Parsons Communication Design Thesis Class of 2024 Section C
C Stands for Care
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Lab 00
Microbes, although invisible to the naked eye, play a great part in our delicate ecosystem and are responsible for our existence. Even before birth, the process of cultivating and establishing a newborn’s microbiome is happening. They seamlessly integrate into our daily lives– from helping absorb and digest the foods we eat to producing the oxygen that we breathe – we live, breathe, and are made of microbes. Lab [00] examines my longtime infatuation with microbes and is a compilation of various projects and research in regards to the topic. Just like a lab, there are successful and unsuccessful experiments that are documented and highlighted through physical printed matter. The goal is to help others visualize and understand the importance of microbes and how they can enhance our future through conducting research and experimentation. For instance, one experiment in the lab compares and contrasts how diets can alter the diversity of gut microbes through petri dish tests, and ultimately affect the mood of a person.
We Are on Borrowed Time
We Are on Borrowed Time delves into the issue of digital overconsumption through a critical lens, focusing on behavioral patterns that are often overlooked. These behavioral patterns encompass the habitual actions and tendencies individuals exhibit in their digital interactions. Topics explored in the project include endless scrolling through social media feeds, incessant checking of notifications, and the addictive urge to accumulate digital content. We Are on Borrowed Time culminates in an installation consisting of various components, from traditional print media to digital manipulation. They serve as a means to raise awareness, with no restrictions on the tools or execution. The emphasis lies in how each medium enhances its message. It hopes to begin, and end, with one central question: How much do we consume, and how much of us is being consumed?
Medium Impact
Social media platforms have emerged as a key channel for information dissemination, however not everything is transmitted accurately. Content is frequently altered by its medium in this complex digital environment. Medium Impact examines how this reshaping leads to information one-sidedness and misrepresentation on X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The project seeks to uncover the biases and distortions embedded within these platforms that influence public perception. From a broad examination through a part one printed data visualization poster (Medium Impact: Uncovering Information One-sidedness) to part two of the acrylic installation (Medium Impact: Observing Information One-sidedness), the study bridges macro-level trends with individual-level case studies. A motion graphic further summarises these insights, illustrating the full scope of medium impact on information dissemination. The data visualization poster focuses on three critical areas: 1) User Variable Factors —how audience demographics and behaviors impact platform content engagement; 2) Platform Content Focus Factors — investigating how platforms' algorithms and subject emphases affect what becomes visible and how; 3) Information Distortion Factors — revealing the discrepancies in factual accuracy and the extent of misinformation spread. The installation explores five distinct topics on social media, dissecting their representation from a universal event like a meteor sighting to intimate personal experiences, by employing a pixelated aesthetic, an “information blur” effect emerges, illustrating how events become mediated and misrepresented the one-sidedness by the social platforms. In essence, Medium Impact aims to encourage critical thought about the nuances of information propagation, emphasizing the need for authenticity and equity in our digital dialogues.
I Am an Onion
“I Am an Onion,” is a book on introspection and self-discovery through the lens of time, emotion, and personal identity. This book emerges from a simple practice: the documentation of instances of crying over the course of a year. This project serves as a reframing of time, highlighting activities like crying that are often dismissed as unproductive. In a world where time often seems fleeting and emotions can be both elusive and overwhelming, this practice provided a unique way for me to facilitate my perception of the passage of time. This reframing holds personal significance as it challenges the notion that moments spent feeling sad or struggling to overcome emotional obstacles are wasted. Beyond myself, the purpose of this project extends to validating the experiences of others. Celebrating the value of emotional processing, this book invites readers to explore their own emotional landscapes, peel back self-imposed limitations, and embrace the richness of human experience.
eneya
Arcturus
This project of digital literature aim to explore the art of immersive storytelling for user engagement through interactive and nonlinear narrative potentials of the web. Each poem is a digital maze, inviting users to actively participate and explore in the unfolding of the narrative.
Can I Come In?
Architectural Digest, an architecture publication, has been releasing celebrity home tour videos as part of their marketing campaigns since 2013 and subsequently did not start gaining popularity until 2017. The format of these videos slowly evolved from short 3 minute clips into 10-20 minute detailed walkthroughs where the celebrity has the opportunity to show their personality. This consequently created viral scenes like Dakota Johnson’s later debunked, ‘I love limes’ moment or Troye Sivan’s eclectic home that amassed a series of investigative interior design articles. While celebrities can afford to hire interior design studios with great taste to furnish their home, this degree of separation from the decorator and the actual stars feels impersonal and often lets the design objects go unnoticed as a result. Can I Come In?’ is an investigation into the financial absurdity of celebrity home tours and an appreciation of design objects. This publication highlights how much money goes into decorating these homes through a transparent investigation of the costs involved by using a design language that’s typically associated with finance. As a furniture lover, I wanted to provide context behind these objects through text and by incorporating aspects of home catalog design. The 5 videos sourced in this publication were selected by taking into account the virality of each video alongside my personal preference.
julia
rand