The SHIFT Study – Visual Identity & Campaign

The SHIFT Study required the creation of a distinctive visual identity to support a national research project exploring sexual health in Ireland and the factors influencing transmission and prevention. Led by the School of Psychology at the University of Galway, the study engages diverse communities while also informing policymakers, healthcare professionals, academics, and the media, giving the work both social and policy relevance.

Why SHIFT?

The acronym “SHIFT” became the foundation of the creative approach. As well as referencing a necessary shift in sexual health policy and understanding, the word is Irish slang for a kiss. This dual meaning introduced a culturally familiar, human layer to the identity, helping frame sexual health not as a clinical or taboo subject, but as something lived, shared, and shaped by connection.

 

Inclusive & Community Led

The visual system created by Proactive is designed to be inclusive, stigma-free, and community-led. A bed and pillow icon acts as a subtle nod to sexual health, avoiding explicit or instructional imagery while still referencing intimacy. Illustrated figures lean closer together, visually suggesting a “shift” toward trust, openness, and connection. These figures were deliberately abstracted, allowing the work to speak to multiple audiences without stereotyping or singling out any one group. The identity needed to feel credible enough for policymakers and researchers, while remaining accessible and welcoming to participants from migrant, LGBTQ+, and youth communities.

Importance of Colour

Colour plays a deliberate and strategic role within the identity. Distinct palettes were developed in reference to recognised sexual orientation and gender identity flags, enabling materials to acknowledge different communities in a subtle, affirming way. Used as a visual hook, colour allowed communications to speak directly to specific audiences while remaining part of a cohesive and recognisable system.

Flexible & Scalable Design System

The system was designed to be flexible and scalable, working across survey recruitment posters, reports, presentations, and digital assets. By maintaining consistency across all touchpoints, the identity helps build recognition and trust over time. In contrast to the fear-led or clinical conventions often associated with sexual health communications, the SHIFT Study identity presents sexual health as human, respectful, and collective reinforcing the study’s aim to encourage participation, understanding, and meaningful change.