Students will launch the Art & Identity project by analyzing Lorna Simpson’s collage work and gathering empathy data from authentic users about how art communicates cultural identity. They will conduct structured interviews, create empathy maps, and reflect in journals to ground their upcoming designs in real audience perspectives.

Students will synthesize empathy research from Phase 1 into a clear problem statement that defines how their collage and zentangle artwork can communicate cultural identity and social messages to a real audience. They will analyze themes from Lorna Simpson’s work, create empathy maps, identify audience needs, and craft a focused design brief to guide ideation.

Students will generate multiple creative concepts for their Lorna Simpson–inspired zentangle collage by brainstorming, sketching, and refining ideas grounded in user empathy and cultural storytelling. Through structured ideation, peer critique, and quick concept prototypes, they will move from divergent thinking to selecting a strong, user-centered direction for their final collage and narrative.

Students will create and refine a testable prototype of their 11x14 Art & Identity collage by applying zentangle craftsmanship, composing intentional layouts, gathering peer and user feedback, and revising their work before final testing and presentation.

Students will present their finalized Art & Identity collages and multimedia narratives to authentic audiences, gather real user feedback, and demonstrate mastery through a formal exhibition, artist statement submission, and documented reflection on iteration and growth.