Reach Out

Ekow N. Ephrim

Degree: MFA

Area: Graphic Design

Thesis Statement

As a visual communicator, my utmost goal is to develop sensitivity towards my immediate environment to identify critical social issues and address them using graphic design. To me, the role of the graphic designer transcends the provision of solutions to visual communication problems. Therefore, I like to use graphic design to propel social action. I focus on graphic design's role and its ability to persuade and impact the community. Through my work, I try to blur the boundaries between design, research, and service.

Inspired by my past experiences as an international student, Reach Out is a socially conscious graphic design project that explores mental health stressors among international students. By merging qualitative research and graphic design, I reveal the nature of international students' struggles, particularly during their first few months on campus.  I focus on the day-to-day challenges that have considerable effects on both the psychological and general wellbeing of international students. Through this body of work, I am drawing the attention of both individuals and university communities to international students' mental health through their written narratives. I attempt to offer a better understanding of the daily struggles of international students while encouraging a new form of correlation between international students and the university community.