Back to School with Elana Rudick RGD

In this edition of Back to School, Elana Rudick RGD revisits her screen-printing project, a reimagined version of the Guess Who? game built with her face illustrations.

Q. Where did you go to school, when? Describe the program and the context for the project you are presenting.

I completed this project in 2006 during my final semester at Concordia University as part of a screen-printing course taught by Bonnie Baxter.

Q. Describe the assignment given that was the basis for this project. 

The subject of the assignment was open-ended, encouraging students to explore their creative boundaries while following a brief with a few guidelines: create a two-part print series where one of the pieces incorporated at least four colours. I pushed myself by incorporating seven colours and creating a double-sided print, adding complexity to the process. One of this project's biggest challenges was planning, as I was working with only one screen for burning image layers and planning around limited studio access. The project quickly became less about colour and registration techniques and more about managing resources and time under pressure. This experience taught me valuable lessons in resource management, which continue to be an essential skill in running a design studio today.

Q. Describe your process for coming up with and executing your concept. (Were there any obstacles you had to overcome or unexpected learnings?) 

In school, I struggled with sharing my work. I often explored themes of memory and identity and so my work felt like an extension of myself, making it difficult to present and even harder to accept critique on.

In my final semester, I decided to confront this roadblock head-on by literally putting myself into my projects, in this reimagined Guess Who? game, all the characters were based on illustrations of my own face, modified to create 24 unique portraits with the likenesses and names of different family members.

I felt that if I could handle a critique of my own image, I could approach future critiques with more confidence. This strategy helped me build thicker skin, ultimately allowing me to share my work more openly and confidently in the future.

Q. How was the project received at school? (Grade, feedback from the instructor and peers) (Were there any unexpected outcomes or ways your project lived)

During my studies, I worked on several interactive digital installations with tactile, playful elements. I loved creating work others could interact with, but this project was more light-hearted. 

My Guess Who Self Portrait was exhibited in the "Exposed" Design and Computation Arts show. I was delighted to see viewers joyfully interacting with it and expressing a sense of nostalgia during the vernissage. The enthusiastic response the instructor and my peers shared was very encouraging.

Q. What would you say if you were a professional critiquing your work? If you were to revisit the project today, what would you change or do differently? 

If I were to revisit the project today, I’d put more effort into designing the back of the cards and ensuring the game cards were text-safe—something I overlooked, which makes me cringe now! 

From a technical standpoint, I would limit the colour palette. While it was ambitious to use seven colours, the same impact could have been achieved with four. I’ve learned over the years that while challenging yourself is great, adding complexity for complexity’s sake doesn’t make sense. Nearly two decades later, I'm still focused on finding ways to work smarter, streamlining my design process for both efficiency and impact.