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Syeda Samiha
Making the Invisible Visible
This research report takes the form of a book.
Within the School of Architecture and Design exists an Open Archive full of print media, special collections, faculty work, graduate theses, and so much more. However, accessing these resources feels like stepping into a back room without a map. The space itself is an accumulation of knowledge, process, and history, yet much of it remains unseen.
At a time when design education has become increasingly digital, the physical archive holds a different kind of value. It is a space for pause, for discovery, for engaging directly with material culture. This project examines how students and faculty encounter—or fail to encounter—the Open Archive. This research project surfaces gaps in visibility, access, and awareness.
As a design fellow, this investigation is grounded in personal experience. It reflects a realization of how much I and others have moved through our design journey without looking into what design is like outside of school work or what it could look like. While inspiration is continually drawn from past designers, faculty practice, and graduate work, these resources often remain out of sight or underutilized. This book is an attempt to make the invisible visible.
