What do you need when you feel lonely?

We turned to the largest study on loneliness conducted to date: The Loneliness Experiment. It was launched in March 2018 by BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind, in collaboration with Wellcome Collection and researchers from The University of Manchester, Brunel University London, and Exeter University. Over 55.000 participants worldwide aged between 16 to 101 contributed to the study, making it the most comprehensive investigation into loneliness ever undertaken. The research examined personal experiences, perceptions of loneliness, and the role of technology and relationships, while also considering lifestyle and demographic factors. One of the study’s most striking findings was that older participants reported feeling the loneliest during early adulthood. This indicates that loneliness is not solely a product of modern life, but rather an integral part of the human experience during specific life stages.

Our project is built on the idea that loneliness is often accompanied by shame, making open discussions difficult. Normalizing these conversations is crucial in fostering support and connection. In a world where vulnerability is often mistaken for weakness, expressing loneliness can feel daunting. Yet when we do, we not only feel less alone but also encourage others to share their own experiences. By visualizing parts of this data, we hope to create space for these conversations—to remind ourselves and others that loneliness is a universal feeling, but one that does not have to be endured in silence.

To translate these emotions into something tangible, we created an interactive board where visitors could attach their own responses with strings, weaving a collective map of human connection. As the threads intertwined, they formed a powerful image of shared struggles and coping mechanisms - demonstrating that loneliness is not an individual burden, but a universal experience.

This physicalization was based on an anonymous survey we conducted beforehand, where we asked participants what kind of response they hoped for when expressing their loneliness. We clustered their answers into seven categories, which became the foundation of our final design: a solar system centered around the question, "What do you need when you feel lonely?". At the heart of the solar system is the individual, surrounded by three circles representing feeling, talking, and doing. On the circle we positioned the seven response options that we got out of the survey. During the GOG exhibition, visitors were invited to attach a string to the answer they resonated with most, gradually forming an intricate web of shared experiences.

Of the 83 responses we collected at the GOG, three needs stood out:

     Feeling understood and having space to talk

     A change of perspective

     A sense of belonging

The evolving structure of the physicalisation transformed the abstract into the physical, encouraging dialogue and reflection. By witnessing the contributions of others, visitors not only saw how widespread loneliness is, but also discovered possible ways of coping with it. The open format of the exhibition encouraged connection, reminding everyone that vulnerability is not weakness - it is an invitation to understanding and solidarity.

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