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A LONELY DIGIT
May 2024| Campaign Design | University Project
Brief: Create something useing zero.
The A Lonely Digit (ALD) campaign uses zero as a symbol of unity and a call to reduce the suicide rate to zero.
The brief challenged us to use ‘zero’ as a creative starting point. I designed a short motion piece in After Effects to raise awareness about mental health, highlight the urgency of suicide prevention, and encourage support and understanding.
​Role: Graphic Designer/ Animator
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Aftereffects
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The Concept Of Zero
Zero holds deep cultural and psychological significance, symbolising both absence and potential. Revered and feared across cultures, it represents the void, infinite possibilities, and the balance between existence and non-existence. Often seen alone, it can reflect emptiness or isolation, yet also a fresh start—a blank slate for growth and transformation.
As a ‘universal language,’ zero bridges communication, mathematics, and philosophy, powers modern technology through binary code, and philosophically embodies nothing and everything. Like the circle of life, it symbolises renewal, eternity, and interconnectedness, reminding us of the balance between endings and new beginnings.
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Experimenting With Zero
Looking into the concept of zero from a more literal standpoint and perspective, I decided to explore this idea through an animation, aiming for a clean and minimalist approach that showcases zero in various visual perspectives, including type size, fonts, letter movements, and a black and white colour scheme with hex code (#000000).
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I sketched different zero patterns and designs, which served as a series of posters which were then translated into a flowing movement animation using After Effects.
Introducing A Lonely Digit
The ALD campaign leverages the symbol of zero to promote unity and work toward zero suicides. By centring its message on this digit, the campaign underscores the urgent need to eliminate suicide, transforming zero into a potent symbol and rallying cry.
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The campaign features posters and a 40-second video, representing the brief time it takes for a life to be lost to suicide. Posters will appear nationwide, especially in high-risk areas like train lines and bridges.
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The video will play randomly throughout the year on different screens. ALD aims to spread awareness and save lives, urging action to achieve zero suicides.
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Make The Number Zero
The "A Lonely Digit" campaign uses the symbol of zero to promote unity and collaboration. Their mission is to raise global awareness of suicide and unite efforts to reduce the suicide rate to zero.
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Their vision is to see the number of suicides reduced to zero. By making this number the centrepiece of our campaign, we emphasise the urgency and message of eradicating suicide. This lonely digit becomes a beacon of hope and a call to action. The campaign goals are to raise awareness, create conversations and promote community.
This video will appear up to three times a year, on different screens where suicide rates are higher e.g tall buildings, on bridges, and in train stations. The randomness of the playing ensures constant relevance and mirrors the unpredictability of life.
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The campaign follows similarly to the minute of silence observed each year on a specific day, although our campaign’s unexpected coverage and nature serve as a constant reminder that suicide is an ongoing issue and that this video can play at any time. It urges people not to overlook or forget about this critical matter.
BRONZE AWARD
My animation, The Lonely Digit, won a Bronze Creative Conscience Award in the Motion Graphics discipline under the theme of Mental Health.
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This is an achievement I’m very proud of - not only because it was my first time exploring After Effects, but also because of the important topic it addressed and the impact I felt the final piece had.
