We talked about what I expect from my future, and I was honest: not much. I just want to have a job, preferably in design, and do what I’m told. But then I mentioned my “dream,” which, to me, is not a realistic goal: working in a game studio. Daniel Bauer said to chase this dream, that I might not have the skills now but will sooner or later. Obviously, that’s probably what he tells everyone, but it kind of hit a chord in me.
After thinking a lot about it, I had the idea of combining games with my master’s thesis – in the form of a card game. I’m not sure how realistic it is to make a good game, but I want to try. I want to 3D model or illustrate, which would work well for the illustrations on the cards.
I explained my topic to him, which is still very loose, and he first thought it was about “what happens after death,” but my topic is rather “how people deal with death.” One point I agree on is that it is more cultural studies than design. I’ll have to find my way around that by combining design with my topic.
One approach I already roughly mentioned is colors. Black is the universal color for death, except in some countries like in East Asia, where it is white.
He also mentioned I should look into the iconography of death: how death is depicted and what symbols cultures use when it revolves around death, like on papel picado during Día de los Muertos.
I should also look into local processions and see if there are any special ones. One example I found is in Cádiz, Spain, where All Saints’ Day takes on a more festive, carnival-like tone, with creative market displays and local traditions that differ from the usual quiet cemetery visits. The tradition began in 1876 when the city council tried to revive the Central Market by attracting shoppers before November 1. Over time, the market festival grew into a public celebration with decorated stalls, jokes, costumes, and prizes for the best displays. Today, Tosantos is especially family-oriented: children are central, and markets hand out seasonal fruit while stallholders create funny, creative scenes. The festival reflects Cádiz’s famous Carnival culture, where humor, local identity, and social satire are part of everyday expression.
One aspect I mentioned is the overwhelming spread of Halloween, which displaces many cultures. I could make that the topic I want to highlight.
His idea, which I probably won’t do but still want to write down here, was to create a short informational video introducing the festivities I picked out, with the help of an animated character that talks to the audience. It changes clothes to fit the customs and explains how everything works. I imagine it a bit like the Billa/Spar sticker books, but animated.
Tosantos: https://lasguiritanas.com/en/toussaint-tosantos-a-cadix/
