“the spaces between”
(2021 KCAI Exhibition)

-Drake Rorabaugh, Fiona Dougan (Her Portfolio)
Website/Photography/Teasers/Social Posts
Supplemental Materials
-KCAI Class of 2021

As a member of the 2021 KCAI graphic design class, our senior exhibition presented a unique opportunity for growth as we ventured into the virtual realm. Over weeks of collective brainstorming, we refined our concept and settled on the evocative title "the spaces between," intentionally stylized in lowercase. This title encapsulated the creative synergy and connections that defined our class and our collective design journey.

Drawing inspiration from renowned designers' copywriting practices, we crafted engaging and concise content to effectively convey our message. We divided the exhibition responsibilities among class members, assigning Fiona Dougan and me several vital tasks. Our roles included planning, designing, building, and managing the main website, ensuring seamless interactivity and a visually stunning experience. Additionally, I took the initiative to record and edit video teasers for social media and handle class photography for promotional and documentation purposes.

This ambitious project, the largest I've ever tackled, required commitment, attention to detail, and a keen understanding of design principles. The countless late nights, meticulous spreadsheets, extended Zoom calls, and persistence from me and my classmates materialized into a virtual exhibition. Despite the challenges, the experience of showcasing our designs to a broader audience as a cohesive class was immensely gratifying and unforgettable.

01 Beginning Concepting Process

When we first began concepting for the senior show, we knew that this year would look different than years past. Though the show would have to be virtual due to the pandemic, we still wanted to begin our process by thinking of the show as a physical gallery space, but move beyond the exact recreation. We thought, “What would a gallery be like with no walls, ceiling, or floor?” This led to our first navigation concept, utilizing no-clip movement and ︎"windows" that referenced individual designers or projects. We used Mozilla Hubs to communicate this idea to the rest of the class.

Some questions we still had to address were: 

• How would the user navigate through different pages on the site? 
• Would this type of movement work on mobile? 
• Would this be too confusing for users? 

Although this windows idea was eventually abandoned, it was the start of one of the concepts that became the backbone of the spaces between: the void.