Restless Room
An ongoing zine project exploring childhood fears
Restless Room is a communication tool inspired by my own experiences and research. It rethinks childhood spaces as a way to start important conversations about mental health.
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When I was little, my bedroom door couldn’t close because of a broken lock.
Night after night, I had the same nightmare: a door left ajar, where monsters could always find me.
I didn’t know how to tell my parents about my fear.
Night after night, I had the same nightmare: a door left ajar, where monsters could always find me.
I didn’t know how to tell my parents about my fear.
Research
Curious about whether others shared my experience, I conducted an online survey about space fear, which received 214 usable responses.
Interestingly, about 70% of the mentioned characteristics were linked to the respondents' childhood rooms and experiences.
Furthermore, I also have a conversation with a psychologist friend to understand it’s hard for children to identify their feelings and speak out. This leads me to believe that:
1. the room for a child grows up can greatly influence their mental health
2. The earlier these conversations start the better.
Design
Based on the survey responses, I designed an online exhibition page using pixel art to represent different types of fear, creating themed rooms to introduce each fear and incorporating quotes from the survey.
However, through my studies in social design, I realized that the exhibition lacked interaction and did little beyond evoking empathy.
To create a more impactful outcome, I consulted a psychologist, who suggested designing a physical, interactive emotional tool for children to help interrupt trauma formation. This led me to consider creating an illustration book.
After completing secondary research and prototyping the book with three groups of children and parents, I gradually transitioned to designing a 3D pop-up zine. The zine format proved more portable and easier to produce, making it better for my audience to select and interact with.
Jersey Art Book Fair 2025