RESEARCH
The research process is near and dear to my heart. Coming from a background in academic psychology and having worked in many research labs, I (not so) secretly rebelled against design research at first. I wasn’t able to reconcile my strict scientific training with something as creative and fiercely personal as design. However, over time, I came to appreciate that design research can be all of these things and more.
Scientific design informed much of my design process for Signs of Life. Since my project is about charting the unknown digital spaces, it seems only natural to adopt the visual language of scientific design. I have always had a passion for maps, charts, and diagrams; as a child, I would sit and draw maps for imaginary places for hours. It didn’t matter if I understood them or not, I would admire the intricate shading, the delicate lines, and the way type interacted with the forms. Investigating scientific charts and diagrams led me to classic science fiction works by Philip K. Dick and Harlan Ellison, and looking at UI design of mecha in shows such as Evangelion. Reading these texts and collecting other materials, ranging from academic journal articles on avatar personalization to Korean pop music to Japanese roleplaying video games to multimedia virtual reality experiences, formed a solid foundation as I built my thesis experience.
MURAL board