Design Her: Profiles in Creative Vision

Design Her: Profiles in Creative Vision is a gallery-style exhibit located in Lowenthal Hall that introduces visitors to four influential women who reshaped the worlds of architecture, furniture design, and graphic design. The installation is designed as a calm, minimalist walkthrough that invites visitors to explore the stories behind these designers and learn how their unique creative styles influenced the visual world around us. When visitors enter the exhibit, they will move through four themed zones, each dedicated to a different designer. In each zone, visitors will encounter a large poster display featuring a portrait of the designer along with a short biography explaining her background, career, and contributions to the field of design. Alongside the biography, visitors will see two to three examples of the designer’s work, such as printed images of architectural projects, furniture pieces, or graphic designs. These artifacts help visitors understand how each designer’s creative vision translated into real-world designs. To encourage closer observation, each zone also includes a “Style Key” card that summarizes the designer’s signature aesthetic—such as bold geometric forms, minimalist materials, or expressive typography. These cards act as clues, helping visitors recognize the unique characteristics of each designer’s work as they move through the exhibit. At the end of the walkthrough, visitors will encounter the interactive finale: a QR code that leads to a short “Design IQ” quiz hosted on Google Forms. Using their mobile devices, visitors will answer five questions that show images of design works featured in the exhibit. For each image, they must identify which designer created it based on the visual clues they observed during their visit. Visitors who score 80% or higher will be entered into a raffle to win a curated Design Kit, which includes a Moleskine sketchbook, a high-quality Lamy pen, and a book about the history of women in design. By combining a museum-style display with an interactive quiz, Design Her: Profiles in Creative Vision transforms a traditional gallery experience into an engaging learning activity. Visitors are encouraged to look closely, connect design styles to individual creators, and test their knowledge—making the exhibit both educational and interactive for people who may be unfamiliar with the field of design.