Roles
UX/UI Design
Research
Developer
Timeframe
Sep 2019- Nov 2020
MS2 @ Parsons D+T
Tools
HTML/CSS
Javascript
My project is to provide a tool that allows people to express and track their emotions anytime when they need but also allows therapists to have a better understanding of their clients within a therapeutic relationship. This does not replace the personal interaction of therapy but allows the client to find a medium of expression that both the therapist and client can access asynchronously. In addition, this can provide some comfort before engaging in therapy or between therapy phases.
Introduction
My goal is to help people be aware, express, and release their unsayable emotions through an easily accessible process. It is a tool to assist both users and therapists to have more understanding of the state of mind of the individual.
Goal
After doing the research and producing a simple prototype, I met with Richelle Allen, director of the New School Psychotherapy Research Program and a licensed Clinical Psychologist based in NYC to gain more insight and clarification. In my research, I examined the purpose of art therapy, the benefits and reason to visualize emotions, the main techniques of the process of visualization, and the therapeutic process.
Richelle Allen shared many insights towards art therapy, which help me to shape the direction of my project. Here are main topics we have talked:
To what extent the structure should be in the art therapy session
How to get patients started in a therapeutic session
What’s the insights of different materials and visual metaphor in art therapy
How can you view this digital tool to be used in a both therapist and participants
Interview
Concept
My concept is providing a platform for expressing, exploring and tracking one’s emotions, especially for those who have difficulties accessing their emotions. The platform provides interactive instructions to assist users to express their feelings through pre-made components and free-drawing tools, based on visual metaphor theory. It is a tool to help you process and document your feelings and also can be a document for therapists. After each drawing, you are given a textbox to fill out the reason for your choices and allow you to process and understand your feelings more. All of the drawings will be saved in the journey section, and you can look back at your drawings.