Spring 2023
Social Justice Research and Scholarship Poster Project
May 3, 2023
Tien Cao, Angelina Akinshev, Maria Babko
The Social Justice Research and Scholarship Institute (SJRSI) made up of faculty on the UWT campus had its first meeting in December 2022. Working in groups the participant made sketches exploring the question, “what is social justice?” Using these initial sketches as inspiration, GID Lab Award students were tasked with creating a poster that would help the group move their work forward. The project was initiated Spring Quarter 2023 by GID Lab Award students, Angelina Akinshev, Maria Babko, and Tien Cao.
Initial work included UX research where the students interviewed SJRSI leaders about their work and mission and how they wanted the poster to support that work. The project also included brainstorming, sketching out ideas, creating individual designs, receiving feedback and working together as a tram to finalize the final design. The students had to use a combination of visuals and words to express the idea of "what is social justice?" as interpreted by the group.
The GID Award Student team used different soft ware to produce their designs, including Figma, Illustrator, and Procreate. They presented 5 prototypes to SJRSI for feedback. The final design incorporated warm colors and included words related to social justice, such as diversity, care, community, healing, empowerment, equity, support, and respect. The graphic features roots made up of the words, reflecting the interconnectedness and interdependence of social justice values. The design has an organic and welcoming sense that is enhanced by the warm hues and wavy font following along the roots.
In general, the Social Justice Poster Design Project was a cooperative and imaginative process that gave the team the chance to improve their design abilities and support SJRSI’s social justice purpose. The final design is a testament to the team's hard work and dedication to creating an inspiring graphic that reflects UW Tacoma's commitment to social justice.
Marissa Morris, Winter 2023
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Senior Marissa Morris is majoring in Communications and minoring in Global Innovation and Design. “The GID Award has given me the opportunity to practice design thinking outside of the classroom. This program has facilitated a space for challenging my mind as I have had to think carefully about ways to problem solve within the campus community. Also, I enjoy the collaborative aspect, working within a team has been exciting and motivating.”
Santino Wong, Winter 2023
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Senior Santino Wong is majoring in Communications and double minoring in Teaching, Learning and Justice and Global Innovation and Design. “The GID Award has inspired me to think more broadly about how I can apply design thinking in communications and education, as well as address community issues. The Award has helped me develop skills that will be valuable in graduate school, as well as in my career in special education.”
Aaliya Jones Spring 2022, Fall 2022
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Aaliya Jones is a junior working to obtain her degree in Urban Design and a Minor in Innovation and Design. With a background in interior design, she brings her focus, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn.
“Under the guidance of the Global and Innovation Design Lab, this quarter I am looking forward to learning how to create long-term equitable solutions for problems while satisfying the desires of the people who recognize there is a problem and those who are in a position to create change.”
LJ Norman, Fall 2021
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“My experience as a GID Awardee has been insightful, rewarding, and fruitful. I learned about design thinking and the methods employed to put thinking into action. I really liked learning how to card sort as a means to create usable information architecture.”
Yingchong Zhen, Fall 2021
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“Overall, the experience of being a part of the GID lab was super fun and meaningful to me. As an urban study and community planning student, this designing experiment of the GID webpage will benefit me when I need to design cities in the future.”
Faith Kim, Fall 2020, Winter and Spring 2021
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“I joined the GID Lab to learn more about user centered design and research, how to implement design-thinking in my life, as well as to strengthen my teamwork skills. By joining the team I realized how much I love this field and am excited to see where this path takes me in the future!”
Kalyn Jones, Fall 2020 and Winter 2021
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“I like observing the thought process behind creating new applications and programs and learning how developers try to meet the needs of users. Working with the Global Innovation and Design Lab has given me new insights into the functioning of workshops and working in a team environment and I’m looking forward to future workshops.”
Ayda Kedirkhan, Fall 2020
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“I was born a designer. I grew up co-designing solutions to many of my family’s struggles. I am an immigrant, a woman, an older sister, dark-skinned, and so much more. My identities have helped me learn to create with intersectionality and accessibility in mind. I love that UX design is interdisciplinary and advocates for the user.”
Anh Lam, Spring 2020
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“My goal in applying to the GID Award was so I could learn creative problem solving and apply it to developing innovative solutions to help both locally and globally.”
Mailyn Abon, Spring 2020
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“I applied to the GID Award because it seemed like a good opportunity to explore design thinking while gaining the hands-on experience I’ve been needing to help get my foot in the door of User Experience.”
Abdul Abubakar, Winter and Spring 2020
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“What I love the most about the GID Lab is that it provides me with an opportunity to showcase and refine my creative ability while working on meaningful projects.”
Lan Allison, Fall 2019 and Winter 2020
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“This has been an amazing opportunity to get first-hand, real-world experience in the field of global learning and design thinking. I am thankful to have gained new skills and knowledge of the work that can be accomplished in the GID Lab.”
Christopher Sim, Fall 2019, Winter and Spring 2020
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“The GID Lab provides me an opportunity to leverage the design thinking process to empower local organizations to solve problems — like affordable housing — that affect our community.”
