Design Creativity as the way of dealing with students’ stress in the context of the global pandemic challenge

Abstract

In this publication we concentrate our attention on finding the ways to deal with students’ stress during the COVID-2019 pandemic period and implement them into the constant practice. In the design practice we can consider stress not only as a negative, but also as a positive experience. We present our own experience that unites technologies in design education, design methods and some aspects of the art therapy. We examine students’ diploma projects simultaneously as the product of design and the process of design that have anti-stress effect and are the way for student to harmonize with their inner world in variable environment. We consider different ways of art visualization as the mechanism of self-actualization, decrease in anxiety and dealing with depressive conditions. The work outlines the strategy of using design creativity as the way of overcoming and preventing the effects of stress factors during studying in the context of global pandemic challenges.