It is no question that the global pandemic has affected the way we create and learn, I think I speak for everyone when I say this semester was no exception. However, I can’t help but appreciate the opportunity we had to come into school and work together in a safe environment.
When looking back at this semester I felt more overwhelmed and distracted than usual. Reality, thinking about the pandemic, the fact that we are graduating in just a few months, and the five other classes I took this semester did take me away from my design work. Once I felt safer coming into the studio, had the opportunity to print on risograph, and installed in Gallery 5 I felt more connected to not only my design but my classmates.
Now that the semester is over I’m proud of what I achieved during this crazy time, and I am looking forward to getting started on my thesis next semester.
Project 1: Impact and Empathy
For this assignment I worked with Abby Fenn, Morgan Recker, and Ivan Reyes. Together, we selected a project from Hyperakt that inspired us, then we each created a book based on our interpretation of impact and empathy.
The project that our group wanted to work with was Design Resistance, which is a “platform that allows creative professionals to express their views about the policies of the Trump administration through poster design.”
The way we decided to tackle the project was by studying protest art, we researched the most prominent materials, mediums, and methods of protest throughout history. Then, we each picked a topic that we were passionate about and created a book.
I decided to create Broken System, a book about why I believe capital punishment is wrong, with the goal of the book being a piece of protest art on its own. Last semester, I wrote a paper about why I think capital punishment should be illegal. In my book I used the paper I wrote, as well as statistics, image making, and repetition to protest capital punishment.
I personally enjoyed working on this project because it was interesting learning about the history of protest art, and the reasoning behind each medium. It was also an opportunity to keep researching and studying issues that I care about. I think if I could go back and redo this project I would print using risograph and use other hands-on mediums, to play an homage to the history of protest art.
Project 2: Design in Question
For this project I worked with Greg, Shannon, and Morgan. As as one of the groups for the “Design In Question” installation, we were tasked with designing an installation space that tackled some aspect of the question “What is graphic design?” We each came up with 25 iterations, and questions to help us answer this question.
In our installation, 27–1024, we explore the idea of what graphic design is by exploring and comparing what we think of graphic design as design students, and how the U.S. Bureau of Labor defines the profession of being a graphic designer. We created a room using our iterations, we taped them together then hung the long trips of paper from the ceiling.
What was useful for me to get started with my iterations was discussing our different questions as a group, because I found myself more intrigued by some of the questions my group members had. For all 25 of my iterations I decided to focus and explore on one of Greg’s question “How can one’s cultural background influence their criticism of graphic design?” In our discussion we talked about how different cultures may find certain things acceptable that aren’t in acceptable other places. I was very interested in this question because growing up I lived in Mexico and the Netherlands, two countries that have contrasting cultures. When I moved to Amsterdam my family took a class about what was appropriate in the Dutch culture, and what to expect, especially after coming from a very conservative city in Mexico. The first thing we were shown was an optical illusion named “My wife and my mother-in-law”, the drawing can be seen as an old woman or a beautiful lady, depending on the perspective of the viewer. My family was shown this image to help us understand that everything can be seen in more than one way, and then we can see at least two sides to many things if we are open to modify our initial perspective. Greg’s question of how culture can impact the way we see design reminded me of this image I was shown as a kid. For my iterations I decided to explore different optical illusions, with the goal to show viewers that the people around us might have a different perspective of what design is because of their cultural backgrounds and experiences.
As much as I enjoyed the final project, I think the process was my favorite thing. I really enjoyed printing on a risograph, and I also really enjoyed installing as a group. Since the pandemic it has been difficult to interact with people, this project was a very nice opportunity to design and create a place together.
Project 3: Research Video
For the first eight weeks of the semester, we had the weekly assignment to post a video of something that inspired us. For the final project we had to compile a video of at least two of the artists and connect them to our work and each other.
For my project I chose to connect the work of Virgil Abloh and Frida Kahlo. The two are very different artist, from style, medium, time period. Yet both artist share a the message of diversity by blurring the lines between gender and culture.
For the first part of the video I took a video created by Abloh in which he talks about the meaning behind his Winter/Fall 2020 Off-White collection. I layered it using typography, and work by Frida Kahlo to enhance the similarities between the two artist.
For the second part of the video I took an animation made by Virgil Abloh and layered it with images of Frida Kahlo, and spreads from a publication I designed about culture, typography, and images.
I personally really enjoyed working on this project, even though I didn’t talk about all eight of the videos in my final piece, it was interesting to watch different talks about different design experiments, architecture, and art each week. It’s interesting thinking about how even though every artists is different, many times their inspiration overlaps.
Project 4: Thesis Thoughts
The scariest thoughts of them all… thinking about our thesis. For the last four years I have been trying to decide what this final project will be, I’ve always known I wanted to do something with fashion and culture, but I think my biggest challenge is making this something unique, and making sure it’s nothing close to being cliche.
My three first ideas:
- Relationship between fashion, culture, and architecture- how do trends in fashion reflect in other aspects of culture?
2. Constructing an identity through the lens of culture and fashion
3. The power of influence. How does branding, design, fashion, and marketing culture influence society to be a certain way?
After first discussing these ideas with James I received a little more guidance. James brought up the fact that the Roaring 20s were a response to the Spanish Influenza. This gave me the idea to study trends, and fads throughout history and try to predict how fashion will be after COVID-19.
I also looked into my mom’s thesis from 1995, in which she created a fashion line inspired by sport uniforms.
After thinking about my conversation with James and my mom’s thesis this is where I’m at with my thesis statement:
We live in a world where design makes a lot of decisions for us. Branding, marketing, and culture influence the way we eat, the way we decorate our homes, the way we dress, and the way we interact with one another.
Every individual constructs an identity through the lens of culture and fashion. Whether we notice it or not, each morning we get up, and we make the conscious decision to dress a certain way. I want to explore the power of influence and role branding and culture play in the creation of trends and fads in the fashion industry
After the Spanish Influenza pandemic, came the roaring twenties. I am intrigued by the idea of collecting data regarding what activities people do during COVID, what people are looking forward to doing, and what people feel most comfortable wearing. Then, using data visualization and fashion, predict what fashion and culture will be like post COVID.
Even though this idea really excites me, this is my first shot at trying to figure out what my thesis will be. I know it will take a lot of research, experimenting, and some trial and error to finalize my idea but I am looking forward to keep on developing this project, and I am excited about the direction where this is going.
Now that the semester is over I’m proud of what I achieved during this crazy time, and I am looking forward to getting started on my thesis next semester.
