Date
5-2022
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (MFA)
Chair
Brianna O'Neal
Keywords
Brand Campaign, Graphic Design, Generation X, Gen Z, Branding
Disciplines
Art and Design | Fine Arts
Recommended Citation
Smith, Deylan Michael, "Next Gen: Guiding Dads as they Spiritually Guide the Next Generation" (2022). Masters Theses. 866.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/866
Abstract
The spiritual development during the teenage years are pivotal in determining the religious and spiritual values as teenagers transition into adulthood. As serious as this stage of development is, there is a lack of involvement in the faith development of teenagers on the part of parents, specifically Christian fathers. With this lack of paternal support during faith development, the percentage of those leaving the church during adolescents and early adulthood is rapidly increasing. The aim of the research was to understand important milestones in spiritual development of teenagers, why Christian dads are uninvolved in this development, and best strategies for communicating large quantities of development information to dads that already struggle with being involved. To better understand this problem, the following research questions were asked to better understand the problem and possible solutions: 1. Who is Gen Z? 2. Why is Gen Z leaving the church? 3. What does spiritual development look like during the adolescent years? 4. What impact does the parental relationship have on spiritual development? 5. What is the current state of paternal involvement in faith development in the home today? 6. What external sources are impacting spiritual development? After this research was conducted, additional case studies and visual analysis were also conducted to evaluate similar studies and design projects. Based off the research, a brand campaign consisting of a poster series, social media posts, mobile app, website, and activity booklet were created to educate dads on important milestones of teenage spiritual development, challenges to connect with their teenager regularly and have faith conversations and provide guides for creating a safe space to ask and answer tough questions about faith. Through these resources, dads will be better equipped to understand spiritual development and be actively involved in the lives of their teenagers. Additionally, teenagers will also have a better environment for their own spiritual development.
