Rooted in personal experience and created out of empathy, Szczera Sfera aims to engage individuals who suffer from eating disorders to take care of themselves and raise awareness of mental health in Poland. With limited access to public mental healthcare and the ubiquitous image of the perfect body, the project challenges our social obsession with flawless looks and perfect weight. Rooted in honesty, genuine stories and expert knowledge we created an online educational platform that supports teenagers and relatives in coping with painful, isolating disorders. Using thoughtful visual language and engaging communication, we try to reach a young audience, who are most exposed to unrealistic messages broadcasted by the media.
Read moreSince the project’s inception, a community has been building around Szczera Sfera’s social media channels. The point of connection and the epicentre of the discussion is our Instagram account, where we try to untangle common misconceptions around eating disorders and the consequences of neglecting our mental health. Always respectful, we often refer to meme culture and inspirational quotes, finding common ground with the youngest audience – the one we want to be there for the most. The educational approach and thoughtful questions encourage dialogue with our followers. We often direct our community towards the in-depth articles published on our website, prepared by specialists (therapists, journalists, psychiatrists) that we ask to support the project.
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The project’s visual identity incorporates a vivid blue shade that is not to be found in any food item and has been described to curb appetite. The logo, which employs sharp lines, conveys the problematic relationship with food by depicting a twisted fork. Deliberate, hand-drawn forms and outlines used in the illustration style stand in opposition of perfect geometrical shapes. Just like human beings, they are filled with emotions, struggles, attempts to straighten up. The trembling drawings used in the collages accompany the articles and social media posts. Using a thought-provoking, educational tone of voice in all media, the metaphoric artwork becomes easy to understand.
Outdoor campaign
As the concept grew and gathered a broader audience, we took Szczera Strefa out to the streets in an outdoor campaign. The digital out-of-home advertising was located in shop windows, POIs, cafés, and restaurants in some of Poland’s largest urban areas. With a deliberate combination of philosophical questions and carefully designed illustrations, the outdoor venture provoked a reflection on one’s relationship with food.
The future
Now we’re on the verge of a new chapter of the project – we’ve just launched the MVP of the first independent Polish search engine for people with eating disorders. It helps find the most qualified therapists, each verified and trustworthy. Currently, we’re in the process of optimizing and making it applicable to those who need it.
