Senior Thesis Thoughts

My passion for people and storytelling unite in my work. Muriel Rukeyser once remarked, “the Universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” The greater truth is that the interplay of storytelling and design is a core element of what makes good design truly great. I search for the truth of a user’s experience, which brings empathy to the journey and, as a result, enables me to craft the interaction in such a manner to produce a rich experience that is visually dynamic, engaging, and enlightening.

In every project I do, my love for people and their experiences manifests itself in one way or another. I even mapped the meandering pathways of my mind, tracing my footsteps through all the topics I passionately explored in my Sophomore and Junior year:

Because I care about ALL THE THINGS!

Multiculturalism, food origin and health education, community-building, sustainability… Surely there is a topic here in my heart that I care enough about to devote the entirety of my last, precious year of undergrad to––one that will be put on display for the world to see and potentially lead me to my first job in the ‘real’ world. Or, you know, haunt me for the rest of my life.

In my time at CCA I’ve had the opportunity to study under great design minds like Hugh Dubberly, Erin Malone, Haakon Faste, Aynne Valencia — if I named all of them we’d be here all day. Simultaneously, I’ve managed to take classes outside my major that have opened my eyes to some seriously wicked problems in the world and lit a fire in my heart to devote my life and time to causes I believe in.

However, there is one special person I must acknowledge in particular: Christina Wodtke. She’s watched and helped me grow from a shy, timid sophomore into a self-confident senior. I was even able to intern with her this past summer promoting gender equity at conferences; one successful GoFundMe and website redesign later, Women Talk Design is now an LLC. This fall semester, the lovely Christina is once again my professor — this time for Thesis — and she’s encouraged her class to explore the pros and cons of our ideas.

I’m a designer. That’s what I’ve been training to become for the past three years. But I’m also a writer. Visual thinking and sketchnotes only help me understand and retain information rather than develop them. However, when I write, I slowly unwind and piece together my wandering thoughts. So, if you’re still reading, I invite you to join me on this journey.

Shall we?

Topic #1: Planting as Political Protest

Intersection: food, design, and social justice

My systems map of the outreach and mission of grassroots organization Planting Justice

When we think of political protest, we often think of strikes, police, fires, and…plants?

The very act of gardening can be political in and of itself. By growing your own food, you reclaim what is lost and abused in the industrialized food system. In the past, I briefly collaborated with Planting Justice, a local organization that works with inmates and the formerly incarcerated upon re-entry to get green jobs. They grow fresh produce to help sustain healthy eating with their families and community in Oakland. And so much more. I would love to expand on this idea of planting as political protest using design practices.

PROS

• Compelling story and radical idea.
• Tackles the roots of the systemic problem instead of the symptoms.
• Local organization could be a potential partner/platform for my thesis.

CONS

• No idea is truly original, but how might I incorporate design into the equation? I haven’t solidified an idea or chosen a specific direction yet.
• If I partner with Planting Justice and truly want to get to know the individuals on the team, volunteer work may take up a large portion of my week (including commute time).

Topic #2: Food Origin & Nutrition Education for Kids

Intersection: food, culture/race, health, education, kids, and game design?

Screenshot from a video for one of my projects exploring how kids might learn about the origins of food.

Why not teach kids about food while they’re where the food is?

Somewhere along the road, food providers decided that Americans needed specific varieties of fresh produce that had the same shape, size, and color. Not only is this horrible for biodiversity, it strips food of their history.

The ancestor of today’s apples come from China. Carrots originated from Persia and were more commonly white or purple. Could it be that our simple knowledge of the origins of our food might bring us together not through race but by our basic human connection? Could we tackle racism while teaching kids about healthy eating? This, combined with a simple love for trivia may boost kid’s openness to eating and trying new healthy fruits and vegetables.

PROS

• Huge missed opportunity and problem space. Perfect playground for me!
• Audience is flexible. If kids are too complicated, a standard trivia-type game or designed space/labeling are some other potential solutions.
• Relevant topic. For example, Disney is examining how AR/smartphone tech could be used to get kids to take interest in healthy foods. (Sorry, I couldn’t find the article.)

CONS

• Learning curve: I don’t know how to actually make a game for any platform (except tangible paper).
• Too many intersections. I probably have to reduce my idea.
• If kids are my target audience, there may be complications when I conduct research, etc.
• Mainstream grocery stores have strict policies against filming. And bringing kids to my senior show is probably difficult as well.

Topic #3: Multiculturalism vs. Design

Intersection: home, community, culture/identity, design

Data visualization of my project on multicultural people (including TCKS: Third Culture Kids)

How are people’s personal sense of national identity (apart from what’s on their passport) affected when they have lived in multiple countries? How is design meeting or not meeting their specific needs?

PROS

• I have some initial research that can help supplement the beginnings of my thesis development.
• Multicultural people are usually very open to sharing their experiences.

CONS

• Multicultural people can be difficult to find.
• It may prove to be difficult to find enough design trends across different cultures and countries.

Conclusion

Of course, it’s entirely possible that I won’t end up focusing on these particular thesis topics:

1. Planting as Political Protest
2. Food Origin & Nutrition Education for Kids
3. Multiculturalism vs. Design

It’s all part of the process though. This wouldn’t be a journey without some initial struggle. Stay tuned! And if you’ve journeyed with me this far and have some feedback for me, I’d appreciate it! I would love to chat.