As part of Design Thinking, a course in the Graphic Design Certificate Program, my assignment was to choose a "big" human-centered problem and find a solution using six design methods. I immediately knew what issue I wanted to focus on for the project, and I quickly formulated my question: How might we provide the public with a more educated understanding of OCD and advocate for its sufferers?
For some background, OCD is a widely-misunderstood disease, with many misconceptions. Oftentimes, our culture will use the term OCD interchangeably with “organized,” or to describe someone who is a “neat freak.” Phrases like, “I’m a little OCD because I like to have things in a certain order,” seem innocent yet they perpetuate incorrect perceptions of the disease. Here’s an explanation from intrusivethoughts.com of what OCD really is:
“Nearly everyone experiences intrusive thoughts about violence, sex, blasphemy, suicide and beyond. For most people, these thoughts come and go. But for sufferers of OCD, they can trigger debilitating anxiety. Getting rid of these thoughts is not easy. OCD sufferers compulsively try to neutralize or disprove them. But the more they obsess about doing so, the stronger the thoughts become. They appear faster and more intense. They increasingly play into a sufferer’s biggest fears. This leaves people questioning their character and constantly seeking reassurance that they’re not capable of acting on the awful things in their head. And so begins the never-ending cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are the unwanted thoughts and images in your head. Compulsions are the rituals a person engages in to try and lessen them. Contrary to popular depictions of OCD, compulsions can be visible and invisible in nature. What does this mean? Some sufferers will perform noticeable rituals, like hand washing, to fight their intrusive thoughts. Other sufferers, will get stuck in their minds performing non-observable rituals over and over again.”
For some background, OCD is a widely-misunderstood disease, with many misconceptions. Oftentimes, our culture will use the term OCD interchangeably with “organized,” or to describe someone who is a “neat freak.” Phrases like, “I’m a little OCD because I like to have things in a certain order,” seem innocent yet they perpetuate incorrect perceptions of the disease. Here’s an explanation from intrusivethoughts.com of what OCD really is:
“Nearly everyone experiences intrusive thoughts about violence, sex, blasphemy, suicide and beyond. For most people, these thoughts come and go. But for sufferers of OCD, they can trigger debilitating anxiety. Getting rid of these thoughts is not easy. OCD sufferers compulsively try to neutralize or disprove them. But the more they obsess about doing so, the stronger the thoughts become. They appear faster and more intense. They increasingly play into a sufferer’s biggest fears. This leaves people questioning their character and constantly seeking reassurance that they’re not capable of acting on the awful things in their head. And so begins the never-ending cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are the unwanted thoughts and images in your head. Compulsions are the rituals a person engages in to try and lessen them. Contrary to popular depictions of OCD, compulsions can be visible and invisible in nature. What does this mean? Some sufferers will perform noticeable rituals, like hand washing, to fight their intrusive thoughts. Other sufferers, will get stuck in their minds performing non-observable rituals over and over again.”
After choosing my question and issue, I began my process by outlining the design methods I would use: a project plan, a mind map, secondary research, audience definition, concept creation and a mood board curation. I initially set out to create a magazine, but decided that my solution would be an informative zine and poster. The zine would be aesthetically pleasing with bite-size descriptions titled "Messy Minds." The zine would also have a social media campaign that encourages OCD sufferers to share their story using the hashtag #messymindszine and their art through #messymindsmake. For more on my process, view my presentation including initial brainstorming and more.
Through this piece, I was able to share my personal experience as communicate in an empathetic way what I wish the world would understand and know about obsessive compulsive disorder.
