Rheagen King, Class of 2019

THE PROJECT

EROSE

Erose is a safe space platform and brand helping young femmes and womxn navigate dating culture and modern romance through storytelling. Storytelling is a powerful healing tool for myself, and it’s one I wish to use in hope that others will be able to find their voice in their own stories.

Erose was a finalist in MICA’s UP/Start competition, and a vessel for me to share my romance and dating experiences. It also sparks conversations around issues related to modern romance and dating culture to help better understand its lack of clarity and links to sexual assault. The design process of Erose involved paper making, screenprinting, branding, social media, and conceptual web development.

RHEAGEN'S ADVICE

+ Thesis is the perfect opportunity to make work you care about! Listen to your intuition, it never fails you. What are you being called to make in this very moment?

+ I don’t believe in hard work. In my experience, long hours don’t equal hard work they just equal long hours. Don’t work hard. Work smart.

+ How can your project translate into other areas of school or interests? My most successful projects realize themselves in my design classes but also find their way into the work I do in my academics, extracurriculars, and MICA events.

+ Asking for feedback is great, but I find too much feedback dilutes my purpose. Ask specific questions when you need it. Try looking for perspective in and out of the department. Some of the best advice I got was from users of my brand, not designers.

+ In regards to the 2nd tip: working smart is working on purpose. Set intentions for your project. Take advantage of your procrastination (assign shorter deadlines). Take action when an impulse comes. Intuition isn’t linear or logical–– sometimes you might have to fall through so something else falls in place.