External Collab - initial design direction

As we all need to work cohesively and keep the design of the magazine consistent across all elements, we have done research into themes, styles, colour palettes etc.

One idea Pippa had that really inspired the direction of the magazine was this image (fig 1) from the TV show Killing Eve. The big pink dress is extremely girly, soft and feminine, and we thought this was the kind of style we should convey in the design of the publication, in particular, the photography, showing readers that they can still be feminine while suffering from IBS.

fig 1

Photography

Following along this feminine theme, Pippa and Angie did more research into photographic styles and content, also generating ideas for location and content. We decided we would try to represent the symptoms of IBS and problems that IBS sufferers experience on a day to day basis. This can include bowel movements, migraines, stomach cramps, tiredness, changes in mood, social anxiety etc. 

Figure 2 shows the initial inspiration for the photographic shoots that Angie researched. The photos are very soft and representational as opposed to obvious. Some relate to the symptoms of IBS for example, tiredness and also the tendency to avoid social situations. The top right photo in the mood board was one of our favourites as it uses pastel makeup to represent the symptom of migraines. 

fig 2

One of Angie's favourite ideas and one that I loved during the initial discussion was the idea of the model sitting on the toilet in a public place such as a park in a fluffy dress similar to the dress in figure 1. This brings the privacy of IBS into a public setting, therefore opening a discussion and normalizing the subject too.

Illustrations

Pippa's illustrations for her unit on a related topic focus on bowel conditions, encompassing a few, not just IBS but also IBD (Chrone's etc.). The illustrations that feature on her Instagram both show the physical side and the resulting mental effects of IBD.

In other illustrations, Pippa used an abstract style and colour picked from pictures of inflamed bowels, this resulted in a colour palette of pinks, browns and yellows. She also used lots of abstract shapes to represent parts of the digestive system eg. the stomach and parts of the intestines and rectum.