I chose my primary audience to be victims of sexual assault. I did not want to specify any age, demographic or sex because it is a tragedy that anyone can be subject to. Nearly one in six women experience sexual assault in their lifetime, and one out of every ten rape victims are male (“Victims”). These are astounding numbers. Because of the prevalence in society, it is paramount to be conscious of how survivors can continue to be affected in their everyday life. I wanted to have some of the major “do’s” and “don’ts” for The Greenspring Review to be weary of.
Providing trigger warnings and disclaimers is important for survivors of sexual assault because survivors are constantly working to be able to identify their triggers to avoid anxiety and PTSD episodes (Smith). Survivors are also advised to stay off social media for some time (Smith) because of the triggers that can come from it. For this reason, I said a major “don’t” is the advertisement of sexualized bodies. A part of recovering after a sexual assault is to engage in rhythmic movements because is allows the survivor to “relax and regain a sense of control” (Smith), which is why I advise a flowy layout opposed to blocks of text or an overwhelming amount of media. It is also important for survivors of sexual assault to open up at their own pace (Smith), which is why I said that information should be easily accessible and not have vague options. They need to have clear options because their experience most likely put them in a blur of self-doubt and hatred (Smith). Clear options also involve precise language and word choice. It is important to consider the linguistics based on the audience (Ball 13-14). Because it is important for survivors to feel comfortable when disclosing information, it is also important to provide opportunities to engage. They should not feel pressured to reveal any information (Smith). I also said that bright colors should be avoided and simple, inviting colors should be used. Survivors are often advised to practice mindfulness and/or meditation (Smith), which are commonly associated with simple and relaxing colors.
This poster uses solid lines because of the impact and presence they have for the viewer. However, the horizontal lines in the body of the poster have little arrows attached to them, so the solid lines do not have such an imposing force, and it allows for some fluidity (Vasile). I did not want the viewer to be intimidated by the solid lines, so that is why I used lines with some flare, but not dotted lines because these “do’s” and “don’ts” are not interchangeable. I also organized the poster into a type of T-chart with all “do’s” and “don’ts” are clearly distinguished. The spatial mode is an essential aspect in allowing users and viewers to engage with the media (Ball 18). I used a fair amount of white space to create an open and inviting feeling (Vasile). I did provide some images to coordinate with the “do’s” and “don’ts,” but I chose not to do images for every item on the list because I did not want it to be overwhelming or have a sense of being trapped (Vasile). I chose to use greys and blacks for all lines and words on the poster because it is neutral. I wanted the poster to be inclusive to all because any person, no matter their race, religion, sex, etc. could be a victim of sexual assault.
Works Cited
Ball, Cheryl, Jennifer Sheppard, and Kristin Arola. “Writer/Designer: A Guide to Making Multimodal Projects.” Massachusetts: Macmillan Learning, 2014. Print.
Smith, Melinda, and Jeanna Segal. “Recovering from Rape and Sexual Trauma.” HelpGuide.org, 17 Feb. 2020, www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/recovering-from-rape-and-sexual-trauma.htm.
Vasile, Christian. “Learning the Basic Elements and Principles of Graphic Design.” 1stWebDesigner, 4 Mar. 2019, 1stwebdesigner.com/graphic-design-basics-elements/.
“Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence.