Week 7: Designing My Posters

Welcome to my Week 7 Senior Project Blog! I have quite a few updates for this post, as last week I finished reading the book Tobacco: Through the Smoke Screen, this week I began designing my informational posters, and last weekend I had the chance to administer my survey in person.

Tobacco: Through the Smoke Screen:

This book discusses the history of tobacco and how its use in society has changed over time. Tobacco originated in the Americas around 6000 BCE, and Native Americans used tobacco as a medicine, sacred plant, and even currency. Originally, tobacco was smoked with the intent of keeping away pests because of the nicotine in it, but then it became a way to keep away evil spirits. When Europeans first discovered tobacco, they were scared of the smoke that would come out of the user’s mouth and nose, but over time they began to value tobacco and it became a cash crop for English colonies in the Americas. 

Soon after, many companies sought to take advantage of the tobacco product and they developed the tools needed for mass production, which allowed them to produce many cigarettes. These major companies, often referred to as “Big Tobacco”, were able to sell their products during the World Wars, marketing their products as relaxing or representative of freedom. The tobacco industry continued glamorizing smoking through celebrities, film, and television. However, once researchers proved that tobacco negatively impacted users’ health, the government banned tobacco companies from paying for advertisements on radio and TV, though the industry used untraceable methods of payment, such as cash and jewelry, instead. The industry was also forced to put warning labels on their products.

Additionally, the book discusses how tobacco products impact the human brain. Once a person inhales tobacco product smoke, the nicotine in the product reaches the brain and affects communication between neurons. Nicotine causes an increase in energy levels and releases dopamine, which leads the user to feel more calm and happy. It also increases the production of endorphins, which can cause euphoria and make the user less aware of any pain. However, these good feelings don’t last for too long, and nicotine can end up causing anxiety and depression. It causes many other health problems, such as cancer, strokes, the cold and flu, and infertility. Tobacco has evolved from being used in sacred ceremonies to a product that addicts people and causes many health problems.

Informational Posters:

For my informational posters, I will be designing posters for all my different age groups: 12-18, 19-24, 25-39, 40-60, and 60+. So far, I have begun working on the posters for the age groups of 12-18, 19-24, and 25-39. Using the research I did on how to best appeal to each of these age groups, I have been trying to design engaging posters and display information that is likely to resonate with each group.

Survey:

Last Saturday, I attended the Ohlone College Flea Market’s Youth-preneur event and had the opportunity to survey people in person. It was interesting to hear people’s thought processes as they filled out my survey. Some ex-tobacco product users told me they found the products relaxing, while some said they were horrible and only tried them because of peer pressure. I found this experience to be quite useful, as I was able to interact with my respondents and learn more than I could through an online survey. I’d like to thank Mr. Hanlon for informing me of this incredible opportunity and for supporting me through this new experience.

I’m so happy to have learned so much through my research and survey, and I can’t wait to continue working on my posters. Thanks for reading, and see you next week!