“The Value of Visual Communication”
Senior Capstone - Phase 1, Essay and Book Design
The Value of Visual Communication is an academic essay paired with a book design. The research of the book follows the Hmong, an indigenous people tracing their roots back to ancient China, and their use of graphic design as a means of preserving language, culture, and heritage through periods of colonization.
The Inspiration
The image, from left to right, showcases the evolution logograms used in the Chinese language throughout time. From literal shapes to abstract forms, one can see the differences when comparing past to present.
One era of design that caught my attention was the oracle bone and greater seal script. What I saw were symbols that were reminiscent of the Hmong; my people.
Logogram Study & Design
To the left are symbols that I saw growing up as a Hmong child in America. Although they are usually embroidered onto our traditional clothing and textiles in perfect form, I decided to go with an organic stroke to keep the aesthetic inline with the timeline shown above while staying true to the original form.
The question that propelled my academic research:
How would Hmong logograms and written language have evolved if the people hadn’t been displaced and colonized throughout their existence?
Book Cover Ideation & Final Design
As a designer, I’ve grown to love the application of white space in my projects. The approach is simple, when treated well within the artboard, white space allows the visuals to speak for themselves.
House/Lub Tsev/Home
Senior Capstone - Phase 2, Public Art Installation (In Progress)
The definition of home for the Hmong has been everchanging, until now. The purpose of this project is to construct a public art sculpture celebrating the diaspora found in Minnesota, the second largest home to the Hmong population in the United States according to the 2019 USA Consensus. The impact of this project will bridge art, community, culture, and history.
Design: Lifesize sculpture of the Hmong logogram for house.
Possible locations? The Minneapolis Walker Art Sculpture Garden or the Hmong Veterans Memorial in St. Paul, MN. Open to any public space or park in the Twin Cities Metro.
