Title
South to South: Connections in the Ordinary, Fostering Empathy by Encouraging Travel through Design
Date of Award
Fall 2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Communication Design
Department
Art
Committee Chair
Jamie Runnells
Abstract
South 2 South: Connections in the Ordinary, explores similarities between South Korea and Alabama through a designed sensory experience that allows users to engage in cross-cultural information in an inviting and familiar way with the use of recognizable motifs in order to reduce fear, foster empathy, and encourage travel. The creation of South 2 South was informed by research on travel fears, empathy, and transnational relations between the two regions. South 2 South helps facilitate the beginnings of these interactions by presenting new cultural information directly to the more insular communities of northeast Alabama. My hope is that South 2 South can be used as a guide to help to connect other cultures in a similar fashion through use of familiar forms and atmospheres in order to help other communities similar to that of northeast Alabama engage in transnational relations.