One Piece at a Time – NSCAD Master of Design Graduate Student ExpoMonday, April 14, 2014 – 5 to 8 p.m.
N400, North Block, Granville Campus
The nastiest and most pervasive issues of our time, those like climate change, child abuse and the needs of an aging population, can at times feel too pervasive and overwhelmingly impossible to tackle. But in their final thesis projects, which will be featured in a public expo at NSCAD on April 14, students of NSCAD’s Master of Design class of 2014 have managed to address some very big issues in compelling and innovative ways.
The students’ work over the past year has covered a broad range of cultural, economic, environmental and technological issues. Final designs include a toy that helps parents protect their children from sexual abuse, a fashion outlet that re-imagines clients’ used garments as new bespoke fashions, a plan for a university that connects students and the elderly, a streetlight that reverses the harmful effects of air pollution and a game that connects diverse perspectives to build stronger communities.
For his thesis project, Anthony Bellavia chose to deal with an issue very important to him: insomnia.
“I wanted to study insomnia because it’s a really relevant issue in today’s society–the sheer amount of people who suffer from mental disorders is alarming–but also because I have personally suffered from it,” Bellavia says. “I wanted to try and help people like me.”
His final design, called the Playlight, is an interactive ceiling light that helps people cope with insomnia and racing thoughts. He says that his experience in the Master of Design program at NSCAD has highlighted design’s capacity to address society’s most complex and difficult issues.
“Before coming here, I mostly thought about design as a way to make things look good. But I’ve learned that design is a lot more than that. It’s a powerful tool that really can change the world.”
All final projects will on display Monday, April 14 during the Master of Design Student Expo, an informal and public event that will run from 5 to 8 pm in the fourth floor studio of the North Block, Granville Campus at NSCAD University. All are welcome to attend.
