For my Senior Thesis Project, students were presented with the theme, "What are you thinking?" When I was given with this question, I immediately thought about Graphic Design. Something that I have immersed and revolved my life around these four years at college.
As a graphic designer, when I am approached with this common question, “What is Graphic Design?”, I should be able to answer with a simple response, but I found myself confused. The dictionary definition feels incomplete because Graphic Design covers such a broad area of practices.
“International Takeout” answers this question through the use of symbols illustrating each practice that is undertaken by designers mentally or physically on a day to day basis. A visual communication that not only reaches out to fellow designers, but to everyone and shows how the question can be answered through merely symbols. Inspired by Swiss Style, I utilized basic shapes to form each symbol, a total of 90+ different elements. I used CMYK colors, which designers use for printing process and applying a multiply effect to show the relationship through the transparency, but also keeps the integrity of the color. Representing my cultural heritage, each symbol is displayed on Chinese take out boxes ranging in three different sizes; 8 OZ 16 OZ, and 32 OZ where I have put each box together by hand. Depending on the size, the larger the box, I utilize that practice more daily, compared to a smaller box; however does not ignore that fact that each box represents an element and is a building block through our lives, adding more and more skills to our “toolbox.” International Takeout brings recognition and light to the matter that Graphic Design is more than one focus, through guiding the audience to re-evaluate their assumptions and breaking down those barriers to see how much our daily practice overlaps with the everyday individual and have a better appreciation for Graphic Design.
An installation to display all the Chinese take out boxes sitting on a shelf that can be read from left to right. The audience is able to understand and read my process as a Graphic Designer breaking down the details and steps that it takes to accomplish any project. It shows the levels throughout a day or even throughout a whole project of where I start and how it ends. Showing that there are ups and downs on a daily basis as well as some parts essentially build and work with one another in relation to another task that is done.
Below is a GIF I put together of all the symbols I created of my process from beginning to end.
