Challenge

Think of design as a verb

Design is both a noun and a verb. It’s the process and the product, the action and the result. All too often, we think of design as a noun — the finished thing we can look at — but to understand the crux of the thesis topic, taking inspiration from the artist Richard Serra, we started by thinking of design as a verb.

Process

List + visualize + create / experiment + present

Below are the steps that I took for this project:

1. Make a list of ten verbs related to memes. Use Richard Serra's verb lists as a guide but feel free to create my own that are more specific to memes. My verbs are - to create, to copy, to remix, to own, to share, to connect, to spread, to joke, to manipulate, to protest
2. Create a variety of design responses for each of the verbs. These can be formal design projects (posters, booklets, etc) but should also be experimental: surveys, sketches, actions, sounds, performances, etc. Think about print and digital, data visualization, photography, etc. Each verb response should be fully thoughtout and finished.
3. Be sure to consider both the core of your research and the periphery. Think about how I can translate these words — and my topic — into a variety of formal arguments. It is important to remember that I am not designing the verbs themselves but rather using the verbs to uncover new arguments/topics/etc within my topic.
4. Present and defend my experiments to the class.

Design Response

A cogent narrative