When we started our degrees in August 2020, there was a hint of optimism and hope that the worst of the pandemic was over. Sure it wasn’t the most ardent optimism, it was just a tiny light inside us, but it still meant something. That light was slowly extinguished by almost two years of nothing but Zoom classes.
This tragic story is what inspired One Normal Event, our final year showcase.
“We started our degree at the height of the pandemic. Nothing was ever normal again. We adapted and we are now part of the new normal.”
Adopting a fun and colourful tone One Normal Event distinctly captures the personality of all 31 creatives showcasing as displayed in the key visual.
Each individual is represented as a mundane everyday object of their choosing. The design team then added a small quirk to it to make it not-so-normal. Irony is a big theme in the overall branding of the event, a homage to the origin of the idea of “normality” for us
Sajiya Mir was behind most the illustrations used for the event. She provided some insights into how the eccentric illustrations came to be.
She explained the challenges of the “office” theme that was chosen to represent individual workspaces.
“I was unsure how to draw the illustrations because the theme was an office. I decided it would be easier for me to forget about making sense of all the items and focus on the theme instead.”
“The first idea that popped into my head was the television show, The Office, particularly one of my favourite scenes from the pilot when the character Jim plays a prank on the character Dwight by putting his stapler inside jello. So that image of the stapler inside the jello became the main inspiration for all the illustrations.”
“The idea with all of the illustrations was to explore how I could create all of the unusual items that would fit into an office setting in a quirky way. Once I gained momentum with the main concept, everything else came naturally, and I just focused on maintaining consistency. The last thing we did before colouring was to simplify the illustrations as much as possible so they still look mundane.”
Accompanying the illustrations are individual photographs that match the fun and colourful branding. With Tze Earn’s creative direction, Della and I managed to capture the theme perfectly.
All this was possible through the collective efforts of the Design Portfolio Module team and those who volunteered to help out due to a shortage of manpower.
As Rhyanne, one of the design leads said, “It was a steep learning curve from the start as I had never had the chance to plan an exhibition before. However, thanks to the additional support we received from our classmates, we managed to pull it off, and it was incredibly rewarding to witness it all come together in the end!”
Everyone has been worked incredibly hard on this final journey. Students from various specialisations will be showcasing their work which includes campaigns, publications, game designs, and so much more.
Given the freedom of choice, every project distinctly represents each student and shows the diversity that exists in the discipline of design. It’s exciting to see how perception and ideas differ by person and something that will be invaluable in the future.
Come support the future of design!
22-23 July, 11 AM — 7 PM
Mayamode, Taylor’s