Lattice weaves together the thesis works of eight graduating M.F.A. candidates in Design, each probing the fragile connections between people, cultures, and environments. The projects sustain overlooked histories, reclaim informal spaces, challenge extrovert-centered norms, and imagine new ways of belonging. They navigate discomfort in air travel, explore trust in AI, and reframe human relationships with more-than-human worlds. Through cultural memory, speculative futures, and everyday artifacts, the exhibition reveals design as a latticework of resilience, critique, and care. 

Created by undergraduate Design students Zac DeLane and Caroline Silva, the Austin Parks Wayfinding project aims to help park goers navigate Austin's outdoor spaces with ease. Using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Dimension, they created a holistic mapping system that will allow patrons to find their way without disruptions.

This step-by-step tutorial for how to dye your hair at home brings to life a previously dull manual with vibrant color at each stage from beginning to end.

Time Pass Through is an animated work that draws inspiration from undergraduate student Jackson Gurdak's experiences in recent years. Key life events such as graduating from high school, attending college, navigating the pandemic, participating in Zoom classes, entering his 20s, and facing uncertainty about the future form the heart of this work. The soundtrack, created by Kaden McKay, features an upbeat tempo combined with anxious lyrics, encapsulating the theme of mixed feelings about the future.

The Fem Press: Her Story in Design and Media by Avery Fox is an educational zine and interactive database project addressing gender inequity in the publication design industry, inspired by historical feminist publications. The zine, riso printed with a letterpress cover, aims to showcase and uplift the work of female creators across the industry.

Tank is a personal project created by Arts and Entertainment Technologies Professor Isaac Oster using Zbrush, Fusion 360, 3DS Max, and Quixel Suite. Oster was interested in building a vehicle and wanted to explore blending ZBrush and Fusion on a challenging high poly model.

Becauseisms expresses emotional, societal, and personal provocations. The work is a reflection of the 2023 M.F.A. Design candidates' optimism and intention through design.

Against the Current reassesses contemporary societal behaviours and invites viewers to consider new paths forward. Featuring thesis works from four graduating M.F.A candidates in Design, this exhibition explores analogue antidotes, challenges restrictive historical cycles, offers tools for BIPOC design students, and unpacks emerging autonomy. Integral to the work is a spirit of rebellion and resilience-a rejection of structural, cultural, and traditional restraints. 

Every researcher had mentors who helped assimilate them into a life of scholarly work, and the process continues with their future mentees. These comprise the roots and branches of the academic tree of a single researcher. If we let these ancestors’ and descendants’ genders affect these trees like a “wind,” most curl nearly to the earth. To set these trees growing upright again we visualize giving differential weight to male and female researchers.

Once a Glacier is a VR film that tells the story of a relationship between a girl and a glacier. As the girl grows older, the existence of the ice is threatened, and the viewer is taken on a journey through her seemingly futile efforts to protect what was once an entire glacier. 

Get a glimpse of the SDCT's Spring 2023 Showcase. For the first time, the Department of Design joined forces with the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies for a unique gathering of Austin’s creative community.

An immersive experience based around Alebrijes and how they came to be. Using UV lights accompanied by a mystical soundscape, the Jungle comes to life in an array of colorful chaos.