Potential Design Strategies Based on Communication Design and Art Therapy for User Experience in COVID-19

Abstract

AbstractAt present, the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is seriously affecting everyone’s life, body and psychology. A review of relevant literature found that communication design (CD) and art therapy (AT) can bring immediate benefits to human health. However, the current CD focuses on the design of visual communication, and AT focuses on the methods and results of treatment, and rarely integrates the characteristics of the two to carry out healthy design interventions. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the characteristics of CD and AT through the method of literature review, explore the potential positive effects of the integration of the two. And then start from the perspective of design and creation of cure, to design cures and think about potential interventions. Finally, a design strategy framework for experience under the epidemic will be constructed to enhance users’ experience during treatment and reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. By integrating the analysis results of CD and AT, this paper constructs a broad framework of design strategy from three levels: users, design and elements. First, the design process is driven from top to bottom by stakeholders. Then, the CD process is constructed based on the design thinking of user experience by integrating visual information and artistic media. Finally, several design elements including senses, experience, humanity, rhetoric, new media and digital technology are integrated into the design process to realize the communication, exchange and interaction of information, and to construct the intervention measures to cure by design.KeywordsCOVID-19Communication designArt therapyUser experienceDesign strategy