Curious Terrain Explorer’s Deck

How do you discover, record, and communicate the human experience of Place? I envisioned this deck of cards as a creative catalyst and tool for sharpening your appreciation of the world around you. Discover cards draw your attention to the unique elements and qualities that define a place. Record cards inspire you to try a wide range of techniques for capturing and sharing a place. Wild cards provoke thought about how issues of time and perspective affect your experience of a place.

This deck of cards began as my Masters in Landscape Architecture final project and continued as a passion project after graduation. I sold the decks online and in local retail stores. I developed classroom activities for elementary and high school students, and facilitated site discovery exercises with college students of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design.

Process

• Academic research into landscape theory and recording methods

• Conceptual design

• Writing of cards and instructions

• Field testing through a series of creative experiments

• Field testing with college students

• Art direction with graphic designer Tara Lilly and illustrator Jessie Kaye

• Package design and printing with Stumptown Printers