Department Blog
Department news, events, and snapshots of student life at SVA in New York City.
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Rolling admissions still open! 〰️
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MASTERS THESIS: The Void: Finding Value in Nothing, by Lucy Knops
The objective of Lucy Knops' master's thesis, The Void: Finding Value in Nothing, was to reframe the "role of absence" in people's daily lives. She began on a conceptual level by asking simple questions: What if nothing could be something? What if we could add to our lives by taking away more?
MASTERS THESIS: "I Was There When", by Eliz Ayaydin
Eliz Ayaydin's master's thesis, I Was There When, explores how people deal with traumatic memories-specifically, mental relief following natural disasters. Arguing that "at base, designers make sense of messes," Ayaydin set herself the challenge of making sense of one of the most unexpected and uncontrollable messes there are.
MASTERS THESIS: Kona: Changing Perspective on Learning in India, by Vidhi Goel
Vidhi Goel's master's thesis, Kona: Changing Perspective on Learning in India, challenges the structure and effectiveness of the current curriculum and public school system in India. She believes that "learning should empower children and liberate them from mental barriers and social crutches."
MASTERS THESIS: Grey Space, by Lance Green
Lance Green's master's thesis, Grey Space, is a study focused on the interstitial spaces in which we often find ourselves working, and on our ability to adapt to new or unfamiliar working environments.
MASTERS THESIS: Shift: A Proposal to Lift Community Morale, by Andrés Iglesias
Andres Iglesias' master's thesis, Shift: A Proposal to Lift Community Morale, explores two principal ideas: the power of optimism to change the way a group of people see their immediate surroundings, and how searching out "the good" in one's environment-rather than focusing on the flaws-can be crucial for developing a sense community.
"Bud": A Smart Preganancy Companion that Tells You and Your Baby Where You're At
"Bud" is a smart pregnancy companion that acts as a support system for pregnant women. Designed by Vidhi Goel and Eliz Ayaydin, the device emerged from the design brief of "Reimagining home monitoring" in the Product, Brand & Experience course of the MFA Products of Design Program. The project celebrates pregnancy for parent and child—a precious time that deserves care and attention, and a product category not yet addressed in the from a technology standpoint that is user-centric and humanistic.
#SLIDEFREE: Michael Bierut Delivers His First-Ever "No-Slides" Lecture at MFA Products of Design
Last month, Michael Bierut, partner at Pentagram and one of the most captivating design thinkers and speakers in the world, delivered his "first-ever talk without slides" at the MFA Products of Design Department. In a lecture that is candid and humble, incredibly personal, reflective, and inspiring, Michael examines his "first 10 years and his next 10 years"—sharing his history and dreams from childhood to present day, looking toward the future, and punctuating the talk with side trips to humble ambitions and lessons learned.
I Don't Vote: Design & Politics Workshop in Washington Square Park
The graduate students from SVA’s MFA Products of Design program wanted to find out why young people don’t vote by creating a campaign and design intervention called “I Don’t Vote”—addressing apathy and framing the discussion around both the predicted and unseen reasons for opting out. The campaign was grounded in an I Don’t Vote Manifesto, and in an online website and mobile webapp, an in-person booth, sticker, and button campaign.
MISSION CTRL Goes Live at Wanted Design!
As part of NYCxDesign, the students of the MFA in Products of Design at the School of Visual Arts present MISSION CTRL, a suite of interactions that explore how we come together to experience and share new design. The interventions turn common gestures of digital, social networking into analog artifacts and performances, critiquing our dependence on new technology and providing alternatives for timely communication and wayfinding. Through a playful series of dynamic, participatory installations, MissionCTRL celebrates the design community at large, and invites visitors to put away their devices and interact with each other in real life (IRL). The work comes out of a 10-week class called Design Performance taught by Sinclair Smith, which explores design exhibition beyond the pedestal, focusing in on interaction, participation, and staging new behaviors.