Szczera Strefa (Honest Place) is the first Polish non-profit educational project focused on eating disorders and the complex relationship with food.
THE IDEA
Rooted in personal experience and created out of empathy, Szczera Sfera aims to engage individuals who suffer from eating disorders to take care of themselves and emphasise the awareness of mental health in Poland. With the limited access to public mental healthcare and ubiquitous image of the ideal body, the project undermines the social obsession with a flawless look and perfect weight. Based on honesty, true stories and professional knowledge we created an online educational platform that allows teenagers and relatives to cope with painful, isolating diseases. Using thoughtful visual language and engaging communication, we try to reach a young audience, who are most exposed to unrealistic messages provided by the media.
THE VISUAL LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION
The project's visual identity incorporates a vivid blue shade that doesn't appear in food and is believed to inhibit appetite. The logo, which employs sharp lines, conveys the problematic relationship with food by depicting a tangled fork. Deliberate, hand-drawn forms and outlines used in the illustration style stand on the opposite side of perfect geometric shapes. Just like human beings, they are filled with emotions, struggles, attempts to straighten up. The trembling drawings used in the collages accompany the articles and social media posts. Using a thought-provoking, educational tone of voice in all media, the metaphoric artwork becomes easy to understand.
THE EFFECTS
OUTDOOR CAMPAIGN
When the concept grew and gathered a broader audience, we took Szczera Strefa out on the streets in an outdoor campaign. The digital out-of-home advertising was located in shop windows, POIs, cafés, and restaurants in the biggest Polish cities. With a deliberate combination of philosophical questions and carefully designed illustrations, the outdoor venture provoked a reflection on one's relationship with food.
COMMUNITY
Since the beginning of the project, a community has been building around Szczera Sfera's social media channels. The point of connection and the epicentre of the discussion is our Instagram account, where we try to untangle biases about eating disorders and the consequences of neglecting our mental health. Always respectful, we often refer to meme internet culture and inspirational quotes, finding common ground with the youngest audience – the one we want to be there for the most. The educational approach and thoughtful questions encourage the dialogue with our followers. We often refer our community to the in-depth articles published on our website, prepared by specialists (therapists, journalists, psychiatrists) that we ask to support the project.
THE FUTURE
Now we're on the verge of a new chapter of the project – we've just launched the MVP of the first independent Polish search engine for people with eating disorders. It helps find the most qualified therapists, each verified and trustworthy. Currently, we're in the process of optimizing and making it applicable to those who need it.
COPYRIGHTS
Co-Founder, Art&Design Direction– Izabela Piotrowiak
Co-Founder, Editor-in-chief – Marta Knaś
Illustrator – Weronika Kuc
Journalists, Psychologists – Paulina Filipowicz, Oliwia Dąbrowska, Julia Droś
VISIT WEBSITE: https://szczerasfera.pl/
