Download - MFA Thesis Presentation by Rongfei Geng
UNIVERSITYLIFE
AN IDEAL
MFA THESIS PROJECT
EMPOWERING CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REVIST THEIR VALUES
RONGFEI GENG
PRELIMINARYRESEARCH
Summer 2012, Beijing
Oct 31, 2011Uruguayan lady saved girlwho fell in the Lake
Sept 11, 2012American women helpedold men who fell on the ground
Sept 5, 2012Chinese snatching grapes froma turned-over truck
It was an Uruguayan girl who saved people in West Lake, an American girl who helped fallen old man on the street, and an African student who bore witness to the assailant on the airplane. It was foreigners who are helping Chinese uphold justice in China’s land. ... Have you heard of Pavlov’s experiment, dog’s conditioned reflex action on repeated ring bells and feeding? When justice is being constantly punished, it is becoming a biggest experiment lab here, and we’ve been trained for long.
跳进西湖救人是乌拉圭女孩,大街上扶起摔伤老人是美国女孩,出来作证武装政委打空姐的是非洲留学生。在中国领土上帮中国人主张正义的却是外国人。肯定又有人会说懦弱,自私。知道巴甫洛夫实驗吧,不断摇铃铛,喂食,摇铃铛...狗就条件反射了。当正义常受惩罚,这是最大的一个实验室,我们被训练良久。
— Chengpeng, Li. Critic & Author in China.
You Have To Win At Your Thirties:Things that those successful people did when they were still in their twenties.
Books on the Shelves
Apathy
Absence of Respect
Selfishness
Living Condition
Education
How do students look at the world?What do they value?How are they setting their goals?How are they facing the problems in the current education environment?Critically or apathetically?How do I use design to help them critically think about the status quo?How do I communicate questions related to value to them?
BACKGROUND
OPENING-UP POLICY
1978
POST-80’S
GENERATION
if you don’t suffer, you lost the meaning
of the final high school year;
if you don’t fight, your life in the final
high school year becomes in vain.
• studying hard, good grades in exams
• “useful” things, getting credentials
• student government, joining the Party
• not caring anything at all
• renting house outside
• not attending any school activities
PROBLEMSTATEMENT
What are their values now?
Are they aware of these values?
Do they have other options?
Why are they feeling lost?
How can they develop a critical judgement while still being inundated with the pressure from the social context and their parents?
In what way can they develop critical attitudes about their current value views?
How can concepts, strategies, forms and methods of graphic design be used to explore and to communicate questions about values to Chinese college students, in order to develop their empathy and awareness for active and critical thinking, and to empower them for a more meaningful college life?
TARGET
AUDIENCE
Chinese college students
stakeholders of higher education in China
(e.g. parents, teachers, to-be college students)
English-speaking audience
PROJECTPROCESS
PHASE ONE: AWARENESS
PHASE TWO: CALL TO ACTION
PHASE THREE: CO-DESIGN
WHAT TO PURSUEIN UNIVERSITIESPOSTER SERIES
1
INSCRIBE YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM ON PAPERHAND-MADE NOTEBOOK
2
20 ACTIONS FOR A MEANINGFUL COLLEGE LIFEACTION BOOK
3
AN UNIVERSITY DREAMSTORY WEBSITE
4
TIME-TRACKING CARDSPRINTED CARDS
5
SHARE YOUR READINGSSOCIAL MEDIA SITE
6
SHARE YOUR PROJECTSSOCIAL MEDIA SITE
7
CARPE DIEM APPCOMPUTER-BASEDBROWSER-BASEDMOBILE
8
PROJECTPROCESS
PROJECTPROCESS
“My original dream is to become an
ILLUSTRATOR,
Using color and brush strokes to express emotions, ideas, and many beautiful things, and share them to others, so that myself will have an enjoyment of achievement.”
PROJECTPROCESS
PROJECTPROCESS
EDUCATIONevaluation criteria, publication/SCI, profit,
amount of PhD programs, etc.
EDUCATIONwhat is it for?
SOCIAL PROBLEMS“the death of millions is a statistic”
SOCIAL PROBLEMS“the death of one man is a tragedy”
NEW MEDIA / WEBreaching a broad audience and is
therefore effective statistically
TRADITIONAL MEDIA / BOOKlimited audience, but deep reflection on information without distraction
FAST DESIGNcommercial, profitable, like fast food
SLOW DESIGNcompared to slow eating
FOR THIS PROJECTdeciding which media to use based on audience statistics, e.g. when participant number N < 50,
use printed media, otherwise use digital media
FOR THIS PROJECThow is each form influencing the audience?how are participants interacting and participating?
QUANTITY QUALITY
CO-DESIGN
THOUGHTS
QUANTITY VS. QUALITY
DESIGN AS
PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
Solution C
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
Solution C
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
Solution C
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
Solution C
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
DESIGN PROCESS
PROBLEM
Solution A
Solution B
Solution C
social, cultural, industrial, daily need, etc.
DESIGN AUTHORSHIP
+
CO-DESIGN
PARTICIPANTS DESIGNER
discussing visuals
stories
visuals, opinions
story book
influencing others
DESIGN PROCESS
create designconcept
test designconcept
create designprototype
test designprototype
introduce designsolutions
brain-storming
mind mapping
interviewing brand matrix
visual brain dump
action verbs
co-design
mock-ups
DEFININGPROBLEM
GETTINGIDEAS
CREATING FORM
Nini, Paul. (2004) Sharpening one’s axe: making a case for a comprehensive approach to research in the graphic design process.
Lupton, Ellen. (2011) Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond brainstorming.
test designsolutions
THANKS TO:
THANKS TO:
THANKS TO:
Maria Rogal, Brian Slawson
THANKS TO:
Maria Rogal, Brian Slawson
Marisa Falcigno, Rober Finkel, Joungyun Choi, Gaby Hernández,
Myda Iamiceli, Fuer Liu, Dan Luo, Jorge Pérez Gallego,
Shantanu Suman, Garima Thakur, Alston Wise, Daniel Ypsilanti
THANKS TO:
Maria Rogal, Brian Slawson
Marisa Falcigno, Rober Finkel, Joungyun Choi, Gaby Hernández,
Myda Iamiceli, Fuer Liu, Dan Luo, Jorge Pérez Gallego,
Shantanu Suman, Garima Thakur, Alston Wise, Daniel Ypsilanti
Dori Griffin, Murphy Zhang, Guolong Lai, faculty members who
taught me at University of Florida
THANKS TO:
Maria Rogal, Brian Slawson
Marisa Falcigno, Rober Finkel, Joungyun Choi, Gaby Hernández,
Myda Iamiceli, Fuer Liu, Dan Luo, Jorge Pérez Gallego,
Shantanu Suman, Garima Thakur, Alston Wise, Daniel Ypsilanti
Dori Griffin, Murphy Zhang, Guolong Lai, faculty members who
taught me at University of Florida
Brothers and Sisters at Gainesville Chinese Christian Church
THANKS TO:
Maria Rogal, Brian Slawson
Marisa Falcigno, Rober Finkel, Joungyun Choi, Gaby Hernández,
Myda Iamiceli, Fuer Liu, Dan Luo, Jorge Pérez Gallego,
Shantanu Suman, Garima Thakur, Alston Wise, Daniel Ypsilanti
Dori Griffin, Murphy Zhang, Guolong Lai, faculty members who
taught me at University of Florida
Brothers and Sisters at Gainesville Chinese Christian Church
Mom & Dad & Dan Zhai
UNIVERSITYLIFE
AN IDEAL
MFA THESIS PROJECT
EMPOWERING CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REVIST THEIR VALUES
RONGFEI GENG