confidencED
Key Skills: Specualtive Design, Prototyping, Mindmapping, Ideation, Primary Research, Comparative Analysis
Project Scope:
confidencED represents the culmination of my year-long senior thesis project during my pursuit of a BBA in Strategic Design at The New School Parsons. In the initial phase, I embarked on a journey of rigorous primary and secondary research, aiming to identify a pressing issue within my chosen domain. Through meticulous exploration I gained a profound understanding of the problem landscape, existing initiatives, and potential opportunities for innovation. This groundwork led me to propose multiple strategic design interventions. Transitioning into the second phase of the project, I delved deeper into the proposed interventions, conducting further primary and secondary research to evaluate their feasibility and potential impact. After careful consideration, I selected the most promising intervention and embarked on an iterative design and development process.
Overview:
Overview:
Throughout my high school and college years, I grappled with an eating disorder, which ultimately led me to embark on a quest for recovery. With the support of an outpatient recovery program, This pivotal decision to commit to recovery was, unquestionably, one of the most profound and rewarding choices I have ever made. However, post-recovery, I found myself navigating uncharted territory. The relief of conquering my eating disorder was accompanied by a whirlwind of emotions, including feeling lost, confused, and somewhat empty.
It was during this introspective period that I began my Senior Thesis project. I found myself wondering if I was the only person who felt this way post-recovery, and this sparked the beginning of my research process in Capstone 1. I dove into the perplexing issue of why confidence remains so low for many even after eating disorder recovery and what strategies can be used to help recovered individuals rebuild confidence.
I spent Capstone 1 doing a deep dive utilizing primary research methods to get a better understanding of the many nuances of why eating disorder relapse rates remain persistently high while confidence remains low and what’s being done to already to address this.
During Capstone 2 I explored possible design interventions to address this issue which ultimately led me to write, design and produce a workbook, confidencED, offering a tangible framework for self-discovery & and improvement post-eating disorder recovery.
Capstone 1:
The Problem: It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder there are a variety of different options for seeking treatment or starting recovery. While you're in recovery you'll likely have some team or professionals or community supporting you and holding you accountable, but what happens after?
There is a common misconception that after you decide to recover from an eating disorder your life as a whole immediately just gets better. But this isn't always true. After overcoming many obstacles and becoming physically and mentally healthier, many individuals who have struggled with an eating disorder still lack confidence even after recovery. WHY?
Methodologies: Desk Research, Focus Groups, Stakeholder Mapping, Interviews, Bulletin Board, Empathy Mapping, Journey Mapping, Comparative Analysis, Prototyping.
Key Insights
There is no 'one size fits all' approach to rebuilding confidence, however people who have struggled with an eating disorder have common underlying themes that unify them in some ways and differentiate them from other groups of people making existing confidence building resources ill fitting.
There are still a lot of misconceptions about what confidence means and looks or feels like - Genuine confidence stems from inner values but people who have had an ED are more likely to associate it with physical appearance
There is a lack of community and ongoing resources for those who recover from an eating disorder and this is likely because it's difficult to balance community without breeding comparison, especially in a digital setting.
How Might We Create a supportive, non competitive community and a diverse range of tools for individuals who have struggled with an ED to be able to rebuild their confidence based on internal growth
Capstone 2:
My research between Capstone 1 & 2 uncovered three primary factors contributing to the relapse dilemma: low self-confidence, a lack of accountability and framework for post-recovery support, and a lack of community support. Within that, I found that confidence is so low due to a misconception as to what it means, and a loss of hobbies and interest. Confidence by definition is trust in one's capabilities and ability to make good decisions.
My initial assumption was that an intervention aimed at creating community would be the most helpful however my primary research revealed something much different to me. My investigation unveiled the interwoven relationship between confidence, identity, and community support. A person's ability to present themselves to a community is closely tied to their self-assuredness, which, in turn, is deeply rooted in their sense of self. In essence, how can somebody present themselves to a community if they don’t even know who they are anymore? After connecting these dots I knew I had to backtrack, before designing community-oriented solutions there needs to be an intervention addressing recovered ‘individuals' relationship with themselves. These findings helped me solidify my decisions to pursue a design intervention that gives recovered individuals the tools they need to create a sense of grounding in their identity outside of food and body. I then embarked on an extensive exploration of ways in which recovered individuals can reconnect with their identity and self-worth, transcending the constraints of appearance-based validation.
The Problem: Individuals in eating disorder recovery struggle with redefining their identity, often having defined themselves solely by appearance during their illness. This hinders their ability to establish a sense of self beyond physicality, perpetuated by the misconception that self-confidence is tied to looks. Existing frameworks to address this issue lack user-generated content and eating disorder-informed perspectives, rely too heavily on reflection without actionable steps, and overly prioritize food and body-related aspects, leaving a gap in comprehensive recovery support.
How Might We design a framework to assist individuals who recovered from an eating disorder in a journey of self-discovery supported by implementable actions?
Methodologies: Desk Research, Jobs To Be Done, Mind Mapping, Surveys, Interviews, Co- Creation, Prototyping, User Testing, Iteration
Phase 1 - Further research to frame the issue and decide on an design intervention.
Phase 2 - Research supporting the creation of the workbook.
Phase 3 - Testing & iterating the workbook protoype.
Findings: During Capstone 2 I was focused on effectively developing and iterating the content within the workbook. Despite not having the time to begin research and testing for the design aesthetic of the workbook I still created a physical prototype of the workbook to help bring my concept to life. The physical prototype includes 64 pages of content which I created, iterated & tested during this semester.
Outcome:
In conclusion, creating this workbook has been a transformative journey, my experience has been a dynamic interplay of personal growth, user feedback integration, and iterative refinement. From the outset, my commitment was to craft a resource that transcended the traditional boundaries of eating disorder recovery, offering a tangible, cathartic, and supportive tool for individuals navigating post-eating disorder life. The success of this endeavor is underscored by the positive responses received during user testing, where the workbook resonated as a valuable guide for self-discovery and confidence-building.In essence, this workbook project is a testament to the capacity of collaborative creation, a journey that extends beyond the pages to resonate with individuals seeking empowerment and self-discovery. It stands not merely as a conclusion but as a transitional chapter, propelling the workbook into a future of continuous improvement and meaningful impact on the lives of those on the path of post-eating disorder recovery.
Interested in learning more?
Click below to access my Capstone 1 compendium
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Click below to access my Capstone 2 compendium
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Click below to access a digital pdf of the confidencED workbook![]()
