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Sami Lukens_mfa thesis
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Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
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foreword
A thesis gives the chance to take on many roles within a single project. I was the designer, writer, researcher, art director, UX/UI designer, photographer, and a project manager at the same time. To start I was asked to choose a problem to solve through design, followed by extensive research, and then finally deliver a robust solution to the said problem. The freedom I was given to work on my thesis allowed me to unleash my knowledge and my talents without being overly directed. I was able to find a strategic solution to the problem I uncovered from all the research, which lead me to achieve a successful conceptualized solution. Here I redefined an idea, through the creation of a strong brand and educational system that changed how my audience involved themselves, and participated with their Health Insurance. So why take on such a complex task as my thesis? The answer is simple, when I was twenty-four I was involved in a freak accident that should have paralyzed me. While enjoying a friend’s graduation party I was struck in the back—a half of an inch from my spine—by a jet ski traveling roughly at 30mph. The odd twist to the story was that while I was on land he was operating the jet-ski in the water. Though I had Health Insurance my medical bills were only partly covered, and even though I won my court case creditors for the bills are still harassing me several years later.
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001 THE TOPIC topic research defining the problem why it matters
002 DESIGN RESEARCH data, insights the goals target audience concept development comparative analysis the team visual research
003 THE BRAND signature branding guidelines
004 CAREAWARE development the industry careaware.us marketing user feedback
005 THE FUTURE what’s next lessons learned thank you
001 the TOPIC
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A TOPIC FOR INVESTIGATION To develop a good topic for investigation I needed to go through the activities of self exploration. To began I went through a little self reflection, listing my interests and my personal passions, a series of automatic writing, researched the news, and explored the problems of the world. The Lists
Wrongs of the World
A list of my milestones.
A list of today’s problems world wide.
››› BFA in photography.
››› Child obesity.
››› Discovering that I can do art as a career.
››› Depleting education systems.
››› Landing a job before graduation.
››› Bullying & Suicide.
››› Moving West to pursue my dreams.
››› Human trafficking.
››› Getting into the Academy.
››› Women’s rights.
A list of my truths.
››› Modern day slavery.
››› Work towards what you love.
A list of today’s problems within 50 miles.
››› Be a good person, be available, and kind.
››› Wildfires.
››› Help those in need.
››› Animal shelter closings.
››› Take care and respect yourself.
››› Bart strikes.
››› Express yourself, never be fake.
››› Ability to understand Health Insurance law.
A list of my life skills.
››› Gang Violence.
››› Being responsible for myself.
››› Managing money on student budget.
››› Holding myself accountable.
››› Empathetic towards domestic violence.
››› Becoming a professional.
››› Understanding healthcare system.
››› Recognizing my strengths and weaknesses.
››› Daughters being able to create lasting bonds with their fathers.
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Sibling aggression has been identified as the most common form of family violence. little
BULLIES
Technology addiction has hindered the ability to interact in social situations. the ADDICTION
As one of the most consumed beverages daily, however most people know little about coffee. coffee BEANS
Renewable resources provide a more viable fuel alternative and emit less pollution. fuel METHODS
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Passions A list of my passions. ››› Traveling. ››› Reading, knowledge. ››› A family. ››› Outdoors, nature, health. ››› Movies. ››› Marine biology, animals, science.
Five Robust Topics These explorations helped me to develop five robust ideas for my topic for investigation. Working a second week on these ideas I was able to conclude the topic I could see myself working on for the next few years.
Final Topic For Investigation Health Insurance is very complex and confusing to understand. According to survey research most Americans don’t understand the basic concepts of Health Insurance, let alone Obamacare, which is hindering their ability of acquiring accessible and affordable insurance. I would like to investigate Health Insurance, and find a stronger way to communicate it to the everyday person.
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DEFINING THE PROBLEM Defining the Problem To define the problem I needed to further investigate the topic I had chosen. Through a number of exercises and labs I was able to discover a multitude of insights. ››› Create a personal opinion. ››› Formulate research questions. ››› Find hidden connections.
Personal Opinion I never really thought about how I felt about Health Insurance, but by creating a personal opinion I felt more connected to my topic. Through research I discovered that I am for everyone having it.
Research Questions By formulating meaningful questions a researcher can immerse themselves into a topic. When asking in-depth questions, I was able to gain a number of insights into the topic of Health Insurance.
_What is the affordable care act? _What are the issues understanding Health Insurance? _Why is Health Insurance important to us? _What are the negative perspectives and the positive perspectives of Health Insurance? _How will I be able to deliver this politically neutral? 001 Consider all that surrounds you. 002 Fine comb all articles. 003 Take time to educate yourself.
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Hidden Connections A designer is open to the possibility that the world around us is interconnected. Finding these connections one will be able to find the true insights of a topic. So the question remained why was everyone so mad about Health Insurance? Was it the act that was causing all the issues? Were there other things surrounding Health Insurance that had people confused?
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THE INSIGHTS 001
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Hyperbolic
Affordable
Both Democrat and Republican officials are creating overstatements and exaggerations about the outcomes of the Health Care Act.
Middle class & lower class will be able obtain Health Insurance, some for the very first time in their lives.
››› Important to research the truth behind the myths both good and bad.
››› Important to understand the different viewpoints of those who have had it before compared to those who have never had it.
003
004
The Name
Original
The most confusing thing about the Health Care Act is the several different names it has, and the majority of people do not realize that it is one in the same.
The new Act doesn’t replace private insurance; therefore, people will be able to stay with an original plan.
››› Trying to communicate Health Insurance to the public and right from the start due to
››› Understand this fact and communicate it effectively because people are afraid of change which might be misleading them to fight against the new act.
the multiple names it is confusing.
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005
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Neutral
Persuade
The idea for the new Health Care Act was originated by both parties, but the final act was disliked by the Republicans.
Advertisements are being used every day to convince individuals what they should think about certain things.
››› Important to take a neutral approach to
››› The harshness about this is that some
the Act and keeping the focus on what it
advertisements are created by people who
does for the public.
don’t understand the Act.
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Cost
Everyone
Advance premium tax credits and cost sharing subsidies will help the cost of Health Insurance to go down.
Everyone deserves Health Insurance and the new act will be expanding it to tens to millions of Americans.
››› Important because if you don’t understand
››› That now means everyone needs to
Health Insurance and how it works, then you
understand Health Insurance and the new
might choose the wrong plan which in the
act to get the full benefits, even those who
end, might cost you more down the road.
never before held Health Insurance.
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To give equality to women which should be important to all involved with the act.
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If only 14% of people who have Health Insurance actually understand it, then what will happen to the millions who don’t have it? 023
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THE EVENT Create an environment that is comfortable where you can openly talk about your topic and get insightful feedback to help you understand your topic.
Goals
For my event I had a wine/appetizers and valuable conversation event at my good friend Jeanie’s house. I created a guide book to help prepare my host, and my assistant. After the event I distilled the information through a newspaper style journal.
Interesting
What I Gained
understandable
The event helped me gain insight if this was a robust enough topic and to finally see how people would react. What helped the most was to see other people getting excited about my topic and talking about how helpful it could be in the future sense. It also helped to get this validation to really push myself further into the topic and uncover the deeper problem.
Three Main Insights ››› Surprisingly, those who have insurance showed me a large amount of interest over those who didn’t. ››› Getting through the massive amount of information will be the main challenge. ››› Sometimes being self taught is the only way one has to educate themselves.
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New Things Learned
format Event was engaging The topic was
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THE PROBLEM Dr. Loewenstein’s research showed that only 14% of individuals who held Health Insurance actually understood it. Yet we are now asking 34 million people in the United States who are currently uninsured—as of 2014—to not only understand it, but to successfully obtain their Health Insurance.
But Why is it so Confusing ››› Massive amounts of content. ››› People are extremely busy and only have time to self educate. ››› It’s not a part of the everyday language.
Why it Matters ››› A personal investment. ››› It is now mandated. ››› Making an educated decision.
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When I was 24 I was involved in a jet-ski accident that should have paralyzed me. personal
INVESTMENT
In 2010 the President signed a law that includes a mandate to carry heath insurance. now
MANDATED
Educated decisions will help shape a health care market offering quality at low prices. educated DECISION
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002 design
RESEARCH
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4.35%
44.68%
17.39%
no
no /not yet
educational kit or game /app
95.65% yes
Majority of people feel it is important to learn about their Health Insurance.
82.61%
55.32%
website
yes
Large percentage of people would rather use a website when learning about Health Insurance.
Almost the same percentage of people that have tried to understand Health Insurance have not tried.
6.38% poor health 13.04% understandable
23.40% it’s mandated
76.60%
58.70%
financial concerns
some what
28.26% not understandable
68.09% finding the best coverage
A very small percentage of people fully understand Health Insurance.
Financial concerns, and finding the best coverage are two of the top reasons why people want to learn about Health Insurance.
6.38% cost 28.26% terminology
46.81%
82.98%
coverage
interactive
78.26% websites
25.53% plans
17.02% auditory / verbal
People are more confused with the coverage than with the plans or terminology.
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A large percentage of people agreed that interactive was their best learning style.
Majority of people look to the web when accessing information on Health Insurance.
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DATA & INSIGHTS The Survey At this time I was trying to narrow down exactly what my deliverables would be. The best way to gain data and insights from my audience was to create a survey.
The Questions ››› Is educating yourself on Health Insurance important? ››› Please state your reasons for learning about it. ››› Have you tried to understand the in and outs of your Health Insurance? ››› When learning about Health Insurance do you find the information to be understandable? ››› To learn about Health Insurance what would you rather use? ››› What is most confusing to you? ››› How do you access information on Health Insurance? ››› What is your best learning style?
_Educating people on coverage seems to be a key focus. _Key objective is to help those who want to internalize Health Insurance. _Not trying to convince people to buy Health Insurance. _Due to the fact that people learn interactively, consultants would benefit from having a digital tool.
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THE GOALS Though I had many goals for my thesis I pared it down to three.
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To support young adults in understanding Health Insurance by providing clarified tools & resources that help to simplify the information. 002
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Encouraging young adults to successfully
To educate young adults on Health Insurance
educate themselves about Health Insurance
helping them to understand it and confidently
so they can make an educated decision
apply their new knowledge.
when choosing a plan.
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Census Bureau Data from 2013
1.7% 9.4%
over 65
under 18
27.7% 19–25 years old
16.3% 45–64
9.7% under 19
27.5% 26–34 years old
21.0% 35–44
Aflac Research http:// www.forbes.com/
45%
Forty-Five percent of Millennials would rather clean out their email than research anything about their health benefits.
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26%
Twenty-Six percent of Millennials would prefer to clean their toilets than research anything about their health benefits.
22%
Twenty-Two percent of Millennials would prefer doing their taxes then research anything about their health benefits.
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THE AUDIENCE For my audience I have focused on the mid-twenties to the mid-thirties group, better known as the college graduates working towards becoming professionals.
_They will be the ones who in the end will be the most affected by the new mandate. _Research from the census bureau data collected in 2013 shows younger adults are at a higher risk for being unfamiliar with Health Insurance basics. _They will most likely be the ones the older generation turns to when trying to understand it themselves. A recent survey from Aflac showed that 45 percent of Millennials would rather clean out their email then research their health benefits.
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WEBSITE
BOOKLET
ADS
Here individuals will be able to access the most
A tool to ease an individuals feelings towards
I will be creating Ad’s to help to spread the word,
important Health Insurance information that will
Health Insurance.
and bring individuals to my site.
be broken down and simplified.
Through strong visuals, categories, informative
By using strong visuals, and intriguing statistics
Then they can easily digest and internalize the
infographics my goal is to not only simplify the
my goal is to engage these young risk takers by
massive amounts of content.
complex, but help ease the tension surrounding
opening their eyes and catching their attention.
Through strong visuals, categories, informative
Health Insurance.
infographics my goal is to not only simplify the complex, but to help people understand.
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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT With the open enrollment coming to a close during my midpoint, ObamaCare was a hot topic in the news. Intrigued by the hostility towards the new law that was now forcing everyone to carry some form of Health Insurance I decided to focus my thesis on the topic. Though there was a large amount of confusion with ObamaCare I decided to veer my focus away from it. Instead I took a deeper look into the issue at hand.
A Personal Investment During college I was attending my friends
What happened? That July afternoon I learned that I was not invincible. A young man had carelessly jumped his jet ski onto land, sliding on slippery grass and stone. Though he killed the engine the jet ski struck me in the back, an inch from my spine, at roughly 25 mph. The doctors proclaimed it a miracle that I was even able to walk away from the freak accident with only sciatic nerve damage, something that I will deal with the rest of my life, as well as a 14,000 medical bill.
graduation party. It was the perfect day, and
Even though I had student insurance it only
I was sitting at a picnic table drinking a cold
covered half of the bill, and I—a student—needed
beer near the edge of a lake I had planned to
to come up with the remainder.
take full advantage of later. While in mid conversation with my friends I heard screams from the crowd, and a split second later my body went numb.
14 %
THE PROBLEM Dr. Loewenstein’s research showed that only 14 percent of individuals who held Health Insurance actually understood it. Yet we are now asking 34 million people in the United States who are currently uninsured—as of 2014—to be able to not only understand, but to successfully obtain Health Insurance. http://www.medicaldaily.com/
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KAISER PERMANENTE THRIVE Their objective is to provide individuals with knowledge and tools to manage their care, and health inside and outside of the doctors’ office.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Teaches you about certain plans, but only focuses on their plans.
_Glossary list to help understand industry speak.
_Helping people become educated so they can make the best decisions when buying a plan from insurance companies of their choosing.
_The site is more focused on how to manage your care after you obtain Health Insurance.
_Offers a seminar to new members teaching them how plans work.
_The convenience of having the most important information in one place.
_Their testimonials are focused on care and their successes.
_Glossaries tangible and strong visual language.
HEALTH LITERACY TOOLKIT A step by step guidance and tools for assessing your healthcare practice and making changes so you connect with patients of all literacy levels.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Has hyper links within it but isn’t an interactive digital resource.
_Does not pose a threat, but can be used as inspiration.
_Create visually appealing icons and symbols throughout the brand.
_Systematic approach to reduce complexity of medical care.
_Clear categories, and strong visuals to simplify the complex information.
_Focused on literacy in the medical field to improve abilities to obtain, process, and to understand.
_Use gamification techniques to retain audience interest and engagement.
WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS Help their members safeguard the things that are most important to them: their health, financial security, and peace of mind.
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Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_ Educate people on what they feel is the most important aspects of Health Insurance.
_Can learn about Health Insurance, and sign up all in one place.
_By including strong interactive features the viewers will be more inclined to stay on the site.
_A glossary of Health Insurance terms with brief definitions.
_Guides to help you understand your health, and inform you on what needs to ask before major medical decisions.
_Creating a site solely focused on informing people the facts.
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KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION Their objective has been to build an institution that plays a special role as a trusted source of information in a health care world dominated by vested interests.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Well designed and organized for easy navigation through the site.
_Videos to help teach about Health Insurance.
_Resource for people to learn and process Health Insurance before shopping for a plan.
_Slight gamification feeling by providing interactive parts throughout the site.
_A marketplace calculator to help find what kind of insurance will be best for you.
_An interactive section that helps you to determine what kind of plan will best suit you. _Create a section with more links for individuals to have the choice to learn further education.
_Youtoons for an understandable and fun way to learn about information.
FRIENDLY CAREAWARE
Covered California
Kaiser Family Foundation
Thrive Kaiser Permanente Health Insurance.com Medical Mutual
ahipinsurance education
United Healthcare
SIMPLE
COMPLEX
Healthcare.gov
Cigna WebMD Insweb Health Literacy Toolkit
WPS
Insurance.com
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UNITED HEALTHCARE Their objective is to help individuals choose insurance from one of their plans they offer.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Simplifying some of the plans, but there is a lot of reading that’s involved.
_A slight gamification feeling to the features.
_Their site pushes their plans on you while trying to teach you.
_Points out important life facts to take into consideration when buying a plan. _Though designed well and understandable you need to dig deep for certain things.
_Teaches clearly about the different plans offered in the marketplace. _They will be able to learn some of the basics, talk to a professional, and sign up in one.
_Stay away from detailed paragraphs getting the main idea out first big and bold then provide details. _Keeping it focused on Health Insurance staying away from noise like pushing healthier lives.
HEALTHCAREGOV.COM Their objective is to help individuals choose find insurance from the marketplace that works for them and help them to sign up.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Feature to see what kind of coverage you might need, only by area, and how many it will cover.
_Individuals who just want to sign up for coverage with ease.
_Not making it overwhelming with a lot of information packed into a site.
_Has a slight gamification feel, but not able
_A feature that allows you to find someone in your area to help you apply.
_Not overwhelming people with numbers and no explanations.
to hover to simply get more information. _Breaks individuals down by categories explaining what and how coverage will work for them.
_Adding in a media option for those who are still confused, and need to hear it from a professional.
HEATLHINSURANCE.COM Their objective is to make buying Health Insurance easy, and to help you find affordable Health Insurance, and manage your benefits.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_Has an interactive interface that helps you find the type of insurance that works for you.
_Can learn, and sign up for insurance in one location.
_Solely informative and unbiased so when they visit sites to sign up they will have the facts.
_The most important information is given first giving you the options to dig further down.
_Live agent support to help you to apply for insurance.
_Filter for the most important bits of information then direct people where to continue.
_Has an educational part that teaches you about basics on Health Insurance.
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_The navigation simple and direct.
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COVERED CALIFORNIA Easy to use marketplace that was created to help you and your family get health coverage to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_A resource to explain and teach one about their Health Insurance.
_Videos of professionals explaining important Health Insurance terms.
_A feature to find which plan will best suit you without having to apply for Health Insurance.
_A feature to help you understand which one of the plans will best suit you.
_Find an agent, and live chat features.
_Tutorials on how to use Health Insurance.
_Testimonials of success stories.
_Keep the videos under a minute and only on one term at a time.
_Reduce extra noise that could confuse you by focusing their site.
WEBMD Is an American corporation which provides health news, advice, and expertise.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_A tool to help you understand Health Insurance. _Breaks down certain complex aspects.
_FAQ sections for some the key aspects of Health Insurance.
_A tool that helps you estimate what you’ll spend on care for the year.
_Desire to help people make an educated decision when choosing a plan.
_Has a map to help you find your state marketplace and explains them.
_Simplifying the site by keeping things organized and categorized.
_Checklist to consider when you are ready to buy Health Insurance.
_Making it easier to understand by giving familiar examples.
MEDICAL MUTUAL Offers both health and life insurance for individuals, families, and groups along with the information to help them make an educated decision.
Comparisons
Threats
Opportunities
_A guide to help you understand your options when choosing a plan.
_A tool to better understand how to choose a plan and tips for buying.
_Interactive guide to assess yourself to figure out the kind of plan that best suits you.
_Videos that help further explain the difference between health plans.
_Pinpointing the terms that are most important, then offer an option to explore more.
_Glossary of terms to help understand the terminology. _Helpful videos, and guides on important insurance topics.
_Giving real world examples to help define and remember the terminology.
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My Team
Agents
Educator
Matt Nelson
David Randall
Cora Reikofski
President; American Advantage Insurance-Nel-
Kaiser Permanente
Educator, 5th Grade
David has been working at Kaiser for the last year and he is no stranger to the insurance world.
Cora has been an educator on a middle school and high school level for several years.
After creating the bones for the book with Hazel a Health Insurance broker, I was able to reach out to David for help with its content.
I asked Cora to come on board after I uncovered a study conducted by the department of education showing that 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th grade reading level.
son Agency, Inc
Matt has been in the insurance industry for a long time making it his mission to help individuals find affordable options. With Matt’s help I was able to organize the CareAware website in a way it would be most effective. Also he helped to validate content during the research phase, and through the development.
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David helped to pin-point the most important things consumers of the industry need to understand and be aware of.
She helped me to simplify the content for the book and website.
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Editor
Media Specialist
Others ››› Joshua Hupp, Gabriel Insurance Agency ››› Hazel Bright HB Resources Insurance Services, Inc. ››› Brian Toth Designer ››› JP Reed State Farm Agent ››› Jesse Gosselin Assistant Editor
Carrie Lukens
Kelly Hills
Psychologist, PhD
Video Editing
Carrie has been a psychologist for several years, and focused her PhD in clinical psychology.
Kelly is an alumnus from the Academy of Art who received her MFA degree in Film.
Knowing a thing or two about human behavior, and having written her own dissertation a few years back I asked Carrie to come on as my main editor.
Kelly definitely knows her way around a storyboard. With her help I was able to showcase my thesis through an intriguing promotional video. She also gave me tips while creating my term videos.
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003 the
BRAND
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THE SIGNATURE When sketching for the signature for CareAware I used the words knowledge, care, and the idea of wanting to give the feeling of having a peace of mind.
Pillars Simplify Internalize
I started by creating sketches of magnified glasses, light bulbs, books open and closed, heart rates, and even band-aids. Feeling creatively stumped I went back to the main pillars of CareAware.
Compact Modernize Knowledge
Instead of creating a symbol I played around with the letter forms by condensing them, stacking them, connecting them, and minimizing them. I used Gotham Rounded as a starting point, then simplified, and modernized the forms to make them their own. I decided to use lower case for care to differentiate it from aware; giving it a friendlier, more humanized feeling to the signature.
2.5Ë?
The signature should not be shown smaller than 2.5 inches wide.
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ALEO Aleo is a contemporary slab serif typeface designed as a companion to the Lato Font by Lukasz Dziedzic. It has semi-rounded details and a sleek structure, giving it a strong personality, and is highly readable. The font gives off a calm, friendly, and inviting balanced essence. The family is comprised of six styles: light, regular, and bold with corresponding italics. Designed by Alessio Laiso.
_Titles are to be set in uppercase, bold. _Subtitles are to be set italic, at 9pts with 12pt leading. _Not to be used for body copy, or caption copy. Aleo is versatile in that it can be used at various sizes for both print and digital. The lighter versions provide a clean friendly appearance, while the thicker weights have a more encouraging character.
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BROWN Brown is a contemporary, modern, and geometric typeface that started as a collaborative type design project by Urs Lehni and Lex Trub. Heavily influenced by Edward Johnson’s and Arno Drescher’s successful geometric typefaces. Aurele Sack then took it for four years drawing and developing the typeface. He developed brown more freely, adding a purist, and near-surgical flavor. Brown has a simplicity to it that makes it friendly when dealing with my topic.
_Use for body copy, call outs. _Body copy is to be set light, at 8pts with 12pt leading. _Call outs are to be set in regular. _Not to be used for captions or subtitles. _Quotes are to be set at 29pt with 36pt leading. Brown is an elegantly serious typeface versatile at both large and small sizes for various applications. Especially interesting for use at smaller sizes.
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DECIMA MONO Decima Mono is a condensed geometric monospaced san serif created by TipografiaRamis. The typeface helps to tie in the medical vernacular used throughout the branding of CareAware. The typeface gives off a digital feeling while adding a playful character to the brand.
_Captions will be set in light and sentence case. _Glossary words set in the color Encourage. _Not to be used for titles, call outs, headlines, or regular subtitles. With it’s modern and contemporary style Decima Mono has an essence of the medical and scientific field without making it feel too clinical or computer science. The lighter version provides a clean appearance, while the thicker weight gives a more dominant appearance.
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THE PHOTOGRAPHY Style One Is friendly, and inviting without being overpowering or calling attention to itself. The photos will be of hospital and medical related objects. Things the insured will eventually come into contact while using their Health Insurance. They will mostly be in color. Mainly used in the book.
Style Two Will be similar to style one except that these will be black and white, and will consist of close ups. They will be used for pacing. Mainly used in the book.
Style Three The third style of photography being used is heavily influenced by the medical vernacular from x-rays. They will be used for individuals testimonials, and will be used for the advertisement campaign.
GRAPHIC ELEMENTS The primary graphic elements throughout the brand CareAware is medical vernacular influenced from the health care industry.
Inspired From It was inspired from the meaning behind the name of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;making people aware so they can get the care that they need from health professionals. It also stems from the desire to make CareAware feel familiar.
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BOOKLET The CareAware booklet is a tool to inform individuals about the Health Insurance industry, what they should be aware of, and things they should be inquiring with hopes to help change the industry. It is also being used as a marketing tool for the careaware.us. My goal for the booklet is to continue breaking down Health Insurance with strong visuals, understandable infographics, and simplified categorizes.
CAREAWARE INTRO True Story (Sami)
HEALTH INSURANCE
What is health insurance? -28% How Health Insurance works? -48%
Everyone has a part and what they do.
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WEBSITE The CareAware website is a resource for individuals to educate themselves on Health Insurance. It is here individuals will be able to access the most important Health Insurance information that will be broken down, and simplified making it digestible.
CAREAWARE
ABOUT
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TERMS
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What to do
Main Words
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Why
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ADâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S For the CareAware advertisements I really wanted to make people stop and think. The idea was to give a strong statistic of how much a common illness or a common surgery costs without health insurance. So when the question is asked they will try to see if they actually know the answer. By using strong visuals, and intriguing statistics my goal is to engage these young risk takers by opening their eyes and catching their attention.
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USER-TESTING The Invite Hi Friends, You are all invited. Join me for an evening of good food, drinks and most importantly, a sneak peak at my thesis project CareAware. In exchange for a fun night with friends, I asked them to take a 5-10 minutes of their evening to review my work and give me feedback.
_Did you find the site to be helpful? _What was your favorite thing about the site? _Was the site easy to use and understand? _Is this a tool you would use while researching about Health Insurance? _Did you find the book to be interesting? _Did anything stand out to you in the book that you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already know about Health Insurance? _What was your favorite thing about the book? _Is this a tool you would use while educating yourself about Health Insurance?
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JESSE
CareAware.us ››› I found it easy to use and to navigate around. ››› The website was laid out in a way that makes the information easy to find. I also think the content was chosen effectively for the general audience. ››› My favorite thing was the test your knowledge part. It helped to reinforce what I had learned from the site. ››› This site is definitely a tool I would use to help me understand Health Insurance.
The Industry ››› I loved the color scheme. ››› It draws your attention and the content is short enough to explain the material and not too much that it would overwhelm you. ››› I did not know preventative care is covered through the governments new mandate. ››› The book brings together many useful tools that helps to consolidate industry information into one easy-to-use tool.
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CHARLA
CareAware.us ››› The site is very user friendly. ››› The information is great however for the co-pay section you should add in that you will have to pay this at every doctors appointment unless your plan doesn’t have a co-pay. ››› Add that some procedures are not covered under the co-pay and you may have to pay additional fees out of pocket.
The Industry ››› There were a lot of interesting highlights. ››› I really enjoyed the informational graphs and charts. ››› What resonated with me was the idea that I the consumer needs to start taking back control. This book not only explained how to do that, but it explained what to really look at.
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CareAware.us ››› My favorite part of the site was the interactive learning tools. ››› Overall it was very comprehensive and I could see myself using this in the future.
The Industry ››› A little bit of everything stood out to me in the book, the history was all new to me. ››› It covers all the topics thoroughly. ››› I felt the book had good flow, and the information was easy to navigate through. ››› I see myself using this as a tool for understanding Health Insurance.
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CATHY
CareAware.us ››› I work in the health care industry and I think this site is fantastic. It was helpful and easy to understand. ››› My favorite thing about the site was its simplicity. ››› This is not only something I would personally use but it is a tool I would tell my patients to use.
The Industry ››› The thing that stood out to me the most was the section on medicaid. ››› My favorite thing was having all the information in one place. ››› I would especially love to use this tool with our elderly patients who often get stuck in the “doughnut hole.”
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CareAware.us ››› The website was very informative. ››› It was very functional and simple. ››› I liked the actual applying for the insurance part and how it explained why after the application. ››› I would definitely use this as a tool to educate myself about Health Insurance.
The Industry ››› I found the book interesting though I lean more towards using the website. ››› It was very easy to read rather than throwing a bunch of information all in one. ››› I’m not sure I would use this tool because I did a lot of research when looking for my health plan last year. However I would love to show my younger siblings this tool.
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CareAware.us ››› I like the fact that the site feels layered. I never felt like I had to click on anything I didn’t want to understand. ››› I felt like the content was well organized. ››› My favorite part was the break down of the cost and coverage section, and I wish that it provided more great insights. ››› The pages were easy to follow and I never felt lost or overwhelmed when using the site.
The Industry ››› The book has in-depth content. ››› The format, layout, photos, and charts really makes it pop keeping me engaged with each turn. ››› I enjoyed the straightforward information.
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THE FUTURE The Health Insurance industry has many layers to it, and during my thesis journey I was only able to scratch the surface of it. Though it is known across the United States as a plan that covers medical expenses it is still handled differently for every state. CareAware is an organization and brand that enables an individual’s grasp to their Health Insurance. Though I provided my audience with the tools and resources to help them along their way; CareAware has potential to expand.
Careaware.us The website currently focuses on three main parts of Health Insurance, but there is so much more to insurance that we need to understand. The focus would remain purely on educating individuals, but the parts that exist right now can definitely be expanded, and new sections that break things down further can be explored. Now due to the fact that Health Insurance is handled differently for each state there is an opportunity to create tools and resources geared towards that specific state, and potentially CareAware could become CareAware of Wisconsin, CareAware of New York, CareAware of Texas, etc. The Industry The book only scratched the surface of the Health Insurance industry and has potential to expand into a series of four books; Health Insurance Broken Down, The Consumers of Health Insurance, The Providers and How the Deals are Created, and What being Subsidized truly means.
Other Expansions ››› A Game app that would allow people to use the knowledge that they have gained from careaware.us and use to it get to higher levels and compete against their friends. ››› A workshop where professionals, and individuals can come together and start a conversation. Here one could learn how to effectively use their Health Insurance, how to get the best plan, and explained why this plan will work for them in the future.
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LESSONS LEARNED A thesis gives you a chance to take on many roles within a single project. Not only was I was the designer, I was the art director, UX/UI designer, and the project manager at the same time. To start I was asked to choose a problem to solve with design, followed by extensive research, and then finally deliver a robust solution to the said problem. The thesis should demonstrate a range of design skills including: strategic thinking, audience analysis with user testing, and tackling a real world problem through the execution of design. The freedom I was given to work on my thesis allowed me to unleash my knowledge and my talents without being overly directed. I was able to find a strategic solution to the problem I uncovered from my research, which lead me to achieve a successful conceptualized design solution. Through its creation I was able to redefine an idea, by designing a brand and educational system that changed how my audience involved themselves, and participated with their Health Insurance.
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First Things First To My Family Who didn’t hesitate for one minute when I told them I was driving out West to follow my dreams, who took my late night phone calls and encouraged me to push myself past all my limits, and always had encouraging words for me when I felt I hit a wall head first. Thank you for always being there, always believing in me and always being the rock I needed to follow my passion. Secondly To My Advisors Thank you for always expecting more out of me. By pushing me to exceed expectations I have grown immensely as a designer. I hope I have made you proud with the creation of CareAware. Thirdly To My Team Who took on the task of helping me with my thesis. A huge thank you to my insurance team Matt Nelson, David Randall, Joshua Hupp, Hazel Bright who helped me to understand a very complex industry. To my editor & educator Carrie Lukens, and Cora Reikofski who was there to help me simplify a very complex language. To my media specialist Kelly Hills who helped me create a compelling commercial to advertise my brand. Lastly To My Love Thank you for being there through the completion of my thesis. For listening to me as I rambled on and on about Health Insurance day after day. For being my solid rock that I could depend on to remind me of my talent, and my strength when I felt I had none. Thank you for feeding me, for clean laundry, reminding me that an hour long nap doesn’t count as a night’s sleep, for hiding emergency stashes of gummy snacks around the house, and for making thesis life easier. I know it wasn’t the easiest task but I will forever be grateful that you were there to support me.
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MFA Graphic Design Thesis Designed and Written by Sami Lukens 03723808 Printed and Bound at: blurb.com Premium matte 100# Adobe Creative Suite CC Academy of Art University: School of Graphic Design Graduate Director: Phil Hamlett 79 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, California Thesis Advisors: Phil Hamlett Jeremy Stout Anthony Jagoda Brian Toth David Gottwald View more work by Sami at: samilukens.com Contact: sjlukens1@gmail.com Š 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced wit hout express permission from Sami Lukens.
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