process booK
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table of contents
01
Discovery Pg 3
02 Planning Pg 9
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Prototyping Pg 23
04 05
Production Pg 39
Analysis Pg 45
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DISCOVERY 3
project background
project objectives
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18% of the American population suffer from anxiety disorders. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Even though everyone knows at least one person with a mental illness (whether they’re open about it or not) there’s still a huge stigma about mental illness.
Create a photo book with an accompanying tour to tell the stories of people suffering from anxiety disorders in order to put a face on mental illness and relieve the stigma surrounding it, and ultimately raise money for NAMI (The National Alliance for Mental Illness).
According to an article by Psychology Today, in 1999 the U.S. Surgeon General labeled stigma as perhaps the biggest barrier to mental health care; this stigma manifests particularly in a phenomenon known as social distancing, whereby people with mental issues are more isolated from others.
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brand vision
brand positioning
A welcoming, non-judgmental community aimed to educate and
A relatable brand that allows people to open their minds and support others with mental illness.
raise awareness on depression and anxiety.
brand mission
desired brand perception
How: Designing a tour for a photo book that resonates with people and tells the stories of other in order to humanize and destigmatize mental illness.
A community where everyone is welcome; patience for people that
Where: Through the medium of print (photo book, poster) in public spaces, schools, and health facilities, tour planning, and digital
key messages
(website/app)
brand promise An insightful, welcoming community that provides a metaphoric safe space for all.
brand core values Compassionate Knowledgeable Relatable Calming
don’t fully understand mental illness.
You’re not alone - we’re here for you.
communication, tone, and manner Serious, knowledgeable, patient, and welcoming.
desired brand experience A brand that can be compared to a metaphoric hug; everything will be alright.
Welcoming
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tarGet audience Young Person With Mental Illness Struggles with anxiety and depression Doesn’t have a lot of friends to relate to Looking for a supportive community
Knowledgeable Psychiatrist Wants to reach out to those suffering from mental illnesses Looking for a way to connect the community of mental health patients outside of the counseling center
Socially Aware Educator Works at a university Wants to educate students and faculty about mental health stigmas Wants to “humanize” the topic
Concerned Parent Wants to understand her child’s mental illness Looking for other parents in her situation
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similar groups
Half of Us MTV sponsored site to support young people with mental illness
The One Project Community of photographers with depression/anxiety
The Thumbs Up Foundation Canadian organization for mental health access/ awareness
Anxy Art based magazine centered around mental illness
touchpoints
Photo Book
Poster
Tell the stories.
Spread the word!
Book Tour Website Learn more.
Meet others and start a community.
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PLANNING 9
wordlist A word list was created in order to generate names for the association affiliated with the photo book. Original names were “We Cope” “The Rift” “The Thumbs Up Project” and “The Worry Not Project.” The Thumbs Up Project seemed promising, until a Google search revealed that the Thumbs Up Foundation already existed. After much thinking, The OK Collective was conceived. Like the “thumbs up”, the “OK” gesture could also be made into a logo/ symbol that the audience could understand. “OK” Collective was decided upon because in the end, I wanted people to know that even if we will never 100% feel OK, in the end, things would still work out to be “OK.” It means that we’re all in this together.
moodboard Calm, minimal, and humanistic
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logo process Logos were sketched, digitally iterated, and then a final was chosen.
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INTERVIEW The interview is split into 2 parts. The first part is an introduction of the interviewee. They are asked to talk about themselves, when they first realized they were struggling with mental illness, and how their family and friends have reacted to the situation.
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The second half of the interview is about how the interviewee has dealt with their ordeal. They are asked about an object of significance they brought to the interview (usually an object of comfort), how they have learned to manage their mental illness, and any advice they would give to others in the same situation.
PHOTOGRAPHY
the subject
the object
The subject is to be shot fairly close, making use of natural light and background bokeh in order to evoke a calm, stylized effect. The subject can also look into the camera, as it makes a more personal connection with the reader.
The object of significance is to be shot close up, again utilizing bokeh for a stylish effect. The shot needs to be interesting; not just a photo of the object against a white background. Show the connection the interviewee has with their personal item.
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sketches posters
book layouts
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wireframes
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web sitemap
Social Media Home
About
Resources
Our Stories
Account
Community Stories
Create
Book Stories
Login/Logout
Tell Your Story
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wireframes
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PROTOTYPING PROTOTYPING
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POSTERS
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BOOK LAYOUTS
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FINAL POSTER A flexible design for a poster series focusing on people.
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FINAL BOOK A layout that introduces the interviewee, followed by a focus on their significant object.
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WEBSITE A website for tour, book, and mental illness information.
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MOBILE
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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PRODUCTION PRODUCTION 39
BRANDING logo treatment Azo Sans - Bold Logotype
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ Hanken - Logotype
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
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Proxima Nova Black - Website Headers
Proxima Nova Medium - Website Body Text
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Proxima Nova Condensed Medium - Book Body Text
Bauer Bodoni Bold - Book/Website Headers
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
photography Natural Light Gaze at camera / Occasionally off-camera VSCO Filter: Kodak Gold 1.8 - 4f Aperture
OK Teal Pantone R: 89 G 166: B: 155 C: 66 M: 17 Y: 41 K: 0 Hex: #59a69e
OK Dark Teal Pantone R: 93 G: 121 B: 135 C: 67 M: 35 Y: 49 K: 8 Hex: #5d837d
100% Black
100% White
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BOOK PRODUCTION Blurb was chosen to print and bind the book because they had fairly fast shipping, as well as premium paper choices. A soft cover option was chosen for book style, and Premium Matte 100lb. paper was chosen for the paper style as it had a light sheen and added richness to the photographs. To prepare for book binding, I had to do multiple pre-flight checks, made sure the dimensions were the same as the ones Blurb had given me, and I made multiple layout corrections along the way.
WEBSITE InVision was chosen to demonstrate what the finished website could possibly look like. Due to time constraints, a final website wasn’t developed. With InVision’s help, a final website prototype for both desktop and mobile was created. Interactive elements like screen transitions and swipe motions for mobile were added.
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BOOK TOUR
TOUCHPOINTS
the tour
In order to be informed about the book and the tour, posters will be hung around college campuses and in counseling centers. From there, the user can go to the website to check tour dates, find out more about the book, and learn more about the OK Collective.
The short tour will take place in December. It will visit college campuses and counseling centers throughout the Midwest. A few interviewees will accompany the tour in order to raise awareness about mental illness, as well as answer any questions the audience might have, or reach out to those who need it.
They can also follow the OK Collective on social media to get updates about the tour, learn more about the community, and meet the interviewees.
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ANALYSIS ANALYSIS 45
NEXT STEPS analysis This project was enlightening and rewarding. I learned a lot about my friends, about mental illness in general, how to photograph people, and how to artistically handle what some might consider “dark subject matter.” What started out as a modest project has the potential to become so much more. The feedback I got from people was encouraging. Many people applauded me for “giving a face” to mental illness, as well as my attempt at capturing a diverse audience of people who suffer from anxiety and depression. A black friend of mine especially liked the I included him in my project, as mental illness in the black community isn’t discussed as much as it should be.
further promotion While a fairly large audience can be reached through posters and book tours and the website, they key component of spreading the word about this project is working with the people closest to those with mental illness: counselors. Working with counselors on this project can expand on the content of the books, as well as get more people involved with telling their stories. I plan on discussing this project with the counselors at Birkham Health Center in order to see how they feel about it and if it can be further developed. I hope to be able to reach out to students coping with mental illness here at Ferris State University.
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the website While I only made prototypes for the website, I also hope to discuss this component with counselors. If there is enough support for it, I want to create this website so that students can share their personal stories and get involved in a supportive community but online and off.
the tour The tour was only planned for the Midwest as a “test tour.” With a positive enough response, the tour would hopefully expand across the country, into Canada, and ultimately around the world.
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