As I narrowed down the subject matter for this project, research became more and more difficult. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of hard statistics available for child trafficking in the United States, but it is a growing problem. The goal for this project was to promote awareness and prevention. I decided to create postcards that could be mailed to families, specifically parents, within the United States, who most likely would have little to no knowledge of child trafficking. I wanted parents to understand that child trafficking is happening right under their noses, with documented cases in all 50 states. These postcards would be from a fictional company, Eyes Open Initiative, whose mission is to combat child trafficking. 

 

For the front of the postcards, I wanted to connect with parents by showing the faces of child trafficking. I used images of both genders and several races to represent the melting pot that is America. I wanted parents to see these children, and immediately think of their own. The images I chose are all of children looking sad, desperate, or uneasy. I chose to place the text “child trafficking” on top of the image to a) represent a repressed, imprisoned child and b) to show that the subject of the postcard was child trafficking. I gave each girl or boy a name, in a handwriting style typeface, to create a more personal bond with the viewer. It should almost seem like the child pictured is delivering this message him/herself. I placed “hello, my name is” on top of child’s mouth to insinuate that they are now being given a voice. With curiosities peaked, the viewer will turn to the back of the postcard and find information regarding child trafficking. The first piece of information is a fact about trafficking (key words enlarged) and then it is revealed that the child on the front of the card (insert name here...) is a victim of child trafficking. The child’s story/personal experience with trafficking is told followed by images of what really goes on “behind the scenes” in child slavery. The card suggests that child trafficking can happen to any child, anywhere and parents/viewers should inform themselves before it becomes a personal issue. Throughout the card, I used reds and yellows to signify a sense of urgency and evil. I chose easy-to-read, contrasting typefaces - “Arial” and “Museo Slab”. 

 

I think the final result of this project successfully represents the idea of “change”, “connectivity”, and “prisoner”. The postcards spread/connect information about child prisoners and calls for change through knowledge and prevention.