First Presentation, Revision 1

I tried to concisely and clearly dictate the main things that I want to do for my first in class presentation. Next time, I will at least use more eye contact for starters. 

Thesis of Project. The project will focus on visual language and paper and how the two are interconnected. The project will comment on my belief that experiencing visual language physically, via paper and text, is different from experiencing visual language via other forms of communication such as the Internet, e-mail, or Facebook. Communication through paper and text is usually reserved for more personal, important and intimate conversations between people.  The text used in the project will explore simple truths and witticisms that are appropriate to different topics or events that call for communication.

Final Form. The final form of the project will be a series of greeting cards in combination with a studio installation of paper art and typography. The greeting cards are the individual experience, while the installation will be a larger, more public and physical experience that is tied to the greeting cards.

Context. Paper art, greeting cards, illustration and well-considered typography are all a major part of this project. I love paper because of all the varieties it has and that it is a tactile experience, as opposed to looking at a computer screen. The type of paper used in a product affects the way the final product is received. I love when I pick up a paper product (greeting card, calendar, notebook, postcard, etc.) and say to myself “Wow, this is so cool” or “This is really beautiful.” And when I say those things to myself, I know that the product was not a design coincidence, but the product of good, honest design that has been well considered..

What kind of impact will the project have? The project will explore communication and its fundamentality in relationships, and the different forms communication takes. The communal and societal norms involved in this topic are important to the project and are a part of everyday life. (Such as when do you send a letter versus sending an email, why does a letter seem to mean more, and why an email could in some instances be inappropriate).

Past Experience. Graphic Design Coursework at University of Michigan A&D specifically under Professor Hesseltine, Professor Smotrich and Professor Overmyer. Summer internship at the Toledo Museum of Art where I mostly worked in print with a previous A&D graduate. Study Abroad coursework under Czech graphic designer Mr. Vanek. 

Pertinence to future work. I want to work in graphic design and think that this project is versatile enough yet still focused on design, that it could really help me to learn new skills that I will need after graduation. I want to pursue a career in graphic design and probably attend graduate school to get a master in design.