Social and safety focus for design student expo

Social and safety focus for design student expo

Etiquette for surfers, Alzheimer’s disease awareness and internet safety are some of the safety and social issues to inspire final year projects at Massey University’s Auckland School of Design.

They are among more than 50 of the best graduate graphic, product and transport designs to be showcased at the annual Design Exposure, held this year in the Telecom Building in central Auckland from November 9 to 11.

Diverse projects include Jason Domancie’s Safe Surfing promotional handbook and surfboard adorned with colourful words and graphics to educate surfers on etiquette, water safety and board maintenance.

Mr Domancie, who has surfed for 14 years, says rules such as observing ‘right of way’ to surfers closest to the breaking wave, not hogging waves and not ‘dropping in’ to bypass another surfer, are unwritten and younger surfers are often unaware. Important safety issues, such as how to get out of a rip and how to tell the difference between a dolphin and shark fin, are also included in his material.

Karen Hurley’s innovative poster and print campaign to heighten awareness of the impact of Alzheimer’s disease embraces a new style of advertising using multifaceted, metaphorical images and language, and promotional devices. She has created an organisation called UMM (Uncertain Maturing Minds) and imported a special brain-shaped mould from a US Halloween confectionery company to make sugar lumps. When dropped into a hot drink, they symbolise dissolving brain capacity of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

She says there is a need for greater understanding of how Alzheimer’s affects people and how carers can cope, with one in three people aged over 80 in New Zealand diagnosed with the condition.

Kristen Den Otter’s project, a magazine for Cosplay (short for costume play), was launched at the Armageddon Expo in Auckland recently. The magazine captures the local flavour of a growing global subculture where enthusiasts dress up as favourite characters from video games, Japanese graphic novels, American cartoons and sci-fi. Titled CosPop, it contains articles about events here and overseas, as well as guides on creating costumes and makeup artistry to depict characters.

Zimbabwe-born student Tutsi D Chadoka has designed a CD cover, posters and promotional material for her first album she wrote and recorded. Profits from the CD, titled Words, will go towards the building of a new hospital in her homeland.

Transport designer Ric Dickman has come up with a maritime anti-piracy vessel concept, while Millie Dawson has created graphic material to help high school students be aware of internet bullying and personal safety online.

As well as being able to quiz the designers about their ideas, creative processes and decision-making, attendees to the exhibition will be able to bid for limited edition signed posters of some of the works on display. Designer lamps and light shades created by the students will be on sale, with proceeds going to the Telecom Foundation to assist their charity work with young people.

ENDS

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