.:.shani sandy:::creative direction:::design:::fine art.:.

THE BOLD PRINCIPLE

The time is ripe for the design discipline to leap beyond known canons and icons. The opportunity to evolve beyond tradition lives in diverse perspectives, in inclusion. The B.O.L.D. Principle delves into research examining the voices of the underrepresented population of Black designers in the United States. The data sources for this qualitative interview study were 23 Graphic Designers in practice for at least 5 years, residing in the United States and 25 - 45 years old. Eighteen of twenty-three interviewees were Black and five were White.

KEY FINDINGS

Findings are represented by The BOLD Principle which articulates the findings across 4 facets:

The Creative Person:
Designers build a model of an individual grounded in curiosity that is heightened through confidence, driven forward through persistence, and accomplished through their influence.

The Creative Process:
The process demands “being clear”: understanding & research, “being collaborative”: ideation & time, and having “deliberate intent”: feedback & solutions, all within the support of a healthy environment.

The Creative Place:
The optimal creative environment is a safe place that provides space for creative freedom and embraces inclusive and open-minded behavior, is co-created through the self and the actual individuals in the environment, and is adaptable to individual preferences.

The Creative Product:
The optimal creative product is one in which form and function are well designed and unified, though function takes the lead.

MORE RESEARCH

If you are interested in reading the full thesis study, please email me.