Trailblazer Award Winner: Nicole Nguyen Associate RGD

​​BASE

BASE objective was to capture the adaptability of a nail salon that can offer a wide variety of nail designs through a versatile logo system. The main BASE logo symbolizes the natural look of bare, unmanicured nails. The custom secondary logos, used as graphic elements, showcase different nail aesthetics, with each letter representing a distinct style. This approach presents the nail salon as sophisticated and innovative, appealing to many discerning customers.

Educator support: Paul Sych

 

Grate

The objective of “Grate” was to have fun with foods and encourage innovation through unique food combinations. I accomplished this by hosting food tastings, recording participants' reactions to the pairings and creating joyful moments. I then took my transcripts and coded the words based on themes such as liked, loved, disliked, hated and surprisingly pleased. By treating each word based on my coded themes, the participants' reactions can be heard through the type. Moreover, displaying the ratings for the food combinations sparks curiosity among readers, inspiring them to try the combinations themselves.

 

Pixels to Pollutants

The Pixels to Pollutants project highlights the unseen environmental impact of digital activities by transforming data on pollution into physical forms. By representing the carbon emissions of ten participants over ten days with black spheres, it aims to highlight how data storage contributes to air pollution. The project seeks to raise awareness and encourage reduced digital device usage, acknowledging the challenge of addressing this issue within our digital ecosystem's structure.

Educator support: Angela Norwood