Case Studies
Experience Exposure
This project centers around the research question; what is the relationship between social anxiety and loneliness, and how can these commonalities be used to rehabilitate and prevent these forms of depression/anxiety. Social anxiety and loneliness are very prevalent issues in our modern society, and both have severe mental and physical consequences if not addressed. There are many barriers to treatment that prevent individuals with social anxiety and loneliness from seeking out or receiving the proper treatment. My approach began by locating scholarly sources that related to the research question. In my research, the topics that emerged were: Comorbid Depression/Anxiety, Loneliness, Social anxiety, Adolescence, Social skills deficits, Pharmacotherapy, Cognitive behaviour therapy, Social prescribing, Social skills training, Covid 19, Online delivery of treatment and Cyber friends. My literature review's significant findings identified the role of fear, self-efficacy, and social skills as the fundamental relationships between social anxiety and loneliness.
I will disseminate my research findings by designing a digital experience that will allow patients of social anxiety and loneliness, 14 years of age and up, access to a flexible program that synergizes CBT/CBGT, SST models and exposure therapy. The digital experience will help diagnose patient's levels of social anxiety, loneliness and depression through selected surveys. After users are diagnosed, the user will be presented with a customized CBT/CBGT and SST program best suited to their results. Users will then complete the program with the aid of a medical clinician supporting them throughout the program. During and upon completion of the program, users will have access to a community of other users in which they will complete varying levels of exposure in safe environments. This experience aims to reduce social anxiety and loneliness by improving their social performance, self-efficacy and fear associated with social situations.
Hassle Free Clinic
When reading through the history of the Hassle Free Clinic I noted their narrative lacking. The unique and fascinating personality of the clinic is clearly not conveyed through their visual identity. Their self-sacrificing, diverse, hard-working directive, missing. Known for their rule-breaking in order to provide for their clients, they break rules in the process, which is not expressed in their identity. This strong rebellious and potentially bold personality is hidden behind a lacklustre medical mask. Through my research, the emerging challenge was the disconnected brand identity, in that the logo and visual identity misrepresent the history and the personality of the clinic. Their identity does not speak to the majority gay and trans community they serve. Hassle Free Clinics' redesign creates a unique brand identity that captures the inspiring and inclusive personality that is hidden behind a generic, flat medical logo.
The goal is to make Hassle Free Clinic more recognizable to the people and reflect the impact which the clinic has brought to them. I decided to create a dynamic logotype representing the inclusive nature of the clinic's history and services. Hassle Free Clinic clients/customers are men, women, members of the trans and LGBTQ+ communities. I used their target audience as inspiration selecting the seven colours of the pride flag to create the dynamic system. I broke down all of the gender symbols and created icons that represented each symbol's different characteristics. Using the seven colours, I made a system for the symbols so the same colour would not appear twice unless an icon occurred twice. The gender symbol system required multiple iterations to adjust the symbols' sizing and weight so that they appeared balanced.
Kata Hand Wraps
The problem being addressed in this case study is how hand wraps are packaged without environmental consideration. I train Muay Thai and have purchased many hand wraps from different brands, and I am always disappointed that the packaging consists of a plastic bag or plastic container with heavy stock paper backing that does not have a second life. The brands also do not reflect the rich history of the sport. The goal was to research and develop a package that thoroughly explores Thailand’s national sport of Muay Thai’s rich history and create a brand identity that expresses this exploration. The second goal was to create a reusable package capable of creating a buyer connection with the product, mindful of the earth, rich in tradition, and practical in its uses.
Through my research, I discovered the tradition of Sak Yant tattoos, which are sacred geometric designs incorporating Buddhist psalms and magical formulas that invoke various elements and powers of protection and various blessings. Muay Thai fighters wear Sak Yant tattoos, and when tattooed, they use a mantra that is said to give the tattoos magical powers. I chose to represent this practice as a primary element within the brand's identity. After researching, I started brainstorming different methods of containing the hand wraps. When purchasing hand wraps, it is also recommended to buy a laundry bag as wraps can get tangled in the wash. Utilizing this information, I made the main container of the package a laundry bag. For the laundry bag to contain the hand wraps, I modified the design to perform a folding technique used on t-shirts by the military to encase the hand wraps.
Guided
Guided is an intuitive business planning app based on the existing content of the Flourishing Business Canvas. The Flourishing Business Canvas is a holistic, strategic planning tool that enables individuals or teams to visualize, brainstorm, and test business ideas or products. The canvas outlines four blocks representing the different core elements of a business and contains sub-elements within each of them. All of these elements are interrelated and work together to facilitate the success of the business. The business canvas can either be used to develop new business models or to refine existing models.
