Arthought Senior Thesis
My thesis project intends to inspire young minds to thoughtfully explore artmaking and problem solving using the design thinking process. Arthought encourages students to create empathetically, considering users or viewers throughout the artmaking process. Activities developed from design thinking accept trial and error as part of the creation process, allowing room for experimenting and discovery. Quentin Blake’s illustration style inspires Arthought’s illustration technique of combining watercolor painting with pen and ink drawings. My watercolor pieces are reminiscent of Blake’s children’s book illustrations – a comfortable and relatable aesthetic for young people. Additionally, using watercolor, a material many students in schools have exposure to, makes the projects seem more accessible. This project stems from a self-initiated prompt – create something for my ten-year-old self. The notion of encouraging my ten-year-old self to create meaningful artwork, paired with the empathy mapping workshop experience at IBM Design in Austin, Texas, shaped every aspect of Arthought, from the design thinking activities, to illustrations inspired from childhood books. Arthought exists as a culmination of design thinking, and watercolor, assembled into activities for kids. Five posters outline the design thinking process, pairing each step with visual representations in watercolor. The sixth poster provides an easy resource for educators to incorporate design thinking into their lessons. The color wheel container allows for easy understanding of the color wheel and color theory concepts, using various arrow spinners, and organized compartments for art supplies. The column displays artwork from All Saints Episcopal School’s Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth grade art classes created with the Arthought Empathize activity. Their work is based on characters from books – The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Because of Mr. Terupt, and The Giver. The booklet provides instructions to the Empathize activity.