[sic]: A Process Book by Allyson Laidlaw

[sic]

/sik/ adverb used in brackets with a copied or quoted work that appears odd or erroneous to show that the work is quoted exactly as it stands in the original.

A process book by Allyson Laidlaw.

This book was made as part of Introduction to Design at St. Norbert College in the fall of 2018. The fonts used include Baskerville and Oriya Sangam MN. It was digitally printed and saddle stapled at the college’s print center.

Per the inscription on its cover, this book is intended to showcase my growth as a designer over the course of a 16-week studio art class.

I hope that whomever chooses to page through this will be reminded of the incredible time and effort it takes to develop one’s talents and master a profession. I have come a long way in the past four months, but I have only just begun my journey.

#1_d-school

the purpose of d-school was to provide a sort of crash course in the design process we would be developing throughout the semester: draft it, do it, critique it, and repeat it until your client is satisfied. and do it fast.

Engaging with a real person forced me to try and approach the design process from a new angle––I’m used to designing things for myself, but obviously in this exercise I had to make sure to focus on the other person’s concerns and not my own.

I didn’t love showing unfinished work to another person, but knowing that the whole class had worked under the same time constraints and that we were all in essentially the same boat made it easier.

The pace of this exercise was really different from my normal process. I’m deliberative in all my work, taking time to turn over ideas for a while before I implement them rather than drafting over and over, so this was definitely out of my comfort zone. I think it was good for me to change up that process and

at least experiment with something different, though.

If I had the chance, I would go back and refine the prototype further by making the changes my partner (“client”) suggested and adding more detail to various features of the product. I would also go back as far as trying to come up with an entirely different and better product for my partner because I knew I could do better, and I really wasn’t satisfied with the ideas I had during the first cycle.

#2_dot-line

to prepare for this project, i arranged cut paper shapes and made thumbnail sketches of the arrangements i felt best communicateded the concepts i was trying to illustrate.

According to Gestalt theory, the whole of a thing is greater than the sum of its parts. Specifically, our brains perceive the whole of an image or idea before we examine the parts it’s composed of. Although our designs were simple, the way we arranged the shapes on the page influenced how we felt when we looked at them and, therefore, our interpretation of their meaning.

Part of our grade on this project came from our ability to make clean-cut and smudge-free pieces. For me, making a “wellcrafted object” comes naturally. I generally enjoy detailed work, and I produce my best work when I spend extra time to make sure I get even the smallest parts of a project just right rather than just hurrying to get things done quickly.

in my final pieces, i chose to eminate the words freedom (bottom left), scarcity (top left), and oppression (top right).

Before this project, I generally didn’t understand abstraction and I couldn’t appreciate it very well. Making my own abstract art has taught me what exactly abstraction is and has helped me learn to interpret others’ abstraction. Now I think there are many instances where the uncertainty of abstract art might be able to communicate a message even better than perfectly realistic art, kind

of like the way silence and spaces that are built into poetry help it get at the root of an issue better than prose can. Even though I technically couldn’t illustrate concepts the way I traditionally would, representing ideas didn’t feel difficult for me in this project. I considered that I was illustrating them, just that I was doing so in a very bare-bones manner.

#3_letters-words

to prepare for this project, i filled five pages of my sketch book with different styles of hand lettering. some of the designs are my original work, while others are imitations of other artists’ work.

Hand-lettering taught me that typography isn’t just random pretty-looking words. Before, I didn’t consider how much thought goes into the designer’s choice of letterforms and how much of an impact their choices make on how their work is interpreted.

Going forward, I think I would like to work more with calligraphy and older-style

serif letterforms. I like working with pens and Sharpies, but I’d also experiment more with charcoal because it’s messy and imprecise, and it lends a different mood to finished pieces. Next, I want to try putting together designs that have multiple words in them and that incorporate more than one font.

When I reflect on my four finished

our four final pieces had to meet various requirements (e.g. one had to be made with either charcoal or india ink). here are my finals.

pieces collectively, I think their execution is stronger than the ideas behind them. I didn’t have trouble using different media to execute the ideas I had, but I struggled to come up with four unique designs. All my finished pieces had similar compositions, and two of them incorporated the same concept of ripped paper to convey aching. Individually, I

think they’re strong pieces, but looking back, there isn’t as much variety between them as I would like there to be.

#4_object-iterations

above: i made many practice iterations so that i had plenty of material to choose from once i made my final piece.

right: i assembled what i considered were my best iterations into a 12” x 18” final print.

Throughout the process of creating all my iterations, I learned that I could emphaszie parrots’ long talons, their round, hooked beaks, the bright white circles around their eyes, and the shape of their bodies to make recognizable iterations of them.

Out of all the media we worked with for this project, the most challenging media for me to work with was collage. I don’t have

a lot of patience for it to begin with (cutting and pasting is too tedious), and I definitely didn’t like it any more after making five or ten collages. On the other hand, I really enjoyed making the continuous line and geometric iterations. I also like working digitally, so editing and arranging the images in Photoshop and InDesign was fun for me, especially since I got to learn more about both programs from

using them in new ways. For example, learning to use the QuickMask selection tool and all the different key commands accelerated and streamlined my workflow. I think both of these skills will continue to save me a lot of time and hassle in the future.

If I was to continue drawing and assembling parrots for a year, I would want to explore using the grey parrot’s environment

to give my pieces more context. For example, I might find out what their nests, eggs, and chicks look like, what types of trees grow in their habitats, or what they eat, and I would incorporate those things into the iterations rather than continuing to draw only parrots.

#5_dataviz

I prepared for my data visualization (dataviz) project by creating a practice infographic that summarized my online presence. #VandR (visitor and residence) charts use two axes to show how we use various media platforms. One axis measures whether we use given platforms for personal or professional activities, and the other measures the our digital footprint. “visitors” look at content but don’t interact with other users, and “residents” both look at others’ content and create their own.

I created a second infographic to further prepare for my final data visualization: this time, I identified three forms of expression whose prominence varies between each member of my family. I think the infographic provides real insight into my family dynamic while still maintaining a sense of humor.

#5_dataviz

One of the most important concepts in this project was the importance of visual hierarchy (deciding what is the most important information and figuring out how to make it the first thing the viewer notices). I created visual hierarchy by varying the size of different sections of information and

by changing the size and weight of the text that described the information. I also used different colors to draw attention to different pieces of information.

Similar to creating focus with visual hierarchy, this project forced me to really hone in on what message I wanted to send

my audience, to focus on one main idea rather than trying to include too many different concepts at once.

This was the first time we got to use color in one of our pieces. Using color added another layer of complexity to the design process. It was less obvious if two colors were

too close in value than it was when we just had to differentiate between shades of grey, but using color also gave me some more power to get the viewer’s attention.

#6_presentations

I was drawn to Chaz Maviyane-Davies for several reasons. The main thing that caught my attention was his ability to create moving pieces with very few elements, as well as his ability to retain a clear, strong meaning in his pieces while he did so. I love very simple design, but sometimes I struggle to know

when to stop adding more and more to my own pieces, so Davies’ ability maintain clarity and simplicity intrigued me. The content of his work was also a reason I chose to research him: I like that he uses his skills and platform for good.

if anything, design is a struggle.

because if we don’t struggle with something, we’re not saying anything.

I’ve never really liked giving presentations or speeches, but it felt easier in this class. We talk to the group and to each other so often that this presentation sort of felt like an extended critique of our master artists.

If I was to research one of the designers

my classmates presented, I might read about Luba Lukova. I thought it was really interesting that she was influenced by propaganda posters, and I like that she works in a simple style and makes content that advocates for a better society.

#7_final-thoughts

vocational reflection.

Without a doubt, I’m called to creative work, and I think I recognize it for several reasons. It’s the thing I always come back to, like a home base. Whether I’m writing in a journal or drawing, taking photos or curating collections, any hiatus I take always ends. I can’t escape art because I see life as art; my life is my art. I can’t help but notice the way light falls and the colors it makes. I can’t not notice the music in writing and the shapes of voices. Art raises questions, and I love asking questions. Art uses my imagination. Art is something I’m willing to work to get better at; it’s where I want to challenge myself.

A good life is one in which we have loved and experienced and hoped––it’s relevant to us as individuals. A significant life is one that’s been noticed by others because it has improved or enriched lives outside itself; it’s relevant to other people besides itself.

A Few Words of Gratitude:

To Professor Katie Ries: you taught me the fun and necessity of making shitty first drafts.

To my fellow design students: your critical feedback and comradery taught me about my work and about myself.

To anyone who has ever appreciated my work: you made me believe my effort was worthwhile and encouraged my creativity.

And especially to everyone who has ever scoffed at the thought of a career in the arts: you gave me the spite and determination to prove you wrong.

Thank you.Allyson x