Digital Commons Network^™

Small Town To The World Wide Web: Designing A Website For A Local Business, Madison Cozzens

Honors Projects

The Raspberry and The Rose is a small business in Medina, OH, and had a multitude of visual communication issues that needed to be solved. But what's an online presence without a website? "Small Town to the World Wide Web: Designing a Website for a Local Business" focuses on fulfilling a local business's need for a strong online presence. It dives into how a user's experience on the website can impact brand loyalty, foot traffic, and overall perception of a business. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide insight into how a non-e-commerce website can impact a business.

Depictions Of The West: The Development And Role Of The Formal French Garden, Sydney Wray

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Serving As A Dramaturg To On Campus Productions: The Development And Execution Of Thea 6910: A Dramaturgy Of Three Plays, Megan Kimball

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the Fall of 2021, I served as the dramaturge for the Loyola Marymount campus productions of Anna Deavere's Smiths, "Twilight Los Angeles," Brandon Jacob Jenkins, "Everybody "and Melanie Marnich's "These Shining Lives." One can't ignore the distinct and separate story designs of these plays. "Twilight Los Angeles" is a verbatim theatre style, with an arrangement of monologues. "Everybody" is a modern-day morality play with a lottery. "These shining lives" is a period piece set as a docudrama. My process for this thesis will be a reflective and experiential study on performing the role of the dramaturg for these three …

Is This A Line? Visual Literacy, Visual Inquiry, And Visual Communication In The Elementary School Years, Connie J. Broadbent

Theses and Dissertations

As a mother and public elementary school art teacher, I recognize the impact images have in the lives of children. Our culture is image rich and often image saturated. I believe I can do more to prepare my students to become discerning consumers and creators of images. Art teachers are uniquely qualified to teach visual literacy and visual inquiry. If grade school children can be taught to think more deeply and critically about their visual world, they will be better prepared for responding to it in a healthy, empowering way. This research describes an elementary school curriculum based on teaching …

Depictions Of The West: The Development And Role Of The Formal French Garden, Sydney Wray

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

Emerging Trends: Scenic Design Beyond The Stage, Kellie N. Murphy

LSU Master's Theses

The role of a scenic designer is so exciting but opportunities to design can fluctuate a bit. While the work is rewarding, the career itself can be much like a gig at times. Then when you factor in a major event such as a global pandemic, where does this leave a scenic designer in terms of employment and livelihood? Are there other possibilities for work with a Master of Fine Arts in Scenic Design? How do we continue to tell stories while providing for ourselves? Have artists considered how these skills are transferrable to other allied fields?

As a scenic …

Seeing Slavery, Lulu Hamissou

Theses

This paper examines the resilience of Laura Clark, Carrie Davis, and Delia Garlic, three formerly enslaved women from Alabama whose memories and experiences during enslavement were part of a large slave narrative project called Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938. The design exhibition, Seeing Slavery, visually communicates and portrays the accounts and portraits of the three women. Printed and embroidered fabrics visually communicate the narrative stories of these women, while their portraits are made from screen printed acrylic glass.

Following an introduction, a literature review details the history of the three slave …

Toys Are For Adults, John Wippler

Theses

This paper explores the concept of toys, what they are and for whom they are made. The paper also provides a brief history of designer toys and pop culture, and how pop culture helped fuel the designer toy industry. The psychology of collecting is also referenced, and a direct correlation is made between the act of collecting toys and toy popularity.

The book I wrote is also mentioned and is a vital part of the purpose for the thesis. The book is an introductory guide to resin toymaking and is integral to the expansion of the designer toy community.

Drawn In: An Exploration Of The Graphic Narrative, Celia Casciani

Senior Theses

This thesis project aims to explore ordinary stories told through the graphic narrative. The goal is to understand what intrigues us about ordinary stories and what is gained through the use of comics form to tell these stories. The project portion of the thesis consists of a website showcasing comics based on narratives told by students at the University of South Carolina. The research portion uses existing literature, as well as reflections from the creation of the project, to answer the above questions. In the end, I found that we are drawn to ordinary stories through the process of identification, …

Understanding The Library As A Commemorative Exhibition Space, Theresa Ryan Dr, Bernadette Quinn Dr

Other resources

This research responds to calls to further our understanding of exhibitions in the library context (Rogatchevskaia, 2018; Fouracre, 2015) by exploring the significance of a commemorative exhibition staged in a public library. Employing a qualitative methodology, it centres on the ‘Goodbye Dublin: The War of Independence in the City’ commemorative exhibition, staged by Dublin City Pearse Street Library, between August 14^th and October 31^st, 2019. The findings show that the commemorative nature of the exhibition appealed to a variety of new, lapsed and frequent library users, connecting with Irish and non-Irish residents, as well as tourists visiting …

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: László Moholy-Nagy And The Photobook, Sarah Hill

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

In this paper with a corresponding visual exhibition, I will examine the Hungarian modern artist László Moholy-Nagy's 1925 photobook Malerei Fotografie Film (Painting Photography Film) and his optical theories about how technology can impact human perception of time and motion. I will also investigate Moholy-Nagy's influence on other important photobooks of the era, such as Franz Roh and Jan Tschichold's Photo Eye: 76 Photos of the Time, and the important 1929 Film und Foto (Film and Photography) exhibition, known as FiFo, in Stuttgart, Germany. I will draw particularly on Pepper Stetler's 2015 book Stop Reading! Look! Modern Vision …

The Puppy In The Polka Dot Pajamas: A Multimedia Approach To Children's Literature, Grace Phillips

Honors Projects

In a world that seemingly becomes crueler by the day, some topics are not handled with the tact they require and deserve. Issues of bullying and self-expression can often evoke undesirable emotions when discussed. Although it may be difficult to achieve, every child deserves to grow up in a world free of bullying that promotes authentic self-expression. To do my part – however minor it may be – in fostering a more accepting community, I used this project as an opportunity to create a story that shared anti-bullying messaging in a suitable and enjoyable manner for children.

Women’S Sexual Health Rights In Egypt, Mira Ayman

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Egyptian youth makes up 60% of the Egyptian population. Accessing proper reproductive health information still continues to be one of the main issues that the youth in Egypt faces, especially the unmarried fragment. This situation is largely due to religious conservatism. Because this issue remains a taboo, information on STI’s, FGM, contraception, sexual consent and other sexual health-related issues remain very limited. Private hospitals and clinics in Egypt do not offer youth-friendly services and only focuses on activities that would generate income (antenatal care and delivery). The lack of knowledge leads curious young adults to refer to online sources …

Male And Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis Of Shonen Manga, Alexandria Perez

The Montana English Journal

A qualitative multimodal content analysis of popular manga examined how female and male character interactions represented gender roles. An analytical tool was developed using multimodal, semiotic, social semiotic, gender, and feminist theories to understand representations of males and females in this popular media. This study showed that traditional gender norms are still present in manga, but there are some that break stereotypes. Also, in using both textual and visual elements to interpret multimodal texts, understanding of character interactions were enhanced because the intermodal interactions created new meaning. Implications suggest positive outlooks for manga being used as an educational tool by …

The Iconography And Roles Of An Ascetic Monk: A Painting Of Abba Samu'el Of Waldabba, Madison Gilmore-Duffey

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Message Journal, Issue 5: Covid-19 Special Issue Capturing Visual Insights, Thoughts And Reflections On 2020/21 And Beyond…, Sadia Abdisalam, James Alexander, Tom Ayling, Jessica Barness, Diana Bîrhală, Maria Borțoi, Bernard J. Canniffe, Patti Capaldi, Tânia A. Cardoso, Megan Culliford, Stephanie Cunningham, Meg Davies, Subir Dey, Matthew Frame, Aaron Ganci, Peter Gibbons, Sofia Gvozdeva, Elizabeth Herrmann, Chae Ho Lee, Alma Hoffmann, Hedzlynn Kamaruzzaman, Merle Karp, Holly K. Kaufman-Hill, John Kilburn, Joshua Korenblat, Warren Lehrer, Erica V.P. Lewis, Christine Lhowe, Xinyi Li, Kelly Salchow Macarthur, Shelly Mayers, Steven Mccarthy, Bianca Milea, Sara Nesteruk, Cat Normoyle, Jessica Teague, Paul Nini, Emily Osborne, Sima Elizabeth Shefrin, Kyuha Shim, Angelica Sibrian, Gianni Sinni, Irene Sgarro, David Smart, Matt Soar, Junie Tang, Rebecca Tegtmeyer, Ane Thon Knutsen, Isobel Thomas, Darryl Westley, Lisa Winstanley, Danne Woo, Dave Wood, Helena Gregory, Colin Raeburn, Jackie Malcolm

Message Graphic Communication Design Research

No abstract provided.

Kids, Culture, And Queerness: The Progression Of Lgbtq+ Representation In Children's Media, Sarah Stevens

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Historically, popular media has functioned as a window into society’s ever evolving idea of normalcy. Children’s popular media, which contains elements of both entertainment and didacticism, is further burdened with the responsibility of influencing the perspectives of upcoming generations. This truth is particularly salient for the LGBTQ+ community, who have faced consistent misrepresentation or utter erasure from children’s media in the recent past. While there have been marked improvements in both the quality and quantity of queer representation in children’s media since 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges case, there is still a significant need to acknowledge intersectional queerness and queer gender …

A Pilot Study: An Evaluation Of Accessibility Of Resources For Parents Of D/Deaf/Hoh Children In Ky/Tn, Amara Danturthi

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Most parents of d/Deaf/Hoh children are not Deaf, making it imperative for easy access to diverse strategies to ensure smooth communication between them and their child. Parents make the paramount decision of what their child’s first language should be, therefore, access to current information on communication strategies is crucial in this journey. Many families fall on resources sometimes from sources in different formats to understand what may work best for them. The accessibility and availability of these resources are a crucial component in the parent’s decision-making process. Due to the unique dynamics between hearing parents and d/Deaf/Hoh children, this pilot …

A Multidisciplinary Collaboration Between Graphic Design And Physics Classes Responding To Covid-19, Szilvia Kadas, Eric M. Edlund

The SUNY Journal of the Scholarship of Engagement: JoSE

Students from graphic design and physics classes at SUNY Cortland collaborated during the spring semester of 2020 on a multidisciplinary project related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In these collaborations, the students’ individual contributions were part of a larger project that required a diverse skill set, through which students learned how different skills can complement their own disciplines. The graphic design and physics instructors applied a project-based learning philosophy applying the Common Problem Pedagogy (CPP) framework to construct student-teams composed of both disciplines. This project explored how coordinated social actions can allow the public to exercise control in uncertain times. Students …

Online Dating Experiences With Filtering Profile Photos, Jamie Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study is a qualitative, phenomenological analysis of male Tinder users’ experiences with women over-filtering their visual self-presentation on Tinder using augmented reality (AR) smartphone technology. Tinder users frequently discuss how their dates do not live up to their profile photographs once they meet face-to-face due to the proliferation of filtered photos on dating apps and social media to make themselves appear more attractive. Augmented reality, Tinder, social media, and smartphone filtering are all ingrained in pop culture, yet have not been previously studied. Eight male Tinder users were recruited and interviewed. Coding and thematic analysis were used in this …

Objectified: Forced Marriages And Bitter Reality Of Violence Against Women In India, Anurag Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violence against women is an ongoing problem in India. With cases rising ever higher, the time has come to talk openly about the uncomfortable truths behind arranged marriages, which foster injustice and often lead to violence against women. The wedding dress is a symbol of purity in traditional Indian weddings, but in the case of marriages that turn abusive, it can become a symbol of oppression and patriarchy. During the research phase of this investigation, women once stuck in abusive marriages—treated as objects—talked about the objects that made them feel trapped and explained how these everyday objects became silent …

Online Engagement In Graduate Technical Communication Education, Tabatha Kless

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this study, I conducted a content analysis to investigate engagement in online graduate technical communication programs. I wanted to evaluate this topic because online learning and engagement evolve, so it is fitting to evaluate how educational policies, learning methods, and technology have developed in technical communication education. The content analysis consisted of coding course material from three technical communication courses, mostly assignment descriptions, and instructions based on the language in the documents. I found strategies that develop skills 21st century technical communicators should have, such as discussions, service learning, and research papers.

Endless Curiosity, Ryan Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Growing up in an image-based society with television, computer screens, and a massive swell of visual media leaves me overloaded with imagery and information. I seek to find beauty in the strangeness of interconnected nostalgia of family memories, loss and grief, escapism, and video games. I process and excavate my personal history by romanticizing memories, relationships, and the passage of time. I do this with constructed visual worlds created through the physical processes of drawing, bookbinding, ceramics, printmaking, and painting. I use references and influences from 20th-century artists Paul Klee, James Ensor, and Jim Nutt to connect and interweave video …

Re-Imagining Design For Affordable Housing In Mexico, Kenza Fernandez Dominguez

Scripps Senior Theses

Since the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, affordable housing developments in Mexico have been produced in a massive, unsustainable scale. The speed at which these developments are produced equates to the carelessness that goes into their planning. At large, the developments’ monotonous design is aesthetically dehumanizing and fails to promote a sense of community. These developments lack basic infrastructure, and their residents have abandoned them, which has incentivized increased criminal activity.

In this paper, I will be looking at successful models of affordable housing globally, exploring the histories of communal living, and function of architectural collages. Based on my findings …

Food Desert To Food Oasis: An Engagement With The Community Through Evidence-Based Methods, Phillip W. Zawarus, Lisa Ortega

Creative Collaborations

The state of Nevada has the 12th highest percentage (12.8%) of households living with food insecurity compared to the US average of 11.1% according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1). Economic and environmental benefits of urban forests have been well documented to address issues of climate change, urban heat islands, and fragmented ecologies, however, in a period of social inequities, urban forests can serve a vital role in providing environmental justice through agroforestry for communities identified within a food desert.

According to Kyle H. Clark & Kimberly A. Nicholas, “urban food forestry can be an efficient way to consistently …

A Semiotic Phenomenology Of Consumptive Pedagogy By College Instructors In A General Education Program, Giselle L. Betts

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the instructional and visual pedagogy of university faculty teaching sociological consumer education within an interdisciplinary general education program. This study addresses gaps in the literature regarding program and course format, visual utilization, and teaching philosophies from faculty members’ perspectives. Utilizing a semiotic phenomenological approach, implications for instructional facilitation are discussed at length.Findings of this study include five themes that impact the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, as well as sociological consumer education. Participant life experiences and disciplines are implicated as instrumental towards participant instructional philosophies. The nature and impact of interdisciplinary program …

A Stillness In The Desert? Engaging The Public Through An Immersive Exploration Of Southwest Soundscapes, Julian Kilker, Thomas Bjelic

Creative Collaborations

The pandemic highlighted the anthropocentric nature of soundscapes, while the recent popularity of electric cars, quadcopters, and “noise cancellation” earbuds demonstrated how consumer products can rapidly change our awareness of sound. While light pollution is already extensively addressed in scholarly research, popular works such as The End of Night, and public engagement such as The International Dark Sky Association, the complex interplay of sound, natural resources, and public engagement is still emerging, particularly in creative fields.

Two UNLV scholars and artists are collaborating on this project: Julian Kilker, who specializes in visual and emerging technology research, and Tom Bjelic, who …

Augmented Decision-Making Through The P[Ar]K: Hybridizing Performance Metrics For User Evaluation, Phillip W. Zawarus

Creative Collaborations

Nature-based solutions are being further appreciated beyond their aesthetics and are being recognized for their ability to sustain, mitigate, and service the sensible ecological preservation and enhancement of the natural and built environments (Beck, 2015). For the profession of landscape architecture to properly evaluate these necessary design tactics, our process must shift to a divergent method of asking questions to direct solutions through evidence-based decision-making (Lahaie, 2016).

Through the emergence of landscape performance and the integration of quantitative metrics into outdoor spaces, technology and innovate methods can begin to communicate nature-based benefits as tangible outcomes to comprehend the complex ecological, …

Why My Sister Really Left: A Narrative Film, Sarah Shively

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My Honors Project will bring awareness to some of the less positive aspects of homeschooling that some homeschool advocates tend to gloss over. I will plan and produce a fifteen-to-twenty-minute film that portrays a homeschooled teen as her efforts to discover the truth about her estranged sister lead her to a life-altering decision. In making this film, I wish to explore a homeschool coming-of-age story, as well as the effects that authoritarian parenting styles can have on the homeschool environment. My preproduction research will consist of the relationship between authoritarian parenting and parents’ reasons for homeschooling, the impact of the …

Denouncing Gender Violence In Spain And Rewriting The Female Narrative, Irene Kotyk

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper analyzes how Spanish female artists across Spain denounce domestic violence by exposing abuse and the culture of women domination in public spaces. Gender violence is important to analyze because it is a current issue in Spain, and globally, as there is a fight for gender equality in countries around the world. Technically speaking, domestic violence includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse occurring between partners or within a family (Dutton). Recently, many artists across Spain are looking to reconstruct a new narrative for women. This paper will look at how gender-based violence against women was practiced throughout the Spanish …