The D-Crit Class of 2023 Graduate Thesis Symposium

Join us to celebrate the launch of How to Nail a Hammer with the graduating Class of 2023 on Tuesday May 16, 2023 beginning at 5:30 PM EST at the SVA Theatre. Together we will pull back the curtain on their research and writing process, and celebrate the launch of their publication How to Nail a Hammer. The evening’s festivities will include short thesis presentations and, a “how-to” panel discussion exploring the publication process featuring The New York Review of Architecture editor and publisher Nicolas Kemper and :Untapped founding editor Tiffany Jow, followed by a reception and book launch.

The evening’s featured presentations:

• How to sell youth culture with Ian Beckman Reagan, explores the history of branding the American teenager
• How to justify an empire with Esty Bagos, considers how Filipino identity has been constructed through cultural exhibitions
• How to design womanhood with Jessie Sun, examines how media narratives shape public views on women in China
• How to dehumanize parenthood with Emily Kwok, considers the past, present, and future of the baby monitor
• How to draw conclusions with Lucas Albrecht, imagines the transformative potential of comics
• How to reimagine city-life with Evelyn Meynard, calls for drastic action in the face of climate change
• How to stay cool with Auston Gonzalez reflects on the state of luxury retail as cultural hub

How to Nail a Hammer also includes these faculty/advisor contributions:

• “How to Do Something New,” by Anne Elizabeth Moore
• “How to Finish a First Draft,” by Marianela D’Aprile
• “How to Miss a Deadline,” by Eric Schwartau
• “How to Stay Sane When Everyone Around You is Insane,” by Steven Heller
• “How to Ask an Authentic Interview Question,” by Adam Harrison Levy
• “How to Write for the Ear,” by Leital Molad
• “How to Be a Tourist in Your Own City,” by Karrie Jacobs
• “How to Spark Joy,” by Brooke Viegut
• “How to Harvest a Honeysuckle,” by Molly Heintz
• “How to Linger at a French Cafe in Brookyln,” by Pierre Alexandre de Looz
• “How to Not Finish a Cathedral,” by Nicolas Kemper
• “How to Badly Experience a Building (A Non-Exhaustive List),” by Nicholas Raap

About How to Nail a Hammer:

Nailing a hammer can feel like an impossible task. But the beauty of the challenge lies in the opportunity to get creative: Take a tool and use it the “wrong” way. Question everything. Embrace the unexpected. Break sh*t. Fix it — but leave the cracks. Discover your process.

There are countless ways to research design. What matters most is finding what works for you. In this manual, we’ve collected all sorts of how-to’s. Through sharing our experience of learning to write and writing to learn, we hope you’ll not only enjoy our wide-ranging topics, but also gain valuable tools for thinking and writing about design.

In sharing the tools that helped each of us discover our own unique approach to design writing, our aim is to make the creative process of research disarmingly practical. So grab your nail and hammer, and let’s get started.

– Design Research, Writing and Criticism Class of 2023

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To learn more about our students, faculty, and contributors, visit designresearch.sva.edu.

How to Nail a Hammer will be livestreamed, and contain live captioning and ramp access for those who need it.

Accessibility Notice: SVA wants to ensure persons with disabilities have access to this event. If you are a person with a disability who requires additional accommodations to access or participate in this event, please reach out to us at [email protected] or SVA Disability Resources [email protected] at least 7 business days prior to the event.

Learn more at https://designresearch.sva.edu/home/events/the-d-crit-class-of-2023-graduate-thesis-symposium.