design

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"We Are All Alone" is a first semester grad project that is designed to be a package of materials that promotes the idea that solitude is okay, even in a modern world.  It includes a publication of selected written works, with illustrations to go with each narrative, as well as several tools for using the ideas found in the book in daily life, and to spread them to others.

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This typographic poster was inspired by a song by musical innovator Bo Diddly. The written content is the lyrics to the song, and the poster is designed to reflect the style of 1960s concert posters.

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This infographic poster was created using data collected about the designer for one week. It largely focuses on the changes occurring in her life during this week due to moving to a new city. The visual style pokes fun at the idea of making an information graphic about subjective data, but presenting it as scientific fact. It has been featured on Datavis.

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This project was created with City Blossoms, a non-profit foundation dedicated to working with schools, neighborhood groups, community centers and other organizations to create spaces for children to use their creativity and combined strength and skills to learn how to grow and maintain fantastic yet functioning gardens. The assignment at hand was to work with City Blossoms to determine what design piece would best serve them. After interviewing program organizers, as well as some of the children enrolled in programs, I determined that a fundraising tool would best benefit the organization.

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The Alabama Blitz was a collaborative social design initiative between twelve student designers in Greensboro, Alabama and Project M. Over the course of a week issues such as experience design for community engagement and collaborative design experimentation (loosely defined as Thinking Wrong and midnight Footdown tournaments) were examined by all participants. Several design objects, including a promotional newsprint piece , event poster, t-shirts, were produced to document the experience.

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The Mobile Web Field Kit is David Aitkens fall semester design thesis project. The research of this project identified a need for a system to design and develop better mobile website design. This kit encourages users to work in social groups creating rapid paper prototypes to develop user friendly web design. The kit contains a field guide explaining the design process used for creating mobile websites while the exercise cards include a step by step process for creating paper prototypes. The large black boards organize and present the four stages involved in the process.

Mobile Web Field Kit Process Blog

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The only parameter in this typographic poster was the specific portrait size. David chose to use an excerpt from a speech delivered by Richard Dawkins at a TED conference concerning the case of Major General Albert Stubblebine III. Since the size of the poster is reminiscent of a door through the wall, it is suiting to be reading text recounting the failed attempts of a man trying to run through the wall. The visual design was inspired by the concept of treating white space like the spaces between atoms a concept that implies there is more space than matter in this universe. 

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In this project the student was given a selection of recipes from a cookbook. The challenge lies in displaying the cuisine of the recipes without using images. Being a cookbook showcasing Canadian chefs using local ingredients David chose the Canadian designed font CartierBook to set the tone of the cookbook. A wood grain was used on the cover to give the piece a rustic and handmade feel. 

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Identity & Branding for the Canadian Association of Fine Arts Deans. 3rd year project.

I sought to create an identity that was flexible, reflecting how the Association is involved in a myriad of disciplines, and is interested in building networks within and between communities, both nationally and internationally.

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I collaborated with one of Pulse's interaction designers to design a research protocol and framework that could be applied to the diverse client base using the energy management software. We focused on a key client to test the concept in order to gain insight into user experience. From these outcomes, the Pulse team can now replicate the process, which will aid in designing solutions that account for the human and technical impacts of developments in the software.

Pulse Energy