Ben Ramalingam and Peter Wells

Crisis Fatigue

Crisis fatigue is something which many of us have faced as we tackle the challenges created by coronavirus. We worked with researcher, author and advisor Ben Ramalingam and psychotherapist and priest Peter Wells to illustrate advice on managing crisis fatigue in relation to COVID-19 - bringing it into a format perfect for sharing on social media.

The challenge

Our challenge was to capture in visual language the wealth of information communicated in this article on crisis fatigue. The infographic had to express the message around the ACCEPT advice as well as other advice and context. At all times the information had to be relevant, engaging and shareable.

The illustration

Bringing the article’s insights into the visual medium required us to make use of whiteboard illustration’s ability to map and layer information in space. The core of this infographic was the ACCEPT acronym, broken into a series of panels which explained each element in a relatable and relevant way. This can be seen in our visual explanation of the ‘participate’ element. We paired a small amount of explanatory text with the P, repurposed as a table and stage for household and remote interactions. The use of charm across the infographic can be seen in the characters and inclusion of familiar and iconic imagery like the monopoly board. Using the same approach, the core message was flanked by panels on crisis fatigue’s effects and beneficial activities.

The overall effect was an infographic which synthesized the written content of the article into rich, relevant and accessible visuals - optimised for social media sharing and engagement through the infographic format.

About the client

Ben Ramalingam is author of Aid on the Edge of Chaos: Rethinking International Cooperation in a Compex World, an advisor and facilitator who focuses on development and humanitarian issues across the globe. His research looks at subjects such as the economy, inequality, citizenship and sustainability. Peter Wells is a priest and psychotherapist who works with individuals, couples and as a supervisor for students on counselling courses.

The context

Read the full article on crisis fatigue and how to apply the ACCEPT steps here.

Cognitive are award-winning pioneers of whiteboard animation, and the creators behind the RSA Animates series. We help corporate, academic and charitable organisations like the BBC, TED, Coca Cola and Sanofi to tell their stories more powerfully. Find out more about us here.