Star Power
Parsons CD BFA Thesis Project
When: Fall 2022 - Spring 2023
Media: Book, Website, Posters and Stickers
Tool: Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Programming (P5js)
Star Power is a multimedia project that explores the historical and cultural significance of the five-pointed star while challenging its standardized depictions in contemporary culture. It consists of a book “Why Five Pointed Star”, a generative website, and a series of posters “The Five Points”, each medium examining the symbol in a unique way.
The book delves into the use of the five-pointed star in ancient mythology, religious iconography, and modern culture. It also examines its significance in popular culture, such as in advertising, commercial and political propaganda. The generative website is an interactive platform that allows users to generate unique personalize star designs by inputting text and adjusting various parameters. This challenges the standardized depictions of stars by encouraging users to engage with the symbol in new and creative ways. The posters serve as a canvas that prompts people to think about the process of drawing five-pointed stars in a more interactive and creative manner. By breaking conventions, people are inspired to explore the potential for different variations of drawing the stars. In addition, the project invites people to put star stickers generated from the website onto the pages of the book that resonate with them.
Star Power encourages viewers to reconsider the significance of this ubiquitous symbol, challenging them to think critically about its uses and meanings. By exploring its uses throughout history and in contemporary culture, the project opens up new avenues of interpretation, inspiring viewers to engage with the symbol in new and creative ways.
Project Overview
Project Presentation slideshow / Design Process
Book Design
Why Five Pointed Star
Cover Design
Book Design
Why Five Pointed Star
Inner Spreads
Generative Website
Desktop Version
Mobile Phone Version
Stickers
Sticker Archives