This study explores ways of encouraging adults at risk from heart disease to join local walking groups and exercise regularly. It is set in the context of the ‘Walking The Way to Health’ national initiative run jointly by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Countryside Agency, industry partners in this project.
Research Associate Eleanor Ridsdale’s use of communication design to achieve her objective of motivating and facilitating regular walking was achieved firstly by developing and strategically positioning a range of posters designed around a ‘poster shell’ technique. In addition she produced mapping systems that address the specific needs and requirements of walking groups. User research played a key role in shaping the nature of the solutions that emerged from this graphic design study.
The generic poster campaign and zoned bulls-eye maps that resulted from her work were enthusiastically received and rolled out in a national campaign by the BHF. The case study shows how simple but well-researched design ideas can be successful in finding solutions to long-standing problems such as motivating people to exercise through walking.
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Poster campaigns, walking groups, zoned maps, poster shell technique, cardiovascular disease
