For my Senior Design Capstone, I wanted to create a book that educates the reader about Type 1 Diabetes and evokes empathy and an understanding for how challenging the disease can be. I divided my book into three sections; History, Obstacles, and Optimism. Within each section, I curated articles that shed light on different aspects of diabetes in niche ways, straying from the typical representation of diabetes in the media which skews towards politics and Big Pharma. I focus on issues that are all too common but not often discussed, such as illegal insulin trading due to economic challenges, the role of race and socioeconomic status in diabetic amputations, and the relationship of type 1 diabetes and disordered eating behaviors.

 

I used diabetics' personal photos to narrate people's real experience with the disease and diabetes related imagery such as medical supplies. I use blood glucose trends in my marginalia to indicate which section of the book the reader is in and typographic references to medical supplies. I also focused on materiality, specifically in my slip case, to emphasize the lack of access to insulin that so many diabetics face. This ties into the red rectangle that I place throughout my book which if filled, indicates a presence of insulin, and if unfilled, indicates a lack of insulin and complications tied to that.