Identidade feminina e pressão estética: design como ferramenta para reflexão e autoconhecimento

Abstract

This study investigates how graphic design can serve as a tool for resistance and reflection against aesthetic pressure and the beauty standards imposed on female identity. The central objective is to understand the historical development of this pressure and to develop a set of products that stimulate self-knowledge through a psychoanalytic perspective, encouraging the valuation of authenticity. The theoretical foundation coordinates concepts from Socratic philosophy, Sigmund Freud's classical psychoanalysis, and contemporary contributions from Ana Suy and Naomi Wolf. Methodologically, the research was structured through a literature review, qualitative research with women aged 14 to 30, and a case study of Dove's "The Cost of Beauty" campaign. In the practical development, the Design Thinking approach was used to create the experimental book-object titled "Reflections of Me," accompanied by 12 interactive cards and a personalized box. The graphic project adopts the "aesthetics of imperfection" and typographic subversion, drawing inspiration from the Extra Bold guide to break normative visual standards. Results indicate that the integration of design and psychoanalysis provides a sensory and introspective experience that helps the user reframe her relationship with her own image. It is concluded that design, by moving away from the logic of perfection found on social media, becomes an effective agent in promoting mental health and reconstructing female identity.