THE INTENTION
Being misdiagnosed with depression and anxiety at a young age, and being told that my anger was a result of my hormonal cycle at 15, led to being put on the pill. This experience has not only made me reconsider how women with undiagnosed ADHD are treated through the medical system, but also how we can collectively work to identify and recognize neuro-cognitive differences.
To educate my audience about ADHD, I took my project back to basics by using phonics. With such a complex disorder, it was important to display the basics accompanied by visual aids and expressive type, without being overly complicated. By articulating these aspects with humor, I was able to bring light to a topic that has clouded my entire life.
THE PROCESS
My process of self-discovery was a key part of my journey. I found that my daily actions, impulses, and decisions may be a result of a dysfunction. Words such as ‘laziness’, ‘messiness’, and ‘forgetfulness’ were all consequences of my ADHD. The alphabet was used to describe my ADHD symptoms, and this came from my late diagnosis of the disorder. With this news coming in my early twenties, it felt like my whole life had been a lie. I had to relearn the way my mind works in order to understand how I could become a better person and communicate better, not only as a designer, but also as a daughter, friend, and for my own mind as well.
Visually, this publication draws upon current meme culture, expressive typography, and poetry. The journey of discovery featured in this publication includes raw dialogue while also making light of some of the most mentally distressing symptoms in the world. However, it's not all doom and gloom. Through the use of bright colors and playful fonts, I celebrate the creativity that the disorder brings me with visually pleasing spreads.
Tony Lloyd, the chair of the ADHD Foundation, once said that "having ADHD is like looking through a kaleidoscope rather than binoculars." The kaleidoscope effect is how I approached this project: I see a million opportunities, not just a clear view. This is probably why this project came across as chaotic, both visually and contextually.