Innovation Showcases
Inspiration vs. Appropriation: The Use of Traditional Motifs and Techniques within Modern Design View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Renee Lamb
Humans have long borrowed motifs and techniques from other cultures and regions, incorporating them into their own stories and cultural monuments. In regions that became centers of trade and contained a confluence of cultures, such as Venice, Alexandria, or New York City, this mixing of cultures has become a local cultural marker in and of itself. While in the past, this sharing of traditions, techniques, motifs, and beliefs took time, today, we can access images and stories of other cultures at the tap of a button, allowing us to draw inspiration from places we’ve never been and people we’ve never met. As designers, we are constantly on the lookout for inspiration. Yet, when we draw this inspiration from cultures and people that are foreign to us, we risk appropriating and demeaning sacred cultural traditions or marginalized peoples. With an increasing number of marginalized populations gaining a voice and speaking up when they perceive their cultural traditions as being appropriated, designers are being asked to question where the line sits between “inspiration” and “appropriation”. This research considers the difference between inspiration and appropriation, while examining current case studies and conversations around the topic. It allows us to question our own beliefs, asking: In an increasingly globalized world, is it possible or even desired for cultures to develop in isolation? And, how can we develop as global designers, while also being aware of the risks of appropriation?
Building an Intercollegiate, Interdepartmental Game Design Major at Iowa State University: Beyond Interdisciplinary View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Anson Call, Jeffrey Wheatley, Jeremy Best
The multi-year effort to launch a Game Design major finally culminates in a Fall 2025 program launch. We discuss the many institutional obstacles that we needed to overcome; how the focus on intercollegiate and interdepartmental collaboration brought about institutional change; and how we crafted a Game Design major that leverages the strengths and uniqueness of Iowa State University. We hope to share this experience in dialog with our design peers in a conversation where we exchange ideas on our efforts and learn what others have done at their institutions to enact change for programs and students.
Maintaining Attention in Digital Text Reading: Can Interaction and Personalised Text Setting Enhance Reading Comprehension and Motivation for People with Focus Issues? View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Szabolcs Vatány
Reading text is central to acquiring information, learning, and entertainment. The widespread use of digital devices has transformed text display, impacting readability and reading attention. My research investigates whether digital reading has altered engagement with texts and explores enhancing reading attention and comprehension in digital environments through an alternative reading method. This method leverages typography and design research to take advantage of the customizability and interactivity of digital texts, which differ from traditional formats. My work specifically emphasizes improving online text accessibility for individuals with ADHD, as sustaining attention poses significant challenges for them. The research is increasingly relevant due to the recognition of ADHD as a disability and the commitment to ensuring accessibility under regulations like the ADA and the EU’s disability rights framework. Collaborating with the READSEARCH group, I conducted a study to evaluate this new interactive reading method's effects on comprehension and attention. The empirical study measures reading speed, comprehension, and motivation using a self-developed platform to collect measurable data providing insights into the impact of these reading methods. Additionally, I am developing a tool called Focus Ex, a browser extension designed to personalize and enhance online reading. This tool, available on the Chrome Web Store, allows users to highlight and interact with online texts, aiming to foster a better focus and personalization of content. My presentation covers how the research emerged from typographical and design practice, its benefits for individuals with attention difficulties, and our empirical approach to evaluating these methods.
Investigating the Potential of No-Cost Graphic Design Summer Camps to Inspire Underrepresented High School Students to Pursue Graphic Design in Higher Education and Foster Diversity Within the Industry View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Nancy Miller, Alexandria Canchola
The graphic design industry faces a critical shortage of talent from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. To address this, we developed a two-week, no-cost graphic design residency specifically for high school students from historically underrepresented groups, including Black, Latin American, and Indigenous students. This initiative aimed to eliminate obstacles hindering these students’ immersion in graphic design. Over three summers, 36 students participated in a curriculum focused on conceptual, professional, and technical skills through a hands-on, project-based curriculum. Campers interacted with industry professionals and visited local creative organizations such as advertising agencies, marketing departments, museums, and community art centers. This study evaluates the camp’s effectiveness in inspiring students to pursue graphic design and its potential to foster a more inclusive design community. We analyze the goals of the inclusive camp, its structure, and its impact through feedback and testimonials from campers during and after the camp to assess whether free programs like ours can promote diversity in the student and professional composition of the broad field of graphic design.
Southwestern Sediment: A Pluralistic Approach to Geological and Personal Layers in Design View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase In-sook Ahn, Abigail Tuggle
This work explores the intersection of geological formations and personal identity through fashion design, emphasizing the pluralistic nature of design as Thinking, Learning, Doing. Inspired by the textures and structures of rocks in southern New Mexico—such as botryoidal chalcedony, agates, and geodes—the garment reflects how identities, like geological layers, are built over time through the accumulation of experiences and memories. The design features a bubble skirt dress form, chosen for its resemblance to the rounded, knobby shapes of rough rocks. Crocheted and beaded panels replicate the intricate textures found in natural stones, with the crochet process symbolizing the gradual formation of rock layers. Drilled rocks, transformed into beads, add depth to the garment’s texture. These elements are grounded in cultural and environmental context using cotton twill weave canvas, block-printed with motifs inspired by New Mexico’s landscape. This garment embodies a pluralistic design approach by integrating traditional craft techniques with contemporary design practices. The iterative process of research, experimentation, and creation mirrors the geological processes that form rocks. This work bridges history, culture, and personal narrative, offering a tactile and visual representation of identity formation. Ultimately, this exploration demonstrates how design objects serve as vessels for interdisciplinary inquiry, storytelling, and the integration of diverse methodologies, reflecting the layered complexity of both the natural world and human experience.
