Archive
Alro Robbins, Dain Yoon, Maria Garsa, Kathy Nam
Through the Pane
[ 2024 ]
Through the Pane is the wayfinding group project addressing the tragic bird collisions we experienced firsthand.
Birds frequently hit our Graphic Design BFA 3 and MFA studio windows at CalArts, with most either dying or suffering internal injuries
due to their small, fragile bodies. Our team, DeMAKe, aimed to foster empathy and save the lives of these birds by offering practical solutions.
Birds frequently hit our Graphic Design BFA 3 and MFA studio windows at CalArts, with most either dying or suffering internal injuries
due to their small, fragile bodies. Our team, DeMAKe, aimed to foster empathy and save the lives of these birds by offering practical solutions.
'Through the Pane' was a wayfinding group project addressing the tragic bird collisions
we experienced firsthand. Birds frequently hit our BFA 3 and MFA studio windows at CalArts, with
most either dying or suffering internal injuries due to their small, fragile bodies.
_
Our team, DeMAKe, aimed to foster empathy and save the lives of these birds by offering practical solutions.
Inspired by the idea of creating geometric birds, we crafted origami birds and realized the potential of this concept:
incorporating origami patterns into design elements, hanging origami birds on trees,
and using the folded shapes to create bird and flower motifs.
To prevent further bird collisions, we intentionally removed all signage and left only the window installation.
< Start Point >
We hung origami birds on the tree at the starting point of the path to subtly indicate that the project is about birds.
Along the path leading to the final destination, we installed stepping stones on the ground featuring fun facts
and information about birds, encouraging visitors to follow the path.
< Be a Bird >
We also created an interactive zone where visitors could experience what it feels like to be a bird,
with ambient sounds of birds hitting windows.
<Final Destination>
At the final destination—the BFA3 studio windows—we covered the windows with illustrations of a fictional, heartwarming fairy tale we developed,
presented as 6-inch squares. In front of this installation, visitors could see small tombstones representing the birds that had died.
From a distance, the reflections of nature in the windows blended harmoniously with the illustrations, creating a unified visual experience.
This space also offered an interactive opportunity for visitors to place flowers in front of a tombstone of their choice.
<Final Destination Illustration>
I was mainly in charge of the window panels.
I developed the illustration style to be more narrative, reinforcing the storytelling aspect of the project.
Additionally, I incorporated origami-inspired patterns into the backgrounds of each scene, allowing the patterns,
illustrations, and individual narratives of each scene to come together cohesively.
Through this process, I explored how patterns could function as part of the background while also carrying narrative meaning,
and how different patterns could visually convey the themes and stories behind each scene.
<Origami Patterns>
<Brochure>
We were inspired by the folding creases of bird origami, so we designed the brochure in an origami-like form.
We also included a small bird origami instruction handout inside the brochure,
allowing people to fold the brochure themselves for a playful, interactive experience.
<Memorial Stones & Flowers>
A memorial stone was designed to honor birds lost to window collisions.
Separate flowers were placed nearby, allowing visitors to pick them up and place them in front of the stone as a quiet,
interactive act of remembrance.
<Our work process>
© Kathy Nam 2025