interactive

In this paper, I focus on the use of non-textual languages in Eastern aesthetics, in particular, the application of visual languages in graphic design. My thesis project discusses how minimalism in brand design can be used as a carrier to communicate and interact with the audience from three aspects: Graphic, Color, and Tactility. To do this, I explore various aspects of minimal brand design such as: the graphic application of the "Empty" theory in Japanese culture; the diversity of the definition and application of "White" in design colors; the user's interactive experience of tactility. Minimalism is not only simplicity but the combination of a work's core meaning and compact space.

Different media have created more diversity in design to present the vast variety of approaches in graphic design. In this paper, I will demonstrate through research and contemporary examples how Graphic Design and Multimedia can be used as an investigative process to delve deeper into social and cultural conflicts. To do this I will define Visual Language and Multiculturalism, and how these concepts work in tandem to guide the transmission of content; demonstrate the possibilities for connections between people, by pairing universal human senses with the expansive capacities of new technology presented through the use of Multimedia; discuss how these possibilities for connection influence my design process as a Graphic Designer in the development of new tools to enhance these audience connections; and finally, I will synthesize how these concepts converge to become a New World Language, as a means of communication among all media languages, breaking the mono-channel communication pattern of traditional media. As media has evolved with technological advancements, so should Graphic Design and its uses; it is capable of doing more than creating "good-looking" things--it should touch upon social responsibilities, encourage social change, and equality.

Three Winks Project is a temporary public installation meant to call attention to the importance of slowing down and taking a moment to view your surroundings. By using the notion of play—an action that is fueled not by specific outcomes and or worried about failure—the participating audience member engages in a solitary viewing experience and exploration meant to interrupt their normal routine and perception. There are two aspects to Three Winks, one provides an opportunity to change your perspective and the other is an experiment in a social setting relying on the public's involvement. The project consists of multiple components including physical objects for use and display and a social media element. This thesis explores the subject of how play in childhood affects adulthood and the importance of the sense of play. I do not intend to use the Three Winks Project to define a new category of play, but aim to consider public interactions through both a literal lens, the periscope, and a figurative lens, play. The intention is not to develop a product, but to create an experience.

This thesis—Beyond Screens—uses form, type, motion, and coding to enable the audience to see and play with typographic elements in both abstract and applied form by creating dynamic and interactive environments. To engage people in various ways, this thesis is designed as a system to be used across various media. It includes two components—four posters and a website. Rather than relying simply on 2D or 3D, it is a more complicated dimensional space; I am creating enjoyment for the audience beyond the screen, both digital and print, by inviting them into a multidimensional space. For the website, I created five pages based on rhythm; point, line, and play; form and counter-form; color words; and color in space. All the form in the poster design were inspired from the web design. As a designer, I understand the need for legibility, but I am more concerned with communicating something more visceral, expressive, and imaginative. Instead of drawing conclusions, Beyond Screens seeks a field of discovery, one that requires inquiry as opposed to conclusions.

This thesis attempts to recreate a memory landscape through the reconstruction of specific moments in my past. It is focused on the reformation of the Dawson Timbers, a pivotal landmark of my youth. The goal of the work is to create a physical, all encompassing environment for the viewer to enter and interact with. This space provides an opportunity for the viewer to engage in experiencing the maker's point of view, while simultaneously building narrative from personal history. The installation starts with a two-dimensional hanging wall piece, which is connected by a crocheted trail, leading the viewer into the basement. Once in the basement, the viewer enters a room, which is the three dimensional rendering of the painting upstairs. In essence, a flat snapshot of a landscape transforms into a tangible woodland territory; navigable and present.

Narrative Re-mix: Generating Stories Through Re-Interpretation investigates the function of the illustrator as a story teller and how the process of interpreting content creates new stories. As different voices share these tales with new audiences, the stories we share evolve with each new telling –growing and mutating to provide us with cautionary tales, myths, parables, and memories. The multitudes of fairy tales and the pervasiveness of identical stories that exist in our collective consciousness can be attributed to this process. Similarly, illustrators take existing content and create a visual interpretation that has the potential to express a unique point of view, not simply create a visual version of said content. The work discussed uses music as the source for interpretation and investigates how far the lyrical content can be stretched and given new context. This thesis also investigates the illustration as an interactive art piece. The product is a fold-out zine that allows the viewer to physically interact with the illustrations within.