1) The document discusses mental health and illness, noting that 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year. It explores factors that can influence mental health like heredity, stress, isolation, and unhealthy diets. 2) It emphasizes that removing the stigma around mental illness is an important part of finding solutions, as stigma prevents many from seeking help. While medications and therapies can help reduce symptoms for those receiving treatment, many still go unhelped due to stigma. 3) The document proposes designing products that address symptoms of disorders like ADHD to help reduce stigma by marketing items that make the condition seem more normal and manageable. It presents ideas for "fidget" products like

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THINK.DESIGN.COMMUNICATE.

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If we don’t change the way we think about mental illness we
wont find the creative solutions needed to solve it.
HOW CAN PRODUCTS
IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH?

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DID YOU KNOW?
WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE?
Inability to relate with others
Can’t cope with life problems
disrupted thinking, feeling, or mood
Mental Illness
It is estimated that 22.1 % of
Americans ages 18 and older
suffer from a diagnosable
mental disorder in a given year.
(Mental Health Center)
Mental Health
Realized potential
Can cope with stresses of life
Works productively
THE PROBLEM
WHYWHAT WHO
1 IN 5
57.7 Million every year
MOST EFFECTED
The poor - 70 % make
less then $30,000 yr.
AGE FACTORS
Children and elderly
are most effected.
PERSONAL
Health
RELATIONAL
Happiness
Success
Family
Friends
Social life
Hereditary
Isolation
Fear
Stress
Unhealthy Diets
Lack of exercise
Over Working
Excess School
FACTORS

4. TRAINED HELP
SOLUTIONS
Psychologist
Therapist
Life Coach
Nutritionist
Doctors
Personal Trainer
MIND
BODY BRAIN
Psychiatrist
Neurologist
Neurosurgery
Of those who receive multidisci-
plinary care there are very high
success rates of reduces symp-
toms. Reportedly one of the hard-
est barriers to overcome is the
stigma surrounding mental ill-
nesses. A person’s perception of
the problem can be part of the
problem. This means that part of
finding the solution will involve
braking down the social stigma
that keeps people from seeking
trained help.
Pharmacist
61% UNHELPED39% HELPED
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5. GeneticsDietExercise EnvironmentBrain Damage
Part of the problem with ADHD is that people are un-
willing to acknowledge that they have it. This is partially
because of the stigma surrounding mental illness. This
keeps them from learning how to manage the symp-
toms, and from utilizing the help that is accessible.
OF CHILDREN
HAVE ADHD
HOW DO WE
SOLVE THIS?
WHAT IS THE
CAUSE?
SOLUTION
REMOVE STIGMA
10%
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6. How do we solve the stigma? If managing the symptoms is one of the
keys to the solution why not design and market something that ad-
dresses the symptoms. The concept that I came up with was to design a
readily accessible product that helps to address one of the more promi-
nent symptoms of ADHD, fidgeting.
THE FIDGET CONCEPT
1. THINK PEN
2. THINK KEYCHAIN
3. THINK CHARGER
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8. TWIST
PUSH
FLIP
MOVE
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9. FIDGET
WITH A
PURPOSE
FIDGET
WITH A
PURPOSE
FIDGET
WITH A
PURPOSE
FIDGET
WITH A
PURPOSE
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