St Helens College of Arts & Humanities
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
Final Project
Snippets from the Literary Review, Practical Project and Final Designs
ABSTRACT:
Through Graphic Design, my aim is to discover a comfortable platform to enable people to understand the importance of self-worth and encourage coping mechanisms for the changing world. The proposed design solution should utilise and authentic method of recognising characters that represent emotions. This will encourage a child's mind to process a solution, or enable discussions with a calmer attitude for both parents and children.
The youth, having not yet developed personal coping strategies, suffer with worrisome thoughts that should not be compared to stresses of adulthood. Adults should constantly be learning about new layers of understanding.
Among many of the Psychologists and books written about Children and their state of mind, Shelley Davidow (Raising Stress-Proof Kids, 2014) and Deborah M. Plummer (Helping Children cope with change, stress and anxiety, 2010) have both presented the idea that imagination and freedom to express emotion and ideas are an intricate part of discovering our identity. Without it, insecurity sets in and other emotions and reactions are used to try and cope with the situation at hand.
When pushing anxious thoughts aside, they are not being dealt with. Judith A. Myers- Walls, Ph.D., (n/a) commented in an article Helping Children Cope with Stress about how Art and Role-play "provide opportunities to examine reality, rehears solutions, express emotions, gain control over situations, and encourage discussion.". In sharing this view, the proposed design solution has utilised an authentic method of recognising characters that represent emotions which will encourage a child's mind to progress to a solution, or enable discussions with a calmer attitude for both parents and children.