Once upon a lineTracing the Material Histories of a Border
An interdisciplinary design research and visualization project tracing the material life of concertina wire and the many histories embedded in a border.
Where I started
The project begins with concertina wire installed on the Mexico-US border wall in Nogales, Arizona, then follows the material beyond the image of a single border line.
The wire traveled across a global chain of extraction, processing, shipping, and fortification, connecting Brazil, China, California, Arizona, and the international border.
Designing the experience
Contributed to material research and graphic design for a multimedia narrative about concertina wire and border infrastructure.
Helped translate material, political, economic, ecological, and technological histories into a visual structure for the digital essay.
Worked with the team to shape the project's research references, narrative flow, visual language, and archived documentation.
Learnings & reflection
A border can be studied through the materials that compose it, revealing histories that move far beyond the site where it appears.
Design research can connect narrative, geography, supply chains, and visual systems to make political infrastructure more legible.