Industrial and Product Design Commons^™

A Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Assembly Line: Jewelry, Facture, And Alienation, Jonathon A. Zalakos

Masters Theses

A Pot of Gold at the End of the Assembly Line integrates icons of mass-manufacturing with signifiers of joyful work, stimulating a dialogue between industrial and craft labour. Visible traces of the making process left on these works conjure a spectral ‘maker’, implied by the fingerprints, toolmarks, assembly, and conspicuous decision making of an ‘other’. As we relate to these signifiers as opportunities for our own bodily action, this spectre speaks in our own voice. Possessed by this ghost, viewers are vicariously thrust into an imaginary context and made sensitive to the nature of this work — whether it validates …

Made In Chimerica, Austin Wang

Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to answer how prop design may function as an effective vehicle to challenge notions of orientalism, an inquiry grounded for the purposes of this thesis in contemporary Asian diasporic experiences within the United States, and spark deeper questions regarding notions of assimilation, erasure, and cultural ownership. Cultural understanding of Asian American experiences have long been tethered by White-dominant frameworks to orientalist stereotypes that range from early xenophobic caricatures to more modern dehumanization attempts via techno orientalism and model minority myths. At its fundamental core, orientalism centralizes White-dominant narratives as the major filter by which to judge, interpret, …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Rooted In Embodied Making: A Notebook On Process, Vija Lietuvninkas

Masters Theses

This thesis takes the form of a wooden box containing an archive of fragments – scanned notebooks, sketches, photographs, emails, journal entries, and other materials – that trace a year of embodied, process-based inquiry. Rather than presenting a linear argument or a polished final product, the work reflects a nonlinear, exploratory methodology grounded in making, wandering, and self-reflection.

Born within the context of the 2025 Sustainability Design Lab, an interdisciplinary initiative at RISD examining the material culture of wood across design fields, this project documents the artist’s evolving engagement with green wood as both material and metaphor. Through practices such …

Fountain, Sadaf Azadehfar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the intersections of water, power, identity, and architecture through the lens of colonial and postcolonial landscapes, focusing particularly on Persian gardens and fountain sculptures. Drawing on historical, cultural, and symbolic frameworks, the study explores how water systems embody both practical and spiritual roles, positioning water as a force of control, resistance, and regeneration. Central to this work are analyses of arches and garden designs, which serve as architectural metaphors for cosmic harmony, community gathering, and contested space. Through a combination of visual analysis, historical research, and personal artistic practice—including ceramic sculptures and multimedia installations—this thesis traces the …

Cliffhanger, Micah Mickles

MFA in Visual Art

I am Micah Mickles, a mixed-media visual artist in St. Louis, Missouri. My artwork is deeply rooted in my personal experiences and serves as a memorial and monument to counteract the enduring effects of grief and loss. What sets my work apart is the transformative impact of my everyday encounters, inspired by my 14 years of experience working at Trader Joe's. These encounters have led me to reflect on my profound connections with diverse communities. By delving into the hidden narratives of mundane materials encountered in the workplace, I prompt a reexamination of convenience and supply chain origins. Inspired by …

Or Read The Wikipedia Entry For The Parable Of The Tower Of Babel But Imagine It’S 2023 This Time And We’Re Getting So Close Just Give The Artist A Little More Of Your Money, David Thonis

Theses and Dissertations

Systems and their inherent design underlie everything in contemporary life. Design exists to facilitate interaction, to ease workflow, to keep us producing. As such, it exerts its own control.

Through disassembling recurring conventions in design, I look to break with preconceptions of logic. To deny functionality. In doing so, my intention is to dislocate the user from the usual patterns of applicable systems.

The resulting discomfort may feel strange, disembodied, but it should be embraced. Long have capitalism’s solutions created more problems. In the face of this complexity, and beyond it, there can be freedom.

Alternative Methods, Hunter Stabler

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

In the realm of precognitive artmaking, the artist’s role is that of an antenna. One must be receptive to the subtle, invisible flow of creative novelty in order to participate in the involuntary channeling of new ideas, new processes, and alternative methods of creative production. Carving out new territory within the realm of static art is a primary objective for my artistic process. By utilizing digital fabrication tools, paired with my affinity for intricate craft and optical metagrobolization, I have created a body of work that invents alternative processes and unique aesthetic languages.

Digital imaging, digital modeling and digital …

A Qualitative Study Of Information Technology Project Portfolio Management In Higher Education, L. Andy Miller

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to understand the variables, processes, organizational structures, and governance structures that are important and/or that support higher education decision makers in their selection and prioritization of information technology (IT) projects into their universities’ portfolios. IT project portfolio management (PPM) is comprised of many different activities, and the selection and prioritization of projects are just two interconnected activities amongst many. Research has suggested that these PPM activities are both important and beneficial; but there is a dearth of research on the subject specifically within higher education IT environments, and some higher education organizations struggle in this area. …

Make And Break Details: The Architecture Of Design-Build Education, Claire Nicholas, Arlene Oak

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Faculty Publications

In the imagination of prominent architects and architectural theorists, the detail figures as both a promising and perilous element of built form. This paper explores the tension of the “make or break” qualities of the architectural detail(s) in the learning and doing of design, through an ethnomethodologically informed ethnography of North American design-build architecture education. The discussion parses three episodes which highlight the generative qualities of the detail, in terms of its pedagogical value for architecture, and as a heuristic for the study of design practice. As both the material process of joining disparate elements, and a locus for complex …

Simply Mo., Marjolijn Jaliene Oskam

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Small portfolio presentation of design work by Marjolijn Oskam, branded under simply mo. The poster includes school work as well as professional work.

Good Game, Greyory Blake

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis and its corresponding art installation, Lessons from Ziggy, attempts to deconstruct the variables prevalent within several complex systems, analyze their transformations, and propose a methodology for reasserting the soap box within the display pedestal. In this text, there are several key and specific examples of the transformation of various signifiers (i.e. media-bred fear’s transformation into a political tactic of surveillance, contemporary freneticism’s transformation into complacency, and community’s transformation into nationalism as a state weapon). In this essay, all of these concepts are contextualized within the exponential growth of new technologies. That is to say, all of these semiotic …

The Effectiveness Of Concurrent Design On The Cost And Schedule Performance Of Defense Weapons System Acquisitions, Randolph B. Robertson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of concurrent design on the cost growth and schedule growth of US Department of Defense Major Defense Acquisition Systems (MDAPs). It is motivated by the question of whether employment of concurrent design in the development of a major weapon system will produce better results in terms of cost and schedule than traditional serial development methods. Selected Acquisition Reports were used to determine the cost and schedule growth of MDAPs as well as the degree of concurrency employed. Two simple linear regression analyses were used to determine the degree to which cost growth and schedule growth …

Design, Programming, And User-Experience, Kaila G. Manca

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis is a culmination of my individualized major in Human-Computer Interaction. As such, it showcases my knowledge of design, computer engineering, user-experience research, and puts into practice my background in psychology, com- munications, and neuroscience.

I provided full-service design and development for a web application to be used by the Digital Media and Design Department and their students.This process involved several iterations of user-experience research, testing, concepting, branding and strategy, ideation, and design. It lead to two products.

The first product is full-scale development and optimization of the web appli- cation.The web application adheres to best practices. It was …

Salvaging Print: Letterhead In Post-Industrial Urban America, Nancy Sharon Collins

The Mid-America Print Council Conference

This panel will explore the link between today’s small press movement and the formal aspects of commercial printing during the American 20th century. Panelists include Christine Medley , Philip Gattuso, and Nancy Bernardo.

Using as its primary example letterhead from defunct companies in Detroit, and secondarily, specimens of business and legal letterhead from other urban centers of the industrial United States, this panel will examine and discuss: What did letterhead represent to 20th century printers in local markets such as Detroit? What is the significance of printed letterhead, and stationery, to the art of small press printing in post-industrial cities …

Ergonomically Designing Art Objects, Ambika Subramaniam

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

The following thesis examines the work of Ambika Subramaniam, in particular her thesis installation Ergonomically Designing Art Objects, for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture at Washington University in St. Louis. Based within a discussion of semiotics, the thesis researches furniture signification and tracks its evolution through traditional form, ergonomic function, and consumed product. Major points include the ways in which objects are capable of collapsing and retaining the semiotic divide between a sign and referent, and how that signification relates to contemporary design-oriented products. Using the chair as the exemplifying object, the thesis installation questions how objects have …

Zenventures: Unwind Your Imagination With Guided Meditation, Darlene Kent

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project was designed to create guided meditation to enhance creativity. Research was done to gather information on guided imagery, meditation and storytelling to gain a strong understanding of meditation in general, and to determine the themes of the various meditations. The guided meditations for this project were called, Zenventures, a combination of peace and adventure. The guided mediations take the person on a journey where they connect to their creative potential. A success plan was created to ensure the project stayed on track. There were several outcomes from the project: seven written meditations, seven Zenventures (recorded meditations with music), …

The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation And Resonant Frequency Breath Training On Emotion Regulation And Physiological Responses, Timothy James Neary

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Efficient, integrative methods to foster greater emotion regulation that are applicable to diverse populations are needed. Mindfulness meditation and resonant frequency breath training are independently positively correlated with changes in emotion regulation. The acquisition of effective emotion regulation strategies may be amplified by the interaction of mindfulness meditation practice and resonant frequency breath training. A sample of 82 undergraduate novice meditators were randomized in a four group design utilizing a control, mindfulness only, resonance only, and combined mindfulness and resonance breath training conditions delivered in a three-week intervention. Self-report measures assessed the use of emotion regulation strategies (ERQ), changes in …

Documentary Film Presentation Local Colors: Natural Dyeing In A Milas Carpet Weaving Village, Ulara Tamura, John Wells

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This documentary, filmed in 2006, examines the process of naturally dyed carpet production in a village in the Milas region of Muğla Prefecture in southwest Turkey, a region well known as a traditional Turkish carpet production area. In large numbers of villages of this region, carpet weaving is the household based work of every woman who lives there.

In this paper, I aim to add more detailed information and discussion specifically on the colors and dyes of the carpets shown in this film. First I will introduce the varieties of the natural dye materials the villagers use one by one. …

The Art Institute Of Boston Course Catalog (1973), The Art Institute Of Boston

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

The Art Institute of Boston maintains, and always has maintained throughout the course of its long history, that the artist holds a unique position of responsibility in his society. Because the weight of his contribution is so widely felt in this age of the expanded media, the artist is expected to be not only innovator, but also arbitrator. The decisions which affect his life and his work influence a wide body of people who look to him for illumination.

Art cannot be taught as a development of certain visual talents separate from a larger awareness of life. The Art Institute …

The Art Institute Of Boston Course Catalog (1971-1972), The Art Institute Of Boston

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

The Art Institute of Boston maintains, and always has maintained throughout the course of its long history, that the artist holds a unique position of responsibility in his society. Because the weight of his contribution is so widely felt in this age of the expanded media, the artist is expected to be not only innovator, but also arbitrator. The decisions which affect his life and his work influence a wide body of people who look to him for illumination.

Art cannot be taught as a development of certain visual talents separate from a larger awareness of life. The Art Institute …

The Art Institute Of Boston Course Catalog (1969-1971), The Art Institute Of Boston

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

In January of 1968 The School of Practical Art changed its name to The Art Institute of Boston as an outward sign of the diversity of ideas and interests that had generated during the past decade. The combined efforts of students, teachers, and administrators have produced a broad program which attracts students with a variety of goals, and affords an opportunity to study in several different disciplines.

The Art Institute of Boston seeks talented young people who wish to make art their lifetime career. The school offers a three-year program leading to diplomas in advertising design, illustration, photography, and fine …

The Art Institute Of Boston Course Catalog (1968-1969), The Art Institute Of Boston

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1967-1968), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1966-1967), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1963-1964), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1962-1963), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1960-1961), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1954-1955), School Of Practical Art

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …

School Of Practical Art Course Catalog (1952-1953), School Of Practical Arts

Art Institute of Boston (AIB) Course Catalogs

It is the purpose of the School of Practical Art to train students so thoroughly in the various phases of commercial art, that they may upon completion of the course earn a good living in their chosen career. Earnest effort and thorough preparation are necessary if the student is to become successful professionally. Enthusiastic and excellent working habits must be developed early and maintained throughout the course. Deadlines must be given and met punctually. Good design, composition, color and technical skill must be evident in all finished work. In preparation for this high standard the beginner receives a thorough foundation …