PSA (PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT)
IN INDESIGN & PHOTOSHOP

A Public Service Announcement, commonly known by the acronym PSA,
is a message spread in the interest of the public.

The objectives of PSAs are to raise awareness and change public attitudes, opinions,
or even behavior towards an issue.

These messages can be instructional, inspirational, or even shocking to elicit emotion and action.

STEP #1

Choose an Issue

Select a topic or issue that would benefit the public, WestSide, or Wenatchee.

This topic may tackle social or environmental issues such as bullying, littering, or pollution,
but also might be on a smaller scale like “push in your chair” or “cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.”

Think about what message you want to get across and to whom you are directing this message.

Hook Your Audience
A good PSA will grab attention because of its comedy, shock value, emotionality, or importance to the viewers.

Use eye-catching images in your design, and try not to leave much empty white space.

Use text to explain your message.

STEP #2

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SAVE BOTH YOUR PHOTOSHOP FILE
AND YOUR INDESIGN FILE IN ORDER TO PRINT YOUR PSA POSTERS!

MAKE SURE YOU KEEP BOTH FILES IN GOOGLE DOCS UNTIL YOU ARE DONE.
Just like with the Magazine and Movie Poster projects.

There are 3 parts to this project:
Part 1: Sketch out your PSA Poster ideas with paper and pencil on an 11 x 17 piece of regular paper.

Part 2: Design your background graphic using the tools you know in Photoshop.
Create a new canvas at 10 inches wide by 16 inches tall. 150 Resolution.
If you need to do something or an effect you don’t know how to do,
look for a tutorial on the Internet to help you.
Save your Photoshop file on the DESKTOP while you are working with it in InDesign.
You will need BOTH the Photoshop and InDesign files.

Part 3: PLACE your Photoshop graphic into InDesign
(make sure you choose TABLOID for your InDesign document)
and design the Text on a NEW LAYER on top of the graphic.
You should remember how to do this from the Magazine and Movie Poster.
If you have forgotten, look back at those lessons.

STEP #3

Just Go For It!
You might want to run your ideas by me first, but be creative
and think of something that could help Wenatchee or WestSide, or draw attention to an issue.