Project Background:
The primary goal of this project was to pose a thought-provoking question that would invite a wide range of responses based on both the individual and their location. I was interested in how people chose to answer, how those answers differed from place to place, and whether any patterns or trends emerged within or across locations.

Research & Direction:
For this project, I selected two contrasting locations in Knoxville, Tennessee: a Goodwill store in Oakwood to represent a lower-income area and Sequoyah Hills Park to represent a higher-income neighborhood. These sites were chosen to explore how environment and socioeconomic context might influence responses. I ultimately asked the question, “What is a current fear?” because everyone lives with fears in their everyday lives, some shared, some deeply personal, and others completely different. I originally considered asking, “What is your biggest fear?” but realized that question might feel more overwhelming and harder for people to answer quickly in a public setting.

Results:
I placed a sign with a cup of markers at each location and left it for several days until the board filled with responses. After collecting the submissions, I scanned each board to document the answers, then compared and categorized them into themes such as career-related fears or the loss of a loved one, along with other compelling insights. For the final outcome, I designed a poster that explains the concept of the project, visualizes the results through infographics, and incorporates the original handwritten responses throughout the design. The signs themselves were intentionally simple and minimal to keep the focus on the written responses, with red text used to draw attention and stand out against the black marker entries.

Information Design, Field Research