The Art of Public Health

The idea for “The Art of Public Health” was first conceived at the conclusion of a course taught at the Yale School of Public Health by assistant professor Catherine Yeckel. She challenged the class to apply and translate theoretical scientific knowledge into a public health campaign to educate the public on a specific health topic. This led to a collaboration with Julian Bittiner, a critic in the Department of Graphic Design at the Yale School of Art, who guided the visual communication process.

Poster design was chosen because it has a long tradition and, organisers contend, allows sophisticated ideas to be communicated in a way that is creative, visual, and very focused on a single message. Bittiner explains that "[t]he traditional poster still has an important role to play as it is experienced on the street, and as it is increasingly experienced and distributed online. It functions as a kind of visual shorthand for large and complex issues, and also as...a kind of 'freeze frame' which can then be expounded upon and extended to other media." Yeckel added: "There was certainly a realization on the part of the public health students that simply providing more information on the work itself is generally ineffective for communication. The progression from complex to simple communication, letting the image speak, was probably the most powerful insight for all the groups. In my mind, gaining this insight becomes the launching point for tackling a public-health campaign and movement."

In the inaugural project, 14 pairs of students were charged to come up with compelling designs to provoke awareness, stimulate thought, and perhaps change behaviour on issues such as obesity, breast cancer screening, self-respect, and child development. The student teams met for one-on-one sessions together and with faculty mentors throughout the academic year, during which they discussed their particular health issue and how it might be captured and represented visually. Students considered several elements: 1) What is the issue, and why are we addressing it now? 2) How will this problem benefit from visual communication? 3) What are some potential difficulties in understanding this issue? 4) Is there a specific intended audience for the issue? Supported by regular open discussions with the larger group, and by Yeckel and Bittiner, the creative teams continued to hone the work to fit the message for their intended audience.

The posters created through this collaborative effort were on exhibit at the Yale School of Art in April 2012 and at the Connecticut Office of Health Reform and Innovation, which sponsored a showing of the exhibit at the State Capitol in July. They may also be viewed online.

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Reflecting on the collaborative strategy, Bittiner said: "While the design students are accustomed to researching and editing their own content, and tailoring their visual ideas and the tone of their messages for specific target audiences....The public health students functioned as creative partners and crucially, through their research, could ensure that the images and words were sensitive to the nuanced complexities of each issue. The students learned from the working processes of one another and the work they produced collaboratively was that much stronger and more meaningful as a result."