In fall 2019, the City of Austin Public Works Public Affairs Office began the process of creating a printed newsletter, primarily for mailing directly to field workers. The hope was to reach field staff who didn’t easily have access to computers and thus, couldn’t readily read the department’s bi-weekly e-newsletter.
Although the newsletter did need to convey department information, the main purpose was to increase pride and engagement among field workers. Thus, 75% of the content would feature our target audience: field crews.
Following the department slogan of “Well-Built, Well-Maintained, Well-Being for All”, the newsletter highlights the “well-maintained” work that is the core of our Street and Bridge Operations division. However, the true focus of the publication is meant to be the people behind the work. And because mailed content would never be timely content, we decided to create a photo-heavy publication.
The result is a collection of short articles defined by their accompanying photos.
Collectively, the goal for the photography was to mimic the hardworking field employees who do a massive amount of physical work to keep the city running smoothly. The final piece was intended to be informal, empowering, and resonate pride and engagement.
The photography was curated to feel personal and allow the viewer to connect with the images. Employees are shown both at ease and hard at work. Photos were color corrected to appropriately reflect the industry and the day-to-day gritty palpability of fieldwork.
Regarding visual identity, the newsletter used a color palette from a previously-established visual style guide and fonts that were established more recently.
Overall, the newsletter helped shine a spotlight on the Austin Public Works Street and Bridge division. And although it’s hard to gauge success with this type of printed publication, word-of-mouth accounts say it was well-received by field workers. Some field staff said that it made them look like heroes to their families, who were delighted to open up the mailbox and see their loved ones featured in such an admirable way.
