Our Anxiety Monsters

Anxiety and Stress is in all of our lives - lurking around the corner, creeping in from the dark recesses of our minds - it can be overwhelming yet unseen. When we keep the monster inside we allow it to grow, getting larger and larger until it becomes all-consuming.

What was needed was somewhere to let the monsters out. An experience to release - or destroy - a personal anxiety monster.

These are a selection of monsters created by 140+ people across 27 countries who used a web-app to doodle their monsters. The web app creates a shared Art Therapy-esque environment for people to anonymously collaborate in the creation of a shared collection of monsters.

So I ask:
What’s your monster?

Designer	Nick Bergquist
Keywords	Experience Design, Anxiety, Stress, Relief, Monsters
Advisor	Tad Hirsch

The Horde

Selected Monsters

Why Monsters?

Throughout history monsters have represented deviations from the social norm, and the fear of the unknown. They represent our deepest fears, and our most consistent pains. They are also immediately understandable to both a user and a viewer. When creating this project and asking people to draw a monster, I was not met with confusion. Also, when presenting their works as monsters they are immediately understood.

While exploring immediate solutions to anxiety and stress I learned more and more about Art Therapy and different studies on the effect on the immediate mood by quick creations. I started off by exploring different ways for people to create things to relieve stress and anxiety. Through series of testing, interviewing, and iterating I landed on the idea of creating a personal anxiety monster.

Initial testing ranged from physical play dough to digital google slides shapes creations. Through the testing I learnt that people want to create monsters but they wont participate in it on their own time unless there are as few friction points as possible.

So I decided to create a web app where users can draw their personal anxiety monster and share it with everyone else, letting the monsters live in a shared horde.

Video Overview

Meet The Monsters

The Web App

The live web app provides quick access to the tool, with a few simple steps:

1. Write down what causes you the most stress / anxiety
2. You’ll have 1 minute to draw it as a monster

Through testing I discovered that while a timer might seem stressful, it takes the expectation of excellence of the creator. I discovered that when one only has 1 minute to create a drawing any expectation of quality goes out the window. People stopped complaining that their drawing “wasn’t good enough” and instead looked at the drawing as a challenge they had overcome.

After inputting the name of your monster, you are directed to a screen with a drawing section and a timer.

Then you can choose to destroy the monster, or add it to the horde. Destroying the monster lights it ablaze, destroying it where it stands. Or letting the monster live sending it to the horde, a shared collection of monsters. Giving people agency over something which they are struggling with. 

Then you can choose to destroy the monster, or add it to the horde. Destroying the monster lights it ablaze, destroying it where it stands.

Finally any living monsters are added to the horde, a shared collection of monsters.

View the Prototype