Mindfulness Apps - Meditation Helper, The Mindfulness App and Enso

This post is part 3 of the mindfulness apps blog posts.  Here I write about apps that are specifically geared towards meditation in their design and visuals. 

Meditation Helper 

Meditation helper is a very barebones app but I thought it important to feature nonetheless as it was listed as a useful one.   The premise is pretty simple - the user sets a timer for bells to ring at the start and the end of meditation.  The bell is a well-known mediation aid, as the sound is natural and fades out slowly which forces the listener to focus hard on the sound.  Usually a breath is taken three times during the ringing of the bell, so it is a starting point for the meditation.  

I can't say I love the interface here as it is not visually appealing at all.  However, the point of the app is to help the user meditate, so it would follow that there is no use for images or well-chosen text.

The Mindfulness App by MindApps

This app is streamlined to focus just on meditation, without much extraneous information as seen in Headspace and MentalWorkout.  The interface is really suited to smartphones with much of the same type and similar menus designs to the iPhone interface.  The header type is slim but because the letters are tall it reads easy and appears kind of gentle.  This app is more suited to people who are aware of mindfulness meditations and the benefits they bring, hence the minimal approach.  I don't see my own work following this look as a whole, although that glowy dotted circle on the blue background is really relaxing to look at!

Enso

Enso is much like the apps above, but a lot more pretty in design in my opinion.  It is designed to work well with the iPhone interface in particular, with similar on-off sliders and breaking up of sections.  What I really like is the way the timer is set up and presented (middle and right screenshots) - much more visually fitting than a timer countdown.  The simple, sleek visuals are something I hope I have time to explore too, because while I'm taken with the personable, quirky visuals as shown in the Headspace app, I also think there is potential to create something that is very stylish as it may appeal to the target 18-35 market who would perhaps like their apps to feel "grown up".

References

Kazmucha, Allyson. 2014.  Imore website. "Best meditation apps for iPhone: Clear your head and relax better than ever!" [online] Available at:

http://www.imore.com/best-meditation-apps-iphone-omvana-headspace-breathful-and-more

[Accessed 19th Jan 2015]

Unknown, 2014.  iTunes website. "The Mindfulness App" [online] Available at:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-mindfulness-app/id417071430?mt=8

[Accessed 19th Jan 2015]

Tlaka, Stephany.  2014.  Mindful website. "Mindfulness: Apps for That?" [online] Available at:

http://www.mindful.org/mindful-magazine/mindfulness-apps

[Accessed 19th Jan 2015]

Mindfulness Apps - Bhuddify, AEON and Mental Workout

Part 2 of posts reviewing mindfulness meditation apps for smartphone & tablet.

Bhuddify BY 21awake

Described as "mindfulness for the digital generation", Bhuddify was created by Rohan Guintillake and his team as a response to people who told him that they "were interested in mindfulness and meditation but didn't do anything about it because they thought it took too much time and was too hippy."  Thus it is an excellent example of an app I should be looking at!  The app's site says that Bhuddify is an "award-winning mindfulness (app)" with over "80 guided meditations custom made for wherever you are and whatever you're doing - traveling (sic), at work, at home, going to sleep, and much more. "  See a video here for a walkthrough of the app.

The newest version of the app offers a mix of guided and unguided meditations, in four kinds (clarity, connection, stability and embodiment) and four "situations" (commuting, walking home, at home, at the gym).

What is so different about Bhuddify compared to other apps is the approach taken to the design and the way the information is presented.  The colour wheel gives a visual hint at the idea of living more fully with the circle motif as a colour wheel, as well as neatly sectioning each topic according to a colour that could be associated with it.  The design reminds me of data design, so I was not surprised to learn that it was indeed created by an information designer who specialised in data representations.
The little houses in the background are charming and give the screen more depth - to me they are purely decorative but I think here it works as they add that little personable touch.

Interestingly, Bhuddify also gives users the opportunity to rate their own experience such as how well they concentrated and how balanced they felt. 

AEON by 

AEON bases itself around the observance of negative thoughts, and the idea that they can be "observed" and accepted rather than going to the core of a person's feelings.   This is a key element of mindfulness so while I don't find the interface hugely exciting I really like this idea.  

 "The AEON app helps users in practising a mindfulness technique that requires individuals not to react in response to their thoughts, but to be away of them and observe them while they are going away (distancing from thoughts)." (2014)

What is effective is the image on the right, where the user's thought is displayed after being typed in on the left.  The font gives it a personal element to it, and the italics somehow make it look like it is being said quietly or silently.  Over the course of a few minutes, the text fades into the paper, reflecting the idea of thoughts passing through someone's mind.  In contrast to this, the first stage of the app seen on the left feels smartphone friendly and looks a bit like the "Tasks" section most phones come with.  

Mental Workout by Stephen Boding

Like the name suggests, Mental Workout evokes a kind of gym mentality in its look, which now I think about it is very fitting for mindfulness.  Phrases like "freedom from stress" and "Live like never before" are written in a no-frills sans serif type, which to me gives the app a feeling of being very suited to a  focused and goal-orientated user.  The icon images follow this idea as they are simplistic and remind me of icons often seen on fitness equipment.  Overall the look of the app feels very focused and simple, so the user feels like Mental Workout is very goal-orientated.  In comparison to other apps I have looked at it is designed in a way that makes the user want to take their practice a lot more seriously, as it is likened to working out at the gym which is associated with hard work to achieve results. 

The mix of blue, green and grey means that the app has relaxing colours but also has a focus to it's theme.  Using the picture of Stephen Bodian (as seen above) gives the app credibility, as Bodian is a leading figure in contemporary meditation and mindfulness.   I like that the app asks the user questions at the beginning to gauge their starting level - I wonder if this could eventually feature in my own prototype.  Overall I feel that while MentalWorkout is less personable and friendly-looking than other apps I have written about, there are elements that would work effectively and encourage a different kind of customer to try meditation.  As I said previously, the mix of image and type suggests a gym goer kind of personality, which is often far removed from those who are into the new-age practices.   Here the most important elements of mindfulness are kept and communicated successfully to the audience, without any of the traditional associated visuals.  Judging by the success of the app, and Bhuddify too, I can put to rest any worries about moving away from the pre-conceived, spiritual/nature images typically used in mindfulness materials. 

References

Martin, Alex. 2011. Bhuddify website. "bhuddify is go!" [online] Available at: http://buddhify.com/buddhify-is-go/
[Accessed 19 Jan 2015]

Unknown, 2014. 7 Days of Goodness website. "Leer mediteren met =Bhuddify 2 (iOS app)" [online] http://www.7daysofgoodness.com/leer-mediteren-met-buddhify-2-ios-app/
 [Accessed 19 Jan 2015]

Unknown, 2012.  Know Your Apps website. "Bhuddify: East meets west in the most unlikely of ways."  [online] Available at: http://www.knowyourapps.com/reviews/buddhify/
 [Accessed 19 Jan 2015]

Unknown, 2014.  iTunes website. "AEON Mindfulness App." [online] Available at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aeon-mindfulness-app/id834258846?
 [Accessed 19 Jan 2015]

Advertising, Psychology and the Process of Persuasion videos from YouTube

Last week while doing some research on persuasion techniques, I came across a few useful videos, two of which I will write about here.  I really wish I had found these earlier as they would have helped me last semester!  Definitely some interesting points which I will have to take into consideration when creating my identity and advertisement.

The Process of Persuasive Design in Six Steps with Dr Eric Schaffer.  

This video explains how persuasive designs are crafted with regard to the way the consumer's mind works.  Though a series of steps, Schaffer explains the necessary factors for successful emotional persuasion in advertising.   Some I was aware of, but others were new pointers for me.

 Firstly, the issue of giving customers too much choice was addressed as this is usually where some companies fall down in their advertising or marketing.  "Using lots of methods results in persuasion clutter.  Capteen and Duplinksy in 2011 researched using more methods, and found that adding social proof, a weak method in that case, to advice from an authority figure resulted in less persuasion than the authority figure alone.  So the mastery of persuasion requires a more sophisticated approach." (Schaffer, 2012)

  The first step outlined is: "We need to understand the emotional battle that goes on inside our customers' heads." Schaffer explains that in order to make successfully persuasive adverts, we need to know what our audience's drives, blocks, beliefs and feelings are.  Looking for "strong" issues which resonate with many of the target demographic - the example used here are flu vaccinations, as "Getting vaccinated is driven by fear of getting sick, which is driven by fear of embarrassment, and guilt in getting other people sick." (Schaffer, 2012) By piquing the emotional factors which fuel a decision to buy, behave or think differently, an company can have more subtle influence over its consumers.  I will have to very soon figure out what the "strong" issues are among those who may be swayed into taking up mindfulness.

"Pick the emotional things that are most likely to work.  What drive or block becomes the theme?  What is the frame for the meme that will be the central point of the effort?" (Schaffer, 2012) Schaffer suggests focusing on the main message of the campaign and carefully selecting the methods in which it will be delivered.  For the example of the flu vaccine, a promotional leaflet is suggested, likely because it would be seen and read in doctor's surgeries and pharmacies where people could easily book a vaccine. Using testimonials by existing customers, or a message such as "only 4 days left!" so suggest scarcity, can sway people into a decision quickly.  During my meeting with Simone (which I will write about tomorrow), she asked me questions relating to this and suggested a series of posters and a mock website page was best suited to this.  I had suggested a leaflet too, however she made the point that a leaflet was something that people were likely to pick up at a health and wellbeing fair or conference.  This is not the kind of place my target audience would be going to as I am aiming this project at those who are perhaps more sceptical of the practice.

With regards to an online process, "There must be a strategy to pull people through the flow of an interaction." (Scahffer, 2012) This could involve elements such as gamification and other methods of making the content exciting.  In the preceding video to this one, what makes a customer return to the same points on a site is also addressed.  This is a key consideration as ideally a website would be used again and again, and this point will be useful to me when I begin to mock up the fictional website for the campaign.

And finally, Schaffer says "To get the customer to the point of certainly, we must remember that this is an emotional event." Ultimately, the message of the video is that in order to succeed, an advertiser must play on the emotional wants and needs of their audience.  This theme is also addressed in a second video I found, which you can watch here (as I was unable to link it to the page).  This video was great fun to watch as the vintage-style cartoon visuals are very charming and the audio-illustration combo was easy to follow. 

Psychology and Advertising by Lori Benoy and Sole Sander

This video was created by Benoy and Sander as an assignment for an applied psychology class, which makes for a very informative and useful video.  The video focuses on explaining the Elaboration Likelihood Model, a common method of persuasion in advertising.  

In the ELM, there are two ways in which information can be persuasive - the central route and the peripheral route.    The central route is direct route of persuasion that appeals to logic and involves a great deal of thought.  It is associated with high involvement, meaning that the receiver is willing to put a lot of time and energy into the subject matter.  Facts and logic are used to make a decision, ultimately  leading to a more permanent attitude change.  The example used in the video is that of wanting a new car, and seeing a car commercial.  Because the receiver wants the car in the commercial (or a car in general), they are highly involved and are more likely to listen to the commercial than those who don't want a new car.  This is an interesting point for me, because I realise I will be aiming my project at those who could likely be inclined towards a low involvement towards the subject matter.

The peripheral route, on the other hand, uses techniques such as an emotional story, bright colours, sappy music, and an attractive speaker to create a situation where the receiver does not think carefully about a communication and is influenced instead by the aforementioned cues.  Involvement here is low, because due to the "wow" factor of the subtle techniques,  things like the message content, facts and logic are ignored.  This results in a more temporary attitude change and the receiver is less likely to change behaviour.  I found this really surprising given the cues are supposed to speak to emotions, senses and feelings.  Looks like logic is a winner here!

The video also goes over the affect of an advertisement - affect here refers to the experience of a feeling or emotion, which occurs rapidly and involuntarily in response to a stimulus.  Advertisers often rely on an affect heuristic which predicts how you might respond to an advertisement as well as corresponding behaviour.  The image below is an example of how a receiver might react to different affect heuristics.  If the stimulus yields negative affects, benefits will be seen as low and risk as high.  Conversely, if stimulus yields positive affects, benefits will be seen as high and risk as low.   As far as I can tell, my own project should only yield positive affects as the content is about mindfulness, which has virtually no downsides to it.  It was really interesting to look at persuasion this way as I was not familiar with all of these ins and outs of the psychology behind persuasive advertising.  There are some really useful points which I will take forward into my practical work in both videos.

References:

Benoy, Lori and Lander, Sole, 2009.  Psychology and Advertising [online video] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7VLjIw8hY&spfreload=10
[Accessed 13th January 2015]

Schaffer, Eric, 2012.  The Process of Persuasive Design in Six Steps With Dr. Eric Schaffer [online video] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1y-VcZ3JB8&spfreload=10
[Accessed 13th January 2015]

Humour in graphic design - a device for persuasion

A couple of weeks ago I was looking at a few topics in an attempt to streamline what I was doing, specifically what and how I was going to produce my honours project.  While I have moved away a little bit from the things I discuss in this post, I felt it was important to chart them as they helped to inform the process that got me to the point I am at just now. At the point of starting to write this post, I was considering basing my honours project on the effectiveness of humour as a persuasive design tool. I ended up changing my mind slightly as you will have read, however I still feel the research I did here can be adapted to my new direction.

Following on from my previous blog post where I wrote a little about Karan Singh's work, I did a lot of reading of books and articles looking at humour in design. One really helpful book was A Smile In The Mind by Beryl McAlhone, which documents a lot of work which uses the element of wit or surprise in various works under the umbrella of graphic design.  There was a lot in there so I am going to make an upcoming post about the work featured in the book.

Another useful source of quotes was Stephen Heller's article for AIGA, "Is There Anything Funny About Graphic Design?"  The article is taken from Heller's book Design Humour: The Art of Graphic Wit and examines the role of wit in graphic design, especially through the use of visual puns, and asks if they are truly an effective method of communication.  The following quote I found really interesting:

"A picture is worth a thousand words because so much more information can be evoked through one image than in a sentence or a paragraph.  In visual language, it is often necessary to substitute one image with another, or one symbol from another.  Not just for purposes of jest - but to enhance meaning.  Therefore, the pun - at best a kind of shorthand, at worst a strained contortion - describes graphic symbols used to simplify complex concepts into accessible, often memorable images. " (Heller, 2002)

Hallie Bateman's New Year's Resolutions illustrations remind me of the works of David Shrigley and Gemma Correll.  The handwritten text works perfectly with the simplicity of the drawings to create a collection of charming, funny pictures.  Everyone has a voice in their head when they read words, and in these pictures I feel like the voice would be friendly, if a little sarcastic.  The type does not feel authoritative or even motivational, really!  The humorous element of the images is what makes them memorable - humour disarms the viewer and arguably makes them more perceptive towards what it is they are looking at.  If the typography was changed to a font more digital and rigid, the tone of the picture would change completely and potentially the funny element may be lessened.

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

Fig 8

Similarly, Eduardo Sales' Cinismo Ilustrado are sarcastic observations on human nature, which on one hand make us laugh, but on the other hand make us look at our bad habits.  These images depict our immersion of the online world as a little bit satirical and a little bit sad.

Fig 9

Fig 10

"When a visual pun works - specifically, when two distinct entities merge to form one idea - the effect stimulates thought and sensation." (Heller, 2002)  This drawing of a homeless person asking for likes pokes fun at the social media trend of "liking" pages for charities while not doing anything to actively help the problem.  

Fig 11

Fig 12

"Humour is mnemonic - something that helps (or forces us) to recollect.  This can be manifested in word play, like a slogan or jingle, or picture play, such as a logo or trademark." (Heller, 2002) Everyone knows Cinderella, but this very funny spin on the happy ending brings a satirical element to it.  Satire is used again below to mock how men and women objectify each other in this diagram about boobs.

Fig 13

Fig 14

This one is interesting; can't tell if it's depicting the digitally-led revolutions as a good thing or a bad thing.

Fig 15

This made me laugh.  Purely good fun here and some wise observations!

So while I am no longer looking specifically at techniques of humour, there is a lot to be taken from it in terms of styles of illustration and typography used.  Who knows, I may find a way to bring it in to my practical work somewhere down the line.

References

Articles:

Heller, Stephen. 2002.  AIGA Website. "Is There Anything Funny About Graphic Design?" [online] Available at:  http://www.aiga.org/is-there-anything-funny-about-graphic-design/
[Accessed 10th January 2015]

Images:

Figures 1-8:  Bateman, Hallie, 2014.  The Awl.  "Realistic New Year's Resolutions." [online]
Available at: http://www.theawl.com/2014/12/new-years-resolutions
[Accessed 11th January 2015]

Fig 9-15: Sales, Eduardo. 2014.  Lost At E Minor.  "Witty Illustrations By Eduardo Sales" [online]

Available at:  http://www.lostateminor.com/2014/02/06/witty-illustrations-eduardo-sales/

[Accessed 11th January 2015]

First week of uni update - meeting with Dave and change in direction

After a week of lots of reading and thinking (and more thinking) about where on earth I was going to take my project, I have finally found a bit of direction.  On Thursday last week I met with Dave, and explained to him my situation of feeling a bit lost and not too sure of how I could take my project further.  He suggested taking a step back and looking at the things I was interested in, leading to the decision to focus on the relationship between image/illustrations and typography.  At first I was very sceptical of focusing on this, as at face value the topic seemed a bit simple compared to all these big, lofty ideas I had been exploring last semester.  However, after thinking about it for a few days and weighing it up against my other idea of exploring humour in design (see previous post), my gut feeling won out and I chose to explore image-type relations.  At the moment I am reading up on anything I can find to do with this, including books such as "Reading Images:  The Grammar of Visual Design" by Gunther Kress and Leo van Leeuwen and some great articles on typography which I will write about in another post.

Of course, then I had to think about what my honours project would actually be.  For a while now I have been drawn towards doing a graphic design project on mindfulness, but I had always been hesitant to go for it because I was worried people would think the topic was not interesting or a bit weird.  Mindfulness is a great practice to get into to manage stress and anxiety and has been proven time and time again to be an effective tool for the long-term management of depression.  However, as it stems from Buddhism and is generally linked to other "new age" practices, people are often put off by it and for the very same reason, I didn't really feel like it was "cool" enough or "out there" enough to be considered a good topic.

Then it hit me - since I had been so interested in design as a persuasive tool, mindfulness was a perfect topic for an hours project.  If people were already put off by the practice due to preconceived ideas, then surely this would be a great opportunity to try and use everything I was looking at to turn that around and present mindfulness in a way that would spark an interest in people and "show it off".  There is a lot of scope, both in the visuals and text and how I can go in a different direction from the typical outdoorsy, body-mind-spirit look that tends to accompany information on the subject.

Having a look at what is currently out there on mindfulness as a starter helped me to see that there was potential in my proposed idea.  The ones on the website for Mindfulness Scotland confirmed that what was already out there could be improved to look more appealing, dynamic, and personable, which I feel is one of the most important factors.  Looking at the way all the information is presented here, it looks quite lacklustre and some of the information which could be a "selling point" if you like is presented among a wall of text which many people might skim over or not want to read at all.   Overall, the mix of type and image is not the most effective - Myriad Pro is fine for a body type as it is legible, but for the header ("Mindfulness Scotland: Enhancing the well-being…") it ends up conveying the practice as very solemn and serious.

Fig 1 Screengrab from Mindfulness Scotland page

Figures 1 and 2:  There are some good quotes on these pages which could be a strong point of encouragement for newcomers, but they get lost in the layout because their font kind and size is consistent with the rest of the page.

Fig 2 - Screengrab from Mindfulness Scotland

Below:  The list of benefits from practising mindfulness are listed below, but there is nothing on the page to highlight these except some ordinary bullet points.

Fig 3 - Screengrab from Mindfulness Scotland website

The Mindful website is a little more dynamic in layout and use of text and imagery, consequently making the page a little more exciting to the eye.  For starters there is a nice calming mix of colours in there with the blue and hints of orange, which contrasts nicely.  The site uses a mix of stock photography and illustrations to go with articles, which works well as .  However as you can see at the bottom of this screengrab, there are still the usual landscape/meditation pictures associated with mindfulness there.  I realise that I may not be able to shake these off completely as the practice of meditation is intrinsic to mindfulness, however I am keen to get away from these "typical" images as I feel that sometimes this is what puts people off.

Fig 4 - Screengrab from Mindful.org

I noticed that the NHS Moodzone page is rather similar - blue has been found in colour theory to produce a calming effect and so is being used here to do so, with the added benefit of being a good colour choice for screen design.  The site is a place, primarily for younger people, to go for advice and resources to deal with stress and anxiety.

Fig 5 - Screengrab from NHS Moodzone

The Be Mindful page takes a different approach, with brighter, warmer colours and chunky typography which gives it a more vibrant look.  The site is run in association with the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, who present the information related to mental health in a way that is visually interesting.  The type in particular appears to be what I feel is "personable", as the edges are rounder giving it a softer look than if it were a regular sans-serif.  This kind of font would also be the kind that would catch the attention of a younger crowd, who are a target audience for the Foundation as one of their aims is to educate young people on the effects of mental ill health.   

Fig 6 - Screengrab from Be Mindful page

Fig 7 - Screengrab from Be Mindful page

This combination of image and the aforementioned "friendlier" type speaks to people of all ages.  The use of photography means that the situation described in the poster appears as a realistic, serious issue, and as people are drawn to what they recognise as their own, the girl's face acts as an "anchor" for both the viewer's gaze and emotions.  The thumbnail illustrations at the side are simple but almost feel playful.  Overall I feel that, through the combined use of imagery and typography, this page says that the Foundation are open-minded, welcoming and to the point about the facts surrounding mental health.

Fig 8 - Screengrab from Mental Health Foundation homepage

My next area of study will be reading up more on image-text relationships as well as looking at more existing materials on mindfulness and mental health.  I had a good meeting with my supervisor Simone who gave me some advice on what to look at next, so I will write more on that in an upcoming post.  

References:

Fig 1 - Mindfulness Scotland, 2014. Mindfulness Scotland Homepage [online] Available at:
http://www.mindfulnessscotland.org.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1421324398.0654509067535400390625
[Accessed 14th January 2015]

Fig 2 - Mindfulness Scotland, 2014. Mindfulness Scotland Homepage [online] Available at:
http://www.mindfulnessscotland.org.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1421324398.0654509067535400390625
[Accessed 14th January 2015]

Fig 3 - Mindfulness Scotland, 2014.  The Benefits of Mindfulness [online] Available at:
http://www.mindfulnessscotland.org.uk/benefits/
[Accessed 14th January 2015]

Fig 4 - Mindful, 2015.  Mindful Homepage [online] Available at:
http://www.mindful.org
[Accessed 14th January, 2015]

Fig 5 - National Health Service, 2014.  NHS Moodzone [online] Available at:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/low-mood-stress-anxiety.aspx
[Accessed 14th January, 2015]

Fig 6 - Mental Health Foundation, 2014. Be Mindful Homepage [online] Available at:
http://bemindful.co.uk
[Accessed 14th January, 2015]

Fig 7 - Mental Health Foundation, 2014. About MBSR [online] Available at:
http://bemindful.co.uk/mbct/experience-mbct/
[Accessed 14th January, 2015]

Fig 8 - Mental Health Foundation, 2015. Mental Health Foundation [online] Available at:
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk
[Accessed 14th January, 2015]

Inspiration - Karan Singh

I came across the work of Australian illustrator Karan Singh through the Computer Arts' magazine website and was instantly taken with his simple, clever and often very funny illustrations.  Singh uses a lot of optical art, which I am looking into at the moment as sideline research, but it was his "Daily Quickies" page that I thought was great.  He challenged himself to create one little illustration a day for the year-long project, and the results are simple but effective.  As the title suggests, Singh is a fan of wordplay - a common theme in his artwork that makes for some cracking visual puns as well as the occasional thought-provoking piece.

Some annotation free visual puns (below) 

Some with a slight serious tone (below).  This one made me go "Oh"; it's an interesting look at identities.

This one (above) is a favourite because at first glance it looks like a pretty, loopy drawing, then it becomes apparent it's a lot cruder.  This kind of visual play is really interesting and something I will explore a bit more.  Some of my previous work for pre-production touched on this and I am wondering if it is worth pursuing more.

Some geographical puns I found way too entertaining

Singh's work made me think about what kind of approach I could take to the subject matter of my honours project.  I have been considering quite heavy issues, as they are of course well suited to propaganda and persuasion.  However this work shows that a humorous, light-hearted approach can also charm and disarm well and consequently stays with people just as long.  

You can find more of Singh's work over at his website and tumblr page.

All work in this post by Karan Singh, 2010-2011