I designed and produced goodies (giveaways) for our exhibition (again, together with my partner in crime (@Karre)). This process initially seemed like an organizational task and more about decision making, but it developed into an quite interesting research impulse.
Designing and producing goodies for our exhibition initially felt like a practical and organisational task. Picking bags, some goodies that somewhat relate to our exhibition, tying it all together… However, during the process, I realised how much communicative potential lies in small physical objects. Unlike digital communication, physical objects carry weight, texture, and presence. They are kept, touched, stored, or even worn (like the keychaines, that we produced in the end). That made me think more deeply about materiality as a design dimension. Which paper feels appropriate? How does a surface finish influence perceived value? How sustainable should a giveaway be in the context of contemporary design ethics?
Researching materials that we could personalize and sustainable options through videos on YouTube helped my understanding of how materials influence our perception of the actual communication. Minimal differences (matte/ glossy, heavy/ light, …) influence how an object is interpreted. A sustainable material communicates responsibility. A playful form communicates accessibility. A minimalist aesthetic communicates seriousness or clarity. Every choice positions the project ideologically and emotionally.
So goodies kind of function as narratives. They (should) condense the essence of something (here our exhibition) into a small, transportable format (the keychain in this case). With that they also extend the exhibition beyond its physical timeframe. When someone takes a designed object home, the communication continues in a different environment. This task strengthened my interest in the relationship between materiality and meaning (which I will hopefully deepen in my Erasmus semester this summer).
Disclaimer: Dieser Text wurde mit KI-Unterstützung strukturiert und übersetzt. Projektarbeit und Reflexion stammen von mir.
