Young carers are defined as people under 25 who provide care or assistance to a loved one who has a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol addiction, chronic illness or frailty. 

In Australian schools, on average one student in every classroom is a young carer. Despite this prevalence, many are unaware they fall into this category and therefore face significant challenges, especially within the school context. Helping the Helpers is a 3-stage resource kit that includes tools to help teachers identify and support young carers in their class, as well as tools for young carers to communicate their needs to their teachers to improve their experience at school. 

Helping the Helpers includes a card game, a teacher resource kit and a student resource kit. Design elements were utilised to distinguish each of the three stages, while still creating a sense of cohesion across the kit. Consistency was promoted through the colour palette, typography and overall design style, while the stages were differentiated by format, use of imagery and the application of specific design features. Resources for students feature more images and colours, whereas resources for teachers had more text and simpler designs. 

The design style took inspiration from the 1970s as the playful and expressive style counteracted the serious tone of the topic, making it more approachable for teachers and students alike. This style was employed through freeform type, bold colours and simple shapes. I also used a sticker effect across the project, which I created through drop shadows, borders and layering. This referenced the embroidered patches popular at the time, which, similarly to this project, aimed to shift social attitudes. 

Additional considerations were taken into account when designing student resources. Hand drawn illustrations were used to engage the younger audience, and provided an alternate communication method as some may be too young to understand the text completely. This was vital as understanding the student’s needs, and the student understanding what support is available, was necessary to improve their experience. 

This project included a card game, 4 additional card decks, 3 sticker sets and a journal. All elements were designed and produced by me, including packaging and the overall kit’s logo and branding.