At the end of our studies as Graphic Design majors at FIT, students get to work independently on a thesis project for two semesters—this year, surrounding the central idea of "identity." Being both the author and producer of the work, we have the ultimate creative control. As stated in the syllabus, "this format provides the opportunity to develop a personal voice and communicate original visual messages."

Reflecting on René Magritte's, The Treachery of Images, 'This is not you.' is a thesis that looks at emoji(s) in the same light. It dives deep into these little symbols of expression and uncovers a complex, convoluted, and lengthy past that explains how emojis have become what they are today.

After being abruptly sent home mid March and still wanting to produce something tangible, the project had to be adapted with what was readily available at home. Limitations drove creative decisions—thin fading paper found in a garage, a red rubber band, low levels of colored ink in the family printer.

A focus on experimentation was put into the book's form and structural narrative, honing in on pages' interactions with one another and creating typographic texture through their low opacity.