Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'

I've been bad about posting updates…and need to resolve to write more often than I am! With the clocks turned back an hour, I wish I could buy some more of that necessary time to work on my thesis…I am certainly allowing the challenges of juggling full-time work/part-time school/regular life get in the way of each other. Work as it were, is stressful, with many a deadline that seemingly take priority. Am I allowing myself to be distracted? Am I just procrastinating on this burden of a thesis? Can the world just stop for perhaps a week or so I can catch up?



Sigh…I need to stay optimistic! Ok. Now that all that is out, let's see where I am.

I am progressively researching about the "democratization of design." I like exploring how graphic design in America has changed so dramatically in both historical and cultural aspects. In the '60s, design was in its infancy, growing in the capable hands of a few design revolutionaries, mostly men, who defined the era with their innovative ideas and specialized skill sets. Design appreciation was, perhaps, at a minimum and the average person probaby didn't even know the field existed. Fast forward to 2007, and it's pretty safe to say that design permeates our everyday culture. We are ALL designers, in our own right - the computer has allowed any and all of us to manipulate words and images into the form of posters, logos, brochures, web sites, etc. Our culture is increasingly design-oriented, from the recognition of brands like Apple to Martha Stewart; to the approach of stores like Target, who has the "Design for All" ad campaign. At th same time, people are voicing more self-exploration; rejecting this mass design in favor of self-design and D.I.Y. for personalization and new points of view. Needless to say, design is everywhere - and I hope my thesis can explore this more fully.

But what is my statement? What am I "proving?" Perhaps that is what is keeping me up at night, since the answer is eluding me. :(

I have loads more to upload in the coming days. Hopefully, some of it will work itself out into a more coherent form.