Spine Like Steel

Abstract

You can visit the project at: www.spinelikesteel.com

Spine Like Steel is a digital, website-based experience that communicates the difficulties of living with my Scoliosis diagnosis and subsequent spinal fusion. Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal condition often found in children and young teens that causes the spine to deform over time. Unlike many patients, I required invasive spinal surgery to stop the deterioration of my condition which left me with both physical and emotional scars.

I designed this website with HTML, CSS, and animated motion graphics to fulfill the need for non-clinical, educational resources for recently diagnosed patients. The images used are exclusively from my personal x-ray films and I chose a grey-scale color theme to highlight their brilliance and impact. As a final touch, I created 3D printed keychains that viewers can take as a memory of the installation. They are estimated at-size models of the screws used in my surgery and are 3D printed as a reference to the future of personalized scoliosis treatment through 3D technology.

The title of this work was inspired by the following quote from the contemporary

Canadian poet, Nicole Lyons:

She will rise. With a spine like steel and a roar like thunder, she will rise.