Updates is a tumblelog.

The directness of blogging

I wonder if it removes the mystery behind a piece of work if the maker is too direct and honest about his influences. Maybe we lose the romance, and the wonder of possible interpretations that come about when experiencing a piece of his work.

Maybe the artist/writer/designer needs to have his own shadows to flit about in; a bit of showmanship that offers the audience the chance to imagine who he his and what he means. A bit of curiosity, and awe; even fear…

Maybe me typing this on a blog is a bit of a taboo then. I feel like the lover of wonders who unwittingly ruins their strangeness by exposing them (like the Enlightenment explorers). I want to make work that is strange, and that causes awe, and that brings something into the world that is shadowy and exciting… but I share my character so honestly and openly in person and on here.

(The explorers bring back strange things from all corners, and the world is catalogued. It’s laid out, observed, understood. The firefly is explained and it’s no longer a fairy. The Northern lights aren’t spirits anymore.)

British Museum

Went Wednesday between meetings to look at any manuscripts I could find (for my Google project)— but they told me there weren’t any there and to go to the British Library, which I didn’t have time for.

Instead though, I was amazed by the following (even though I must’ve quickly breezed past before):

It’s so old (4000 years-ish) but it’s so geometric and futuristic in places. Especially the top image. For some reason, you imagine ancient cultures to be less intelligent… but this just shows they weren’t.

As I was walking round I was imagining how amazing it’d be to come across something like this for the first time…! To be met by this whole culture, first-hand, in scraps and ruins!

Also felt: us graphic designers are the modern equivalent of scribes/stone carvers of ancient Egypt—stylists of culture, and recorders of it too… It’s just that our work, being as the craft is so accessible now, is far more temporary. I wonder if anything we make will last for 4000 years. Maybe in my lifetime I could make something that would…!

Walking through the main part of the museum actually, written on the side of the centre thick column is ‘THIS GREAT COURT CELEBRATING THE NEW MILLENNIUM…HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II AD 2000’ — juxtaposed with all the ancient creations in the museum, it attempts to highlight our age as just another of the same I think.

I imagined walking through the museum in thousands of years, by then an over-grown ruin. AD 2000 would stand out, and there would be wonder for whoever this magical queen ‘Elizabeth’ was…

The carved letters feel timeless, and intentionally so. But why Roman lettering? Like my previous thoughts, talking about 2001: A Space Odyssey, we see the products of old cultures like those of Ancient Rome as representing timelessness.

2000 years is so long ago to us mere humans that it feels equal to eternity.

Neo-classicism may have been rooted in that—I’m not sure—but I wonder if it’s the right kind of attitude to have. Surely we should represent ourselves; our own age: so that we stand out to future cultures as something different to the Romans, being as they were so long ago.

Still, maybe giving current visitors a feeling of timelessness is more relevant. It is a museum after all.

Different kinds of freedom

I have confidence with making, but have far more when the visual part of my brain has something to build from; a format/medium in mind, and ideally a number of elements in front of me to go by and mould. That’s why I’ve really enjoyed and been pleased with my editorial projects, having the format there already, and then having freedom from that (an idea, I know, often talked about).

In a job, I imagine that’ll be the case. Usually the only time you won’t get a brief, when you have the freedom we’re used to at CSM, is with your own personal work. And I’m happy doing that free sort of thing when my success, and my confidence in my work, doesn’t rely on it. When I can play freely, without the concern of it being judged.

Endless play with no definite end-goal/format in mind shouldn’t have pressure in my view. It feels like giving a child a deadline when building something with Lego, asking them to document their process, and then judge themselves against this kind of thing:

I know if I was the kid, I’d toddle off and watch TV instead.

All people are different, and so are their methods. I’ve learnt something about myself though, in that… if there’s pressure on a piece of work to be good, my strengths come out when I have constraints.

Course, there should still be play when designing a set-format poster!— but, for me, the set format provides a base like this:

for a design to be built on top of, rather than having separate things floating about, orbiting around an idea. Being indecisive (unless I’m able to try something out right there and then, and decide), these separate floating things prove difficult to catch and tie down to be worked on.

I realise that CSM is all about keeping things open and free, and I’m sure I’ve learnt and am learning from that process — but when it knocks your confidence, I think it’s time to remind yourself that what we’re doing at college is often nothing like the real job. The ‘working despite uncertainty’ section in the assessment criteria is something I’ve endeavoured to work to, and improved on I’m sure! But I enjoy working to deadlines when I have that base, even if it’s only ‘a set of illustrations’ or ‘a book cover’ or ‘a film’ or ‘a flag’.

I’m so glad I chose the NEWD brief, because it’s encouraged me. For a while there I’d forgotten what graphic design was, and why I’d gone into it. It’s reminded me how much I love it.

The past week

Haven’t updated as much as I’d like to because I’ve been really trying to get stuff done!

Have been working when I can on my ‘Memories of Home’ project, and have finished 10 of the 15 illustrations so far — soon ready to print and bind on Beano-like paper, which I’m going to fade in the sun.

Have also been working on the blueprint drawings for the aeroplane instructions project. Nearly there with the little engineer characters’ poses.

The live newd brief with Will Biggs has been going on too, ready for the final crit on wednesday.

Had missed a chunk of photos I took last week and sounds I recorded for the Slow Website project, and my finished Google shrine. Individual posts about each project to follow shortly.

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This morning I’m playing around some more with the Newd spreads (Will Biggs and me started off working together, are now seeing where each of us can take it, and then tomorrow afternoon meeting up to bring it together again).

Then going to get a Memories of Home illustration done (or two).

Then tackling my ‘protesters as knights’ outcome, as well as an extra development of my Awe for the Everyday project.

Then going over what I’ve so far prepared for tomorrow’s tutorial session.

With the occasional cup of tea in-between!

The plan today:

Finishing cutting the rays, and producing the centre ‘Google Search’ button (blown-up then printed using inkjet, then covered in a small piece of glass or plastic to make shiny).

I’m aiming to also paint a gold halo behind the button, where the rays protrude from.

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Ways I can see the Google/God work being pushed on:

- A publication exposing my search findings (perhaps visually influenced by my shrine/sculpture).

- Painting a number of keyboard keys like manuscript initials…?

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Other things I want to get done before I go back to London on Monday:

- More work done on the slow website (photography/filming)

- Some work on the Newd live brief

- Some sort of direction for my portfolio (I’ve already worked out vaguely what the threads are holding my projects together)

- Thoughts on the degree show, ready for Annegrete’s session on Wednesday) - some ideas as to how her sessions can help

- Initial ideas on my ‘blog writings’ project, which I haven’t started yet.

Easter progress so far

Slow Website:
“Explore how a piece of writing could take form on the internet; slow a reader down somehow, and contrast the click-happy nature of most of our use of the web”

-> Have very nearly finished the text, which is my own piece of writing about humans eventually rejecting technology and knowledge, regressing to a more primal way of life. This is something I’d wanted to explore for a while, but it seemed relevant to the technologically-current medium of a web-page.

-> Being that interactivity is one of the web’s main advantages over a book, I wanted my website to feel tactile… I’m planning on making use of mouse-over states, where an image will change when the cursor is hovered above it. I’m also wanting to get far away from defaults of any kind, like navigational menus for example. The experiments mentioned in earlier posts were concerned with stranger, less obvious methods of navigation.

-> Design-wise, I was intrigued by the metaphor I’d used in my writing of systems of knowledge and technology becoming ‘crystalised’, which offers quite a vivid mental picture. Echoing how the text develops, I want the visual to be modular first of all, and crystalised, to then be broken apart and replaced by far more organic forms. I did experiment with paint, but at the time it felt quite flat. Photography and video seem more viable I think, and I’ll be trying those next.

-> Will soon be posting my experiments with pixellation, which I think is a good way of representing the systematic side of things.

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Aeroplane Model Instructions:
“Somehow improve the model construction process by producing revised instructions”

-> I decided that the best place to start here was to look at what was wrong with my two iterations for this project last term: Mainly, I think the problem was that I hadn’t spent long enough on the final pieces… I’d also decided from the start that I’d produce a piece of printed matter, when the instructions didn’t necessarily have to be.

-> I’d been quite pleased with my Hawker Hurricane model, and felt that where I’d succeeded was in having patience, and putting time and effort in. Especially with young teenagers (the target audience of my instructions), this would be a real issue—so I’ve decided that my instructions should keep them interested.

-> For this, I’ve decided for the instructions to be web-based, as I feel that’d have more likelihood of holding a 12-year-old’s attention. I’m hoping to include a discussion board for each step of the build process, as one of the main things I found when making my model was that I invented my own methods that were in some cases better than those recommended in the original instructions.

-> I’d also been looking at home for things that used to hold my interest at that age, and came across my old PlayStation magazines. I remember that at the time, any mention or hint of a game (like a screenshot for example, or a TV programme…) would instantly have my attention. Consequently, I’ve decided to make some sort of link to videogames with my instructions, if only subtly. As part of this, designing a number of components that can be re-used (similar to ‘sprites’ in games) seems like a good idea. As mentioned before, I like the idea of presenting a miniature world…

-> The idea I’ve developed… In-keeping with the videogame feel, I’m using an isometric view of an aircraft hangar, in which engineers are seen to build the plane in stages, alongside text instructions. The stages can then be scrolled through. I still like the idea of blueprints, so am currently experimenting with ways of mimicking blueprints on-screen.

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Memories of Home:
“Give a personal piece of writing a relevant and engaging form”

-> The writing and illustrations need to be finished, for the ten or so rooms I’ve not yet done. I then want to bind the sheets into a booklet.

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NUDE Magazine:
“Produce magazine spreads for an article on the ‘Primitive London’ soundtrack. Also: LIVE BRIEF… Collaborate with Will Biggs to produce spreads for an article about cassette tapes, for NUDE minimag”

-> Have finished the ‘Primitive London’ spreads to a level I’m happy with. Meeting up with Will when we get back after Easter, to design the live brief spreads (Val reckons it should take less than a week to do; she feels it shouldn’t be over-worked).

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Awe of the Everyday:
“Share an epic view of the world. Inspire awe from everyday objects and experiences” 

-> Have so far produced 5 or so experiments, but I now want to produce a final outcome of some sort.

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Blog Writings/Things I’ve Learnt/Advice:
“Chart the journey of the creative process + progression”

-> Still need to decide what I’m doing here, but I’m favouring the idea of making more of a collection of things I’ve learnt. I suppose I could treat my journey over the past 3 years as a story, which I then somehow present.

-> I did have the thought that this could be the framework of my portfolio…

Some phone notes from last week

1. Why do people read newspapers? It’s interesting to see so many people care about what’s happening in the world. It demonstrates a human thirst for knowledge—the impulse to know and learn and understand, and emphathise too.

2. Maybe too much time spent on work in the same place doesn’t help — if that’s all you mostly do, cooped up inside, perhaps you won’t have an interesting way of looking at a project/the world. What goes in surely comes out — and if all that goes in is boring, will you be a boring person who produces boring work? If we replace the unhelpful worry/hesitation and replace it with inspiring time visiting other places, excitement, satisfaction, good food, different scenery and (ultimately) other people…maybe the work will show it and as a bonus you’ll be fulfilled.’

3. What kind of effect do I want to have had after my lifetime? What do I want my life’s work to amount to?

Encouragement for ignoring some criticism we receive (thoughts had the other day)

If aiming for work that’s purely functional / completely meaningful in every single aspect / standing up to all criticism from all audiences… does the work become soulless and unhuman?

In bringing more critical thinking to a piece of work (and then trying to please everyone), does it become a grey, bland average of everyone?— without character or imperfection?

Are some of us, without realising, trying to reach an objective piece of design when what we (well, at least I) really want is something with character, and that probably should be subjective?

Certain people can love something you produce, but then others aren’t too keen. This, in itself, is proof of a spectrum of attitudes to what ‘good’ design is…and so surely it’s impossible for a piece of work to cover the whole spectrum. You can’t please everybody, I’ve decided, but you can please yourself (if you acknowledge what you think is ‘good’).

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Talking of criticism, I liked this McSweeney’s article!

Responsibility as a human being

Alice brought up an interesting topic at lunch today that got the tutor group talking; the guilt she’s felt when comparing what seems are frivolous concerns (our projects, often) with more mortal things like charity, war and suffering.

The view I expressed was that if charity was all anyone was concerned about, the world would be a (functional but) dull place—in that, in the whole scheme of things, surely there is a necessity for celebrating positive things too; the sorts of things in life that we take pleasure from.

I’ve come away questioning whether it’s wrong to want to do something that I enjoy, and to not have a grand political aim or concern with saving the planet.

Do I see anything wrong with wanting to design posters, books or magazines?- then again, these are only media through which either shallow or meaningful messages pass through aren’t they. In that case- are the ideas I tend to have helpful to humanity?

More importantly perhaps…what sorts of clients do I want to work for?

As Alex said- maybe the concern should be more in the way of responsibility as a human being, rather than trying to put pressure on yourself to use design for helping people.

A discussion that raised a lot of questions!

Chip Kidd

…who I’ve heard of but not really seen work by. Quite dated-looking in parts, but I’m more impressed by the ideas and the visual punch of many of his book jacket designs.

Some thoughts as I was looking through in the library:

- Sometimes the obvious can be good -> a simple idea can be adamently taken through iterations that are concerned with visual nuances. If you believe in an idea, keep pushing it visually. What is wrong with ‘obvious’ anyway, as long as it creates impact and it functions for its purpose?

- It’s okay to sample imagery and colour schemes, as well as commission other people to do work. These are things I’m always wary of (because of not liking the idea of taking credit for other people’s work), but it seems in Chip Kidd’s case that he should take credit for the vision and decision-making.

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The following was a book (as Stephan told me as he walked past!) about a woman who at different points is married to two famous artists. The type I’m apathetic about, but the simplicity of cropping the painting is great:

A cover for a book about an alcoholic trying to stop drinking, which is clever in its sarcasm/hint at a dishonest title:

Love the skinniest slither of light marking out the person against all of that vast blackness:

Just really clever and playful; a story about a boy who stutters. The kid’s happy face seems to give a dark/negative impression when treated in such a hard, mechanistic way:

An obvious way of describing ‘new’ness, but I don’t think that matters very much here:

And a few more that I feel either speak for themselves or that just caught my eye with their process/image-making techniques:

An interesting bit about his process:

Also liked this cover for Kidd’s book, The Cheese Monkeys, which was hand-lettered by comic-book artist Chris Ware:

Thoughts since interim crit

Written in notebook during the day…

I want to be aiming to be more independent from the course…I should be strong enough in my opinions on work not to let criticism hinder me as it has in the past.

You could take a lot of work that’s generally considered to be ‘good’, along to a crit, and it’d probably get ripped apart/criticised/questioned on concept. This is reason to be confident and have conviction.

(After bouncing ideas around with Fran) Want to get to the heart of it what I want to say… Tell a story with the labels?… Decide on aspects of the outcome first and work towards that point?… Why did I pick the bottles?…

Experimentation should be for my own satisfaction; not for that of others.

Is it easier for other people to criticise your concept than it is to criticise your design decisions? Is visual design more subjective than concept or vice versa?

Looking through books of other people’s work gives me hope…reminds me that ideas can actually have final outcomes, which is comforting.

We should take any help/luck we get and run with it—rather than thinking ‘if you’re actually any good, you don’t need help/luck’. But really, isn’t all inspiration based around chance findings and coincidence?

Thoughts waiting for the tube, added to when making beans on toast

.
.
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Actually… What is ‘good’ design?

There’s no definitive answer as I suppose it’s based around opinion.. but for me, it’s:
- Work with integrity?

That makes me wonder…
Perhaps we should judge a piece of design as if it’s a person

I like people with integrity. People who are friendly. People who are characters. People who are skilled. People who are honest. People who are expressive and talkative and open. People who are conscious of who and where they are, and aware of their ultimate naivity as humans. People who look at things in an interesting way. People who look at things in an interested / hopeful / passionate way. People who are passionate. People who look on the bright side of things. People who are helpful. People who are honestly selfless. People who smile back at you. People who don’t boast. People who look you in the eye. People who are fun. People who don’t put you down. People who are interesting. People who are colourful. People who don’t take themselves too seriously, unless its necessary in a situation- in which case they are good for being respectful. People who ask how your day was, and honestly care. People who care about how they come across to others/appear, but not so much that they’re really self-conscious. People who are natural.

So these are good people, the kind I’d want to be around.
And I’d say most of them seem like good traits in pieces of design.

It does make sense that the two should be interchangeable, because design communicates a message from a person and fills in the gap when the person’s no longer there.

So I should strive for these qualities (or some of them) in what I produce. I don’t want my work to be boring, and don’t want it to come across as particularly clever for the sake of it—because neither are good traits in people.

Work should be interesting instead; it should be intriguing rather than clever. But it should never be pretentious in my opinion! So big words aren’t a good idea—nor when writing either, when communicating to people on the same level as yourself (which is often the case). All flash and no substance comes across badly too. Being too serious is bad (in person, in writing, and in design), but depth should be there.

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Maybe this seems obvious reading (but I feel as though I actually feel it now)…

It hits me too that a piece of work should have the appropriate voice for a given task. Whether or not the voice is then interesting or exciting is another thing. For example- if making a speech at a funeral, the appropriate tone of how you talk should be careful and respectful. Whereas at a wedding it should be joyous. If you’re an air traffic controller, you should be concise and serious. If a teacher, you should make a lesson inspiring and energetic!

There is more than one possible approach for each thing too… And surely, I’m thinking, you can twist a project so that you make the design’s voice charming, and come across with charisma, as you would hope to come across if having a conversation with someone, in even the most awkward of topics.

I’ve decided I want a body of work that’s exciting and interesting, so I wouldn’t want to choose a voice that’s monotone and perfectly concise (like when organising information). This might display skill (in layout etc), but it’s not the sort of thing that excites or usually interests me at least. So I don’t fancy having a lot of that in my portfolio.

Thinking too conceptually (trying to be too clever) you can sometimes ignore what tone the piece should have, and it becomes disconnected from thinking about the actual experience. Like explaining quantum physics to a 5 year old because of it working in theory for whatever reason.

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Looking at designed things around me, I’m now questioning how they’d translate into people… For coming up with a tone of voice for a design project too, I think I’ll start by imagining how I’d best tell someone about the content or intention. Would I speak slowly so they understand? Excitedly to inspire them? Respectfully? Contentedly?…etc? Would I pounce something on them or would I draw them in and build up to a climax? Would I make a joke?

This is a way of seeing work that I’m eager to now put into practice!