Parsons School of Design
BFA Communication Design
Thesis 2017

Parsons School of Design
BFA Communication Design
Thesis 2017

Byproducts After the Anthropocene
Kamila Ortiz

The Industrial Revolution catalyzed a new way to produce goods on a global scale. The energy and materials used during this process have been unsustainable, causing changes in our Earth. Humans produce, consume, and dispose of different materials on a daily basis. With those products are byproducts: an incidental or secondary product made in the manufacture or synthesis of something else. These byproducts have merged with our natural and constructed environment. Geologists have researched and assigned a new name for the era we now live in: the Anthropocene.

The plastic bag is a symbol for the range of byproducts that now exist. By focusing on this material, the viewer will be able to form a more obvious recognition with what is constantly taking over our environment. Byproducts After the Anthropocene transforms the plastic bag from trash into a tool needed for human survival after the Anthropocene in a humorous critique. This thesis suggests new ways to survive our catastrophic impact. Presenting the plastic bag as a survival tool to withstand the rapidly changing environment will bring the catastrophic concept of climate change closer to our reality. The exploration of plastic material, in the form of a book, allows the user to have an intimate reminder of the impact of this material. The larger format posters are a public announcement to instruct and visualize how our bodies can interact with plastic in the future. This thesis sheds light on the opportunity to give these products and their byproducts new purpose.

Andy Agus

Ameer Akbar

Sherifa El Alfi

Orhan S Awatramani

Evan Badr

Mrinal Bhatia

Yaël Bienenstock

Olivia Brodtman

Adomas Bruzga

Holly Burt

Kiana Caesar

Elizabeth Capreol

Christian Caraballo

Alyson Cardenas

Gabriela Carnabuci

Marjorie Chamberlain

Vanna Chan

Sachi Chandiramani

Leslie Chavez

Katherine Cheng

Emily Cho

Soomin Choi

Hyeree Choi

Talia Cotton

Dorothy Cruz

Katie DeAngelis

Nicole Jane Debler

Dominique DeVito

Megan Dias

Theresa Duemler

Juan Francisco Morales Egas

Michelle Eguia

Audrey Farnsworth

Peter Fowler

Myesha Evon Gardner

Alijah Gilbert

John Hammond

Jin Ju Han

Aimee Hedman

Perla Herrera

Lauren Horsman

Zhiyan Huang

Ji Hea Jang

Urvita Jhaveri

Myles Jones

Cheryl Kao

Phoebe Kennedy

Alice Yeji Kim

Jung Yeon Kim

Thomas Sang Gul Kim

Chewon Kim

Sanggyun Kim

Hansung Kim

Likando Kumoyo

Jang Kyungjun

Josh LaCalamito

Yunjoo Lee

Kyung Sun Lee

SooJi Lee

Meijun Li

Alice Lim

Junya Lin

Yuchen Liu

Kimberly Lombardi

Natalia Malik

Roisin McNulty

Simen L. Meyer

Nikoletta Mitsopoulou

Chloë Murray

Cyrus Nathaniel

David Dahao Ni

Mariana Del Nogal

Sofia Olarra

Kamila Ortiz

Ji Hyun Park

Sara Pena

Melissa S. Peralta

Camille Petricola

Sander Phoenix

Urvi Raghbeer

Andrew Ramirez

Brianna Saba

Stephen Salomon

Julianna Amelia Santolucito

Raida Saveree Sarwar

Ritika Shah

Shui Shan

Jisoo Sim

Lauren Stein

Pei Yu Sun

Shivalika Tandon

Nia Thomas

Laura Tien

Karina Tristandy

Paula Volchok

Djiun Wang

Kyra Wang

Taylor Wasikonis

Junlu Xie

Marie Yamamoto

Jasmine Zhang