Pupils from Professor Christina Singer’s Design Research class at the University of North Carolina have finished a digital book project showcasing Charlotte city’s cultural richness and history. This compilation of logos, postcards, and advertisements collected both physically and online serves as an exploration of the city’s personality.
Every scanned, digitified, and catalogued image also strengthened the students’ grasp of design principles. The project both documented their learning and also expanded the collection of the People’s Graphic Design Archive (PGDA), a crowd-supported digital archive for various design elements.
The PGDA, which currently houses around 200 design artifacts, continuously invites collaborations to create a vast repository of design inspiration. Not only does it provide a valuable resource for students, researchers, and fellow designers, but it also enhances the global design community.
PGDA’s creation came out of a desire to make design history more accessible. This process involved the students in the analysis of artifacts, requiring them to interpret cultural relevance, understand design nuances, and consider socio-political implications.
Enhancing Charlotte’s archive through student design
Students were encouraged to engage in academic research, write papers, and present their findings, thereby fostering critical thinking skills.
Each student selected personal items for their projects, reflecting a broader social context. Examples include one student analysing the logos of Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, another studying black representation in design history, and even one investigating local graffiti culture. These projects not only enhanced their design understanding but also highlighted design’s societal significance.
The course has transformed the students’ understanding of graphic design and its societal impact. Lectures sparked a passion for design, and practical applications extended to understanding how visual elements impact viewer perception and emotion.
Concluding, Professor Singer emphasized designers’ unique role and responsibility in society – influencing lifestyle, perspectives, and choices. Their work transcends aesthetic appeal, extending to stewardship of societal values and norms.
