Back-to-Office Behavioral Science-Based Campaign

As the IMF began to invite our personnel to our return to work at our headquarters in Washington, DC, we knew it was vital that we do our utmost to promote hygienic behavior and keep everyone safe as they make the transition back to an office setting. But we also recognized that the challenge would be devising a way of imparting information that looked well beyond a traditional signage campaign. Instead of wallpapering our offices with PSAs, we went back to the drawing board, researching and analyzing staff behavior to identify patterns and bottlenecks. Our designers looked to behavioral science to understand the data and for solutions on how to get the most pertinent information to the relevant viewership, quickly. That’s how we devised a notice-at-a-glance signage model. With a homogenized type and color scheme and a clear hierarchy of urgency, anyone in the building can understand nearly instantly the importance of the notice: Blue is used for helpful, non-urgent messages; yellow messages require attention but don’t pose an immediate threat if ignored; and red notices are reserved for the most urgent information. In addition to the hierarchy of urgency, notices were also divided by the simplicity of the message. Directional/core messages used large type with basic copy for simple and straight forward messages while informational signage is used for more detailed instructions. The result is that those in our HQ now have consistent signage to guide them safely on their return to the office.