For INFO 352: Race, Gender, and Information, my group created Third Space, a zine that explores the intersection of being queer and Asian - two identities I personally hold and have often struggled to navigate within the same space. Throughout the course, we examined how identity shapes access to information and safe spaces, and I wanted our final project to move beyond theory and reflect a lived experience that is frequently overlooked and left unspoken. 

I helped direct much of the zine, coming up with the idea and the definition, and designing and illustrating the first four pages. I was especially interested in how design could communicate emotion. We used color and composition to express feelings of fragmentation, cognitive dissonance, love, and joy, among others. In addition to the visual work, I wrote the first three articles in the zine. One of these pieces used ChatGPT’s ridiculous insights about being queer and Asian as a metaphor for how difficult it can be to search for a “third space”: a place beyond rigid categories, where queer Asian individuals can exist without having to compartmentalize. The title Third Space emerged from this idea of longing for community and representation that does not force people into binaries. As we developed the zine, I found myself reflecting on how rarely spaces exist that allow for complexity without explanation. Creating this project became an act of both critique and care: questioning systems that erase intersectional identities while also offering something affirming and human in return.

To tie back to my learning statement, working on Third Space helped me practice being creative, not just as self-expression, but as a way to make an impact. Blending personal storytelling with design and cultural analysis showed me how information doesn’t have to be presented in a certain way. Seeing how others connected with the zine was a really incredible example of the power of creative work to give voice to experiences that are often sidelined, and it furthered my interest in using design as a tool for storytelling and community-building.

Below are the two full pages I created: