Digital Well-Being Portfolio
Using Multimedia Design to Raise Awareness About Doomscrolling and Social Media's Impact on Mental Health
About Me
Hello! My name is Johana Ayala, and I am a Communication and Chicano Studies student at UC Santa Barbara. Throughout this course, I explored how digital media influences people's mental health, attention, and daily habits. My projects combine research, visual design, and persuasive communication to encourage healthier relationships with technology. I aim to pursue a career in media production, where I can continue creating meaningful digital content that informs and connects with audiences.
Why Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling has become a common habit in today's digital world. Many people spend hours scrolling through negative news and social media without realizing how it affects their attention, sleep, stress levels, and overall well-being.
I selected this topic because I wanted to better understand why this behavior happens and explore ways people can build healthier online habits. My research foundation helped me connect complex academic findings to my creative projects.
The Padlet served as the research foundation for every project in this portfolio. I collected academic journal articles, news reports, books, and online resources about doomscrolling, mental health, digital habits, and social media. Organizing the sources into categories helped me understand different aspects of the topic and connect research to each creative project.
Academic Research
Digital Research Tools
Information Literacy
Source Evaluation
Organization
Photopea Mastery
Visual Storytelling
I utilized advanced layer blending techniques in Photopea to create a seamless, high-impact visual narrative that challenges the viewer's perception of digital control.
The composition uses symbolic elements like puppet strings to represent the invisible forces of algorithms, encouraging a reflective and mindful approach to technology use.
Design Strategy
By combining research with persuasive design, I created a visual composition that prompts audiences to question their habits and recognize the impact of digital media on mental health.
For my final social media project, I designed an Instagram carousel aimed at teenagers and young adults. Rather than simply warning people about social media, the campaign walks viewers through how carefully edited online images can influence body image, confidence, and self-esteem. The carousel begins with a question to capture attention, then gradually reveals the editing, filters, and repeated photo attempts that often exist behind a 'perfect' post. The final slides shift toward a more positive message by celebrating body diversity and encouraging viewers to value themselves beyond likes and followers.
WIX • CANVA • PHOTOPEA • PADLET • GOOGLE SCHOLAR • UCSB DATABASES
Software & Digital Tools
Wix
Website development and portfolio management platform.
Canva
Graphic design and social media campaign creation.
Photopea
Advanced image editing and compositing software.
Padlet
Collaborative research and source organization tool.
Google Scholar
Academic research database for mental health studies.
UCSB Databases
Library resources for comprehensive research and information literacy.
What I Learned
Throughout this course, I learned how to communicate the same message through different multimedia formats. Each project required me to think carefully about audience, purpose, and design choices. I improved my skills in visual communication, digital design, research, and persuasive storytelling while learning how multimedia can make complex topics more engaging and accessible.
Let's Connect
Thank you for visiting my portfolio. If you would like to learn more about my work or discuss future opportunities, please feel free to contact me.