Hearing Health Now
Conversational Design in Public Health
1. The Creative Challenge
The goal was to produce a flagship film for a digital campaign led by Vocal to spark national conversations around hearing health. Traditional healthcare content often feels clinical or keeps researchers, patients, and the public in separate silos. The challenge was to bridge these groups through a visual and narrative framework that communicated the project’s inclusive nature while making the lived experiences of hearing health feel personal, urgent, and accessible to all.
2. The Approach
The strategy was rooted in inclusive design and a rigorous co-production process, moving the focus from a medical perspective to the Social Model of Disability. The project brought together researchers and a diverse group of participants, including people who use hearing aids, people who are d/Deaf and use BSL, and those with mixed experiences of hearing.
To meet the project's aims, the film utilised a "bold, first-person, image-first" aesthetic. This honest storytelling style was designed to highlight both the diversity and the commonalities of the participants' perspectives. The animation was developed to be BSL interpreted, ensuring it remained accessible while providing tangible examples of daily experiences. Beyond the film, the team developed multifaceted deliverables, including graphics and a physical zine, all designed to invite the public to see hearing health as a shared responsibility.
3. The Solution
The result was a unique, participatory digital campaign that successfully dismantled the traditional barriers between medical researchers and the community. By centering the project on the Social Model of Disability and the promotion of inclusive research, the film moved hearing health from a niche medical concern to a broader, honest social conversation. The project successfully helped the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre and Vocal reach a wider audience through a human-first design language that felt both authentic and revolutionary for the sector.
Director, Animator, Illustrator, Editor:
Scott Lockhart
