Beyond the pain: A creative strategy to raise awareness about migraine disorder affecting Saudi professional women in the creative industry.

Abstract

Migraines are a neurological disorder affecting over a billion individuals globally (World Health Organization, 2016). They are more commonly found among young women than men due to the hormonal changes they undergo as they grow up (Wilhour, 2023). In Saudi Arabia, many individuals are diagnosed with migraine disorder compared to the global average (Albalawi et al., 2023). Despite the concerning findings and the high numbers of affected people, Saudi Arabia's acknowledgement of the disorder is considered low compared to other Western countries (Syed et al.,2020). Therefore, a gap between the prevalence of migraines and the level of public understanding within Saudi Arabia was discovered.

Many people recognise migraines as ' just a headache' however, they cause debilitating pain, which can be described as a "throbbing and pulsing headache" (Cleveland Clinic,2021), usually affecting one side of the head. It disturbs someone's quality of life, leading them to endure more than mere pain. Migraines often strike young women during their peak years of professional productivity (Cimons, 2018), creating a dual challenge as they grapple with their condition while also meeting the demands of their careers. Saudi Arabia's flourishing creative industry is increasingly drawing in young, determined women, among whom are many managing the added complexity of living with migraines. These women frequently encounter daily factors like extensive technology usage and external environmental triggers in their workspace that affect their condition (Luccheetti, 2023), often compelling them to withdraw to a place of comfort to relieve their pain. Understanding and empathy are what those women seek from their surroundings, particularly from their work colleagues with whom they spend 8 hours a day, 5 times a week. During the research journey, key insights and findings were the stepping stones that determined what to focus on in producing the final outcome. Leading to the employment of a creative framework to fill in the found gaps.

Therefore, The Double Diamond by IDEO (Design Council, 2023), known for its user-centric approach, was used as a guiding structure for this project. By prioritising the affected women, the methodology focused on understanding their needs and challenges by following its directing stages. Alongside that is the theory of change model, which this project leveraged its planning steps to reach an outcome that initiates a desired social and behavioural change.

As a result, a tailored, creative, and strategic intervention has been crafted to enhance awareness of migraine disorders among professional creatives surrounding young women affected by migraines in the Saudi creative sector. While acknowledging that meaningful change takes time, this comprehensive strategy is planned over a four-year timeline. The output marks the implementation of the initial phase in the first year of this strategy, which consists of a digital social media awareness campaign. The visuals, content, and videos were crafted collaboratively, where the main stakeholder took part in creating the visuals. By doing so, the project encourages these women to share their voices to be heard and bring awareness to their colleagues. While the nature of the outcome might be challenging to measure due to the project's time restrictions, the desired effect this project aims to achieve would be raising awareness through a dedicated Instagram account. This digital platform bridges the communication of the awareness campaign and extends its reach to the Saudi creative industry as a whole. Another thing this project aims to achieve is to diminish the stigma surrounding the disorder, leading to the establishment of supportive and understanding working environments.

Reflecting on this project's journey, launching the awareness initiative is not just about disseminating information; it is a heartfelt movement towards fostering empathy within a society that does not fully grasp the debilitating nature of migraines. The future of this dedicated account would be a potential start to address other unspoken disorders and shed light on those whom our Saudi society must acknowledge.