Graphic designer tackles issue of wide-spread loneliness in moving campaign

She explains: "We live in a world where everybody, at least online, has thousands of 'friends'. Yet though we are more connected than ever, there’s an epidemic of loneliness that has many people suffering in silence.

"A few months ago, I started collecting stories from people about their real experiences with loneliness. I started small, asking my immediate network to share with their friends/family, and was flooded with submissions from people of all ages and walks of life.

"The Loneliness Project is an interactive web archive I created to present and give these stories a home online. I believe in design as a tool to elevate others' voices. Stories have tremendous power to spark empathy, and I believe that the relationship between design and emotion only strengthens this power.

"I use illustration, animation, and sound to craft a fully immersive and interactive experience that encourages visitors to get lost in the stories, closing the gap between their lives and those of the storytellers. I aim to use design to effect real-world change.

"People don’t talk about loneliness, but the influx of stories I received shows how universal and human it is. For many people, our digitized world is isolating—creating networks but no real connections. My project, living in that same online space, leverages digital design to repair this disconnect. By starting conversations about loneliness we can combat isolation and cultivate compassion—for others and for ourselves."

A beautiful project for an important cause. Discover more at thelonelinessproject.org.

All images courtesy of Marissa Korda