Online friends in a digital field
Donation protected
Imagine the internet disappeared, what would you write to the person or people you’ve only connected with online?
Online Friends in a Digital Field is an interactive art installation celebrating the joy and
deep connection that comes with the relationships we form online.
This project seeks to show the many kinds of relationships people can achieve in digital spaces and to reflect on the significance of our digital relationships, proving that distance does not lessen the depth of human connection.
The project invites participants to connect through a timeless gesture—the act of writing a letter to someone they know.
I’m Zoe Kowalski, a senior graphic design student at Suny Purchase and digital artist. Even before starting my education at Purchase I’ve always been drawn to the ways people form real, human connections through purely online interactions. This has become one of the guiding principles in my work as a graphic designer—the idea that a digital design has the power to reach anyone, anywhere, and make a meaningful impact on them.
Online Friends is an extension of that belief—an invitation to explore just how real and powerful online relationships can be. The project is made up of three main components that work together to form a complete experience:
- The designing and manufacturing of greeting cards: These cards will act as the vessel for participants to write their messages on and sent to their long distance friends
- Outreach and Community Participation: The hope for this project is to reach as many people as possible who share the experience of having online friends.This will be achieved through both in-person engagement and social media campaigns.
- Installation and AR Experience: The project will culminate in an in-person event showcasing handwritten messages from participants, providing an opportunity to personalize a greeting card, along with an augmented reality (AR) experience to further engage with the theme of online connections.
All funds donated to this project will be going directly into the cost of materials and assembly of cards, stickers production, licensing for augmented reality software, and materials for the full installation display.
Thank you for your consideration and help with my senior project! :)
Organizer
Online Friend
Organizer
Purchase, NY