To reach the target audience, I wanted something bright and bold that would resonate with them. I came up with the idea of a tightrope walker, which symbolises both recklessness and low energy by showing the character holding a smartphone with a ‘no battery’ icon. I also thought of adding sharks beneath the character to represent the potential issues the target audience might face, adding an extra layer of connection to the brief. I chose a bright pink background for the poster, as I felt it would stand out in doctors’ waiting rooms, which usually have neutral or calming colour schemes.

Designing something for such a powerful topic was a new experience for me—it was emotionally challenging but also very rewarding. I was determined to create something that would effectively raise awareness for such an important subject, and I hope that the audience would want to find out more about CALM after seeing my poster design.

As part of my design process, I explored a couple of additional ideas to ensure I was covering different angles. One idea featured a photograph of a person who is visibly sad, but with the fun ‘Instagram Dog Filter’ masking their sadness. This concept aimed to show how people often project happiness on social media, even when it doesn’t reflect how they truly feel. Another idea played on something almost everyone can relate to—the ‘No Battery’ symbol on a smartphone. By using this familiar image, I wanted to immediately catch attention and draw a comparison between a phone’s drained battery and someone feeling emotionally exhausted. While these concepts are still works in progress, I felt it was important to showcase them as part of my design exploration.