Viz seniors use interactive design to connect majors, staff of college

Using magnets, yarn and striking graphic design, three Texas A&M visualization seniors created an interactive exhibit, “We are One,” to demonstrate the connectivity of the College of Architecture family.

The Vizzers, Mariela Garcia of Nederland, Stephanie Sykora of Hallettsville and Maddi Walls of Tomball, installed their exhibit, on the Langford Architecture Center bridge in late November as an assignment for a graphic design-oriented studio class. Their instructors, Anatol Bologan, visualization lecturer, and Sherman Finch, assistant visualization professor, challenged students to use their design skills in a public space to engage and affect people.

“We wanted to focus on people’s similarities in a place where we so often define ourselves by our majors and jobs,” said Garcia. “We also wanted to make it positive, fun, inviting, and for it to represent the college and university.”

The trio created an archway leading to the piece using string attached to support beams on the bridge. Text on the installation directed students, staff and friends of the college to use colored yarn corresponding to their role or major to trace their personalities around nails labeled with descriptive words such as “sarcastic,” “innovator,” “energetic,” “independent,” “storyteller” and “designer.”

“Together, all the strings overlap and intertwine,” said Garcia. “Everyone is connected and who we are is more similar to those around us than we think.”

One construction science student, identified by a yellow string, wound his or her story from “brother” to “humorous” to “brave,” then across to “bold,” “rational,” “driven,” and “respectful.”

“You get a sense of who they are when you follow their string,” Sykora said. “Every word has strings and all the different colors are mixing at them. We’re more alike than we are different.”

Sarah Wilson
swilson@arch.tamu.edu