Olivia Pukallus

Counterbalance is a community-oriented mental health campaign aiming to provide young adults at university with mental health management skills.
The above outdoor promotional poster would ideally be placed within or near a university, where it would receive student foot traffic. Its purpose is to promote the primary outcome (the ‘Balance Wall’), communicating dates, location, and social media/website handles.

As the primary outcome, the ‘Balance Wall’, was designed to engage students in an interactive format, providing prompt-note cards for students to stick their responses onto the display wall.
The installation was intended to be implemented in communal university spaces such as student unions or service hubs (places students often study, socialise, seek support etc.) where it could be a catalyst for conversations about mental health.

From initial research gathered it was evident that young adults place significant importance on their online relationships, and being online as a form of stress relief.
This was addressed in the creation a website that allowed people to participate in the digital version of the ‘Balance Wall’ or access online resources.

The ‘Balance Sheets’ are prompt-note cards that go onto the ‘Balance Wall’. The above displays variations in design and what they look like when blank.