Hi, I’m Hannah.
I’m a senior at Carnegie Mellon University, where I am a double major in communication design and social and political history. The intersection of design and history has made me more cognisant of how all designed systems – from voting ballots and public transportation signage to school district zoning and highway construction – determine how we navigate our everyday lives. Most of these systems have been strategically designed by those in power to disadvantage many while granting immense leverage to few. To make designed systems more equitable, my research and design practice operates within an inherently anti-imperialist framework. Only with this lens can we begin to create spaces which celebrate difference and promote genuine equity and inclusivity.
Through my work, I am constantly attempting to find novel creative solutions through research-driven digital and printed media which educates, uplifts, and delivers both utility and joy. I’d like to use communication design as a vehicle to connect with the public and inspire people to read, learn, and engage critically with the world around them. I believe embracing emotion and soul as the driving force of my work helps me to most effectively connect with others. If something I've been a part of creating resonates, inspires, enrages, brings someone to tears, etc, it’s worthwhile.
I find the most motivation and reward in the unconventional, the overlooked, and the experimental. I am currently drawing inspiration from the work of Momo Gordon, Lou Benesch, and Katya Budkovskaya.
email: hlesser@andrew.cmu.edu
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