intro

The issue of women's reproductive rights has been a contentious and often polarizing topic for decades, particularly when it comes to abortion. Despite the ruling of Roe v. Wade in 1973, which established the constitutional right to abortion, many states have passed restrictive laws that limit access to reproductive healthcare services. These laws, often made up by people who do not have the expertise or lived experience to make informed decisions about women's bodies, have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

The goal was to create a poster bringing awareness to a chosen social issue.

process + experience
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I wanted my poster to have a strong tagline that involved a play on words to create more shock and attention. It was really difficult to come up with the right wording, but when I finally did, everything fell together. I chose the phrase "hung up" because that means to stop being so overly concerned with something, and the double meaning of the word "hung" was perfect. Each letter was made of metal wire, referring to hangers being used to perform abortions in the past. Except, it is no longer a tool of the past. The ban on having access to safe abortion is forcing women to resort back to the old ways. Since women are forced to use invasive and life-threatening methods, I wanted to have the poster manipulated in some way, to further show the impact of the issue. When thinking of something, I realized that a poster is something that is hung up - and then it hit me.

I decided to use an actual hanger to hang up my poster. It was odd, unconventional, and felt wrong, much like the act of using a hanger to perform abortions. The text at the bottom of my poster reads: "Worldwide, an estimated 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year. 22,800 women will die from unsafe abortions this year. Criminalizing abortion does not stop abortions, it just makes abortion less safe".

outcome

From the materials used to make the typography, to the tagline, to the way of displaying my poster, everything tied in together while keeping the importance of the issue at hand.