THERAMENA FERNANDEZ
WELCOME
My journey as a designer began at eight years old, inspired by YouTube’s miniature-making community. I turned a soggy sponge into a "chocolate cake" and transformed my family’s recycling bin into treasures: cereal boxes became wardrobes, scratch paper turned into mugs, and plastic bottles into fountain glasses. The real joy was in creating something extraordinary from the ordinary.
This passion for creating became my refuge during a challenging chapter of my life. After moving from the Philippines to the U.S., I struggled to adjust to a new culture and environment, feeling disconnected from my family and my past. Crafting miniatures gave me a sense of control and comfort amidst the chaos, allowing me to build my little worlds when the real one felt overwhelming.
Over time, this love for transforming the mundane into something meaningful evolved into a broader passion for design. Whether turning old clothes into practical accessories or repurposing everyday items into something exciting, I discovered the beauty in the process of creation. For me, design isn’t just about the result, it’s about the journey, the problem-solving, and the magic of transformation.
Now, as I step into this new chapter, I’m excited to share the sense of freedom and creativity that my miniature world gave me, bringing that same spark to everything I create as a designer.
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06 LETTER SCULPTURE DESIGN 214
DATE: JUNE 2024
COURSE: MARKS & SYMBOLSOur project, StoryTelling, draws inspiration from the title de-
signer Karin Fong, most notably her work on the title sequence
of “Charlotte’s Web.” Our team, comprised of Jana and Thera- mena, blends the Arabic letter “Jīm ج” and the Tagalog letter “T,” reflecting our Egyptian and Filipino immigrant narratives. We narrate our childhood through layers of watercolored paper, inspired by Fong’s intricate storytelling in “Charlotte’s Web.” This approach allowed us to infuse personal narratives and cultural significance into our design.
Karin’s work often revolves around a story, with her title designs drawing inspiration from the stories that follow. We decided to take a similar path. Drawing from “The Kite Runner,” a novel we both enjoy, our letterform evokes themes of childhood, friendship, and cultural intersection. The layered watercolor technique mirrors the novel’s intricate storytelling, creating a visually compelling composition that resonates with our shared experiences.
We referred back to our home countries for the environment and incorporated pieces of our cultures and childhoods into the little symbols in the composition. Through numerous sketches and prototypes, we experimented with arrangements and layer- ing techniques, ultimately crafting a design that incorporated layers of frames for the watercolored paper to lay on, reflecting the iterative layers of our interconnected culture.