Steph Bloom

Sublima

The birth control pill is a symbol of bodily autonomy. Such a product should be celebrated, not hidden under a veil of pearls, daisies, serifs and other delicate marketing metaphors. In my collaboration with the startup Sublima, I offer an alternative dialogue to this ongoing issue. Sublima is a female-led pharmaceutical company developing the first non-hormonal birth control pill in the U.S. With this revolutionary product now in trials, there is an opportunity to reimagine its branding and packaging design to reflect this new step in women’s reproductive rights. Since the 1960s, the Pill’s packaging design has prioritized discretion and ambiguous visual language, reinforcing the stigma that products like birth control should remain hidden. Inspired by this lack of fundamental change, my design frontlines education and product clarity, dismantling the narrative that a person’s agency over their reproductive health should be private. By utilizing a dispensing mechanism, ergonomic design, and bold and direct visuals, this packaging empowers users to not only reclaim, but celebrate, their daily contraceptive routine.