Compassion By Design

Compassion by Design: Supporting the Journey of Grief is my senior thesis project which is an exploration of how creativity and design can support people navigating loss. Guided by the question, How might we help first-time mourners process grief in ways that feel meaningful? This work seeks to offer space, tools, and gentle encouragement for individuals to engage with their emotions, while reminding them they are not alone.

Through conversations with individuals who have experienced loss, as well as those who support them, I began to understand how design can create connection around something often left unspoken. I was particularly influenced by the research of
Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, whose work explores how grief affects the brain.
Her findings emphasize that healing is nonlinear, deeply personal, and cannot be confined to a universal timeline. She also challenges the widely cited “five stages of grief,” which were originally intended for individuals facing their own mortality, not those grieving a loss. Applying this framework to mourners can feel limiting, reducing a complex emotional experience into something overly structured.

In response, I explored how visual storytelling might create moments of comfort, reflection, and connection for those moving through grief.

This project brings together several interconnected pieces to tell a shared story:

• Video interviews that highlight personal experiences of loss and connection

• A guided workbook that encourages reflection through writing and drawing

• Colored pencils to support creative expression and fluid processing

Each component is connected through QR codes, linking personal reflection with shared narratives.

Grief can feel isolating, especially when experienced for the first time. Through this work, I aim to create space for people to slow down, express what they feel, and recognize the validity of their experiences. Grief does not follow a single path or timeline; it is deeply human and uniquely personal. Compassion by Design is an invitation to build connection around loss and to find moments of light, care, and
even joy within the process of healing.