annikapyo.cargo.site
Gathering is present
Gathering is observation
Gathering is engagement
Gathering is giving
Gathering is the practice of cultivating an authentic sense of self in
conjunction with an openly embracing community. As a designer,
gathering is the process of convening materials, thoughts,
collaborators, and audience to build relationships through co-design.
As my time in a university setting comes to an end, I imagine how I
will bring my gathered knowledge into new contexts and non-academic
spaces. By investigating through surveys and interviews, conducting
collaborative workshops, performing social media experiments, and
distributing through printed matter and digital media, my methodology
explores how design operates as language, a vehicle for communication
between designers and non-designers alike. How can casual settings
and accessible tools open windows for non-designers to engage with
graphic design?
Gatherings aims to make relational roles malleable by blurring the
boundaries of designer and audience, facilitator and participant,
influencer and follower, and teacher and pupil to embrace adaptability,
trust, and exchange as essential tenets of community building.
Considering and embodying the perspectives and priorities of
educators, students, and random Instagram users, I adapt my
framework for design thinking to be broad enough to include and
intimate enough to resonate.
Through my research, I hope to contribute to ongoing conversations
about design education and invite those unfamiliar with, but curious
about graphic design to expand definitions and applications of design
thinking. My design practice is flexible and in flux, in and out of design
circles, for the purpose of meaningful human connection.
Boston University College of Fine Arts
School of Visual Arts