Students will launch the project by experimenting with hand contour drawing, symbol-making, and message clarity, then build foundational understanding of respectful sign language representation through direct interaction with a community partner. They will leave the phase with initial evidence about what communicates clearly, a draft personal message direction, and documented peer and community feedback to carry into research and planning.

Students will gather direct user evidence about how handshapes and symbols communicate meaning, organize that evidence into empathy-based planning tools, and draft a first design brief that will guide later sketching and revision.

Students will turn research insights into design directions, generate multiple low-fidelity hand contour concepts, test those ideas with peers and a community partner, and document feedback-driven revisions before moving into final refinement.

Students will refine one hand contour concept into a mounted final drawing, validate clarity and accuracy with peers and a community partner, revise using specific evidence, and present how user feedback shaped their artistic decisions and communication choices.

Students will present their mounted hand contour drawings and artist statements to an authentic audience, listen and respond to visitor interpretations with empathy, collect evidence of how clearly their work communicates, and complete a timed final reflection that identifies growth, clarity choices, and next steps.