Context

The primary objective of our project is to contribute to the creation of a better world by actively working towards a healthier environment.

More specifically, our focus is centered around addressing the emerging issue of eco-anxiety, which comes from the profound concerns regarding the climate crisis.

We believe that raising awareness about eco-anxiety is of utmost importance due to its significant impact on our collective well-being and the crucial role it plays in shaping a healthier future environment.

What is Eco-Anxiety?

„The chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one's future and that of next generations.“

Source: The American Psychology Association (APA)

Problem Definition

As the awareness of the climate crisis increases, we found out there is also an increase in mental health issues that translate into a growing population with anxiety issues.

This growing anxiety (primarily seen in younger generations) brings a sense of hopelessness and ultimately turns into not wanting to take action to fight the climate crisis.

Eco-anxiety can take on many different forms, sometimes in ways that may not be immediately obvious…

Isolation: „Nobody seems to understand my point, nobody seems to care“

Anger: „Everything is f#*%ed“

Numbness: „I don’t want to hear about it anymore“

Hopelessness: „What I can do is not enough“

Inaction: „It's pointless what I do if big corporations exist“

Unfortunately, younger generations experience these feelings on a daily basis. The chart below shows the feelings process of males and females from various age groups, highlighting the intensification of negative emotions among the youth. Even though they want to take action against climate change, the mere thought of it makes them cringe.

“How might we help a young generation deal with eco-anxiety in order for them to keep optimism towards the future?”

To address these questions, research on the behaviour of the younger generation between the ages of 18 to 29 showed us their notable preference for searching for information and answers online. Additionally, as the chart above shows, individuals experiencing Eco-anxiety, often feel misunderstood, withdraw socially, show reluctance to participate in community activities, and stop their efforts towards a healthier environment.

For this, we decided to create BARDO, an app that connects individuals with nature through recommended grounding activities and creates a supportive community of like-minded individuals, providing a space where they can feel heard and understood.

Our thinking process looked something like this:

Strategy

How can we help people connect with their natural surroundings?

Taking a step back!

Understanding that only by knowing and connecting to one's environment you can care about it.

- Giving users an experience for discovering the importance of connecting and understanding our environment. It is only through this profound connection that we can genuinely care for and make a positive impact on our surroundings. By immersing ourselves in nature, we begin to appreciate its beauty and develop a deep sense of admiration for its wonders. This shift in focus allows us to transcend the discouragement associated with dooming, scientific facts and instead embrace a more experiential approach.

- In this proposal, we prioritize personal experiences over cold, hard information. By engaging our senses and actively participating in nature, we tap into a realm of awe-inspiring encounters that cannot be conveyed solely through data and statistics. It is through these firsthand experiences that we cultivate a genuine connection, igniting a passion within us to protect and preserve our environment.

- Connection with nature serves as a vital stimulant for finding a sense of purpose amidst the uncertainties that surround us. As we witness the web of life and marvel at the interdependence of all living beings, we begin to recognize our role in shaping the world we inhabit. Each individual effort, no matter how small, has significance as we strive to combat the pressing issue of climate change.

- Beyond the personal benefits of connecting with nature, it also enriches our lives by transforming monotonous routines into opportunities for exploration and discovery. Mundane activities take on new dimensions as we learn to observe the nuances of the natural world and find joy in the smallest details. From the gentle rustle of leaves to the vibrant hues of a sunset, we become aware of the beauty that surrounds us, filling our everyday lives with a sense of wonder and gratitude.

-Forging connections with like-minded individuals who share our concerns can profoundly impact our journey towards environmental protection. Through these connections, we gain access to a supportive network that encourages deeper conversations and emotional support. By engaging in dialogues with others who share our passion, we broaden our perspectives, learn from diverse experiences, and strengthen our collective resolve to create a sustainable future.

The power of these connections lies in their ability to make us feel both accompanied and individually empowered simultaneously. These connections empower us to embrace our individual roles and unique capabilities, fostering a sense of personal agency and inspiring us to make a difference in our own way.

Our strategy for environmental care and climate action begins by a moment of reflection and connection. By immersing ourselves in nature, embracing experiential learning, and cultivating connections with like-minded individuals, we can forge a path towards a sustainable future. This holistic approach fills our lives with wonder, purpose, and a deep appreciation for the world we inhabit, driving us to take action and make a positive impact on our environment and the global community as a whole.

Client

GreenerSteps is a hypothetical NGO that addresses the climate crisis through the movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.

Target Group

1) Focus on young adults as a generation born in challenging times who feel interested in environmental subjects.

2) A generation that is used to engage in digital activities, provide.

3) Open to more than one type of personality: those who care about the environment, those who don’t but want to have the experience, social bees, introverts.

What is Bardo?

Bardo is an intermediate, transitional space before rebirth. 

The time between lifes.

We are living in what feels like a Bardo moment: everything changes all the time, feels like a dream, we are constantly adapting to new realities and developments.

So in the end we decided to make a field-grounding game in order to connect people with their everyday journeys and make them more meaningful.

In order to customize different journeys to help people better, Bardo opens with asking some simple questions.

Bardo has multiple ways of helping people.

The Game: 

This is a field-grounding game, where people can go out on a walk through their environment. There are multiple 'landmarks' to guide people through a journey and people may choose to interact with these landmarks, they may open up and see what other people wrote about their feelings or they may check out what pictures others took or draw, and people may also choose to participate and write about their feelings in these landmarks.

One other aspect of this game is to give a way to create a community in a natural way, as people go these landmarks they may choose to have conversations with others who are currently there using this game.

The Diary:

Another aspect of Bardo is to allowing/suggesting people to keep their own diaries. Keeping a diary, writing down their own feelings, notes, pictures is a way of helping people on their journey to overcome eco-anxiety.

The News:

Bardo also looks up and shows positive new around the world about environment to show people that there isn't just grim and dark events but there are also hopeful stories going on.

The Connections:

Another aspect is to connect different apps, that may help people, to Bardo. Such as NatureSounds, which provides sounds from nature in a therapeutic way. Another example is Nature Indentifier, which help people to identify different plants.

Logo and Typography

Bardo can be tested through our figma link:

https://www.figma.com/proto/BUv2bgiQeewgwADool92TD/Bardo?type=design&node-id=1594-1559&t=6Bkp95YZvXxdQOt9-1&scaling=scale-down&page-id=510%3A365&starting-point-node-id=1594%3A1559&mode=design

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Final Thoughts

Getting away from eco-anxiety is not a one-day thing nor it can be done with a magical touch but it is a journey that can start by taking a step back and taking a look before moving on.

Final presentation