Seniors in the ASU Visual Communication Design program are challenged to apply their design skills to a social issue of their choice through a series of research-based projects. For my capstone, I explored topics related to healthcare for chronic pain, including inadequate research, social stigmas and discrimination, and the ongoing opioid crisis. My final deliverables included a research presentation, a functional clock, and a walk-through exhibit.

RESEARCH PRESENTATION

My presentation, entitled When Chronic Pain Becomes Chronic Addiction, focused mainly on the harmful effects that prescription pain killers have on patients who struggle to access proper treatments. The slides visually summarize a full 5-minute script that I presented in person to my professors and peers.

CLOCK

My clock displays a statistic that stated that only 10% of all patients who use opioids to manage pain actually find relief during or after routine use.

senior exhibition

For my final exhibit, I expanded the scope of my topic beyond the initial presentation to explore broader issues surrounding chronic pain healthcare in the U.S. I examined why treatment is so often inadequate and considered potential solutions. The exhibit included personal anecdotes and photos from individuals with diverse and important perspectives, an interactive ‘Stigmas vs. Reality’ mechanism, and a link to a centralized hub of educational resources. My main goal for this project was—and still is—to spread awareness and hopefully reach those who may be suffering in silence.

Below, are some sample pages from my year-in-review book entitled, What Didn't Kill Me..., to give an overview of the layout design. Scroll down to view the book in full where you can also check out photos of my final exhibit, Chronically Misunderstood.