You can heal with design

SOMETIME after graphic designer Akansha Kukreja moved to New York to pursue a masters degree in Design Entrepreneurship from the School of Visual Arts, she decided to take time off social media for a month. It was meant to help her identify how dependent she had become on virtual relationships. Within days, Kukreja, 28, who is originally from Mumbai, had begun feeling lonely. "I realised that until then social media had tricked me into believing that I was not alone." The experiment became the crux of her thesis submission, Sour Journal, a magazine that provided "tools to not check your phone". A result of the interviews she conducted with behavioural therapists, counsellors and heavy consumers of social media, as well as her own observations at the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) sessions she attended as part of her research, the magazine used design principles to tackle anxiety, isolation, distraction, FOMO, stress and low productivity. The thesis led her to think about how evocative visuals can play an important role in mental and physical well-being. Since then, Kukreja has joined hands with Tia, a modern healthcare clinic based in New York developed by women, where she uses her expertise to destigmatise health taboos for women, so that they can be informed and empowered about their bodies.

Ibrahim Attarwala

Mumbai-based self-taught designer Ibrahim Attarwala, 22, has also been engaged in projects that use art and design to have difficult, yet important conversations around mental health. A BMM graduate from Burhani College of Arts and Commerce, Attarwala worked with The Thought Co—a mental health studio, founded by clinical psychologist Priyanka Varma—to create the Thought Box, a range of mental health kits for people who are dealing with depression, and anxiety. "Until 2019, I was working with a service design company. But I quit because it didn't interest me. I met Priyanka last October. By then, I had been without a job for seven months, and she was looking for a freelancer to help her create a first-aid kit for young adults dealing with mental health conditions. I thought the idea was fascinating," shares Attarwala. Though he admits having experienced teething troubles due to his inadequate knowledge of mental health, the scope of which is wide, his sessions with Varma and her team of clinical psychologists, helped them narrow down their focus. "After researching symptoms and behavioural patterns, we decided to create four kits to address depression, anxiety, toxic break-up and self-care respectively."

A card named Sticky to Unstuck, created as part of The Thought Box kit for self-care

The kits comprise a curation of tools, activities and techniques that therapists usually use for clients looking to improve their emotional and mental well-being. For instance, the Thought Box for Anxiety uses a red theme as those dealing with anxiety have a misfiring fight/flight response, which causes the body to heat up quickly. The box comprises play doh [engaging with it helps to ground you through four or five senses], origami [enhances the user's ability to be in the moment], cards, journal prompts and thoughts to action cards to beat the blues, and aroma inhalers. Attarwala worked with the team to design each element that went into the box. He also created a fidget cube. "It's a little smaller than a golf ball. All four sides have a button or switch; it helps people who are restless," he shares. The kits are not designed to replace therapy, but support it. Attarwala also teamed up with Varma to create a mini version of the Thought Box recently. "After working on the project, I have become mindful and aware about mental health. There is tendency, among those especially in our age group, to not take it seriously. I know of friends, who have struggled after a break-up, as have I. While all you want is someone to listen to you, everyone ends up telling you how to get over it and move on," he adds.

Sour Journal, a magazine that provides "tools to not check your phone", designed by Kukreja was part of her thesis for the School of Visual Arts in NY

The knowledge that he acquired also helped him design a series of illustrations, Blocked, which addresses claustrophobia that people experienced during the lockdown. He later printed it as a book. "I was someone who used to be out and about the whole day. Being stuck at home with family, meant I did not have my own space. I spoke with friends and they were feeling something similar. So, I recreated this angst in my drawings," says Attarwala, who is creative director and co-founder of a recently-launched design firm, 152Co.

Akansha Kukreja

Kukreja's journey into design and wellness began much before she moved to New York. After graduating from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru, she moved back to Mumbai in 2014, and worked for a design company here. "One of the initial projects was for an eye hospital in Chennai. We had first-hand experience with some of the patients. We were seeing what they were seeing. That's when I realised that when you are designing for patients, you need to get into their minds, even if you haven't had the experience yourself." That project, she says, was her gateway into mental health. After this, she designed for a neuropsychologist, who was running an initiative called Invisible Illness that helped trauma patients adjust with their new lifestyle.

Akansha Kukreja recently worked on a Stress Signature Zine for Tia, which on the basis of a quiz, lets women access their "stress type" and tools to manage it  by understanding their stress signature

Her association with Tia in New York has allowed her to nurture her interest. She recently worked on a Stress Signature Zine for Tia (https://stressquiz.asktia.com/), which on the basis of a quiz, lets women access their "stress type" and offers tools to manage it by understanding their stress signature. For the project, she worked with a medical researcher, a doctor and a mental health specialist. "It taught me how stress manifests itself differently in men and women. No two women, experience the same kinds of stress," she shares. The quiz, which is split into two sections, first measures your energy and the second your arousal, based on your habits, work-life balance, diet and exercise regime. "For me, stress always had a negative connotation. But, what I learnt through the project is that stress is not necessarily a bad thing, and can be used to our benefit, if we understand it. The stress quiz allows you to see what causes the stress, how it manifests and how you can manage it, with small behavioural and dietary changes," says Kukreja. She hopes that more designers cater to such focussed experiences. "The insight into people and their pain points, is what got me interested in thinking about empathy and how their needs can be met if designers saw their issues in a different light."

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