10 May DERT’s Annual Design for Literacy Critique Event
This year, DERT has again partnered with Parsons School of Design and the Design for Literacy class. The 16-week class engages graphic design students to reimagine classic stories from literature into newly designed books and book products for the 21st century. The class is created and held by Marcos Chavez, co-founder of DERT and Parsons Faculty member, who helps the student develop marketable book product that can be sold on DERT´s website, with proceeds being donated the Parent-Child Home Program.
The class ended with the annual Final Critique event, as the students got to present their work. The critique was held at the offices of TODA, a design agency that DERT has partnered up with in the strategy, creative direction and branding of the social venture. The students got their books and book products judged by among other design professionals from TODA, members of the Parent-Child Home Program as well as parts of the actual target audience consisting of moms and elementary school kids. Check out the results and books created with pictures from the event.
Amanda Zaldivar showing the story behind her books to members from the Parent-Child Home Program.
Elementary school children are among the target audience and got to judge the books as well.
Chloe Soyoun Kim presents her book, The Shepherd Boy, to TODA-employee Amina Korlat.
The class consisting of 15 students produced a total of 30 books throughout the Spring Semester of 2018.
The Final Critique Event was held at TODA New York’s offices in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
Demi Straulino reimagined Sleeping Beauty for a modern audience and did her own interpretation of the classic tale. She also redesigned Borrowing a Match, a prose by Stephen Leacock.
Student Gabrielle Cantamessa reads Edgar Allen Poe’s classic The Tell-Tale Heart out loud to the judges.
Marcos Chavez (middle) is the creator of the class, and together with Ernesto Chavez (right) the co-founder of DERT. Here seen with judges from the final critique.