Exploring Culture and Self-Identification

When finals are over and the end of the semester nears, it’s hard to think about anything but the upcoming break. However, for USAC Prague alum, Claire Dobransky (Grove City College), her final project may be on our mind for quite some time.

During her semester with USAC, Claire took an Alternative Culture course allowing for her to explore the art, music and people of the Czech Republic and it’s rich, cultural impact. For her final project, she explored the process of self-identification of oneself in a foreign culture from four other USAC students.

The Method:

I used photography as the method to capture and portray the message of self-identification of this project. I asked four study abroad students from the USAC program to be my “profiles.” Each profile included a photo of the student in their most comfortable environment, basic facts (date and place of birth, university), and a quote pulled from a small interview I conducted with them. After the meetings, I designed a profile poster for each profile using Czech graphic design inspiration. I created a collection of four profiles which display each student’s self-identification within the culture of the Czech Republic.

The Inspiration:

Ladislav Sutnar (1897-1976) – Czech design influencer of information design and information architecture. He is uncredited for the use of parentheses in American telephone numbers. Within his design, he puts an emphasis on typography and limited color, using restricted layouts and strong lines. His style can be related to Jan Tschichold and Bauhaus’ fundamentals. Sutnar also designed book sleeves, posters and toys.

Lace Up- Prague based advertising agency who provide a wide variety of services which include: advertising ideas, alternative media, art direction, copywriting, corporate identity, graphic design, illustrations, photography/post production, web design/development. Their work is innovative, creative and contemporary. They have a strong emphasis on color, illustration and typography, blending the three beautifully together.

Dana Svobodova- Prague based freelance graphic designer and illustrator. She has been a visual communicator for seven years, working with advertising agencies and studios. Svobodova’s work mainly focuses upon illustration of branding, websites, packaging, logo type, game scene, etc.

The Posters: