How graphic design can save lives

Nowadays, much public health visual communication is digital — appearing as infographics on Instagram, TikToks, or videos on YouTube. However, in earlier decades, posters, printed and displayed publicly, were a primary method for disseminating messages. 

“Individuals tend to recall information more effectively when it’s conveyed both visually and verbally,” stated Amanda Yarnell, chair of the Chan Center for Health Communication, which supports online creators in disseminating evidence-based health messages meaningfully. “Experiencing visuals while reading text simultaneously enhances comprehension.”

Harvard University has digitized over 3,000 posters connected to a significant public health crisis: the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The posters originated from various countries globally and cover the period from approximately 1990 to 2004. The collection narrates a story, Yarnell explained, detailing what the public health sector has discovered about effective messaging and its rationale. 

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Message, emotion, action 

Within the limited space of a poster — and the brief window to capture someone’s attention — designers must devise a single clear message. Excessive wording can lead to disengagement. 

“An effective poster embodies one idea and an emotion: something that the creator wants you to retain, and the emotion aids in that retention,” explained Yarnell, who also serves as the Dependent Lecturer on Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “And ideally, there exists a pathway to additional information. It used to be a phone number, transitioned to a website, and now often it’s a QR code.”

Think big 

Impactful messages can be striking, attention-grabbing, or even thought-provoking. 

“An element that draws your interest, something that makes you feel acknowledged or resonates with you, creates a connection with the topic.” 

Audience significance

“Frequently in the initial phases, there existed a unified campaign with a singular message applied in all contexts,” Yarnell remarked. “As time progressed, we acknowledged the necessity for various campaigns addressing diverse requirements.”

Collaborate on the message

“For an extended period, public health predominantly emphasized, ‘We’ve acquired some knowledge and will relay it to you,’ rather than ‘We’re going to collaboratively develop knowledge to assist you in making improved choices in your life,’” Yarnell stated. Ultimately, the best method to ensure the message aligns with the audience is to involve them in the creation of the message.

Times have evolved

As time passed, researchers discovered that optimistic, affirming messaging is more effective in altering behavior than communications rooted in shame, stigma, or reproach, Yarnell noted.

Reflecting on the posters in the archive serves as a reminder of the past and a foundation for the future, expressed Neal Baer, lecturer on global health and social science at Harvard Medical School.

“Back in those days, condoms were the only means available to avert HIV. Today, the landscape has changed. We have PrEP [Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis]; we possess antivirals that sustain lives. … This collection of posters is outdated concerning the information they convey.”

It is approximated that approximately 42 million individuals globally have perished from HIV/AIDS since the virus first appeared in the 1980s. With contemporary preventive measures and treatments, it’s feasible to halt transmission and avert fatalities, Baer remarked.

“We have not excelled in preventing HIV transmission in the United States, particularly since we possess the capability to completely prevent it through ‘U=U,’” Baer added, referring to the “undetectable equals untransmittable” messaging initiative launched in 2016 aimed at reshaping the dialogue surrounding HIV/AIDS. “No one should be contracting HIV.”

“This poster collection reinforces our need to remain vigilant. … These posters symbolize memorials for all those who have passed, and I refuse to let their deaths be in vain.”

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