Graphic Design
Baylee Kimbar
How can graphic design instill a sense of place in the
face of dramatic flux?
Change is difficult to navigate, especially in places we hold dearest. I lived in the same house, on the same street, in the same town, with the same people nearly my entire life. Growing up, West Boylston, Massachusetts, felt like home because I was so well-acquainted with every detail in its seemingly unchanging landscape, but recently, moving away to a new city gave me a new perspective: whenever I return, I’m surprised to see the small town I knew and loved ischanging—whether I want it to or not.
Over the next decade, Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, will be subject to incredible change as Harvard expands and the Mass Pike is remodeled. Though these construction efforts will benefit Allston long-term, the lengthy and unsightly transition period destabilizes the community. As tensions rise between the past and the future of the neighborhood, I wonder how I, as a designer, can help the Allston community accept substantial change outside of their control. How can graphic design instill a sense of place in the face of dramatic flux?
Change is difficult to navigate, especially in places we hold dearest. I lived in the same house, on the same street, in the same town, with the same people nearly my entire life. Growing up, West Boylston, Massachusetts, felt like home because I was so well-acquainted with every detail in its seemingly unchanging landscape, but recently, moving away to a new city gave me a new perspective: whenever I return, I’m surprised to see the small town I knew and loved ischanging—whether I want it to or not.
Over the next decade, Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, will be subject to incredible change as Harvard expands and the Mass Pike is remodeled. Though these construction efforts will benefit Allston long-term, the lengthy and unsightly transition period destabilizes the community. As tensions rise between the past and the future of the neighborhood, I wonder how I, as a designer, can help the Allston community accept substantial change outside of their control. How can graphic design instill a sense of place in the face of dramatic flux?
