kind of like the fast turnaround, where I get to see the results of my labours after a very short time."
