The British Government received backlash in response to the release of the Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives campaign which was described as “a brochure for a very bad wellness clinic” by the co-owner of design magazine, Eye. The pandemic has highlighted bad design in a number of areas including our health and government communications and in our cities and homes. Good design flows effortlessly with users unaware of its excellence, bad design stops us in our tracks asking why isn’t there a solution for this? How can effective graphic design connect with members of the public and increase awareness of something like a global pandemic?

Ciarán Ó'Gaora is the founder of Zero-G, a Dublin based design studio. Much of his practice engages with organisational culture and ideas of national identity and place. Selected projects include identity programmes for the National Museum of Ireland; The Abbey Theatre, The Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Ireland 2016, the Creative Ireland Programme, and the unified identity for the Irish Government.

His practice also includes self-published projects and collaborations such as Noughtie Words, Teeny Words, Cloud Management (with Fergus Feehily), The Virtuous Reality Toolkit, A Birdhouse (in your Soul), The Openness Guide and The Map of the Irish State. Ciarán is a former director of the Corn Exchange Theatre Company and Fáilte Ireland and is currently on the board of the Irish Architecture Foundation. Ciarán is a graduate of the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.

Marc Ngui is an artist/designer based in Windsor, Ontario in Canada. He trained as an architect before devoting his creative practice to concept creation, visual communication and storytelling using drawing, sculpture, information diagrams, and graphic novels. Drawing and storytelling are central to his practice. He has drawn several graphic novels and contributed countless illustrations to magazines, newspapers, and websites.  Zines, paintings, video, installations, and theatrical performances of his comics have been shown across Canada and internationally. Most recently, Science Gallery Detroit commissioned him to draw a 12 page comic about the eutopian potential of the eco-region spanning both sides of the Detroit River.

Tara Stewart is a DJ, Podcast Host, Slow Fashion lover and Radio Presenter of the New Music Show on RTE 2FM. When she’s not gracing the national airwaves, Tara can be found DJ-ing at high profile gigs including top festivals like Electric Picnic, Longitude, Forbidden Fruit or supporting Cher in the 3 Arena, Dublin in 2019. 2020 saw her become the September cover star of Women’s magazine, Stellar Mag for a sustainable fashion special.