DESIGN SUMMARY
The outcome of "Life is Boring, Without the Arts" is a publication that highlights the various fields within the creative arts and different experiences of individuals and groups working in the industry. This publication was designed to showcase what a high school student's future could look like if they continue their passion in the arts, highlighting the professional and exciting values of the arts. This project was for my Final Capstone Project: one semester of research and one semester of the design outcome. All elements (illustrations, photography, outcomes) were designed by me, except the contributors' interview responses.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Life is Boring, Without the Arts. This highlights the possibilities of a creative arts career through the experiences of artists in different fields. Growing up, there's often a negative perception of a creative arts career, as it may be seen more as a 'hobby' or an 'easy out' career-wise. High school students now have a Chance to learn more about people beyond the industry and to see the world's need for artists like themselves.
AUDIENCE & USER
This final design outcome is targeted at high school students, teenagers, or young adults who are developing their interests in post-secondary education or their future career paths. Teenagers or young adults who have considered a career in the creative arts but feel held back by common misconceptions about this career.
This capstone project was featured in the MacEwan University BDes Portfolio show "Layers" in May 2026. All the research, process, and the final publication were displayed in this show at the MAG Art Gallery.
LETTER FROM THE ARTIST
A quick summary of why I chose this topic for my capstone, my final design outcome & my personal experience as an artist throughout my years.
INCLUDES 5 SECTIONS
1. Life is Boring, Without Fine Arts.
2. Life is Boring, Without Performing Arts.
3. Life is Boring, Without Creative Writing.
4. Life is Boring, Without Music.
5. Life is Boring, Without Design.
CONTRIBUTION
Ashley Thimot, Ethan & Ayden Valdriz, Catherine Owen, & Band Misfortune Tellers are the featured artists in this publication. Each of these contributors had featured interviews discussing their experiences in their fields. This provides an overview of the variety of creative artists and how each career is different. Each section helps readers find interviews based on their future plans.
I also had different design students contribute to the "Life is Boring, Without Design" section. Because this publication was designed for a design course, I didn't want to pick one designer to represent the whole field, so I opened it up to as many design students as wanted to write or talk about their experiences.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Here are a few of the photos & portraits shot for the publication, letting each artist showcase themselves and how they wanted to be displayed in the final publication.
RESEARCH
During the first half of the capstone (fall semester), I needed to gather as much research as possible from as many artists as possible. I had an advantage by using the students in my class, but I also opened my surveys and interviews to social media. Here is a quick summary of the research methods and the results.
