NHS Nottingham Health Care Fairies Project

This live client brief was set by Nottingham Health Care NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Vision West Nottinghamshire College. Led by Health Promotion Specialist Rebecca Soong-Towell and Julia Wilkinson, the project aimed to develop inclusive, character-led visual assets to support NHS health promotion campaigns for young people.

Students were commissioned to create a series of original fairy characters for use across posters, videos, and marketing materials. The client requested 12 named characters, each inspired by a gemstone (Amethyst, Ruby, Jade, Pearl, etc.), with their individual wands incorporating the corresponding gemstone. A strong emphasis was placed on diversity, inclusion, and representation, with characters reflecting a wide range of identities, cultures, body types, disabilities, and gender expressions.

Key design requirements included:

*Multi-cultural representation

*Non-binary and LGBTQ+ inclusive characters

*Disabilities and mobility aids (e.g. wheelchair use, prosthetic limb)

*Varied ages, hairstyles, fashion styles, and accessories

*Bright, friendly, youth-appropriate visual language

The client also expressed a strong interest in extending the character set into a wider Health Promotion Project aimed at secondary-school-aged young people, covering topics such as:

*Anxiety

*Anger management

*Sleep

*Healthy relationships

*Friendships

*Self-harm

*Vaccinations

*Puberty

*Healthy eating

*Gaming

Students were encouraged to be creative while working to real client constraints, delivering concept art and character designs suitable for NHS campaigns. The project provided valuable experience in working with a professional healthcare client, responding to feedback, developing inclusive design solutions, and creating assets with genuine social impact.