Kelsey Hinesley - We are all different

This is ASU Library's 2018 holiday card. Each year focuses on a different theme that invokes a sense of hope and excitement for the upcoming year. That year, in order to commemorate the work Stephen Hawking had done for various communities and to highlight ASU Library's commitment to providing a space for all to learn in, we went with space and inclusion as our theme.

As Hawking's work often dealt with time and space, we drew from many different inspirations and references in the overall design of the card. First, the folding of the card was inspired by medieval accordion-fold codices while laser-cut designs on each panel was inspired by the library's (then) upcoming remodel. In this, we felt that we were paying tribute to the past while looking forward to what the future can bring.

Such is the way of libraries.

Next, the inspiration to designs for each panel were taken from the Milky Way Galaxy (first panel from left), a cross design between an exploding star and Dictyostelium (slime mold) cells (second panel), aggregating cells causing fractal patterns (third panel) and the placement of the dots that are found in each of the panels but only become prominent on the final panel. The white dots found between the third and final pattern reference how we see the Milky Way spirals from Earth.

I researched patterns found in space which led to Turing’s work on patterns found in nature. Further research revealed the spiral prominent in the Milky Way Galaxy was also prominent in several of the patterns directly referenced to Turing’s research and the design followed those references to tie together space and nature. Interestingly, the fractal patterns can also be alluded to Stephen Hawking's final theory about our universe.

Layered laser-cut shapes, highlighted with copper foil (an homage to the state of Arizona), and accented with white foil, are intended to show how collaboration creates new shapes that both respect and honor the original shape but also contribute to the synergistic shape.

This card is meant to be an experience: different aspects are revealed depending on how the card is viewed/displayed. Can be viewed collapsed, in various iterations, or expanded as a whole, and shown from either side. Meanwhile, light also plays a role in how the card is perceived as it reflects and highlights due to the foiling.