The UX of CONSCIOUSNESS second part
Time: November 25 – December 4
Brief: Design an experience that explores the nature of consciousness.
Partners: Nancy, Kaiyang, Melanie, Xiaomeng
After the presentation, we met with John and Mor, who suggested that we dive more into art therapy. We looked at different techniques the art therapists use to help people cope with different issues, better understand themselves and how the subconscious plays a role in how we view the world. Following our first week research, we concentrated on the technique of ink drawings, which can provide a bridge between both minds, where we can make sense of the images we create.
Creating and planning for the final presentation.
We wanted to take people on a journey from forming a conflict, through art therapy and the resolution of the conflict. To make our presentation more colourful, I had an idea to use hot ice to present the growing conflicts in the subconscious and how in order to understand these inner struggles, we need to dive into our subconscious.
Ink painting
Ink drawing
Ink writing
We decided to divide the techniques into three parts; projection, reflection and revelation. In the first part, people were encouraged to create abstract ink drawings that provided a space for honest self-expression and encouraged a natural emotional release. In the second part, they searched for images in the abstract painting. Finding images forces the conscious mind to make sense of the abstract. By doing so, the subconscious aspects of one’s self become more evident as we are able to gain an insight into what the mind sees. In the revelation part, we asked them to write whatever they are feeling without thinking about it. The subconscious mind communicates in images, it is the conscious mind that makes sense of the world with words. It is in this final stage where a full understanding of our inner mind comes to the forefront.
Presentation.
Finally, we wanted to present the end of the journey with a metaphor of a gardener planting seeds in the conscious mind and a garden in the subconscious mind – fertile soil in which the seeds germinate and bloom in the end. We showcased this with hot ice crystals that form once they touch the liquid.
References
Malchiodi, C. A. (2011). Handbook of art therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
Koutstaal, W. (1992). Skirting the abyss: A history of experimental explorations of automatic writing in psychology. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 28(1), 5-27.
Rusu, M. (2014). Art Therapy – The Psychological Benefits Of Self-Expression Through Art. (Accessed: 29 November 2019). Available at: https://www.academia.edu/6214640/art_therapy_the_psychological_benefits
