The posts below represent my work from the Wintersession class Making It Understandable, January 5th to February 10th, taught by the fabulous and affirming Lindsay Kinkade. The class aimed to make public engagement projects to help explain and raise awareness about the Affordable Care Act. For my final I chose to actually advocate the reform.
Called "Advocacy: Healthcare as Luxury," my project involves two posters which utilize jewelry I made out of medical supplies. Each poster points out something wrong or unfair about the healthcare system as it is now. But as a whole they imply, through the “jewelry,” that as long as healthcare is private it is also a commodity: a luxury. I mean to call that very principle into question, as well as reach out to the college-aged demographic to which I belong; those who are probably not underprivileged, but who most likely are subject to poverty of information regarding healthcare in America.
The two posters represent a prototype for what would ideally be a much larger (and funded) public awareness campaign. A total of about ten different posters would be made and mass-produced to live on college campuses, online, in local news sources, and public transportation sites such as bus shelters.
Ideally, if this project was funded and circulated, I would aim to make my additional posters with higher quality jewelry--that is, jewelry cast in precious metals and set with precious stones (rather than 24 kt gold plating and swarovski crystals). Had I the time and resources I would like to make images intended to appear in magazines and billboards as well.
Ideally, if this project was funded and circulated, I would aim to make my additional posters with higher quality jewelry--that is, jewelry cast in precious metals and set with precious stones (rather than 24 kt gold plating and swarovski crystals). Had I the time and resources I would like to make images intended to appear in magazines and billboards as well.
Each of my posters points to http://makingitunderstandable.tumblr.com, which was collectively authored by everyone in the class. As well as displaying classwork, it has a wealth of healthcare reform information, data sets, existing infographics having to do with healthcare, and links to interesting designs/designers/ideas. I think it particularly showcases the rich opportunity for design and current events to marry.
My research, much of which was posted to the blog, was aided by several experts, including the office of Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts, and Felice Freyer, the Providence Journal's medical reporter. To the last two ladies I mentioned, who visited our class and offered incredibly helpful feedback, thank you so much!
I am excited that with my project I responded to my own artistic interests as much as to a relevant social issue, and am equally excited by the opportunity of this conference.
Class photos are courtesy of Lindsay, and are found here.
List of my citations after the jump.
Class photos are courtesy of Lindsay, and are found here.
List of my citations after the jump.
