Comic contracts
What is it?
Comic contracts are a new genre of legally binding contracts, in which parties are represented by characters, the terms of the agreement are captured in pictures, and parties sign the comic as their contract.
What problems does it solve?
Dense, complex contracts that feel “written by lawyers, for lawyers” are hard to read if you are literate, but are nearly impossible if you have low literacy skills.
Contract terms are often envisioned as a way protect vulnerable people, yet many cannot understand what they are signing.
When to use it?
While levels of literacy may vary, we are all able to understand clear visual narratives. A familiar, well-known genre like comics has the ability to easily communicate across all literacy levels to help everyone understand what they are signing.
Comic contracts are often used in situations where users may have low levels of literacy, such as employment contracts for low or semi-skilled workers. They also work well for medical consent, non-disclosure agreements, and grant agreements. Clauses that work well as comic strips include, for example, workers’ tasks and discipline, showing users where to sign, and contract cancellation.
Why use it?
Comic contracts help to clarify and make more tangible complicated terms and clauses, and ensure that both parties fully understand the terms of the agreement. They have been shown to reduce disputes and improve induction times, whilst also empowering vulnerable people.
The contracts are often used as manuals too, to describe a job or duties. This approach, in fact, aims changing contracts from being punitive and adversarial to being collaborative manuals of cooperation.
Where to use it?
- Contract documents
- Contract guides and playbooks
- Policies
- Training materials
- Contract planning and development
© 2019 Robert de Rooy, Claire Harcourt-Cooke, and Creative Contracts Pty Ltd. Published with permission.
Pattern families
Visuals Tone of voice ExplainersExample 1
Discipline clause for a fruit picker
These frames indicate the procedure of issuing two warnings when a picker does not meet the required amounts and the dismissal that occurs on the third failure.
© 2018 Creative Contracts. Used with permission.
Example 2
Signature section of a farm contract
Low-literate people often sign in the wrong place. This frame clearly indicates through the illustrations who is meant to sign where. Similar frames can be used in all types of contracts.
© 2018 Creative Contracts. Used with permission.
Example 3
Grant agreement cancellation clause
These frames, with the help of text, illustrate the terms on which the grant donor my cancel the grant contract to the receiver. More text is appropriate here due to the complexity of the clause, but also because users of these contracts tend to be of higher levels of literacy.
© 2018 Creative Contracts. Used with permission.
Example 4
Drop-off and pick up times
This is an example from a school contract. Clock illustrations are powerful and effective tools to manage expectations for parents. These also work well in employment contracts when illustrating working hours.
© 2018 Creative Contracts. Used with permission.
Example 5
Explaining key concepts
This comic is an extract from a medical consent form in which the medical provider must explain to the individual what health is. The use of images helps to simplify and provide examples to users who may be of low levels of literacy.
© 2018 Creative Contracts. Used with permission.
Share an example!
Have you used comic contracts? You can contribute to the Library by sharing an example.