Responses by Paula Scher, partner and Emily Atwood, designer, Pentagram
Background: The Mental Health Coalition, founded by the social activist and fashion designer Kenneth Cole, is a new collaborative effort that unites the leading U.S. mental health organizations, creative and media platforms with passionate advocate and celebrities to work collectively to destigmatize mental health conditions and address this pervasive public health crisis. The mark also appears in the branding Pentagram created for How Are You, Really?, a digital storytelling platform that encourages individuals to share their experiences, start conversations and open up about their issues. The online platform is a place where those seeking help or guidance can easily navigate the mental health space.
Reasoning: The identity is inspired by the idea of a “square peg in a round hole,” which represents that there is no “normal” when it comes to mental health. It is a simple visual icon that represents feeling out of place when perceived as different. The Coalition is introducing the icon in the hopes that it will become the global symbol for mental health.
Challenges: Developing a mark that was simple enough to encompass all of mental health and creating a campaign that captured this spectrum of mental health issues. In addition, achieving the tension of feeling out of place as well as cultivating a sense of belonging was extremely important to the creation of this system.
Favorite details: The character that the symbol starts to take on when it is integrated into typography on the posters. When these posters are seen side by side, the symbols become recognizable as this powerful collective of graphics. The opportunity to display this identity in Times Square during the Coronavirus pandemic was especially rewarding. By graphically displaying How Are You Really?, The Mental Health Coalition asked a timely question that extended a spirit of empathy towards those who came across it.
Visual influences: We were inspired by the power of the Silence=Death campaign. We admired how the simplicity of the triangle logo in combination with typography lent itself to clear messaging—there was no beating around the bush. Similarly, we wanted to develop a system that had a simple mark that people could identity with in combination with a bold typographic system.
Anything new: Designing something that is meant to resonate on a universal level will always push one to learn more about a certain subject matter. It was important to develop a heightened awareness of how pervasive the stigma of mental health is worldwide. We had to be careful not to assume what people who struggle with mental health would feel, but rather provide a graphic solution that can act as a means for people to express their feelings on their own.
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