Student Work — Wyeth Hansen

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE 1

PERSON OF INTEREST

This assignment happened early in the semester, as an illustration of the importance of point of view and clarity of mission. Students were assigned a historical or contemporary figure who had an impact on their culture primarily due to their personal convictions and point of view. Figures ranged from the well-known to the niche, all linked by their drive and singular purpose – Joan of Arc, Diego Maradona, Josephine Baker, Timothy Leary, etc.

The project was split in three parts.

1. Students were first asked to create and present a research dossier on their assigned individual in a suitable style.

2. They were then to ideate and create a game that interpreted the mission of the individual, whether as a board game, a gestural game, electronic game, or otherwise.

3. With the game complete, the students were asked to create a piece of promotion for the game – whether as a print ad, billboard, or :15 – :30 motion piece.

“BAD CATHOLIC”
A tongue-in-cheek game of sin, redemption, and paying your way out of trouble. Inspired by the life of Madonna.

Printed paper, wood, felt. acetate. 2017

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE 2

THE SINGER & THE SONG

This project is an exploration of the typographic ‘voice,’ the assumed cultural weight that a typeface carries with it, and how type choices affect the perceived meaning of a message. This assignment asked the students to focus on the blending of typographic voices, also by thinking about actual voices.

Students were asked to pick a favorite singer that they knew thoroughly, then they were assigned four songs from a variety of unrelated artists, and were to imagine their singer performing and releasing cover versions of those songs as a series of records, expressing the collision of voices through typography.

“BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE” as covered by Whitney Houston
“DAMAGED GOODS” as covered by Frank Ocean
“GOT YOUR MONEY” as covered by Sia
“LOVE WILL TEAR US APART” as covered by Cab Calloway
The student that chose Cab Calloway created a mini-brand for her covers called ‘Covers From the Future’ to deal with the spatiotemporal disjunction.

Printed paper, vinyl records – 2016

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE 3

PROBLEM PACKAGING

This project combined 3D packaging, identity design, and market research into a project with an absurdist bent. Students were asked to annotate their day-to-day life for a week and note what problems they encountered, whether minor or major, simple annoyances or structural issues. They narrowed this list down to three possible problems, to be presented to the class.

After selecting the most interesting of the problems, the students were asked to conceptualize a product that would address their problem, and then to prototype and design the packaging for that product. Packaging would include naming your product or company, creating the logotype and attendant graphics, as well as giving it dimensional form.

“GROWTH” PLANT SENSOR
Packaging and prototype for an app-based smart sensor to track plant health and notify users.

Printed paper, wood, cardboard. 2016

“LIT” CUSTOMIZABLE LIGHT-UP SNEAKERS
Packaging and prototype for a smart sneaker with customizable LED lighting and tracking info.

Acrylic, cardboard, printed paper, digital interface – 2017

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE 4

SENSE SYMBOLS

This project combines icon design with bookmaking and research. After an overview of the range and history of various symbol and iconographic languages and approaches, students were asked to select one of the five senses. Their mission for the project is to create symbolic representations of invisible functions that do not have universal symbols already of eight aspects of their chosen sense. (For example, Touch symbols would include Furry, Hairy, Gritty, Slippery, Smooth, Sticky, Shocking, and Prickly.)

With their symbols created, students were asked to create a booklet that introduces the world to their symbol set and tells the story of their process.