Every time we use symbols like words or images to represent objects or ideas, we lose some amount of information in that process. But what do we gain in this process? We constantly learn about the world we live in through representations of it. What information are we losing and what else are we gaining when we learn about real events through representations of them on social media and the internet?

Is a Swedish Fish a Real Fish? is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts (Communications Design) at Pratt Institute. Read the full thesis here. 

Bates Roman is a display font inspired by the numbers stamped by an old Bates Machine (No. 49). The numbers on the machine, in a scotch roman font, had a softness when printed out owing to the filled-in inktraps. These filled-in inktraps become a key characteristic of Bates Roman, giving the typeface a gentle fluidity.

Select flyers, posters and social media posts designed as part of the Office of International Affairs at Pratt Institute.

Digital spaces are saturated with people expressing their thoughts and opinions, and still we struggle to form authentic relationships over the internet through self-expression alone. Filmmaker Adam Curtis suggests that we are yearning for ‘enchanting’ mythologies that make us feel included in something larger than ourselves, while still honouring our individuality.

This zine explores the relationship between the individual and the community, observed through interactions with a shared physical space. The images used in this project were shot in Prospect Park, Brooklyn over the summer of 2024.

A compilation of research in preparation for my graduate thesis that explores the nature of representations, and how the media used to communicate a message interact with the message itself.

In The Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord used the term ‘spectacle’ to describe a culture centred around passive consumption of media devoid of substance.  I documented instances of the ‘spectacle’ as I came across them in advertisements seen on social media. These images collectively show what ‘commodities’ were being sold to me during this period - some of these include opportunities to “play with identity, style and creativity,” information on whether I “pass the ‘pretty’ test,” methodologies to “meet the challenge of working with Gen Z,” and even copies of The Society of the Spectacle. I used these advertisements to illustrate exerpts from the text by Debord. The book is accordion folded so that the surface of the book is covered in instances of  ‘spectacle’, while the interior of the book, once unfolded, reveals the actual text.