COMMUNICATION DESIGN / PRINT

Regrets

Overview:

Regrets are mistakes or lost opportunities that collectively shape who we are as a person and also expresses what we value in life. By acknowledging, understanding, and overcoming our regrets, we can continuously learn to grow and improve into better people.

Proposal:

I intend to show that within our regrets, the ones that affect us the most reflect back to the relationships we have with people, objects, places, and even with ourselves.

By developing a design tool, I plan to introduce a way to help individuals overcome their regrets and allow them to positively enhance the relationships in their lives.

Of particular importance is the idea that one designer can create something that can influence and connect many people.

Research:

I decided to conduct a survey to understand other people's regrets. After collecting the answers to the survey, I realized that I could categorize them into five different types of regrets:

Form:

The final form of this project will be presented as five separate books. I wanted a form that was small enough to be personal and can be carried around easily. Each book will represent the five different types of regret.

Color Scheme:

The use of black, gray, and white represents the idea of changing negative into positive. The five books are similar in structure, but the color of the cover and pages in each book are different. The type of regret that affected people the most is darker, while the lesser regrets are lighter in color. Because education was regretted the most, the book itself is the darkest shade of gray. Regrets in romance, in turn, is the whitest of the books because less people had regrets in that subject matter.

Concept:

Two-thirds of each book is based on the regrets that were given to me by my peers. The left page usually lists a regret, while the right page suggests an activity for the user to do to take that initial step of overcoming their regret. These exercises can be a spur of the moment happening or even a daily activity. The first step to overcoming something is to recognize the problem, so this book allows the user to face their regrets face-to-face.

The Message:

This journal was developed to help individuals settle their own internal war. I hope that it can assist anyone who needs that extra help in taking that first step of moving forward in their life.

We all feel fear, insecurity, shame, and regret, but what we choose to do with these feelings is what will shape who we are as individuals and also who we will become in the future. I want to remind people that change is always within grasp.