Tag: Collaborate

A Bad Match

Description:

This poster references Tinder by using the word “match,” a flame symbol similar to the Tinder logo, and a pink/orange gradient similar to the Tinder colors.

Objective:

The objective is to get students to question the role of patents in the pandemic and to ask their university to sign the Open COVID Pledge.

About this project
Creators:
  • Navya Dasari

June, 2020

Image/graphic

United States, Phoenix

1728 x 2304 pixels

Creative Commons BY-NC

Download Original/High-Resolution File: PatentsandPandemicsRevised.png

What worked?

People familiar with Tinder were immediately able to get the reference and found it amusing! Hopefully, this means it can effectively catch students’ eyes on a university campus.

Other Notes:

Reflections from Navya Dasari

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

I created a draft, modified it using the feedback of other Free The Vaccine participants, and then submitted it for review by Avram Finkelstein. Using Avram’s feedback, I then revised the poster again. I also added a QR code created by Fiona Davey.

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

If I had unlimited resources, I could imagine having giant posters installed all over university campuses. (We could modify the ask as needed, but continue using the concept of patents and public health/pandemics/coronavirus being a “bad match,” and continue using the pink/orange color scheme and flame symbol.)

Interpretive Statement

User Instructions

Print it and post it.

Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

Cartoon – CureVac, Sign the Open COVID Pledge!

Objective:

Get CureVac to sign the Open COVID Pledge

The Project:

The cartoon targets CureVac (a German biotechnology company working on a COVID-19 vaccine) to sign the Open COVID Pledge. It depicts the problem of access to a COVID-19 vaccine and shows ShareVac (in place of CureVac) coming in as a superhero solving the problem of access with the Open COVID Pledge.

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

Make a version for your target.

 

What worked?

The cartoon depicts the problem well and is able to grab the attention of the viewer with its oddness of animations, voiceover and music.

About this project
Creators:
  • Caitlin Berrigan
  • Christina Meyer
  • Daphne Lenz
  • Sina Wahby

June, 2020

Online/web thing, Video

Germany, Berlin

45 seconds

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Link to Original or High-Res file

Other Notes:

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Links:

Reflections from Katharina Wolfenstetter

What were some of the responses to this work?

People love it! Some people were confused at first, but the oddness of the cartoon has the power to draw people in.

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

We would love to work on an English version of both cartoon and website. Additionally we would like to provide the cartoon as a template for other groups and other targets.

“Bridge The Gap” Postcard

Objective:

The goal of the postcard was to get the attention of Pittsburgh researchers (and some administration staff), in order to start a conversation/rally some support for the Open Covid Pledge. We all know how easy it is to ignore emails these days, and we thought the personalized design and hand-written messages would be a better way to get through to our targets.

The Project:

An XL, originally-designed postcard. One side has “Bridge The Gap” along with the Free The Vaccine logo printed at the top. Below there is a typical Pittsburgh bridge and the Cathedral of Learning building. On the bridge walks a researcher holding a syringe (presumably with a COVID vaccine inside). She is giving the vaccine to the public, who is displayed by a series of hands reaching up. The other side also has the FTV logo and says “Pittsburgh: Home of Vaccines for the People!” There is a a short blurb about the Salk legacy and the Open Covid Pledge, and then blank space for a hand-written message!

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Print some and send them. 

Make it specific to your community.

What worked?

Crafting the message on the back of the card was a helpful exercise. By forcing ourselves to condense our message into a short few sentences, we were able to see more clearly exactly why and what we want from our targets.

About this project
Creators:

June, 2020

Image/graphic, Print, Writing

United States, Pittsburgh

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: FTV-postcard-6-20-v2-1.pdf

Other Notes:

Links:

Reflections from Mahima Arya

What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?

Each of the collaborators brought a different set of skills to designing this postcard. Some of us are Pittsburgh locals, and knew how to best capture some of the classic features of the city. Some of us have experience in design, and helped with the graphics of the card. And some of us contributed to the text on the back of the card, to make sure we could quickly and effectively get our message across.

Who doesn’t deserve a vaccine?

Objective:

The objective of this image was just to create a poster that could be used to gain support for the Free the Vaccine campaign.

The Project:

This image is a rectangular poster that has several colorful people in three lines across its length. The people are a very diverse group and depict multiple genders, ethnicities, races, ages, sizes, abilities, religion, and more. In the middle of the people is a blue box with the words “Who Doesn’t Deserve a Vaccine?” in large print. In smaller print is “Let’s give everyone equal access to a life saving COVID-19 vaccine!” In the bottom right corner are the words “#Freethevaccine.”

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Revise the text.

Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

What worked?

We tried pairing other images with the question, “who doesn’t deserve a vaccine,” and this is the one that worked best. Photos got too specific – the cartoon felt like a better fit.

About this project
Creators:
  • Emilie Seibert
  • Laura Holzman

May, 2020

Image/graphic, Online/web thing

United States, Grand Rapids

variable

Public Domain

Other Notes:

This image was created using canva.com, so all art work was pulled from this site.

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Reflections from Emilie Seibert

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

The next steps would be to further refine this image and then use it as a poster to put everywhere (billboards, subways, etc.). So people realize that EVERYONE deserves access to a vaccine.

Will You Accept Our Dream?

Objective:

We mailed this to the office of a UCSD sleep researcher who has received substantial Covid-related funding and is very active on social media, hoping he would amplify our message.

The Project:

A deep blue sleep mask embroidered with the words “Sleeping well… a vaccine is free” sits on red felt inside a wooden box with a sliding lid. The lid is painted with the words “Will you accept our dream?”

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Make a version for your target.

Build a performance around it.

What worked?

We tailored this piece to this specific individual because he is a sleep researcher. It successfully taught us to consider our audience, although he did not respond.

About this project
Creators:

May, 2020

Fabric, Wood

United States, San Diego

3x5x7″

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Other Notes:

Reflections from Zeph Fishlyn

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

Our next steps are continuing to target researchers and making more sleep eye masks. If I had a million dollars, it would be easier to get more (fancier) material to quickly roll out many more masks for the researchers. If I had all the time in the world, I would continue working on making the sleep eye masks non-stop and hope to get a bunch of people on board in helping us create these awesome, soft bundles of self-care!

If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?

Teamwork makes the dream work! Feel free to take your time – homemade masks have an amazing feel to them and make it extremely personal for the researchers. Don’t be afraid to stalk your targets and create the masks specifically for them. Ask yourselves: what makes them unique and how can this mask reflect that? Research your targets and make sure to keep in touch with the targets throughout the process. We want them to be surprised and also for them to know we truly appreciate their work! We want the targets to rock those sleep eye masks and share our dream together.

You Wouldn’t Pay Twice

Objective:

This was a poster created to be used as a way to gain support for the Free the Vaccine campaign from the general public.

The Project:

This image is a red square poster. At the top in a darker red the words say “You wouldn’t pay for a hot dog twice…” The word twice is in a light pink for emphasis. Below those words is an image of a hot dog. Below the hot dog are more words in a dark red that say, “So why would you for a vaccine?” In the bottom right corner in a white cursive font is “#FreetheVaccine.”

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine

Make it specific to your community.

Make it a performance: ask people to pay twice for something.

What worked?

An early metaphor for the “paying twice” idea we hope to communicate.

About this project
Creators:
  • Emilie Seibert
  • Aly Bancroft

May, 2020

Image/graphic, Online/web thing

United States, Grand Rapids

Scaleable Vector Graphic

Public Domain

Other Notes:

The idea for this poster came from an idea that Aly Bancroft had in a Mentor meeting.

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Reflections from Emilie Seibert

Access Warrior Trading Cards

Objective:

Pressure the Researcher, or the University as a whole, to sign the Open Covid Pledge.

The Project:

Sports-style trading cards depicting University Researchers, customized with their photo, school colors, and achievements as stats listed on the back. The cards were sent to the researchers, as well as the President or Chancellor of their University, with yarn pom poms and a hand written note asking them to sign the Open Covid Pledge.

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Make a version for your target.

Invent a game to play with them.

What worked?

The cards were eye-catching but also easy to send by mail (as social distancing is still happening on campus).

About this project
Creators:

May, 2020

Image/graphic, Print

United States, Los Angeles

2.5″x3.5″

Public Domain

Other Notes:

We targeted UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and USC (University of Southern California) because there is a long-standing sports rivalry between the two universities, which are both in the city of Los Angeles.

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Reflections from Vivian Peng

Open Covid Comic – Patton Lab

Objective:

Invite an Indiana University researcher whose lab is working on a COVID vaccine for young children, to pledge to license his work via the Open Covid Pledge.

The Project:

A 1-page comic illustrating why one Indiana University researcher should license his lab’s work via the Open Covid Pledge. We emailed it to him with a note about how much we admire his work and a recommendation for how to print the image.

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Make a version for your target.

What worked?

It didn’t generate a response from the researcher, but the project helped me build my image-making skills, and I learned a lot about the software I used to create it. I’d never made a visual narrative like this before!

About this project
Creators:

May, 2020

Image/graphic, Online/web thing, Writing

United States, Indianapolis

14 x 8.5 inches when printed

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

Other Notes:

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Reflections from Laura Holzman

What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?

I made this drawing mostly independently – but it was inspired directly by a comic that one of the other groups drafted to send to researchers at the Salk Institute. Theirs also started with the famous quote from Dr. Salk. I liked their idea so I made a new and expanded version, tailored for a different researcher.

FTV Tattoos

Objective:

We’re hoping to create a massive collage of tattooed people from the McGill community (or another university). It’s a fun way to show the admin that people support the FTV mission. We find the faces to say a lot more than a list of signatures on a petition.

The Project:

We asked our friends to send photos of their skin and gave them FTV tattoos.

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Make it specific to your community.

What worked?

It’s really easy to scale this action!

About this project
Creators:
  • Isabel Levine, Syndey Stevenson, Marilou Binder, Olivia Bonardi

May, 2020

Image/graphic

Canada, Montreal

462 x 600 pixels

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: FTV-Tattoo.jpg

Other Notes:

  • Original files can be provided for exhibition

Reflections from Olivia Bonardi

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

This was a collaboration between multiple labs!

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

Make this become a trend- actual tattoos, sell them on tattly, etc.

Making Masks for Statues to Free the Vaccine (for COVID-19)

Activists from the Free the Vaccine project stage a photo to urge the university to adopt open licensing for COVID-19 research

Objective:

We wanted to raise awareness and create public spectacle as part of a larger aim of engaging with Columbia on many fronts in trying to have them sign the Open COVID Pledge. The groups we seek to reach in building our case of support for #FreeTheVaccine includes reaching out to students, professors, researchers, alumni, community members, and anyone else who might be interested in having Columbia act as a leader in the area of making any future vaccine research accessible to not only it’s communities, but to the broader public.

The Project:

Columbia’s Alma Mater Statue Dons Surgical Mask for an Accessible COVID-19 Vaccine

NEW YORK, NY, May 19, 2020 – Alma Mater, the “nourishing mother” of Columbia University’s student body, sported an oversized surgical mask, sash, and vaccine bottle this weekend, as the Class of 2020 graduates into a world transformed. The iconic 1903 bronze statue sent her students off with a simple message: “Be Well.”

Nearby statues of “Alma’s friend’s” were also decorated with signage in support of an accessible vaccine. These images were created and then distributed to a variety of media outlets.

We also created a how-to video to encourage other folks to don friendly statues with masks of support in their locations.

STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:

Make a version for your target.

What worked?

We pulled together all of our different strengths as a Lab, and got good public response to the in person intervention. We also created some fantastic images that have bolstered our reaching out to folks connected with Columbia and our digital presence in general.

About this project
Creators:
  • Joseph Amodei
  • Rachel Gita Karp
  • Elizabeth Felicella
  • Connor Smith
  • Ashley DaCosta
  • Carly Besser
  • Nadine Baldasare
  • Victoria El-Hayek
  • Stacy Early
  • Beth Dunlap

May, 2020

Image/graphic, Installation/Intervention, Online/web thing, Video

United States, New York

variable

Public Domain

Download Original/High-Resolution File: salk_Columbia_highRes.zip

Other Notes:

We staged the scene to draw attention to a growing global campaign demanding open licensing arrangements for COVID-19 research and development efforts at universities worldwide. Such arrangements would help to ensure access to life-saving innovations developed with tax-payer funds. Columbia, located in the epicenter of the global pandemic, is one of the world’s foremost research institutions investigating vaccines and therapeutics to combat the virus.

  • A set of instructions exists on how to make this work
  • Original files can be provided for exhibition
  • The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)

Links:

Reflections from Joseph Amodei

What was the process/journey of creating this work?

This project was the action that really cemented the relationship the Ligers share. We came together with different skills, backgrounds, and proximal locations to Columbia to make this project happen. It was fun, collaborative, and exciting!

What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?

We are talking about how to expand on this action in the fall! We would surround Alma Mater with a live counter of all those who have signed on with individual support in and around the Columbia community. This would take the form of some sort of giant mechanical object, or nightly projection-mapped interventions (all of course while Alma was wearing a mask).