Graphic Design
Ibrahim Alazza
All That Remains
Curating the Palestinian narrative by exploring the collective memory of Palestine over the last 100 years.
How has decades of conflict shaped the Palestinian collective memory, a story handed down from generation to generation? There are two Palestines: a war-torn, conflict-ridden country, and the Palestine I grew up in. This thesis explores the internal and external conflict’s impact on the Palestinian identity. By focusing on the experiences of Palestinians not captured in historical facts, I want to reveal a culture that represents struggle, resilience, and hope. Through symbolism, I relate historical moments and memorable artifacts cherished by Palestinians. Additionally, other creative expressions of the Palestinian narrative, such as the novella Returning to Haifa by Ghassan Kanafani provide inspiration and depict a memory visualized through imagination.
Continuous Quest
Personal Catalogue of Influence
Footsteps
Footsteps or what I like to call it Tiles book, the cover is literally made of ceramic tiles that I brought with me from Palestine specifically from the city of Hebron in the south of Jerusalem, and they are famous for manufacturing. They create these beautiful tiles that I have used before to create a table and frames, as I like to do form making. This book is printed on both sides Arabic and English, whichever the side you open the book, containing a poet of Muen Bseiso a Palestinian Activist author.
Curating the Palestinian narrative by exploring the collective memory of Palestine over the last 100 years.
How has decades of conflict shaped the Palestinian collective memory, a story handed down from generation to generation? There are two Palestines: a war-torn, conflict-ridden country, and the Palestine I grew up in. This thesis explores the internal and external conflict’s impact on the Palestinian identity. By focusing on the experiences of Palestinians not captured in historical facts, I want to reveal a culture that represents struggle, resilience, and hope. Through symbolism, I relate historical moments and memorable artifacts cherished by Palestinians. Additionally, other creative expressions of the Palestinian narrative, such as the novella Returning to Haifa by Ghassan Kanafani provide inspiration and depict a memory visualized through imagination.
Continuous Quest
Personal Catalogue of Influence
Footsteps
Footsteps or what I like to call it Tiles book, the cover is literally made of ceramic tiles that I brought with me from Palestine specifically from the city of Hebron in the south of Jerusalem, and they are famous for manufacturing. They create these beautiful tiles that I have used before to create a table and frames, as I like to do form making. This book is printed on both sides Arabic and English, whichever the side you open the book, containing a poet of Muen Bseiso a Palestinian Activist author.
Graphic Design
Ana Benfield
Design for social impact is the practice of finding
opportunities for change that give voice to those who have been marginalized by design.
“One voice gets lost in the multitude, but a thousand voices can travel through time.”
I am giving a voice to those who need it most.
My thesis demands attention—it speaks loudly to those who would otherwise look away. For my thesis project I decided to find a problem in the community of Boston with the purpose of finding a solution. I partnered with the Friends of Boston Homeless to help activate change and give agency to the homeless community. In collaboration with the non-profit organization, I created interactive platforms focused on support and self-awareness towards this matter.
Through this series of small actions, I aspire to make a big difference. I am adding my voice to the many others that have inspired me, hoping others will join me.
Design activates voices. Design creates a space for opinions. Design shapes perspectives. Design provides a platform to cultivate change.
What action will you take?
“One voice gets lost in the multitude, but a thousand voices can travel through time.”
I am giving a voice to those who need it most.
My thesis demands attention—it speaks loudly to those who would otherwise look away. For my thesis project I decided to find a problem in the community of Boston with the purpose of finding a solution. I partnered with the Friends of Boston Homeless to help activate change and give agency to the homeless community. In collaboration with the non-profit organization, I created interactive platforms focused on support and self-awareness towards this matter.
Through this series of small actions, I aspire to make a big difference. I am adding my voice to the many others that have inspired me, hoping others will join me.
Design activates voices. Design creates a space for opinions. Design shapes perspectives. Design provides a platform to cultivate change.
What action will you take?
Graphic Design
I love publications.
I love books.
I love paper.
I think those things are the most powerful and meaningful thing in this world.
Based on my personality and background, I always have difficulty expressing what I actually want to say and feel. Therefore, paper becomes the media to carry the message to help me to communicate with others—either through hand writing or design. I use paper as a material to hold another layer of language, varying textures, colors and thickness to provide a physical experience for my audience.
Historically, paper used to be a media meant to hold and deliver information from place to place; however, its application expanded—forcing me to rethink paper’s potential. Deft communication through people’s feelings provides information that people’s brains translate into thoughts and emotions.
In addition, I love to observe the things around me expecailly people. I understand people’s personality by reading their action, way of speaking and movement. I can easily feel people’s emotion by how they acting. In design, the way I choose paper for each project I made is similar to how I observe people by all kind of features to detainment which paper can present the content I have. The texture, the thickness and the color of the paper creates another layer of communication which beyond the content I print on it. By touching and observing, I created my unique perspective of design thinking about what is the possibility of paper. Besides color, texture, and thickness, what could be another feature of paper? Therefore, if the paper has its personality, just like the people around you what will it looks like?
《quiet voice》
If paper could represent who you are, what would it look like?
weiyunchen.com
I love books.
I love paper.
I think those things are the most powerful and meaningful thing in this world.
Based on my personality and background, I always have difficulty expressing what I actually want to say and feel. Therefore, paper becomes the media to carry the message to help me to communicate with others—either through hand writing or design. I use paper as a material to hold another layer of language, varying textures, colors and thickness to provide a physical experience for my audience.
Historically, paper used to be a media meant to hold and deliver information from place to place; however, its application expanded—forcing me to rethink paper’s potential. Deft communication through people’s feelings provides information that people’s brains translate into thoughts and emotions.
In addition, I love to observe the things around me expecailly people. I understand people’s personality by reading their action, way of speaking and movement. I can easily feel people’s emotion by how they acting. In design, the way I choose paper for each project I made is similar to how I observe people by all kind of features to detainment which paper can present the content I have. The texture, the thickness and the color of the paper creates another layer of communication which beyond the content I print on it. By touching and observing, I created my unique perspective of design thinking about what is the possibility of paper. Besides color, texture, and thickness, what could be another feature of paper? Therefore, if the paper has its personality, just like the people around you what will it looks like?
《quiet voice》
If paper could represent who you are, what would it look like?
weiyunchen.com
Graphic Design
Xiqiao Chen
I
am surrounded by chaos inside order—especially at my desk. I prefer to keep my
desk clean and tidy. Organizing items and classifying books helps me focus.
When working, my table is messy. But once I finish, I restore my table and
bookshelf to its original tidy condition. This habit parallels my graphic
design practice—chaos represents experimentation. Within that chaos is order,
agency, and control. Like jazz music composers, chaos becomes an avenue for
improvisation and invention. Relying on a high musical standard, this source of
innovation transcends all musical genres.
I ask: “Is jazz dying? Is graphic design dying?” NO. My thesis explores chaos within a controlled system as a vehicle for innovation. We create and destroy disorder performatively until we reach creative fulfilment.
Portfolio website
I ask: “Is jazz dying? Is graphic design dying?” NO. My thesis explores chaos within a controlled system as a vehicle for innovation. We create and destroy disorder performatively until we reach creative fulfilment.
Portfolio website
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?
