Anna Ren

About the project

The design initiative was commissioned by the local non-profit organization Family Service Halifax Association (FSA). FSA is dedicated to providing professional and confidential counseling and education services, facilitating effective functioning at home, in the community, and the workplace. Their services cover a broad spectrum, including individual, couple, and family counseling, addressing issues like relationships, parenting, mental health, stress, violence, grief, substance abuse, and more.

The project’s goal was to create brochures for placement in public libraries and clinics, aiming to raise awareness about the value of in-home intervention for clients dealing with hoarding issues.

Upon discussion with the team and reviewing client-provided documents, it became apparent that a comprehensive approach was needed. In addition to brochures, cost-effective solutions such as posters and social media were identified as effective means to reach potential clients.

Concept

To maintain respect for patients and their families, the language in the brochure was carefully organized based on information provided by the client. Hoarders are described as individuals who form deep attachments to items, often mundane, giving them personal or human-like significance. The design concept centers around the theme “clean your mind,” visually represented by an illustration featuring a small person holding a massive pile of garbage bags shaped like a brain.

Design

With the above information, we came out the concept of “clean your mind” as the main focus of visual design. The illustration we use for the Hoarding Program is a small person holding a big mass of garbage bags, and the garbage bags was shaped like a brain.

In addition to the brochures, a series of posters and social media content were created for FSA. The posters use quiz-style questions to define hoarding, bringing awareness to the public. Social media content consists of concise statements explaining the hoarding program and the services provided by the Family Service Association.