Abstract
Synesthesia, meaning “to perceive together,” is a neurological condition where a person experiences involuntary connections between various unrelated senses. Commonly, people with synesthesia may experience a sensation of being able to “taste a word,” “see a sound,” or even feel the spatial position of memory in their head.
Vibrant Sounds and Loud Colors: My Experience With Synesthesia is a book that I have created to visually express the impact synesthesia has had on my relationship with color, and how these connections influence things like my self-expression, emotions and memories. The book references my own synesthesia and features my connections with six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
This book’s purpose is to explain synesthesia visually to non-synesthetes, because very little research on synesthesia has been done, and so few people are aware of it.
With an organic, easygoing flow, each color has three dedicated spreads working as mood boards to display things like lists of songs and words, textures, fonts, pictures, sketches, and even VR renderings associated with that color. Through this content, a more significant mood, theme, or reference relating to each color will be visually represented. Each spread should feel like its own contained poster.
Dimensions- A5 size book (6” x 9”), ~4mm thick
Materials- white A5 Paper, heavy paper for cover, PVA glue for binding
Printing- PNCA Lab
Artist Statement
My name is Camryn Kaufman and I am a graphic design major. I create work that combines my interests- music, color theory, typography and illustration. I like to research, sketch, and ideate emotional and imaginative branding concepts, and as a person with synesthesia, I enjoy projects with expressive themes, so I can create intricate and emotive designs, inspired by my background in music. The medium I primarily create in is digital, working with programs like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop over the past five years. More recently, I have been exploring 3D modeling and sculpting in VR. I think the most important things to remember when designing are to do proper research, and have efficient organization. Outside of design, I enjoy fashion, camping, winter sports, and consuming reality tv.