For 6ftlove, the Instagram Grid takes on a much more literal sense. Intersecting lines run like tracks all over this page, joined by little pink hearts. And the building block units of this hive are illustrations of people like you and I, all physical distancing.
The page (@6ftlove), created by New York-based urban planner, Sabah Usmani, is a reminder that though we are staying six feet apart physically, we are all still connected emotionally.
“6ftlove is both a design project and a global solidarity movement to fight the spread of COVID-19,” says Sabah. The team invites people to send in their experiences of isolation, submitted in any language. Almost every day, they profile an individual’s story, with an illustration and a quote of how they are navigating the outbreak and dealing with physical distancing.
“We are gathering stories spanning a diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and geographies. We include quotes in their original language alongside an English translation,” adds Sabah.
And it is working: the stories put up have come in from 17 countries and 34 cities, in seven different languages so far. Some of them are doctors and domestic workers, while others are comedians and writers.
A 12-year-old talks about celebrating her birthday under lockdown, while a former graffiti artist from Adelaide, Australia, who has now taken to canvasses, is itching to paint the town again. “I am reminded of where my love for art came from,” he says.
The illustrations in the grid are by Diana Ang and Aashti Miller, and the team includes urban planners (Sera Tolgay, Akemi Sato), designers (Mira Khandpur, Nikita Notowidigdo), and an environmental expert (Daphne Yin) — some based in the US and some in India.
“I started 6ftlove in early March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the world. It was at this time that the term ‘physical distancing’ (aka social distancing) came to dominate the discourse,” says Sabah. “I felt that there was a need to spread the message that practising physical distancing doesn’t mean we can’t be social or connect with people – whether it be loved ones or strangers.”
Living in New York City, which emerged as one the epicenters of this crisis, Sabah was worried about her father. “He is in his late sixties, has diabetes, and is in the high-risk category. I tried to convince him to stay at home.” Despite her parents living in the same city as her, she hasn’t seen them in person in over two months. “I mostly keep in touch with my family and friends via video calls and texting, which means my phone has basically become an extension of my arm,” she says.
But as cities around the world are easing restrictions in the coming weeks, Sabah plans to bring the movement from social-media to real life.
“We are working on a campaign to mainstream the need for collective action to combat the spread of COVID-19 and remove the psychological barriers to physical distancing. This will include a design for a wearable pin that communicates to others that even though you are keeping a safe distance, you are doing it out of love and concern for them.”
Meanwhile, the team is focussing on hard-to-reach stories, from vulnerable groups, rural populations, and frontline workers. “We would also like to partner with organisations with aligned goals to reach out to communities who may not have access to social media,” she says.
