Communication Design School of Design
Abigail Canavan
My practice centres on visual storytelling and the exploration of social issues through a consistent narrative lens. My projects this year have explored the connections between design, identity, and overlooked histories, focusing on how storytelling can challenge conventional perspectives and amplify underrepresented voices. Storytelling is at the heart of everything I do, each project offering an invitation to look closer, ask questions, and engage with the world in a more empathetic and thoughtful way.
My work balances structure and spontaneity, using techniques such as intricate crosshatching and expressive watercolour to create a distinctive style that feels both intentional and intuitive. Across my practice, I use bold, hand-rendered imagery to shed light on stories that are often ignored or forgotten, combining detailed illustration with in-depth research and concept-led thinking. Whether developing a children’s book celebrating hidden historical figures or producing screenprints that respond to exclusionary public spaces, I aim to communicate ideas with emotional depth and strong visual impact.
Designing Out – Extending design project
This project explores the theme of discriminatory design, focusing on three key areas: hostile architecture, the experiences of women in public transport, and modern racial segregation. The idea behind the work is to expose how seemingly “neutral” design decisions in public spaces can perpetuate exclusion, fear, and inequality. The original research and sketches developed from my extended essay, drawing from real-world examples and social critique to develop strong visual metaphors for each issue. These concepts were refined into high-contrast designs suitable for screen printing, balancing clarity with emotional impact. The final outcome is a set of three bold, graphic screenprints that confront the viewer with the often-invisible ways design can discriminate, inviting reflection on who public spaces are really built for, and who they ‘design out’.
Drifting Clouds
We were briefed to design a poster for an allocated film, with 3 layers and limited colour. I was given Drifting Clouds by Aki Kaurasmaki, a 1996 Finnish film about the recession in Helsinki. It required taking elements from the film to incorporate into the poster, focusing on layout, theme and including the screening info. I took inspiration from Finnish newspaper layouts and stencil art.
Women Hidden in History
This children’s picture book was developed over seven months, with each illustration entirely hand-drawn and painted using crosshatching and watercolour. The project began with extensive research into untold stories of women throughout history; figures whose contributions were often ignored, stolen, or forgotten. From there, the narrative took shape as a classroom setting, allowing each child to share one of these overlooked women in a playful and accessible way. The illustration process was highly detailed and time-intensive. Each spread was first created in pen using crosshatching to build depth and texture, followed by layers of expressive watercolour applied loosely to keep the tone vibrant and childlike. The contrast between the intricate linework and the unpredictable nature of the paint brought energy and warmth to every page. This project combines visual storytelling with a socially conscious message, inviting young readers to explore big ideas like fairness, credit, and recognition, through humour, character, and colour.
