Design Beyond Calm

Design Beyond Calm explores how lessons learned from meditation can be metaphorically applied to the graphic design process and pedagogy. The thesis contains four projects, each with its own intention, that seek to explore the role of graphic design as a more contemplative, insightful practice.

still from project four
still from project three
still from project two
still from project one

Don’t Blink

For project four, I explore how meditation lessons can metaphorically inform graphic design process and pedagogy. My goal was to create motion-based works that used the four elements as described in ayurveda yoga as metaphors for stages of the design process. By aligning meditative concepts with design methods my aim was to explore the role of graphic design as a more contemplative and insightful practice.

Graphic design as Contemplative Art

This third project, is a motion piece based on an interview with David Grey that explores his idea of Graphic Design as Contemplative Art.

Meditating on a Capital A

This second project, works towards exploring the design process and its connections to introspection (looking inwards) and extrospection (observing and understanding the outside world) through a generative exercise with a capital A.

Just Breathe

This first project was intended to create visual calm. The aim was to push graphics towards something that contrasts the typical simplistic designs for meditations.

Credits

Featured Works by: Corita Kent, Thich Nhat Hanh, Alan Watts, David Grey, Paulo Freire, Jesue Ruiz, and Durand Dynaya Bhut, Special thanks to Michael Worthington, Lorraine Wild, Yasmin Gibson, David Grey, and MFA class of ’25.