Love Spectrum – Art Therapy Message Cards transforms a series of deeply personal paintings into an interactive deck that explores love as a shifting emotional landscape. Developed by MindSlow workroom, the project moves between art and introspection, using symbolic imagery and poetic language to guide users through moments of reflection. Lead designer Shiang Huang shares how an intimate creative process evolved into a shared experience of connection, healing, and meaning.
Project Overview
Love Spectrum – Art Therapy Message Cards is a 44-card illustrated deck exploring love through a range of emotional states. Each card pairs symbolic bird and flower imagery with poetic text, supported by a companion Book of Messages. Developed through a text-first process and refined with tarot readers and designers, it bridges visual storytelling and emotional guidance, functioning as both an art object and a tool for reflection and healing.
- Winning Project Title: Love Spectrum – Art Therapy Message Cards
- Winning Category: Best of Best in Print & Books: Special Publications
- Firm: MindSlow workroom
- Lead Designer: Shiang Huang
Interview with Shiang Huang
1. What was the brief or challenge behind your award-winning project, and what key goals guided your approach?
Shiang Huang: This card deck represents a journey of soul exploration rather than a collection of randomly chosen images. It began as a series of individual acrylic paintings and, due to the strong emotional resonance they generated with audiences during exhibitions, was later developed into the card format it has today. Transforming standalone artworks into a cohesive deck with a clear narrative arc required extensive time and close collaboration with professional card readers. The shift from an inward, personal creative process to a work that actively interacts with its users presented a significant challenge.
2. What sparked the initial idea for the project, and how did that concept evolve into the final design outcome?
Shiang Huang: The project initially emerged from a desire to combine elements I deeply love, birds and flowers, with the theme of love, as a way to express the most passionate part of my inner world. Over time, however, I began to perceive love as something fluid, shaped by the interplay of light and darkness. Through continuous dialogue and interaction with the public, this understanding gradually evolved into the body of work presented here.
3. Can you describe your design process for this project, from early exploration to final execution?
Shiang Huang: This project follows a text-first creative approach. Each card begins with a single sentence, from which the visual imagery is developed, making it a story-driven process. After the imagery is formed, I write an extended narrative, which is then refined and expanded by a tarot reader within our team, who structures the deck and composes the detailed interpretations. Finally, a graphic designer completes the layout of the entire set, resulting in the finished deck as it exists today.
4. What were the main challenges you faced during development, and how did you resolve them while maintaining clarity, usability, or visual strength?
Shiang Huang: We encountered considerable challenges during the printing process due to the use of uncommon, specialized finishing techniques applied individually to each card. These methods affected the paper’s durability, at one point causing noticeable warping after the cards were left unused for a period of time. Through numerous trials and adjustments, we were ultimately able to resolve these issues within the constraints of our crowdfunding timeline and budget, gaining invaluable experience along the way.
5. What do you consider the most distinctive or successful aspect of the project, and why?
Shiang Huang: Our work brings together a distinctive visual style, poetic expression, powerful interpretive content, unique hot-foil stamping techniques, and overwhelmingly positive user feedback. Many users have shared that the cards offer not only deep resonance and meaningful guidance, but also a strong sense of emotional healing. In this project, we believe art and healing have been successfully and thoughtfully integrated.
6. If you had to explain this project to someone outside the design industry, what would you say is its true value or impact?
Shiang Huang: The fusion of art and healing is the most defining aspect of this work. It allows the project to extend beyond the realm of mysticism into aesthetics, human connection, and personal growth. The deck can be appreciated as an art object, while also serving as a companion for emotional reflection in everyday life.
7. Looking back, what is one decision you made during this project that significantly shaped the final result?
Shiang Huang: I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my design partners, who helped push this project forward. As an illustrator, I am not naturally inclined toward the practical execution of commercial projects. From exhibition planning to physical production and crowdfunding, it was the team’s shared belief in the value and fulfillment of this creation that carried us to where we are today.
8. What does receiving a Design MasterPrize mean to you, and how do you see it influencing your future work or direction?
Shiang Huang: Receiving recognition from an international design award is an immense encouragement for us. We believe it will open doors to broader exposure in the future, enhance the project’s overall impact, and invite more people to discover and engage with our work.
ConclusioN
By merging illustration, narrative, and emotional reflection, MindSlow workroom’s Love Spectrum demonstrates how design can move beyond aesthetics into meaningful human experience. The project creates a space where art becomes both a visual language and a tool for healing, offering users a thoughtful way to navigate emotion, connection, and self-discovery.
