Experience Exposure
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Interaction Design/Product Design
Designer(s)
Colin Coulson
Duration
0 Weeks
Recognitions
Social Anxiety and Loneliness
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.
Project Dissemination
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.
Methods
My research methods began with a research report based on Judith S. Beck and Aaron T. Beck's (2021) Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Third Edition and Ronald E. Riggio and Ryan K. Merlin's (2012) Social Skills Training Guide. My findings allowed me to break down the SST and CBT methods into the app's major user experiences. Based on this report, the app explores the Assessment, Evaluation session, First session, Action plan, Recording automatic thoughts, and the exposure experiences that are core to the rehabilitation of patients with social anxiety and loneliness. Based on the research, I developed personas and a benchmark analysis, which significantly influenced the apps design system. The app's visual appearance is very simplistic and intended to appear as any other task app to reduce any embarrassment or fear an anxious user may experience using the app in a public setting.
The App
Delivering these models online breaks down the barriers and make treatment more widely accessible to individuals with social anxiety and loneliness. The development of wireframes and the final prototype was a valuable learning experience. Methods of CBT and SST such as giving different opportunities to complete difficult tasks, offering breaks, reminders to look at their action plan and crediting the user were all implemented to accommodate the user's experience. Based on the relationship between low self-evaluated physical attractiveness and reduced social skills. Experience Exposure delivers exposures in a step-by-step plan from anonymous chat exposures to group video calls so that users can reduce the fear and anxiety associated with social situations. Users work with a therapist once a week to collaboratively develop their action plan and plan exposures so that the experience accommodates their unique needs. Try out a prototype of Experience Exposure by clicking the link below. https://www.figma.com/proto/Myra6WjNg0ETjTOLQdVXkf/Design-workshop-Colin-Coulson?node-id=537%3A300&viewport=7813%2C1201%2C0.3081759810447693&scaling=contain&page-id=537%3A0
