Transforming mental health care from an afterthought into a movement imperative.

At We Are Stories, we believe that design is not just about aesthetics—it is about impact. It is about making complex ideas tangible, about amplifying voices that need to be heard, and about creating tools that empower movements. When the Polish Women’s Strike (PWS) set out to build a mental health lifeline for activists, they needed more than a support system. They needed a way to communicate its urgency, destigmatize seeking help, and ensure that those on the frontlines of resistance knew that they were not alone.

We partnered with PWS to design and structure the Mental Health Toolkit, a document that is as much a resource as it is a manifesto—a call to action for movements around the world to care for those who fight for justice.

Mental health in activism is often an afterthought. Burnout, trauma, and exhaustion are seen as collateral damage in the pursuit of justice. PWS knew this had to change. Their initiative, Psychopogotowie, was built to provide structured, long-term mental health support for activists facing repression, violence, and PTSD.

We needed to create something that would:

Resonate with activists – People on the ground needed to see themselves in this.
Break the stigma – Mental health struggles had to be normalized, not hidden.
       Be Actionable – It had to provide clear, immediate steps for those seeking help.
Break the stigma – It had to be a tool for connecting those in need with those who could support them.

Mental health toolkits often fall into the trap of being overly technical, making them hard to navigate, especially in moments of distress. We reimagined the structure to be:

• Intuitive: A clear step-by-step guide, ensuring users could find what they needed fast.

• Digestible: Simple, jargon-free language designed for real-world use.

• Structured for Action: Immediate, clear entry points—whether for an activist seeking help or an organization looking to replicate the model.

Mental health is deeply personal, and the visual language had to reflect that. Instead of cold, clinical aesthetics, we focused on warm, empowering, and activist-driven design elements.

🎨 Color Palette: We moved away from traditional “calm” mental health colors and instead embraced bold, activist colors—ones that felt like they belonged to a movement, not just a therapy office.

🖋 Typography & Layout: Readability was key. We balanced bold headlines with intimate, personal narratives, ensuring that every section felt like an invitation rather than an instruction manual.

📖 Narrative-Driven Flow: The toolkit wasn’t just about how to get help; it was about why it mattered. We integrated real stories from activists, including PWS leader Marta Lempart’s public admission of her own mental health struggles—turning vulnerability into a catalyst for cultural change.

This wasn’t just a toolkit—it was a blueprint for how activism can sustain itself.

We structured the design to support:

• Network Mobilization: Making it easy for psychologists, therapists, and funders to step in.
• Strategic Timing & Messaging: Ensuring activists could share the resource at key moments (e.g., post-mobilizations, legal battles).
• Funding Sustainability: Clearly communicating the financial realities of long-term mental health support and guiding donors on where to contribute.

The final Mental Health Toolkit was more than a document—it became an interactive tool for activist networks across Poland and beyond. It helped:

• Normalize mental health conversations in activist spaces
• Connect activists to structured, long-term care
• Secure funding for sustainable mental health initiatives
• Inspire other movements to integrate mental health into their organizing

Most importantly, it sent a clear message: activists are not disposable. Their well-being is as vital as their resistance.

Design can drive cultural change. The way we frame mental health matters. Visual language, storytelling, and accessibility all play a role in shifting narratives.

Activist movements need infrastructure. Resilience isn’t just emotional—it’s logistical. Clear, structured communication ensures that care systems are effective.

Collaboration is everything. The strength of Psychopogotowie came from the networks that fueled it. As designers, our role was to amplify that ecosystem, making it as easy as possible for people to engage with it.

At We Are Stories, we design with a purpose—to make activism more sustainable, human-centered, and effective. The Mental Health Toolkit is a testament to the fact that resistance and care must go hand in hand.
Because when activists are supported, they can continue the fight.
Because movements that care for themselves don’t just survive—they thrive.