“Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there”
Concepts that are intangible & hard to express have always been fascinating. As graphic designers, our jobs are often linked with the idea of creation & visual imagery, however design should be used as a platform to help communicate & express the inexpressible such as feelings & emotions. As a visual communicator, it's important to use design to encourage people to open up & be comfortable expressing themselves. Oftentimes topics that are deep & hard to express would often make people shy away from expressing their own true feelings & emotions due to its complexity of unknowing how to talk about it or because of the cultural stigma & taboo surrounding that topic (Diehl & Salarić, 2019).
Therefore, amplifying stories of others in hopes to empower people to have the courage to express & speak up. Exploring concepts as such would be interesting as it shows the multiple layers of inner thoughts & feelings that form it’s complexity. However, as storytellers we should use design as a tool to help break down topics that are hard to express or digest. Lastly, we should always be inspired by our surroundings as some of the topics that are hardest to express are hidden in our daily experiences & stories. Thus, design should be used as a tool to uncover the hidden topics that are close to heart and inspire people to look beyond the surface.
The visual artist name Candy Chang has truly been an inspiration, her works utilised public spaces around the world to uncover the complexity of our inner lives. Interactive art exhibitions such as “Before I die” and “A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful” are beautiful projects that showcase how engagement between art & public could create insightful works that are heartwarming & meaningful. Through different art mediums, she helps transform spaces for people to reflect on their hopes, fears, dreams and most importantly remember what matters most. Showing that people in the community can help us lead better lives by sharing their aspirations & stories. (Chang, 2012)
As a designer, Candy uses her platform to make her community a better place. She believes projects as such forms an expressive and intimate portrait of our communities today and helps us realise where help is needed. Each response received anonymously is unique, expressing the feelings & emotions behind the written words. Currently, she is a caretaker of over one million honest handwritten reflections from people around the world. Her work is truly inspiring, evoking tons of emotions through a single art piece that helps others feel less alone through reading the responses or contributing to the project. ("Candy Chang", n.d.)
As humans, it is understandable that some might avoid expressing themselves to avoid being seen as “vulnerable”. However, expression of topics that are considered “taboo” are discouraged due to factors such as discrimination & embarrassment. Usually, topics that are stigmatised are seen as ‘’open public secrets’’ due to society's negative view. In Malaysia, there are many topics that we often shy away from discussing as it is considered inappropriate. Avoiding speaking up on topics as such could be detrimental to one's self esteem & well being. Therefore, design should be used as a platform to help create a more positive atmosphere for discussion on topics that are considered taboos. (Diehl, Salarić, 2019)
Through the research paper “How to design for taboos” by Petra Salarić & Jan Carel Diehl, it talks & shares about their experiences in helping to minimise the stigma of menstruation in India. Its detailed description goes over each step they took to help make this successful. This research paper would be beneficial as it helps one to understand how taboo topics can be approached through the method introduced called “the seven building blocks to design for taboos” Each step of their creative process is documented which lays down the foundation of information one should know before designing to normalise taboo.
From the above writing, it shows how topics that are “intangible & hard to express" are interesting to look into. Thus, as designers we should encourage & help create more opportunities for expression. Few of the most effective ways to create an opening for expression is by providing someone with a tool for expression. The card game “We're Not Really Strangers” is a project that focuses on making meaningful connections through expression. It focuses on sharing & expressing yourself through conversation with strangers or friends on topics such as growth, mental health, self- love & social issues. ("We're Not Really Strangers", n.d.)
Showing how “expression” can help benefit us in many ways and help create opportunities to talk about topics that are usually hard to express or taboo. The approach of a card game concept is actually a wonderful way to provide people with a platform to express & get things off their chest. Moreover, gamification could also help make the experience of discussing heavy topics more enjoyable. Therefore, design truly can promote expression through different mediums to help people start conversation and express things that are usually hidden.
Subsequently, another method for designers to create opportunities for expression is by providing people a reliable platform to be able to do so. One of the most prominent examples of using design for expression could be seen through the project called “The Unsent Project. This project aims to provide an emotional outlet for those that need to express the things left unsaid or unsent to their first love. Thousands of messages have been submitted anonymously to lovers, best friends, exes, parents, siblings, and even pets. This project focused on archiving & categorising thousands of messages left unsaid through colours to help represent the emotions the sender felt when typing out that message. (Blue, 2015)
The concept of archiving things left unsaid or unsent is very interesting & meaningful. This is because things that are intangible such as emotions & feelings are turned into something tangible & beautiful. Therefore, it shows how beautiful it is to use art as a platform for expression. As tons of emotions such as concern, gratefulness or regrets could be felt through the message that are left unsent, which truly helps connect people together through the things we learn about other people's experiences. ("Meet the Artist: 10 Questions with Rora Blue", n.d.)
“Expression'' could be defined as the action of making known one's thoughts or feelings. Thus, expression doesn’t necessarily refer to a confession, but a process of coming true to yourselves and acknowledging the emotions that make your heart heavy. The book “Burn after writing” by Sharon Jones promotes this method of expression. This journal encourages self reflection & expression authentically without any pressure from the outside world. The concept of this book is very different in comparison to other methods of “expression through design” as it provides people a platform for them to pour their heart out & reveal their deepest emotions in their own safe space. (Tartakovsky, 2015)
The idea of this book came about as the author realised with the growth of social media, we have become more conscious about what we share online which might influence us to be less than honest in expressing ourselves. Therefore, the book acts as a tool or device that would allow the contemplative individual the opportunity to try to answer the questions honestly for themselves. This book encourages people to reflect, let go of their negative emotions & things that hold them back by burning it after writing. Thus, it shows how expression could be encouraged as long as a platform is available to help someone to do so. (Tartakovsky, 2015)
To sum it up, expression of the “intangible & hard to express” could be seen in many projects' outcomes & practitioners' philosophy. Through the different methods & approaches documented, it shows how one could approach the topic to help encourage people to express their true feelings & emotions in many creative ways. Therefore as a practitioner, we should explore, research & experiment to come up with the most appropriate solution towards that specific topic for the most effective results. Besides, looking into & exploring concepts that are beyond surface level is also a great way to uncover hidden emotions of humans that might even help them with their well-being or mental health.
Last but not least, topics that are intangible such as feelings & emotions could be a great starting point to help figure out what specific topic that would be interesting to explore. The source of inspiration could be inspired by our surroundings & environment to find what “intangible” could be further developed. Usually topics as such would be hard to grasp on, thus art should be used as a tool or platform to help people to express or let go of the emotions they kept hidden or unknown. Moreover, through art we can give people the chance to make the mental and intangible, tangible. In addition, topics that are stigmatised & taboos should also be voiced out & talked about as well. This is because expressing concepts as such could be a way to empower & help people feel comfortable in their own skin.
Citations
Blue, R. (2015). The Unsent Project: Unsent Project Archive [Digital archive].
Chang, C. Candychang.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021, from http://candychang.com/about/.
Chang, C. (2012). "Before I die I want to ___.". Speech, TedTalk.
Diehl, J. and Salarić, P., 2019. How to design for taboos?. [online] Available at:
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346428051_How_to_design_for_taboos_A_design_intervention_to_overcome_the_taboo_of_menstruation_in_India> [Accessed 10 May 2021].
Jones, S. (2014). Burn after writing.
Odiney, K. (2018). We’re not really strangers [Cardstock].
Meet the Artist: 10 Questions with Rora Blue. FrameBridge. Retrieved 4 June 2021, from
https://www.framebridge.com/blog/meet-the-artist-10-questions-with-rora-blue.
Tartakovsky, M. (2015). Burn After Writing: Q&A with Author Sharon Jones. Psych Central.
Retrieved 4 June 2021, from
https://psychcentral.com/blog/everyday-creativity/2015/08/burn-after-writing-qa-with-auth
or-sharon-jones#1.
We're Not Really Strangers. We're Not Really Strangers. Retrieved 4 June 2021, from
https://www.werenotreallystrangers.com/.
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