SIGD Students Gain New Perspectives on Summer Trips to Italy, Taiwan

Students journeyed to Milan alongside Associate Professor and Graphic Design (GDES) Program Chair Robert Finkel, while Graduate Program Officer and PlayCore Professor Tin-Man Lau oversaw students’ trip to Taiwan.

The Milan trip provided its participants with a survey of Italian graphic design that emerged in Milan in the 1930s and has continued to influence designers to the present day. Students analyzed Italian design archives, made multiple site visits and developed a series of self-directed design projects as part of their curriculum.

The students also visited three leading design institutions over the course of the trip, including The ADI Design Museum, The Museo del Design Italiano at the Triennale Milano and the Dipartimento di Design at Politechnico di Milano. Each experience provided an opportunity to observe significant Italian graphic and industrial design styles, that students reflected upon through visual documentation and written a responses.

According to Finkel, he had several goals for students during the trip, including becoming familiar with the historical and cultural context of Italian Design and its key practitioners; exploring significant design institutions, archives and museums; applying Italian design principles through combinations of image, shape and type; and experimenting with various image-making techniques.

For Mekhi Kalil, a senior GDES student who had never traveled abroad before participating in the trip, the experience exceeded all expectations.

“Italy was more than I ever expected,” he said. “You see pictures and it always looks like such a beautiful place, but it was so much better in person. If I were to sum it up in one word, I’d say it’s vibrant! Milan is filled with so many fun colors and people making the most of their environment.”

Asked what he learned on the trip that he can carry forward in his studies and career, Kalil pointed to the Italian lifestyle as a source of inspiration.

“One of the biggest takeaways from my experience was to slow down more often, and that can apply to both my design work and life in general,” he explained. “The Italian lifestyle has inspired me to take my time, because you miss out on so many things if you don’t slow down occasionally.

“In design, slowing down is so valuable, because it can bring forth inspiration in places you’d never expect,” he added. “Some of the best ideas stem from everyday experiences, and if you’re not looking, you’ll miss out on all the beautiful things around you.”

Emily Norman, a senior INDD major on her first trip to Europe, also found her experience inspiring. “Moving forward, I have been impressed by the passion of the workplace in Italy,” she said. “From a skills perspective, I have acquired a better eye for design that truly means something to people. In my future career, I will definitely be able to draw on this experience to better understand all types of people and cultures, which will allow me to better relate to and understand my clients.”

The Taiwan study abroad trip was another installment in an exchange program begun in 2004 and hosted by Shu-Te University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Since the program was launched, Auburn students have traveled to the island nation 17 times, although this was the first year the program was resumed following the COVID pandemic of 2020. Through the years, more than 160 Auburn students have made the trip.

“We call the trip an exchange program because we are not just tourists visiting Taiwan; the students are immersed in the culture and work with the host students daily,” Lau said. “Each Auburn student is assigned to five to six Shu-Te students, and they work as a team on a design project. During the process, our students learn to deal with people different from them in a working environment, including compromise and negotiation, and to appreciate the differences and take advantage of the combined talents of diverse backgrounds.”

The class is designed to impose collaboration on assignments such as mind mapping, storyboards, full-size drawings and group discussions and presentations. The Auburn students must also take a class on four different crafts: glass, metal jewelry, pottery and Chinese painting. Shu-Te students and faculty assist with some of these classes.

Annie Goldman, a junior INDD major who had traveled in Asia before, found the craft classes one of the best parts of the trip.

“Our crafts experiences were amazing,” she said. “We learned several techniques I would not have known if I hadn’t gone on this trip. They can make my style more unique in the future because not many people know a lot about these Taiwanese techniques, and it gives me a different understanding of how different parts can go together.”

For senior INDD student Brianna Parmley, the trip was also her first experience abroad. She found the immersion in another culture to be a powerful learning tool.

“I feel this experience has aided how I will perform as a student and employee,” she explained. “The trip taught me how to communicate through language barriers and work in a team despite challenges. In addition, I am now more sensitive to cultural implications in design, and I will better understand the importance of designing to fill the needs specific to the intended user.”

Parmley added that she would definitely recommend the trip to other students.

“Studying abroad is not always easy,” she said. “It can be hard work, and you might miss home, but my experience was completely worth it. The challenges helped me develop resilience and independence, and I made incredible friendships and connections that broadened my perspective. This trip has enriched my life far beyond just the classroom.”