Ja, Nein, Stop!
Project Overview
Ja, Nein, Stop! is an interactive classroom theater piece written by Antje Kilian and Jens Wirsching, and directed by Jörg Isermeyer for Theater Springinsfeld. Functioning as an empowering child abuse prevention program, the production travels directly to schools to help young children playfully explore personal boundaries and emotional safety. I was commissioned to design the official promotional package, creating a highly illustrated poster and informational flyers. The primary design challenge was to translate a heavy, deeply sensitive educational topic into a gentle, non-threatening visual language that projects warmth, trust, and ultimate security for children.
The Design Strategy
To balance serious prevention education with engaging visual storytelling, the design adopts a comforting, scrapbook-inspired narrative style. Using my signature fusion of textured line work and a vibrant, soft color palette, the layout feels approachable rather than clinical. Because the poster needs to speak directly to children, I emphasized playful, hand-lettered typography for the play’s core messages (such as “Mein Körper gehört mir” / “My body belongs to me”), giving the words a friendly, rhythmic cadence across the page. A key strategic focus was the typographic hierarchy at the base: vital contact information, like the crisis helpline number (116111), is structured to be instantly visible, clear, and easy for a child to remember, nestled alongside official partner branding.
Visual Symbolism
The illustration utilizes familiar everyday objects as powerful metaphors for safety, communication, and personal boundaries:
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The Telephone Connection: A whimsical, looping phone cord visually anchors the top of the poster, connecting the title directly to an old-school receiver. This symbolizes an open line of communication—reminding children that their voices can travel, and help is always within reach.
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The Traffic Light: Placed alongside the concept of “Ja-Gefühle und Nein-Gefühle” (Yes-feelings and No-feelings), the traffic light serves as an intuitive visual cue for children to recognize their own internal warning signs and understand when to say “Stop.”
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The Tied Sneakers: The blue and yellow sneakers with intertwined laces at the bottom act as a grounding symbol of youth, movement, and the literal steps children can take toward safety, mirroring the real-life action shots from the theater production itself.
