Graduation project: Ontzettend Druk
My graduation project, 'Ontzettend Druk,' emerged during my studies in New Design and Attitudes as a response to the deteriorating mental health of students. The campaign aims to inform students about issues such as performance pressure, burnout, stress, and the difficulty of saying "no," while also empowering them to discuss these topics within the school environment.
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During my studies, I struggled with social anxiety, which led to mental health issues and performance pressure. This experience pushed me to become more open with my fellow students and teachers. We began to support each other and talk about our personal challenges, which reassured me and showed me that it is normal to face human problems. My own experiences served as inspiration for this graduation project.
Blocks
During the process of this graduation project, I encountered many obstacles. I began with extensive research, reading self-help books, and consulting psychologists and the school dean. It was all so interesting that I kept losing sight of the goal. I wanted to do everything, but it became too broad and unrealistic. What I learned during my graduation is the importance of taking a step back, assessing the whole picture, and analyzing what is available and how to move forward. This approach was incredibly helpful because it allowed me to think critically and make well-considered decisions.
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After extensive research, prototyping, and concept development, I decided on these blocks as the final idea. The blocks serve as a physical, interactive campaign. The concept is that students will encounter these blocks throughout their school building. Each block contains information on four topics: burnout, stress, saying no, and performance pressure, all of which are struggles many students face daily. The information is presented in simple, direct visual language, making it accessible for easy absorption. The content not only explains what these issues are but also shares experiences from fellow students, symptoms, and tips. This approach makes heavy topics more approachable and lighthearted.
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The information is supported by animations that humorously and literally illustrate the respective topics. In a playful way, students are encouraged to interact with the blocks—tossing them, restacking them, or even creating a conversation space. The blocks measure 50x50x50 cm, large enough to sit on but easy to pick up and move. These blocks can be relocated to different schools, fostering connection and support among students.
Animations
I dived into character animation — something I’d always been fascinated by, but hadn’t explored in depth until now. Motion design has intrigued me for a long time, but aside from a few simple creations in After Effects and some basic animations during my internship, I hadn’t really taken it seriously.
With this project, I decided to give it a proper go. I received a lot of support and guidance along the way, which made a huge difference. The animations may not be perfect, but they’re definitely good enough — and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made.
This series of animations became a kind of side project alongside my main graduation work. In a humorous and rather literal way, I’ve brought the experiences around various mental health topics to life.
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When students scan the QR codes placed on different sides of the physical blocks, the animations appear using the EyeJack app, adding a playful and interactive layer to the campaign.
Character design
Character design was a major challenge, as the characters had to visually align with the blocks while also being suitable for animation. To guide me through the process, I consulted with experts for advice and feedback. My first designs were quite basic and stiff, which led to some valuable insights.
One key takeaway was that with simple characters, the focus shifts to shape diversity. For example, a more feminine shape often resembles an inverted triangle, while a masculine shape might lean more towards a trapezoid or even a rectangle. Keeping this in mind — along with a few helpful tips and tricks — I developed these four characters.
To keep my workflow as efficient as possible, I created two base body types, each with interchangeable clothing colors and hairstyles. This way, I only had to rig and animate two characters, while still being able to swap out their appearance at any time.
Designsprints
In the beginning, I felt uncertain about the content and text I wanted to include on the blocks, as the full context of the project wasn’t fully developed yet. Still, I found it important to start exploring ideas early on.
To do this, I used a design sprint approach — a design method where you intentionally limit time and resources to quickly and intuitively generate several concepts without overthinking. I focused on creating two designs at a time, comparing and evaluating them afterward. This allowed me to identify which elements worked well and which didn’t.
Describe your image
Describe your image
After creating several designs, I realized that simply making a template and filling it with content wouldn’t work. The design had to match the information — otherwise, it just wouldn’t be effective.
So, I decided to first gather all the input and carefully determine what I wanted to communicate and where. I thoroughly reviewed the collected information, selected a few key elements, and illustrated them using a clear and literal visual language.
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Research shows that people under stress often struggle to retain information. By using straightforward visual cues, the content becomes more accessible and inviting to read. The final designs are shown here.