Commercial Tobacco Reduction
The Métis Nation of Alberta | 2023
Balancing Cultural Respect and Public Health Awareness
As the sole designer and producer for this asynchronous e-learning course, I collaborated with Onlea to deliver a custom educational module for the Métis Nation of Alberta. The core challenge was navigating a delicate, multi-layered subject: addressing the significant health risks of commercial tobacco while honoring sacred, traditional tobacco practices deeply rooted in Indigenous culture.
Executing this project start-to-finish meant balancing instructional strategy with nuanced visual storytelling to ensure the message was empathetic, respectful, and culturally resonant.
Key Project Highlights
Solo End-to-End Production: Led all stages of course creation, from visual design and custom illustration to animation, asset preparation, and overall module production.
Culturally Informed Visual Storytelling: Developed custom illustrations and character-driven animations that reflected authentic Métis perspectives, avoiding anti-tobacco tropes and grounding the message in community wellness.
Nuanced Public Health Messaging: Designed interactive course elements that clearly differentiated commercial tobacco harm from sacred traditional tobacco use, fostering trust and engagement rather than resistance.
Accessible E-Learning Design: Built low-barrier, self-paced learning modules designed for broad community reach and high retention.
