Graphic Design Commons^™

Junk Journaling For Graphic Designers: Analog Play & Process In An Increasingly Digital Design Landscape, Kristina Rosgen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores junk journaling as an accessible analog practice for young graphic designers experiencing digital fatigue, creative stress, and perfectionism. Through historical research, a hands-on workshop, and an interactive Readymag website, the project shows how junk journaling can help designers reconnect with play, process, physical materials, and the joy of making.

Navigating Filipino-American Identity Through Philippine Foodways, Jenelle Kirsten De Leon

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the complexity of Filipino-American identity and investigates how Philippine foodways can function as a meaningful pathway for cultural understanding, identity formation, and intergenerational connection. Shaped by colonization, cultural hybridity, generational divides, and limited representation in Western education and media, Filipino-American identity is often difficult to define and navigate, leaving many individuals without accessible entry points to explore their culture, history, traditions, and more.

Through an analysis of existing literature, primary research, and a survey of Filipino-American youth, this study finds that Filipino cuisine operates as a powerful site of cultural and historical knowledge. The narratives embedded within …

Why Choose Green Burial: Raising Awareness About An Under-Utilized Method Of Body Disposition, Gretchen Mahlberg

University Honors Theses

Green burial, the process of human burial in a biodegradable vessel without embalming, is a simple method for disposal of remains that has been used around the world for centuries, yet it is chosen less than 5% of the time in the US today. The stigma about discussing death has led to a lack of awareness about options and created an environment where morticians, as the sole sources of information, direct the bereaved towards the options most beneficial to themselves. Previous methods to raise awareness about green burial have had limited reach, being focused on people who are already researching …

Math, And You! Math Tools Website For First-Grade Children With Instruction Provided Through Music Education, Tye Raymond

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the conceptualization, exploration, and execution of a User Interface (UI) Design created as a supplemental mathematics education tool for grade one learners. Titled "Note Builder", this thesis project is a web design project, functioning as the prototype for a prospective website. Coding a website is a separate project; this project is comprised of the web design blueprint known as a prototype. The site uses a music-based digital reward system, which I constructed to motivate students as they explore new mathematics skills. All of the math questions used in this web design project are directly produced based on …

Swarlipi: An Exploration In Devanagari Typography, Hindustani Music, And Emotional Expression, Arya Radhika

University Honors Theses

Local Indian scripts are slowly fading in favor of Latin and English due to the idolization and convenience of Western culture in post-colonial India. Unique Indic fonts and quality cultural design work are uncommon. To contribute to a small pool of design that deserves to be much larger, I decided to explore a niche topic--the emotional expression of Indian classical music, in particular the concept of time theory, and how Devanagari lettering can represent the emotions evoked by music.

I conducted surveys and several interviews to understand how typography expresses emotion in terms of technical concepts as well as cultural …

Green Weave: A Textile Guide To The Future Of Fashion, Simon Braunschweig

University Honors Theses

Fashion and technology are inextricably linked. The more advanced our technology becomes, so too does fashion and our understanding of it. Fashion is also one of the top contributors to climate change. However, modern technology has the potential to change the way fashion impacts our planet, working harmoniously with nature instead of against it. This thesis investigates the connection between technology and fashion, resulting in a handbook for fashion designers who want to implement more sustainable practices into their work with the help of modern technology.

Cultural Shadows: Vampires And The Shifting Fears Of The West, A Creative Exploration Of Vampire Media And Its Reflection Of Evolving Social Anxieties, Tasha Sayre

University Honors Theses

Cultural Shadows: Vampires and the Shifting Fears of the West is a creative-critical thesis that explores vampire media as a reflection of evolving social anxieties in Western culture. Focusing primarily on film and television, with reference to key literary texts, this study examines how the vampire figure is used to articulate and dramatize recurring societal fears—particularly those surrounding women's sexuality and autonomy, queer identity, and class-based inequality. Through close readings of influential vampire narratives, the thesis demonstrates how these stories mirror cultural tensions and moral panics, transforming the vampire into a symbol of both fear and fascination. Drawing on gender …

From Farm To Friend: Fostering Compassion Toward Farmed Animals Through Design, Natalie Kosmos

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how human compassion for farmed animals can be fostered through design. By analyzing the existing language, imagery, and social norms surrounding animal commodification, the research highlights the root of the issue: how humans perceive farmed animals in relation to themselves. Understanding how humans view and think about farmed animals is important for creating a message that disrupts these existing norms. The culmination of this thesis is a campaign, "From Farm to Friend" which is designed to be approachable and informative, encouraging the audience to have compassion for farmed animals and change their perception, from farm--to friend.

You, Me, And The Unknown: A Creative Exploration Into The Emotions We Feel About What We Don't Understand, Lena Hall

University Honors Theses

I've always found the concept of fear and anxiety to be incredibly fascinating. As someone who grew up with extreme anxiety, I always wanted to rationalize it and figure out exactly why I felt that way. Anxiety is the inherent fear of the unknown and I wanted to know more about why we fear what we don't understand, or in other cases, why we love it. I conducted a research project on our perceptions of the unknown that resulted in an experimental page layout print publication where I shared the participant's views on the unknown through a visual storytelling medium.

Human Or Machine: The Effects Of Centering Productivity On User Psyche Through Digital Management/Tracking Tools, Pema Thangzur

University Honors Theses

This paper examines the growing toxic culture of centering productivity and efficiency in the growth of Big Data-incentivized digital management/tracking tools. In response to the development of personal notetaking tools, mood tracker apps, habit tracking, and other personal data tracking programs, discourse from data scientists, interactive designers, archivists, and technology academics have critiqued how well-meaning the larger tech industry is by providing these tools. However, the current discourse on developing potential solutions to this issue remains understudied as the growth of said tools are fairly new. This paper proposes that digital interfaces employ approaches with users' personal data that center …

Designing The Future: The Influence Of Lloyd J. Reynolds On American Product Innovation, Bander Qadan

University Honors Theses

This research inquiry will explore how critical advances in American design products and consumerism can be traced back to the late Lloyd J. Reynolds and the silent yet powerful influence he has had on a generation of students, such as the innovative pioneer, Steve Jobs. Lloyd J. Reynolds was a renowned calligrapher and teacher at Reed College. The inquiry is structured chronologically, leading to Apple's 2022 valuation of about two trillion dollars. Four significant areas will be examined to trace this trajectory. Firstly, the paper examines the effects of calligraphy/typography on Lloyd J. Reynolds. Secondly, it delves into Steve Jobs’ …

Baking With Depression: An Exploration Of Crisis Response Through Dessert, Phoebe Jacques

University Honors Theses

In this paper, I discuss the conceptualization, research and execution of my cookbook, Baking with Depression, in which I explore how cooking habits reflect human behavior during times of crisis. Looking through the lens of cooking provides a unique perspective into how widespread stress can alter behaviors and outlooks. By comparing the Covid-19 pandemic and Great Depression, I make historical connections and use humor to create an engaging exploration.

Branding In Motion: How Animation And Branding Intersect To Support Nonprofits In Need, Shannon M. Steed

University Honors Theses

Nonprofits often don’t receive the kind of attention needed to garner a wide audience. Especially during the pandemic when the world has largely gone online, it can be a challenge for many of these organizations to adapt to the fast-paced digital landscape. This is largely due to a lack of access to resources and modern design practices to create more community visibility. This thesis is an exploration of how thoughtful design can bring these nonprofit events a new life. I created design systems for two nonprofit events, each with a digitally-focused approach and a focus on deeply considering the audience. …

For Art's Sake: An Exploration Of The Persistence Of Imposter Syndrome And Low-Self Confidence In Creative Fields, Mckinsey Carroll

University Honors Theses

Inspired by personal experiences as a graphic design student and those of my peers, this qualitative creative thesis discusses the prevalence of insecurity, imposter syndrome, and similar mental health struggles in creatives, and the ways in which these experiences or tendencies can inhibit us and stifle our creativity. Through my research, I learned that there are many ways in which graphic design as a field is uniquely affected by these issues, and that there exists a glaring need for conversation, particularly in academic spaces. This prompted the development of my personal interactive workbook titled "For Art's Sake" in which I …

All Changelings Have Autism: How To Make A Better Book For Autistic Children, Nadia L. Hitchcock

University Honors Theses

How should a content creator, whether they work in film, literature, or sequential art, approach portrayals of Autistic characters? More specifically, how should these altruistic ideas be translated into a better storybook for Autistic children? This is the challenge that I have addressed with my Graphic Design thesis, by writing and illustrating my own children's picture book. The story itself is a spiritual successor to Old World changeling folktales and All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome (Kathy Hoopman 2006). Though many Autistic people loved Hoopman's book as children, its visual shortcomings and linguistic oversights have marred its intended inclusive, positive message. …

Burnt Out: Encouraging Breaks And Lessening Burnout Symptoms In A Digital Landscape, Maria Miranda

University Honors Theses

This thesis project aims to create a website that’ll promote ways to lessen burnout symptoms and encourage taking efficient breaks in one’s daily routine. Burnout is a term formed in the 1970s to reflect the mental and physical toll employees experienced due to high amounts of stress brought up by the workplace. Since then the term burnout has expanded beyond the workplace and speaks directly to the experiences of graphic design students during the pandemic. Proper recovery from burnout is a crucial step, as neglecting care can lead to worsening conditions for the mind and body. By understanding the three …

Mapping The Case Study Houses: Translating History Via Design, Samuel L. Person

University Honors Theses

In this paper, I detail the process of creating a book titled The Case Study Houses: A Field Guide, a project meant to fill a gap in the scholarship on the Case Study Houses, one of the most influential architectural programs of the 20^th century. I provide an overview of existing scholarship on the program, in addition to its shortcomings, and how my project addresses these by translating that body of work into an approachable, modern, yet no less informational format. My research process involved concatenating various informational sources into one cohesive whole that provides a standardized presentation …

Portland Park Signage: An Exploration Into Reimaging Placemaking, Samuel Garcia

University Honors Theses

In this paper I outline the rebrand for Portland Park Signage discussing the role between signage and visitor experience. I researched the fundamentals of user experience in physical space in the hope of beginning to understand how people connect with and interpret space into meaning. In doing so I discovered that providing visitors with a variety of experiences was key to developing positive experiences in public space which I attempted to interpret into the design of the sign itself. I did so by providing viewers with a variety of ways to interact with the sign as well as a variety …

Street Art: The Gallery Of The City, Mia Pinzelik

University Honors Theses

This project will look to better understand the culture and community of Portland street art, the unique aspects of the art form, the kinds of people participating in street art culture, the difficulties they face, and what defines this specific Portland subculture in 2020. The goal of this project is to compile this research into a board game illustrating a general overview of the process and experiences of street artists in Portland.

Connection, Compassion, And Honesty: Using Picture Books To Help Build A Healthier Relationship To Death In A Death-Denying Culture, Kami Sahalie Upshaw Gould

University Honors Theses

This paper explores the ways children are taught about death and dying and how children's picture books can be utilized in difficult conversations of this nature. I go into the historical advent of books specifically for children and research how different ways of explaining death can help or hurt a child. Through this research, I explore how our situationality in a death denying culture has shaped how we explain death to children and what steps can be taken to counter this denial.

What's Important To You? A Look Into The Historical And Social Significance Of Buttons, Hope Je Ferns

University Honors Theses

This project is an exploration into the social and historical significance of buttons and the culture surrounding buttons. Not only is it looked at from a graphic design context, but it is also looked at from the context of nonverbal communication, social change, and a piece of history that is tangible, accessible, and for all groups of people.

Bakeneko: A Look Into The Origins Of Japan's Supernatural Cats, Cedar Taulbee

University Honors Theses

Cats are strange and mysterious creatures. Cultures all around the world have created myths and legends surrounding house cats, stories laden with superstition and usually a touch of fear. In most of the West we have black cats and their association with witches and black magic. In Ancient Egypt, as most of us know, cats were worshipped as sacred animals. And in Japan there are bakeneko.

I use bakeneko as a general term, but what I am really referring to is kaibyo, which is a Japanese word used to describe supernatural or "strange" cats. And Japan has a …

Fallen Objects: Collaborating With Artificial Intelligence In The Field Of Graphic Design, Harrison S. Gerard

University Honors Theses

In this paper, I discuss the creation, execution and reception of my digital art series Fallen Objects, in which I collaborate with a neural net to create pseudo-found objects. I explore how artists might collaborate with Artificial Intelligence obliquely, not by having the AI generate the images themselves, but instead generate input for the artists to make the images. While many artists are focused on training neural nets to replicate their own art inputs, I instead focus on working with an AI trained on external, easily-accessible data and creating images from the prompts it delivers. In this way, the AI …

Erotic Manga, Its Artists, And The Pressures Of Censorship, Dominique Andrée Lief

University Honors Theses

Erotic manga (エロマンガ), a genre of adult-oriented Japanese comics is subjected to censorship that may seem irrelevant or confusing to people outside of the industry. Why is erotic manga censored? How is erotic manga censored? How does censorship affect erotic manga artists? These questions are examined through use of English academic sources, Japanese academic sources and news articles, and interviews with professional erotic manga artists translated into English.