Pratt BFA Communications Design Thesis 2021

About

Congratulations Class of 2021!

Welcome to the 2021 Thesis Archive for the B.F.A. in Communications Design at Pratt Institute! This website aims to document the work of our talented and passionate graduating class as well as offer insight into the point of view, ideas, issues, critiques, and passions of communications design students participating in their courses from around the globe during the mostly virtual academic year of 2020-2021.

In this capstone course students write a semester-long project proposal and generate a body of work built around their interests that synthesizes the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the B.F.A Communications Design program. With an emphasis on research, intention, contextual analysis, and innovative formal outcomes, this course asks students to reflect on their field of study, articulate a point of view, and contextualize their work within the larger discipline.

The BFA Communications Design Program

Pratt’s program prepares communications design students to be versatile and astute communicators; critical and conceptual thinkers; and inspired and responsible cultural producers. Housed in the School of Design on Pratt’s historic campus in Brooklyn, the Department of Undergraduate Communications Design is a recognized leader in the field. Students learn to engage audiences, explore technologies, develop visual languages, challenge preconceptions, redefine problems, and identify opportunities through the lens of communications design.

The Communications Design curriculum embraces the multifaceted and interdisciplinary nature of communications design practice. Our courses and projects promote the development of individual perspectives, visual literacy, media fluency, experiential learning, and innovative formal outcomes.

Courses prompt students to define and explore a design process that engages research, historical and contemporary contexts, experimentation, audience, technology, and play in the construction of meaningful visual forms. Throughout the program students engage in increasingly complex projects that introduce time-based and interactive media, visual systems, and emerging practices in communications design.

Beginning in the third year, students develop an individual focus or set of interests inside the larger discipline through courses in their chosen area of emphasis: graphic design, illustration, or advertising art direction. Electives both inside the department and throughout the Institute supplement the core curriculum, allowing students to explore ways of thinking and making throughout the visual arts.

pratt.edu/ug-communications-design/ | @prattbfacomd

Matthew Kim Illustration

Apartment 8

Concept Art

Editorial Design

Illustration

Type Design

The main premise of my Senior thesis was to create a series of six digital editorial illustrations that focused on representing some of society’s most influential personalities through the style of horror themed movie posters. Based on what area of expertise the pop culture figure resonated with, it opened a door of opportunities to use what they are known for and apply it to my illustrations for me to capture. Whether it was a defining physical feature or an iconic style of clothing, the main goal of the thesis was to recreate some of society's most familiar faces in a horror setting while still being recognizable.

instagram.com/mkimart

matthewkim1999.wixsite.com