Coming To My Senses: A rhiz-nomadic expansion of scope within graphic design informed by nature.

To most non-designers, the perception of graphic design is no more than business cards, logos, and websites. This may stand true for some designers; but to others, graphic design is much more profound with relationships, meaning, and authenticity. Every designer has a different upbringing, a different education, and a different perspective on life and design. For me, graphic design is all about the relationship between designers and their work. In an effort to find my individuality as a graphic designer, the study of Phenomenology led me to find a sense of selfhood—true individuality—that balances my love for nature and design.

My thesis is an inquiry into design principles found in nature as a way to inform not only what I make, but how I make it. Inspired by Biomimicry and Biophilia, looking at nature as Model Measure, and Mentor allowed me to explore analog techniques in print design while also challenging space as my canvas. Similar to the process of evolution, I took a rhiz-nomadic approach to my work that began with a curiosity and led me from one interest to the next building on each experience to become a whole new entity.

The goal was to develop a new paradigm that challenges what has already been defined within graphic design and continue to overlap boundaries of other design disciplines. This thesis is intended for any designer that is in search of finding authenticity and relationships in their work. It challenges traditional graphic design by exploring the idea that a graphic design process doesn’t always result in a traditional graphic design product. Lastly, this document rests as a challenge to anyone, not just designers, to find something they love and invest time into exploring every corner of it. With persistence, time will unfold the true meaning behind that interest. You don’t have to know where to start, you just have to start somewhere.