Gravity Campaign
Client:
Australian Federal Government
(Swinburne Student Project)
Design Brief:
In 2020 the world was plunged into uncertainty and isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One small positive of this was that the issue of loneliness was thrust forward into public and government consciousness. As such, viable solutions were being sought to combat its effects and aid individuals to connect with those around them in meaningful ways. The outcome of this was a campaign that tackled the issue of loneliness at a community and individual level. In response, Sonder Design developed the Gravity Campaign.
The requirements for the campaign were:
The Gravity Campaign must be consistent across all touch-points.
The Gravity campaign and program should be accessible and relatable regardless of socioeconomic status or gender.
The Gravity Program should be affordable - i.e. the app which is the core of the program should be free so as to be accessible to those in the lowest socioeconomic bracket (a risk factor for loneliness).
The Gravity Program should have a platform which is low-tech to ensure accessibility for those less inclined to use an app and those who are less tech-literate.
Given the current climate of uncertainty and the affect loneliness has on individual and community wellbeing, the campaign should be hopeful and solution-minded. It should educate and resonate, whilst providing a positive avenue for individual change (i.e. promote self-efficacy).
Design Outcome:
The Gravity Campaign educates at a community level, while empowering individuals to identify barriers contributing to their experience of loneliness.
We all have things which can prevent us from connecting with others at times. The Gravity campaign refers to these things as barriers to connection, depicting them as a knight’s armour.
In medieval times knights wore metal armour made of iron or steel to protect themselves from archers and the long swords of opponents. Today, we are not faced with adversaries charging at us with swords or arrows, but we do still perceive the need to protect ourselves in social situations. Social anxiety, illness, stress, a busy lifestyle and the way we perceive others and ourselves can all contribute to us donning our armour and prevent us connecting meaningfully with others.
The Gravity Campaign and program is designed to help individuals build resiliency (a research backed approach to improving perception and connection), through mindfulness, self-compassion and gratitude training over their daily cup of tea or coffee. The aim of doing so is to equip lonely people, or those at risk of loneliness, with tools that can help them feel more connected by ameliorating barriers to connection, thereby reducing the experience of loneliness.
