Matching Items (56)
Description
Adolescence, a period of life characterized by drastic physiological as well as psychological development, is undoubtedly daunting. With the rise of social media, this period has become increasingly difficult for teenagers to navigate as social media continues to transform the way they develop psychologically. By increasing their need for social

Adolescence, a period of life characterized by drastic physiological as well as psychological development, is undoubtedly daunting. With the rise of social media, this period has become increasingly difficult for teenagers to navigate as social media continues to transform the way they develop psychologically. By increasing their need for social validation, creating a sense of hyper-connectivity, and encouraging an unprecedented lack of empathy, social media negatively impacts self-esteem, a pillar of the social and emotional development endured by teens in these formative years. The result of this impact, low self-esteem is linked to a plethora of serious outcomes ranging from eating disorders and anxiety, to substance abuse and depression. These outcomes are the reasons why social media's effect on the self-esteem of teenagers is an issue worth addressing.
ContributorsBradshaw, Sydney Brenda (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Fueled by fear in the post-9/11 United States, American intelligence agencies conduct dragnet data collection on global communication. Despite the intention of surveillance as preventative counter-terrorism action, the default search and seizure of global communication poses a threat to our constitutional rights and individual autonomy. This is the case especially

Fueled by fear in the post-9/11 United States, American intelligence agencies conduct dragnet data collection on global communication. Despite the intention of surveillance as preventative counter-terrorism action, the default search and seizure of global communication poses a threat to our constitutional rights and individual autonomy. This is the case especially for people who may be thought of as in opposition to our current political climate, such as immigrants, people of color, women, people practicing non-western religions, people living outside of the United States, activists, persons engaging in political dissent, and people with intersecting identities. Throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, I have done research, conducted visual experiments and designed exploratory projects in order to more thoroughly identify the issue and explore the ways in which visual communication design can aid in the conversation surrounding global surveillance. It was the intention of my fourth year social issue projects to explore the role of visual communication design in the dialogue surrounding surveillance, principally focusing on the responsibility visual communication design has in spreading ideas about how to globally subvert surveillance until governments disclose information about their unconstitutional actions or until whistleblowers do it for them. My final project, the fourth year social issue exhibit, focuses on how improving our personal password habits can help us gain agency in digital spaces. Using the randomness of rolling a dice to generate entropy can help us generate stronger passwords in order to secure sensitive information online. Using design as a method of communication, my fourth year social issue exhibit shared information about how encrypted passwords can act as the first line of defense in protecting ourselves from invasive data collection and malicious internet activity.
ContributorsBailey, Lauren Nicole (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
Humans are undeniably a part of nature. Without Earth's and her resources, we cease to exist. However, in recent years society has lacked the foresight or possibly care to understand the impact of our actions both on the planet and ourselves. Resources that industrialized societies are based on are dwindling

Humans are undeniably a part of nature. Without Earth's and her resources, we cease to exist. However, in recent years society has lacked the foresight or possibly care to understand the impact of our actions both on the planet and ourselves. Resources that industrialized societies are based on are dwindling in reserves and the impact of our actions in getting such resources has been largely harmful. In order to change cycles of overexertion both in our selves and the planet, we must change the ways we think. I propose that humans, very much like the Earth, have limited resources and need to be more mindful in our choices. Wellness and sustainability are two branches of sustaining a larger system and our collective future. On an individual scale, wellness is sustaining our individual resources (i.e. time, energy, thoughts), and can be aided through simple practices to encourage healthy patterns and processes. Sustainability in terms of the planet is sustaining our common resources. This requires a change in our individual selves as well as cooperation to change the larger systems that we are parts of. I separated wellness into three components, core values, positivity, and time management. Sustainability is separated into lifestyle, systems thinking, and learning from life. For each of the six components, I briefly describe their importance and benefits.
ContributorsShamas, Ariel Judith (Author) / Sanft, Al (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
The overall purpose of this study is to address how graphic design can begin to solve the particular social issue of the effect of screen time on child development. In order to reach that particular conclusion, the research begins with an exploration of theories of child development themselves, both physical

The overall purpose of this study is to address how graphic design can begin to solve the particular social issue of the effect of screen time on child development. In order to reach that particular conclusion, the research begins with an exploration of theories of child development themselves, both physical and cognitive. After establishing their relevance and importance, the issue of the predominance of screens in this current culture is discussed. When it comes to the main point, that screen time affects how children develop, there are two polarized sides to the argument: pro-screens and anti-screens. After reviewing the valid points from each position, the discussion moves to the solution: graphic design. The specific solutions of the pixelPLAY campaign website, the Start Them Young promotional video, and the exhibit, Playing With Pixels: How Screens Can Affect Your Infant's Development, are described in detail as to how they can effectively communicate this social issue and spread awareness. Overall, the argument stands that screens are not going anywhere. It benefits this current generation of new parents to properly educate their child on the correct way to use this omnipresent digital medium in order for them to grow up as healthy, independent, socially responsible and capable individuals. The best chance for success emerges if the parents themselves become aware of the right and wrong ways to use screens, lead by example, and halt unhealthy habits before they even begin. Graphic design can be the match to the flame and set fire to getting this extremely relevant and important issue into the public eye.
ContributorsDella Corna, Gabriela Margarita (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
In early 2026, the NASA Discovery Program will fall into orbit with a metal asteroid named Psyche. Through discovery and interaction, this exploration will give us insight into an asteroid that we cannot see or interpret. From a certain view, you can look at how this mission mimics that discovery

In early 2026, the NASA Discovery Program will fall into orbit with a metal asteroid named Psyche. Through discovery and interaction, this exploration will give us insight into an asteroid that we cannot see or interpret. From a certain view, you can look at how this mission mimics that discovery with experimentation of our own senses. As a part of a team of eight seniors, we were tasked to help develop a mobile application that reflects the Psyche mission and shows the future of the project ten years from now. Since this is also a government funded project, it is pertinent to adhere to the ADA compliance guidelines required to make digital applications accessible to the larger public. As a designer, I wanted to push this concept further to showcase that accessibility is not something that should be stereotyped or discouraged from a design perspective. Each person that interacts with the application will have a different experience but it is this collaboration between the object and it's audience that creates this sense of discovery. Taking the mission's core values one step further, this application was designed and explored to uphold the foundations of what Universal Design is about. It is about connecting interested parties to the material they are looking for without unrealistic access that is dependent on ability.
ContributorsSchaecher, Lauren Allison (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety. This is part of being human. However, occasional stress and worry does not compare with today's rising epidemic of Anxiety Disorders, especially in the creative industry. A widespread stigma surrounding mental health, our high-stress culture, and rising medical costs leaves most of those suffering without

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety. This is part of being human. However, occasional stress and worry does not compare with today's rising epidemic of Anxiety Disorders, especially in the creative industry. A widespread stigma surrounding mental health, our high-stress culture, and rising medical costs leaves most of those suffering without treatment. Those that end up seeking treatment face the challenge of finding the right combination, to bring their overpowering anxiety down to a manageable level. The most common treatments include therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Alternative treatments such as meditation, exercise, and self-care have a great impact on reducing anxiety when combined with traditional treatments. Despite the fact that anxiety has become a cultural condition, we can end this epidemic by speaking up and offering the right support, often off the beaten path.
ContributorsSmith, Willow (Author) / Heywood, William (Thesis director) / Sanft, Alfred (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
ABSTRACT

Recent studies indicate that there is a positive influence of nature and nature integrated built environments on human health and wellness in various physical, physiological and social domains. This thesis critically reviews formally and contextually three distinct residential typologies designed by renowned architects Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), Lina Bo Bardi

ABSTRACT

Recent studies indicate that there is a positive influence of nature and nature integrated built environments on human health and wellness in various physical, physiological and social domains. This thesis critically reviews formally and contextually three distinct residential typologies designed by renowned architects Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992), and Ryue Nishizawa (1966-), in different periods and countries; the United States of America (USA), Brazil and Japan. Yet, the buildings analyzed in the research are relatively connected by means of nature and the natural elements in their constructed essence. This research focuses on the features of the buildings that characterize the Biophilic Design, along with theoretical and practical ideas of the architects behind each building in their own process of formation.

The Biophilic Design Framework has been developed out of the Biophilia Hypothesis (Fromm, 1973; Wilson, 1984) which puts forward an explanatory suggestion that human affinity and affiliation with nature are based on genetic and environmental adaptation processes. This research is designed to display how specific natural phenomena apply to the built environment within the Framework of Biophilic Design (Kellert, & Calabrese, 2015) and how the Biophilia Hypothesis translates into the built environment. To accomplish this, two primary and three secondary research questions were developed for the study. The research will provide an understanding of the Biophilia Hypothesis and its impact on the built environment through the evaluation of research variables on the case studies using the ‘twenty-four attributes’ indicated in the ‘three experiences’ of Biophilic Design.

These architects’ approaches and the methods applied theoretically and practically to these research sites were unveiled and analyzed through three case studies. A positive correlation regarding the success of the case studies and their Biophilic characteristics is found by analyzing the research sites and critiques from the authorities in written literature. The applicability of the ‘Biophilic Design Framework’ was found and evidenced by the findings from these case studies designed by master architects and located in different climates, regions and contexts.
ContributorsOrman, Pinar (Author) / Bernardi, Jose (Thesis advisor) / Harmon-Vaughan, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Zygas, Kestutis Paul (Committee member) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description

This creative project dives into the issue of sexual harassment against women at work. I applied the topic to a clock and exhibit design, and explained the topic further in “In Conclusion.” The book also documents my senior year research, projects, and experience.

ContributorsHumphrey, Mackenzie (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world per capita. In 2019, the American criminal justice system held almost 2.3 million people in prisons. The current prison system is failing us. Eighty percent of prisoners return to jail within 5 years of being released because

The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world per capita. In 2019, the American criminal justice system held almost 2.3 million people in prisons. The current prison system is failing us. Eighty percent of prisoners return to jail within 5 years of being released because the prison system focuses on punishment, not rehabilitation, making reintegration into society nearly impossible for released criminals. Solitary confinement, abuse and a lack of resources only make this worse. Roughly 600,000 prisoners are released every year, back into your community to interact with your children and family, after years and years of sensory deprivation, violence, and being medically neglected. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of contributing factors and products of the mass incarceration crisis, but the most threatening and in need of attention are: the overcriminalization of drugs, inmate treatment and living conditions, the arrest and trial process, the prioritization of punishment over rehabilitation, and long sentence lengths for non-violent offenders.<br/><br/>The goal of my project is to bring awareness to this often overlooked problem. Throughout my research, I faced many unsettling emotions including fear, anger and deep sadness. While I do not wish to cause you pain, I noticed the impact my emotions had on my response to this issue. Therefore, I included disturbing content in my design to bring out similar emotions in you, because you should be fearful and angry about what is happening in our country.

ContributorsHamilton, Alyssa Christine (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

This Thesis presentation and book review is on social media manipulation and the issue of media algorithms developing a close minded perspective in individuals. It discusses the mechanics of these algorithms, the definition of social media manipulation, and the neutral negative impacts on the polarization of our country. It also

This Thesis presentation and book review is on social media manipulation and the issue of media algorithms developing a close minded perspective in individuals. It discusses the mechanics of these algorithms, the definition of social media manipulation, and the neutral negative impacts on the polarization of our country. It also goes into detail on how I applied this research to design projects throughout 4th year of the Visual Communication Design Program.

ContributorsRomero, Emily Gene (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05