Solitude: A Different Kind Of Participation | Pratt Institute School of Design

In the past, loneliness is a philosophical problem addressed by philosophers, sociologists, poets, and artists. Now, research has found that loneliness is a known risk factor for a number of diseases. However, many artists, writers, photographers, and other creators said they obtain inspiration from loneliness. In this research, I aim to analyze creators in different fields, seeing how they express solitude and show different perceptions of life. My intervention as a designer will look at where creative solitude can enter people's lives and help them embrace solitude..

Cultural Probe: Mood Diary

I let people write down their mood change in a day, when and what caused their mood change. I try to analyze if lonely relates to specific time and activity. Whether there is a pattern hidden behind different people. What can comfort their loneliness.

Story Book

I interviewed a group of people to study ordinary people's views on loneliness and solitude: What causes people to feel lonely and what can comfort their loneliness. Then I drew their stories according to the alphabet — How they perceive loneliness, and how it affects them.

Each person's story was a separate chapter, and the last chapter is my own story — how I obtained inspiration from their stories and integrated creative solitude into my design process.