Runners High (Works)
Overview
Three newly commissioned works on paper, created specifically for the show ‘Running: Birds Fly, Fish Swim, Humans Run’—an exhibition at piknic, an art space and cultural center in Seoul, Korea.
For these new works, we developed Runner’s High, a conceptual fitness brand designed to evangelize the phenomenon of runner’s high. This project combined scientific research, persuasive storytelling, and branded merchandise to create a mental health awareness campaign. Runner’s High highlights the potential of this natural state of euphoria to improve mental well-being. The project’s graphic identity, created in collaboration with designer Michael Savona, captures the energy and science behind the concept.
The term “runner’s high” refers to a state of relaxed euphoria and pain relief that runners often report experiencing during or after a run. Emerging research suggests that this sensation is linked to the endocannabinoid system—a network that regulates and balances key bodily functions through neurotransmitters. These endocannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds in the body that function similarly to THC and CBD, the active chemicals found in cannabis.
This project, alongside the commissioned drawings, explores the intersection of art, science, and mental health, inviting audiences to consider how movement and physical activity can contribute to overall well-being.
The three drawings each depicted an aspect of this Runners High brand.
Runners High: Seeking Euphoria
Drawing inspiration from early scientific illustrations of the brain, this intricate pencil drawing delves into the endocannabinoid system and its interplay with dopamine, offering a poetic visualization of the brain’s euphoria-inducing mechanisms during running.
Runners High: Operational Diagram
This speculative illustration reimagines the internal structure of the fictitious Runners High company, annotating its framework with whimsical and evocative department names designed to ignite the imagination and invite curiosity.
Runners High: Branding
Through a conceptual lens, this artwork explores the creative journey of the graphic design team behind the imagined Runners High brand. The drawing showcases a series of proposed logos, wordmarks, and catchphrases, hinting at the iterative process of crafting an identity for a company devoted to the art and science of the runner’s high.