VISU is a visual exploration kit for people who want to be creative but don’t know where to start. The kit engages the user with simple yet absorbing challenges to help their creativity thrive. This is a form of controlled creativity – activities with specific parameters that will engage the user in critical thinking to solve visual problems.
The Problem
What I uncovered during my research into art therapy is that there is no structure in art therapy – this can be overwhelming for some people. They don’t know how to access their creativity and feel frustrated by the possibilities. From this discovery I realized the need for a system to help guide creativity – just like when a designer is inspired by a creative brief. The goal of the project was to help the user harness their creativity, to engage them in relaxing activity that challenges them. This was resolved through the creation of the creativity kit – VISU!
About the Kit
The inspiration for this kit came from my own observations of the growing popularity of adult colouring books. From this realization, I began to investigate the therapeutic potential of a simple activity like colouring books, as well as other creative activities that adults engage in as a means of creative expression and escape. I identified through primary research that many adults want to be creative but often struggle with the overwhelming possibilities of a blank canvas; Even in my personal experience as a designer I have realized my creativity is better channeled and I am more inspired when I am supplied with a set of guidelines to work within – a problem to solve.
The Exercises
The exercises were chosen because they are mindful and absorbing, engaging the user’s senses through sensory stimulation. Other benefits of these activities are conceptual thinking, visual/abstract interpreting skills, organization, but most importantly, these exercises bring a sense of calm and order.
