Behind the Scenes: Cervical Screening Illustration
Back in May of this year, Kate O’Sullivan, the creative brain behind many creative campaigns splashed across Canberra, jumped into my inbox. She’d seen some of my recent illustrations on Instagram and was interested in collaborating to develop a poster for the National Cervical Screening Program.
One of the most cherished aspects of my job is choosing every single one of the projects I work on. Any opportunity that leans into women supporting women, and especially advocacy for women’s health, is right in my wheelhouse. So of course I said an enthusiastic yes!
Image above: An early concept sketch capturing the composition of the illustration.
Kate had a strong vision for the creative direction of the material and commissioned me to create an illustration. The image would depict a girl standing with her hands placed over her pelvic region, making the shape of a heart. Pulling inspiration from one of my earlier illustrations, the background would be erupting with plant life and flowers to give depth to the piece.
Inclusive. Playful. Feminine. Bright. With the nod to proceed from the client, this was the creative brief when fleshing out the concept sketch into a finished illustration. The piece pulls from the brand’s purple-heavy colour palette to keep the messaging on brand. Sprinkles of contrasting patterns and bright colour pops help connect to the younger demographic. The choice to include two women, aged on the upper and lower limits of the campaign demographic ensured that no women was left behind.
Image above: The first draft was circulated to all stakeholders to check the pulse on using an illustration graphic instead of the pre-existing stock photography.
Image: The final illustration for the National Cervical Screening Program with additional background elements, the introduction of texture and greater detail.
Psst. Did you know that November 8-14 is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week 2021? This year’s theme is ’Time to Catch Up’. So if you are one of the many women who postponed their cervical screening due the pandemic - it’s time to catch up!
Chanell x