FLOW
The lack of menstrual education puts young girls coming from low-income communities at a severe mental and physical disadvantage. This research project takes a close look at the ways low-income girls are burdened by their period monthly, their relationship with their period, and how they currently manage their period with limited access to resources. The solution acts as a visual campaign educating low-income girls about the biology behind their period, how their period may affect them, and proper ways to care for their period in order to elevate their mental and physical experience with their period, ultimately eliminating their period as an obstacle.
Problem Statement
Low-income girls in the United States lack necessary accessibility to menstrual education leading to period unpreparedness, classroom absence and a confusing relationship with their menstrual cycle.
Purpose Statement
Provide menstrual education to young girls living in low-income environments.
Preliminary Findings
- 15% of girls in the U.S. today get their period between ages 7 and 8
- Girls who get their period before age 11 are linked to various psychological and social challenges
- The age in which girls are receiving their first period has been declining over the years
Importance of Study
The lack of access to menstrual education has resulted in girls caring for their periods in unsanitary ways, low self-esteem, and girls attaching their period to a feeling of fear. Proper accessibility to educational resources would result in more physically and emotionally prosperous girls.
Survey Data
This survey examines women experience with their periods. The questions are focused on menstrual education, hygiene, and hardships. The main findings was that periods can be physically and mentally straining, with the majority of women voting they feel self conscious on their period and their period has caused them to leave events early.
Inspiration + Drivers
The Color Red
The visual of the project will be focused on the color girls experience a lot while on their period - red. Implementing this color through the design will allow people to become more comfortable with its association to menstruation as well as act as an eye-catching color that demands attention, much like periods do.
Illustration
Studies show that kids respond best to illustrative approaches to information and it helps them retain the information more effectively. Visually representing phases of the menstrual cycle will allow girls to view FLOW's resources as welcoming and the subject as one that isn’t scary or intimidating.
Empowering Messaging
Incorporating strong messaging on the posters will be an effective way to draw attention to the posters and get the point across. Empowering messaging will give girls the confidence to discover what FLOW has to offer.
Concept Proposal
Posters
Posters will empower girls to own their period while also promoting workshops
Booklet
A tangible resource of menstrual cycle education and care.
Website
Website will be another educational tool as well as an accessible resource that students and parents can access from library computers or in their school computer lab.
Workshops
Workshops will be provided at low-income elementary schools and will promote period conversation, menstrual education, and act as a safe space for young girls. Workshops will be available for girls with and without their periods as well as parents.
Rationale
Creating a design solution that works across three different mediums will allow the information to be accessible and resourceful. With education being the main goal of the project, the design approach will be sensitive to their age and will consider the most effective way to communicate the new or previously misunderstood information.
Logo Development
Logo development involved iterating with rounded fonts with a goal of finding a font that carried a youthful and welcoming personality and one that would accompany illustrations effectively.
Final Logo Design
Final Campaign Design
Posters
The posters series include empowering messaging about menstruation and information on when and where to attend a FLOW workshop. The use of red is eye catching and will act in familiarizing the color with menstruation.
Website
The website acts as an accessible resource for young girls, parents, and the community. Since this project deals with low-income environments, every parent may not be able to attend a workshop since their time is more regulated. Providing a website they can access from their home or public library will give them the same information they would obtain at a workshop, but in a more accessible way.
Educational Booklet
The educational booklet is a tangible resource for young girls that they can receive at FLOW workshops. The booklet takes each girl through the full four phase menstrual cycle and tells them how it affects them physically and emotionally. Included in the booklet are also ways to relive menstrual cramps and PMS.
