Feminism Still Matters II by Cecilia S

HOW CAN GRAPHIC DESIGN HELP PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT FEMINISM IS STILL RELEVANT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE?

PGDIPDVC 2013 Cecilia Serafini Unit 5 Final Outcome

RESEARCH QUESTION / DESIGN AREA

RESEARCH METHODS

OUTCOME AND AUDIENCE

REFERENCES

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

RESEARCH QUESTION AND DESIGN AREA

How can graphic design promote the fact that feminism is still relevant among young people? Looking at my initial question from a distance I can now see how broad it sounds. About a month ago, while writing my proposal, I stated that I was interested in activist and editorial design as my focus areas. Initially I was planning on doing a set of posters destined to cover the walls of the city and raise consciousness about Feminism and the fact that it still matters. I had even started experimenting with the split ink pad method I have mentioned in the past. These

posters were going to be complemented by a website where people could get information about current facts and news about feminism. My goal was to graphically communicate that Feminism is not something to be scared about. However, I started realising that a poster campaign would not be able to achieve the conceptual outcome I was going after. I decided to go ahead with the website, because I will never be able to take Liz McQuiston’s words about low and high technologies fusing together in currentday activism out of my head; but it was in the Anarchist Book Fair last month where I decided what my final outcome should be: a fanzine (or a fanzine-inspired publication, in my own words). My decision was mainly based on the fact that I wanted my project to be more concise. One of the hardest tasks for me is to edit down my ideas and realise what is actually possible given the resources and the time I’ve got in my hands. Consequently, I decided to narrow down my target audience (which originally was 18-25 girls and boys –again,

very broad-), and therefore draw clearer limits on my project and outcome. The fact that I suddenly had a more specific audience helped coming up with a visual language. I would now be trying to engage young people who are not necessarily involved in politics or any kind of activism but could potentially be interested in doing it. In a few words (which will be developed in the following sections of the book), I would be creating strong, loud and low tech graphics, but still accesible enough that would still be appealing to people that are no used to that kind of design. During the whole of these two last units I have therefore been doing research and experimenting with techniques that will add an incredible amount of value to my knowledge and my portfolio, and will be very useful in achieving my professional goals. On one hand, when applying for the Masters programme next year I stated in my proposal that I would love to continue doing research on printed media as a

means of social change, and how low tech printing is making a huge comeback. My approach will now be different having actually used letterpress and the Risograph for my experimentations and outcome. On the other hand, I would like to pursue a career in editorial design; so adding pieces of printed media to my portfolio can only help me get there.

From left to right: details of (1) NY ROCKER fanzine, (2) SLASH fanzine, (3) THE SLITS fanzine and (4) THE MORRIZINE fanzine. These are all examples of what I mean when I say â&#x20AC;&#x153;traditional zinesâ&#x20AC;?. Truly low-tech -some of them more than others-, made out of photocopies and random miscelanea. Next Spread: (5) and (6) are pages from the feminist zine Riot Grrrl.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

RESEARCH METHODS After having a serious period of doubts about my final outcome, I decided that only by experimenting and trying out different alternatives I would be able to define a coherent path on my project. I decided to discard the split ink pad posters that I had initially planned for my main outcome because they didn’t fit in naturally with the rest of the pieces I wanted to make. I started thinking about graphic elements and tools that would seem attractive to young people, always having the activist design part very present. As secondary source of research, I browsed through the graphics of dozens of designers and institutions; from Occupy Wall Street to the Fachklasse University’s brochure for potential students. Basically, I got an insight of both worlds –designing for young people and designing for activism purposeshoping to create my own visual language. However, it was the primary research –the visual experimentation- that led me to define a final outcome for my project. Due to my research and to my visit to the Anarchist Book Fair in London during September, I thought a fanzine would be an interesting outcome. The fanzine is an immediate and quick form of publication but also has the added value that it can remain and last as long as any other printed piece. Its low cost –both in time and money- and its strong visual component were facts

that made me think a fanzine would naturally fit with my concept. It is ideal for communicating messages to younger audiences (reference) and it should be cheap to produce (which makes sense if we are talking about activism). During my first tests I tried to create a classic fanzine, like the ones shown in the previous pages. This was lost due to an unfortunate incident with my computer, but it made me realise that traditional zines appeal a very limited audience, usually people that are already interested in fanzines and not much more. As Sonja Commentz outlines in Behind the Zines: Self Publishing Culture, a fanzine can create “an exclusive club, protected by bouncers of aesthetics and awareness, i.e., limited to those qualified to appreciate it. […] In this, the idea of limitation appropriates principles from the art realm […] crossbred with a touch of underground elitism, of not being part of the mass-produced, interchangeable, and infinitely available mainstream”. Consequently, I figured I could still take the elements of the fanzine that I considered interesting and useful, and discard the rest. My final outcome was a consequence of the simultaneous primary and secondary research I did during the last month. On one hand, I started designing my fanzine-inspired publication-I figured I would explore and create a visual language through the design of the publication and then I could apply it to the website or to any other graphic piece that I chose-. On the other hand, I started reading about fanzines and self-publishing culture, which led me to realise I had plenty of choices material-wise, and therefore brought me to the beautiful and quirky Risograph.

From left to right (7) Occupy Times, (8) Fachslasse University Brochure for potential students of Graphic Design and (9) Occupy Times. What inspired me about the Occupy Newspaper was the image treatement and the uniqueness of the display font. The university brochure is an example of an ongoin way of presenting a publication, which is to include several publicatins in one. I believe this makes the whole piece more interesting and object-like, and is more likely to catch the eye than a regular publication.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

From left to right and top to bottom, images (10), (11), (12) and (13) are some examples of what self publishing looks like nowadays and what inspired me for my final outcome.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters #1 / WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE Page 3. Why do we need more women leaders. Page 7. Laura Bates Met am, inus, odiantur as sus, ullenis et, sunt as cus entotat eniataquo des ea cum el mo occae nusdaes sequidi conecto blabor aut anissum fugiat. Page 10. Apereptati audae aut occullo reriatis ex eaque volore nonsequis modiossitia quis etur samus. Page 15. Lut et que sequodit eari reseruptat aut eveles res eum ipic temquias ipit eruptatur? Qui utate corepudant earia velloreped evenis alignam doluptas nullum quam re, volupit asperibusto idente dolo vollace atibus sam erro te es excessi cus sincturita id et eum con nobis id exerumqui rem et Or atiore nis aces aut repressin paris conseque resequis eum as est experum sed quat rerferum nobis et omnisquis dem.

#1 / WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE Page 3. Why do we need more women leaders. Page 7. Laura Bates Met am, inus, odiantur as sus, ullenis et, sunt as cus entotat eniataquo des ea cum el mo occae nusdaes sequidi conecto blabor aut anissum fugiat. Page 10. Apereptati audae aut occullo reriatis ex eaque volore nonsequis modiossitia quis etur samus. Page 15. Lut et que sequodit eari reseruptat aut eveles res eum ipic temquias ipit eruptatur? Qui utate corepudant earia velloreped evenis alignam doluptas nullum quam re, volupit asperibusto idente dolo vollace atibus sam erro te es excessi cus sincturita id et eum con nobis id exerumqui rem et Or atiore nis aces aut repressin paris conseque resequis eum as est experum sed quat rerferum nobis et omnisquis dem.

The black and white pieces were the first dummies for the fanzine. I was still fixed on the idea that the logo should be a main part of the whole visual system. Only when I let go of that idea I actually came up with interesting pieces. The colourful pieces came later, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I started thinking about the Risograph.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

One of the ideas that I had for my project was to focus each publication in one particular topic (for example, women and politics, women and the workplace, etc). The imagery for each issue would then be coherent with the subject, but the image treatmenet and the visual language would always be the same. Only by reading the paper I could tell that one of the most discussed issues nowadays by feminists and by mainstream media is, well, women and their portrayal in the media. Consequently, I thought I would design the first issue (and the final outcome of my project) around this topic. The images used for this piece are all (unfortunately) real and current ads and newspaper extracts.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

These are some spreads of the final design for the fanzine. I thought that although the images were already strong enough, I needed something that would make them visually more striking. I chose the dots because I thought they could somehow emulate the low-tech printin methods like silkcreen and stencil. The images are already halftone with a dotted pattern, so I think the bigger dots would reenforce this idea. I tried different display fonts and I thought this one (Biko) was the one that worked better. It has a modern yet bold feeling to it.

OUTCOME AND AUDIENCE

During this last period I decided to narrow my audience. What used to be just 19-25s, now is more specific. My goal was to make feminism more accessible. What for? For more people to get involved and continue spreading the message. Therefore, I would need to address my final outcome to an audience that could potentially do so; not everyone is interested in getting involved in politics and/or activism. I believe my outcome would work in academic contexts; universities, books fairs, conferences. The publication is clearly not for people who are already involved in feminism; it is for people who could potentially be involved but do not necessarily move in those kinds of social spheres. The ideal audience would be young people who are interested in getting informed and people who question the actual state of things, but haven’t had a real approach to activism yet. As the Victorian Government in Australia’s Youth Website states, a fanzine can be used to “Getting through to people who are unconventional, creative or alternative”.

I find that my final outcome –the fanzine- works coherently with my proposal and my concept. I would have wished, though, to develop the other areas of the project more. Have a real mock up of the website, specially the section with the posters and stencils ready to download. Unfortunately I saw my schedule drastically reduced after the already mentioned incident I had with my computer. However, what I like the most about my project is that it began as a concept and not as a product. This allows me create many graphic pieces that would work within a system. I have only done the fanzine and the posters and mocked up the website, but this is a project that could be constantly producing new pieces. The publication would be monthly, but the project could get involved in lots of events and demonstrations and communicate its message through its characteristic visual language by diverse means. I think it is a project that has the potential to actually exist outside this particular academic context, which is something I am planning on pursuing during the course of the upcoming year. Now the question is, how could I reach a broader audience? Would this be the right approach? Is DIY and low tech culture’s link with activism still current? The more question I come up with, the more ideas.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

These are the actual results! I was quite happy with them, but partly because the Risograph makes anything look amazing. I would have loved to have A2 posters but the Riso prints up to A3 only. I think I succeded in creating an eye catching piece of design.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

I tried developing the website that works together with the fanzine. The idea is that they would complement each other. Once you get the fanzine the experience continues through the website where there are pieces (posters for example) that one can download for free and use to promote the project. For the ones who discover the website first, they are able to read past issues online and/or order the fanzine or know where to get it. It was my first time designing a website from scratch- hopefully you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell.

Cecilia Serafini / Still Matters

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Triggs, T. 2010, Fanzines, Thames & Hudson, London.

Vale, V. 1996, Zines! V. Vale, San Francisco, Calif.

Murphy, P. 2004, Arty: greatest hits, Transition Editions, London.

McKay, G. 1998, DiY culture: party & protest in nineties Britain, Verso, London.

H端bner, M., Klanten, R. & Mollard, A. 2011, Behind the zines: self-publishing culture, Gestalten, Berlin.

IMAGE SOURCES

(1) http://inspirational-imagery.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/new-york-rocker.html (2) http://www.slashmag.com/images/1-8/Slash-1-8-001-cleaned-sm.jpg (3) http://maygrey.tumblr.com/post/11328676810 (4) http://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/181286_122384737900390_1222640737_n.jpg (5) http://thefanzine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/riot_grrrl.jpg (6) http://www.collapseboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Riot-Grrl-manifesto.jpg

(9) http://images.dazedcdn.com/786/dd/840/4/844807.jpg (10) http://www.behance.net/gallery/Una-movida-editorial/545616 (12) http://shop.paperpusher.ca/product/fatima-alan-genev (13) http://www.behance.net/gallery/Sunday-Boring-Sunday/3789257 All the images that do not have a reference number were created by me.

WEBSITES

http://nothingmajor.com/features/17-rise-of-the-risograph-part-one/ http://nothingmajor.com/features/18-rise-of-the-risograph-part-two/ http://nothingmajor.com/features/24-rise-of-the-risograph-part-three/ http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/Do-it-Yourself+Democracy/Telling+the+story/Create+a+newsletter+or+zine/#.Um_grhZ2neM

BYE

The fonts used are Frutiger and Perpetua. The book was printed at the London College of Communication in November 2013.