Day 7: Thesis Concept Revised

 "I think it's a good time, before designing for Beth, that you revise your thesis concept. You must expand it since it clearly is no longer about young women and creating social networks. There is a need you would be addressing, a problem you would be solving, so your thesis concept should cover all of those possibilities (as well as your earlier t-shirt ideas.)" - Cynthia 

Concept:

 Socio-psychological issues are common and manifest in different ways throughout a Type 1 Diabetic's life. While insulin pump therapy has proven to be more efficient than injection therapy, the integration of machine with human body often causes anxiety for these individuals. Hanky Pancreas is a fashionable clothing and accessory line that aims to lessen these burdens through inclusive, empowering, and symbolically motivating design.

Argument:

If Hanky Pancreas is successful, Type 1 Diabetics will feel more empowered and less anxious about their illness in social situations leading to overall better health.

Audience:

Type 1 Diabetics who wear insulin pumps (focus on women)


Other Updates:

I emailed Beth asking what she thought about some of the insulin pump product sites & waiting to hear back from her before moving forward.

I have also been reading a lot about a term called "cyborg anxiety"

Historically, the cyborg has stood for the radical anxiety of human consciousness about its own embodiment at the moment that embodiment appears almost fully contingent.  Cyborg anxiety has stood for a panic oscillation between the "human" element (associated with affections, eros, error, innovation, projects begun in the face of mortality) and the "machine" element (the desire for long life, health, physical impermeability, self-contained control processes, dependability).  ~ Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr