Digital Commons Network^™

Ai In Graphic Design: Here To Help Or Replace Us?, Christian Jovan Rodriguez

Masters Theses

Artificial intelligence is becoming more commonly used in the creative space. With the implementation of AI, it has provided many benefits to working design professionals making their workflow more efficient. AI has also proposed a potential threat to the careers of graphic designers by reducing job opportunities in art and design. This thesis will expand on areas where artificial intelligence is impacting the fields of art and design. Possible use cases will be expressed throughout, for example graphic designers eventually having to adapt and implement the use of AI daily to promote creativity and speed up workflow. After completing this …

Artistry Meets Algorithm: A Creative's Guide To Ai, Amanda Hoover

Masters Theses

As technology advances, its integration with the graphic design field becomes increasingly prevalent. This can be seen especially in artificial intelligence programs and generative AI. With the rapid emergence of this technology, young graphic designers are left threatened by AI in relation to their graphic design careers. This occurs for several reasons such as lack of knowledge of AI and lack of training in usingvit. This paper aims to highlight the importance for these young designers to understand artificial intelligence through the examination of its practical application to the design field. In addition to this, the history of artificial intelligence …

Good Taste No Waste: A Solution For Managing Food Waste In Newly Independent Young Adults, David Eppinger

Masters Theses

Consumers are the biggest contributors to food waste in the United States and in other developed countries, though most of them don’t realize it. American young adults living independently for the first time lack education on responsible food management in the areas of planning, preparation, and preservation. This lack of skills results in excessive waste of food, money, and energy, and leads to significant damage to the economy and the environment. Ample research exists identifying this issue and the changes that need to be made, yet effective visual solutions have not yet followed. Through a comprehensive topical survey, along with …

Bringing Analog Into The Digital Age: How Traditional Formats Of Analog Design—Such As Letterpress Printing—Can Be Used As Pedagogical Tools For Collegiate Level Online Instruction, Gabriel O. Metzger

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates a strategy for incorporating traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing—into collegiate level online instruction as pedagogical tools, increasing the effectiveness of the curriculum and methods used in the instruction of design fundamentals. While the instruction in design fundamentals is applicable to both analog and digital design formats, there has been a definitive change in how these design fundamentals are perceived and understood by the graphic design students of today’s digital age—especially online/remote learners. Prior to the desktop publishing revolution of the 1980s, the curriculum and methods used in the instruction of design fundamentals at the …

The Influence Of Culture On Graphic Design: Rebranding Glossier For The Japanese Market, Hannah Kuvshinov

Senior Honors Theses

Due to globalization, many companies are expanding their reach into foreign markets that have different cultural contexts. As a result, having versatile branding that can be easily adapted to different cultures becomes extremely important when communicating with consumers from other countries. To develop this branding it is crucial for companies to employ cross-cultural design, which involves much more than simply translating text into the consumers language. In order to successfully expand its products to the Japanese market Glossier will have to apply cross-cultural research to redesign their current branding materials and communication channels. This project focuses on preserving brand cohesiveness …

Implementing Effective And Meaningful Environmental Graphic Design Within Modern Protestant Church Buildings In The U.S., Hannah Gilmer

Senior Honors Theses

The Church, the body of Christ, is filled with people gifted in visual arts, which should present boundless creative opportunities to encourage the body and glorify Christ. However, many modern Protestant churches in the U.S. do not reflect this creative potential in their interior spaces. Christian graphic designers have the unique gift of bringing all the visual arts together into a whole solution that communicates the message of the gospel with richness, power, and beauty. This thesis will show the process of creating environmental graphic design solutions that are intended to encourage a local church and glorify the Lord, building …

The Interaction Of Strategy And Design In Comprehensive Branding, Tiana Miller

Senior Honors Theses

Branding directs how consumers view businesses. Focusing on strategy and design equally aids in making a brand comprehensive, cohesive, and effective. Different aspects of brand strategy determine how to effectively build the backbone of the brand. Understanding design elements and the creative process are important in developing the visual identity of the brand. The findings were combined to create comprehensive personal branding for Tiana Joy Creative. This creative application included an archetypal brand strategy with deliverables including a logo and brand elements.

Sense Make Before Book, Bradley Sinanan

Theses and Dissertations

“Sense Make Before Book” is an Indo-Caribbean turn of phrase which refers to common sense being more important than book smarts. My sister sent me a post the other day on Instagram of an Trinidadian woman using this phrase, saying it was one of Indo-Caribbean origin. I was interested and asked my mom about it. My mom says that when she was younger my grandpa said it often around their house in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago. This adage feels charged thinking about the history of indenture and its effects on the Indo-Caribbean diaspora.

The written word of archival history …

Sarah Pohjola, Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio, Earth's Destruction, Sarah Pohjola

Senior Art Portfolios

This work was created for the Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio 2024. This work includes graphic design and illustration focused on environmental conservation.

Visualizing The Risks: The Significance Of Graphic Design In Educating Women About The Risks Of Prescription Opioids & Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions, Natascha Foret Truong

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the critical issue of educating women about the increased risks of prescription opioid use and misuse relating to a co-occurring mental health illness. The research-based graphic design solutions proposed in the thesis aim to create awareness and provide knowledge to women on this matter. It is imperative to address this issue as it has severe consequences for women, their families, and society. This thesis utilizes research and best practices from scholarly articles, case studies, visual analysis, personas, and mind mapping to present graphic design solutions based on evidence. These solutions aim to educate women about the gender-specific …

Kentucky Crafted, 2023 (Fa 1403), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1403. Audio, video, and photographs documenting folk artists in receipt of grants from the Kentucky Arts Council to train and mentor apprentices. Includes narrative stages in the “Folk Art Zone,” part of the Kentucky Crafted Marketplace at Alltech Arena in Lexington, Kentucky and held on 11-12 March 2023 in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council, the Kentucky Folklife Program, and the WKU Department of Folk Studies & Anthropology.

Grateful But Discouraged, Noah Davisson

Life in Letters: A Typographic Poster Exhibition Featuring Paul Laurence Dunbar

Dimensions: 30 inches wide, 36 inches tall
Inkjet on matte paper, printed on both sides

Artist's narrative: Letter 21 is from Paul Laurence Dunbar to Frederick Douglass, expressing his thanks to Douglass for his help in Chicago. Dunbar was showing his gratitude toward him and his wife and how he would not forget their kindness. Dunbar goes on to explain that he is not doing well mentally and that the people in his town did not support him — especially after he came back from Chicago. Dunbar explains how news of him getting thrown out of a hotel for being …

Don't Be Startled, My Dear Mother, Jon Quiroz

Life in Letters: A Typographic Poster Exhibition Featuring Paul Laurence Dunbar

Dimensions: 30 inches wide, 36 inches tall
Inkjet on matte paper, printed on both sides

Artist's statement:

In Letter 66, Paul Laurence Dunbar aims to reassure his mother, Matilda Dunbar, not to be so concerned about his whereabouts. He emphasizes that he will return home as soon as he can. Within the letter, he sends a $2 bill to give financial support during his busy schedule of recitals, particularly in the South—a gesture that underscores his devotion to his family’s well-being even in his absence. Dunbar reassures his mother that after gaining great success from his writing, all the financial …

The Agency Of Graphic Design Towards Promoting Collective Awareness Of Heritage Inscriptions: A Study On The Erosion Of Palestinian Traditional Iconography, Belal Herbawi, Abhishek Chatterjee, Heitor Alvelos

IASDR Conference Series

This article discusses research to establish the extent of contemporary Palestinian graphic design's knowledge of traditional iconography and inclination towards its application in modern-day workflows. What new perspectives can graphic design contribute to heritage design? This paper discusses answers to these questions by examining the meanings and contents of the traditional Palestinian inscriptions by confirming those meanings and realizing the value of employing these inscriptions in the context of vibrant and developed creative industries in Palestine. Heritage has become an important research topic in recent decades and is now emerging as a priority area with research councils. Increasingly framed as …

Exiles: Trauma, Art & Design, Edwin Lew-Højbak Paquette

University Honors Theses

A BFA thesis about the researching, writing, illustrating, and printing of a graphic novel. The story, an auto-biographical exploration of trauma using magical realism, is based on the Jungian psychology concept of shadow work and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

Writ In Water, Jack Tufts

Masters Theses

This thesis celebrates impermanence; that all things are transitory, in a perpetual state of flux. Yet the idea of place is a perception that endures; it is what we carry with us.

Here lies this thesis, Writ In Water.

On the surface, there is a layer of impermanence: fragments dispersed, dissolved memories, words washed away. Water is a medium for memory, carrying the ephemeral debris on the surface. I take what the water gives me, reaching in to pull out the remains to build a home, for wherever the water takes me. I gather fragments as a form of …

Promoting Mental Treatment In The Arab World, Aya Emam Hassanein

Masters Theses

This study investigates why mental health has been neglected in the Arab world and what strategies could be used to promote it and break the stigma associated with mental disorders. The literature review reveals that the most prominent barriers preventing mental treatment in the Arab world are cultural stigma, poverty, illiteracy, false beliefs regarding the causation of the illness, conflicts in countries, and a scarcity of mental health services and research. The review also discusses the most common mental illnesses in the Arab world and how the culture affects the process of treatment. Additionally, it discusses the possible solutions proposed …

Accompanied Solo: A Singer/Songwriter's Look Into The Music Industry From Design To Debut Album, Vivienne Mccracken

Honors Theses

Vivi McCracken is my self-titled debut Extended Play Record (or EP) that consists of five original songs. This project encompasses all of my creative passions, with the aim of gaining knowledge of the music industry and what it takes to debut an album from concept to completion. I wrote the music, sang the songs for the recordings, and, for my BFA thesis exhibition, I designed all the graphics, merchandise, and collateral.

The cover art is intentionally minimal. I wanted the imagery to be the main focus, so I chose a condensed sans serif typeface that felt playful enough to complement …

All Clear: A Workbook For Sexually Active Accutane Users Who Can Become Pregnant, Taylor Petersen

Honors Projects

Accutane is a pill-based derivative of Vitamin A used to treat cystic acne. The process to start and continue the medication each month is tedious and full of potential for error. This is especially true for female patients who are able to become pregnant as they have the additional step of monitoring and updating their birth control through an online portal. Patients are treated like numbers and there is little to no customization within Accutane treatment from patient to patient. To make this worse, reliable information about the drug is scarce and many turn to social media platforms or other …

Chroma Cowboy, Jessica Gryder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chroma Cowboy consists of eleven canvases wrapped in used feed sacks layered with vinyl to create brightly colored narrative scenes. Pulling from Pop Art colors, cubism shapes and a consciousness of materials, I designed this body of work to give the hard-working cowboys, ranchers, and agribusinesses a way to have their stories told to a larger audience. The strain on ranches due to generational changes, politics and environmental circumstances makes it even more important to document this way of life. I strive to further advance and inform the general public’s knowledge of the unyielding lifestyle and dedication that it takes …

Laguna Love: A Sustainable Bikini Collection, Aubrianna L. Davenport

Graphic Communication

Graphic Communication can be applied to various industries of design. As a Cal Poly student I had the opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy. During that time I studied fashion and product development, which sparked my desire to become a textile designer one day; I specifically hope to work in the surf apparel industry. Whilst taking textile design classes abroad, I learned that I could apply my love for graphic design to the fashion industry quite seamlessly; I am thankful that Graphic Communication has provided me with the skill sets in Adobe Creative Cloud, especially, when applying my knowledge …

Mikaela Benitez: Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio, Mikaela Benitez

Senior Art Portfolios

This document represents the Senior Art Exhibition portfolio of Mikaela Benitez, which was exhibited in the Bush Art Center Galleries in the spring semester of 2023.

Reimagining Discovery: Navigating Gutman’S Shelves, Annika Zitto

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Designer: Annika Zitto (she/they)

Background: Annika is a graphic designer from Hanover, PA. She is studying Visual Communication Design at Jefferson (Class of 2025) and works as a student researcher for Professor Renee Walker. She is the President for Jefferson’s AIGA Professional Association for Design chapter. Annika is also a research assistant for Dr. Radika Bhaskar with a focus on information visualization about bioplastics for educational outreach. Annika's research interest explores the intersections between user experience, accessibility, environmentalism, and urban design.

Project: This project is from Thomas Jefferson University's Experiential Graphic Design course (SDE 373) taught by Renee Walker, …

Graphic Design & Painting, Emily Zepp

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Starting with the desire to explore the connection between GD and painting, I realized the only difference between the two is the context in which the work is created. Both graphic design and painting seek to impart messages upon the viewer and explore a certain perspective. Success can be measured in both disciplines by the effectiveness of the communicated message.

Mycelium, Minjoo Lee

Master's Theses

Mycelium (noun)

/mʌɪˈsiːlɪəm/

plural: mycelia

the vegetative, root-like part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white thread-like filaments (hyphae).

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From as long as I can remember,

I’ve drawn inspiration from nature. I’ve always looked to create art and designs that contain the same visual elements and story-telling that is so present in nature.

In mycelia, I found inspiration in the fact that they are vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of material. They give life to what has died, turning negative into positive.

TATUME ISLAND Tattoo Studio was born out …

Women's Hall Of Fame, Brianna Kean

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No matter how you identify we can all take actions in support of gender equality. Women have come a long way in society since Sacagawea’s time, but that doesn’t mean we live in an equal world. I was inspired by these ten women, and I hope you are too. Take that inspiration and turn it into action, so that maybe one day people might honor you for supporting women’s rights. This project honors ten women throughout history that have made an impact on women's rights and societal values. I created a portrait, a bio, and a poem that aims at …

An Exploration Into Public Art, Samantha Fazio

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores both the processes of designing and creating a mural and the community impact of public art. It aims to answer questions including: What goes into creating a mural? What is public art and why is it important? How does it socially and economically impact the community and its members? In doing this project, I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how to create a mural and of the greater cultural context that public art projects exist in.

Madisyn Brisbane Senior Art Exhibition Portfolio, Maddy Brisbane

Senior Art Portfolios

This is Madisyn Brisbane's Senior Art Portfolio for Spring 2023. This project focuses on breast cancer awareness.

World-Building Warnings: Depth In Creative Art To Consider Societal Paths, Kane Samuel Wright

Masters Theses

Addressing the issue of artists often failing to visually communicate through world-building concepts, this paper seeks to inform a design piece demonstrating the potential effectiveness of a message communicated through visual world-building in a manner that minimises audience disengagement and maximises articulate artistic communication. Questions arise as to what dangers a future society may face that could be worth using as a framework to address this communication problem, whether techniques surrounding visual world-building can be successful in this task, and where artists go astray in their own attempts. Research conducted suggests that psychology, culture, and semiotics play an important role …

Childhood Food Insecurity In Rural America: Raising Awareness And Inspiring Action Through Art And Design, Julie Hansen Olson

Masters Theses

Children go hungry in America every day, particularly in rural communities, where statistics show food insecurity to be as high as 17%. This means one in six children in rural communities lacks nutritionally adequate food or the ability to acquire it on a daily basis. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, this appalling statistic is unacceptable. But how do we mitigate food insecurity for children and its resulting effects on a child’s physical, mental, and social development? This project proposes to educate, raise awareness, and inspire and/or enable action by all stakeholders to reduce food insecurity, specifically …