As their Capstone project, JSU's Master of Fine Arts graduate students produce an exhibition of their artworks, usually accompanied by a written thesis. The theses documents are cataloged below.
In order to provide context, the MFA Theses Exhibitions are also offered for viewing holistically as Online Digital Exhibits.
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The "Backpack" Methodology: A Research Methodology for First-Year Design Students
Alba Conejero
View the Digital Exhibition of The "Backpack" Methodology
First-year design students often need to pay more attention to research or, at the very least, allocate the necessary amount of time and effort to it. Through my personal and teaching experience, I have realized that this happens for a few reasons: for first-year students, the task of “research” does not sound exciting, some of them do not realize the benefits of doing research and exploration, and others, do not know how to do research properly. Our job as design educators is to teach students how to solve problems and think creatively, and to do that; we also need to teach them how to research.
The “Backpack” methodology is a research methodology designed for first-year design students. This methodology aims to help students collect their visual research and resources in one place, where they can make connections, reflect on their findings, and transform them into creative output. Also, it emphasizes exploration, creates research habits, and encourages a culture of sharing among students, which makes research fun.
In this thesis project, the methodology refers to the overarching strategy for identifying, capturing, and processing information. The “Backpack” system refers to the framework where all this information is captured, categorized, analyzed, and finally, becomes creative output. The methodology is “how,” and the “Backpack” system is “where” to capture and process research.
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The "Backpack" Methodology | Backpack System Tutorial
Alba Conejero
Animated tutorial on how to use the “Backpack” system implemented in Notion.
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Design Citizen: A Design Pedagogy for the Contemporary Context
Conner Gayda
View the Digital Exhibition of Design Citizen
Implicit in this critique of Modernism is the notion that the designer is in some capacity responsible for how their work interacts with the world. All designers, have the capacity to bolster morally bankrupt institutions and ideologies. In simpler terms, design has the potential to harm. This begs the question: how do designers learn to practice their craft responsibly? Where can designers learn how to be responsible citizens and stewards of their discipline?
If the standard collegiate design curriculum does not prepare students to engage with their vocation in a contextualized manner, how can the student be expected to operate responsibly in a professional setting? Who or what will prompt the designer to consider their own ethical framework? What safeguards are in place? My thesis project will engage questions like these as it considers the role of education in preparing responsible designers.
In both the written and visual components of my thesis, I will argue that a robust design curriculum for the contemporary context should broaden students' understanding of how design interacts with the world and what design can be. Namely, this pedagogy will create responsible citizen designers by encouraging students to consider the civic and ecological impacts of their work while simultaneously exposing students to diverse perspectives. Before furthering my argument or suggesting specific remedies for the pedagogical dilemma at hand, it is necessary to first consider the histories of art and design education.
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Design Citizen | Deconstruction Walls, Right Wall
Conner Gayda
A timelapse video of gallery attendees interacting with the tear walls on the right side of the gallery
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Design Citizen | Deconstruction Walls, Left Wall
Connor Gayda
A timelapse video of gallery attendees interacting with the tear walls on the left side of the gallery
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Videntis: A Design-Based Methodology for Secondary Educators
Ashlen Jackson
View the Digital Exhibition of Videntis
Videntis explores the application of graphic design process and visual outcomes to secondary education curricula in Alabama. Videntis was influenced by the following methodologies currently used in education: Design-Based Learning (DBL), Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Engineering Design Process (EDP), Project-Based Learning (PBL), and Design Thinking (DT). The paper provides the definitions of these methodologies and the benefits of these methods in the classroom. In the formation of my methodology, seven high school educators were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on the framework of Videntis. The results identified factors that would best help them teach content to their students. Videntis is an introductory design methodology that infuses the graphic designer’s thought process into core curriculum subjects such as Mathematics, History, English, and Science. The method incorporates the important skills of communication, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity through the creation of hands-on projects resulting in visual outcomes. Teachers can access Videntis digitally via a web-based organization, which offers support and practical ideas.
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17 Steps to Strategy Motion Graphics
Nicolas Guimarães Vieira
A television screen displays a looping 1920x1080 video summarizing the materials presented in the exhibition.
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Teaching Brand Strategy in Design: A Seventeen-Step Methodology
Nicolas Guimarães Vieira
View the Digital Exhibition of Seventeen Steps to Strategy
The concepts of design and branding have evolved significantly over time, becoming increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. Despite the general presence of the design field in contemporary society, specific definitions and practices in design often seem ambiguous to people not in the field. This thesis focuses on exploring the multifaceted nature of design within education, particularly as it relates to strategy and branding, and proposes a shift in perspective, namely regarding how young designers are taught to deal with conceptualization, research, and project development related to brands while in university. Through research into existing and updated publications, as well as personal academic and professional experiences involving branding strategy, it seems that there is a demand in the field for the reevaluation of existing teaching methodologies and project development as a whole. There is a need to reevaluate how young designers and students in design could focus more on strategy, research, meaningful communication, and emotional connection with the audience. This research is primarily inspired by Donald Norman and Fabian Geyrhalter. Norman highlights the importance of and how to achieve an emotional connection with the user or target audience, while Geyrhalter is a specialist in branding strategy, having authored numerous books explaining how to create your branding strategy, step by step. Their writings have contributed to the improvement of branding project teaching and research of projects related to design and branding. My own experience lends a varied point of view, as my undergraduate degree in design was completed in Brazil, but I sought higher education in the United States. With my unique perspective, I can consider the research of both Norman and Geyrhalter while also weighing the differences in educational theory in other environments. This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion of improving teaching approaches related to design and branding, as well as aiding in the evolution of the role of designers in brand communication.
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Kinship Bonds: Family and Slavery in Calhoun County
Amanda Wentzel
View the Digital Exhibition of Kinship Bonds
In 1856, the will of a Calhoun County landowner included his desired outcome for the 14 enslaved persons held in his possession. As a descendant of this enslaver, I sought to uncover more about those enslaved persons and their lives. The resulting exhibition, Kinship Bonds, contextualizes national and local history into the lives of the people connected to one small Calhoun County plantation between the years 1850-1880.
Kinship Bonds creates a narrative for the many people who were dehumanized and oppressed through the South’s “peculiar” institution. By using historical documents and gleanings from local newspapers of the era, viewers can examine the beliefs and attitudes that informed the residents of Calhoun County. Biographical sketches of known Calhoun County enslaved persons provide a glimpse into the struggles and obstacles of life post-Emancipation. Kinship Bonds offers viewers an opportunity to come to a deeper understanding of our county’s history and reflect on the legacy of social injustices.