Art Education Thesis Website


In 2021, I was asked to design a website to showcase thesis work from Boston University’s BFA and MA Art Education program. Below I detail the design process behind the visual theme of the site and detail the site’s organization and features.

Preview of the 2021 BFA/MA Art Education Thesis website.

Check out the website at: 2021mathesis.show

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston University, like many colleges, was forced to move much of it’s programming online. This included the documentation of work done by BFA and MA students in the College of Fine Arts Art Education Program. In March 2021, I was asked to design a thesis exhibition website for the Art Education students to display their work as a part of their theses for the program. Many of the Art Education students completed their one year program in the midst of the pandemic. Their journey was unconventional, many of them had placements that were entirely remote, and some had the added challenge of returning to the classroom during the pandemic. I wanted this website to not be only a representation of the conditions the BFA and MA students were confined to, but also a tribute to how each of them, in their own way, brought a unique and valuable experience to their students.

The website is based off of the virtual space many of us have been confined to in the last year. The homepage is a direct replica of this virtual space and is a nod to the monotonous landscape the students have been exposed to from the dark colors to the humanist sans-serif type. I wanted to capture that black void of negative space we’re all so used to seeing, increased even more when folks turn off their cameras. However, the page also shows the constant engagement and encouragement from these educators to their students, even with the challenge of not sharing physical space together. The user can navigate to the students' pages by either clicking on their image, viewing the list of participants, or simply by scrolling down.

As the user transitions into the student pages, they’ll notice that some aspects stay the same, the 3x3 grid, the 16:9 aspect ratio, but the atmosphere shifts dramatically with different bright and bold primary colors to represent each student. The grids are interactive and house individual galleries that showcase the work of their K–12 classes. Each student’s page provides a comprehensive look into their teaching practices; with links to their teaching philosophies, as well as additional galleries that highlight lessons they gave, and show images of them in the classroom once they could return in person.

Social media graphic for the website launch.
Social media graphic for the website launch.


© Julian Parikh 2022