This research project reads cultural relations in Price Hill by mixing census data with an ethnography of visual design. The reading reveals that people often stay within their cultural boundaries. It concludes with several speculative event proposals that convene people with diverse identities.
Read MoreI had never heard the term white habitus before Pastor/sociologist Oneya Okuwobi introduced me to the idea this past Sunday at church. I was telling her about my theory that company brands are modern-day receptionists. Like a receptionist, as Don Draper advises in Mad Men, a brand's job is to “manage people's expectations” (Weiner and Cleveland, 2008)…
Read MoreA speculative design project that explores the possibilities of a universal icon for boondocking.
Read MoreI'm reminded of the book Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. The name comes from a story she tells of her brother attempting to write an assignment on birds one the eve of the deadline. He asks their father how he'll ever accomplish the tasks. The father says, "Bird by Bird." In other words, by chunking the project into parts. Rather than focus on three birds at a time, focus on one. Further, instead of writing about the whole bird, start with a small piece (like it's unique wing span, or strange habits, like this weird mating dance).
Read MoreThe project is called Short Stories from Lives, and it is a collection of audio, video, and text that share little moments from the lives of our elders (each three minutes or less). The site is still a work-in-progress. You will see that I used my grandparents as guinea pigs. If you would like to submit a short story, send me a note.
Read MoreFor the first assignment of Translational Research, a course I am taking at The University of Cincinnati, DAAP, the professor challenged students to research of a sensitive topic area. The results of the study were then to be translated into a product or service that we designed. The topic area that I selected is mortality. It’s relevant because previous research showed that young designers often neglect aging populations in project development. I hypothesized that thinking about old people might remind young people of their mortality, causing avoidance.
Read MoreTechnologies like the internet disrupt industries through the decentralization of information. Is the same true for religious institutions? That is a question I had in mind when I began my first assignment in Research Methods at the University of Cincinnati’s MDes program at DAAP. We were tasked with interviewing several members from different generations of our family about a topic of our choice so that we may discover associations across the participants. My subject was Catholicism (my family’s faith tradition) and how it has or has not been influenced by technologies across different generations.
Read MoreHow do designers begin to fix the problem of screen addiction? That was the challenge posed to my User-Centered Design class for their final assignment.
Read MoreHere’s are a few things we’re excited to share from August.
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