J McNeish

Joanne has a particular interest in paper documents (e.g. bills and statements, textbooks, flyers, catalogues) as a powerful examples of resilient technologies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she photographed interior and exterior signs used by retailers. Joanne documented how paper signs (mostly 8 1/2x 11 white bond paper) were critical in communicating the new social distancing behaviours to customers. Paper documents are fascinating objects to explore since they are widely available and consumers are very familiar with them. However, until her research, their meaning and function to consumers have been obscured from researchers’ view due to their ubiquity and familiarity.