Student designs star in Solent Mind campaign

As a civic university, Solent regularly connects students to local organisations and communities during their degree journey. As part of this, Graphic Design and Illustration students in their first year have had the unique opportunity to contribute to a major Solent Mind campaign which advocates for better mental health.

As part of this collaboration, and in relation to this year’s theme, #BeyondTheLabel, students were asked to come up with designs which explore common misconceptions around mental health and conditions which people experience but which do not define them. Those designs were shared with the public during World Mental Health Day and feature on the charity’s website, while student Hermione Parkin is celebrating her design being used in Solent Mind’s main billboard – a fantastic achievement for a creative at the early stages of their journey.

“It feels amazing and so exciting to see my design showcased and used by Solent Mind,” Hermione says. “Going to university has given me the space and support to explore my creativity and develop my own personal style. Knowing that my work could have a positive impact and be part of something so meaningful is really rewarding and gives me more confidence in my creative abilities.”

Solent Mind is an independent charity that is part of a network of over 100 ‘Local Minds’, supporting everyone to develop positive mental wellbeing. By collaborating with students at Solent on this important campaign, undergraduates have had the opportunity to develop their design skills and support others while contemplating mental health themselves – something that Course Leader in Visual Communication, Ellie Kilburn, says is essential.

“Graphic Design is a fantastic subject for the students to be able to use their skills to benefit the wider Southampton community,” she says. “With the help of Solent’s Communities Engagement Officer, Joanne Cridland, we actively sought a local charity or organisation for our first-year students to work with. Collaborating with Solent Mind has been a great opportunity for them to gain real-world experience right at the start of their education journey.

“Mental health issues affect all of us in some capacity – so for the students to be able to engage in the subject and use their specialist skills to help the work that Solent Mind is doing has been incredibly rewarding. It is a project that we are really proud of!”

Hermione’s design will now be displayed throughout Southampton, as part of a large-scale digital awareness display in partnership with Southampton City Council. Angela Loines, Solent Mind’s External Communications, PR and Marketing Manager, says:

“It’s been great to collaborate with Solent students as part of our #BeyondTheLabel campaign. We were so impressed with Hermione’s poster, which embodies the essence of our campaign around mental health misconceptions.

“The project has been a year in the making, but we’re so pleased to showcase Hermione’s design across the city, and it was lovely to see her positive reaction in sharing her work so openly on World Mental Health Day.”

Find out more about Solent's art and design courses here.