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University / department
Massachusetts College of Art
Dynamic Media Institute, Masterstudiengang
University URL
Project supervisor
Associate Professor of Communication Design Brian Lucid
Supervisor commentary
My name is Brian Lucid. I hold the position of Associate Professor of Design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and serve as one of the principal faculty members in the Dynamic Media Institute, a graduate program investigating the intersection of communication and new technologies. It is my great pleasure to write in support of Carolin Horn and her AnyMails project.
I had the great pleasure of serving as thesis advisor for Carolin as she developed her graduate thesis and accompanying body of work.
AnyMails served as the capstone project for an intensive two-year study into how metaphors from the natural world can be applied to data visualization. Through connecting abstract relationships to the familiar mechanics of our natural world, Carolin seeks to better facilitate the quick understanding of structure, navigation and context for dynamic information.
Carolin’s experiments are anchored by in-depth research, fueled by critical thinking, and are supported by a strong body of visual work across a variety of media and supporting technologies. AnyMails sits as the culmination of this work -- a functional, testable application that combines a complex system of data acquisition and organization with a set of sensitively designed rules for visual treatment.
While much of her recent work is quite technologically complex -- Carolin merges visual design with interactive technologies more successfully than any student I have worked with -- she is first and foremost a visual communicator. Her strengths lie in her ability to merge visual sensitivity, motion literacy and strong conceptual thinking with dynamic information design at a high level, often with a touch of humor and playfulness.
Carolin humanizes technology and data, making it accessible to audiences outside of those familiar with data visualization. Her work is approachable, engaging, and experiential while remaining functional and information rich.
In closing, I would like to once again voice my support for Carolin Horn’s application for your competition. I believe her work to be original, unique and worthy of your organization's support.