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BHF and Alphabetical heart a good GIF

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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recently hired the creative graphic design studio Alphabetical to design a new “Self-care” pack to help teenagers manage their heart conditions. The “Transition Pack” is aimed towards 12-19 suffering from heart conditions, encouraging them to take care of their hearts as they make the difficult transition from childhood into adulthood and start relying less and less on their parents and guardians. Alphabetical won the pitch for the project against three competing design houses.

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The box is an elegantly designed piece of kit that comes with three booklets containing important medical information, lifestyle advice on safe sex, driving, childbirth and more, as well a number of case studies from other teenagers who have already successfully made it through the “Transition.” The compartmentalised box can also be used to store pens and other items, and can be customised with images and photographs via conveniently placed plastic wallets, which will allow teenagers to let their packs speak as a reflection of their personalities. Alphabetical designed the box after attending a number of focus groups, where they came up with the “Picture this” concept, which allows young people to imagine healthcare as they would like it, without any medical stigma.

The BHF recently hired the creative graphic design studio Alphabetical to design a new “Self-care” pack to help teenagers manage their heart conditions

Tommy Taylor, creative director at Alphabetical, said “When you get to age 12, the NHS considers you an adult in healthcare.” He knows that this can be ”A really challenging, vulnerable time,” and the pack aims to give some of the power back to the individuals “By placing all the responsibility on them so they can make their own decisions.” The plastic wallets are obviously an extension of this philosophy. According to Taylor, the most difficult aspect of the design process was making the box “Appeal to a 12-year-old boy’s tastes as well as a 19-year-old girl’s,” and he feels that the pockets are the answer, as they “Encourage users to decorate the box as they want to, and make it completely changeable as their tastes change.”

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The box is intended for daily use, and to become a place to store all things related to the users' condition. From booklets and meeting notes, to doctors' letters and pills. Taylor said the teenage years are a “Vulnerable time for those with heart conditions,” so they didn’t want a pack that would draw too much attention. Instead, the box is “Quite discreet, and all the BHF features can be covered up through decoration.”

The pack also includes illustrations from artist Damian Weighill, which add an element of quirky, off-the-wall humour to the design

The pack also includes illustrations from artist Damian Weighill, which add an element of quirky, off-the-wall humour to the design. One sly example includes a picture of two hot dogs sharing a bun, which is meant to illustrate safe sex. Taylor said Damian helped keep the pack from feeling “Too corporate,” and that he helped them to “Develop a style that was appealing to a young audience, but with quirky, strange humour that would appeal to older teenagers as well.” The free pack, which is available nationwide from GP surgeries and hospitals, is, according to Taylor, a “Really proud moment” for Alphabetical. He said he believes it's not only “Doing something good for people's lives,” but has also ably demonstrated their breadth of thinking. A double whammy then!

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