Trends get a bad-rap in the design world. Too often we look down our noses at what is of the moment without taking time to appreciate that trends have an uncanny ability to show us the ethos of the present time. I doubt anyone could argue that our present time is typical, calm, or generally peaceful which is why nothing seems more appropriately trendy than the concept of empathy. Recently it would seem that designers have been inundated with calls for a design that encourages empathetic responses in users and audience, calls for design thinking practices that encourage empathy in the design process. The ethos is of the present seems to be defined by an understanding that we have become estranged from a vital aspect of a healthy society, empathy.

 That being said, empathy is not easy. Empathy is a tricky concept, it is tricky to discuss and understand let alone convey visually. That is exactly what 15 young designers and their mentors did at the 2017 Elevate Poster show. Earlier in the summer young designers from schools across Metro Denver as well as Colorado Springs were paired up with professional designers and educators and together the mentors and mentees took on the challenge of designing a poster that conveyed an aspect or understanding of empathy. Students were given the option of digitally printing their posters but were also encouraged to screen print their posters at Nicky and Stu Alden’s Ink Lounge Screen Printing Studio, where the initial kickoff meeting for the event was held.

The finished posters were shown on July 21st at The VSA Colorado / Access Gallery + Studio at 909 Santa Fe Drive. The posters showed the range and complexity of empathy in their different approaches, from simple and elegant typographic statements to the deeply personal and expressive illustration, every poster captured empathy in a successful manner. However, one mentor/mentee pairing took the experience to another level. Adrienne Johnson along with mentor Stu Alden made the experience a practice in empathetic design. They facilitated an event with Access Gallery students where the students drew portraits of each other. Adrienne and Stu took the finished portraits and arranged them into three separate poster compositions. They screen printed the finished compositions and donated the finished posters to Access Gallery.

You can see some of the posters from the show, including those printed by Adrienne Johnson and Stu Alden for Access Gallery, below. Posters from this show are available for purchase for $20.00 contact Miranda Ziegler at miranda.ziegler@aigacolorado.org to purchase a poster.

Access Gallery Green

Natasha Rogers: Empathy Begins with A Conversation

Miranda Ziegler: Finding Our Balance

Mike Campbell: Empathy

Leticia Dominquez: Empathy

Leesa Salazar: Empathy Bloom Turq 2

Leesa Salazar: Empathy Bloom Turq 1

Leesa Salazar: Empathy Bloom Pink1

Lauren Hostetler: I Feel You

Leesa Salazar: Empathy Bloom Black

Lauren Hostetler: Empathy is the NewBacon

Kristen Harris: Together We Can

Carrie Carrigan: Unapologetic

Allison Rocha: Steadfast

Allison Rocha: Fig1614 Through the Heart

Access Gallery Red

Andrea Thurber: Bacteria

Breanna Sieck: Empathy

Hannah Anderson: Journey

James Love: The Empathetic Ones2

Hannah Anderson: Journey Detail

Stu Alden: Octopus

Access Gallery Blue

Sarah Smalley: Take Your Time