Lilyana Bryan

Visual Communication Design, 2024

Throughout my life as an artist and designer, I’ve heard sentiments from others about the intimidation they feel when creating art. Fear of failure and judgement creeps into our minds as we age, and the outlandish artistic expression we had as children withers away. How might we reconnect with that creativity as adults? 

Playground is a drawing kit that invites small groups to craft an imaginary neighborhood using visual expression. Functioning as a relationship building and reflection exercise, Playground has participants use art as a tool for communication the same way we use writing or speaking. The kit guides participants through the creation of a neighborhood map that is a culmination of their experiences, desires, and hopes. At the beginning of each round, everyone picks an inspiration bubble that tells them what type of place to draw. Participants share the space on a large page as they respond to each prompt. As drawings of various made-up places accumulate on the page, the neighborhood is formed. The resulting neighborhood grows based on how each person interprets their inspiration bubbles. After every round, they discuss their responses to each prompt with the goal of learning more about themselves and each other.

Lilyana Bryan is a communication designer interested in working across design disciplines to empower communities. Originally from Cincinnati, she crafts brand identities, print products, and digital user experiences guided by intention and empathy. She believes attention to beauty and craft should be infused into all that we interact with.

Check out more of Lilyana’s work at https://lilyanabryan.com