Merging Graphic Design and Art Therapy
I enjoy both Graphic Design and the power behind Art Therapy. Throughout my year of arts based research and my fascination with both platforms, my mind has been set on finding ways to incorporate design and art therapy into projects. In my honors class, we had to create a final project that uses photography as a platform. I decided to come up with an iphone/ ipad application protocol that utilizes photography in a therapeutic and mindful manner.
This app is addressing the instant gratification of a smart phone. It is an up to date app based on design and user needs, however while using the app, the purpose of the app is to stop to look at a photo for a selected number of time. This forces the user to really stop, slow down, and truly pay attention to the photo and what it can bring up memory wise or association wise.
Key Terms to this process were the mind, mindfulness, memory and anxiety. The map itself was entitled MEM based on the created acronym of “Mindful Emotional Memory”. The purpose of this application is to create a universal app that adheres to the concerns associated with memory loss such as anxiety and discomfort. By designing an app that slows things down from a digital age of instant gratification, this app will allow for individuals of all age practice mindfulness using a photographic theme.
The user of this application was designed for anyone that is accessible to an iPhone or iPad. It is designed for all audiences and generations in a simplistic manner to ease technological anxiety. The Mission is to have a successful application that can adhere to the mindfulness realm and promote association and memory formation. The phone’s overall mission is to help stimulate the mind and promote mindfull activity.
The process of the usage of the application is a step-by-step process. A set of photos of pre selected photos will be provided and the option of adding individual photos that the phone owner finds to be of the significance. They are invited in this option to create their own album of photos. Having preselected photos already within the app can help the user if they find that one of the existing photos helps them associate to a memory of their own. The next step is the selection of either music or a guided meditation. Either option allows for personalization to the experience whether they want to listen to a specific song, a sound, or have a facilitator guiding a meditative process.
