Expedited Labor symbolically addresses the reliance on seasonal migrants and the inequities that exist within a globalized system. With the onset of COVID-19 and closed border policies implemented throughout the world, a food crisis developed and restrictions were lifted to meet labor demands. Romania and Bulgaria were some of the countries that supplied a significant workforce to Western Europe while Mexico did so to the US. Some countries made hasty travel exemptions to seasonal workers, even though they were experiencing large COVID-19 outbreaks. The export of the workforce is portrayed through the form of postage stamps.

I decided to focus on a product-centered minimalist design that mirrors ad campaigns. I wanted to allude to the structure of globalization in which there is uncertainty behind the “where” and the “how” of services and the consumer complicity inherent in the system. I also intended to emphasize just how essential this labor is so that food doesn’t rot in the fields. The passport stamps in the corners represent the entry point and date into each country. The text on the side of the stamps states the number of infections during outbreaks in work camps largely due to inadequate working conditions.