ON DESIGN & GRAPHIC DESIGN. G R A D U AT E S E M I N A R J O U R N A L E D U A R D O PA L M A
The following essay seeks to arrive at a definition of graphic design. To achieve that purpose I am going to focus on design in general terms in the first place, in order to place the emphasis on Graphic Design and what I personally hope to achieve as a Communications Designer.
DESIGN MEANS PROCESS AND according to which “traditional definitions of design often focus on creating STRATEGY discrete solutions-be it a product, a building or a service”2. As Vilém Flusser and John Cullars express in their work “On The Word Design”, design is both a noun and a GRAPHIC DESIGN AS MEANS verb1. Following this premise, design- OF COMMUNICATION ing is an activity developed through a span of time; in other terms, it has to Being a tool of persuasion, graphic be thought of as a process. This conveys design directly addresses behaviors that the act of designing implies going through communication. However, through different stages with the goal for non-designers this only becomes of developing meaningful solutions apparent by means of advertising and to a specific problem or an identified print media, which brings into spotopportunity. Although this process has light the rigidity of the word graphic been described and specified by several and it’s impact on how graphic design authors, each designer shapes it furis perceived by audiences. Provided ther according to his/her own experi- that graphic is commonly associated ence. Furthermore, as social, political with visual two-dimensional visual and cultural contexts are in permanent representations, graphic design. evolution, design is a dynamic process This association is clearly evidenced that undergoes constant adaptation to in AIGA’s graphic design definition: the new conditions it might encounter. “Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computerAs meaningful solutions are built on generated images, but they also design a deep understanding of the audience the letterforms that make up variand its context, design must respond ous typefaces found in movie credits to today’s highly complex reality. This and TV ads; in books, magazines, is closely related to Helsinki Design and menus; and even on computer Lab’s definition of Strategic Design, screens”3.
This definition proves to be insufficient as it fails to acknowledge design as a process while linking it exclusively to the media and the product developed during the final stage and also limiting the spectrum of solutions and media involved. Therefore, in favor of getting to a satisfactory delimitation of the graphic design concept, it is imperative to place the focus on the main purpose of graphic design: to communicate. The effectiveness of a message – measured in how easy is for the desired audience to understand it- relies on its content as well as the way it is transmitted. A highly effective message is achieved through a process in which an exploration takes place, a context is understood, a message is configured and it is finally delivered. As similarities between this and the design process are evident, it is safe to affirm this is a design process itself. This leads us to a clearer delimitation of graphic design, understanding it as a communication discipline, which seeks to persuade audiences through messages, supported on media. WHAT I WANT TO ACHIEVE As a design student I developed a strong interest in the social potential of design and how behaviors can be shaped through communication. For that reason, I am convinced communications design can become a major actor in Colombia’s current nationwide reconciliation process; a challenge that us, Colombian designers, should be willing to take. Upon re-
turning to Colombia I seek to become a part of a multidisciplinary team that addresses social issues related to the reconciliation process in the post-war scenario, with the purpose of being able to facilitate communication and dialogue between the involved actors.
CONCR ETE AN D I N K
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I NTE R E ST I N TH EORY
Although addressing specifically graphic designers, this also suits the role of current designers, in a time where divisions between branches of design are not as evident.
Although addressing specif graphic designers, this also role of current designers, in where divisions between br design are not as evident.
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Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes Museum of Modern Art New York, NY
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COLLAGE HA As Vilém Flusser and John Cullars express in their work “On The Word Design”, design is both a noun and a verb1. Following this premise, designing is an activity developed through a span of time; in other terms, it has to be thought of as a process. This conveys that the act of designing implies going through different stages with the goal of developing meaningful solutions to a specific problem or an identified opportunity. Although this process has been described and specified by several authors, each designer shapes it further according to his/her own experience. Furthermore, as social, political and cultural contexts are in permanent evolution, design is a dynamic process that undergoes constant adaptation to the new conditions it might encounter.
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CUT ‘N’ PASTE Museum of Modern Art New York, NY
ISN’T IT EASIER TO DELIMITATE THE CONCEPT, RATHER THAN DEFINE IT?
WHY BOTHER TRYING TO ARRIVE AT A DEFINITION OF DESIGN?
I S TH I S EVE N DE S IG N AT ALL?
POETRY M UST B E A VIOLE NT ASSAU LT ON TH E FORCE S OF TH E U N KNOWN, TO FORCE TH E M TO BOW B E FOR E MAN. B EAUTY EXI STS ON LY I N STR UGG LE.. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Futurist Manifesto February 1909
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F U T U I S M PA I N T I N G
&
SC U LP T U R E U M B E RTO BOCCION I GIACOMO BALLA MARIO CARLI CAR LO CAR RÀ PRIMO CONTI F O R T U N ATO D E P E R O
UNITY FUNCTION ECONOMY UNIVERSALITY
Modernism*
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Universality Simple Truth Authority Rational Author Mass To solve
*
Although trying to achieve universality through problem identification and solving, modernism is based on objectiveness. This, to me as a designer, might lead to solutions which fail to engage potential spectators/ users/audiences.
P MODERNISM S MC OU ML TPILPE LXI/C I T Y / T FE LMAOTT IHOINE AR LA/R C H Y /
DIALOGUE/ READER/ SUBJECTIVE/ PROBLEM STATING/
Approaching postmodernist movements has allowed me to think of design as a concept easier to delimitate than to try to define. In that sense,
This, certainly, has shaped my visions on design as a discipline (which I expressed and elaborated in my first essay “On Design & Graphic Design”), but has also proved to be highly influential on my graphic style. As other design branches aim to serve a concrete purpose, I have always thought graphic style in a concrete piece should seek to strengthen messages and facilitating communication. From that perspective, elements (typography, images, photos) should
On the other hand, as a designer I have always found Bauhaus’ constant rational struggle to approach function in an inclusive (universal) way quite inspiring. I agree that in order to achieve an effective communication, messages should be config-
a conceptual constructivist influence on my graphic style and my personal views on design as a discipline, rather than a noticeable visual impact.
When trying to delimit the concept of design, Charles Eames linked it to the concept of function: from his point of view, design was more an “expression of purpose” rather than an “expression of art”. In the same vein, Dieter Rams approached the issue through his “10 Principles of Good Design”, in which he states that “the aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful”. These two quotes accurately represent my thoughts on design, which I developed over the course of my undergraduate studies through each project I worked in.
O N (MY) GRAPHIC STYLE
ured in simple ways, employing only necessary resources through a function-oriented process, which also describes accurately how I usually approach communicationrelated design problems. In that sense, I also identify with the Bauhaus’constant strive for problem solving, as opposed to postmodernism’s problem stating nature. Furthermore, my graphic style also displays heavy Bauhaus’ aesthetic influence, although this is supported in the need of facilitating the communication process.
Addressing design as a function-oriented discipline brings the role of the designer into the spotlight and also leads us to question the objective (or subjective) nature of design. I strongly believe that although Out of all design movements, I would it would be naïve to think design projects certainly say Bauhaus and Constructivism don’t carry any of its creator’s personal baghave been the greatest influences on my gage, user-centered design requires projgraphic work. Being interested in politics ects to be essentially developed around and from a young age, I was drawn to construc- objective interpretation of possible needs, tivist designers due to the political and social problems or opportunities. For this reason, awareness of their works, and how they I do think design should aim to free itself responded to a critical era through simple from possible subjective judgments, in oryet elaborated communication which played der to adapt to it’s potential audiences and a key role during the development and be able to give them value and meaning. aftermath of the Russian Revolution. While I found it visually impressive, it was through It is for this reasons that I consider my work Constructivism that I first understood the as a designer to be heavily influenced by communicational purpose of graphic design modernist principles and some specific and how it actually should serve society. modernist design movements. From that point of view I would say there is
Despite significant differences between them, both modernism and post-modernism address design from the notion of purpose (although the latter leaves room for ornaments, it can be argued that decoration is also functional). For this reason it is quite challenging for me to place my graphic style on either side, although on first thought I would be greatly tempted to define myself as a modernist designer. Whereas I would by no means define myself as part of a specific design movement, it is my intention to explain why I identify with some modernist principles on the next few lines.
be picked meticulously, worked and placed thoughtfully in order to achieve such goal.
ments but to step back and examine the logic of such statements, to analyse what we are up to, what codes and models are we applying when we make them.�
Design can become a kind of metacriticism: it’s role is not primarily to make implementable or interpretative solutions, but to step D E S I G N / /
TERRY EAGLETON
L I T E R A T U R E / /
back and examine the logic of such solutions to analyse what we are up to, what codes and models are we applying when we design them.
“STRUCTURALISM AND SEMIOTICS”
“Literary criticism can become a kind of metacriticism: its role is not primarily to make interpretarive or evaluative state-
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Interpretation
Identification As design has started to embrace different approaches and borrow tools from diverse disciplines, the concept of truth has blurred significantly. Today, design accepts truth as a subjective concept; design, therefore, no longer sees itself as an exact science, a notion that was clearly evident in numerous modernist movements. We, designers, are learning to value error. In some sense, I guess, it can be said that design sometimes is more eager to find mistakes, instead of truths.
Development
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“Defaults, at least in terms of computers, are the status quo. Theirs is not the failure to do what’s promised but exactly the opposite. Theirs is a promise kept in lieu of an “operator’s” (or designer’s) intervention.”
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for poetic elegance, art-
st for truth. All informa-
wledge, whether empiri-
atter its truth-value. We
scientific-poetic synthesis of a magical realism.”
ROR EEDS NSE EEDS ROR EEDS NSE EEDS
Prototyping
Process
Strategy
Mistakes
“The Hooded Man” Abu Grhaib Prisoner ca. 2003-2004
T H I S I S T H E T R U T H B E L I E V E W H A T Y O U S E E
D E S I G N R E S P O N S I B L Y
I S I T P O S S I B L E TO AC H I E V E NEUTRALITY? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR DESIGN TO BE HONEST? IS IT POSSIBLE NOT TO PROMI S E , T O B U I L D U P E X P E C TA TIONS, TO TEASE? IS DESIGN T R U T H F U L? I F S O , H O W C A N DESIGN BE HONEST?DOES HONESTY DEPEND ON THE AUDIENCE OR THE DESIGNE R H I M S E L F ? DOE S I T EV EN MAT T E R? DO AUDIEN C ES C A R E ABO UT REA L MOTIVAT I ON S BE H IND EACH SIN GLE P R OD U C T, S ERVIC E OR EX P ERIEN C E T HEY ENJOY? IS HONESTY EN G AG I N G? DO E S IT EN HA N CE U SER EX P E R IENCE? I S I T P O S S I B L E T O AC H I E V E N E U T R A L I T Y ? I S I T POSSIBLE FOR DESIGN TO BE HONEST? IS IT POSSIBLE NOT TO PROMISE, TO BUILD UP E X P E C TAT I O N S , T O T E A S E ? I S D E S I G N T R U T H F U L? H OW CAN DESIGN BE HONEST? DO E S IT EVEN REALLY M AT T ER ?
Needs & Fears
IS WHAT WE DESIGN. LONELINESS. BOREDOM. DESPAIR. ESCAPE.
APISMSOLITUDE ESCAPISMSOLITUDEESCAPISMESCAPISM ESCAPISMSOLITUDE ESCAPISMSOLITUDEESCAPISMSOLITUDE ESCAPISMSO
Being prone to feel overwhelmed easily by constant contact with others, i always tend to look for a personal introspective place which might allow me to overthink every bit of conversation I had during the day, overanalize each of my actions and come up with thousands of possible solutions to every problem I’ve already managed to solve solve somehow. Introspection, in that sense, provides me with the chance of organising my thoughts, listening to myself and arriving at pointless conclusions. While others might fear alienation and isolation, I have found myself striving to find them. That being said, and given the birth and rise of new communication technologies, I have to admit I agree we might be witnessing the end of solitude as Deresiewicz argues, which leads me to question if it is even possible to talk about solitude nowadays. According to this, isolation has become a modern day utopia, an unachievable purpose. Therefore, it can be argued that introspection is being discouraged. ¿Have I actually managed to isolate myself from anything? Solitude, to me, means metaphorical silence. Literal solitude (understood as physical isolation) might not always serve the same goal. Solitude is a mindset: all of a sudden everything lacks of purpose; senses still exist, but are reduced to mere companions. Solitude is best achieved in overwhelming spaces, surrounded by countless stimuli, while reflecting on how insignificant we, as individuals, actually are. Walk through Times Square on your own on a Saturday. Hrabal’s “Too Loud A Solitude”, that is. I might just borrow that concept from now on. ‘Loud solitude’ enables me to get a new perspective on my own existence. Forcing myself to see me as a mere fly within a large mass of individuals lets me understand my own personal joys and struggles as something meaningless. Nothing to fuss or worry about. Tranquility, for lack of a better word. Gratifying, shall we say.
DESIGN CREATES
STEREOTYPES.
DESIGN FEEDS OFF
NECESSARY.
STEREOTYPES ARE
STEREOTYPES.
Even though having such a rich cultural background, we, Colombians, are victims of our own “American” complex; like many other Latin American countries, Colombia consciously looks forward to adapting American behaviors, which is also seen as way of progress. “Here, lower classes want to be Mexican, middle class wants to be American and highest classes try to act like British” is a popular expression in Colombia which, analyzed through the lens of metaphor’s role on collective development, has defined many of the recent history of the country.
TEACHERS STARVE YOUR CHILD, P.C. APPROVED AS LONG AS THE RIGHT WORDS ARE USED // SYSTEMIZED ATROCITIES IGNORED AS LONG AS BILINGUAL SIGNS ON VIEW. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - P.C.P. // LYRICS BY RICHEY EDWARDS AND NICKY WIRE
Colombia’s views on american behaviors as icons of progress has lead to the incorporation of Political Correctness (regarding race and gender) into our society, which might create new barriers within groups and communities in a country already polarized by economic inequity. It is for this reason that I want this to be the subject of my thesis project, which would lead me into a deep exploration of american culture, its influence in my country and possible ways of diminishing its effects.
Political Correctness, as a set of tacit rules, allows us to become part of a system unknown to us and, at the same time, aims at easing possible tensions within members of a society. Much in the vein of the woman surveyed and surveyor, the individual lives under political correctness and, at the same time, is referred to through it. Immigration illustrates this perfectly, as the immigrant has to become familiar with those codes, apply them and at the same time is referred to by overly indulw and obvious gent names. In my personal opinion, it is this extreme indulgency expressed through political correctness, which ultimately leads to boost social tensions and the creation of wider divisions between groups of the same society.
in the United States.
N EG R
That is what I used to call a childhood friend. That is what I call my brother. That is a color.
That is something I can’t say in the United States.
That is something I won’t be allowed to say in Colombia.
Metaphors express our thoughts. They are manifestations of the conceptual systems underlying our cultures. At the same time, however, they feed these systems, affecting our actions, beliefs and the way we interact with our surroundings. Words are, therefore, powerful constructs that are able to shape our future as society. It wasn’t until winter 2003 that I was able to realize how much I liked New York. By then I had visited it 4 times, but still hadn’t managed to experience the city beyond its well known touristic spots. This time my brother had been living there for half a year and through him I caught the first few glimpses of, shall we say, real New York lifestyle. The day my mother and me arrived, he went to pick us at the airport. As I was trying to get a Metrocard so we could take the subway back home (which I’d never done before), I called my brother. “Negro!” I shouted across the subway station and my first New York (United States, for that matter) experience unfolded.
When thinking of social diversity (in terms of race), it is normal to think of first world cosmopolite countries or cities. Colombia, while not being one of them, has inherited significant social diversity through its cultural history: to this day there are many native tribes spread across the country’s territory and multiple races due to different altitudes, geographical conditions and racial mixes from colonial times. Although the existence of racism in Colombia is arguable, it can be said that historically it is a debate the country has had to face at many times, which seems to have helped Colombia to eliminate some racial boundaries from early on and progressively to this day.
Had I known beforehand the implications of such word I might have strived to eliminate it from my then heavily limited English knowledge from early on. Today, however, I think that particular episode gave me an interesting perspective on the use of certain words in specific contexts– Political Correctness. Not that I previously didn’t know it, but I do think it is far more evident in this particular context: the biggest city
RO
That is what I call this black guy in one Colombian TV show.
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THE CURRENT OVERLOAD OF NEW CONTENTS HAS CONTRIBUTED T O T H E D E M O C R AT I Z AT I O N O F I N F O R M AT I O N I N T H E S A M E WAY G U T T E N B E R G DID CENTURIES AGO. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS
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DEVELOPING A CRITICAL THINKING ON THE CONTENTS F L O AT I N G A R O U N D U S . IT ALSO BRINGS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT THE ROLE OF THE READER AND THE RESPONSABILITY IN THE ACT OF READING.
The rise of communication technologies has also contributed to the homogenization of culture through the widespread of marketing messages and political propaganda. Political and social processes such as the expansion of “bolivarianism” and leftism in South America have been based on mass communication strategies involving both traditional and non-traditional media. In that
In recent times the world was witnessed an exponential increase of communication technology which has led to an overflow of information and the creations of new physical and virtual social networks. This, in turn, has been followed by the creation of control measures by governments and international agencies, shaping the way we generate and share content nowadays, and determining which kinds of information we are able to access. It can be argued, therefore, that while we have gained access to huge amounts of information from different resources over the last few years, these measures represent a way of shaping our opinions and controlling our behaviors.
Colombia, provided the American aid in its Civil War (result of the spectacular flop of the long lasting peace process between government and armed rebels), is still one of the few and most reliable U.S. supporters. U.S. army bases in Colombian territory has grown from 8 to 32 over the last 17 years in a desperate American try to undermine socialist influence in it’s last bastion. Right after Colombians’ hopes for peace had become real, political violence started to rise once again as left political leaders have been killed and exiled by obscure forces supported by the conservative gov-
to be a “dirty word” by Political Correctness standards, late 2020s and 2030 saw the rebirth of McCarthyism and the public judgment of those considered to be socialist. Similarly in socialist Latin American countries (and African countries that have also adopted a socialist system) “Right” and “Capitalism” had become increasingly demonized words. There, reproduction of American and European capitalism icons and the publishing of alluding content on any media had become punishable crimes.
While big metropolis such as New York City and Los Angeles have seen the installation of CCTV in almost every corner in immigrant neighborhoods, cities of huge immigrant influence like Miami and Houston have undergone a “recovery plan” aimed at restoring American control on them and preventing possible socialist threats to rise to power. While “socialism” in 2013 was considered
2030 evidences the dangers of a politically polarized world. Radicalism doesn’t care about political flags: in 2030 socialist and capitalism, left and right, are responsible for the same sins. It illustrates the irony of the political realm and provides us a great insight for reflecting about how we build our own future.
Political polarization of the western hemisphere has, however, not affected the development of policies supportive of LGBT communities. All Latin American countries, Canada and every U.S. state have legalized homosexual marriage over the last decade. Similarly, racial gaps in North America have been reduced significantly with the arrival of a new generation to power.
Following the split of the European Union in late 2010’s it was easy to predict the world would not witness the creation of a continental union over the next few years. However, given the rise to power of socialism in Latin America, the United States and western European governments feared the beginning of a new Cold War between the capitalist world powers and the new western socialist block. Still going through the long lived “War on Terror” in the Middle East and trying to stop the spreading of socialist doctrines within its borders and the few zones of influence left, the US government designed a plan to tighten the control of information over the Internet which involved licensing the access to internet to families and individuals, effectively isolating suspects and their families from the world surrounding them.
To me, these two correlated aspects of current mass communication will determine the course of events in years to come and, through them, I will build a general overview of year 2030.
ernment and foreign entities. Communist guerrilla might have been exterminated, but small paramilitary groups soon replaced them. After all, not much has change since 2013; the only difference is that now, in 2030, Colombian citizens do not need a visa to get into the US… at least if they are not planning on spending more than 3 months there.
sense, we are talking about the era of weapons of mass communication.
The purpose of the exhibition itself goes beyond showcasing new technologies. While it certainly explains the techniques through videos and interactive pieces, it brings into the spotlight three concepts relevant to design nowadays: Authorship, Process and Future. Although it hardly is the first time in history well-known art pieces are reproduced, the inclusion of reproductions of “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space� and others, raises a question about the real value of art and design works. Through the technologies displayed in the exhibition it is possible to scan and model sculptures and even paintings, and make almost exact reproductions of them using different materials. In the near future it will possible to get identical reproductions of more complex shapes, redefining further the value of the original pieces. Maybe it would be going too far to say original art pieces will stop being extremely valuable objects, but as new technologies might enable us to exactly recreate art works, the meaning of collecting art will change. Authorship is also addressed through these reproductions. Through the exhibition these pieces are credited to the artist who produced them, instead of the artist responsible for the original works. It draws a strong parallel with the authorship of images nowadays: while we can access to millions of images over the Internet, it is possible to intervene them and make them our property, even though we are not its original authors. As we today have printers at home, something almost unthinkable decades ago, in the future these new technologies might be a lot more accessible for general audiences, extending the debate on authorship and intellectual property to this new realm. It is also interesting the fact that the exhibition includes samples of both art and design works. While design is difficult to define as a concept, it undeniably is a process and it is process what is discussed through the whole exhibition. In that sense, Out Of Hands speaks to the real value of the process (creation, modeling, selection of materials and technique) through showing the final products and also including several interactive pieces, which aim at explaining its production. Even some previously mentioned art reproductions (and also original art pieces) are approached through process, bringing up certain aspects of design to them: there is a configured message that is being communicated to a specific audience through them. While displaying new techniques, the exhibition itself constitutes a space through which the future of these new technologies is constantly discussed without providing answers. It is up to the audience to reflect on the questions raised here and to get their own answers.
AUTHORSHIP. PROCESS. FUTURE. “OUT OF HAND” - EXHIBITION CRITIQUE