Exhale: Size-Inclusive Healthcare
Components: Branding, Advertising, UX/UI, Web Design, Print Layout, Design Research
This student project received a silver award in the Graphis New Talent design competition in 2024, and honorable mentions in the Locally Sourced and Flux design competitions in 2023.
Overview
Exhale is a brand, website, and advertising campaign for a size-inclusive primary care clinic. Size discrimination is an extremely common and well-documented problem in medical settings, and judgment from providers often presents a barrier for people with larger bodies to receive the care they need. This graduate student project imagines what it would look like for a clinic to promote itself with messaging based on the Health at Every Size® approach to medical care, a model that de-emphasizes weight as a measurement of health.
One of my goals was to make the brand friendlier and less sterile than typical medical brands, while still feeling trustworthy. I used primary colors, a rounded version of the medical cross, simple shapes, and friendly yet professional typefaces to create a medical brand that is truly human-centered.
Research
In my research for Exhale, I read about the Health at Every Size® approach to healthcare, which de-emphasizes weight as a measurement of health in favor of customized health goals for every patient. I also conducted a survey for fat and plus size people to share their experiences with size discrimination in healthcare settings, which received over 50 responses. The copy for the advertisements is pulled directly from a question in this survey that asked participants to describe their ideal doctor.
Another research challenge was to find high-quality photographs of fat and plus size people, both in medical and nonmedical settings, that depicted their subjects with respect and dignity. Ultimately, I combined photography from several stock libraries with the portraiture work of Shoog McDaniel to highlight the beauty, joy, and humanity of fat people and their bodies.
Ad Campaign
Using the survey quotes and photography from my research, I developed an ad campaign that imagined how a clinic that truly valued size inclusivity would promote itself to the public. The copy describes the type of respectful, empathetic, and affirming care patients can expect to receive at the clinic.
Website
The website prototype for Exhale features three pages: a Home page that gives an overview of the clinic’s mission and services, an About page that provides education and resources on the Health at Every Size® approach, and a Who We Are page that highlights members of the healthcare team. Rounded and fluid shapes soften the layout of the pages, providing an approachable navigation experience. All color combinations and type treatments have been tested for web accessibility.
Collateral
Brand collateral such as business cards, a sexual health kit, and patterned medical gowns further demonstrate the brand’s balance between friendliness and trustworthiness.
Credits
Art Direction: Kelly Holohan
Photography: Shoog McDaniel, SELF Magazine, Pexels, Vice Gender Spectrum Collection, Allgo, Michael Poley, Disabled and Here, #WOCinTech Chat, Adobe Stock