Get a Life

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Conceived to address Texas’ high school dropout crisis, the Get a Life site was designed to inspire tweens and teens to explore careers aligned with their interests and hobbies. The site provided resources on high-growth, high-paying careers and outlined the educational paths necessary to pursue them. It also guided students toward activities, volunteer work, and part-time jobs that allowed them to gain hands-on experience in various fields.

I developed a strategic content plan and designed the information architecture, crafting content to resonate with a middle school audience. In addition, I worked with Texas students to create video interviews featuring real kids sharing their aspirations, making the content relatable and authentic.

Key Contributions

  • Developed content strategy and information architecture tailored for a tween/teen audience.
  • Wrote comprehensive informational content on career exploration and educational pathways.
  • Produced a promotional video featuring real students from Bedichek Middle School in Austin, showcasing their career dreams.
  • Developed a proposal for a Middle School Advisory Board, designed to engage students statewide as program ambassadors.
  • Created a scalable marketing and outreach plan, partnering with Texas businesses and media outlets to expand program reach while aligning with the public profile of a high-profile political figure.
  • Designed a media buying plan encompassing Google AdWords, print, mailers, and theater and radio ads.
  • Filmed interviews with public figures, including Project Runway’s Chloe Dao and astronaut Richard Garriott, discussing their career paths.
  • Managed all project communications, as well as the production timeline and deliverables, to ensure a cohesive final product.

Project Team

  • Tami Heaton: Project management, business strategy, content strategy, copywriting, UX/information architecture, HTML/CSS development, video production, advertising & sponsorships
  • Edd Patton: Design
  • Robert Doyal: HTML/CSS development
  • Shannon Kennedy: Flash development

Link

leaheaton.com/archive/texas-comptroller/get-a-life/

Video