This project is about the untapped potential behind design messaging using film as an analogy. Much like how someone uses the gym to get fit, I’m using Kubrick and The Shining to show how design communication works.

Kubrick, thanks to his passion for both chess and photography, thinks visually and plans strategically. This is a brain similar to that of a designer.

Since he created 2001 A Space Odyssey through semiotics in order to be understood subconsciously, all of his films after operate similarly to how design operates (a link to the glossary to “Elements & Principles of Design).

My project lays out how we overlook design messaging and how we can utilize it for empathetic results. If we can understand it in our entertainment, we can use it in our work. And if we use it in our work, we can begin to make real change.

Critical thinking is a dying skill but a fervent necessity. Utilizing design thinking benefits every profession and professional. Thinking in empathetic terms benefits all of us, regardless of job title or context. This project provides a framework to break down any overly complex structure to be understood at its core, which is something desperately needed.

This project is for anyone who wants to understand our world (and perhaps our role within it) a little better. By being aware of what our messages and sequences communicate, we can more intentionally craft and curate helpful messages instead of harmful ones.