Face It

Overview
Face It is a nonprofit organization that offers support and resources to men dealing with depression, as well as their family and friends. Research shows that more women than men suffer from depression. But the research is skewed, says Face It founder Mark Meier, due to the fact that men can be reluctant to acknowledge depression or seek help. Social stigmas keep them quiet, but the depression takes its toll anyway. Untreated depression can affect someone’s ability to perform at work, engage with family and friends, and can even lead to suicide.

Challenge
In 2010, the Face It team asked Arrowplane and Plumlines to help them create a website that could A) to connect with depressed men and their families and b) establish the organization as a source of support. The challenge was to develop a voice and message that would be able to quickly and authentically cut through the stigma and shame, to reach men and families in need.

I’m already a fan of simple and clear messages, but this content had to be hyper-direct, no-nonsense and concise. When you’re not feeling your best, you don’t want to read dense, lengthy prose.

Solution
In 2010, I wrote web content that got straight to the point, supported by a reassuring and helpful tone: You can get through this. We will help you.

In 2016, Face It approached Arrowplane and Plumlines again to refresh their website. Face It had been so successful in decreasing the stigma around male depression, the organization had grown beyond the website’s original messaging. We updated the content to reflect the organization’s expanded goals: to not only reach men with depression, but also donors who could support the mission.

Services: Content strategy, writing, IA support

Project completed in partnership with Arrowplane.