WINTER 2017 ISSUE 01
Table of Contents
6 WHY THE ACTIVIST POSTER IS HERE TO STAY Why posters remain a succinct, popular and powerfully immediate form of public speech.
12 SALT WATER BREWERY CREATES EDIBLE SIX PACK RINGS A look at a very creative and sustainable alternative to the standard six-pack ring.
14 WOMEN’S MARCH How artists in a Trump America are embracing lessons from the civil rights era and momentum from the Women’s Marches.
20 PLANNED PARENTHOOD MURAL A graphic installation highlights the dynamic history of America’s most trusted provider of reproductive healthcare.
23 LIVING WITH Living With: is a project dedicated to empowering anyone dealing with mental health to be confident in themselves and their approach to handling daily obstacles.
26 CULTURE STRIKE CultureStrike empowers artists to dream big, disrupt the status quo, and envision a truly just world rooted in shared humanity.
30 DR. BRONNER’S REDESIGN New Logo and Packaging for Dr. Bronner’s Spaceship Type
35 ACTIVISM POSTERS THROUGH THE DECADES Posters have been used to advocate rights for many people over the years, women have used design to fight for their rights.
38 WHY EVERY DESIGNER NEEDS A CODE OF ETHICS An overview of the key principles that should be in every designer’s code of ethics.
41 NOT JUST ANY GUY, BUT SOMEGUY Interview of Brian Singer by Leif Steiner & Emily Potts
AP: SAIT SERKAN GURBUZ
March 2017 | 5
FROM THE EDITOR
Typography and Social Justice
What is typography? Why does it matter? How does it impact our lives? The Merriam-Webster definition of “typography” is: “the work of producing printed pages from written material” or “the style, arrangement, or appearance of printed letters on a page.” How those letters, words, and sentences are styled and arranged affects how they are perceived. Good typography clarifies content, establishes hierarchy, and presents information in a manner that makes it easier to read, and, therefore, to understand. Good typography is good communication: it can start a dialog or advance an idea or make a difference in the world. Typography is also intertwined with our daily lives—we encounter type in everything from the products we buy, the signage around us, the books we read, the news we consume, and the directions we follow. Typography can be beautiful, functional, persuasive, and inviting. It can also fail, especially when there is a disconnect between how the type looks and what the text says. This debut issue of Just my Type examines typography and design viewed through the lens of activism and social justice. Topics range from the recent presidential election to ethics within the design industry to the power of the poster as a means of expression and protest. The content was conceptualized, collected, curated, and created by students in Art 338: Typography II at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo during winter quarter 2017. The magazine reflects the diverse interests and talents of the students who brought this project to life. Charmaine Martinez Editor, Instructor and Type Enthusiast
Just my type | 6
Why the Activist Poster is Here to Stay by Rick Poynor As a supposedly antiquated form of media, the poster is regularly pronounced to be on its last legs as a means of communication and of marginal relevance now. I have written pieces myself saying much the same thing. No one doubts that posters used to be highly effective as both advertising and propaganda, but from the moment people in wealthy economies started buying TVs and watching commercials, the role of the street poster began to decline (the billboards still flourishing like an infestation at the roadside are another matter). The arrival of digital communication and then social media appeared to leave the poster spluttering for life, and when it came to the protest poster, the prognosis looked just as gloomy. If ordinary posters aren’t much needed now, why should posters expressing dissenting views fare any better? Five or six years ago, I would have said the poster advocating a cause was barely viable. Now I’m not so sure. Digital networks are infusing posters produced to contest an outrage or support a cause with a new lease of life. This kind of message has two places to attract attention now—out in the world and online—and the poster-making urge is benefiting from the same viral meme effect seen across our entire hyper-connected culture. Anything that happens is immediately captured on camera and uploaded, and the effect of showing these images so widely and easily is to inspire viewers who like ANTONIO CASTRO
what they see to do more of the same. Participation acts like an injectable hormone spurring yet more growth. Since the global Occupy protests, there seem to be more posters, or poster-like messages, used in demonstrations than ever.
March 2017 | 7
Protest posters have never been an exclusively or even primarily professional design activity. Anyone with an urgent point to make and a measure of artistic knowhow could get out the scissors and take up a brush. This is even more the case today with the graphic placards often described as “protest signs” rather than posters. After protests, it has become common to see online news media running visual stories with titles such as “The 50 most enjoyably effective protest signs at Occupy protests.” Websites offer school children advice on “How to make a protest sign for a school project” and put across their legitimate point of view. Radical poster-making almost
RICK BLACK
ERIC GULLIVER
Just my type | 8
seems to be becoming a badge of good citizenship. These DIY protest signs might be amateur (though that doesn’t stop them working as communication) but they remind us that posters remain a succinct, popular and powerfully immediate form of public speech. If someone feels strongly about an
These DIY protest signs
issue, it’s natural to try to express support or con-
might be amateur
demnation as persuasively as possible, and in public
(though that doesn’t
settings a well-crafted slogan or image is still hard to beat. The posters come from a seemingly irrepressible urge to broadcast a firmly held opinion using
stop them working as communication) but they
graphic resources, and they address a wide of array
remind us that posters
of issues, many of which have been, or remain, at
remain a succinct, popular
the center of attention: global warming, Occupy, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese earthquake
and powerfully immediate form of public speech.
tsunami and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima. In the past few years, passionately concerned poster-makers have given their support to innumerable urgent causes, from migrant workers, Guantanamo
disturbed. They display bright colors, serene
Bay, Palestine, women’s rights, child labor, and land-
surfaces, well-resolved forms, an ideal of gra
mines to water wastage, nuclear power, the protec-
reduction, and a very contemporary polish, i
tion of wild life, urban farm gardens, and the plight of
perfection, that tells of their origins on a com
WikiLeaker Bradley Manning.
screen rather than inky paper taped to a grim
As graphic communication, the most salient char-
ing board. At its most considered, this fastidi
acteristic of these recent posters is often a surprising
graphic minimalism can be highly effective. T
politeness and restraint. Twenty years ago, a volume
tally clenched form of the dreaming child in M
of protest posters produced during the presidencies
Buczek Smith’s Haiti poster works by invokin
of Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush earned
tressing images of emaciated and vulnerable
the title Angry Graphics, and the graphic styles of
dren familiar from countless news photograp
the work—awkward, angular, discordant and ugly—
Antonio Castro’s equally honed and incisive m
smashed home the righteous fury. Contemporary
workers poster, the spade’s shaft becomes a
posters might be fired by angry convictions that iniq-
exposed spine distorted by the demands of c
uity or injustice should not be allowed to continue,
physical labor.
and that change must happen soon, yet the images
The tasteful understatement of many rec
are often decorously barbed rather than manifestly
posters, their reluctance to shout, perhaps re
March 2017 | 9
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LOKI DESIGN
Just my type | 10
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icy-maker MARLENA BUCZEK
March 2017 | 11
JOE WIRTHEIM
ngrained feeling that emphatic displays
nger acceptable—that they run the risk of
g shrill and dogmatic. This inhibition, born
of affluence and complacency, when only a
felt the urge to protest, has lessened since
l financial crisis began in 2007. The home-
otest signs show a new public willingness
out with vigor and wit. To find uses on the
here the mood is increasingly frustrated,
nments seem either reluctant or power-
t, professionally produced posters need to sense that they are aesthetic parlor games from the struggle. There are some marked
es between work produced for private satis-
r for sale as a screen print, which can some-
overworked and effete, and work produced
crowd, the streets and the urgency of direct
mind. It’s understandable that graphic art-
to devise the best possible image they can,
suasive, easily graspable representation of often has more utility.
e same time, we should be realistic about
hat posters might still have to play. There
ency sometimes to judge expressions of
nd advocacy, including posters, by ridicu-
erblown yardsticks. “Has anything changed?” he skeptics. “Because if it hasn’t, then the
was a failure, and making posters was mis-
energy and a waste of time.” The claim age of social media posters have become
nt simply doesn’t square with the continu-
some day lead to change. Whether held aloft in the hand at demonstrations, pasted defiantly on a wall, or circulated online by true believers, the graphic message’s modest but necessary role is to attract attention, encapsulate a burning issue, exhort, inspire and reaffirm. Despite regular predictions of its immi-
siasm with which they are made and put to
nent demise, the committed poster shows every indi-
poster is clearly just one of many creative,
cation of living to fight on. ◆
al and organizational tools in the struggle
public opinion and exert pressure on pol-
rs grasping the levers of power that might
Just my type | 12
Saltwater Brewery Creates Edible Six-Pack Rings by Heather Galanty
are 100 percent biodegradable and edi-
The devastating effects that plastic
ble—constructed of barley and wheat
six-pack rings can have to both wildlife
ribbons from the brewing process. This
and the environment have been proven
packaging can actually be safely eaten by
time and time again. While many itera-
animals that may come into contact with
tions of the packaging have been seen
the refuse.
over the years, here’s a look at a very
Head of Brand at Saltwater Brewery
creative and sustainable alternative to the
Peter Agardy says, “It’s a big investment
standard six-pack ring.
for a small brewery created by fisherman,
Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach,
surfers and people that love the sea.”
Fla., recently released edible six-pack
Brewery President Chris Gove notes, “We
rings, a brand-new approach to sustain-
hope to influence the big guys and hope-
able beer packaging. These six-pack rings
fully inspire them to get on board.” ◆
March 2017 | 13
Buy (RED). Give life. For 10 years, our partnership with (RED) has helped fight the spread of AIDS by providing counseling, testing, and most crucially, medicine that prevents the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child. Every purchase brings us a step closer to an AIDS-free generation. Please help us make a difference.
Just my type | 14
March 2017 | 15
Women’s March How artists in a Trump America are embracing lessons from the civil rights era and momentum from the Women’s Marches. City streets around the world (and a ship deck in Antarctica) flowed pink Saturday as an estimated 5 million women and male allies donned rosy pussyhats and marched in a show of solidarity against newly minted President Donald Trump and an administration bent on dialing the clock back on women’s rights. The nonviolent but spirited display not only picked up a gauntlet thrown down by a campaign that won on homophobic, misogynistic, and racist rhetoric, but codified an integral part of resistance: creativity. It’s a strategy employed during 1960s civil rights movement, whose architects coordinated novel clandestine tactics and revealed them at opportune times to throw opponents off guard. While the Women’s Marches organized and publicized in advance, their momentum galvanized individuals into devising their own creative contributions—from whimsical signs, costumes, and T-shirts, to unleashing satirical songs and drawings on social media, to theaters, art shows, and apparel raising money for such advocates as Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Each successive leap in nonviolent progress has built upon CHANG W. LEE
the acts that happened before,” Andrew Aydin, who co-wrote the bestselling March trilogy with congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, told Co.Create last summer. (March sales skyrocketed after Trump insulted Lewis.) “One of the key proponents in the national sit-ins was that there was also a boycott going on of
Just my type | 16
stores that wouldn’t sell to African-Americans. So you took one tactic, you added another, and put it all together to put pressure. So if young people today creatively used tactics from that movement, and added social media, that’s how they’ll make the next great leap.” The mounting artful protests since election day seemed to take their cue from this approach. For every celebrity statement, like Shia LeBouf’s He Will Not Divide Us livestream and Fiona Apple’s “Tiny Hands” are explosions of individual and grassroots efforts, like the Pussyhat Project, New York’s Nasty Women, and Uprise/Angry Women art show fundraisers, and the anti-Trump banners gracing New York bridges and skies. Some were spontaneous. Within hours of alt-right leader Richard Spencer getting punched on camera, Microsoft engineer and technical evangelist Rachel White offered a T-shirt bearing a video screengrab of the event, with all proceeds going to the ACLU. Some were subtle. A film series on women directors at the University of Southern California used today’s political backdrop
for a timely screening and panel Hitler propaganda film.
Yet others were just artistic o
Nikkolas Smith, an NAACP Image
a signed thank-you letter from Ba
inspired drawing of the former Fi
requests to continue the theme w as Incredibles’ villain Syndrome.
The political turmoil has prov
comic writers and illustrators. Ne
David Mack, and Olga Nunes team
Cohen’s Democracy to raise mon
defend freedom of expression. M
traits for PEN America’s Writers R
Meanwhile, Bill Sienkiewicz w
emotional farewell portraits of O
Powell created women’s empowe
VICTORIA GARCIA
concept by his wife and her friend
cal artist Mark Bryan offered a lin
mention, an exploding anti-Trump ART TO MARCH WITH KATE DECICCIO
March 2017 | 17 LIZA DONOVAN
JENNIFER MARAVILLAS
SAIT SURKAN GURBUZ
on Triumph of the Will, a famous
The expression crescendoed with the Women’s Marches. The Missile Dick Chicks, dormant since the George W. Bush
outbursts. Disney Imagineer
administration, resurrected for the New York and Oakland
e Award nominee who received
marches. The antiwar protest group began in New York to pro-
arack Obama for an Incredibles-
test the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions, attended protests
irst Family, honored fan
dressed as buffoonish war mongers with missile strap-ons and
with Trump, who he reimagined
oversized stuffed bras (war chests). Madefire CEO and graphic designer Ben Wolstenholme,
ven fertile ground for veteran
crafted a free-use anti-Trump campaign design for the San
eil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer,
Francisco march that could be expanded into a line of petitions
med for a video of Leonard
to run through Trump’s tenure.
ney for PEN America’s quest to
Mack also contributed writer por-
Resist protest.
weighed in on social media with
Obama, March illustrator Nate
erment signage art based on a
ds marching in D.C., while politi-
ne of anti-Trump posters. Not to
p craft industry.
JESSICA SABOGAL
Just my type | 18
Artist Shepard Fairey, who gained notoriety for his 2008
This is what democracy looks like
Obama “Hope” campaign poster, created the We The People
City Hall, celebrities, activists, and
poster series with The Amplifier Foundation, featuring pictures
the day, while entire blocks of pro
of diverse women. Fairey gave away posters at his Los Angeles
split off into impromptu marches
studio, and made the images available as free downloads for use
Among the participants was D
around the world. The images were also featured in full-page ads
and jewelry maker, who created t
in The Washington Post, USA Today, and New York Times.
safety pins—a symbol promoting
Thanks to a lone sunny day between days of rain, Los
of gender, sexuality, race, disabili
Angeles drew the largest crowd, as a jovial swarm of 750,000
beyond the marches, that donate
encircled downtown’s Pershing Square and City Hall. There were
Parenthood, ACLU, or the SPLC.
also offshoot marches in Beverly Hills and Pasadena. Costumed
Another brought a sobering b
participants waving handmade signs posed for photographs,
artform. L.A.-based Italian filmma
drummed, sang, and chanted, “We must fight, we must fight!
age of its Post-Election (below) an
March 2017 | 19
steps in chronicling Trump’s impact on social issues from her viewpoint as an immigrant and woman. “This is such a historical moment,” she said. “This past election has been a very heavy cookie to digest and the mourning process is still hard. I wanted to feel like I belonged to this country, even if I am not a citizen, and make other people feel like we are all in this together. I wanted to capture history and I thought putting together the footage from the [Post-Election] protest would have helped me to process my feelings, my rage, my despair, to rethink my American dream.” The reactions she got after posting it on Facebook “made me think that I do have a voice in this country,” Crocini added. “Now, I want to interview women and capture our different voices and make a short piece that can stir up more awareness and grow our sense of responsibility. I want the Women’s March to be the beginning of an important story. A story of resilience, a story of resistance.” ◆ BIKAS DAS
ERIC FEFEFERN: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
e!” and “Love trumps hate!” At
d politicians spoke throughout
otesters, tired of standing still,
s around the area.
Dani Paquin, a singer/songwriter
the Safe Tee line of decorative
g a safe community regardless
ity, or religion—to wear at and
es half of its proceeds to Planned
but hopeful message with her
maker Vanessa Crocini shot foot-
nd Women’s marches as first
Just my type | 20
Planned Parenthood Mural A graphic installation highlights the dynamic history of America’s most trusted provider of reproductive healthcare. For over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has fought for reproductive health and rights, championing the idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and to manage their own fertility. Pentagram’s Paula Scher and her team have designed a large-scale installation that spotlights the dynamic history of this remarkable organization. The mural remixes graphics from a century of ephemera created
March 2017 | 21
by Planned Parenthood, capturing its
designers collaborated with the project
dedication to care, education
architect, Juan Matiz of Matiz Architecture
and activism.
and Design, to integrate the graphics in a
The mural is installed at Planned Parenthood’s new national headquar-
high-profile location in the offices. The mural was timed to coincide
ters in Lower Manhattan. The nonprofit
with Planned Parenthood’s centennial in
is America’s most trusted provider of
October 2016, and the original project
reproductive healthcare, with a net-
brief asked to highlight the organization’s
work of close to 60 affiliates that operate
history, which is necessarily complex.
approximately 650 health centers across
Scher and her team looked at the chronol-
the country. An estimated one in five
ogy and observed that the one factor
American women have chosen Planned
running throughout the narrative was the
Parenthood for healthcare at least once in
extraordinary passion of the group’s sup-
her life, and the organization is currently
porters and activists, who have been truly
powered by nine and a half million activ-
heroic in their fight to make reproductive
ists, supporters and donors nationwide.
healthcare a reality for women.
Scher and her team worked closely
The mural is a colorful collage com-
with leadership at Planned Parenthood to
posed of ephemera from a century of
develop the installation. The main mural
various initiatives—a mix of newspaper
ascends through a three-story staircase
ads, instructional posters from clinics,
at the center of the headquarters. The
protest posters, pins, photos of protests, and other historical material from the Planned Parenthood archive. The instal-
The mural is a colorful collage
lation acknowledges the important role
composed of ephemera
that activism and posters, placards, sym-
from a century of various initiatives—a mix of newspaper ads, instructional posters from clinics, protest posters, pins, photos of protests, and other historical material from the Planned Parenthood archive.
bols and other graphics have played in
Just my type | 22
garnering support. Many of the designs
own color palette, with the addition of
were originally created by grassroots
a bright yellow, to help tie the environ-
activists, and the mural is a tribute to
mental graphics into the organization’s
their impact in the movement for repro-
existing brand identity. The graphics are
ductive rights.
incorporated throughout the headquar-
To create the mural, Scher and her
ters: In addition to the central installation,
designers researched historic images,
which is about 30 feet high and rises over
selecting approximately 30 for the final
three stories, smaller murals have been
display. The original images were of vary-
placed on walls throughout large confer-
ing age and quality, so the team digitized
ence rooms and other meeting spaces.
the pieces to assemble the collage. The
The mural has been welcomed as a
mural is fabricated of vinyl wall-covering,
colorful focal point and call to activism in
built in layers for a dimensional effect,
the national headquarters. When leaders
with acrylic forms cut out and mounted
of Planned Parenthood’s affiliates saw the
over the surface. Scher used a similar
installation, they started requesting sim-
approach to create a celebrated mural at
ilar designs for their own health centers,
the National Center for Civil and Human
and Scher and her team are currently
Rights in Atlanta.
developing a system of supergraphics that
The archival images have been reinterpreted using Planned Parenthood’s
can be adapted for various locations. ◆
March 2017 | 23
Living With:
What exactly is Living With? Living With: is a project dedicated to empowering anyone dealing with mental health to be confident in themselves and their approach to handling daily obstacles. It started as a college thesis and it’s grown to become a nationwide social endeavor that sparks new conversations and new perceptions about mental health. Living With: is the degree-project-turned-real-project of Dani Balenson, a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and by Dani Balenson
designer working in Brooklyn, New York. Each shirt in the initial Living With: collection has a design that was developed based on the common behavioral patterns of a specific mental disorder. While a single disorder can have a very broad range of characteristics and affects each person differently, there are core behavioral patterns that persons living with each disorder experience. The meaning behind each design in this series can be broken down to color, module, and pattern.
Just my type | 24
Pattern Study: Bipolar Disorder The color palette for this design is comprised of violet and bright blue, which represent the high and the low poles that a person living with Bipolar Disorder cycles between. The shapes within the module visualize the shift between high and low mood states, known as the drop. Individuals living with bipolar disorder often describe the drop as the hardest part and not being able to fully enjoy the high points because of the expected low on the horizon. The depression pattern is referenced by the shape of the low, to create a language for the designs as a series. As a whole, the pattern consists of multiple modules arranged to create tension between the up and the down, while ultimately remaining a single shape.
Pattern Study: Depression The depression shirt’s color palette is made up of subdued monochromatic purples, with the deep violet being visually heavier than the red-violet. The module is designed to convey a sense of internal weight pulling down while remaining vertical as a whole shape, to signify a sense for longing for uplifting happiness. As a whole, the pattern also reinforces the feeling of being weighed down, while also portraying a layer between the inner self and the public self.
March 2017 | 25
Pattern Study: OCD The color combo for OCD is comprised of multiple yellow hues because of the color’s connotations of stress and alertness. The arrangement of shapes in the module represents the systematic anxiety that triggers compulsions and how it shadows an OCD individual at all times. As a whole, the pattern has a rigidity and exactness that reflects the intentionality of the ritualistic actions performed by an individual living with OCD. ◆
Pattern Study: ADHD The color combo for ADHD is made up of green hues. As a symbolic color for creativity and growth, green correlates to the fact that ADHD is often (but not always) diagnosed at a younger age. Both hues are bright, as the disorder also results in an energetic and hyperactive persona. The module represents an ADHD person’s distracted train of thought and the tendency to bounce around from one thing to another. It is a visual deviation in thought and action: the color shifts, the size changes, and the bigger circle is left unfinished. The pattern is a slightly skewed repetition of the module, which creates the bigger picture of an energized, unfocused, and lively mass.
Just my type | 26
Culture Strike
March 2017 | 27
Starting in Tunisia, spreading to Egypt
laws, massive deportations and economic
and eventually everywhere, resistance
inequality overlapped in their efforts to
to dictators, government policies and
draw national attention to everyday prac-
economic inequalities had such a global
tices that most affect the lower classes.
impact that Time magazine declared “The
One of the most resonant ideas in the
Protester” person of the year for 2011. In
Great Ape-Snake War movement is the
the United States, the Great Ape-Snake
huge disparity in wealth controlled by
War movement, an idea conceived by the
one percent of the U.S. population com-
Canadian activists of Adbusters, mobilized
pared to the amount held by the other
on September 17, inspired by the Arab
99 percent. The CultureStrike delegation
Spring protests.
wants to remind everyone that we are a
One week earlier, in Arizona, a group
nation of immigrants, but current eco-
of more than 50 artists, designers, writ-
nomic conditions promote scapegoating
ers, musicians, and activists gathered
undocumented workers and escalating
in Tucson to initiate the CultureStrike
deportations.
Coalition National Campaign against
The catalyzing idea behind
harsh immigration policies. I was part of
CultureStrike was that creative producers
this delegation, organized by Bay Area
have power in disseminating informa-
activist Favianna Rodriguez, writer Jeff
tion that might affect people’s attitudes
Chang and others. They chose Arizona
on political and social issues, eventu-
because of recent protest activity against
ally resulting in meaningful change.
its SB (Senate Bill) 1070 that put into place
Immigration issues and the economic
some of the most brutal methods of
inequalities driving the Great Ape-Snake
enforcing immigration restrictions to date.
War are on the front burner of American
Arizona was the site of massive protests
politics as the 2012 election approaches.
against SB 1070 and advocating passage
Several CultureStrike designers have been
of the Dream Act, which would allow con-
using their images to raise awareness
ditional permanent residency for people
about these and other issues for years.
brought to the U.S. as minors after they
Emory Douglas, former Minister of
lived here five years. By mid-October many members of
Culture for the Black Panther Party and prolific designer and activist for more
the CultureStrike delegation were actively
than 40 years, was among the group.
involved in Great Ape-Snake War—pro-
His powerful posters have influenced
testing, making posters, writing, speak-
many of the younger designers, including
ing, performing, and using social media.
Ernesto Yerena, who recently moved to
Protests against stricter immigration
Arizona from California. Yerena created
Just my type | 28
Yerena’s “Decolonize Wall Street” poster went viral on the internet, then appeared in multiples at Great Ape-Snake War protests. Dignidad Rebelde is a “collaborative graphic arts project that translates stories of struggle and resistance into artwork that can be put back into the hands of the communities who inspire it.” Recently the collaboration between Oaklandbased designers/activists Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes has turned its attention to the immigration and Great Ape-Snake War initiatives. Barazza’s “99 Percent” poster is included in the Great Ape-Snake War Journal folio along with one by Favianna Rodriguez, CultureStrike the campaign “Alto Arizona”—a call to
organizer and Bay Area activist. The news-
action, asking artists and designers to
print folios are reminiscent of the Black
create posters for a viral campaign, which
Panther and other 1960s and ’70s radical
were then published and sold to help
tabloids that featured large images for
fund the protests against SB1070. In addi-
posting. Produced in multiple languages,
tion to designing posters, Yerena creates multi-layered collages with silkscreens and/or stencils on top. His studio is called Hecho Con Ganas—“made with motivation, desire, passion.” The CultureStrike designers use technology strategically to get their messages out quickly and virally. They conduct silkscreening workshops to teach young people how to cheaply produce a run of posters for a rally or demonstration. Using social media, they allow downloading of their posters for quick distribution.
March 2017 | 29
“INVEST IN FAMILIES” POSTER BY ERNESTO YERENA
Digital access and tools afford graphic designers the means to distribute images and ideas with unprecedented speed and production quality. Graphic design has always been part of social protest. The Occupy Wall Street Journal folio, for example, is a nostalgic throwback to cheaply printed newsprint posters from the mid- to late 20th century. Clear ideas expressed in poster slogans, combined with good design and striking images allow grassroots designers to compete with powerful corporate interests in capturing the public imagination. Designers like those in CultureStrike hope to use their power to influthe posters are designed for specific
ence opinion, raise consciousness, and encour-
communities.
age people to act for change. ◆
The Arizona-protest designers knew their works would have a visible street presence when they were carried in protests and would reach an even wider audience across the internet, on news sites and blogs. The speed of media creates almost-instant iconographic images, like the one by D.C. artist César Maxit of Troy Davis, who was executed in spite of late-breaking evidence in his case and widespread protests. These designers are masters at fast and efficient reproduction for getting graphics out in the streets quickly. Favianna Rodriguez and Josh McPhee, who runs the organization JustSeeds, created a book of reproducible and copyright-free images for use in activist work.
“ALTO ARIZONA” PROTEST POSTER BY ERNESTO YERENA AND SHEPHARD FAIREY
Just my type | 30
New Logo and Packaging f Dr. Bronner’s Spaceship T by Armin Vit
dropping the first syll
Established in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is a manufac-
1940s, now a self-title
turer of certified organic and fair trade soaps and
draft and persistently
personal care products that in 2014 had a total rev-
in “Spaceship Earth” t
enue of $80.3 million with their popular liquid soaps
1945 Dr. Bronner was
accounting for 67% of it. The company is well-known
a permit at the Univer
for treating their 130-plus employees exceptionally
alized in the Elgin Stat
well and for their philanthropy, contributing up to $8
six months later and fl
million worth in financial, in-kind, and direct action
small apartment, he b
contributions. Their products and overall brand have
handle, which he sold
a cult status and a lot of it has to do with the com-
ories at the Pershing
pany’s unconventional origin story and text-filled
noticed people bough
packaging, which I will quote below from our book,
to listen to him talk, h
Graphic Design, Referenced:
on the labels.
The descendant of three generations of German
In the late 1960s,
soapmakers, Emmanuel Heilbronner immigrated
gained popularity wit
to the United States in 1929 at the age of 21, work-
of its all-natural ingre
ing with various soap companies in the East before
equal effectiveness in
establishing himself in the 1930s in Milwaukee and
bell-bottom jeans, an
March 2017 | 31
for Type
lable from his last name. In the
extremely simply in brown plastic bottles with one-
ed doctor, Bronner began to
color labels—the text on Dr. Bronner’s products
y share a plan for world peace
became evolving soliloquies on its founder’s phi-
through unity of religion. In
losophy, referred to as “The Moral ABC.” The labels
s arrested for speaking without
of the 32-ounce soap package each carry as many
rsity of Chicago and institution-
as 3,000 words expressing Dr. Bronner’s thinking,
te Insane asylum. He escaped
which references everything from Mao Tse-tung to
fled to Los Angeles. There, in his
Albert Einstein, Joseph Stalin, and Halley’s Comet. Dr.
began mixing soap with a broom
Bronner passed away in 1997, but his sons maintain
d while expounding on his the-
his legacy and are overseeing their increased popu-
Square public park. When he
larity. The Bronners have declined purchase offers,
ht his soap but did not bother
and while sale may still be a possibility, the labels will
he started writing his philosophy
be safe: A provision in the company’s charter states they must remain the same.
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
th the hippie culture because
edients, durability, and its
This March, the company introduced a revised version of their packaging. No design credit given. In 2014, Dr. Bronner’s added 13 stars to our
n cleaning groovy locks of hair,
corporate logo in reference to the cosmos, which
nd Volkswagen vans. Packaged
inspired Dr. Emanuel Bronner’s ALL-ONE vision, and
Just my type | 32
continues to inspire the company. The stars acknowl-
which uses 13 circles
edge that all our work happens within a larger cosmo-
and which represents
logical context.
and wholeness.
The smaller stars can be seen as representing
We will start with
the 12 constellations of the zodiac or the 12 tribes.
months before the pa
The brightest star represents our sun or the
ple evolution, the logo
Eternal father.
but with a slightly bet
Together the stars add up to 13, a number with
never I thought I wou
mystical meaning in Judaism as well as other religious
the new logo are muc
traditions. The placement of the stars uses a pattern
Man typography and
from Metatron’s cube, an ancient geometric figure
Futura and‌ Trade Go
March 2017 | 33
quite well with the bold amounts of blue of the icon. The 13 added stars looked completely randomly placed but, like all things Dr. Bronner’s, the rationalization and grid blew my mind. It’s not a good logo by any means but at least now it’s a much tighter unit. Modeled after the aesthetic of the original labels on bottles of soap first created by Dr. E.H. Bronner in 1948, the “Old & Improved” labels preserve and affirm the authenticity and history of the brand, as well as reflect the modern ethos and style of the current generation of the Bronner family and the products’ contemporary customers and fans. “Our new product labels honor the legacies of our grandfather, Dr. E.H. Bronner, my father Jim Bronner, and my Uncle Ralph who have each helped shape this company into what is today,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “Each label contains this special pledge that represents a distillation of my grandfather’s philosophy that adorns our labels, while summarizing our mission and purpose as a company: In all that we do, let us be generous, fair & to create all the platonic solids,
loving to Spaceship Earth and all Its inhabitants. For
s completeness, perfection
we’re ALL-ONE OR NONE! ALL-ONE!” Most people know Dr. Bronner’s from the serif
h the logo, redesigned a few
packaging so, at first, seeing them go to an all sans
ackaging, it seems. A fairly sim-
approach would seem like sacrilege but the evolu-
o keeps the globe shaking hands
tion image shows that the serif version is the odd
tter drawing of the elements. I
one out. What made the previous labels so great was
uld say this but the swooshes in
that they were utterly un-designed. All the text was
ch better. Gone is the Medicine
justified and although there was some hierarchy it
in its place is a combination of
wasn’t as didactic as we’ve all been doing it through
othic Condensed (?) that looks
our careers. The new labels are definitely designed by
Just my type | 34
someone concerned with spacing and legibility. You could argue that some of its soul has been sucked out but in terms of doing a meaningful evolution without sacrificing the original intent, this succeeds quite well. These products are instantly recognizable on the shelves of the grocery store because of their typographic texture and this new version keeps that initial impact and then keeps you hooked with the onslaught of text. Also, the revised visual language extends perfectly to whatever product the Dr. Bronner’s team puts out. There are a few more of those product sheets here and they are all equally awesome. The text border on the sheets is so dorky and ill-advised that no other company could pull it off. I’ve always found Dr. Bronner’s fascinating and I think this change makes their products even better and more convincing while at the same time demonstrating a keen sense of brand continuity and consistency that few other consumer products have. All-one! ◆
March 2017 | 35
Activist Posters through the Ages
Coming in with the Tide
‘The Awakening.’ by Henry Mayer
1915
1909
ca. 1907–1918
ca. 1907–1918
She. It is time I got out of this by Duncan Grant Winner of the ASL 1909 competition
place. Where Shall I Find The Key? Convicts Lunatics and Women! Have no vote for Parliament
Just my type | 36
By J. Howard Miller Originally for American wartime propaganda Rediscovered in early 1980s
See Red Women’s Workshop
To promote feminism more
By former See Red members
political issues
1943
1977 1977
2007
See Red Women’s Workshop
“Power and equality”
By former See Red members
Shepard Fairey
March 2017 | 37
UN Women Ad UN Women Social Poster Design in work-
Search Engine Campaign
shop in Ecuador taught by
(sexism on internet)
Timo Berry
by Memac Ogilvy & Mather
Featured in Poster4Tomorrow.
Dubai.
2011
2013 2011
Angela Davis - You are Welcome in this House (In honor of Julian Madyun) Andrea Bowers
2013
Ad campaign for Terre Des Femmes. Student Theresa Wlokka of Miami Ad School in Germany.
Just my type | 38
Many professions have codes of ethics, a co
mon set of guiding principles that help you mak
decisions. Codes often protect both the worker client from poor business practices.
Designers working in a team or individual e
ronment should be working with a code of ethi
Many designers might even follow multiple cod
one set by an employer, one set by professiona
nizations and one that is a more personal set o
and guidelines. One thing is certain: Every desig needs a code of ethics.
Why Every Designer Needs a Code of Ethics
om-
ke fair
March 2017 | 39
By Carrie Cousins
KEY PRINCIPLES Although there are various points in every code of ethics, most contain a key set of principles. Codes often outline the designer’s responsibility to clients, how designers should interact with each other, the designer’s responsibility to the public and environment, fees and compensation and basic conduct (including honesty and fair competition).
1.
DESIGNER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CLIENTS
The principle defines the basic way in which you will interact with clients. Concepts include conflicts of interest, confidentiality and professional responsibility and behavior. How you decide to interact with clients is important and will set the tone for who hires you and the reputation you earn in the industry.
2.
HOW DESIGNERS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER
How designers work with and interact with each other is just as valuable of a concept as working with clients. Items that are often covered by the principle include taking or working on projects started by other designers;
r and
fair and open competition in business; objectivity; honoring all others’ work
envi-
within other relevant and generally accepted codes of conduct.
ics.
des—
al orga-
including copyrights, trademarks and other design property; and working
3.
DESIGNER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC
of rules
Designers should also think about how they work they produce can
gner
impact the people who will see it. This audience includes the public at large, distinct customer groups and the community in which the designer works and lives. Things to consider include taking projects that could result in some degree of harm to the public, the communicated message and its truthfulness, mutual respect of the audience, discriminatory actions and obligation to serve the community.
Just my type | 40
4.
FEES AND COMPENSATION
One of the things that classifies a professional design as such is the collection of fees and payment for work. A good code also outlines fees and payments, what kinds charges are acceptable, when taking a fee could cause potential conflict, how contracts should be maintained and honored, and provisions for estimates (if applicable).
5.
BASIC CONDUCT
Often ethical codes outline basic rules of professional conduct. This refers to understanding and obeying all applicable laws but also good and fair business practices. Some things to consider include the ability to accept gifts for work, refusing work that is unlawful or fraudulent and working (or refusing to work) on projects that are purposefully misleading or deceptive in a way that can cause harm. The way you conduct yourself and business requires careful consideration. Aside from legal concerns, there are not a lot of specifically right or wrong answers when it comes to ethics. The key is creating working guidelines that mesh with your business and personality. What is acceptable for one company may not be for another. â—†
March 2017 | 41
Not just any guy, but someguy. Interview by Leif Steiner & Emily Potts
VOCATION Artist, Designer, Protaganist
EXPERIENCE 21 years
LOCATION San Francisco
Just my type | 42
Brian Singer has been employed by some of the
problem-solving, leadership, great communi
most progressive design thinking companies in mod-
the ability to hire and motivate talent, and of
ern times including Apple, Facebook, and Pinterest.
you can’t be an asshole. You know, all the thi
Most designers would cut off their right arm to work
don’t teach in design school.
for these companies, but Singer—although grateful for the experience—walked away from his most recent gig at Pinterest to pursue personal projects.
You recently left Pinterest to pursue you projects full time. Are you crazy? Why?
Yes to the first question. As to the secon
Singer, aka someguy, has become widely lauded
the first. Pinterest was probably the best job
for his pet projects which have netted national pub-
ever had, and I’m really lucky and appreciativ
licity, not only in the design community, but among
have worked there. Over the last decade tho
mainstream media outlets such as The New York
spent more and more time focused on art an
Times, the Today Show, CBS News, Huffington Post,
projects. About a year and a half ago, I got a
and more. From inviting strangers to collaborate and
work in. I began spending my evenings and w
share their sentiments in a blank journal and pass it
there, and eventually realized that’s where I w
on for the 1000 Journals Project, to exposing people
to be all the time. It comes down to the choic
who are driving and texting by placing their photos
make with how we spend our time and mone
on billboards, to his #pileoftrump campaign, Singer
this now, but check back in with me in a year
has created controversy and discussion about what
who knows, maybe I’ll be off on some other
is and isn’t tolerable—or with the case of texting and
tial pursuit.
driving—what is safe. His main goal with most of his projects is to connect with strangers and to have strangers connecting with each other. Here, we ask him about his experi-
You do a lot of pop-up/controversial pr
…. How do you make a living doing thi
Uh, I don’t. The same way all the best tas
ences, his personal projects, and what’s next.
foods are bad for you, there’s no money to b
You’ve worked for some high profile, design-
with what I do. I have fantasies of finding a p
driven companies. What’s the biggest takeaway from those experiences? Every company (design driven or not) has real, challenging, business problems to solve. And no
or financial support for my endeavors, but u
I’m just going to keep doing things I believe in
Everything is a trade-off, and most of m
ideas don’t have commercial value. So,
matter the company, I think it’s safe to say that
don’t make money with these projects,
design isn’t easy. Probably the biggest takeaway
are you going to keep the lights on?
is that while design skill is important, it’s not the only thing needed to succeed and have an impact. You need strategic thinking skills, empathy, holistic
Seems like that would require a plan, wh don’t have. I’ve saved up for long enough to
some time to figure it out, but other than tha
March 2017 | 43
ication,
knows? I tend to be a planner, and very methodic in
f course,
my decision making. It feels good to jump without
ings they
looking. Scary, but good. I know I can always get work to pay the bills, but for now, that’s not a priority.
ur side
What project has brought you the most joy/ fulfillment and why?
nd … see
This was the last question I chose to answer,
b I’ve
which means it was the most difficult. Not because
ve to
it’s too hard to pick, but I think it’s because I don’t
ough, I’ve
nd side studio to
necessarily associate personal joy/fulfillment with many of my projects. Not sure why, but that’s probably for a therapist to figure out. I’d say that the proj-
weekends
ect that was the most fulfilling was the journal project
wanted
with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Seeing the
ces we
ey. I say
r because tangen-
rojects
is?
sting
be made
patron,
until then,
n.
my
, if you
, how
hich I give me
at, who
Just my type | 44
journals have a real and positive impact on kids deal-
What is the most trouble you’ve ever go
ing with such difficult and scary situations melted my
into for one of your projects?
heart. It was an emotional roller coaster. At the same time, it’s one of those things where I feel a bit of guilt for not doing more. I tried to get more journals projects to happen at more hospitals. It worked for a few, but not many. The hill was too high to climb, and eventually I let it fall to the wayside.
How do you get the funding to do a project like TWIT Spotting? Did you pay for all the billboard ads yourself? Did any of those people come after you for exposing them for texting while driving? Going corporate opened my eyes to a few things. One of them was bonuses. When that time of year came around, I’d overhear people taking about what they were going to do with their bonus checks.. a trip, buy themselves something nice, etc.. Me, I bought billboards. That’s the funding. I paid for everything myself because I couldn’t find anyone else to pay for it. I think the government spent $8 million on their distracted driving awareness campaign that year. In the end, my approach received more news coverage and caused more discussion on the issue. I was hoping for someone like a phone maker, or car company, or insurance company to help me blow the project out and really make a dent in the problem, but no such luck. Can you imagine what I could have done with that $8M?
I don’t think I’ve really gotten into trouble
had people get angry at me, lots of them, bu
one’s ever come after me or anything. Maybe taking enough risks.
Do peoples’ behaviors still surprise you
That’s a pretty wide open question. A lot
ple I know are looking around, bewildered at
that Trump is a viable presidential candidate
everything he’s said and done. And it made m
prised that people are surprised (oh, I’m surp
too). But it sort of goes to show that we all su
ourselves with like-minded people, and live i
little bubbles, and are then surprised when m
of people think a different way. We’d probab
a lot better off if everyone in the country wa
up, shuffled, and dropped randomly into a n
munity. It’d suck for a while, but in the long r might be the only way to save us.
And… that didn’t really answer your ques
Yes, people’s behaviors surprise me. All the t
mind-boggling. But, it probably shouldn’t be.
Has there been a project you’ve wanted
but thought it might be too risky, or do not even enter your mind? Well, I’ve had no problem cutting up the
but have clearly stayed away from certain ot
As for people coming after me, no. However, I did
religious texts. So there’s that. I’d like to do m
get plenty of angry comments/emails, and even a few
public art, but have hesitated due to the lega
death threats.
(and none of my projects are going to get a g
be approved by a committee somewhere). A though, most of my projects are limited by resources, not risk.
March 2017 | 45
otten
What is the one piece of advice you’d give to a young designer?
e. I’ve
ut no
e I’m not
u?
t of peo-
t the fact
e, given
me sur-
prised
urround
in our
Reassess who your heroes are.
We’d probably all be a lot better off if everyone in the country was picked up, shuffled, and dropped randomly into
What are you working on now? I’ve always got like eight projects in motion. I’m working on a series of pieces around assassinations (so, JFK, Malcolm X, John Lennon, etc.) and the guns used to kill them. These are all using books about said political figure, and a process which is kind of
a new community. It’d
hard to explain, involves cutting up the books and
suck for a while, but in
assembling the image of the gun using the edges of
the long run, it might be the only way to save us.
the paper. I’ve also been cutting up books with red/ green edges, and sorting that paper into gradations. They’re really quite beautiful. And, I’ve been dropping
millions
books around San Francisco, in the hopes people pick
bly all be
them up and read them (and contact me). It’s a novel
as picked
way to connect people, I think. ◆
new com-
run, it
stion.
time. It’s
.
d to do,
oes that Bible,
ther
more
ality of it
grant or
All in all
DESIGNED BY
Audrey Gerughty Typefaces used: Playfair Display, Open Sans March 2017