Art & Design
The Impact of Design on Postpartum Recovery
Presenter: JASMINE BENITES
Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Crotty Guttilla
School: Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A77]

Postpartum (period after birth) is a vulnerable time for women. Postpartum recovery is an intense and deeply personal experience, involving physical healing, hormonal shifts, and major emotional adjustments. A study done by McGill university and University of Tel Aviv in “found that approximately one third of all postpartum women suffer elements of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and three to seven percent suffer full blown PTSD” ((Leeder, 2017). For women facing PTSD -- often linked to traumatic birth experience, medical emergencies, or prior trauma -- the home environment can significantly influence how safe, regulated, and supported they feel. “The quality of life of PTSD patients affects their cognition and behavior, reducing life function, especially in women” (Chayadi, 2024). This research explores how intentional interior design strategies can support postpartum women coping with PTSD.

Drawing from trauma-informed design principles, environmental psychology, and healthcare design research, “The impact of design on postpartum recovery” highlights elements such as lighting, color psychology, material selection, acoustics, biophilic elements as therapeutic tools. This progression of the role of interior design has enabled research on the benefits of interior design, particularly with postpartum women.  As an individual entering the workforce with the intention of redefining the field of interior design, I want to promote how interior design can be part of the health field. As we continue to recognize the complexities of postpartum recovery, it is essential to view the home not just as a backdrop to this transition, but as a partner empowering women to feel supported, safe, and strengthened in early motherhood. 

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The Threat of AI: An Emerging Issue to Authentic Media
Presenter: Rachael Anne Dougherty
Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Crotty Guttilla
School: Massachusetts Bay Community College
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A83]

Acting has always been a distinctive human endeavor. But that may soon change. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) may enable production companies to produce work that diminishes authentic artistic expression. Today, AI in Hollywood is being used for multiple reasons, one of which is altering the appearance of actors. Viewers of the movie Here (2024) see a 68-year-old Tom Hanks playing a man in his 30s. Not only does this take away from the authenticity of the art of acting, but it also takes opportunities away from younger actors. Similarly, in the past year, the introduction of AI into media has not only contributed to modifying actors' appearances but could also replace their existence entirely. Tilly Norwood, the first AI actress, has caught the eye of many agencies, signifying how prevalent this issue could become. In 2023, former SAG AFTRA President Fran Drescher told Time Magazine, “86% of the union's 160,000 members don't even make enough money to be eligible for health benefits” (Chow, 2023). With the introduction of AI, the possibility of landing roles and making a living off acting is only decreasing. Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool, but only if it is used ethically. By being aware of the threat AI poses to the media and entertainment industry, we as an audience can help prevent this from becoming the new normal. 
A Guide to the 7 Principles of Universal Design
Presenter: Allison Scicchitano
Faculty Sponsor: Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky
School: UMass Dartmouth
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Room 163 [C32]

When we truly start designing for everybody, then universal design will become less of a niche and more of a norm. This research project focuses on the 7 Principles of Universal Design, and it’s intended to be used as a resource for other students in future classes. The goal is to create a comprehensive document that goes over what these design principles are and offer ideas of how to implement them in our work as designers. Walking around on our  college campus as an able-bodied student and realizing just how many buildings aren’t universally accessible was a surprise.
To help create an accurate guide, a literature review of the topic will be documented.  Precedent studies of very well-designed universal buildings, as well as what design ideas and strategies they implemented, will also be included in this research project. Ideally, the drawn conclusions will demonstrate examples of how to implement universal design strategies, as well being able to notice and address non-universal design, helping us make more inclusive decisions in the future. When designing for everyone becomes the immediate action, the world not only becomes easier to navigate for differently abled people, but for everyone. The ideas and strategies for the 7 Principles of Universal Design benefit all people in the long run, paving the way for more inclusive standardization and making every day easier to navigate, in more ways than one.
Past(a) and Present: Exploring Tradition and Innovation in Italian Brand Design
Presenter: Emily Theresa Russo
Faculty Sponsor: Donald J. Tarallo
School: Fitchburg State University
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A15]

My honors thesis explores the visual evolution of Italian branding and a branding project. By studying both luxury and non-luxury brands like Armani, Fiat, and Barilla, the project analyzes how their visual identities (logos, typography, packaging, advertising, and color palettes) have shifted across decades while remaining culturally authentic. From studying visual design, exploring how branding works, and researching how the “Made In Italy” label plays a role in developing an Italian brand, this information helps to shape the visual part of the project. 

The analytical findings are used to inform my design for the visual identity and packaging for a hypothetical pasta brand connected to my personal Italian heritage. The brand balances traditional craftsmanship and sense of place with modern values like sustainability and inclusivity. This project is important because it looks at how the “Made in Italy” label can be used in the design of a new brand. By creating my own pasta brand, it explores how traditional Italian branding elements can be used in a contemporary way, while still feeling authentic and relevant today.

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Doorway to My Comfort: Translating Emotion Through Album Design
Presenter: Daniel Patrick Disessa
Faculty Sponsor: Donald J. Tarallo
School: Fitchburg State University
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A16]

This thesis explores the role of graphic design for album covers, the emotional impact of sound, and its influence on society. The objective was to design a comprehensive album package that unites these three dimensions from the research I did about album design and concepts on the translation of sound to artwork. I want to investigate what album covers mean and why they are still so important today even in a digital streaming era.

Album covers can be interactive, and they help transport people mentally to a place of comfort. Album design often acts as a kind of visual portal. This album cover reflects a comfortable space and invites viewers to enter it. I used color, typography, and imagery to create a multi-component set including a record cover, sleeve, and supplemental ephemera. This thesis is important because it deepens understanding of the designer's multi-dimensional role in the representation of meaning, and it explores the relationship between emotion and design. By translating sound into visual form, it highlights how design can shape perception, memory, and cultural understanding. Even in an era dominated by digital streaming, physical album design remains a tactile and conceptual framework that deepens engagement with music and reinforces the enduring cultural importance of visual storytelling.

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Why Is This 15th Century Invention Still in Use? Modern Graphic Design and the Letterpress
Presenter: Taylanna Alyse Vargas
Faculty Sponsor: Beatrice St. Laurent
School: Bridgewater State University
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A19]

As a graphic designer it is essential to understand why letterpresses are still used as a vital tool in the field despite the technological advancements that have been made. The purpose of this work is to discover what draws artists and designers towards traditional methods of print. To understand why, I researched the history of the letterpress and attended a letterpress workshop and lecture. Physically working with the letterpress gave me a better grasp of how these machines work and why they’re so loved. I also traveled to museums and galleries containing fine art prints, including letterpress and screenprinting works. The reason why people gravitate towards traditional print is because of the need for a personal connection between the art and the artist. For the technical side, you get full control of the color of the ink when you mix it by hand. You imbed impressions onto the surface that you cannot achieve through basic inkjet (or other digital) printers. You can also handset your words and images. This letterpress work and research in printing and graphic design are important because of the way the field is rapidly changing. Artists and designers have an understanding that quality comes from physical work. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence, and even the heavy reliance on digital workspaces, has made it clear that there is a lack of understanding in graphic design and printing principles, as well as an unawareness of the importance of both. 

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That's Not Art! Artificial Intelligence in the Arts
Presenter: Molly Katherine Horn
Faculty Sponsor: Beatrice St. Laurent
School: Bridgewater State University
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 3, 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Campus Center Auditorium [A20]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been deeply integrated into our modern lives: social media algorithms, email summaries, and software to write essays. This software is trained on countless data points sourced from our lives without permission, compensation, or accountability. This technology’s rapid development coupled with its accessibility and unknown limitations has prevented the implementation of effective regulations to address exploitation, copyright, and privacy rights. This study discusses AI in the arts: its history, artists, applications, and intersection into fields such as neuroscience, and politics. Research for this study involved visits to collections and museums locally and regionally. 

The purpose of this project is to evaluate whether the products of AI can be classified as independent works of art, and their creators, artists. AI art is a contentious topic, primarily due to the discourse over authorship and ownership of its creative works. AI’s data gathering has scraped art styles, artwork and archives to develop generative software like Sora 2, DALL-E, or ChatGPT. If we uphold the works of these platforms as art, does there remain any value in human-made art? While I do not believe AI art should be considered equal to human-made art, I acknowledge its nuances, and the work of its emerging artists. With the pervasiveness of AI, we must work to integrate AI art in a regulated, open, and beneficial manner.
GCC Plum Literary Review Internship 2026
Presenter: Lugh Hermes Hudson
Group Members: Sara Marie Boisvert
Faculty Sponsor: Stephen Poulin
School: Greenfield Community College
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Concourse [B1]

In our internship with Greenfield Community College's Plum Literary Review, we studied the process of publishing and creating a literary and visual arts journal. The methodologies used were; recording our experiences and thoughts, emailing other college publications, contacting college print shops, and reaching out to classes and workshops to inform their students of Plum Literary Review. This project has allowed us to learn what a literary review is, what to expect in the process of publishing, who we can contact for publication advice, and how to set manageable tasks and divide work. We also found where we should market, who we should contact to market, and how to design the site and flyer layouts. At the time of writing this abstract, we have not started to review submissions or collectively agreed what makes a decent and impactful submission. We expect that we will learn as a group what our expectations are for published material via the process of review; how to review, and how to coordinate with selected authors on their submissions. Although we are in the initial stages of the internship, we have a practical understanding of how to operate and plan a literary journal at an operational level.

Mel and I: Art, Self-Conception, and Growing Up a Twin
Presenter: Lauren J. Keough
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Olmstead
School: Fitchburg State University
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Concourse [B2]

In this project I hope to convey my subjective experience growing up as a fraternal twin. Initial research into the effects of growing up as a twin revealed a distinct lack of material exploring the impact of twinhood on twins. There is an abundance of research using twins, largely identical twins, as subjects to explore a variety of biological and behavioral topics. There is much less research, creative or otherwise, that details information relevant to the experience of twinhood itself, particularly as it pertains to the formation of self. This thesis endeavors to translate my subjective experience of being a fraternal twin into an artistic project which can provide some insight into the realities of twinhood, in particular how it impacts self-conception. 

This project was created by first capturing photographic compositions meant to reflect the love and indescribable bond I share with my twin. These compositions were then used as references for drawings made with charcoal and paper. Charcoal is a humble yet powerful medium that creates a depth of value which mirrors the depth of connection I experience as a fraternal twin. Each mark on the paper builds upon the last, just as each moment spent together as twins builds upon a shared personal history. I found the experience of developing a drawing technique harkens to the developmental nature of the relationship between twins. My goal with these drawings is to capture the quiet vulnerability and exuberance that underlies the innate connection between my twin Mel and I.
Western Canvas, Japanese Palette: Depictions of Empress Shōken in Western Clothing in Meiji-Era Woodblock Prints
Presenter: Anne Kathryn Boyd
Faculty Sponsor: Denise G. O'Malley
School: Bunker Hill Community College
Research Area: Art & Design
Location: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Concourse [B3]

Japanese woodblock prints are famous worldwide, functioning as both art and mass media. During the political, social, and economic upheaval of the Meiji era, woodblock prints documented not only the changing aesthetics of the time but also shaped public narratives and perception. Western clothing was promoted by the Japanese elite as part of an effort to position Japan on equal footing with Western nations. Partially celebrity gossip, partially propaganda, woodblock prints of the royal family in Western dress were widely disseminated, and the aesthetic choices within those prints are illustrative of larger cultural forces at the time.

In evaluating art of the Meiji period, studying these prints is an important aspect of decentralizing the Western perspective, focusing on media created by and for Japanese citizens for insight into how these cultural shifts were promoted. For this project, I analyzed a selection of Meiji-era prints featuring illustrations of Empress Shōken, focusing on iconography and historical context. I also researched the history of fashion and Westernization, consulting primary and secondary sources. The visual language of these prints showcases the tension between perceived Western modernity and traditional Japanese identity. Western items, such as a trestle bridge or a French-style gown, are juxtaposed with aesthetics grounded in Japanese fashion and artistic tradition. Whether it is chrysanthemums decorating the Empress’s gown, a reorientation to centrally position Mount Fuji, or a symbolic ikebana display, these prints contextualize Japan’s Westernization as a deliberate step towards modernity while reassuring the viewer of the stability of Japanese cultural identity. 

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