Leaving a lasting impression on this year’s bold theme, “Change,” Augustana seniors Minh Nguyen, majoring in computer science with a minor in graphic design, and Syd Yontez, majoring in fine arts, philosophy and graphic design, fulfilled the expectations of the judges at Middle Georgia State University’s second annual competition, ‘Design on the Edge 2,’ with their artwork pieces “Curve Compliance” and “Changes.”
Vickie Phipps, professor of art and graphic design, describes the combination of art and design as a “superpower,” or a medium that delivers messages in a way that, once seen, cannot be unseen.
“Young people have the skills to make their ideas visible in ways never before possible,” Phipps said. “Also, they have the power to share their ideas around the world almost instantaneously. And so we see this creative explosion of design, art, song, writing, dance, theatre, performance… you name it, and someone is doing it.”
In a country as diverse as the United States, people may face challenges in fully understanding each other due to the variety of languages spoken. However, the changes around us affect us all, and they deserve our collective action. Minh’s poster, titled “Changes,” conveys the importance of collective attention in a diverse world.
Nguyen’s powerful poster features multiple languages, which he refers to as “global” and “international.”
“I feel like putting different languages helps people connect with what they see,” Nguyen said. “For example, If I’m Vietnamese and I see Vietnamese words on a poster, I would be hooked to it and spend a couple more seconds just looking at it.”
Yontez’s artwork titled “Curve Compliance” portrays a faceless and beaten figure that unapologetically grabs the attention of its viewers, creating a sense of the loss of individuality that transgender people may experience in society. To maintain sensitivity, Yontez did not want to call attention to any specific individual and kept revisiting the piece, removing defining characteristics before it was finalized.
“Unlike many projects that humanize the individual by focusing on a specific person, I wanted to highlight how we often hear about issues like sexual violence or trans struggles and think, ‘yeah, that sucks,’ without feeling any real outrage,” Yontez said. “Why aren’t we enraged or angered by this?”
Graphic design isn’t just a tool for those with training; it’s a tool for everyone. For Yontez, graphic design is a passion she plans to pursue with a graduate degree, while Nguyen views it as a hobby for self-expression. As Phipps stated, graphic design is a means of tapping into our potential and asserting our worth and point of view.
“Design is often misunderstood as only style or technology, or a kind of business thinking,” Phipps said. “Certainly it is those things, and it is much more. At the most fundamental level, all humans have the capacity to design, which is to say, the capacity to shape our world.”
During the creation of Nguyen’s featured piece, winning was not the main goal in his mind. Nguyen was more concerned with the meaning of his work, which he hoped people would understand as the fact that changes are inevitable.
“Everything changes. And it is not bad to have an initial anger or hostility toward changes, but we have to be open-minded about changes, and leave room for a warm welcome to them,” Nguyen said.
Yontez learned that education is key before drawing conclusions, especially on complex topics. In the piece “Curve Compliance,” Yontez urges us to show compassion, as the trans and LGBTQIA+ communities are increasingly affected by legislative changes. These changes put many in vulnerable positions, making it essential for communities to come together, support each other and offer empathy during difficult times.
“Empathy doesn’t have to lead us to a depressive and submissive kind of feeling,” Yontez said. “What we need is energy because that is how we can truly make a change.”
