U1364159 Songsit Kodee (Ming)
FMP - Research & Development
1 2 3
Page 4 - 15
Mental Health Research
Page 16 - 45
Artist Interpretation
Page 4
Artist R
6 7 8
Page 168 - 179
Inspiration Research
Page 180 - 189 Project Recap
Page 19
Interview P
3 4 5
46 - 91
Research
Page 92 - 145
Survey & Infographics
Page 146 - 167 Card Research
9 10 8
90 - 193
Preparation
Page 194 - 211
Interview Conduct
Page 212 - 221
Card Development
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
Depression Depression is a mental illness which affects millions of people worldwide, the symptoms can affect the thought process, change physical appearance, emotional attitude and alter someone behaviour pattern. A person who has been diagnosed with depression, will describe their symptoms as feeling of emptiness, like falling into dark depths of the abyss, they may also have a self–imposed isolation to avoid social situation for fear of being ‘exposed’ and shunned away.
4
5
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
Bipolar Bipolar is a mental health condition which is formerly known as ‘mania’ depression due to the ‘manic episodes’ someone can experience, which involves a heightened sense of aviation in which their mind goes into sensory overload, causing bash behaviour and thought process in which they might not even realise the consequences of impact they have on others, and once the phase has come to an end, the person will usually have a overwhelming sense of guilt, which in turn can set on the depressive episodes.
6
7
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
Schizophrenia The majority of people with paranoid schizophrenia will suffer from auditory hallucinations which often gives the person a sense of being conspired against therefore high levels of paranoia and anxiety will also present itself as a symptom. An individual suffering from paranoid schizophrenia will also develop high levels of anxiety, since their hallucinations will often be visually threatening and will try to implement false belief or conspiracies of their close relations plotting against them.
8
9
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
Anxiety Anxiety is the feeling of restlessness and unease which could stem to both psychological and physical sensations, someone who has anxiety will also experience excessive worrying or nervousness about something which could possibility go wrong, resulting in selfimposed isolation of social environments and situations for fear of embarrassment.
10
11
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
Addiction The start of an addiction is a result of people trying to escape reality in the form of substituting the need or feeling that is not being achieved or met. People, who suffer from addiction, will also likely have some mental disorder, and they will compulsively use whether they associated with escape in reaction to being emotionally stressed.
12
13
1
Secondary Research | Mental Health Research | Choosing a condition
The Chosen Conditions After some thought, I decided to pick 3 different mental health conditions to base my research on, in doing so, I will be exploring into the characteristics which someone might have and the symptoms in what defines that mental health. I will achieve this process by researching into the mind of those who suffer from these conditions, another idea would be to collect an artist’s interpretation of the conditions and how they express their creativity towards their work.
14
The 3 I chose are Depression, Anxiety and Schizophrenia, the reason why I pick theses in specific is because I feel like there is a lot stigma involved and the associations that I have seen on Tv or the opinions of people would make it an interesting thing to research on, perhaps I should go about trying to interview people who suffer from the conditions, so that I can have an open prospective on the subject instead of approaching the project with an outside mind.
15
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Depression Illustration I have collected relatable images that are the works of other artist’s interpretation of depression, and by doing so; that the images will serve as an appropriate documentation for my research, and will point me in the right direction of how to capture that element regarding depression in an illustrative style in response to my brief.
16
17
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Depression Illustration As I research further into my collection of visual images, there seems to be a familiar theme in which I’ve noticed in the work of other artists. They seem to use the colour black quite often and other dark tones or hues to highlight the symptoms of emptiness and possible isolation in which a person who is suffering from depression will feel. However I wanted to see if I could find something which doesn’t match that interpretation, so on this page I added a few images to the moodboard, which depicts sadness or symptoms of depression without the direct correalation of that ‘darkness’ element, which in my opinion can be more harmful to those suffering, as it can give off the wrong impression to those who do not understand the condition, thus furthering stigma for mental health.
18
19
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Depression Photography In order for me to learn as much as possible on depression I wanted to remain open on how other people interpreted depression and the way they depict the feeling that is captured in their style of artwork, so as a result, I decided to step away from illustration and do some research into the subject of photography, and how interesting it would be to compare the work and see how they will differ from one another, since it invovles live (people) subjects instead of someones conceptual ‘imagination’ of expression on paper.
20
21
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Depression Photography Once again I started to notice that there is still a running theme in the use of the colour black and dark tones, but only this time, the photographs all seem to have a familiar element that is quite scary and provocative which would likely result in further stigma, for people unfamiliar with mental health and likely make someone who is suffering with depression to feel worse about themselves, since theses images do not promote anything but negativity and the feeling of being ‘insane’ or a danger to themselves and others.
22
23
2
Secondary Research | Symptoms Research
Depression symptom I have researched into depression, using a collection of books gathered from local charity called ‘Mind’ as well as using secondary research from official websites of national institutions to help me write about the various symptoms of depression. I have categorised the symptoms because of a survey found on Moodjuice (Page: 94-95), which helps the patient and doctor narrow down a diagnosis and help provide the most effective treatment.
24
Constant tiredness or drained of energy Unexplained muscle tension Physical aches and pains increase or decrease in appetite Lethargic/lacking in energy Increase or decrease in weight Difficulty getting out of bed
Physical Restless/easily agitated Avoidance of social events Feelings of unease and nervousness Difficulty speaking (even to family / friends) lack of interest or pleasure in daily life Loss of interest in activities you previously enjoyed
Emotional Poor concentration / Poor memory Fear of judgement Negative outlook Fear of failing No confidents or self-esteem Feeling suicidal Increase day-dreaming
Behavioural
Upset / Sad / Blue / Low spirited Feeling of constant guilt / worthlessness / shame / helpless / despair Emptiness / numb Lack of enthusiasm Feeling suicidal Unmotivated Irritable/low patience threshold experiencing a sense of unreality
Thought 25
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Anxiety Illustration Whilst collecting research for anxiety, from what I can tell, the comparison of anxiety and depression seems to be completely different when I researched into different illustrative styles of an artist’s interpretation; the images no longer have that dark theme associated due to the use of colour and tones. They seem less antagonising to look at and paint a better picture at describing what possible symptoms might be involved, whilst for depression shows the person is being engulfed by a shady entity which doesn’t really help sum up an idea for someone unaffected by such conditions.
26
27
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Anxiety Illustration The illustrative artwork which I found could also suggest that people are more open about suffering anxiety, I am starting to think that there are fewer stigmas associated with anxiety, since some of the images which I found, is seen as light hearted or at least playful to some extent in comparison to the images found for depression.
28
29
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Anxiety Photography When I moved onto the subject of photography however, the style switched by taking a turn into the darker side of things, replacing the very nature of playfulness which completely vanishes when compared to the illustrative styles I found. This is an interesting find, for it gives a better example from both prospective sides of people who suffer from anxiety.
30
31
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Anxiety Photography Although the images are less antagonising than the depression photographs which I found, the provocative factor remains to show that this issue is very real for sufferers and how damaging the effects are if left untreated, it shows the feeling of drowning or being bombarded by stressful situations, encountered in everyday life, such as fear of judgement or general stress from work.
32
33
2
Secondary Research | Symptoms Research
Anxiety symptom Anxiety is the feeling of restlessness and unease which could stem to both psychological and physical sensations, someone who has anxiety will also experience excessive worrying or nervousness about something which could possibility go wrong, resulting in self-imposed isolation of social environments and situations for fear of embarrassment. The trigger to anxiety is an evolutionary survival system which helped out ancestors determined the area of threat through ‘fight or flight ‘response.
34
Whilst the situation might not pose a danger, anxiety will cause the body to release large amounts of adrenaline in which the body will experience an intense surge of panic, this will cause heart palpitations, increase in breathing and you may feel faint or dizzy as a result. Although it’s difficult to determine why some people get anxiety and others don’t is unknown, but for those suffering have often spoke out about having a warning trigger, theses would involve things such as drinking or eating something which brings the onset of anxiety.
Physical Unsettled / restlessness Fearfulness & panic Visible shakiness Overwhelming feeling On edge (guarded / paranoid) Use of substances (drugs / alcohol / tobacco)
Emotional Unrealistic view on a problem Difficulty concentrating Low confidents or self-esteem Overwhelming sense of impending disaster Negative outlook of worst case scenarios Feeling like your mind has gone blank
Heart racing / palpitations excessive sweating Increase or lack of appetite tense body / muscular pain Shortness of breath Dizziness / faint
Behavioural Panicky / Stressed Numb / Uptight Feeling detached socially Inability to be still and calm On edge sensation Low confidents
Thought 35
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Schizophrenia Illustration For my third choice, I choose to research about is Schizophrenia, a mental health disorder which is probably the most stigmatised subject out of the three, this is because this condition has had its fair share of being demonised by having the disorder being blow out of proportion due to the intensity of the symptoms one might suffer from, whether is it superstition from old medical and scientific beliefs, or how the media has portrayed the characteristics symptoms as being totally crazy to a point of that person being inhuman. I have collected moodboard using illustrative artwork that promote awareness for schizophrenia as well as including drawings from people who suffer from the condition.
36
37
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Illustration Moodboard
Schizophrenia Illustration The images which I have gathered from the internet for my research were quite hard hitting and scary to even think that something like this is real, I can’t bear to imagine how it would feel to suffer from such a thing and then to be dehumanised because of it. The running theme is that the mind is not in total control of itself and that evil spirit like entities are attempting to take over the person, unlike the illustrative moodboard of anxiety, I don’t think there is any room for light hearted playfulness for creativity when it comes to this subject, therefore If I were to carry on with furthering this as development, I would have to be careful to not portray this condition in a negative light but also create something which would show the reality of what it’s like to suffer from Schizophrenia.
38
39
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Schizophrenia Photography The photography subject of schizophrenia were just as intense as the illustration artwork, and both run the same theme of an entity trying to gain control of that person or multiple personality’s impairing the judgement and changing their behaviour dramatically. I feel like this subject would be hard to tackle if I were to illustrate the condition without making a disturbing piece that represents the disorder.
40
41
2
Secondary Research | Artist interpretation | Photography Moodboard
Schizophrenia Photography On this particular moodboard, I decided to still look within the category of schizophrenia, however step away from the ‘darkness’ representation of the condition, by searching for images which correlates back to the symptoms but shreds light by showing the viewer that someone who is suffering is just out of touch with reality but is treatable, by doing this, it will also seem less antagonising to provoke fear of the condition and that someone who is suffering can live a normal healthy lifestyle.
42
43
2
Secondary Research | Symptoms Research
Schizophrenia symptom The majority of people with paranoid schizophrenia will suffer from auditory hallucinations which often gives the person a sense of being conspired against therefore high levels of paranoia and anxiety will also present itself as a symptom. An individual suffering from paranoid schizophrenia will also develop high levels of anxiety, since their hallucinations will often be visually threatening and will try to implement false belief or conspiracies of their close relations plotting against them.
44
The subtypes Hebephrenic do not normally have the symptoms of delusions and hallucinations, as they are present in a paranoid schizophrenia. However someone suffering from disorganised schizophrenia will experience behavioural impairment, when it comes to carrying out normal daily activities such as eating or socialising. Their behaviour will vary from being child-like and silly to incredible aggressive and will be aloof with a monotonous voice, to appearing extremely apathetic and indifferent.
Physical Unsettled / restlessness Fearfulness & panic Visible shakiness Overwhelming feeling Insomnia Irritable Use of substances (drugs / alcohol / tobacco)
Emotional Unrealistic view on a problem Difficulty concentrating Low confidents or self-esteem Overwhelming sense of impending disaster Negative outlook of worst case scenarios Anticipating the worst Feeling like your mind has gone blank
Heart racing / palpitations Dry mouth excessive sweating Fatigue Increase or lack of appetite tense body / muscular pain Shortness of breath Dizziness / faint
Behavioural Stressed Numb Uptight Feeling detached socially Inability to be still and calm On edge sensation Low confidents
Thought 45
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Imaginary Concept Character Research
Aaron Martinez I found Aaron Martinez as a result of searching for illustrative monster expressions, showing a variety of emotions which I could use for my own concept characters, the style of illustration is plain but bold enough to stand out to the viewer, however I would like my design to have depth instead of just being flat and 2D dimension.
46
47
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Imaginary Concept Character Research
Stefan Kuhnigk Coffee fanatic Stefan Kuhnigk, demonstrates the perfect combination of work and playfulness in his style, where he uses chance and luck when splatting coffee stains onto sheets of paper and redraws monster characters, perhaps I could do something similar with my designs and see where this would take me.
48
49
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Imaginary Concept Character Research
Paride Bertonlin When I first saw the concept characters designed by Paride Bertolin, I instantly fell in love with his thumbnail artwork of cartoons that appears to be characterised by a mixture of fantasy and surrealism. It was only recently that I started to do something similar when sketching out a brainstorm of characters, but mine lacked structure and was chaotic, so for now on I’ll pre-plan a thumbnail grid system for my future work.
50
51
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Imaginary Concept Character Research
Mark Lawrence The illustrative style of Mark Lawrence, gave me an idea of how to keep a documentation of my research, by processing in the following way, drawing the sketch, and once the work has been digitalised, keep the outline of my concept character not only as a backup but as an influence.
52
53
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Imaginary Concept Character Research
Toby Allen I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit disappointed when I came across artist Toby Allen, since this is exactly what I wanted to do for my final major project, however the way Toby Allen has illustrated each mental condition into a physical form, has been done beautifully, giving each one a strong backing story to justify his designs. The layout and textured overlay gives the illustration a perfect balance, and he himself tries to highlight the stigma of mental health so that it will be discussed about instead of it being portrayed as ‘invisible’, which is the reason why he designed imaginary concept characters for each mental condition.
54
55
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
‘‘Black Dog’’ This book is highly recommended book for those who suffer from or want to understand the reality of depression, interestingly the term of phrase has been used by many but popularised by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. What ‘Black dog’ is a direct metaphor for depression, since the circumstances of the symptoms will often linger or latch onto someone suffering, following them around constantly before the condition just disappears, but this is often short lived, as it is likely that black dog come back to the person if left untreated.
56
Matthew Jonestone (Black Dog), the author and illustrator of the book ‘I had a black dog’ is a hard hitting book, which gives a beautifully designed illustration of speaking from first-hand experience of his own condition. The book goes into great detail on telling a story of how the Black dog affected all aspects of his life and even includes the major symptoms and the effects of his relationship with family and friends.
57
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Pawel Jońca The illustration artwork of Pawel Jońca, immediately captured my attention whilst I was researching for different illustrative styles, I feel like if I were to use this technique of minimalist geometric shapes to outline the narrative characters, then it would broaden my target audience, since this type of format, I feel like it can be used on adolescent teens and young adults without offending them for being too ‘childish’. Looking on the work, it does feel like some of characters lack depth of a background story because of the abstracted style causing some sort of distortion and confusion, however I feel like this is the style I want to develop further in my own work as it progresses further, I will be experimenting with different forms of expression for my characters, perhaps using the shapes to give the viewer a feel of their current emotions.
58
59
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Mark Bird I chose to include artist, Mark Bird, in my research document because I feel like his artwork and illustrative style is of great importance to me when I first started my project, originally I was just planning to design non-existence concept characters to narrate the mental health conditions. However one piece struck out to me and it made me revaluate my idea, to also illustrate people as the main focus point but also use concept characters when the theme or subject is appropriate.
60
61
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Philip Giordano Since Pawel Jonica, has helped me decide on an illustrative style which I want to pursue in developing my work based on, I have decided to look further into this style of juxtaposition and figure out on how to apply the technique to my project but give it a small tweak in my preference. I found Philip Giordano, an Italian Illustrator who has won ‘International Award for Illustration” at the Bologna children’s book fair in 2010. The distorted use of texturizing the artwork is something which I am definitely considering, since it gives the work a sense of dimension instead of being flat and plain.
62
63
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Riccardo Guesco The artist research is starting to give me plenty ideas, however I want to know the process of using the applied methods of geometric shapes that’ll be relevant to the subject, this led me to artist Riccardo Guesco, whose work also reflects my desired outcome, however instead of just collecting his finished pieces, I chose to include his unfinished sketches un-digitalised so that they will help me with the human forms in geometric and expressions to tell a story for my concept characters.
64
65
3
Imaginery Versus Real
Imaginery vs Real CC After much confusion for deciding on whether to make my concept characters real or imaginary based and since I really enjoy designing narrative illustrations for fun in my spare time. I will be furthering this interest by splitting my research into two different categories, real life and imaginary based instead of wasting time on deciding which one to opt for to further progress in my project. I have gathered 5 different artists each of which I deem suitable for use of referencing when planning my characters, I will be deciding the base comparison for which one that would best be suitable for my project so that people will be able to relate to the illustrations without being offended by the design.
66
Chosen CC (Real) A short review of the 5 selected artists between real and imaginary I have chosen for my research, I have decided to opt for the real-life based concept characters but design them in such away in order to input my own style and technique into the development as I take them from to finish. I think that the turning point for me was when I came across artist Pawel Jońca and Mark bird whose work is just next level inspiration and if I were to combine the two key elements of their work together I might be able to design and try something new which is out my depth.
67
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Pascal Campion The work of Pascal Campion just had to be included in my research; I found that the results of his illustrative style very captivating and that each piece is a representation of his personal life experiences. I found his Facebook page, and started viewing through all of his work and it made me realise that in order to master the art of storytelling, I must research into human forms of expression and ‘body language’ so that my work will convey the story correctly, so that it’ll seem more relatable.
68
69
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Alessandro Gottardo Alessandro Gottardo, an illustrator who made a name for himself in 2005, for his second pseudonym, ‘SHOUT’. The success which followed involved his illustrative artwork becoming recognised worldwide and celebrated through his important publications. He states that the work he produces is on the matter of sensitive issues such as political articles and charitable causes rather than commercially led. The technique which he implores is one of a reductive style in which he composes his work using soft colours and fantastic use of composition in a minimalistic fashion of expression, I want my own work to reflect this sort of behaviour, so that the person viewing will immediately understand the ‘story’ behind the illustration and be open to connection or interpretation.
70
71
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Chris Madden Chris Madden, a freelance editorial and illustrator has done a series of cover designs for ‘Lancet Neurology’, an organisation, committed to applying scientific knowledge to improve health and advancement in human progress. The work style is not a reflection of what I want but I have included him in my research because the illustration series have given me quite a few ideas which I will refer back to if I’m stuck on drawing my development concepts.
72
73
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Andrew Kolb The work of Andrew Kolb reflects on the simplicity that quickly communicates with tone and content, his illustrative style combines well thought-out colour schemes that blend together beautifully and the use of crisp clean vector lines gives his artwork that wow factor. The images which I chose for my moodboard were picked because they involved an essence of expression where each different artwork shows the characters responding through their emotional feelings using their facial expressions or body language gestures, and because of this, just by looking at them, I can almost get a feel of the story building up behind each piece. I found his Instagram page and just love how he promotes himself with his short clip videos and doodle sketches. (https://www.instagram.com/kolbisneat/)
74
75
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Blanca G贸mez Blanca G贸mez, developed a taste for graphic design and illustration through the inspiration of her mother, and what has started from a personal hobby has now turned into a professional career, very inspiring, considering she started off small with just a personal website, doing commissions here and there until it became her primary career, leading to working with clients worldwide. I researched and found her creative process of designing for my own documentation, which demonstrates her abilities to add expression in fluidity of her work through using the right blend of palettes and contrast adjusting when applying textures, giving an image which gives you an impression that it can be touched and you would feel the material of the characters.
76
77
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Martha Anelo I wanted to include Martha Anelo into my research despite already choosing an illustrative style, although her overall style does not match with what I have in mind (Geometric), the way her characters are presented do. The design of each character gives me an open interpretation to connect with the ‘storyline’ which Martha is trying to portray, and with my project being of a sensitive nature I feel like she has captured this element for me perfectly. I don’t want to turn the illustrations into something dark and serious like the photography moodboards I collected earlier, which would probably make someone feel worse but I also don’t want it so that people feel belittled or offended by the content for being ‘childish’. For example I have placed a coloured dot on a selected image to explain my interpretation of a showing someone their symptoms: Green: Fear of judgement | Yellow: Poor organisation | Red: Increase in appetite
78
79
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Andrew Lyons The work of Andrew Lyons not only shows the different forms of physical expression one might have when trying to convey a message, such as using body language, but each piece which I have selected for my moodboard also features a variety of different emotional expressions, which Lyons has captured perfectly combining the two elements together for his artwork into his style of storytelling. For my project, I will be constantly referring back to Andrew Lyons, when I am in need of inspiration when designing my concept characters, since he has clearly mastered both aspects into his artwork.
80
81
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Carolina BĂşzio I want to research a variety of styles and how one designer impetrates physical and emotional expression into their artwork by using their own creative methods and techniques, this is to help me not only gain knowledge and understanding but to help discipline myself when it comes to developing my own unique style. Following up from Andrew Lyons, led me onto artist Carolina BĂşzio, a Portuguese animator and illustrator who has a love for incorporating personality into her characters simply by using forms of posture, so that you can get a vibe of the characters in her illustrations instead of focusing on details of facial expressions, as you can see in my moodboard, the concept characters either have minimal to no detail forms of expression other than clothing and posture, but you can still almost feel their personality shining through the illustration.
82
83
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Geoff Mcfetridge
84
My research has led me onto an artist Geoff McFetridge (GM), as I now want to look at the very basic of illustrative style of cubist geometric, as well as the natural forms of physical body language and the emotional expressions that not only tells a story but will form a connection to the viewer, even if the style is viewed as simple. Reading an article interview on GM, he refers to his work as a form of design language, in which the viewer must process his work through as a visual language rather than a seen as physical being. The designing consideration for GM’s style is to have his artwork be refined and simplified using the reduction process, resulting in his work to have a surreal abstract appearance. I have GM’s work to refer back too, in case I am ever stuck on my designing, since his illustrations are relatively straightforward and can give me plenty of ideas on how I can generate more ideas by brainstorming on a selected image on what feelings I have towards that piece.
85
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Gizem Vural
86
I feel like the work of Gizem Vural, shares similar themes to my other artist which I have researched on, GM (P..) and Mautha (P..), since the artwork which I have chosen leaves me an open interpretation for what she is trying to portray in her artwork and the work styling theme reflects that of GM but only more distorted and surrealistic visuals but at the same time the artwork also includes added depth, with simple deeply layered content of either colour or a blend use of monotones. The reason why I chose Gizem Vural to be a part of my research is because I found the reductive styling process to be hard in figuring out what is needed and what isn’t to convey the right message, things get a little bit more complicated further down the process when different design considerations are involved such as the right colour scheme to blend with the overall theme or composition and whether or not every element will work together or not, however looking at the work of Gizem here and online (http://www.gizemvural.net/works), I feel a little more confidence in tackling this issue.
87
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research | Real Concept Character Research
Oamul Lu The images which I have collected for my moodboard are originally animated GIF’s, from a project called ‘24Hr Solar terms’, designed by Oamul Lu. The project gives a fresh view into Oamul Lu’s world of expressing his feelings towards the different seasons and pulls you in with its mesmerising elegant animation and design. Oamul, explains that his inspiration comes from traditional elements from China, also drawing out moments of his life into illustration. Each of the images, I have collected are well balanced with the use of composition, with the colours perfectly fitting in with the theme of selected season, gives the design an overall sense of satisfaction to view and it gets even better when you watch the animation of the image come to life. (http://www.oamul.com/the-24-solar-terms/)
88
89
3
Secondary Research | Artist Research
Andrea Yip Having a love for visual concepts and building blocks, Andrea Yip created a self-motivated brief where she experiments with the notion of adding/removing blocks which has been proven in case studies that suggests playing Tetris could possibility prevent PTSD flashbacks. The intent is to challenge herself for exploring different ways of explaining the complexity of mental health and to encourage others to the same, the work is not meant to minimalize the seriousness or depth but gives way to open interpretation of how the position of blocks have been placed.
90
91
4
Secondary Research | Survey Research
Survey Research To kick-start my primary research, I started to research and print screen a collection of different surveys that are used by online national institutions, this is help further my knowledge and understanding on what a patient might be asked when getting assessed by a professional, I found that (Moodjuice) survey splits the symptoms of a condition into three different categories on how a person might be affected, to help narrow down a diagnosis and they are as follows: Thought patterns (mental), Physical symptoms and behavioural.
92
http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/Depression.asp
http://www.healthyplace.com/psychological-tests/quick-inventory-of-depressive-symptomatology/
93
4
Secondary Research | Survey Research
Survey Research I feel like if I were to include theses three aspects in my online survey, it would not be filled in or someone will type away, speaking from a personal experience and it’ll be hard to categorise the information, therefore I have decided if the person agrees to an interview I will them the four types of aspects involved.
94
http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/Anxiety.asp
http://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/Anger.asp
95
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
My Survey
96
97
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
98
Question 4 In your own words, can you describe your symptoms as best as you can? 1. Extreme low moods, irrational thoughts, panic attacks, stuttering.
2. Someday I just have no motivation to do anything and don’t want to communicate with the outside world. I don’t feel myself
3. Wondering all the time what it would be like if you were normal or dead. Then occasionally being so down that you self-harm and feel like tearing your skin off 4. Loss of appetite, can’t be bothered to anything, not sleeping well
5. Fatigue, feeling helpless, crying, scared to go into unknown situations, heightened emotion, stress
99
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
6. Panic attacks, paranoia, low self-esteem, waves of motivation and hysteria followed by crushing exhaustion and darkness; trapped in your own mind... I find it Extremely difficult to socialise or put myself in social situations with people I do not know for fear of being judged/ having an outburst, loneliness, exhaustion and frustration at my own mind!
7. Mood swings suddenly feeling very inexplicably low not always for a reason can deal with stress and severe anxiety at times
8. Fatigue, persistent worrying and panic over silly things, not wanting to get out of bed, being extremely sad for no apparent reason, loss of appetite/overeating 9. Depression that starts randomly causing sleeplessness, anxiety and not being able to eat.
100
10. I was medically underweight and still thought I was fat, I used to self-harm and starve myself until I passed out for like a week at a time and over exercise
11. With bipolar, some days I wake up and cannot move from my room, anxiety keeps me up at night and I push everyone around me away. This can last for weeks at a time and when really bad, can lead to suicidal thoughts and believing everyone is lying to me/hates me. Then when I come out of the ‘bubble’ or the ‘black dog’ goes away, I feel total elation and am extremely excitable for periods of time; as if I’m drunk or just overly happy and productive. It literally is like another person some days. It can be tough but CBT therapy helps me control it 12. Emptiness.
13. Feel down most of the time, no energy to do anything, lack of motivation, just want to stay in bed, going to uni makes me cry. Also I self-harm by cutting
101
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
102
Question 5. Do you feel like Mental health is an issue people tend to avoid? 1. At least now it’s all over the internet and the news people are more understanding but i suppose they think somehow they know how you feel and so are quick to judge 2. Know wants to talk about the ‘crazy’ ones
3. People feel uncomfortable talking about it, they find it awkward 4. Not taken as seriously as physical health and wellbeing
5. Because it makes people feel uncomfortable or that you are unstable
6. People who haven’t experienced mental health issues are unsure how to deal with them, so there is awkwardness/discomfort around the subject for fear of accidentally saying/doing “the wrong thing” 7. People think it’s made up. People tend to smirk when you talk about it. things.
103
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
8. Everyone talks about it & no one understands it. People just get on with things.
9. They don’t really know how to talk about it or they feel awkward. In films it’s often depicted as madness or being dangerous instead of being perfectly in touch with reality but just poorly. 10. Because it’s not physical. Sadly, I think unless it’s physical, people don’t consider it as much of a priority.
11. It’s still a very taboo subject and many people believe that people suffering are just making it up or making it out to be worse than it actually is
104
12. This is still alot people don’t understand about mental health and certain individuals may never have experienced mental health first hand and may not comprehend what the individual is going through. This means they will tend to keep their distance from any person when they find out.
13. Yes and no, as people are more open to it nowadays but it’s still not talked about to kids in schools which it should be as real anxiety is a genuine condition and many say ‘oh I have anxiety’ because there having a bad day which isn’t fair.
14. It’s not something I would walk into a room of strangers and want to announce because it’s personal an you don’t want to talk about it, however when it has been an issue that I have needed to talk about it is very difficult to find someone to talk about it with who can sit and listen without trying to offer advice on something they don’t understand. Those who do this, the wanting to help is appreciated but at the time it feels more invasive, as if they think that what is happening is easily curable in 5 simple steps! Otherwise, people aren’t interested because they don’t understand and they are just waiting for their turn to speak.. Mental illness scares them because they don’t get it, they just want the behaviour attached to it to stop and so turn it into a joke for coping purposes or change the subject, label you as lazy or socially incompetent, awkward, frustrating, boring etc...
105
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
15. People don’t understand the complications behind it, perhaps because it is not something you can obviously see
16. I think people just think it’s bad and to avoid people who have mental health as they think they are crazy people.
17. Because it’s not something you can bandage or stick some ice on, people ignore it. Because you can’t see it, you don’t talk about it.
18. Because it’s not physical. Sadly, I think unless it’s physical, people don’t consider it as much of a priority. 19. It’s still a very taboo subject and many people believe that people suffering are just making it up or making it out to be worse than it actually is
106
107
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
108
109
4
Primary Research | Survey Research | Infographics
110
111
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
112
113
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
114
115
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
116
117
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
118
119
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
120
121
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
122
123
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
124
125
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
126
127
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
128
129
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
130
131
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
132
133
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
134
135
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
136
137
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
138
139
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
140
141
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
142
143
4
Primary Research | Survey Respondents
144
145
5
Survey Review | Concept Idea
Survey Review I am relativity happy with the feedback received and that people were able to open up to me describing their condition, now the second phase will be to create a questionnaire before conducting an interview for those who have agreed to be interviewed, hopefully this will give further insight and I will be able to gauge reaction, and interpretation of their world.
146
My Idea - Deck of Cards I have decided to base my project on designing illustrated cards that will narrate a story for the person viewing, so that they form a connection and will be open to discussion on how they are feeling without the awkwardness for both parties. Toby Allen was an artist who inspired my idea of designing these cards, although he has designed imagery characters for his work, I plan to create real life based concept characters using geometric styling.
147
5
Secondary Research | Card Design Moodboard | Concept Idea
Card Illustrations To kick-start my chosen concept idea, I have decided to collect three moodboards of suitable card designs. have collected a variety of card designs which I really like, this so I can get an idea what is already out so that I may match the standard quality and appearance. I plan on having the cards to be quite thick so that they are tactile and won’t damage during transport since I want the person who has the cards to repeatedly use them when needed. Some of the cards have given me an idea of how I am going to present my work, when it comes to the exhibition such as framing the cards or maybe having a card design hierarchy. For my design, I plan to create the cards with a border for composition sake. Some of the images you see seem to have no relevance, but I have included them for a reason, for example the tarot cards are a way to help the person tell a story of fortune, I feel like this aspect is also well involved in my concept idea.
148
149
Secondary Research | Card Design Moodboard | Concept Idea
150
151
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
IN8 Cards In8 Cards is a resource pack, designed to improve an individual’s quality of life by helping them visualise the basic human needs or resource in an illustration card format, that also uses key words of relevance to provoke insightful ways of thinking and to evaluate situations to help bring the matter into perspective. When using the cards, the person will separate the cards into different sections of what they are happy and content with, say that need or resource are being without a problem, the other will be a selection of what they are lacking, such as exercise or sleep. I watched a video and Alec Stansfield also states that the physical aspect of the cards, which allows people to interact with them how they want such as spreading them across the table to pick out or stack on top of each, brings out a relative understanding for both parties when used so that they might convey the right information in much more depth, currently In8 cards are used by professionals worldwide by therapists, doctors and teachers.
152
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=406&v=wC5QRTz4qgo)
Basing my decision on the research survey, I have decided to pick Depression and design that as a card based design because a large portion of my respondents suffered from this condition and had troubled with being misunderstood due to the associated stigma involved, is it also interesting to see how some people did not fully know about their condition, treatments or support available. Also taking inspiration from the IN8 Cards I could perhaps design a small booklet with an index number so that I can write detailed information about that symptom.
153
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
A little mental help Andrea Yips dedicates herself to help others visual the issues associated mental health, she wants address the problem that which is uniquely layered with since everyone is different the challenge is of a complex nature. The action cards features informed information about overcoming the difficulty of depression, and they are informed by cognitive behavioural therapy which allows someone to open up and seek supportive treatment. She describes that the cards impression gives less of an ‘institutional’ feeling that is not robotic than the normal way of diagnosis such as filling out a survey form. Regarding the design of the cards, I like how she has highlighted key words and has left a blank space for someone to interpret for themselves; I plan to involve this feature in my concept so that they would have a personal touch.
154
155
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
Mental Notes Stephen Anderson, creator of Mental notes, gives insight into the world of consumer based psychology and gives detailed explanation on human behaviour, this is combined with the subject of web-designing, and the cards lets creatives to understand their target audience through psychoanalysing their behaviour patterns. The deck has 52 cards and while they are not necessarily used for mental health, some can be related in the form provoking a positive influence, since they follow the same route of improving an experience for the user by supporting them to explore their options in an encouraging way. I like how the cards feature highlighted key words which reinforce the connection of the description and how the subheading gives a short summary so that someone will be able to immediately pick up on whether the cards will be of means to them.
156
5
157
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
We’ve got Issues
158
We’ve got issues is a diced based card game that focuses on the challenge that people who have mental health conditions may face, it was developed by three graduate students Michael Budram, Greg Kozma, and Will Jeffery whose sole idea was to promote curiosity about the ‘issue’ as a player try to understand how the game mechanics actually relate to disorders. Despite being awarded with ‘Winner of the People’s Choice and Best Student Created Non-Digital Game Awards at the Meaningful Play 2014 International Academic Conference’, as expected the creators have faced some strong negative criticism about the game because of the nature of the topic, however they feel like a crossover of opinions is beneficial to providing more coverage for the topic to be further discussed about. The aim of the game involves players drawing a set of cards with a certain mental condition and the way to win is to roll dice accordingly to score as many points as possible to a selected number, however the cards you have can affect your score, rolls and not allow you to play.
159
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
Without Question Without Question, is a hilarious card game designed to engage people in social interaction by enforcing random rules that must be followed in accordance to the card description. The aim is allow people to build relationships at social events through surreal situations which bring them out of their comfort zone in a fun non-invasive way. This game further reinforces my concept idea of how social barriers can be broken down if applied correctly, and although my concept is of a different nature, I feel like it does include some element of ‘play’ in interaction despite the given situation. The design of Without Question, is simple but effective at communicating the right message to the user with its neat illustrative style of using non-lifelike humans to depict the rules of the game.
160
161
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
Rejection Card
162
They say that if you are able to do something for 30 consecutive days, then that habit will become embedded in your brain and you’ll be able to continue with that habit to achieve your long term goal. Rejection Therapy is self-help card game which uses this principle, where it encourages people to activity go out to seek any form of rejection from minor actions such as striking a conversation with a stranger to being bold and asking someone for money, the aim of the game is to conquer their fears of social anxiety by suggesting different ways of exposure to kickstart the fearful stimulus you have when nervous, the psychology based principles has been showed to work on many case studies and shows people that even though you got rejected, you still disobeyed the concept of ‘fear’. I love the concept of the cards and had to include it within my research, however from a design point of view, I do feel like it is lacking in visual aesthetic and detailed information considering that the game is a means to improve the quality of lifestyle for people, who will likely have questions about how they could approach the situation e.g..
163
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
A Penny for your thoughts A penny for your thought, is a deck of cards intended to help adults and children communicate together by knowing what questions to ask each other, the physical aspect involves a playful element so that there is no added pressure to spark the conversation and can bring the feeling of connection. I originally found this project on Kickstarter, and sadly it didn’t receive enough funding for the cards to become a reality. The cards have a similar function to mine but it involves a diagram showing an order for the paths leading up to the solution, this is something which I am considering designing to avoid confusion. The cards also offer useful advice and information to help children put their feelings into words in a non-invasive way, avoiding the uncomfortable feeling altogether for both parties.
164
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/communicationcards/a-pennyfor-your-thoughts-a-survival-kit-for-kids?ref=nav_search
165
5
Secondary Research | Card Research | Inspiration
Cards for Mindfulness Cards for Mindfulness was created through the use of a crowdfunding source on Kickstarter campaign, originally the creators intended that this was meant for an mobile application, however they found through feedback that it was more stressful to be reminded via text and notification, this resulted in the them designing something tactile and physical for users to transport around whenever they needed a boost or encouragement. The campaign succeeded and received over ÂŁ50,000, myself having backed the project, led me onto the idea of designing my deck of cards to help others. I love how the cards are presented; they allow the user to connect the 4 cards together using the corner so that the logo becomes ‘whole’. Each card has a suggestion or exercise which resonates positivity and influence.
166
167
6
Secondary Research | Forms & Expressions | Inspiration
Forms & Expressions For my project, I am highlighting mental health in an illustrative format using Since I have decided that my main focus is now on using people in geometric form as concept characters, I decided to collect a different variety of human forms and expressions of male and female, from sketches to finished illustrations. This is because I feel like I must have knowledge of the basic forms and expressions before I can start implementing the geometric styling in my work.
168
169
6
Secondary Research | Male Forms & Expressions | Inspiration
170
171
6
Secondary Research | Female Forms & Expressions | Inspiration
172
173
6
Primary Research | Textures experimenting
Textures Experimenting After watching several videos of how to create textures, I went about with experimenting with my own; I love the sheer simplicity of how the tutorial gives a demonstration on how to make textures in the most cost effective way. I decided to conduct this short experiment in creating my own textures using splats of paint and coffee stains onto sheets of paper, this is so I am prepared for my illustration to be overlayed so it’ll give that distorted appearance I want in my finished product.
174
175
6
Primary Research | Textures experimenting
176
177
6
Secondary Research | Textures Moodboard
Online Textures As you can see I have also created a moodboard series of available website textures found online, this so that I can take full advantage of being resourceful if my textures I created aren’t suitable enough for the job, I just want the process to go as smoothly as possible and this will be a backup at the ready and reassurance of saving time. I have also done some research in watching some video tutorials on how to correctly apply the texture for the best results.
178
179
7
Project Recap | Vision
Project Recap For my project, I am highlighting mental health in an illustrative format using concept characters. I plan to design a deck of cards, which will help people who have trouble describing or opening up about their condition to families / doctors / friends. The cards will help involve you in a better understanding of your condition. For example the patient will be able to select the card which they feel that are most relatable and this in turn, will help the doctor determine a diagnosis and offer the treatments available for your benefit.
180
My Vision The idea behind my project, is to help support those who are suffering in silence and overcome the stigma involved so that they will be able to come forward and seek the appropriate treatment for their mental health and wellbeing. The reason why I want to use illustrative concept characters to highlight mental health, will be to give something which is ‘invisible’ a physical form, so that it’ll help someone who is suffering, to see them as an obstacle which they are able to overcome or help appear more manageable when their condition is given a ‘physical entity’.
181
7
Card Wording
Card W
Environment – (Location – Sc Physical symptoms ( Muscle te Emotional (Feelings - U Thinking style / Thought process (Menta Behaviour pattern (Psychological – Nerv Treatment options (Reviewing d 182
Wording
chool / Workplace / Public e.g.) ension / Fatigue / Nausea e.g.) Unmotivated / sucidal) al patterns - Difficulty concentrating e.g.) vousness / Avoidance of social events e.g.) different forms of help available) 183
7
Card Wording
Location Wording Home Public School University Workplace A Foreign Country
184
Physical Wording Fatigue Insomnia Unexplained muscle tension Physical aches and pains increase or decrease in appetite Lethargic/lacking in energy Increase or decrease in weight Difficulty getting out of bed 185
7
Card Wording
Emotional Wording Unmotivated Lack of enthusiasm Feeling suicidal Emptiness / numb Upset / Sad / Blue / Low spirited Feeling of constant guilt / worthlessness Irritable/low patience threshold Experiencing a sense of unreality
186
Thought Process Wording poor concentration poor memory Fear of judgement Negative outlook Fear of failing No confidents or self-esteem Feeling suicidal Increase day-dreaming Difficulty in making decisions Feelings of loneliness Self-blaming
187
7
Card Wording
Behavioural Wording Restless/easily agitated Avoidance of social events Feelings of unease and Uncontrollable shakiness Difficulty maintaining hygiene Misuse of substances
188
Treatment Wording Doctor Counsellor Mindfulness Medication Art Therapy Therapy / Support groups
189
8
Primary Research | Interview Reseach
Interview phase For the interview phase, I must take into consideration the sensitive nature of this project and must carefully decide on how best to word out my questions, to ensure a level of comfort and build a trusting connection for that person to open up about their condition. To get the most out of my interviews, I thought that it would be a great idea to Include space for the interviewee to draw a ‘self-portrait’ of themselves at their best and worst mood, I think this part would be interesting to see and could play a vital key in capturing their views since everyone will have a different prospective and experience on the issue.
190
Interview Questions Due to the nature of the subject, the person who is being interviewed can choose to not answer or end the questions and the resource will be deleted. Can I use your official name when writing my report? Are you okay with being voice recorded? Are you Male or Female? How old are you?
When did you realise that you had a problem regarding mental health and how did it make you feel at first? Can you describe the feelings of your mental health? - Mental (thoughts / thinking pattern) - Physical symptoms - Behavioural
191
8
Primary Research | Interview Reseach
Interview Questions If you had to give your condition two colours, what colours would they be?
Do you have trouble opening up to someone about your condition, say like seeking professional help for the first time? Or friends/family
Have you ever felt misunderstood when explaining to someone about your condition? Do you have trouble explaining or describing your symptoms/triggers?
Would you feel insulted or belittled if the doctor/counsellor pulled out a deck of illustrated cards for you, to then pick out the one which best represent your symptoms or how you feel? Is there anything you think I can add/change to this project?
Could you draw a sketch narrative concept character of yourself for me, which illustrates at your symptoms at their best and worst? Or how you think and feel when going through times of joy and hardship (Optional)
192
193
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
194
Interview Notes*
Interview No.1 1. Can I use your official name when writing my report? Yes - David Henzell 2. Are you okay with being voice recorded? - Yes 3. Are you Male or Female? - Male 4. How old are you? - 46
5. When did you realise that you had a problem regarding mental health and how did it make you feel at first?
David got diagnosed in December 2005, after about 12 months of just feeling generally unwell’ however after a visit to the doctors, he was informed that he had been living with depression for one year, which he first dismissed for until friends and family recommended a visit to the doctors.
195
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
6. Can you describe the feelings of your mental health? - Mental (thought / thinking patterns) Then – David was absolutely all over the place, he states that he had no mental pattern, he couldn’t drive or socialise, and his sense of proportion was difficult to gauge such as parking his car would become a hard task. His working life also deteriorated slowly as his concentration and motivation was no longer there to do even the simplest of task. Now – David has learnt about his condition where he is able to understand and see the warning or triggers signs before the depressive phase, theses flair ups will involve symptoms of a loss of memory and he is less confidence as a result, knowing that he suffers from mental health, it has changed his character. B. Physical symptoms The up flair for his physical symptoms will make him incredibility tired to the point he feels like he has to lie down as a result of his state of mind. When this symptom of mental ‘blocking’ combined with fatigue, it will indicate to him, that the next few days will be rough
196
C. Behavioural During the depressive phase, David will avoid social events and will generally keep to himself by residing in his home for a couple days, this will also affect his working life where meetings will be cancelled as a result, and the feeling of frustration and helpless of being overwhelmed by not being able do anything but ride it out, just like going through the storm cloud. His creative way of thinking will stop him from working. 7. If you had to give your condition two colours, what colours would they be? - Grey colours of the stormcloud / Pantone grey/ Purple (Dislike)
8. Do you have trouble opening up to someone about your condition, say like seeking professional help for the first time, including friends or family?
Before David had a diagnosis he didn’t talk about it because he didn’t think there was something to talk about, but after a visit to the doctors and living with the condition for 10 years, it’s not a problem for him to open up, his close friends and family are understanding if they haven’t heard from him to avoid any suspicions on their behalf and that is because he sat down with them and talked about his condition openly.
197
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
9. Have you ever felt misunderstood when explaining to someone about your condition?
David has felt misunderstood as a result of stigma, since someone suffering cannot just ‘snap out of it’ or just get of the phase by dieting better or having extra sleep. 10. Would you feel insulted or belittled if the doctor/counsellor pulled out a deck of illustrated cards for you, to then pick out the one which best represent your symptoms or how you feel?
David likes the fact that the cards will help other people identify a variety of different symptoms so that an informed diagnosis can be made sooner and the patient can receive proper treatment in a fast and effective manner. Speaking from his own personal experience; he recalls that the doctors would recommend him a different range of treatments and medication that didn’t help or just have it slide off as being ‘too stressed’.
198
11. Is there anything you think I can add/change to this project regarding style as well ?
Regarding the style of the cards, photography would not be a suitable format since the image would likely put a range of negative ideas into someone’s mind, John prefers that a colourful illustrative style would be best using characters that represent people but are not life-like in appearance, and to have the characters hand drawn would be too serious.
199
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
12. Could you draw a sketch narrative concept character of yourself for me, which illustrates at your symptoms at their best and worst? Or how you think and feel when going through times of joy and hardship?
200
David illustrated that his ideal best would be to relax on a hot sunny day on the beach with nothing to worry about, much like a holiday. His worst shows dark grey clouds brewing up a storm in the distance, meaning that some hard times are to follow.
201
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
202
Interview Notes*
Interview No.2 1. Can I use your official name when writing my report? No - Jane Doe (Unofficial) 2. Are you okay with being voice recorded? - Yes 3. Are you Male or Female? - Female 4. How old are you? - 21
5. When did you realise that you had a problem regarding mental health and how did it make you feel at first? It wasn’t a realisation but there were certain ways of my thinking and thought patterns, as I looked further to discover the condition. An example would be during high school years when rumours would be passed on and my reaction would be ‘over the top’ with it due to paranoia about who said what, such as taking things a little bit more extreme.
203
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
6. Can you describe the feelings of your mental health? A. Mental (thought / thinking patterns) Jane Doe, describes herself as an obsessive compulsive planner and must know every little detail of say, a deadline or event that has to be noted down in her schedule to avoid excessive panic, by doing so she describes that this feeling of being in control, gives a sense of relief in her life. B. Physical symptoms When it comes to the physical symptoms of her condition, she describes that her friends and family will be the first ones to notice a change in her physical side, this would involve a lack of eye contact, or triggering a ‘tick’ of habit such as uncontrollable shakiness and finger clicking.
204
C. Behavioural When the bipolar affects her severely, Jane Does behaviour during the ‘depressive phase’ will result in self-imposed social isolation, this would also include a different in social interaction where irritability temperament and tone of voice will change during engagement in conversations. The ‘adrenaline phase’ as describes is almost like a ‘high’, resulting in an ‘ecstatic sense of euphoria ‘which is the complete opposite of the ‘depressive phase’. This change in behaviour will make her want to go out to social events and interact with everyone without a problem.
7. If you had to give your condition two colours, what colours would they be? - Polar opposite colours
8. Do you have trouble opening up to someone about your condition, say like seeking professional help for the first time, including friends or family?
Jane doe states, that the more people discuss the topic on mental health, the better level of knowledge and understanding will come as a result in order to educate people suffering or those want to learn about the condition. She doesn’t have a problem discussing the problem because the level of communication will serve both parties in the long run. 9. Have you ever felt misunderstood when explaining to someone about your condition?
Jane Doe, feels like there is a misguided view since one of the stigma is that mental health is all the same but she states that each individual is different and will experience something else than what she describes for her mental health. Sometimes being told that you’re ‘attention seeking’ makes her not want to discuss about the topic which furthers the stigma.
205
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
9*. Have you ever felt misunderstood when explaining to someone about your condition? Jane Doe can describe the basics for her mental condition, however it is difficult to narrow down the some of the symptoms, and this is because new things will take her by surprise and affect her life, without knowing until she has been informed by a doctor or friends and family.
10. Would you feel insulted or belittled if the doctor/counsellor pulled out a deck of illustrated cards for you, to then pick out the one which best represent your symptoms or how you feel?
In terms of the card relations to help diagnose a condition on the subject of mental health, Jane Doe would not feel insulted; however regarding the nature of the subject, she would feel more comfortable if this was presented in a professional manner and environment, and that the doctor must first ask permission to do so.
206
11. Is there anything you think I can add/change to this project regarding style as well ?
Jane Doe also mentions that she has had this kind of option which helped her a lot during adolescences, and it would entirely depend on the situation and person suggesting that the target age group is vital but can vary since would likely work for people in their adolescence years better when coming to terms with mental health.
207
9
Primary Research | Interview Research & Conduct
12. Could you draw a sketch narrative concept character of yourself for me, which illustrates at your symptoms at their best and worst? Or how you think and feel when going through times of joy and hardship?
208
Jane Doe, has drawn the phases of her bipolar episodes; one showing the ecstatic adrenaline surge which illustrates the drawing to soar to the sky, whilst the over highlights the depressive stage like being crushed and engulfed by a tidal wave.
209
9
Primary Research | Interview Research
Interview Analysis Although seven people agreed to be interviewed, however I am disappointed to say that many of these people resided outside of Huddersfield making things difficult and upon reviewing my questionnaire, what I should of put in my survey was ‘would you feel comfortable for me to message you via Facebook’ to conduct the interviews, since that was my main platform which I published the link on, I have attached the email which I have sent and reviewing it I also should of made it shorter and more attention grabbing. Luckily I managed to interview two people which is better than none and the information I was given, opened a door way, giving reassurance that this isn’t a bad idea and it could in fact help those suffering.
210
211
10
Card Development | Logo Sketches
The idea behind my logo is that the four key characteristic of any mental health condition will always be connected together before a doctor can define your symptoms and give you a diagnosis. In saying so, I have created a series logo which shows them either connected or leading towards one another.
212
213
10
Card Development | Colour Scheme
214
*Subject to change
215
10
Card Development | Thumbnail Sketches
216
Location
Physical
217
10
Card Development | Thumbnail Sketches
218
Thoughts Process
Emotional (Feelings)
219
10
Card Development | Thumbnail Sketches
220
Behavioural
Treatment Options
221