As an experiment for my research I came up with the idea to produce a poster edition using a linocut as well as a hand set lettering. In addition I’ve planned to make photos of every poster to see the development of the print run and finally will hang the posters in public space to observe how people will react to the poster.
Part I–concept & design
Inspired by the claim “Reality Is Analog” I wanted to create a poster, delivering the message via a typographic layout but also transporting the nuances and very own features of analog print production. For this I got in touch with Druckzeug, the local museum for antique and 20th century printing techniques and letterpress playground in Graz, who kindly supported me to implement the project by opening the workshop and giving instructions in operating the machines (more info about Druckzeug, hand set letterings and steps of printing to follow).
Aside from the various possibilities in using typography for the poster –fonts, cuts, font size, alignment and layout–for the main theme I dealt with the classical geometrical problem of the quadrature of the circle (Quadratur des Kreises). To me, this problem, describing the impossibility to create–with finitely many steps–a square and a circle that have the exact same area, just seemed like a perfect analogy to the imperfection that’s very likely to occur in analog production.
However, as only a square and a circle didn’t seem to be highly attractive, besides repeating the theme I also added a tilt to every second square in order to provoke the viewers’ visual perception and thus emphasize the optical effects of the poster.
So for the first step I started to simulate a few variations and combinations of type and the graphic theme on the computer, offering infinite possibilities.
For the analog production however I had to decide on one variation and being quite inexperienced in the field of linocut I tried to keep it rather simple, which led me to this design for the main theme:
This post will show best practices and interesting projects, products, and services that benefit mental health.
Emotional First Aid Kit
“What if we treated emotional health equally to psychical health? This kit is designed for very different emotional scenarios.” – Rui Sun
Sun, a graduate of the MA Industrial Design program at London’s Central Saint Martins, developed a toolkit to cope with stress and provide comfort. The purple breathing mask emits calming scents when the user inhales, allowing them to think clearly in intense situations. The Indigo Third Eyeglasses have three lenses to remind the user to use their “third eye” and look at things from a different perspective, while the Blue Stress Buster is a portable speaker that visualizes sound with blue ink. Should the user get involved in an argument, the Green Meditating Stethoscope helps them tune into their breath and meditate, and a Yellow Confidence Booster is a super-light padded jacket that helps people who “lack the confidence to solve dilemmas or address a situation” [1].
Wakeout!
Apple iPhone App of the Year 2020: Wakeout!
Moving is proven to reduce stress, makes you feel more energized, and enhances your mood. Lots of people have no time to work out and spend hours a day sitting on a desk. “Wakeouts” are movements that are fun, brief, and can be done just about anywhere, anytime. The app has over 1000 exercises and hundreds of routines designed in a variety of places over 2 years. Quick Breaks are 1-minute, 4-movement routines that you start with a tap. Active Work Timer allows you to schedule recurrent active breaks to have a healthier workday. Wind Down routines helps you sleep better with relaxing routines before bedtime. Wakeout for Apple Watch lets you squeeze in 30-second Wakeouts right on your wrist. The new iOS 14 widget lets you start 1-minute quick breaks right from your Home Screen. Schedule up to 4 reminders to make sure you don’t stay sedentary for too long. You can also browse the massive library of location-specific movements and filter by mood (energizing, relaxing, intense, or fun), and by length (1 movement, 3 or 5) [2].
Naked Doorway by Marina Abramović
[4]
When I first visited an exhibition by Marina Abramović I was shocked – in a very positive way. Her works are dealing extensively with the human mind and intense emotions. Abramović’s performances deal with love, shame, inner demons, and the whole palette of emotions. 0ne of her most popular performances is the naked doorway where two naked persons, a male and a female stand in a doorway staring at each other while visitors should walk through them. I think it helps people to overcome their insecurity about their bodies and sexuality in general. Even though it’s such a brief moment, it definitely has an effect on many people who find it beautiful how this performance creates an intense experience with the outcome of learning to deal with the naturalness of our bodies. Its purity puts the human-being and their relationships in its simplicity into focus, which I find wonderful.
Therachat
Therachat claims to improve your mental health by offering Journeys which are bundles of evidence-based therapeutic activities to help you achieve specific mental goals. You can learn simple breathing techniques to cope with stress. As a sort of modern diary you can track your emotions to realize how they affect you over time. By reframing your thoughts you could break through common negative thought patterns.
The activity library:
Assessments
Brainstorming
Coping Skills
Emotion Tracking
Journaling
Mindfulness
Psychoeducation
Skill Building
Thought Reframing
Trigger Tracking
Therachat can be used by yourself or with your therapist. Using it with a therapist will increase the effect it has on you, so that you get more out of every session. Your therapist will be able to assign you custom activities relevant to your treatment and you’ll be able to securely message your therapist in between sessions.
