birch tree:
event design prop or environmental design
This project required writing a manifesto, statement of intent, and reflective writing, so I chose to design my submission of the project in the form of a Burch/birch tree.
The seed-shaped invitation & 4,000+ words were all designed and handwritten by me.
The tree form was created out of old cardboard boxes and other recycled packaging materials that I had around (from ordering things to settle into my new home in the UK), and the tree “bark” is strips of packaging paper. As you can see in the photos below, my handwriting provides texture, mimicking the bark of a birch tree. I wrapped lights around the cardboard structure so that it would glow through the thin paper. This adds whimsy and a bit of drama — appropriate if it were to be used as a prop for an event.
I also designed, hand-cut and colored the leaves, which brings me to the collaborative aspect of this project: I asked my fellow classmates to share their hopes and dreams with me (with the choice to either credit their name or share anonymously; everyone chose to remain anonymous). This interaction transformed my structure into a wishing tree.
While I designed this as though it would be a prop piece for a function, there are other possible applications for this idea, from a classroom to a library setting, just to name the first few that come to mind. Students could write their favorite quotes from novels, or novel names, or theses, or their be-leafs, etc. and it could become part of the classroom design for the school year.
Swipe through to peruse detail shots of this project from various angles.
