The brief its self was fairly simple in that it just asked to promote the new (Samaritans like) help line for youth.
However, this was really difficult or at least to hit the nail on the head given the complexities of the issue. Ultimately I decided on finding a way to facilitate communication rather than focussing purely on connecting with certain emotional triggers, given that they are so varied and peoples experience of the world is so individual. I still don’t think there is any one size fits all answer and the campaign would need to be in constant change. However in terms of identity, perhaps that could run through the varying angles of reaching people through emotion. I settled on a logo/identity concept around shadow given that this is the only thing that everybody has in common once they’ve lost everything or have nothing (emotionally or otherwise) but also that peoples experience of the world is often endlessly dark. the shadow motif also forms the edge of a knife. I reduced the level to which this is obvious because too direct a knife symbol, is insensitive and who knows may even encourage its use but ackowledging its existence I felt was justifiable in terms of showing an understanding of self harm or worse.
Poster concepts were based around the idea of invisibility. I chose this, either because people hide away from the world (a justifiable reaction in their minds) or conceal their suffering behind words or an external personality barrier. Similarly they may also feel that they have no value or even exist in the minds of other people/society and are therefore to all intents and purposes, invisible. The phrases used on the posters can be rotated, changed and broadened with time.
The billboard idea was to use a concealed audio player with a 3.5mm jack for people to plug in to. There they can listen to charity radio broadcasts or pre-recorded programs on youth issues and interviews with anonymous people experiencing problems. The idea does not assume that everyone would use the facility, but rather importance is placed on people knowing that the facility exists if they ever decided to use it (safety and confirmation in numbers).
Finally, the telephone number projection idea uses the light from street lighting ( so requires no additonal light or power source). Simply the logo and phone number is projected on the floor at night time. This is to reach those who perhaps are more confortable with walking the streets at night. It is meant to be more intimate than poster advertising for example, and is gentle in its approach. The system its self just uses two low cost plastic frenzel lenses (it cost me just £4) and a simple transparency with a message on it. The three parts can be connected with plastic thread (or whatever) and hung below street lighting. Tested with house lighting, the projector works very well once the distance between the lenses has been adjusted.
Tests, previous attempts and development.
I found this really challenging, mainly because of trying to find the right angle and where to start from. The project was based around depression in youth and connected problems. The problem is how to get people to use a new phone line. Trying to solve this was multi layered because peoples experience of a depressed state or their troubles is individual, often abstract and wildly varied and highly sensitive to certain groups. There’s no one size fits all answer. Another problem to build in was that many people won’t want to be helped, can’t face talking and others have given up completely. Factoring in these things made finding a point to start from very difficult which is what caused me most of the problems. There are also valid reasons for discounting possible solutions because the message was not clear enough as its sensitivity wouldn’t allow it or that a possible solution may well communicate okay with one group but would be misunderstood or misunderstood by another. As an example, I could have used a cynical response where I could try and befriend potential phone line users by acknowledging the mistakes of people who try to help depressed people. But in doing so there’s the risk of pushing others too far. Similarly using an abstract response with metaphorical explanation of what a depressed state feels like, could be misunderstood or chronically cliched. In the end and after far too much wasted energy, the angle I decided on was to speak from the point of view of a survivor of a lowered state who is looking back at their youth and asking the viewer would I grow up happy knowing that I’d opened my mouth and told people of my problems or grow up silent and still suffering. Also using the same multiple choice theme I could pose the question directly to the viewer about their current experience of life and do they chose to speak about it and at least have the satisfaction of acceptance and doing something, or ignoring or burying themselves in it. The idea of audio content and themed charity radio which people could access, was an accompanying idea. People could just plug in the 3.5mm headphone jacks to the broadcasts at specific outdoor locations. The output wouldn’t be obviously connected to depression so as not to embarrass the listener, and even if it did, they would still be aware that somewhere existed that knew something about the subject and might provide confirmation for sufferer.
A campaign may have been the way to go with a central theme of choices to link the various different tones.
On reflection I think that the project is just too big and complex to tackle with any hope of it being effective and, for me, I should have opted out of carrying on with it rather than devote so much time to it. Failing that then I could have committed to a solution or theme earlier on and given myself time to develop a visual language or folio worthy piece of work. The project did use up a lot of energy and a lot was wasted along with time. I may have been trying to fix things that just can’t be fixed and will have to look out for that in the future and be weary of wasting so much effort in the wrong places. The energy used on this project could have been used much more productively on at least another two projects. It was very very to get lost in the mess of information and abstract thought but it has proved a learning experience if nothing else.
