COP 3: Project Statement

Project Statement

To what extent can design be used for a person’s mindfulness? I chose this question and theme because over the past few years I have become more aware with the term mindfulness and the positive benefits it can have on a person. Having some knowledge and understanding already surrounding this topic, I knew that this would benefit me in terms of knowing where to look and what to look for research starting points and also the ability to have a sensitive approach to the question and possibly touch upon areas of mental health. 

From carrying out this research, it became apparent in the early stages that the responses to the question within my essay would pretty much all be positive and highlight the great extent to which design can be used in relation to mindfulness. Researching into literary sources and websites gave me the chance to look at both practicing designers and professors, getting a good understanding of the positive benefits for a person when they begin to consider mindfulness within their daily lives. Within my essay, I looked at both how design itself can have a positive impact on a person’s mindfulness and also how being mindful can help benefit a person’s design work. With this in mind, it became clear that my initial idea of creating a mindful space where people could go to relax would be an interesting approach to take because I would take the points made within the essay and translate them into a design piece. 

Moreover, deciding to create a space for students within Leeds Arts University was becoming a great option because it would allow me to create an environment that draws from what I learnt through writing the essay. From looking at Martino Gamper’s, Design is a State of Mind exhibition, I took from that how he wanted to stress the importance of everyday objects and how they influence a person’s behavior, this was related to my practical piece through figuring out what kind of objects would be most beneficial to include within the space in order to allow students to focus on being mindful and take away their stresses. Another key bit of research that I translated into the design piece was from the Mindfulness Design Company and their article on the key benefits of mindfulness for design. As two key points were focus and creativity, I drew on that within the space created and it allowed me to create an environment where students could focus their mind on something that isn’t university work, whilst still allowing them to be creative.

The conclusions made in both my essay and design piece were that design has an incredibly positive impact on a person’s mindfulness, especially as it allows them to focus their mind on something to take away a lot of stresses they may feel. I think the conclusions made within my essay reflect my practical piece as they highlight the importances of being more mindful and show people various ways in which they can carry out mindfulness activities. 

Finally, if I were to make any improvements or do anything differently within this module, I would focus it on the practical element as I think the final outcome could have been executed better if I had taken more time to think about how I could present the ideas through sketches and drawings as I think they are explained a lot clearer through my explanations of why each thing has been designed that way and why I have placed a certain object in an area.