Strategy
When entering the design industry, I learned that there was a clear difference between the purpose of art and design. Coming from a traditional arts background, I found art to be expressive, subjective, and functioned as a means to provoke thought and change. In comparison, design functions to solve problems through visual communication. With two very distinct definitions, I was intrigued to find a way for art and design to coexist.

Experience
A couple of months prior, I received the book, “Overview: A New Perspective on Earth,” by Benjamin Grant. This book was a collection of satellite images derived from Grant’s Daily Overview Instagram project which conveyed the idea of the overview effect. The overview effect is explained to be “a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space.” This phenomenon results in astronauts experiencing a heightened sense of self-reflection, awareness, and strong emotional connectedness to the earth’s fragility and beauty.

The beautiful photographs in his book inspired me to seek satellite images of my own and learn about the history of each geographical location. I created a series of art pieces for each image I found: a pencil drawing, an ink drawing, and a watercolour painting, each serving as a way to portray the foundation, progression and evolution, and current state of the location. Each art piece was then paired with handwritten facts which were scattered across them, adding a more organic and abstract aspect to the project.

Outcome
Through exploring the intersection of art and design, I saw that they are able to not only coexist, but also work together to enhance the impact and narrative of a project. Going back to my roots as a visual artist gave me a different perspective on how to communicate all of the information and how it will be interpreted. A more ambiguous layout allows each reader to interact with it in a unique way.

Specs
36 pages / 13” x 7”