1919 workers collective paid sick leave campaign

Volunteer Work

project

In 2024, the 1919 Workers Collective started working on a campaign to increase awareness and advocate for Paid Sick Leave for all workers in Manitoba. While the organization eventually abandoned the campaign to work on other issues, some deliverables, including an 8.5×11″ tri-fold pamphlet and slides for social media, had already been created and distributed. As the designer, I was responsible for the layout, typography, and illustration while the text was written by members of the 1919 Workers Collective.

design rationale

The design for this campaign needed to be bold, distinct, and versatile to stand out in posters on the streets and in social media feeds. As a volunteer-run organization, it was important to the 1919 Workers Collective to reduce costs wherever possible. Therefore, the design uses open-source fonts and simple original illustrations. Additionally, the illustrations are designed to be used in black and white or colour to reduce costs for producing printed materials. The friendly illustration style of the “li’l sickos” draws on art from children’s picture books to add a playful element to the design. The cartoon characters, based on reasons why workers might need to take sick leave, invite viewers into the design and provide balance for the serious issues discussed in the text.