Whether it’s buying a coffee every morning or relying on take-out for dinner, convenience makes it easy to overlook the long-term consequences of our consumption choices. Last fall, graphic design students in 2399W: Design and its Discontents were challenged to examine their own consumption habits and create a tangible representation of what they discovered.
The project helped Niklas Schaaf (Graphic Design) realize how many single-use items he went through in a day. From snack wrappers to soda cans, Schaaf decided to use what people normally consider garbage to construct wearable garments. “I constructed a pair of pants out of pop tabs and made a jacket out of chip bags for my project,” he explained. “I used a 50/50 combination of my own garbage and items I found.”
Deciding to create something interactive, Anne France (Graphic Design) designed a board game that educates players on the topic of reforestation. “Board games are typically meant for entertainment so I wanted to incorporate an educational element to it,” said France. Deforestation is a leading cause of climate change, and through her board game, France emphasizes the big impact individual efforts to reduce waste can have. “There are many small things an average person can do to lessen their waste. Zero-waste living is a lofty goal but any small effort can make a difference.”
While working through her design process, Yayoua Yang (Graphic Design) was inspired to create food flashcards with the Hmong words for different foods she commonly consumed. “I wanted to create something that helped educate myself and my peers by teaching them something we consumed every day yet hardly know the names of – Hmong food,” said Yang.
All three students agreed that the project has led to changes in their consumption habits including a commitment to cut down on the amount of single-use products used in their everyday lives. “My biggest takeaway was realizing the power of design and how it can affect the communities around you,” concluded Yang.
A fundamental part of working as a professional designer is the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with designers across disciplines. This fall, retail merchandising students in RM 4216 and graphic design students in GDES 3352 are learning these skills by working together on a single branding project.
Students in GDes 3353: Packaging and Display partnered with a student group from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) last fall to create a brand identity for a proposed tap house on the St. Paul campus.
The global fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive in the world. On Wednesday, April 25, apparel design students will re-imagine the industry and shine a light on its environmental impact at the Weisman Art Museum’s (WAM) (RE)generation showcase.
