"Hey Baby" is the name of the guidebook for parents-to-be that Leonie Ioannidis,
communication design student at Fachhochschule Dortmund, wrote as her bachelor's thesis in simple language. The student exhibited illustrations and excerpts from her work in the Nordstadtgalerie for around two weeks.
The Nordstadtgalerie connects academic life at the Fachhochschule Dortmund with the people in the north of Dortmund. In the middle of Nordstadt, at Bornstraße 142, it creates low-threshold access to academic discourse. Teaching content, student work and alumni projects are made visible and tangible to the public through exhibitions, workshops and discussions.
Influenced by her mother, who works as a midwife, Leonie Ioannidis already saw the miracle of life as a creative matter close to her heart when she began her studies. In her first major project, she artistically staged the developmental stages of an embryo in an illustrated book.
Leonie Ioannidis knew that her bachelor's thesis at Fachhochschule Dortmund would be a pregnancy guide in simple language after attending the "Simple Language for Designers" seminar.
Leonie Ioannidis"Everyone has the right to learn and to be informed."
The young designer knows how complicated comprehensive guides can often be for parents-to-be and believes: "Everyone has the right to learn and be informed. Simple language enables barrier-free reading."
Whether it's convoluted sentences or unclear technical terms: especially when information is needed quickly, these pose major hurdles for learners of German - sometimes even for native speakers.
In "Hey Baby", Leonie Ioannidis uses easy-to-understand wording and vivid illustrations to explain the most important topics that play a role in the exciting time of pregnancy - from preparation to labor and birth.
Numerous guests are greeted with "Hey Baby"
The "Hey Baby" exhibition was on display in the windows and on the Nordstadtgalerie's social media channels for around two weeks. On three open evenings, the gallery invited visitors to talk to Leonie Ioannidis and experts.
The guests followed the presentation of the lovingly hand-bound guidebook with great interest. Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kuhlenkamp from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies enriched the opening with a contribution on the benefits of plain language. The evening ended with examples from midwifery practice, reported by Sabine Janowski, employee of the "Early Help" specialist unit at the Youth Welfare Office.
The following week, pregnant and non-pregnant women relaxed at the "Yoga for pregnant women" workshop with Christine Ioannidis, mother of student Leonie. Meditative movement and breathing exercises provided relaxation.
At the finissage, interested visitors had the opportunity to take a last look at the illustrations from the guidebook in the presence of Leonie Ioannidis.
