George’s summer research plans

In preparation for Thesis, I plan to investigate a few areas of interest this summer. The first will be the field of Exhibition Design, which is the field I originally thought I’d be exploring when I began this program. My understanding of Design, specifically Interaction Design, has changed enormously since beginning the MFA Design + Technology program, so I think it’s time to reevaluate this interest in light of my experience this year. Last semester I took one exhibition design course, the Fish Futures Collab, and it definitely changed my outlook as to the possibilities of what an exhibition can be. In the past I imagined that working on the design of the spatial layout, information graphics, data visualizations and displays were the things I’d be interested in doing, but I also found the Design Research aspect of exhibition design to be very interesting. I plan on visiting many exhibits at science, art, and historical institutions, and keeping a journal of my observations and critiques. For my low fidelity prototypes, I’d like to re-imagine/augment some of the exhibits or displays in these exhibits. Also, the exhibit that we began developing in the Fish Futures Collab is going to start to make it’s way out into the world, and its first public appearance will be later this month at The Kitchen in Chelsea. I very much look forward to continuing to work with my professors, Iain Kerr and Petia Morozov, on the development of that work.

More generally speaking, I also plan to survey Design/Art work being done which overlaps with scientific research. At least two classes I’ve taken this year, including Bio/Nano Art this semester, and Fish Futures last semester, were focused on projects in this area. I’ve always been interested in Science, but until recently I hadn’t imagined it being an area of study that would again overlap with my studies. I think this work may inform my thesis, for which I am considering designing an exhibit, because though I haven’t exactly determined the subject of the exhibit, I imagine it being science/ecology related.

To supplement this, I also plan on trying to volunteer at an environmental research and education organization, such as the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, as a way to explore the role of ecological stewardship in our relationship to ecosystems. The Cary Institute is a private, non-profit institution that conducts various types of ecological research in Dutchess County, N.Y. They also have an educational division that educates the public through tours and other means.

I plan on going to a few conferences including the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD).. Environmental Graphic Design is the name of the larger field of work, which includes Exhibition Design. Last year I attended the SEGD conference and it was a great opportunity to meet with people working in the field and discuss their projects. Another resource in this area that I’d like to explore is the American Museum of Natural History. They are one of the few science Museums I know of that has their own Design Team.

Lastly, I am currently working on a game project that I’d like to continue to develop throughout the summer. The game is for the Red Cross, and I’m working on it with Julynn and an undergraduate Communication Design student, Kristopher Louie. It’s a board game that introduces students to the challenges involved in the international humani­tarian effort to provide temporary camps for displaced people, through discussion of the current disaster situation in Haiti. I mention it because it’s been an experience that has influenced my direction this semester, and may influence my thesis as well. I plan to attend the Games for Change Festival this month, and will also be researching the field of educational games.