Trend-
itional
an investigation into the understanding and incorporation of emerging aesthetics into my personal design practice
Trend-
itional Emily Mahar
Cont-
ents
Emily as Designer
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My Bubble
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Making an Argument
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Developing My Taste
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What’s New Can be Old
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Making the Merge
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I Won’t Design Unless
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The Me to Be
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Emily
as Designer
What drives me to be a creator? I hadn’t actually thought about the question of “why,” apart from design being something that I enjoyed and realized I was good at. But reflecting on the work I’ve made in the past three years, I’ve recognized that I’ve somewhat subconsciously infused underlying themes and methodologies into my process and therefore the work itself. The first driving factor for my design practice is a goal: to create work that brings out positive emotions.1 Whether it be a smile or a change of heart, I strive to make work that has a positive impact, even often on a smaller scale. I view design as a change agent, that when manipulated in the right way, has the ability to affect change in the lives of others for the better. Whether that be a smile, or a movement, depends on the project. My second driving factor involves ideation and innovation. 2 I look at design as an opportunity to improve upon existing ideas and develop new ones. 3 Questioning the preexisting with regard to how design could better influence, define, or alter the subject or medium is something I tend to
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1
A past work, titled “The Handwritten A” was a project with which I hoped to highlight the beauty of a handwritten letterform, and show an appreciation for something I care about. By asking people to view handwriting in a different light, I hoped to convey more positivity around what is becoming a lost artform.
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Ideovation
using a pre-existing idea as a foundation for further exploration and development
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An example of ideovation, my series of witty book jackets meant to be used in place of existing ones serve more than one purpose: hiding the name of the book being read, and creating a dialogue between the jacket and curious onlookers who might also be in the same public space.
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think about with my practice. For example, I enjoy making books, but I could push myself further by questioning how new media and aesthetics can be re-incorporated into a traditional publication. And third, I design to tell stories that will educate others, and myself, through the process of consuming and creating.4 Design is a method of communication, therefore I see being a designer as a duty to tell stories. While I enjoy creating work about topics that I am familiar with, I’ve found projects sometimes even more fulfilling when I research, interview, and educate myself further on the subject as a part of my design process. While each of these driving factors are different, I also see them as the embodiment of my last driving factor: to share a bit of myself with the world through design.5 A designer cannot be unbiased no matter how hard they try. Therefore, I find it pointless to aim for neutrality when design is a platform to enrich the subject with my own perspectives. Developing new and purposeful visual cues that do so is important in my practice. Everything is designed with a reason. Yet, I think it’s important to note that I care less about how far the project pushes an idea, and more about bringing light to an idea itself.
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4
Books are my favorite objects to make thanks to their ability to convey so much information. Narrative storytelling and creating a piece of design that people have to sit with for an extended period of time to understand forces a thorough connection between me as the designer, the reader, and the content.
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While I like hiding bits of myself in my work, I also value functionality for the masses. My planner design called “Making Sense� was created based on my own methods of planning, featuring daily schedulers breaking down a day by the half-hour. I see this as a method of implementing functionality while the work remains me.
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My
Bubble
Where do I operate within the greater scope of graphic design? What influences my work? Where do my interests lie? I created a visual map plotting answers and specific references to such questions asked above. In doing so I situated myself within the world of graphic design, but created a bubble that I currently work within. What interests me but has yet to be integrated into my work? What is breaking in? What’s pushing out? What areas overlap?
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Making
an Argument
Something that is easily identified when looking critically at current graphic design is a distinct practice of making that involves extremely conceptually driven, topically charged work,6 that is often visually represented in an singularly aesthetic style of design. An aesthetic that ranges from the phenomena of “bad design” or “undesigned design,” 7 to visuals that seem to have been born from out of nowhere.8 Of course, this work is important and has a place and merit in design. But, something that I’ve struggled with while here, is the pressure to make that kind of work, and the shame, guilt, and negativity in my immediate community that comes with making the decision to not do it. Or even, to not do it to the extent that others choose to. Who gets to decide that one kind of design holds greater merit than another? And what’s more, why is such a shame an inherent result of pursuing an avenue that interests me? Why does it seem that, in this environment, design must act as the full conversation, and not just a starting point for further conversations? I like design. I love research. I value concepts. My education in graphic design has opened my mind to ways of
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6
Darius Ou, Autotypography
I recognize that there is not always a correlation between conceptually heavy work and this particular design aesthetic, but I’ve noticed it does often go hand in hand. I also find that when this particular aesthetic serves the concept, I am more interested and accepting of the work.
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Jae Ee, The Rodina poster
This particular design aesthetic has been an acquired taste for me, but I have come to appreciate it in certain contexts. There is a sense of freedom and play that I very much enjoy when it comes to color, type, and composition. Looking at the work, I find myself questioning what about these designs I enjoy, and how I could implement these likes into my work in a way that still feels “me.�
How does a trend develop? When stylistic design choices gain popularity, they seem to have been borne of something far removed from historically studied areas of graphic design. There is a sort of anti-aesthetic that stands out among trends, particularly in the current state of graphic design. This could be seen as a direct result of societal culture — a rejection of the accepted, and a move toward challenging the norms. But these trends aren’t always associated with such issues, so does that devalue their design merit if used as simply a stylistic choice?
thinking I’d never experienced before. I’ve made my fair share of personal projects and bold statements, but I also really enjoy making purely visually beautiful work.9 Why is it that choice is considered lesser? Everything doesn’t have to make a bold statement, right? I’ve developed an inferiority complex about my work because of this culture and pressure by students and faculty. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make something that is easily understood, aesthetically pleasing, and approachable by those that aren’t familiar with design culture.10 In fact, isn’t that who designers are really meant to appeal to? Sure, designers can design for other designers, but I feel that the core of design is about communication. And if it’s not accessible to a large audience “in the real world,” is it really successful? Of course, some projects are directed at a specific group of people, but I feel that at risd much of the work that I’ve seen would be completely foreign to those uneducated in design, like say, my parents.11
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Teresa Schönherr, designs for media art event Cynetart-Festival in Dresden
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Although the heart of graphic design is about communication, formal studies and work is another area I like to explore, and feel the need to develop more. I believe that concepts aren’t always necessary when exploring form and visuals. The concept can merely be to make something beautiful. Sometimes design can carry a lot of weight with the content it communicates, and I enjoy exploring the lighter side of creating.
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While I don’t personally find myself doing much identity work, I both enjoy and respect the simplicity and ease with which logos and branding have. I take a lot of inspiration from these designs and apply it to other forms. Because identity is consumed by the masses, it can’t be too complex — it has an easier read, asking less of the audience, suggesting a greater percentage of consumers of the design who will “get it.” Underline Studio, identity for University of Toronto Art Museum
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I took my parents to risd’s Graphic Design Triennial last year, and when I asked them what they thought, they were unsure how to answer. They recognized that much of the work wasn’t targeted at them, or that it was hard for them to fully understand. Aesthetic choices were a large part of this confusion, because much of what was exhibited didn’t fall into conventional design aesthetics.
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RISD Graphic Design, Newly Formed student work
This isn’t just a conversation rooted in choice of content, but also stylistically. Once again referencing the “trend” of “bad” design — just because a visually subversive statement or purposeful ugliness isn’t present doesn’t make a design less valuable. We’re taught the history and development of graphic design, much of which is rooted in detailed writing about what makes design “good” and “bad.”12 Yes, this has changed over time, and it’s recognized that these people can’t dictate a specific style and hold it with greater regard…but isn’t that what happens here? I look at my style of design and see direct relations to the Swiss style.13 Yet, I get critiques about how “it looks nice” but I “could have pushed it further.” Just because I worked off a preexisting style of design, it seems to be subconsciously discredited by others. Yet, “trends” are met with oohs and ahhs because they’re visually shocking…at the time. This brings up one of my main questions — what differentiates a “trend” and a historical design style? When does one become the other? Who gets to determine this shift? My argument is not for or against one style or method of creating, but instead for the reexamining of how design is viewed presently. At its core, my argument calls for more awareness about the alienation and suffocation that many designers can feel, myself included, by the current state of conversations. Designers all have different reasons for why they design, which result in different outcomes. It’s important to keep an open-minded approach to all ways of tackling design and worldly challenges.
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12
“Modernism was never a style, but an attitude.” — Massimo Vignelli “Ugliness, we learn, does not always compromise function. Upsetting assumptions is not a bad thing.” — Ellen Lupton
“...design is important, that it matters in life, not just mine, but in the lives of our audiences and users of designed communications. Graphic design can be a contribution to our audiences. It can enrich as it informs and communicates.” — Katherine McCoy 20
Neo Neo, Swiss Style Now
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What I’ve become most interested in is when traditional design styles, like Swiss, converge and play with trend and modernity.
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Trend The longer I have been exposed to the world of graphic design, I’ve developed an interest in understanding the formal and aesthetic choices of other designers, particularly when such choices diverge from convention, or use trends. But what is a trend? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a trend is “a current style or preference.� In the scope of design, I see trends as eye-catching, shocking, aesthetic choices that catch on with design-
ers and are repeated. Why do I have this fascination with trends, when I recognize their ephemerality in the greater regard of graphic design? Is it due to eventual overexposure? What about specific trends have merit? Is there a way to integrate a trend with historically traditional design? 23
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Developing
My Taste
I have a tentative curiosity in the exploration of different aesthetic forms and the integration of tradition and trend.
How does a designer’s aesthetic taste develop? Making connections between the traditional and the trend can help me to better understand what my aesthetic preferences are. Are there elements of conventional style within trends? Can these elements be extracted and used while maintaining their trendiness? I have of course already touched on the ideas of design labeled, “anti-aesthetic” and the contentious term “critical graphic design” by some. In doing so I have distilled that when in conjunction with concept it can serve its purpose well. Yet, it seems design has adopted this aesthetic as mere stylistic choice, which I question.14
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14 What stylistic choices do designers tackling this subject matter generally take? What formal qualities have the possibility to break into a more traditional practice?
If a stylistic choice is at first associated with a singular (although broad) idea, when does it become acceptable to adopt and adapt it further? What constitutes a style that has merit enough to be replicated and used widely without any reference at all to its original alignments? (ex. Modernism) 26
Something about the effortlessness with which these designs come together is what interests me most. The compositions are playful and whimsical. There’s an element of fun present, and a lack of seriousness. Surrealism and virtual reality are also often visually referenced by tools used to create visuals. I also find the color schemes to some of the strongest elements of these kinds of works. Unexpected combinations, and often standard RGB or CMYK is used. Adding a stroke to type, or just using outlined type, and repetition are all elements I’d like to extract and implement in my own practice.
Darius Ou, Autotypography
Bloomberg Buisinessweek, cover
Sander Ettema, Friends in Many Places book
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The second trend that has piqued my interest is maximalism.15 Having always been taught about the importance of white space, seeing a piece of design work that has little to none is visually shocking. But, sometimes that’s the goal of a design. Aesthetically, the trend of maximalism can be seen being applied to many different styles, to varying degrees of “busy” to “crazy.”
I see maximalism hit its sweet spot for me when there are a lot of simpler forms. I feel like anti-aesthetic graphic design utilizes maximalism as a design principle a lot, but with the other stylistic choices going on, things can get lost. This balance between simplicity and excess is an element I could use more in my practice. Time to step away from oversized margins and lots of breathing room... Big is Small, self-branding
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Maximalism
Mahmud Ĺžahan, poster design
a reaction against minimalism, excess and redundancy, “more is more�
I think I just said I like minimalist maximalism. I love the simplicity of this dust jacket design, for its use of pure imagery and no type, yet it has a presence because the amount of images.
Hinterland, SVA Library book
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Benoît Bodhuin, Pickle-Standard
Since I love type, I can’t not discuss fonts.16 While bold sans serifs are still heavily used, there are some more decorative style display faces happening that I’m really into. Some of these emerging type designs I see as almost more form than letter. But I’m interested in the fine line that is being traveled between shape, type, readability, and legibility.
Alexandra Karaolanov & Clara Degay, Pandelka
While it’s not really a display face, I enjoy the variation in stroke weight of the letterforms. It has a feeling almost like my beloved serif fonts, but it’s fresh, and I want to play around with using more sans serifs.
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Zuzana Licko & Emigre, Narly
16 My first time ever using a “non-standard” typeface was only recently, and it was Narly. Although an older typeface (1993), it’s very on-trend with the bold form-like styles that are being used right now. I love how it has the ability to really become an image, and interact with other forms. I’m working to incorporate more interplay between type and image into my work, and I think these kinds of typefaces could be the key!
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What’s New
Can be Old
Yes, you read that right! I’m interested in the incorporation of new aesthetics into “old”
media, like publications — magazines, books, booklets,
zines, etc. I’d like to see how the effortless, sometimes grid-less, compositions of anti-aesthetics could translate to a media that usually requires structured design and rhythm. Another eye-catching method, I see maximalism find a home on poster after poster. But what could happen when it is applied to an object, like a book? How can I use these form-bases typefaces to create more imagery? How can I use these non-traditional fonts in place of text faces? I see future design projects as an opportunity to experiment with trenditional17 aesthetics and principles, reinventing the new with the old, not the old with the new. I want to make these aesthetics function more traditionally, without falling into the regular conventions of traditional and historically practiced graphic design styles. I want to push the boundaries of the media through the style, not the style through the media.
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17 “What was cool this year may very well be cool again in another 20, but regardless of when this moment comes around again, in order to successfully borrow from design of the past and reinterpret it for the present moment, you first you have to understand it.”
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— Liz Stinson
Making
the Merge
Based on all of the my self-reflection, research, and discovery, I created an axis that helps to illustrate and better define just where I want to go, and how I want to get there. Developing my axis, I focused on both my method and aesthetic. 1 and 2 were relevant to two my two ways of making, whereas 3 and 4 were relevant to the stylistic spectrum I operate within. 35
2
thorough
3
controlled
Emily
1
simple
4
loose
1. Jump straight into designing, don’t plan or sketch. Explore how this methodology can produce different work than something pre-planned or over-planned. How does the work get developed throughout the process? 2. Sketch, write, plan, repeat. Design a thing once, redesign it, over and over again and again. Re-sketch, write more, ideate further, obsess over details. Repeat until satisfied. 3. Create a work without the initial use of technology. Focus on formal qualities and tactility over concept. Visual complexity derived from traditional methods of making. How can the work be furthered through the reintroduction of technology? 4. Adopt a personally unexplored style and/or medium to create a work that is fun, loud, crazy, and “trendy.” How can trends converge with convention?
While each task was created to hone one end of the four on my axis, the process for making visuals became more fluid. I liked seeing how each of the methodologies could be implemented into a fuller process. These experimentations were informed by my research into “trends” and better understanding what within each stylistic choice I liked and disliked, and how I could purposefully incorporate trend-based design into a traditional process and aesthetic foundation.
Starting from a place of materiality and form, I used scraps to create purely form-based compositions. I was looking to see how an uncontrolled process could yeild different results than I’m used to, not working with the end goal in mind.
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For my second exercise I used Rhino to create spacial environments to further manipulate with color, texture, and repetition. I was tapping into the current use of 3D-rendered objects and spaces in a graphic design context.
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I Won’t
Design Unless
Through this process I’ve realized that there are parts of design that I must have incorporated in some way in my work. They’re my non-negotiables.18
18 Nonnegotiables legibility, materiality, longform reads, publications, paper and texture, narratives, research and content, design constraints, a re-invention of preexisting styles
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The Me
to Be
This exercise was probably the most difficult design experience I’ve had to go through, I’m happy that I did. Reexamining graphic design, and in turn, my own practice, allowed me to pinpoint my likes and dislikes, question tastes, see where I fit in the greater scope of design, and see where I want to get lost in it. Although the initial process was hard, once I started in on research and self-reflection, I found it hard to stop at times. I’ve realized I like asking tough questions, and I’m starting to be more OK with the fact that I might not always know or have a path to a clear answer. Getting lost in the world of design is what I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life doing. I think this exercise helped me to start feeling more safe in getting lost outside of my comfort zone. It’s OK to experiment and fail, and almost everything goes when it comes to graphic design these days. I’m excited to see where I go next!
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Designed, written, and edited by Emily Mahar for RISD DS4, Spring 2019. Created using Adobe InDesign. Typest using Adobe Caslon Pro and Briller. Printed on Xerox Bold Coated Text paper and hand-bound.