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Subject: search.filters.subject.330316 Visual communication design (incl. graphic design)

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 22
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    Mitigating impacts of disaster through community resilience : whakawhanaungatanga vs. zombies : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Koedijk, Paige
    This research contributes to the field of disaster risk reduction by utilising visual storytelling to emphasise the critical role of resilient communities in mitigating the impacts of climate-accelerated disasters, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. The Peninsula, a fictional pānui, explores the mātauranga Māori principle of whakawhanaungatanga through the depiction of ordinary members from the Miramar Peninsula community in tongue-in-cheek survival situations during an ongoing zombie catastrophe. Leveraging Wellingtonians’ appreciation for b-horror/humour storytelling seen in productions such as What We Do in the Shadows and Wellington Paranormal, the use of humour and the spectacle of a zombie context is an engaging narrative experience for readers to consider their contributions within their community in an emergency. Some social change campaigns have gained viral levels of success through the use of evocative visuals and narratives to resonate with the public, as seen in Aotearoa’s COVID-19 infographics and the CDC’s 2011 zombie-themed hurricane information. The zombie as a narrative device functions as a versatile symbol for political or socio-economic commentary, serving in this research as a “trojan-horse” for conveying emergency management information with a community focus. The social collaboration illustrated in The Peninsula mirrors the real world advantage of community resilience throughout the phases of an emergency. The design output is explored through affective design and developed through iterative cycles of “inquiry by design” methodologies and implementing community-based social marketing strategies.
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    Solarise : solar branding through the culture lens of Tri Hita Karana : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Jessica, Victoria
    The project is an enquiry into a cultural approach to branding. It utilises a holistic process inspired by a Balinese moral compass, the Tri Hita Karana, which is a balance between humans, nature, and spiritual aspects. The project explores through branding a solar organisation that seeks to promote sustainability and the benefits of solar energy through a visual communication design system. Bali, an island in Indonesia, is currently experiencing a power shortage due to its high electricity demand and being the last in the transmission line from Java island. Solar power is a viable substitute for fossil fuels to address the issue, as Bali receives plenty of sunlight. However, the need for more public awareness about solar energy and sustainability hinders the solar movement. This research aims to communicate its purpose and meaning e ectively by adopting a cultural branding approach emphasising the rich cultural aspects of Bali through visual language and graphic elements. The goal is to encourage a shift in behaviour and attitude towards clean energy technologies as part of the energy transition movement. The project uses cultural brand theories and energy transition frameworks to approach Balinese culture empathetically. The objective of this master's project is to explore the narratives of Balinese culture and find ways to create a brand identity system that synergises with these elements. A website, out-of-home QR codes, and social media are part of the visual communication design research outcomes. The narrative of the outcomes intends to increase awareness and support positive initiatives for rebuilding sustainability in Bali. It emphasises the connection between humans, nature, and spirituality while highlighting solar panels' benefits and their connection to the brand.
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    Sharing an Aotearoa-Indian perspective through digital-rangoli, experimental cultural experiences in contemporary New Zealand public : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Topiwala, Amul / Abhi
    The migration of my family from India to Aotearoa brought a range of traditional values and practices with them including the art of rangoli. The aim of this research is to use motion design as a public intervention within a threshold to reveal interstices for future generations facing kōrero. A threshold, which is a liminal space activated to reveal ‘digital rangoli’ — experimental animation that can explore ideas of whakapapa and tūrangawaewae as an Aotearoa-Indian. The results of this practice often represent acceptance, reflection, and a perspective that can illuminate new pathways into our future. This process has allowed me to understand and unpack many presumptions that are often made of Indians in Aotearoa New Zealand. With autoethnography as my method, I collect knowledge through audio and written reflection, journaling, sketching, motion experiments, and photography. In this research I piece together these findings in such a way that discusses the progress of my digital rangoli experiment in relation to significant moments of my life that elapsed during my postgraduate studies. Identity is something that we all grapple with at our own capacities. This project seeks to offer third culture kids of various backgrounds alternative ways of viewing their own whakapapa through the application of art and design.
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    Zoro and the guardians of Chiribiquete : the design of creatures for VR location-based experience to contribute to the preservation of Chiribiquete National Park : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master in Design, Weta Workshop School at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Fernández Zapata, Sara Isabel
    Fantasy worlds, creatures, and their stories can inspire people to learn and care about specific places, creating empathy and a sense of identity that transcends differences between cultures. “Chiribiquete” is a Colombian national park that only researchers and indigenous communities, to whom this place is sacred, should visit. This park, one of the world’s largest tropical rainforest national parks, belongs to Unesco’s World Heritage Sites List. Due to the park’s fragile biomass and its sacred significance to several indigenous communities, visitation is strictly limited. Therefore, location-based VR experiences can help to create a sense of belonging around this place. My design outcome consists of three creatures for a VR Location-Based Experience in the Gold Museum of Bogotá, based on the fantasy book Zoro by Jairo Anibal Niño. Zoro is a fantasy story about an indigenous child looking for his people in the Amazonian rainforest. This book has been part of the Colombian education syllabus for over three decades, facilitating a connection between Colombian identity and the Amazon rainforests. This project aims to communicate the relevance of preserving Chiribiquete National Park by offering an alternative to allow teenagers to empathise with this sacred place remotely. Drawing on IDEO methodology, I have developed creatures for a VR experience based on Zoro combined with Chiribiquete’s cosmogony. Based on the creatures from the book, these designs employ fantasy to help people understand the park’s complexity and the need for its conservation.
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    Children’s nutrition education integrated with traditional Chinese culture : a social impact and sustainability concept of a dietary program based on the twenty-four solar terms : Master in Design, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Zhang, Xiaohong
    In today's society, there is a growing concern about children's eating habits. The issue of environmental sustainability has also gained prominence. This design research explores the health and environmental impacts of children’s eating and aims to foster healthy eating habits. By advocating fruit and vegetable consumption, especially when they are seasonal, design interventions can encourage children to eat healthier, improve physical health while also raising awareness of a sustainable lifestyle manifested through Chinese cultural heritage and traditions. This visual communication design project, 24 Treasures, creates a collectible card series that draws on traditional Chinese culture and combines the concept of the 24 solar terms to promote healthy seasonal eating. During each solar term, children can not only learn more about the corresponding seasonal fruits and vegetables, but also experience fun engagement and incentives through the collection card rewards. The card series guides children through education and practice. 24 Treasures represents an important step in fostering healthy eating habits, environmental awareness and cultural appreciation among children. This also aligns with the Chinese government's sustainable goals.
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    Visual storytelling : character illustration for Chinese Mohist culture and technology : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master in Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Wang, Han
    In the modern era of rapid information development, visual storytelling presented through graphic novels has become an engaging form of cultural communication. Visual stories have the capacity to convey profound meanings in Chinese moral vision and life wisdom. This design project develops new character illustrations to convey a story that promotes greater understanding of the Mohist culture and technology in the worlds of historical and future China. Illustration work for a proposed graphic novel aims to create visually engaging characters for a story that represents the history, culture, and technology of the Mohist School in a way that is easily understood by younger people and reflects on boundaries between modern technology and humanity.
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    Shanhaijing : an exploration of how game characters design can present the heritage story for contemporary audiences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master in Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Wang, Xinyi
    The Shanhaijing, an ancient book of wonders from the pre-Qin era (before 221 B.C.), features a rich collection of monsters, ghosts, and gods constituting an entire world. This project aims to explore the fantastic creatures depicted in the Shanhaijing and present them to audiences through a video game character design. By examining their appearance, habitat, and role in other traditional Chinese mythologies, this project seeks to introduce these creatures to a contemporary audience by depicting them in a contemporary mystery RPG game platform. Through this research, I aim to demonstrate how illustration for contemporary game characters can engage a contemporary Chinese audience with their ancient cultural heritage.
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    You never know which side you'll fall when you're sitting on the fence : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Stephens, Samantha Karin
    This research examines the art of protest posters and what it means to engage in a public space as an artist. Primarily through text and printmaking, it explores what could start a dialogue around protest and current events in Aotearoa and globally. Graphic design, traditional, modern printmaking techniques such as urban street art, and both traditional and modern printmaking techniques have shaped this exegesis and creative body of work. The artists key to my practice are varied in media and influence; such as musicians Michael Franti, activists and multimedia artists The Guerrilla Girls, designers of The Wellington Media Collective and Barbara Kruger. This research project is concerned with discussion around issues facing Aotearoa and its current government’s policy and decision-making. Protest and protest art is core to how we discuss, react to, and unpack public issues. I am influenced by the process of making, creative practice research, design-art and modern protest material. The crux of this practice is making protest art publicly accessible to anyone.
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    Diary in a shelter : stories set in lockdown : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Lei, Haoting
    Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the globe, with lasting effects on most people. This project will document the issues arising in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the lockdown policy in Xi'an, China, from the end of 2019 to 2022, with a particular focus on the story of a young adult who encounters and experiences the lockdown within an ordinary community in Xi'an. Inspired by graphic novels, Diary in a Shelter uses a sequential art approach to create a set of narrative scenes that explore how the visual medium can be used to represent people's psychological experiences during the lockdown. This practice-based design research is focusing on personal narrative through non-fictional references, drawing thirteen key points summarised from media reports as the basis of the visual stories. This artwork aims to become one part of a printed collection, to resonate with community readers. The illustrated scenes in the project highlight how stories can be used by audiences to gain greater understanding and empathy for those who have experienced the lockdown to varied extents. The outcome provides an outlet to deliver messages and keep the stories of a memorable and emotionally impactful and challenging time.
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    The plight of Chinese birds : exploring eco-critical visual expressions of endangered Chinese birds : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master in Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Feng, Ruiqi
    While there is an abundant diversity of bird species in China, many species are considered threatened and three of them are regionally extinct. This issue presents an opportunity to educate younger generations about anthropogenic impacts on endangered birds, for instance, pollution, and deforestation to raise eco-awareness. This research from the perspective of an illustrator aims to explore ecocritical visual expressions of endangered Chinese birds to elicit empathetic responses among Chinese teenagers. The design work focuses on six endangered birds in China as case studies to explore methods of visually representing ecological issues affecting birds in a series of illustrations. Different forms of illustration were explored for this project, to ascertain the most feasible method to stimulate youths’ awareness of ecological issues. Through an iterative design process, a webtoon through digital media employing ecological metaphor was considered the most accessible art form for the audience. However, the final visual work is presented in a format compatible with both digital media and traditional print for other applications.