the mobile application also contained the AR
capability. From our research on effective AR
applications, we came to the conclusion that
simple graphics and well-planned activities
were the most engaging. As such, the AR
within our application only does two things.
Firstly, when the user is in AR mode and points
their phone’s camera at the Heights sign, it
will display the original Helen’s sign, whether
it is day or night. Secondly, when one is in the
Heights area with the AR mode activated, text
bubbles will appear on top of the shops. When
the user clicks on a text bubble, a short sound
clip of a Heights citizen interview will play.

FINDINGS /

This project has given me a better
understanding of the importance of meaning
when creating a design. A single story can be
interpreted differently every time it is told,
depending on the narrator and the audience.
After doing our research and interacting with
the community surrounding the Heights sign,
I can fully appreciate Julka Almquist’s and Juila
Lupton’s contention that “while use is most
frequently the manifest function of an artifact,
meaning can also fill this role.” The sole
function of this swinging neon girl is to be the
symbol of an affable and caring community. A
particular strength of our group’s proposal was
including a macro consideration of the entire
mobile application exhibition as well as the
micro consideration of our assigned neon sign.
Because we included the platform of the main
application, containing links to the individual
signs and their histories, an individual using
our mobile application for the first time

would be able to understand the context of

the interactive exhibition. Furthermore, for
the narrative of the Heights sign, we closely
considered the ease of transition between

the individual story told about the sign and
the collective narrative told by the citizens of
the Heights. The two parts of our application,
which are entirely distinct in their appearance,
share an intuitive and consistent user interface.

IMAGE 3 / The Heights sign at the original location on the
boarder of Vancouver and Burnaby. It is the only kinetic
sign left in Vancouver

CONCLUSION /

This project showed me my limitations as

a designer and also the effectiveness of a
well-organized and diverse design team. As
Robert Harland states in his article “The
Dimensions of Graphic Design and Its Spheres
of Influence,” “design is a portmanteau term:
it covers a number of interlaced activities that
do not fall into distinct categories.” In the
future, I will strive to extend my knowledge on
any and all activities relating to design. I was
fortunate enough to have group members with
varying skill sets and I feel we all learned and
grew stronger as designers during our time
collaborating. We worked very hard on creating
a visual language that was easily accessible to
our audience. I believe that our project’s focus
was on the right scale to engage our target
audience. Additionally, its visual language can
become the starting point for conversation
and new ideas, a concept recommended by
Ann Thorpe. This project also helped cement
for me the importance of looking back at the
past to understand and design for the present
and future. As Harland asserts, “mapping

the future of the profession will be difficult
without looking back at our history to get a
better idea of where we are going.” Designers
have been generally thought of as producers of
pleasing appearances. Kazmierczak, however,
suggests that a designer really “create[s]
relationships among singular symbols.”

These relationships are the means we use

to communicate data. This concept is what I
believe to be the heart of any design.

REFERENCES

Almquist, Jullka and
Julia Lupton. “Affording
Meaning: Design-
Oriented Research from
the Humanities and
Social Sciences.” Design
Issues 26.1 (2010): 3-14.

Forlizzi, Jodi and

Cherie Lebbon. “From
Formalism to Social
Significance in
Communication Design.”
Design Issues 18.4 (2002):

3-13.

Harland, Robert. “The
Dimensions of Graphic
Design and Its Spheres
of Influence.” Design
Issues 27.1 (2011): 21-34.

Kazmierczak, Elzbieta.
“Design as Meaning
Making: From Making
Things to the Design of
Thinking.” Design Issues

19.2 (2003): 45-59.

Ranjan, M.P. “Hand-
Head-Heart: Ethics in
Design.” The Trellis Issue
2.5 (2010): 17-28

Thorpe, Ann. “Design’s
Role in Sustainable

Consumption.” Design
Issues 26.2 (2010): 3-17.