What To Value (global design)

It starts with audacity. That certain willing-ness to put it all out there ill regardless of what the ramifications might be.

Honesty and integrity are also something to value. However they runs risk of being as pegged and just being asshole-ish. At the same time brazen audacity runs close to being misinterpreted and “shock”. But if this cocktail is organized in such a way where no misinterpretations can be made  – no misunderstandings can be ascertained – and combined the education (another item to value), the results can be truly uplifting.

“I Love My Boo”  is an anti-homophobic campaign launched by the GMHC (Gays Mens Health Center). The purpose of the campaign fights homophobia & increases visibility of gay men of color. African American and Latino American inner city (and abroad) communities being gay is treated as a taboo issue. Something that is rarely acknowledged and often marginalized or keep hidden. 

This was my breakthrough. This was that spark. Suddenly all the pieces begin to move into place. Personally I had been following the campaign even before it officially launched. The posters themselves are ripe with: honor, honesy, commitment, affection, integrity, public education and a certain brazen audacity.

 

But this is not enough – As a reference / historical poster it was too recent. Now, its time to work backwards -- to seek out inspiration with similar values, but prevalent during a time when I was not yet alive.

Searching the backlogs of my memory as well as the public domain I stumbled across these two posters: One from the an Los Angeles County AIDS awareness campaign launched in 1984 ‘Don’t forget your rubbers’ and the other "IF" poster is from the Texas Department of Health, used in the 1980’s – respectfully. 

Both posters are using public service in the form of education to bring awareness to AIDS - which during the 1980's was a massive health crisis. Both utilize a certain audacity in their approach – the willingness to unapologetically lay it all out there. Both are honest. The “IF” poster spells out the problem using the doctors eye chart as a inspiration while the “Don’t forget…” utilizes a bit of humor as well the celebrity status of Zelda Rubenstien best know for her role in the Poltergeist films, but also well known in most circles as an early and out spoken supporter of gay rights.

My task will be to draw upon some of the values found in the posters (public service, education, humor etc.) – combined with what I value (brazen audacity, honesty) to create a poster (within the realm of public service or education) dealing with the issue of suicide in America or amongst gay teens, which is disproportionately higher than other teens.

Suicide amongst gay youth has gained some attention recently due to the issues surrounding bullying. But at the same time suicide in American, in general, is relatively high.

The question then becomes, “Why suicide?” In my life’s journey I’ve had two ex boyfriends whom both been suicidal. One even went as for as (before I met him) as to slit his wrists with a razor blade. Though he survived, it should have never gotten to that point. Call it “the hero complex” but I have a certain need to help those troubled by this affliction – this mindset, not because I want to but because I have to.