Publication → Collect, Discard, Shuffle
Collect, Discard, Shuffle is a 372 page publication organized by 4 parts: Arrange, Collect, Discard, and Shuffle. Each action, inspired by mahjong moves, include aspects of my thesis project, journey as a designer, and personal experiences that relate to that verb. The book documents my thesis projects, anecdotes, processes, experiments, and interviews.
Recognitions: Draw Down Award for Publication Design (2023)
The objective of mahjong [麻將] is to end up with a winning set of tiles through the act of collecting, discarding, and shuffling. In the game, tiles are constantly changing and players are eventually forced to discard them. Mahjong acted as a momentary liaison between my family and I, and the act of exchanging tiles transcended cultural barriers. Through a fleeting moment of play (and a handful of losses), I strengthened connections, created memories, and shared joy.
Why don’t we want to discard the moments we collect?
Why do we choose to play or do things that only last for a moment?
How does capturing moments differ from experiencing moments?
What can you gain from a temporary experience?
Being present and focused while playing mahjong is crucial for success in the game. In the same way, being present in our daily lives is important for forming and maintaining connections. When we are not consciously present, we miss out on opportunities to connect and create meaningful experiences. Collect, Discard, Shuffle explores what it means to be in the moment and how we can appreciate impermanent experiences.
Through a set of videos and tiles from various materials inspired by the framework and play of mahjong, I hope to craft meaningful interactions that encourage people to appreciate transience and reflect on how impermanence brings us back to the present.
Website landing page: To Discard, To Collect
Illustration → The Daily Hotpot Podcast
The Daily Hotpot Podcast commissioned a Youtube banner and video illustration. While adhering to their established branding and color palette, I used sauce (more specificially, hoisin and sriracha sauce, along with a toothpick) to design and draw the final piece. Food, as well as the podcasters’ Asian American identities, play a vital role in shaping their podcast concept, as well as my creative direction.
Print → Postcards to Plates
People can personalize the card for its intended recipient and extend a heartfelt invitation for a shared meal. Includes a set of stickers to be stuck on the front, filling the plates once they share a meal together (and encouraging both parties to actively forge a deeper connection!).
The front of the card features a table setting adorned with empty plates, soon to be filled. On the reverse side, individuals can personalize the card for its intended recipient and extend a heartfelt invitation for a shared meal. Additionally, it includes a set of stickers to be placed on the front, symbolizing the filling of the plates once they embark on a meal together, thereby encouraging both parties to actively forge a deeper connection through these shared meals (or other enjoyable activities). The visual aesthetics throughout the card are influenced by stamping and printmaking techniques, resulting in a handcrafted and familiar ambiance. People are continually searching for means to connect, and through this design, I aspire to provide a lighthearted and interactive avenue for individuals not only to connect with one another but also to commemorate their shared experiences.
Brand/Website → Tower Compactor Rentals (TCR)
Team: James Grady, Claire Bula
Tower Compactor Rentals (TCR) is a waste compactor company that needed new branding and a website that is recognizable and easy to navigate. The brand identity and website structure are informed by their company values, culture, target audience, and services.
Visit the website here
Brand/Website → Random Actor
Team: James Grady, Clay Hopper
Random Actor is a interactive media design tool started by Clay Hopper and James Grady at Boston University, that aims to create immersive environments that can be used in theater productions, art installations, and much more. My goal was to determine the direction of the visual branding and website, making it easy to learn more about the applications of the tool, as well as more recognizable. Random Actor’s development, various applications, and need for human interaction inspired the website’s outcome. The logo/brand guide is still under development.
Visit the website here
Brand → EDIFICE
Team: Hannah Hong, Mina Chung
Our CFA community has built a culture of supporting one another and seeking challenges, which has shaped our work as graphic designers, printmakers, painters, and sculptors.
All undergraduate visual arts students start off with a strong foundational curriculum that prepares us to create through our respective mediums with a deep understanding of the principals that make art, art. Edifice plays on the idea of the home and community that we have at the College of Fine Arts, and the foundation that has been laid for our education, careers, passions, and futures of each individual student.
Through the abstract imagery of cut outs of a paper home, we recall an appreciation for craft and unique dimensionality of each student’s journey at CFA. As much as we have grown as artists, we have also witnessed our educational institutions physically grow with us, with the renovation of the College of Fine Arts, the transition from testing facility to gallery in 808, and establishment of the Center for Computing and Data Sciences building. As the buildings transformed, we also transformed culturally, communally, and intellectually.
We are inspired to ask bigger questions and motivate one another to reach goals that once seemed impossible. As our undergraduate education comes to an end, we go off into the world with the foundation that we have set, and remember BU CFA as a place to call home and fellow peers to call as family. We want to present our works not only as individual artists, but as bodies of work that are built off of one another, forming a unique whole. The brand identity of “EDIFICE” will emphasize the unique qualities of each artists’ thesis as a building block to creating one solid home.
Access the website here
Check out our social media here
Brand proposal slide deck.
Book/Show → Thermal Connectivity
Show: Spring 2023 – 2 weeks
Team (book): Joanna Jung
“Thermal Connectivity” explores what brings Venice to life at night through infrared imagery. It acknowledges human patterns: what people are drawn to and how that influences the energy of a city. How can we bridge a connection between ourselves and the people we see? How can we reflect on reality versus the translation of reality? And what role can technology play in establishing connections?
The picture book (designed in collaboration with Joanna Jung in Fall 2021) was eventually adapted into an exhibition, and features additional imagery and video adaptation.
View full book here
View video adaptations here
Photo book spreads.
Project slide deck.
Brand → Ca’ d’Oro
The historical Venetian palace, Ca’ d’Oro (or Palazzo Santa Sofia), has a distinct incorporation of Byzantine, Islamic, and Gothic elements. Ca’ d’Oro initially didn’t have a true brand identity, so I considered: What about this building sets itself apart from the other buildings? What are some common visual languages in the architecture? What can I take from its historic background?
The palace’s quatrefoils, stained glass windows, and cultural history eventually informed the design direction.
Presentation deck.
UI/UX → Repose
Team: Hannah Hong
Repose is an app prototype (designed with the time constraint of two days), designed alongside Hannah Hong, that promotes ergonomic health for those working at a desk for long periods of time. Through our shared experiences with bodily aches and pains, we wanted to create an enjoyable solution that alleviates that pain, especially in a work-oriented world.
Our app functions as a Pomodoro-style timer that occasionally reminds users do a short stretch/exercise that promotes physical wellness straight from their desks. Each break is only a few seconds long, and each interval and activity is customizable and curated based on the user’s needs.
Brand → Company & Co.
Team: Hannah Hong, Mina Chung, Michelle Kim
We wanted to expand on the topic of unproductive work hours. We further explored the experience and idea of being unproductive and what that meant in the workplace, and eventually pushed this concept through designing a satirical, immersive company onboarding experience.
Our deliverables included an onboarding presentation (which included professional attire), an ‘office’ tour (which came with a bit of acting), a company introduction video, a website, an interactive spreadsheet (featuring Nyan Cat), a pamphlet, a handbook, signage, business cards, and employee badges (as well as using a corporate jargon generator).
Read more about our process here
Project presentation slide deck.
Guest lecture slide deck.