Dezeen School Shows: an imagined future where AI needs to regain trust from humans and a project exposing glitches found on Google Earth are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at Maryland Institute College of Art.

Also included is a series of graphics arranged in alphabetical order that detail commonly used stereotypical phrases related to gender, and a magazine that explores the way that memories are "tied to the human body".

Maryland Institute College of Art

Institute: Maryland Institute College of Art
Courses:  MA Graphic Design and MA Social Design
Tutors: Sandie Maxa, Thomas Gardener and Pickett Slater Harrington

School statement:

"MICA's one-year Graphic Design MA programme provides in-depth study of the theory and practice of graphic design while building a portfolio for work or further study in an MFA programme.

"Our students are professionals and graduates from complementary fields, including liberal arts, fine arts, architecture, media studies and journalism as well as those who studied design as undergraduates.

"The first degree-bearing programme of its kind, MICA's MA in Social Design is an intensive, practice-based graduate programme that prepares creative changemakers with the tools and methods to advance equity and social justice and become pioneers and leaders in the practice."

Fred by Twyla Wang

"As AI technology rapidly advances, human beings have developed mistrust and fear.

"This project envisions a future (2030) company named FRED, which is tasked with regaining people's trust in AI and building intimate relationships with them.

"The exhibition features an imaginary press release 'Friendship Manifesto' that presents four ways AI can benefit us by exploring outer space, making education three-dimensional, designing the perfect lover and liberating human workers from labor."

Student: Twyla Wang
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: xenia13388617066[at]gmail.com

Voyeur by Julia Patrick

"Voyeur explores the intersection between voyeurism, nostalgia and observation as it relates to the spectator.

"Voyeur is a curation and assembly of artworks, texts and imagery that reexamine the role of viewer and participant within an experimental print publication.

"Inspired by each artist's perspective on the subjects, this work intends to inspire reflection on the inherent role the viewer plays in artistic consumption."

Student: Julia Patrick
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: juliapatrickart[at]gmail.com

Voice by Shanmathy Kumaravel

"Voice is a magazine that tells stories about things no one notices or hears about and normalises them. This issue explores how different kinds of memories are attached to the body.

"Whether it's an awful childhood experience that haunts you at night or a cute tattoo on your neck, each body has memories that it struggles to release.

"This issue aims to encourage readers to love their body, let go of painful memories and know you are not alone."

Student: Shanmathy Kumaravel
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: shanmathykumaravel[at]gmail.com

Digital Infatuation by Rhea Hinger

"This project explores the complex relationship between individuals and their phones, as well as the digitalisation of emotions, ways of living and communication.

"A combination of visual mediums including a podcast, zine and motion posters communicate the ways in which individuals are becoming increasingly infatuated with their devices and the implications this has on our overall wellbeing."

Student: Rhea Hinger
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: rhea.hinger[at]gmail.com

Code Word Archive by Jia Yu

"To thwart censorship on online platforms, many people have created code words to communicate sensitive topics.

"As a result, people have become metaphorical poets, deciphering each other's codes, causing some words to lose their original meanings and other words to disappear altogether.

"Code Word Archive imagines a future where there is no longer a censorship mechanism and the cryptic text of the past becomes a document of future human archaeology.

"Dictionaries and videos become tools for deciphering poetic ciphers, tracing the taboos and collecting memories of a period of online censorship."

Student: Jia Yu
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: teomore9[at]163.com

Social Design Letterpress Posters by Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli

"MASD students develop their capstone projects around a design question in a problem space of their choice. These research questions were screen-printed by the students themselves and used for their event.

"Each question highlights the specific community or issue that was important to each student."

Students: Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli
Course: MA Social Design
Email: socialdesign[at]mica.edu

Parking Day at Baltimore Design School by Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli

"In Fall 2022, MICA MASD and product design students worked with architecture students at Baltimore Design School to co-design a variety of projects using the human-centred design process.

"They helped realise the design of a BDS student for Parking Day – a day that encourages the transformation of a parking spot into a temporary public space.

"The structure was used to provide free breakfast to other students at the school."

Students: Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli
Course: MA Social Design
Email: socialdesign[at]mica.edu

Arthur Ashe Foundation Project by Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli

"MASD students competed in a design challenge sponsored by the US Postal Service to support the Arthur Ashe foundation.

"They created an integrated marketing campaign that would introduce new audiences to the tennis champion and civil rights activist's legacy."

Students: Lindsay Brenner, Alice Weston, Akira Holland, Ana Mengote Baluca and Jigyasa Tuli
Course: MA Social Design
Email: socialdesign[at]mica.edu

Glitch Hunt by Ryan Gross

"Google Earth gives us an incredible perspective of the textures and colours that cover the world's surface. But its system of mapping is far from perfect. Hidden errors and glitches are abundant, if you know where to look.

"I've scanned the whole world over on Google Earth, collecting and categorising glitches that don't exist in nature. In my thesis I invite the viewers into that process, as I project some of the glitches onto a real satellite dish.

"It acts as a bridge between the human perspective and the surveillant one up above, focusing on the failures that make technology inextricably human."

Student: Ryan Gross
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: rgross12[at]u.rochester.edu

Very Gendered Things by Wilson Tuan

"Gender is a set of rigid socially-constructed rules and expectations imposed upon us from an early age.

"However, children whose expressions do not fall in line with the binary gender system are confronted with enormous pressure, wide-spread mistreatment and harsh condemnation.

"This project collected gender-biased language and gender-specific objects, both of which help perpetuate gender stereotypes in society and curated the content in alphabetical order.

"Through the use of satirical words and visual language, the design aims to draw wider attention to the problem and potentially shift the public perception of traditional gender roles."

Student: Wilson Tuan
Course: MA Graphic Design
Email: wilsontuan0320[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Maryland Institute College of Art. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.