Abstract

This project considers a rebalancing of natural and digital lifestyles, challenging the human disconnect with nature as the conversation grows about the pressures of social media and a need to disconnect with the digital. Finding a way to do so can be difficult to navigate for millennials (people born between 1980 and 1996) who have grown up surrounded by its use. The fear of missing out can leave social media users reluctant to step away from their beloved digital devices. However, in this project I explore the visual language needed to engage those users in a different type of social media platform, which instead focusses on creating meaningful interactions in the real world with nature. Through the use of a plant-monitoring social media application, users can be reconnected with nature (advantageous for their wellbeing) and remember the importance of looking after themselves. The application, a SLOWcial media-based provision entitled ‘ROOT’, incorporates key features of social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest while stripping back the interface into an easily accessible format.

Keywords

Sustainability, Natural Printing, Eco, Nature, Paper Making, Screen Printing, App Design, Social Media, Wellbeing, Mental Health

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