Amanda Lund’s time at BYU has given her a jump start on her future career. She has already had the opportunity to work with e.l.f. Cosmetics, where designs she helped create will be featured on shelves at Target stores. She is currently an intern for Javas Lehn Studios, a design firm based in New York City working for hotels and publications.
Her attraction to art and design came during her freshman year when she took her first art class: Art 101. This three-hour course enthralled her and made her realize this was what she wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to, in some capacity or another. “The design program really pushes you to explore what you’re passionate about and use design to express that,” Lund said. Lund has taken those words to heart and has used her passion for design to guide her in other avenues of her education and life; thus leading her towards her drive for inclusivity in design. A lover of the outdoors and a helper at heart, Lund dedicated her capstone project – “Designing for Every Body, Not the Average Body” – to aiding those with disabilities. She wants them to be seen by the design world. “I focused specifically on those who live with physical disabilities and how the spaces we have designed reject them. These spaces were not designed with their needs in mind, but were designed for what society deems as the 'average' body. But I believe there is no average human,” said Lund. Her project zeroed in on how commercial parks and playgrounds tend to turn away people with physical limitations, especially those in wheelchairs. She praised Clemyjontri Park, a park from her hometown of McLean, VA designed for children with disabilities, as being the most popular kids’ park in the area. “When you design for people with disabilities, it suddenly becomes more accessible for everyone,” she said. Lund hopes to use her design skills to make the world a more inclusive place. She didn't understand that design was so much more than just creating beautiful brands and products that articulate a particular story. “I’ve learned that there is so much more to design. I now have the necessary tools to help give others a voice and ignite change in the world around me,” said Lund. Lund will receive her BFA in graphic design this spring and will continue the Javas Lehn internship after graduation. She looks forward to finding other endeavors that will develop her fervor for design and her voice for others.