Objective:
For this project, my objective was to convey the message that mental health is often a lifelong companion. Through various visual media, including videos, pictures, social media posts, a logo, and flyers, I aimed to share people’s personal stories about their struggles with mental health.
Waves of Life:
I wanted to make this project as genuine as possible. To achieve that, I decided to find people willing to share their personal and real stories. I posted on the BYUI students Facebook group and my Instagram account, and I found more than ten people willing to participate.
Before taking their pictures or filming videos, I asked them a few key questions. Asking the right questions was crucial as it helped me find the perfect name for my campaign. As I mentioned, I wanted to convey that mental health struggles can be a lifelong companion. One of my questions was: “Do you see your struggles as overcome or as a lifelong companion?”
One of the responses I received was: “I’ve always compared these overwhelming emotions to the way the ocean moves. I feel like sadness comes in waves to me. Sometimes they are calm; other times, it feels like a raging storm.”
After reviewing all the answers, I decided to develop my concept around this ocean analogy. It encapsulated how emotions can be easy or hard to manage throughout our journey. When I chose to call my project “Waves of Life,” I began working on my logo.
Sketches
In my sketches, I focused on the movement of waves as the central theme. I also experimented with shapes like squares, circles, and even a heart. In some designs, I included a small boat to clearly indicate that the subject is waves.
Digital Sketches Drafts
In my initial digital sketches, I drew only waves without any specific shapes around them. Next, I experimented with adding shapes such as squares and circles incorporating the waves. At this point, I decided to use only two colors: navy blue and cream. For my final sketches, I chose a heart as the main shape and added different styles of waves, some drawn with the pen tool and others with the paintbrush. Finally, I used sans serif fonts for the title.
Final Sketch
Feedback from both my mentor and emphasis judge was crucial in refining and enhancing my final logo. They suggested using a different font that was easier to read and matched the shape of my heart design. Additionally, rather than focusing on just two colors, they recommended using the natural colors of ocean waves. To achieve this, I used a photo of the ocean and used the eyedropper tool in Illustrator to extract the exact colors, adjusting the saturation slightly. Finally, I incorporated a cream color for the border of the heart and the title.
Logo Mock-Up
I designed a business card mock-up featuring my logo.
Social Media Post
First Drafts
Based on my first logo and the colors I chose for the campaign, I created some drafts for my social media posts. I wanted to make them simple so people can read the quote and see the logo at the same time. I also included the name of the campaign “Waves of Life” at the top of the post as a reminder so people can identify the name quickly.
Final Posts
After I met with my emphasis and mentor judge, I understood the importance of first, using left or right alignment, in this case, I decided to use left alignment; second, my font, I used the same font, Montserrat, as in my videos to maintain consistency throughout the entire visual campaign, it is also easier to read; third, colors, I included two more colors from the logo and bolded some keywords to highlight the key ideas in the quote. This approach helped me emphasize the core message: that mental health can be a lifelong companion.
Social Media Mock-Ups
I created social media mockups featuring quotes and my logo.
Billboards – MockUps
This was the initial sketch used to test the positioning of elements for my billboard. Subsequently, I photographed each participant, selected the best picture, and began arranging the billboard elements based on my sketches.
For this edition, I converted the original picture to black and white. Then, I made adjustments to the color, contrast, highlights, and shadows. Additionally, I added a black square overlay with reduced opacity. To convey Laura’s message about her experience with mental health, I selected a suitable font. After experimenting with different elements, I positioned the logo below the quote and placed the name in the top left corner.
Final Billboard Mock-Ups
I created social media mockups featuring quotes and my logo.
Videos (Pre-Production – Production)
After receiving the answers to the mental health questions, it was time to record the videos. I consulted with the interviewees to determine the best time for recording. Additionally, I reduced the number of questions and guided the expected length for each response, based on their original answers.
I made reservations for cameras, tripods, and microphones for the recording day. Furthermore, I ensured multiple audio backups were available in case of any technical issues.
Videos (Post-Production)
Post-production was a challenging process. I used Adobe Premiere to edit all my videos. The first step was to organize the videos and audio. Since I used two cameras from different angles, I had two versions of each interview and three audio backups for each video. Next, I adjusted the Lumetri color for each clip, fine-tuning the color, exposure, contrast, and shadows. I also edited the audio by adjusting the volume and adding noise-reduction effects. Additionally, I added background music that matched the video’s environment and complemented the narration. Finally, I included subtitles to make the narrative easier to follow.
Final Videos
My first video serves as an introduction to my campaign, aiming to generate excitement about the content viewers will see. I included short clips from nearly all my interviewees and added my campaign slogan and logo at the end. These elements are included at the end of each video to maintain consistency.
For my second video, I began by displaying the question my interviewees responded to. I then presented their answers in a different order to create more anticipation and dynamism. I believe this arrangement of clips helps to generate greater engagement from viewers and tells a better story for each participant. Additionally, I think the background music contributes positively to the overall video.
The third video summarizes the central concept of my campaign: that mental health struggles can be a lifelong companion. Like the previous videos, I began by presenting the questions participants answered. To enhance dynamism, I utilized various lateral angles in the clips. The background music maintains a good rhythm and enhances the video’s narrative. Ultimately, what significantly contributes to the campaign, as mentioned earlier, are the real, genuine stories shared by each individual.
The last video presents the slogan of the campaign. Based on all the information I gathered, including the concept of the campaign, I decided to create the following slogan: “Sometimes, waves are calm; other times, it feels like a violent storm that intensifies and consumes everything.” This slogan represents the main message of my campaign: mental health struggles can be a lifelong companion.
Conclusion
I believe I have successfully created a professional visual campaign about mental health. Having a clear concept was key to developing all my visuals, including videos, pictures, social media posts, a logo, and flyers. I am confident that all my visual elements are cohesive and consistent, and through them I was able to communicate that, for some people, mental health struggles, can be a lifelong companion.