Weather Alerts
The Weather Alert consisted of a visual and an audio message. The visual one was a black screen with white dot matrix letters, cutting edge technology in the 1980s. Maybe someone has research that says this is the right way to post the message. But I am very sure that a key strategy in visual communication is to make certain that the information you most want to communicate stands out in the message.
There are only two things I really need from a weather alert: what is happening (severe storm) and whether or not I am in its path. The first piece of information was contained in the message, but it was buried in a lot of other information that was worse than useless. I did not need to know who was issuing the alert (The National Weather Service) or what office the alert was coming from (Aberdeen). Knowing when the alert expired might be helpful, but why in heaven's name did I need to know the exact time the alert was issued? It was not particularly useful to know today's date, since storms are a lot more about now than they are about August.
There are only two things I really need from a weather alert: what is happening (severe storm) and whether or not I am in its path. The first piece of information was contained in the message, but it was buried in a lot of other information that was worse than useless. I did not need to know who was issuing the alert (The National Weather Service) or what office the alert was coming from (Aberdeen). Knowing when the alert expired might be helpful, but why in heaven's name did I need to know the exact time the alert was issued? It was not particularly useful to know today's date, since storms are a lot more about now than they are about August.
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
Weather Alerts
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