design research project
A collaborative project about state of mental health & design students
As part of our theory module at university, some colleagues and I conducted a collaborative research project to talk about the mental health state in design students. We analyzed data, conducted a participatory exhibition, interviewed professionals and broadcasted the results in a leaflet.
Fields
Design Research
Data Vis
Exposition Design
YEAR
2024
TEAM
Laura Van Wegen
Sofía Korobkoff
One of our main goals was to determine the mental state of the design students at our university. Before asking them directly, we read the latest literature regarding the topic and shortlisted the most pressing topics to discuss.
When the exhibition becomes part of the analysis
We designed a low-cost exhibition with pen, paper, stickers and a good old black sharpie. It was located in the hall that thousands of design students cross everyday. By the end, we included a QR with a poll to deepen into the questions and some candy as a little reward.
It was divided in three parts: Stress & Stressors, Negative emotions and Perfectionism.
The collaboration was higher than initially expected, as well as the polarization of the results. Some students placed their answers outside of the canvas, manifesting a clear discomfort.
The results of all the research + professional interviews were compiled into a cheap, A3 flyer meant to be easily reproduced.
It contains the most shocking data, quotes and advice, but it is mostly thought as a thought-provoking piece that sparks conversation around the topic.
Research can be fun, collaborative and beautiful
This was my first approach to research in design, and it made me realize how important it is and how much I liked it.
It made me open my eyes to how valuable and fulfilling it is to use design as a tool to aid the community. We also introduced a hint of collaborative design, which has later down the line help me think about putting users first in many other projects.
If I could go back in time, I would probably spend more time thinking about the questions of the exhibition. We could have done a pretest before setting it all up. And, even though the interviews with professionals were really enriching, I think we should have focused on design students and leave those conversations for a 2.0v of the project.
Despite that, I am extremely proud of it and the conversations we sparked around the students when completing the survey and reading the leaflet. I wish all projects were this rewarding ⭐
