Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
Can you eat all?
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In my thesis, I explored the relationship between eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, and food, focusing on related behaviors. I created an absurd group of objects,a ceramic "dinner set" by interpreting typical elements of these behaviors. Through designing serving tools with altered functions, my goal was to represent psychological processes linked to eating, raise awareness of the issue, and encourage empathy towards those affected by the disorder.
Hungary
National
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2024-06-07
No
No
No
As an individual
At the beginning of my final year in my master’s program, I became interested in a phenomenon that I have experienced personally and that most people have likely encountered, either directly or indirectly. During family gatherings, comments about someone’s body, weight, appearance, or eating habits often arise at the table. Personally, I have always found these remarks unnecessary, uncomfortable, and even humiliating. Examples include: “Can you eat all that?”, “Isn’t that too much?”, “You’ve gained weight again!”, or “You’re so skinny, do you even eat properly?”. But why do we feel the need to make such comments? We often fail to consider that these remarks can cause serious anxiety and emotional harm. I believe that these comments influence a person’s self-confidence, self-esteem, and body image, potentially leading to body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
For my thesis, I focus on one of the most common eating disorders, anorexia nervosa. In Hungary, at least 30000 people have been diagnosed with anorexia, and within ten years, one in twelve patients dies from complications, making it one of the deadliest psychiatric disorders. During my research, I spoke with a psychotherapist specializing in anorexia and a recovered anorexic patient. Both emphasized that societal attitudes toward the illness are largely negative. Many people are skeptical about anorexia, reducing it to simply not eating and assuming the solution is obvious: “Just eat.” However, the disorder is deeply rooted in the psyche, meaning the road to recovery must also be psychological.
My goal is to raise awareness about the seriousness of this issue and encourage a more understanding approach toward those struggling with the disease. To achieve this, I was designing an absurd dinner set that explore anorexic patients' relationship with food and eating, highlighting their typical behaviors and struggles. Instead of focusing on functionality, my design emphasizes conceptual messaging.
For my thesis, I focus on one of the most common eating disorders, anorexia nervosa. In Hungary, at least 30000 people have been diagnosed with anorexia, and within ten years, one in twelve patients dies from complications, making it one of the deadliest psychiatric disorders. During my research, I spoke with a psychotherapist specializing in anorexia and a recovered anorexic patient. Both emphasized that societal attitudes toward the illness are largely negative. Many people are skeptical about anorexia, reducing it to simply not eating and assuming the solution is obvious: “Just eat.” However, the disorder is deeply rooted in the psyche, meaning the road to recovery must also be psychological.
My goal is to raise awareness about the seriousness of this issue and encourage a more understanding approach toward those struggling with the disease. To achieve this, I was designing an absurd dinner set that explore anorexic patients' relationship with food and eating, highlighting their typical behaviors and struggles. Instead of focusing on functionality, my design emphasizes conceptual messaging.
anorexia
eating disorders
awareness
social design
conceptual design
The project aligns with sustainability efforts in multiple ways, primarily through its focus on social sustainability, responsible material use, and long-term awareness building.
First, the project promotes social sustainability by addressing mental health and eating disorders, which are often overlooked aspects of well-being. Raising awareness and fostering understanding about anorexia can contribute to a more supportive society, reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention. This aligns with the broader goal of sustainable development, which includes not only environmental protection but also improving quality of life and promoting inclusivity.
Second, the choice of materials and production methods plays a key role in sustainability. Prioritizing local craftsmanship and responsible manufacturing processes can reduce waste and carbon footprint.
Lastly, this project has a long-term educational impact. By provoking thought and conversation, it encourages individuals to reconsider societal attitudes toward body image and mental health. Awareness-driven design has the power to inspire behavioral and systemic changes, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future in terms of mental well-being.
By integrating these aspects, the project aligns with sustainability beyond just environmental factors, incorporating social and ethical responsibility as well.
First, the project promotes social sustainability by addressing mental health and eating disorders, which are often overlooked aspects of well-being. Raising awareness and fostering understanding about anorexia can contribute to a more supportive society, reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention. This aligns with the broader goal of sustainable development, which includes not only environmental protection but also improving quality of life and promoting inclusivity.
Second, the choice of materials and production methods plays a key role in sustainability. Prioritizing local craftsmanship and responsible manufacturing processes can reduce waste and carbon footprint.
Lastly, this project has a long-term educational impact. By provoking thought and conversation, it encourages individuals to reconsider societal attitudes toward body image and mental health. Awareness-driven design has the power to inspire behavioral and systemic changes, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future in terms of mental well-being.
By integrating these aspects, the project aligns with sustainability beyond just environmental factors, incorporating social and ethical responsibility as well.
The project seeks to create a thought-provoking, emotionally engaging, and visually striking design that challenges societal views of anorexia while offering cultural and educational value. The key aesthetic and experiential goals include creating a conceptual and symbolic design that translates the struggles of anorexia into tangible forms. The objects use distorted structures and several design solutions to reflect issues related to self-perception and restrictive behaviors, allowing viewers to visually grasp the emotional and psychological challenges faced by those affected by the disorder.
The design aims to engage emotionally, encouraging discomfort and reflection, prompting viewers to reconsider societal attitudes toward body image and food. In addition to this emotional engagement, the project has a strong cultural and educational impact, sparking important dialogue around mental health and eating disorders. It serves as a tool for raising awareness in exhibitions and public discussions, broadening understanding of anorexia and its complexities.
The goals of the project are achieved through innovative form and materiality, with the aesthetic choices conveying the anorexic experience through shape and interaction. The objects are designed to tell a story. Beyond the immediate design, the project aims for sustainable social impact by encouraging long-term reflection and changes in attitudes toward mental health.
The design aims to engage emotionally, encouraging discomfort and reflection, prompting viewers to reconsider societal attitudes toward body image and food. In addition to this emotional engagement, the project has a strong cultural and educational impact, sparking important dialogue around mental health and eating disorders. It serves as a tool for raising awareness in exhibitions and public discussions, broadening understanding of anorexia and its complexities.
The goals of the project are achieved through innovative form and materiality, with the aesthetic choices conveying the anorexic experience through shape and interaction. The objects are designed to tell a story. Beyond the immediate design, the project aims for sustainable social impact by encouraging long-term reflection and changes in attitudes toward mental health.
The project fosters inclusivity by making discussions about anorexia more accessible and engaging to a wide audience. It aims to raise awareness not only among those directly affected by eating disorders but also among families, educators, and healthcare professionals, encouraging empathy and driving social change. By translating complex psychological struggles into tangible, visual forms, the project makes a sensitive and challenging topic easier to understand. It adopts a universal design approach, ensuring that it encourages open dialogue without targeting any specific demographic, allowing it to reach a broad and diverse group.
The project is adaptable, allowing it to be exhibited in various public spaces, ensuring that the experience is available to a wide audience. Additionally, the concept can be scaled for use in workshops, online content, or future exhibitions, ensuring its long-term impact.
The project is adaptable, allowing it to be exhibited in various public spaces, ensuring that the experience is available to a wide audience. Additionally, the concept can be scaled for use in workshops, online content, or future exhibitions, ensuring its long-term impact.
This project involves citizens and civil society by raising awareness about anorexia and encouraging dialogue on mental health. Key contributions came from individuals directly affected by the disorder, healthcare professionals, and the public.
A recovered anorexic patient shared personal insights, ensuring the project authentically represented the struggles of those affected. Their experiences were crucial in shaping the design and message. Collaboration with a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders added scientific accuracy and highlighted the psychological aspects of recovery, emphasizing that the illness goes beyond just eating.
The broader public was engaged through exhibitions, encouraging reflection on body image and eating disorders. This allowed people to challenge their own perceptions, fostering empathy and understanding. Public engagement has played a key role in reducing stigma and promoting a supportive attitude towards those affected.
The involvement of affected individuals and experts ensured the project’s authenticity and emotional depth. Public participation expanded its impact, creating awareness and encouraging conversation. This project exemplifies how design can bring together personal experience, professional knowledge, and societal change to create meaningful, inclusive dialogue.
A recovered anorexic patient shared personal insights, ensuring the project authentically represented the struggles of those affected. Their experiences were crucial in shaping the design and message. Collaboration with a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders added scientific accuracy and highlighted the psychological aspects of recovery, emphasizing that the illness goes beyond just eating.
The broader public was engaged through exhibitions, encouraging reflection on body image and eating disorders. This allowed people to challenge their own perceptions, fostering empathy and understanding. Public engagement has played a key role in reducing stigma and promoting a supportive attitude towards those affected.
The involvement of affected individuals and experts ensured the project’s authenticity and emotional depth. Public participation expanded its impact, creating awareness and encouraging conversation. This project exemplifies how design can bring together personal experience, professional knowledge, and societal change to create meaningful, inclusive dialogue.
An individual affected by anorexia, along with psychotherapists and healthcare specialists played key roles in the design and implementation of the project. They provided valuable insights. A recovered patient’s personal experiences ensured the project’s authenticity, while expert advice helped accurately convey the psychological aspects of anorexia.
The project reflects multiple disciplines, integrating design, psychology and psychiatry to create a multifaceted approach to addressing anorexia.
Psychology and psychiatry played a pivotal role, as the project sought to accurately represent the emotional and psychological struggles of those affected by anorexia. A psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders provided essential insights, ensuring that the design was not only visually engaging but also psychologically grounded. This helped the project avoid simplification and focused on the complex mental health aspects of the disorder, particularly the impact on self-perception and behavior.
Design was the main tool for conveying the message. The visual and tactile elements, such as distorted surfaces and formes, were carefully chosen to symbolically represent anorexic behaviors and distorted body image. Designers collaborated with psychologists to ensure that the aesthetic choices aligned with the emotional experiences of patients, creating a deeper, more empathetic connection for viewers.
This interdisciplinary collaboration enriched the project by ensuring that it was not only artistically compelling but also scientifically accurate and socially relevant, enhancing its ability to raise awareness and shift attitudes toward anorexia.
Psychology and psychiatry played a pivotal role, as the project sought to accurately represent the emotional and psychological struggles of those affected by anorexia. A psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders provided essential insights, ensuring that the design was not only visually engaging but also psychologically grounded. This helped the project avoid simplification and focused on the complex mental health aspects of the disorder, particularly the impact on self-perception and behavior.
Design was the main tool for conveying the message. The visual and tactile elements, such as distorted surfaces and formes, were carefully chosen to symbolically represent anorexic behaviors and distorted body image. Designers collaborated with psychologists to ensure that the aesthetic choices aligned with the emotional experiences of patients, creating a deeper, more empathetic connection for viewers.
This interdisciplinary collaboration enriched the project by ensuring that it was not only artistically compelling but also scientifically accurate and socially relevant, enhancing its ability to raise awareness and shift attitudes toward anorexia.
The project stands out for its innovative approach to addressing anorexia, particularly in comparison to traditional awareness campaigns and interventions in the field. While many initiatives focus on informative content or direct treatment, this project uniquely integrates design, psychology, and emotional engagement to provide a deeper, more immersive experience.
The project’s innovation lies in how it translates the abstract psychological struggles of anorexia into tangible, visual forms. Through the different design solutions, and multisensory elements, it conveys the complex issues of self-perception and restrictive behaviors in a way that traditional campaigns cannot. This approach invites viewers to connect emotionally with the experiences of those affected, encouraging empathy and a more profound understanding of the disorder.
Moreover, the project goes beyond raising awareness by encouraging reflection on societal attitudes toward body image and food. Unlike other campaigns that often focus solely on education, this project challenges viewers to confront and rethink their own perceptions, fostering a more critical discussion about the role of societal norms in shaping individuals' relationships with their bodies.
The interdisciplinary collaboration between design, psychology, and sociology further enhances its innovation. By combining scientific insight with creative expression, the project presents anorexia in a holistic manner that not only informs but also evokes emotional and intellectual responses, setting it apart from conventional approaches in the field. This makes it a powerful, tool for social change.
The project’s innovation lies in how it translates the abstract psychological struggles of anorexia into tangible, visual forms. Through the different design solutions, and multisensory elements, it conveys the complex issues of self-perception and restrictive behaviors in a way that traditional campaigns cannot. This approach invites viewers to connect emotionally with the experiences of those affected, encouraging empathy and a more profound understanding of the disorder.
Moreover, the project goes beyond raising awareness by encouraging reflection on societal attitudes toward body image and food. Unlike other campaigns that often focus solely on education, this project challenges viewers to confront and rethink their own perceptions, fostering a more critical discussion about the role of societal norms in shaping individuals' relationships with their bodies.
The interdisciplinary collaboration between design, psychology, and sociology further enhances its innovation. By combining scientific insight with creative expression, the project presents anorexia in a holistic manner that not only informs but also evokes emotional and intellectual responses, setting it apart from conventional approaches in the field. This makes it a powerful, tool for social change.
The methodology of this project combines interdisciplinary collaboration, conceptual design, and emotional engagement to address the complex issue of anorexia. As a ceramic artist, I employed traditional porcelain crafting techniques, creating a collection of objects made from cast porcelain. These pieces were carefully molded to reflect the psychological and emotional struggles associated with anorexia.
The design process began with in-depth research into the disorder, collaborating with mental health professionals to ensure the accuracy and depth of the concept. The aim was to translate the internal experiences of anorexia into tangible forms that would resonate with viewers both emotionally and visually. The use of porcelain, with its delicate and fragile nature, was key to conveying vulnerability, while the casting process allowed for the creation of intricate details that enhanced the symbolic meaning of each piece.
I also involved individuals directly affected by anorexia, gathering their insights to ensure authenticity in the design. This participatory approach helped shape the objects, ensuring they not only conveyed the emotional struggles of the disorder but also fostered empathy in the viewer. The project was designed to engage multiple senses, making the message accessible to a wider audience and encouraging reflection on societal attitudes toward body image and eating disorders.
The design process began with in-depth research into the disorder, collaborating with mental health professionals to ensure the accuracy and depth of the concept. The aim was to translate the internal experiences of anorexia into tangible forms that would resonate with viewers both emotionally and visually. The use of porcelain, with its delicate and fragile nature, was key to conveying vulnerability, while the casting process allowed for the creation of intricate details that enhanced the symbolic meaning of each piece.
I also involved individuals directly affected by anorexia, gathering their insights to ensure authenticity in the design. This participatory approach helped shape the objects, ensuring they not only conveyed the emotional struggles of the disorder but also fostered empathy in the viewer. The project was designed to engage multiple senses, making the message accessible to a wider audience and encouraging reflection on societal attitudes toward body image and eating disorders.
Several elements of my project can be applied in different places, groups, and contexts. The core approach of combining design, psychology, and mental health expertise can be adapted for other topics related to mental health or body image. By involving both professionals and individuals affected by the issue, this method ensures the project is authentic and emotionally engaging, making it relevant for various social challenges.
The porcelain objects I created, which express the psychological struggles of anorexia through design, can also be adapted. The concept of using different materials and shapes to represent various mental health issues could be applied in different settings like art exhibitions, healthcare environments, or educational workshops to raise awareness and encourage empathy.
The focus on emotional engagement through both visual and tactile elements is another key part that can be transferred. This approach helps make complex topics more accessible to different audiences. These objects could be used in various communities or regions to start conversations about mental health and societal pressures around body image.
Lastly, the way design is used to promote social change in this project can inspire similar initiatives, showing how art and design can help raise awareness and make a real impact on society.
The porcelain objects I created, which express the psychological struggles of anorexia through design, can also be adapted. The concept of using different materials and shapes to represent various mental health issues could be applied in different settings like art exhibitions, healthcare environments, or educational workshops to raise awareness and encourage empathy.
The focus on emotional engagement through both visual and tactile elements is another key part that can be transferred. This approach helps make complex topics more accessible to different audiences. These objects could be used in various communities or regions to start conversations about mental health and societal pressures around body image.
Lastly, the way design is used to promote social change in this project can inspire similar initiatives, showing how art and design can help raise awareness and make a real impact on society.
This project addresses global challenges related to mental health, body image, and societal pressures through local solutions. Anorexia nervosa is a widespread issue with significant global consequences, as it affects millions of people worldwide, particularly among young individuals. By focusing on anorexia and its psychological and societal impact, the project contributes to raising awareness of eating disorders and the often-overlooked mental health struggles tied to body image.
On a local level, the project engages communities by fostering empathy and understanding. Through the creation of visually striking porcelain objects, it translates the emotional experiences of individuals with anorexia into tangible forms, encouraging conversations around mental health that might otherwise be difficult to initiate. This helps address the stigma surrounding eating disorders and promotes open dialogue in communities where such topics are often ignored or misunderstood.
By highlighting the connection between societal attitudes toward body image and mental health, the project encourages local reflection on how cultural standards of beauty contribute to issues like anorexia. It challenges these harmful norms, promoting inclusivity and mental well-being. The project’s educational and emotionally engaging approach provides an accessible entry point for people to learn more about these issues, ultimately fostering a more supportive environment for those struggling with eating disorders.
On a local level, the project engages communities by fostering empathy and understanding. Through the creation of visually striking porcelain objects, it translates the emotional experiences of individuals with anorexia into tangible forms, encouraging conversations around mental health that might otherwise be difficult to initiate. This helps address the stigma surrounding eating disorders and promotes open dialogue in communities where such topics are often ignored or misunderstood.
By highlighting the connection between societal attitudes toward body image and mental health, the project encourages local reflection on how cultural standards of beauty contribute to issues like anorexia. It challenges these harmful norms, promoting inclusivity and mental well-being. The project’s educational and emotionally engaging approach provides an accessible entry point for people to learn more about these issues, ultimately fostering a more supportive environment for those struggling with eating disorders.
The project's concept design and ceramic models were awarded the Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship at the end of 2023, a scholarship programme of the Moholy University of the Arts in Budapest.
In the second half of 2024 and early 2025, the project participated in several Hungarian and international exhibitions (Budapest - Sequences of ideas, Budapest - 360 Design, London - Best of MOME, Stuttgart - Design for life)
The work has received positive feedback and achieved its goal - it has triggered many meaningful and deep conversations about anorexia, helping to sensitise society to this serious problem.
In the second half of 2024 and early 2025, the project participated in several Hungarian and international exhibitions (Budapest - Sequences of ideas, Budapest - 360 Design, London - Best of MOME, Stuttgart - Design for life)
The work has received positive feedback and achieved its goal - it has triggered many meaningful and deep conversations about anorexia, helping to sensitise society to this serious problem.
