Blog Post No.1 - Introduction

My name is Mallory Kubenik. I am currently within my fourth and final year at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design where I am pursuing my BFA in Communication Design. I have a passion for design and the ways in which it can tell a story. I am inspired by fashion, movies, beauty, music, nature and people.

Currently, my relationship with writing is not what I would like it to be. Sometimes it feels like a chore solely because I find it difficult to articulate my thoughts. I often find myself writing in more of a "stream of consciousness" way rather than in a structured manner. As a designer, I know that having strong writing skills will put me ahead. I am use to conveying my ideas through visual work rather than in written words but why can't it be both? Personally, I hope this class helps me to structure my writing and to find techniques that make it feel less like a chore and more so as a way to clearly communicate my message. 

For this class, I want to focus on the design scene here in Milwaukee. More specifically, what artists and designers are doing to bring awareness to issues that effect our city. For my senior thesis, I want to bring awareness to literacy rates in Milwaukee and how it is a social determinant for health care. I have already learned that there are over 60,000 adults in Milwaukee who cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level. I am hoping I can use this class to lead some of my primary research and to call attention to design activism in Milwaukee.

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