Artist Cindy Sherman (2008) theorised that we groom ourselves into projecting a certain identity or 'face' to the world that seamlessly blends with the time. Please Don’t Dress Me Up is a tactile exploration of my recent autism diagnosis and how it interacts with Sherman’s ideas of projecting a face, by translating an internal sensory struggle into a physical study.

Through a 3D-printed PLA doll and hidden magnets, the project navigates the complex relationship between neurodiversity and the act of dressing. The snap-to-fit mechanism serves as a functional metaphor for social masking and the rigid, often forced assembly of a public persona. The project features three symbolic outfits: a "Safe" jumper representing domestic comfort, a "Whatever" ensemble designed for sensory neutrality in public, and a "Clown" suit representing the hyper-awareness of the neurotypical gaze. This work bridges the gap between abstract psychological concepts and tangible, interactive design. You can force whatever outfit you like onto the doll, but she will never be happy about it. This is my reality of neurodivergent sensory issues - there will always be a disparity between the internal experience and the social mask I project.