Valerie Morrice is a multidisciplinary designer based in the Chicagoland area. With a background in business, textile arts, printmaking, editorial, and creative direction her work exists in all the colors between art and design. She wants to create a more responsible and dutiful world through empathetic designs, human-centered research, and sustainable branding.
After a year of being away from the familiar due to the pandemic, she became curious about how long-term continual use of online means of communication had affected her ability to connect to others face to face. Upon arrival on campus in the fall, she noticed that she wasn’t the only one struggling to break out from the effects of isolation so she asked, “How could design facilitate deeper connections among college friends?”
Threads is a party board game designed to facilitate conversations amongst withdrawn college students. The goal is to work together along the board and tackle difficult topics in a lighthearted setting. Through icebreaking-action cards, the game is designed to allow withdrawn individuals an opportunity to open up and come out of their shell in larger group settings. The hope is that this will reduce feelings of isolation and create a mutual sense of belonging among all players.
