OUGD603: Self care postcards

Brief:

The purpose of these postcards is to engage with students and young people and remind them of how important self care is. 

Simple things that your body absolutely needs. Sleep, drinking 

water and mind management are detrimental to your health and wellbeing. We decided to create postcards for people to have as little reminders and pieces of art for their rooms. 

Research: 

Mental health issues affect 1 in 4 people.

We all know someone or are someone who struggles with mental health. It can affect how you think and feel on an everyday basis. Especially in high anxiety places like university where everything is new. You’re alone a lot of the time and have to push yourself to 

socialise with a lot of strangers at once. It’s overwhelming.

There has been an uprise in university related mental health issues or at least people are starting to open up about it more. The issues vary from social anxiety, sleep deprevation, eating disorders and even more critical cases such as suicide. There is a documentary on BBC called Student Suicide | Real Stories and it is heartbreaking to see so many young people feeling alone and like that is the only option because they are away from their home, friends and family. Places such as Bristol have suffered seven suicides in the last 18 months from March 2018. 

More people are opening up but there is still a stigma. It is so easy to say “just speak to someone” but who? It’s hard to listen to other people you have to push yourself out of it and seek guidance. 

People need to feel like they are not the only one and not alone. It is an issue that needs to be helped and dealt with because the statistics are heartbreaking. 

We asked people what they thought was the most important type of self care. These were the results.

Initial Ideas

- Mindfulness Zine

Something people to read to feel better, gain information, take their mind off and calm themselves from the stress of everyday life.

- A box of stuff to help people sleep, drink water

This idea would have been too expensive to produce. Heavy and 

difficult to not only manufacture products for but to hand out.

- Posters

To put around universities.

- Leaflet 

This would have all of the information but unless it’s what you are looking for people just tend to bin these. It’s costly and overwhelming if places with tons of other leaflets and informational paper.

- An app // interactive design

There are already sleep apps and mindfulness apps so there would not have been anything innovative that has already been done but better. Also there is so much help on Mind charity’s website already from officials that know what they are talking about.

Development

Started with simple shapes and then developed using colour to make it more playful and interesting. The colours were added in different ways to create textures but it was preferred that the 

colours were placed more specifically such as filling the cup with water. The shapes surrounding the main imagine help to boarder it and frame the overall image. 

It was discussed that we didn’t want a lot of information so that it’s easy to remember and not seem too formal for the audience. It can also overpower the main image. Many typefaces, sizes and line weights were tested and it was agreed it looked better without text on the postcards. It was discussed also within feedback and 

majority agreed it was better without as long as there was 

information on the back this maintains the clear message of the postcards without being too stern.

Feedback

Originally there was text where the designs were instead of the 

reverse and a majority of feedback was that “it looks better

without text”, “in my opinion the text makes it too heavy and 

forceful” and “the typeface used is quite dense and does not work with the illustrations.” It was preferred with the text on the back that way it was less direct and then more information could be added to the design. 

“They are quite feminine designs but I’m a boy and I would still have them in my room.” 

However, initially it does look quite feminine so this could be a problem one person said “the design is more aimed towards 

females” Where someone else replied saying “not that girly. Boys tend to wear that more marshmellowy pastel pink in clothing, it’s on trend now. In Urban Outfitters etc they sell hoodies pastel 

colours especially as it’s summer now.”

Overall, the feedback was positive. People said they would have the postcards in their rooms. They work individually and as a set which is useful incase you don’t have much space on your wall or don’t want to overwhelm yourself.

Final Resolution

The final design consists of 3 postcards which word coherently to create a set. These would be given out around halls, at university and in freshers packs.