Department Blog

Department news, events, and snapshots of student life at SVA in New York City.

All Blog Posts

INSTIGATIONISM: Inciting Activity in a Sedentary Population
Thesis, Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes Thesis, Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes

INSTIGATIONISM: Inciting Activity in a Sedentary Population

Michael Lee Kenney’s master’s thesis Instigationism is built on a foundation of design work that is intended to incite physical activity in sedentary populations. By combining research insights from the fields of psychology, game design, behavioral economics, and immersive media, Kenney pushes us to reexamine our relationship with exercise.

Read More
PLAYING WITH FIREBRANDS: Amplifying Student Voices in Public Education
Student Projects Allan Chochinov Student Projects Allan Chochinov

PLAYING WITH FIREBRANDS: Amplifying Student Voices in Public Education

Andrea Cameron’s master’s thesis, Playing with Firebrands, explores student agency in education. Inspired by the work of progressive educators and student-centered design, the motivation was to incorporate principles from progressive education into public education. The objective was to take the best practices in privatized education and make them accessible to public schools.

Read More
DIGITAL NATIVES: Promoting Analog Behaviors in Children’s Cognitive Development
Thesis, Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes Thesis, Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes

DIGITAL NATIVES: Promoting Analog Behaviors in Children’s Cognitive Development

In her thesis Digital Natives, Gahee explores designing technologies for children. She uses as her point of departure the notion that young children today "lack analog activities," as they spend most of their time using tablets and cellphones. She argues that existing products in the market are designed to be addictive—creating passive behaviors in children.

Read More
ABSURD INTELLIGENCE: Explorations of the Unconscious
Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes

ABSURD INTELLIGENCE: Explorations of the Unconscious

Xumeng Mou considers herself lucky to have been born a daydreamer. Growing up in an environment that valued so-called rationality and objectivity over fantasy and creativity placed her natural inclinations at odds with outside expectations. This inner conflict led her to explore the human mind and to examine whether daydreams should rightfully be considered “barriers to success.”

Read More
AWE AND ASTONISHMENT: Wonder in the Age of Democratized Magic
Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes Student Projects Tao Tao Holmes

AWE AND ASTONISHMENT: Wonder in the Age of Democratized Magic

Josh Corn’s master thesis, Awe and Astonishment: Wonder in the Age of Democratized Magic, aims to inspire wonder and awe through the design of products, services, and experiences. Josh asserts that the door to people’s curiosity and wonder is closing due to the evolution of technology. Josh states, “science pushes on to understand the world around us and as technology continues to innovate, we have seen a diminishment in the value we place on the unknown and the mysteries around us.”

Read More