ELIZABETH west
ELIZABETH west
Embedded Files
How We See What We Read
How We See What We Read
Research Question
How might we explore the connections between written media and visual imagery to understand how our minds create unique visualizations?
Project Overview
As a visual artist and writer, I wanted to explore the concepts of how our minds interoperate written words on a page. I wanted to dive deep into why we see the images we do, and how our brains create them. To accomplish this, I wrote my own short booklet and drew my personal interoperations of the characters within them. With both visual and written media, I conducted research and interviews that all accumulated into one final infographic that dives deep into the question: “How do we see what we read?”
Illustration / Poster Design / Storytelling
Audience/Users
Audience/Users
My audience is for those who have an interest in literature, design, or both. The story written alongside the project and the information told in it is aimed at a mature or young adult audience. Ideally those who would find interest in my infographic are those who enjoy mature storytelling, or storytelling within a fantasy setting.
Process Overview
Process Overview
I researched how visual imagery is created in the brain, and how people from all walks of life create pictures in their brain. This included studies of aphantasia; a disorder where a person cannot view images inside their head at all.
I researched characters from other literature sources to see how their visual interpretations compared to their written forms.
I authored my own story to use as a tool for discussion. I then interviewed someone with aphantasia, and others without aphantasia, to see how different minds react to the written narrative.
I created visual representations of the characters within my narrative to further delve into differences of my own viewing point versus the viewing points of others.
I compared interview responses in an experience map; monitoring emotional and verbal responses.
Solution components
Solution components
I designed the following components as part of my solution:
A booklet containing my written story.
Four illustrations of the characters/creatures featured in the story.
A poster with all of my collected research and imagery.
An experience map featuring the notes of those I interviewed.
An advertisement for my booklet with a summary of the short story.
Success Criteria
and My Solution
Success Criteria
and My Solution
After my design process, for my solution to be a success, I know it needs to:
Involve a story with a unique narrative with detailed descriptions that can be reflected in visual media.
Inform on the process in which the brain creates mental imagery.
Show how written forms of media (books, short stories, etc.) are connected to visual design.
Inform on the differences in how brains function between person to person.
Create an engaging story and infographic that inspires people to think deeper when they next read.
DESIGN CRITERIA 1
DESIGN CRITERIA 1
Involve a story with a unique narrative with detailed descriptions that can be reflected in visual media.
Involve a story with a unique narrative with detailed descriptions that can be reflected in visual media.
The narrative I wrote, Noctiphany, is a unique narrative within a world of my own design. Characters, settings, and actions are written with detail. The world, the characters, and the story are original and not based on any pre-existing media
DESIGN CRITERIA 2
DESIGN CRITERIA 2
Inform on the process in which the brain creates mental imagery.
Inform on the process in which the brain creates mental imagery.
Extensive research was done to collect information on how the brain creates mental imagery from visual stimuli. The infographic poster goes into detail on how those images are formed, and where those thoughts come from.
DESIGN CRITERIA 3
DESIGN CRITERIA 3
Show how written forms of media (books, short stories, etc.) are connected to visual design.
Show how written forms of media (books, short stories, etc.) are connected to visual design.
Books and imagery go hand in hand. Not only did I design original characters based on the text I had written, but I also researched how visual designs are reflected in literature and how written words are reflected in visual images.
DESIGN CRITERIA 4
DESIGN CRITERIA 4
Inform on the differences in how brains function between person to person.
Inform on the differences in how brains function between person to person.
I interviewed three vastly different people, all with complex thoughts and different ideals to see just how differently people think from one another. I complied all their thoughts into an experience map and analyzed their quotes to form a message on how human minds differ from one another's.
DESIGN CRITERIA 5
DESIGN CRITERIA 5
Create an engaging story and infographic that inspires people to think deeper when they next read.
Create an engaging story and infographic that inspires people to think deeper when they next read.
The narrative, images, and poster were designed with deep care and thought. In my design, I made sure to show my passion for art and literature with engaging imagery and storytelling all throughout to inspire deeper thought.
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