Photography student Kiana Bates wanted to bring her Japanese heritage to life.

What online store sells a selection ranging from card games to oil paintings to futuristic lamps? Run by BYU students, the Curio Pop-Up Shop sells students’ personally designed handmade products. Each year it is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and for everyone (designers and non-designers alike) to buy items which are both memorable and functional. Even at the end of this year’s Curio, students can begin planning and designing products to sell in the next year.

Seth Christensen, a young professor of Design starting his first semester teaching at BYU is “driven by the hope of contributing to the creation of meaningful solutions that meet the needs of individuals and communities.” In both his profession as a designer of User Experience and as a professor of young designers, Christensen focuses on connecting individuals with quality designs and ways of thinking.

Kelsey Schwartz, a senior in the Photo- and Lens- Based Design program, has the goal “to be able to raise a family, while feeling fulfilled in a creative career.” In such a busy, noisy world, this goal might seem daunting. But in her internship working for a successful freelance photographer, Kelsey learned how this could be possible for her, as well as many valuable skills.

Defining the concept of photography might seem straightforward, but what about when it comes to cinematography, scriptwriting, or directing? In an adapting world and industry, the program formerly known as photography has adopted the name Photo- and Lens- Based Design to encompass other fields of art using lenses.

“People often refer to the results [of tintype photography] as somehow capturing the person’s ‘soul’ or something about the person that seems to come from within,” says BYU professor Paul Adams. “There are certain visual qualities that work well in a tintype portrait. Because the camera records light that we don’t actually see, the resulting image is an interpretation of the person we are unable see with our physical eyes.”

The hit band The Killers were struck with Covid’s lethargic yet unsatisfying quarantine vibe just like anyone else. During the beginning of the pandemic, they worked on their new album “Pressure Machine.” Unlike their usual repertoire of music, this album is more subdued, calm, and reflective. “This silence of quarantine brought songs that weren’t your typical Killers songs,” lead singer Brandon Flowers said on Good Morning America.

A memoir detailing the story of a Korean woman running a restaurant and smuggling opium while surviving the Japanese Occupation and Korean War deserves a quality cover. Recent BYU Illustration graduate Maria Kim created art for exactly this, and the Department of Design aren’t the only ones who noticed. Her art was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Association of Illustrators Awards.

From jars of granola to one of the biggest florists in New York City, Amber Asay’s fresh and classy designs have made products beautiful and compelling. Her passions for life, family, travel, and food give her perspective and insight.