Message delivered

A whispered design intervention on a cliff top nature reserve

Speculative project for MA Graphic Design to stretch my skills and strategic thinking

The brief:

Observe an area near your home and create a piece of design in or about it

Location:

Southbourne Overcliff – a narrow strip of land between a road and the sea – a clifftop nature reserve people pass through on their way down to the beach. I didn't want to add any visual noise (graphic design) to this wild and natural area.

Insight:

People come here to walk, reflect, rest and admire the sea views. During my project, I observed the area over many hours and noticed many people were here alone, and there were some rough sleepers.

I know the Overcliff is a place locals can come to walk their dogs and meet friends, but it is also a place to come when you are feeling upset and seeking solace in nature. The wild oceans, the strong breeze, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets draw people from their homes to gaze at the sea and reflect. Bournemouth has high levels of homelessness and the Victorian beach shelters also offer a level of protection from the elements at night. They are beautiful structures, I created a dry point etching of one.

I considered creating a design intervention in the shelters, drawing more people to use them which would create a safer space, currently I avoid them.

However, this felt visually invasive for a nature reserve so I didn't take this any further.

The area is filled with old memorial benches, with plaques remembering people who have passed away. At first I found this depressing, until I realised they were not about death, they were about LOVE. These tiny signs have a quiet power. They last for decades – easily ignored yet discreetly present for those that wish to read them.

Solution:

I spotted a few empty spaces where plaques were missing and wondered if I could add a message here. A kindness for the lost and the lonely that wash up in this salt fringe.

I remembered reading little plaques like these when I was child and wondering if, one day, I would be loved enough to have my own bench.

I mocked up a sign and tried typing in some messages.