Another tool for life skills

With new, tougher physical fitness standards in place and the winter months nearly upon us, the new Health and Wellness Center Web site's bold colors and meaningful design bring a breath of fresh air to the health scene.

"Overall the look is intended to inspire and uplift -- both ourselves and those around us," said David Perry, a Multimedia Information Specialist from the 75th Air Base Wing and the designer of the Web site.

Perry's fresh design for the HAWC Web site mostly revolved around the new logo design he also created, as well as the "4 Pillars of Wellness."

"I took the existing logo and incorporated multiple layers of wings symbolizing the variety and individuality of people," Perry said.

Many parts of Perry's logo and Web site concept have significant meaning. The wings in the logo represent an Air Force Wingman and also stand for flight and mobility. The swirly lines signify motion and are intended to remind us of the need for change and growth, Perry said.

Perry also added grungy splatters to represent the blood, sweat and tears that come hand in hand with growth and progress.

Standing strong and tall behind the logo are graphic elements designed to represent the "4 Pillars of Wellness." For Perry, it was important that these four pillars not be lost in the design of the site, which is why they are boldly represented both in size and color.

While designing the site and incorporating the pillars of wellness, a lot of thought and effort went into the choices of color and design, Perry said.

"I simplified my use of color based on the mood it projected," Perry said. "There was a specific intent of color usage behind each of the pillars of wellness," he added.

The Physical Pillar of Wellness

The colors and graphics here are meant to represent the dawn, Perry explained. "(It's) a time to wake up and reinvigorate the body with both exercise and healthy eating. The last of the evening stars are represented to encourage early rising and greeting the sunrise," Perry said.

The Spiritual Pillar of Wellness

Perry chose green here to represent the growth and newness that follows the dawn. "There are rays of sunlight in the graphic to suggest starting every day with personal spiritual growth," he said. "As we seek this, the rays of hope, love and understanding come down from heaven and feed our spiritual appetite."

The Emotional Pillar of Wellness

"Bold, bright and strong colors were used to suggest control and strength in dealing with our daily challenges," Perry explained. Though the sun can represent daytime, Perry also intended its beams of light to represent the "heaven-bound rays of spirituality, suggesting the constant need for guidance in all aspects of daily life."

The Social Pillar of Wellness

"This is an important part of being a balanced individual," Perry stated. The blue background, complemented by a spattering of stars, represents the end of the day, which is when most of us take time for social well-being. "No black coloring was used to depict the night in order to encourage the sense of retiring earlier for proper rest and relaxation before starting the daily cycle all over again," Perry explained.

The pillars of wellness don't only take shape in Perry's design, they also take shape in his own life. "My bachelor's degree in social psychology has greater emphasized the role each of these pillars has in one's daily life and has further placed an importance on each aspect of personal wellness for me," he said.

Perry also works hard to incorporate and emphasize the pillars of wellness in his family's life. "My family is my highest priority and my goal -- besides loving and nurturing them -- is to teach them to be productive and influential people in their own right," he described.

"This project certainly allowed an opportunity for me to think back on things and examine how I'm currently experiencing life," Perry said.

Perry admits to experiencing some personal growth while designing the new Web site in the form of learning new design techniques. "Designing this site did encourage me to learn some of the latest design techniques to see which I could implement into this project," he said.

While he admits that it can sometimes be easy to get distracted and not take personal time for exercise and well-being, Perry hopes that his new design and the HAWC will inspire himself and others to take that time and grow.

"It is the intent of the HAWC to provide the education and resources for everyone's growth and I hope to have played a small part in both raising awareness of the HAWC's services and a medium for their beneficial resources," Perry said.

The HAWC's new Web site can be found at https://www2.hill.af.mil/hawc.