During this academic year, I have mainly focused on self-directed projects as part of my coursework. These projects include explorations into Java coding, the creation of a tool utilizing ASCII software, and a complete rebranding for refuweegee, a local Glasgow charity. The focal point of my efforts has been ‘Hidden in plain sight’ a typographic examination of how men express their emotions – what men say contrasted to how they might feel. I was drawn to the typographic possibilities of steganographic strategies – the graphic and communicative tricks of saying two opposite things at the same time.

For the Design History and Theory component part of my degree, I documented and reflected on the ‘Hidden in plain sight’ project. The critical journal analysed my work relating to the growing issue of male depression and explored the suppression of emotions within Scottish culture. Through my creative thinking, this allowed me to consider the vulnerability of the subject matter, comparing my input to other people. It was this critique that shaped my work to follow, leading to a focus on highlighting the struggles that men face.