Beacon Public Library
Expanding radical civic care for an uncertain future
Design research was both exploratory and experimental. Primary and secondary research—through interviews, surveys, and reviews of academic literature—was paired with low-fidelity prototyping and sketching. This collection of experiments culminated in a book of tidbits: maps, sketches, collages, and personal and fictional essays. Produced in 2021, the thesis book is an exploration of what design research can look like within the demands and constraints of a global pandemic.
I visualized interventions in the form of a librarian’s jumpsuit and apron, an adapted library book cart, public signage, and a library card. The artifacts of these interventions make librarians visible and accessible, establishing their role as essential providers of expanded community services. They make BPL public-facing, critical, and adaptable, for both crisis and non-crisis climate scenarios.
︎Book excerpt: Visualizing design research + processes
Graduate Thesis*
Master of Industrial Design
Rhode Island School of Design
*Master of Industrial Design Thesis Award Recipient
Contributions: independent student project involving design research, ideation, design, writing, production, visual design
Providence, RI
Fall 2020–Spring 2021
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For more info:
︎Full Thesis Book
︎RISD Museum web exhibit
︎Recorded Presentation
of Final Work
Master of Industrial Design
Rhode Island School of Design
*Master of Industrial Design Thesis Award Recipient
Contributions: independent student project involving design research, ideation, design, writing, production, visual design
Providence, RI
Fall 2020–Spring 2021
For more info:
︎Full Thesis Book
︎RISD Museum web exhibit
︎Recorded Presentation
of Final Work