My Role: Visual Designer, Package Designer
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD
Background: I was selected to participate in a SUNY New Paltz study abroad program at Instituto Superior de Diseño (ISDi) in Havana, Cuba, for two weeks in January of 2019. My team of four designers, two Americans and two Cubans, collaborated to design "COMMUNIGRAPHS!", a communication pictograph game.
Mission: Our group was given the task to identify a problem that was important to us and design a solution.
Language Barrier Challenge and Ideas: Our team began by "breaking the ice" with introductions, and then realized that we were going to be challenged because of the language barrier. We used this obstacle as a catalyst for our idea: create a game for people who do not speak the same language to exercise alternative forms of communication in a fun way, ultimately bridging the language barrier gap.
Prototype, Critique, and Iterations: In our early design phase other students tested and critiqued our prototype. Their feedback helped us make improvements. We were able to create a fun solution using simple symbols, bright colors, and innovative packaging with directions available in both English and Spanish.
Final Presentations: At the end of the two week program at ISDi, we presented our project to the entire group. When we returned to the United States, we displayed our projects in the SUNY New Paltz Sojourner Truth Library.
Our Team: Pictured below is our "COMMUNIGRAPHS!" team and the entire group of SUNY New Paltz and ISDi designers who participated in the design collaboration.
