Analysis | TWO

A closer look at the Case Studies (Click to enlarge)

PAMPHLET ON ANAEMIA

• The colour red is consistent with the association of Iron-Deficiency Anaemia and blood. However it could have been used more efficiently. Perhaps a comparison of an anaemia sufferer and a normal person could have been brought out with the colour red (redness of lips and tongue, inner eye, nails, etc.). Instead the colour has been used for everything but that.
• The images are very small, few and not very descriptive. They could have been labeled and linked back with the text. However, the line drawings are the best representation for this type of audience.
• The text is too much, in my opinion, for an audience that is not fully literate. Though I do feel that the size of the text is appropriately large.
• The images could have been larger and supported by large, minimal text so that it is easy to follow.
• Contentwise, this contains almost all the information that is necessary: What Anaemia is, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, How to have the tablets properly to aid their absorption, Side-effects. During my research I looked at another simple method of fortifying food with iron: by using iron utensils in cooking, but this is not mentioned in any literature I have come across.
• It is not interactive in nature.

CHART ON ANAEMIA

I had first spotted this chart at a Manav Sadhana Anganwadi, and then later on found it at the Sanchetana clinic/centre, where I was informed that it was a chart Sanchetana had made several years ago.

• The interactive nature of this chart drew me to it. Looking at one's own face cannot be done, except in a mirror. The easiest way to detect anaemia by oneself is looking at the colour of the tongue or lips. The mirror offers a direct way of comparing the viewer's tongue to those pictured alongside.
• The pictures alongside offer a variety of stages of anaemia from normal (without anaemia), to mild, to severe, showing the viewer that its not a black or white situation (or should I say red and white?)
• This is a great way to detect Anaemia and raise awareness. The colour gradation and accompanying text help in diagnosis. The text at the bottom then immediately gives an overview of Anaemia and what can be done for it.
• The images are real photographs, so they are better for comparison.
• The format of a chart that can be hung like a calendar is one that is well accepted by this audience.

SURAKSHIT PRASAV

This manual by Chetna shows symptoms of Anaemia as it commonly affects women who are pregnant.

• Anaemia is not even mentioned, though its symptoms are shown, and though red ink is used in the book, it is not used in the pages of the book to offer a comparison between a normal and anaemic person.
• Pictures are not labeled, and the only text is that of the heading.
• The images are line drawings and are large which makes them easy to understand.

POSTERS ON ANAEMIA

These are two posters from a set of four on Anaemia, that were put up at Sanchetana's site, at Bombay Hotel, Behrampura. Yashodaben explained to me how the information was segregated and laid out on different posters.

• Most of the posters were only heavy text, though some were pleasantly broken up with largish images. I doubt how much low-literate people liked to read them. I myself have some difficulty reading Gujarati and did not feel like reading that much text on a poster.
• Some of the posters were in rather dull colours and could have been made far more dramatic and eye-catching for something that is such a serious issue. For e.g. if the poster had a red background with white text.
• In some posters, images were not consistent in visual style and seemed scattered. Also they were not in the right proportions to each other. Text keeps changing colour and the reader's eye is going all over the page. Visually there is a lot of scope for improvement.