Weather Report

Weather Report will be a physical and digital tool co-designed with men aged 35-55, to help express, monitor and track inner weather as a visual metaphor for mental health and wellbeing. Weather Report will use machine learning to reveal patterns over weeks, months and years that humans find harder to see, especially in times of distress.

Older men are the hardest group to target, and the least likely to access mental health services, apps and support. Weather Report aims to help men aged 35-55 to communicate their emotions and moods so they can reflect more easily, make changes earlier and find a way out of crisis if need be.

One participant created a paper weather report during the initial research and explained: “Over the last couple of months there has been red lightning and thunderstorms, rain, it’s felt like I’m on the edge of a massive gap between two sharp rocks, but currently I can see the light between the clouds shining through.” Further workshops will work with men from Second Step’s Hope Project to explore this idea further.

Although the tool will be co-designed with this particular group, there is no reason that it can’t be used by other groups, e.g. women, younger men – anyone that wants to track their mental health in a visual and tactile way.

About the Team

Studio Meineck are an award winning social design studio run by Chloe Meineck. Working in collaboration with artist and mental health campaigner Aidan Moesby, and co-designed with men through Second Step’s Hope Project. With Tom Metcalfe designing UX and Creative Technologists Rachel Smith and Ellie Foreman building the prototype.