Graphic Design Commons^™

Society’S Press: Designing A Digital Commons To Promote Critical Thought And Civil Discourse, Louis Driver

Honors College Theses

This thesis proposes the design of a new digital commons aimed at counteracting the negative incentives that currently dominate online discourse. This paper outlines the research and design of a system that promotes informative, medium-length, user-generated content, emphasizing thoughtful communication over virality. Inspired by academic peer-review practices, the proposed platform will implement a community-driven moderation model to reduce low-quality contributions and foster constructive feedback.

Piecemeal, Max J. Eisenberg

Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the history of photographic manipulation both inside and outside of the camera from the late 19th century until today. My work plucks out cultural and local signifiers from the state of Florida, and the American South as a whole, and disseminates them using a constructed symbolic vernacular in the form of in-camera collaging on large format film.

Strengthening Voter Education Campaigns Through User-Centered Design, Grace E. Holley

School of Art Undergraduate Honors Theses

Voter education materials should serve as a bridge to civic participation, but can fall short due to complex language, inadequate access, or clarity issues. These issues have the potential to disproportionately discourage already impacted groups, such as rural voters, first-time voters, non-native English speakers, and voters with disabilities. Though voter suppression is commonly discussed in terms of restrictive law, there is a gap in research regarding how the lack of available and accessible voter information can contribute to disenfranchisement.

Arkansas, in particular, struggles with voter participation. Despite barriers like strict Photo ID laws, lack of translated materials, and tight absentee …

Mindful Symbiotic Ecosystems. Designing For Women In Remote Workspaces, Andrea Guevara Araujo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women represent 61% of designers in the workforce but hold only 29% of leadership roles. This disparity highlights a critical need for an ecosystem that removes barriers and cultivates mentorship, community, and leadership among women (Bolt, 2020). Even though women have proven their ability to succeed in male-dominated corporate cultures, the real question is not about capability but sustainability. Driven by overwork, competition, and burnout, the workplace does not just push women out; it leads to long-term instability for the entire organization (Krivkovich et al., 2024). In the workplace, a culture of masculinity reinforces harmful, outdated mindsets and glorifies aggressive, …

Designing For Autonomy: Enhancing The Autonomy Of Young Women With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (Pots) Through Interactive Narrative, Jessica Gobble

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is an autonomic nervous system disorder with multisystem impacts. Classified as a chronic illness and oftentimes triggered by viral infections, incidents of POTS have become increasingly common following the outbreak of COVID-19. Primarily affecting young women ages 18 to 30, POTS disrupts an individual's health during their transition to adulthood. This issue is further complicated by medical gender bias, latent care, and misdiagnosis, which leave this demographic vulnerable within traditional healthcare systems (Shaw et al., 2019). As traditional healthcare systems primarily address acute rather than chronic conditions, interactions with these systems are intermittent. Consequently, individuals …

Public Comment: Using Critique-Like Mediating Artifacts To Democratize Discourse At City Council Meetings, Piper Schuerman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Are local governments designed for equitable citizen participation? While civic engagement aims to empower citizens and support representative governance, barriers to participation can hinder those outcomes. City council meetings, key venues for public input, pose specific challenges such as long durations, dense content, and intimidating formalities. These issues disproportionately affect Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), who frequently report feeling underinformed or having limited time to engage. This thesis explores how city council meetings might use multimodal mediating artifacts, inspired by design critique practices, to make public discourse more accessible for Gen Z adults.

Grounded in activity theory and …

Using Scaffolding, Gamification, And Self Awareness To Create Responsive Ux/Ui In Cad Software To Nurture Metacognition In Novice Users, Obed Ibrahim Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Computer-aided Design (CAD) software represents a significant shift from manual and analog design processes to digital workflows, offering substantial utility, accuracy, and productivity benefits. However, CAD software often presents a steep learning curve, particularly for novice users who are new to the software or possess only basic knowledge. Traditional CAD curricula have predominantly focused on technical problem-solving—teaching tools and systems—while often neglecting strategic knowledge that encompasses reflection, planning, and refining, which are essential components of metacognition. Metacognition is crucial for transforming novices into experts who use fewer and more complex commands, employ sophisticated planning, and achieve their goals more efficiently. …

Illustrating Identity: Ethel Reed’S Art Posters And Women's Claims To Public Space In Fin-De-Siècle Boston, Miranda R. Knofczynski

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Much scholarship has uncovered the history of women illustrators during the late nineteenth century. The rebuilding of these lost histories calls for research which theorizes women’s contributions to the burgeoning arts scene of the fin-de-siècle. This thesis will examine the posters Ethel Reed created for different companies during the height of the 1890s poster craze and discuss how she articulated women in public space in them. Reed’s art offers an aestheticized yet feminist visualization of women engaging in leisure activities such as exploring the city, reading, or attending the theatre. Many have described the women in her posters as merely …

Graphic Design 101: Creating Conceptual Literature To Aid In Art Education Access And How I Learned From My Experience Creating It, Kylie J. Roark Miss

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, I will attempt to address several issues that individuals, such as students within the upper middle school to freshman high school range, have in accessing art education. These issues include but are not limited to public schools not receiving enough funding for artistic learning material, the loss of artistic learning programs, and the increased demand on students to focus more on curriculum-based learning. Considering this, I wanted to tackle this problem by creating a prototype of an 8th-12th grade level booklet that contains information and interactive lessons about Graphic Design that are also fun and engaging to …

Animation Therapy, Leah Bernhardt

Honors Theses

Can viewing a meditative animation help student athletes with their mental health? My creative project involves seven one-minute animations that are based on the concept of the seven chakras found in the physical body. Each chakra has specific characteristics that can affect our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. If we can learn how to keep these energies stable within the body, we can learn how to become mentally and physically balanced. My animation consists of animals that best represent each chakra's characteristics. The viewer can imagine themselves as that animal and incorporate those characteristics into their daily life. I presented …

Design Dogma: Redefining Tradition And Innovation Through Mahjong., Isabel L. Ahnemiller

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This design project explores the creation of a Riichi Mahjong set that bridges the traditional cultural heritage of the game with modern design, aimed at introducing the game to new audiences. Riichi Mahjong, a variant of the traditional Chinese Mahjong game, has evolved significantly over the centuries. This project focuses on the development of a visually appealing and functional set that enhances a player’s experience, while staying true to the historical roots of Mahjong. The design uses careful selection of color schemes and symbols, such as the use of both Chinese characters and Arabic numerals to encourage recognition and learning …

20th Century Graphic Design Development: Bridging Theory, History, And Practice Through Russian Constructivism, Oscar A. Gonzalez Jr.

Theses

This project centers on examining Russian Constructivism as a design movement and its influence on contemporary graphic design practices. It focuses on bridging historical theory and visual style with modern studio work, particularly through the creation of LGBTQ+ advocacy posters inspired by Constructivist aesthetics. The aim is to analyze the formal visual elements of Russian Constructivism while producing original designs that engage with current issues of identity and inclusion. Additionally, the project explores how the integration of analog and digital techniques can elevate visual messaging and creative expression.

Cavedivers: A Multi-Media Visual And Musical Release, Emily J. Langford

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

For my graduating UNO Honors Program capstone project, I have chosen to undertake a creative project that involves recording and releasing an album with my band, Cavedivers, while also designing the visual media and advertising graphics to accompany the release. The songs we have recorded were all written and developed before the start of this project. Therefore, this project is less of a songwriting endeavor, since most of that process is already complete, and more of an experimentation and workshop in communicating music through recording and identifying effective trends within graphic design.

As an art major and musician, this has …

Nostalgia, Economic Revitalization, And Community Relationships In Hattiesburg's Recent Historic Preservation Efforts, Jordan Jones

Honors Theses

This paper examines the reasons behind the modern interest in historic preservation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and argues that its supporters are driven primarily by nostalgia towards what they envision as “Old Hattiesburg” and its aesthetics, interest in economic opportunities, and the strengthened sense of community made possible through historic preservation. From the foundation of Hattiesburg to today, there have been shifts in interest in Downtown and its historic districts, and they fluctuate based on changing political, economic, and social trends. In order to contextualize Hattiesburg’s historic preservation, this thesis draws upon secondary scholarship on historic preservation, economic revitalization, and historical …

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

Sensory Elements And Perceived Value In Cosmetics Packaging, Laurel G. Kunkel

All Theses

This research looked at how different sensory features of packaging can affect the way Generation Z consumers feel about a product's value. Focusing on a high-end sunscreen brand called Oasis Sunscreen Co., four packages were created with a unique sensory element. 53 college students were surveyed to see which package they preferred. The results showed that the visual aspects of the packaging were the most important, with over half of the participants choosing the visually appealing package as their favorite. Scented packaging also caught people's attention, while features that involved touch were appreciated but not as influential. The study suggested …

Working To Achieve Flow, Vincente D.A. Fischer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This paper is a thesis for the body of work I created over the last 3 years called Working To Achieve Flow. In the following pages, I will discuss what inspired me to create this body of work, which entailed personal reflection on my own mental health and how it affects my art practice. I will also go over who my influences are: Eva Hesse, Willem De Kooning, and Jenny Saville. Each of these artists inspires me to think about my work in different ways, which has helped me develop into the artist I am today. Finally, I will break …

A Different Way To Hear: The Role Of Children’S Literature In Promoting Asl And Deaf Awareness, Joslyn Harrington

Honors Projects

A Different Way to Hear is a 32-page children’s storybook project designed to promote early exposure to American Sign Language (ASL) and foster cultural awareness of Deaf identity. The story follows a hearing child who, through friendship with a Deaf peer, learns to experience the world through senses beyond sound. Inspired by research on ASL acquisition, Deaf Studies, and inclusive education practices, the book naturally integrates ASL into the narrative and illustrations to model visual communication strategies for young readers. This project responds to a lack of children’s literature that authentically portrays Deaf characters outside of deficit-based narratives. Through careful …

Creative Ties: Using Design To Build Connections And Reduce Loneliness, Madelyn Arnold

Honors Projects

While loneliness is a universal infliction, there are specific demographics that are disproportionately affected by this experience. The older adult population is at a much higher risk of experiencing feelings of loneliness and the negative health risks that come from extended periods of isolation. The severity of loneliness within the older adult population cannot be overstated. Art therapy techniques have been studied as a potential tool to reduce these feelings and side effects in this vulnerable population.

Moved by the profound effects and high rates of loneliness for older adults, this project seeks to create a tool to alleviate these …

Ddx170 Project 2 Example 2, Sae University College

Exemplars

Project 2 involves the creation of a logo for a fictional company. The logo design visually represents the fictional company and describes what goods or services they provide, and who the target audience is. The project includes a logo design, business card, letterhead, 3 mockups, style guide, rationale and end of project reflection.