With the world going into a panic over Corona and my university deciding to finish off this semester as a digital university, it made me reflect on the work that I have made over the years at Bath Spa. One project was Breathe, a digital and interactive poster I made in first year with the intention to calm students and ease their educational anxieties.
Looking at colour palettes and themes of anxiety relief, I designed the poster with research into the mental health of students. I targeted this audience by using imagery and videos that are relatable and are widely appreciated by this demographic, this also relates to the layout and aesthetic of the poster. Before beginning the process of creating ‘Breathe', it was important to gather an understanding of the theory to make sure what I created was as effective as possible. The main theories that I looked at were Gestalt theory of placement and image and colour theories, the study of how different colours can change users thoughts and feelings. The idea came to me in the initial workshop, after brainstorming multiple ideas; the idea of an interactive poster came to mind. I really connected to this idea, and I knew that I wanted to target students, due to the fact this would make research easier and I would be able to cater the poster to the student lifestyle.
I used video to highlight different activities that a student can do to ease anxiety, such as dancing. I went to a local dance school and filmed their classes and edited the footage to 'chill' music, fitting the aesthetic theme of the poster. The link to this video can be found below.
I also filmed and audio recorded two different natural scenes, one of forest and one of running water. This was then edited into an ASMR style video, where the small detailed sounds help the user and audiences relax and experience the sensation of ASMR. Both of these videos can be found linked below.
Although the software in which I made the original poster has now been erased the content I made can still be found on my youtube, the links below. I hope you enjoy these small features that I made at the beginning of my university career. And as I come to the end of university life it has been truly satisfying to see my development within my skills and the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djTDvmWCQKA - Breathe Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lvnizErM-w - Breathe Nature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0idb50Ytvw0&t - Breathe Waterfall
