HANNAH LORD
BFA GDD MAJOR
As a designer shaped by international experiences, Hannah's work is intertwined with global perspectives, education, and storytelling. Having studied and interned in multiple countries, she approaches design as a tool to address global issues, challenge cultural perceptions, and advocate for social change. Her work is concept-driven, incorporating discursive design and visual research to foster meaningful discussions and reshape perspectives.
Now take a look at my work
Behind the Screens
Co-Art Director
2024–2025
DesCan
Jim Rimmer Scholarship
Winner, 2024
University of the Fraser Valley
Dean's Medal in Humanities
2025
GDD Student Association
President, Founder
2024–2025
University of the Fraser Valley
Research Excellence Award
2025
University of the Fraser Valley
Dean's List
2022–2024
TORN
Torn is a series of three books that uses discursive design to explore Maasai culture, history, and social challenges. It initiates a conversation around ending harmful practices toward women and girls while advocating for cultural preservation through education and community-led change. Each book focuses on one issue—female genital mutilation, child marriage, or limited access to education—combining visual research, material contrast, and discursive design to encourage meaningful conversations and deepen understanding.
Each book becomes less tightly bound, symbolizing a Maasai child progressing through harmful practices. Participants illustrated what they imagine the pain of FGM feels like; these drawings were layered on vellum to form a visual void. Research is illustrated through infographics, often paired with hand-drawn type to add a human quality. The final book, printed on red paper, explores child marriage through punched-out text, a haunting poem, and a bow-tied binding referencing girls exchanged as “gifts.”
WOVEN IN COLOUR
Woven in Colour explores how language shapes our perception of colour through the lens of linguistic relativity. Structured around Berlin and Kay’s stages of colour term development, this editorial project introduces languages with increasing amount of colour terms, expanding from black and white to a full spectrum. Designed to promote language preservation, the book invites readers to “colour their world” by learning how different languages see and describe colour.
This research-led project uses paper weaving as an interactive method to reflect how language is intertwined with culture. Each chapter introduces a new language with more colour terms, paired with cultural context and a weaving pattern inspired by that culture. A companion book includes instructions and pre-cut, perforated strips. The French fold hides a monochromatic version of each pattern. A hand paperwoven cover and woven-inspired visual language mimic the project'c content.
AXIS
Axis is a conceptual nonprofit that began as a way to amplify the voices of young adults in Mathare, Nairobi—an area often reduced to negative media narratives—and evolved into a broader platform supporting marginalized communities through storytelling and creative expression. Developed through cultural probes and participatory research, zine kits were chosen as a way for participants to share where they come from and challenge stigma. Completed zines are digitized and showcased on an immersive, interactive website.
