Media Design School Graduate Show 2019 Preview
We are previewing the talent on show at Media Design School Graduate Show opening next Tuesday 19th November 2019
Michelle Liew
Project name: Chinga Menu
This project discusses the topic of Asian stereotypes with an interactive game (based on the popular ‘Jenga’) as a medium. The project is positioned as a comedic subversion. This project stems from my awareness around immigrating to New Zealand. Throughout multiple types of research, I have decided on constructing an interactive piece (Jenga) to provoke users to have discussions based on each stereotypes and also to identify the sorts of stereotypes and prejudice the community encounter. The project aims to encourage other communities to gain better understanding of Asian stereotypes through participation activity. By integrating the comedic factor into the game, I wanted to challenge the idea that humour can be an alternative way of taking ownership of the stereotypes. Furthermore, to also serve as an encouragement for Asian communities to embrace self-culture.
www.michelledz.com
Juvensco
Project name: The Hub
My exploration on how to tackle the problem of Mental Health amongst young New Zealanders; especially 18 – 25 years old are the results of ‘trials & errors’ with heaps of observation, conversation, and self-reflection. It is also used as a tool to encourage people that faced through this problem to have conversations openly. The research journey has led me to target the importance of recovery from the issue; the decision you made that life should be better. The moment where you decided that you have enough of the oppressor in your head and that it’s the time to get proper help to beat it – the courage to go to the therapist, to grab that self-help book, to accept its existence. ‘The Hub’ is a place where people can listen to real stories that are similar to what they are facing, and to help build a safe and trusted community through analogue connection. A digital platform that represents a familiar gathering such as campfire & shared dinner moments. The platform allow these crucial moments to flourish where we build trust and connection with others.
www.ijo-ijo.com
William Kusuma
Project name: Missed Call
Missed Call is an animated interview excerpt about messages of southeast asian queers for their parents – messages that could not be voiced in person due to the pressures to conform to collectivist ideals and familial responsibility. In a society where being labelled immoral brings dishonour to one’s family, choosing to remain silent and live a double life is a choice that is opted by many – to sacrifice personal happiness in order to avoid social condemnation. This concept takes a closer look into how queerdom affects familial relationships, where lack of communication and the taboo nature of LGBT topics cause internalised shame and fear. The project gives a voice to the things we’ve chosen to hide, shedding light on culturally specific issues found in Southeast Asian countries (in which anti-discriminatory laws are still absent) that are rarely covered and represented in the media. The visuals of the video are heavily inspired by zines as a medium of political messages, emulating the colours and textural graininess of risograph prints which create a sense of handmade-ness that complement the animation and emphasise the personal nature of the narrative.
www.kumavisual.com
Lauren Chalk
Project name: Civic Voice Toolkit
The Civic Voice Toolkit is an educational resource that helps connect young people to the issues they care about the most. It serves as a discussion facilitator, combining both information and interaction to create active learning. The classroom is the perfect environment for Year Thirteen students – future first time voters – to explore the things they care about in a safe space. After using the toolkit, 17 & 18 year-old New Zealanders will gain political awareness in their final year of high school so that when they go out into the world they will be more sure of themselves, and their political voices.
www.laurenchalk.com
Lauren Shone
Project name: Whaddya Think – Eco-literate Brainstorming
Whaddya Think is a toolkit for undergraduate designers to explore and understand the various systems in which their practice, design problems and solutions exist, through a less reductive approach to knowledge and learning. This activity uses 22 cards with various words, definitions and questions to prompt the students to reflect on their problems, aims and artefacts in a variety of ways. The activity also indicates the various other disciplines and areas of research their design topic associates with. This toolkit is designed to be used in a classroom setting, ideally with a facilitator experienced in design education and ideation. Whaddya Think is designed to be malleable in that it can be used to brainstorm a variety of topics, thus topics are referred to as ‘happenings’ in the activity.
www.laurenshone3.wixsite.com/portfolio
Nir Schnapp
Project name: The Bridge
‘The Bridge’ project is an online training activity designed as a quiz format, that introduces a supportive learning environment to explore and understand non-traditional and inclusive language, regarding gender and sexual identity and LGBTQ+ topics, to be used by organisations which recognise the need for inclusivity and want to promote understanding toward their queer employees, as part their official policy. This can also be an introduction activity to an HR inclusive workshop. With an empathetic approach, in-depth research and proper UX/UI practice, even sensitive matters such as sexual and gender identity, queerness and inclusion, can be learned and practised in a supportive way.
www.nirshnap.wixsite.com/home/work
Maddison Grace-Hone
Project name: How can you use māori myths and legends to tell someone’s story?
The work I created expresses my journey through life and the challenges of growing up as a Māori woman, with a pākehā stepfather who seemingly did not appreciate nor approve of Māori culture. My work is based on using Māori legends & myths as a visual metaphor that tells an individual’s life journey. The research began as an exploration into different ways and manner that a story could be developed and conveyed, in particular through the use of abstraction. In this regard, the story of my childhood, my upbringing and finding myself through art and design are juxtaposed into the story of ‘Maui slowing the sun’.
www.putiputigraphicdesigns.com
Sameera Khan
Project name: Crema
My capstone project takes a different perspective on coffee, focusing on the coffee on how coffee comes from the country it is grown in, to the different methods coffee can be brewed, and all the processes in between. Using a combination of practical and theory research to understand the seed to cup process, I visited roasters, cafes and talked to industry professionals to gain a better understand on how the coffee processes are interlinked as well as observe them in person. I explored different mediums including: acrylic paint, watercolour and pencil to help develop visual images to support and illustrate the info and create an engaging journey thought the seed to cup process from start to finish. My project encourages you to grab a coffee, take a seat and, in your own time expand your knowledge and understanding of the coffee you drink.
www.sameerakhan34.wixsite.com/portfolio
Jack Whitehead
Project name: Finding My Taniwha.
To me, Taniwha had always been large mythical sea creatures that attacked people who got too close, but I learnt that there’s a lot more to them than I thought. They are creatures that share the same characteristics and attributes as humans. Each has its own unique emotions and personality traits just like we do. In fact, some people say that each of us have a Taniwha hidden within us, so I set out on a journey to discover my own Taniwha. During these conversations I found that we would always come back to the topic of Taniwha. This provided me with an even greater understanding of the importance that Taniwha play in Maori culture. The insights that I took away from these conversations were instrumental in shaping my project. They provided me with direction and enlightened me about the intricacies of Maori culture and I wouldn’t have reached the same conclusion without these conversations. Much of my design process was led by simply making prototype after prototype and reflecting on them in the larger context of my project as a whole. This allowed me to keep track of the major direction changes that my project undertook that led me to this final outcome.
www.jackwhitehead.myportfolio.com
Nicolas Seagrave
Project name: Ripe
Minimising the impact consumers have on the environment is a message that is consistently shared, from government level to discussions between peers. Practicing sustainable shopping habits involves learning about what produce is in season, or requires intensive amounts of water, to what produce has detrimental impacts on both the social and physical environment.
RIPE, an online application that allow consumers to take ownership and to trace back these produce supply chain. The platform delivers produce grown with Foodchain technology, right to a user’s front door. It operates as a digitally based retailer, that facilitates the logistics and transactions of getting the produce into the consumers hands as efficiently as possible. It will generate revenue on the margins made from selling the produce. It can also optimise data on its users habits to streamline its operations and procurement to minimise losses on spoiled produce and operate as lean as possible.
www.nicseagrave.design
Date: Tuesday 19th November 2019
4:30pm – 5:30pm Open to Public
5:30pm – 9:00pm Opening Night
Venue: Aotea Centre (Hunua & Waitakere Rooms)
50 Mayoral Drive, Auckland 1010
This event will showcase a diverse collection of creative work from across our degree programmes including Graphic Design, Interactive Design, Motion Design, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Game Art and Game Programming. This exhibition is open to the public before transitioning into an opening night so come along to experience our students design work, play some games and watch a short film or two.
