Visual Communication

Burning Through Time 

This project was the first part of a three-part series focused on exploring and raising awareness about a social issue through design. I chose to address the topic of wildfires, aiming to visually communicate both the urgency of the issue and the cyclical nature of its impact over time. The challenge was to express this complex topic through the narrow yet powerful format of a clock, using symbolism, material, and form to create a call to action.

My clock design featured branches arranged as the frame, representing nature, with a fiery gradient beneath to symbolize the ever-present threat of wildfire. The clock hands were made of charred wood, and the base was constructed from dark, scorched-looking wood to emphasize the destructive aftermath. I developed the clock in three forms—2D, 3D, and a process clock, each one telling a different part of the story while remaining visually and conceptually connected.

Each version included a single word to capture its focus. The 2D clock used “burning” to depict the intense process and peak of wildfire events, while the 3D and process clocks used “dessication” to highlight the slow, often invisible process of drying and decay that leads to these disasters. Together, the clocks formed a cohesive narrative that conveyed not only the physical destruction of wildfires, but also the underlying environmental conditions and the repeating cycle that demands attention and change.