Developing Concepts & Meetings

Key questions have been raised in my most recent meetings with my client and mentor. The issue of menstrual cycle stigma lies in the correct way of solving it, how do you normalise an issue that is different for everyone?

My initial response to this is that the solution must be to simply encourage conversation and allow individuals to figure out their issues themselves but ensure them that they will be supported during and after they discuss their issues and concerns. As well as having a different point of view, everyone also has a different level of knowledge, this must be considered within my designs and therefore I think an appropriate method of approach would be to provide a basic level of knowledge for everyone, and then to encourage conversation. I thought this a good concept as there would be no point encouraging those that know nothing to engage in conversation, as that would result in a poorly led conservation, by providing a base level of knowledge it is ensured that a intellectual and honest conversation can be made.

As well as discussing the unique nature of the issue, more examples of previous attempts at breaking down the stigma were raised, recently a large “Realism” step has been made in the menstruation empowerment movement, one consideration is how do I go past that step, what would come next to engage people further?

Concept Progression

As well as discussing the nature behind the issue, I also Discussed my initial concepts. Such as the use of ink as a method of both translating “Flow” and as a way of translating the need for conversation. This provoked positive responses, however there are several examples of this being done before, so it would need further development to really make a large impact and improve people’s wellbeing.

My work would need to be placed in a context, with a target audience in mind, there is a clear disconnection between co-workers about this issue and so the workplace would be a perfect place to look at as an example for where improvements can be made. While I like the idea of focusing my campaign on the workplace, I do think it misses the actual issue of lack of education and conversation at a younger age, by the time people are in a professional workplace, they have already gone through the initial stress and shame of starting their period, unprepared. Fixing the issue in the workplace would serve to begin breaking down the stigma from a purely conversational and facility standpoint. But if I were to make a more educational based campaign, then aiming it at younger people would prove more useful.

How do you spark a sensitive conversation?

After research on this question and a brainstorm about how this has been done before and how it can be applied to my campaign:

Noting what people want and how previous campaigns have fixed issues of this kind is key to understanding the criteria to break a stigma. I have looked in particular at the mental health stigma and how that has progressed over the past number of years, It’s position now at the forefront of conversation is the same effect that I would want my concept to contribute to.