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We did it! 🎉

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My exhibition 😀

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Images for the exhibition publication ❤️

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Reflection

My final project is one of my favourites out of all that I have ever done. I chose a cause I care about, mental health awareness, and made a fun and meaningful project out of it. I enjoyed creating seventy unique prompt designs within style constraints. Making so many of them was challenging but it did get me thinking creatively. The fact that more and more prompts could be made in future is great because it means the brand can continue to expand.

My target market for Mess is people who want to be aware of their mental health, practice mindfulness, and/or simply add joy to their life. With mental health being a hot topic of today, I know plenty of people who fit this demographic. Whatever preference users have, I like to think I have provided a good option whether that is digital or print based.

I decided to design not just an app, but a Chrome extension this time around. I think a Chrome extension fits Mess well because it’s the kind of thing you want to have super easy access to (like every time you open a new tab). I felt that having just one option wasn’t enough. I like that users could have the option to use the mobile app, extension, or both depending on which device they are using at the time. The addition of postcards was a nice bonus that this time I actually made happen (usually the nice-to-haves get put on the back burner). I’m so happy with them, I would like to print more to give away at the exhibition and maybe send to my friends and family as well.

This time around, I think I spent a little less time on making my video. Mainly because I am confident enough with After Effects now for it not to be a worry. But just because I didn’t spend heaps of time on it, it doesn’t mean it’s not quality work. Something brought up in a class discussion was that better quality work can be achieved with the right amount of rest. Versus trying to get work done at all hours and giving up sleep, hence producing lower quality work than after resting. I’ve been making sure to take time out when I need it and get eight hours sleep whenever possible this semester. I think in the end, keeping a uni/work/life balance has proved itself a winner!

I have found that I need constraints to work most effectively. I don’t think this should be a problem in the workforce, seeing as I will not likely get to work on a personal project again in this way. My personal design approach has developed further even just from last semester. Having the chance to have work experience, learn more about the design world in the research paper, and by attending events in the design community, I have learnt a great deal.

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About Mess Project

The name, Mess, is derived from happiness -> happimess. We’re adding a little happy mess to each day, rather than getting lost in routine and schedule without slowing down to consider emotions and mental health. Every day, users have the chance to add a little ‘happimess’ of their own into their life, with help from the app or Chrome extension.

The aim of Mess is to bring a little extra joy into people’s lives at an attempt to improve overall mental health. At this point in time, mental health is getting much more of the attention it needs and Mess is a contribution to that effort. Mental health is as important as physical health and should be talked about and understood just as well.

Mess doesn’t promise to cure any disorders, but rather aid people to think about their mental health. It does this by providing daily inspiration in the form of a prompt. Each prompt encourages people to take a moment in their day to do something simply for the joy of it. The hope is that by frequently taking care of one’s mental state, that using Mess could help to minimise the development of mental illness.

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Postcard Prompts

When making my prompts, I thought they would make great postcards as well as being used in the app. I thought it would be nice if users could buy these postcards and send them around to get their friends and family in on all the joy! I got 50 printed to use in the exhibition or send to friends. Really happy with them. I recommend Moo (awesome print business).

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I got a little carried away with business card samples, but paper is fun 😂

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Final Video