Urban ASL
You may have heard of terms in popular culture such as "Netflix and chill," "bae," and "spill the tea." While speakers of verbal language are able to use these newfound words and phrases to humorous effect, users of sign language cannot, and my project aims to address the widespread lack of understanding of this fact.
My thesis is a mobile app serving as a visual archive of some of the most popular lingo used by young people today, expressed in ASL (American Sign Language). The app includes definitions, animations, and instructions to help people learn and sign each word. Finding no comprehensive online source to document ASL slang, I set out to raise awareness of this living language by showing people how exciting, expressive, and contemporary ASL can be.
If ASL is to be a dynamic, living language, then it should be accessible and current beyond what is captured in sign language dictionaries. Therefore, I have also designed my project to be shareable in the form of Instagram and iMessage stickers. Suddenly, the linguistic world of these hearing users can expand beyond the limits of verbal communication to encompass expressions they can share with the Deaf Community — which in turn will, I hope, increase interest and willingness to learn sign language.