Dissertation Part 2 by Iain Currie

AA4306 Honours Design Report Part 2

Iain Currie 0704795 B(Des) HONS Graphic Design Stage 4

Robert Gordon University Grayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Art

13th April 2011

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 1: What the project is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Section 2: Why it is made. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Section 3: How it is made . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4

Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that some advertising is amusing and well made is irrelevant, since what matters is the combined impact on the viewer of all advertising as the dominant mode of public speech. Here, the medium truly is message, and the message is a value system embodying an ideology that many of us do not share and want to resistâ&#x20AC;?1

This quote is from Rick Poyner, explaining that society might not like the bombardment of advertising that overwhelms us. What actually matters is the detrimental impact of advertising on how we live and communicate. This is essentially the starting point of this project, and how a graphic designer is involved in this process and our responsibility in being aware of what we create and put out into society.

The output of this project is to create a resource pack that will be sent to designers as well as being available for anyone involved in and around the media industry. The pack will contain a booklet 1 Rick Poyner, (2001), Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition: Booth-Clibborn, London

which will be the main source of information and basis of the pack. The pack will also contain a poster and other promotional material. It will also provide templates and resources for running workshops of different lengths.

The whole purpose of the pack will be to raise awareness and get people regularly thinking and discussing the impact of graphic design and media on society; to encourage analysis of their practice and work on a daily basis.

Looking back at report 1 weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take forward some ideas and conclusions, the approach will continue to consider the journey of creating a resource. The discussion will then focus on the specifics of what the project is; aims and objectives, followed by why this whole project is being engaged, finishing by covering the process of how the resource will be created, the research undertaken and conclusions reached.

Background

My thinking on this topic was first provoked when given the opportunity to choose any question for an essay in the latter part of third year. The question chosen was ‘The power of design; The influence of propaganda’. This interest came from spending time in South Africa and learning about the history of the country particularly the Apartheid regime and the effective use of posters and design during the struggles.

Coming into fourth year I was very keen to continue much deeper into this area. In my initial research I referred mainly to three books ‘Good: An Introduction to ethics in Graphic Design’ by Lucienne Roberts2, ‘Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility’ by Steven Heller & Veronique Vienne3 and ‘Looking Closer Four: Critical Writings on Graphic Design’ by Michael Bierut, William Drenttel4. Another primary inspiration for the project was ‘First Things First

2 Lucienne Roberts, (2006), Good: An Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design: AVA Publishing 3 Steven Heller & Veronique Vienne, (2003), Citizen Designer (perspectives on design responsibility): Allworth Press, U.S. 4 Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Steven Heller, (2002), Looking Closer Four: Critical Writings on Graphic Design: Allworth Press, New York

Manifesto’ by Ken Garland5. These are all referred to in the previous report as they are challenging, inspiring and thought provoking.

Having referred to lecture on the use of methods of communication and how they’ve changed over time, returning to this meant much further research behind the lecture. Reading Baudillard’s Simulation and Simulacra and others, brought deeper thought and analysis about the very meaning of communication, society and relationships. Conclusions from this meant a much more serious attitude towards visual communication and it’s power over society.

The next step was to look in detail at contemporary examples of design, to examine how the media was communicating to society through advertising, political and advocacy campaigns. What effects this was having and what common messages were coming through. Conclusions from this brought out the seductive and deceptive nature of advertising, but this wasn’t restricted to advertising it continued into political and advocacy campaigns. There are of course positive forces within these areas as well seeking only to benefit.

5 Http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=18&fid=99 – First published in Eye no. 33 vol. 9, 1999

The next step was to look at other responses from the design world to this situation, to see how some designers were putting these challenges and theories into practice. There are a few approaches taken from a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;go and do likewiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitude, to a five point pledge detailing to give 10% of your working week to a purely beneficial project. Conclusions taken from this area of research, was to aim for something that had the ability to spread easily, not to confine people to only giving 10% a week, to challenge people to change their entire way of thinking. It needs to be much bigger and deeper to actually inspire change, yet simple and compact enough to easily spread; something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy and exciting to pass on. This report is on the research and development of that idea.

Section 1: What is it?

This section will cover the details of the project, all aspects of the pack and how it will be implemented.

The pack will be a physical thing to be posted to design agencies, and available to anyone involved in the creation of media. A physical pack would be more engaging and be kept as a reminder of the issue.

The main piece of the pack will be the booklet, that will give a condensed overview of the whole thought process of the topic. It will be based in part on these reports, to give a good background. It will introduce the topic explain why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an issue, why visual communicators are involved, what impact media can have on society and a designers responsibilities.

There will also be promotional materials like a poster and a coaster to be kept around the desk, as physical reminders of the project to keep people thinking and analysing their work.

A another major part of the pack will be workshop templates, to spend either an hour, three hours or a whole day, engaging in discussion and analysis of the visual communication profession. The longer workshops will have space to try and approach briefs in a more considered and ethical way. These will encourage people to examine how they work and the impact it has.

The project has a website itmustexpand.com [Ill. 1-6], which the pack will be available to order from, the website also features a blog. The blog will be an ongoing exploration into the topic that people will be able to engage with and share around social media websites. Having a website also gives the opportunity for future expansion of the project, and for other digital aspects of the project to be added.

The title of the site, is a quote taken from Ken Garland from his ‘First Things First’ manifesto.

“We propose a reversal of priorities in favour of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication – a mind shift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and

production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.”6

The title ‘it must expand’, captures the meaning of the project in that the aim is to encourage designers to think critically about their work, that their thinking needs to expand. That societies thinking needs to expand and that the project needs to expand and spread.

http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=18&fid=99

Section 2: Why it’s made

This section deals with the reason for the project and why design ethics is an important issue at all. We will question the practice of graphic design and it’s origins, what it once did and what it does now, and analyse it’s application today.

We will begin with the Situationists, who have been a source of research and insight into culture and society, and visual communication’s relationship with it.

“We live in a spectacular society, that is, our whole life is surrounded by an immense accumulation of spectacles. Things that were once directly lived are now lived by proxy. Once an experience is taken out of the real world it becomes a commodity. As a commodity the spectacular is developed to the detriment of the real. It becomes a substitute for experience.”7

The Situationists developed and continued Marxist theories, primarily 7

Http://archive.org/details/SpectacularTimesImagespdf

the idea of the ‘commodity’, which the Situatonists developed into the term the ‘spectacle’. The commodity was the term given to the effects of capitalism, that we don’t value products or services for their natural worth, rather the value can be much more than its material worth. In a capitalist society virtually identical products can have vastly different values due to the status or brand name. The value of a commodity isn’t directly proportional to its material worth. The situationists described that the effects of capitalism reached even further, meaning it commodifies experiences and perception.

In Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle, he describes what he sees as the impact of the spectacle on society. Debord argues that our experiences have become representations,

“The economies domination of the social life entailed an obvious downgrading of being to having that left it’s stamp on all human endeavour. The present stage, in which social life is completely taken over by the accumulated products of the economy, entails a generalized shift from having to appearing”8 8

Guy Debord, (1994), The Society of the Spectacle: Zone Books, New York

Here Debord describes the downward slope of society, that our perception of reality and being has changed to having, and this experience of having developed to appearing. Meaning that society just appears to be certain things and this can differ and change depending on your perception. He continues onto our relationship with images,

“The spectacle is not a collection of images; rather it is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images”9

Debord argues that society is relationships between people that are governed and maintained by images. If this is true it vastly changes our responsibility as visual communicators. Debord continues that this degradation of society has also caused a degradation of knowledge and critical thought.

“All community and critical awareness have ceased to be”10

9 10

Guy Debord, (1994), The Society of the Spectacle: Zone Books, New York Guy Debord, (1994), The Society of the Spectacle: Zone Books, New York

Has there been a decline in critical thought? Has society stopped thinking and analysing?

Yet some in society are aware of this lack of awareness, aware of the spectacle of society and the lack of critical and analytical thought. This topic is discussed in an interview by Jeremy Paxman with Russell Brand, a comedian. The interview was scheduled primarily because Russel Brand had recently released an autobiography, as well as being a prominent figure in popular society.

It begins with JP asking about fame and RB’s view of it, RB explains that the idea of fame permeates society because it is presented as the ‘spectacle’ to distract us from of everyday lives. “It’s bread and circuses Jeremy.” Continuing this idea of the spectacle of fame, RB describes a ‘narrative’ that is fed to society, that news is presented as a dramatic story, because no one wants to think anymore or to deal with the complexity of real situations. Society is fed this fallacy continually through the media, stories are twisted to be whatever is the most attractive. That the media uses images and ideas to maintain this cultural narrative to keep society ‘dumb’.

He concludes with a very insightful and inspiring comment,

“Try to aspire to something more beautiful, something more truthful... Perhaps if we were in tune with more beautiful ideas we wouldn’t prioritise such peculiar ideas and notions. And perhaps if we can popularise through the techniques of branding and consumerism a different idea, a different narrative perhaps the world can change.”11

Perhaps the world can change. Is it possible to change society, culture and the world with a new idea? Can design change the world?

Joshua Blackburn thinks it can, in an article titled ‘Design Can Save the World’ written for Provokateur he states,

“The notion of design having a social role to play is far from new – and hardly a conceit. Artists and designers have long served as messengers, missionaries, revolutionaries, agitators, and propagandists. Centuries before the holy Brand 11

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-NCDovAWB8

Guidelines, visual communication was being sharpened as a tool of religion, war and politics.â&#x20AC;?12

Joshua Blackburn argues that visual communication being used for commercial purposes is a new addition to designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repertoire, stating that visual communication was first used to communicate religion, war and politics.

The question tackled last year about the use of propaganda led to research into grass roots movements [Ill. 7] where visual communication was being grappled with and discovered. In reaction to the Apartheid regime activists needed methods to reach millions of people to unite them, and encourage others to join.

Given that the vast majority of the population were illiterate communication needed to be visual and thus a form of communication largely undiscovered grew and developed. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow out of a necessity to sell and consume, it grew out of a necessity to visually communicate ideas.

Http://provokateur.com/provokations/articles/

Another point made in the same article from Joshua Blackburn is a criticism about design schools, similar criticisms have been made by a number of other commentators. Katherine McCoy echoes this in an essay,

“Design education most often trains students to think of themselves as passive arbiters of the message between the client/sender and audience/receiver, rather than as advocates for the message content or the audience.”13

She also goes so far as to call designers ‘prostitutes’, selling themselves to corporations, abandoning morality to make a living. So often it seems that designers don’t think about what they’re designing they merely provide a service. As Michael Bierut comments in an essay titled ‘The Main Failing Of Design School: Kids Can’t Think For Themselves’,

“What’s valued is the way graphic design looks, not what it means. In many programs, if not most, it’s possible to study graphic design for four years without any meaningful 13 Steven Heller & Veronique Vienne, (2003), Citizen Designer (perspectives on design responsibility): Allworth Press, U.S.

exposure to the fine arts, literature, science, history, politics.”14

He argues that we need to know and understand culture and the industry that we would be designing for. Making the point ‘how can a designer plan an annual report without some knowledge of economics?’ Another indicator of this is pointed out by Rick Poyner, he comments on a list published by Prospect magazine of the 100 top British public intellectuals. He points out that two architects and a conceptual artist make the cut, but that is all the people involved in visual culture that make it onto the list. Why is design so poorly represented? Is it because there simply are very few, or is it because the intellectual designers aren’t involved in the public sphere? Is that why designers have become passive arbiters? Is it because society doesn’t recognise designers as credible voices? Poyner insightfully concludes,

“The list is best taken, perhaps, as a useful reminder of the gap that continues to exist between designers’ glowing self-image as vital shapers of the contemporary visual 14 Michael Bierut, (2007), Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design: Princeton Architectural Press

landscape and the reality of their position, or rather their lack of position, in the social and political debates that influence matters of public policy. The overriding challenge for designers and those committed to design’s possibilities is to establish connections outside design.”15

This process of research caused me to question whether design was the answer at all, if our visual culture can be so damaging, and has such a grip on society. That maybe abstaining is the answer, maybe instead of ‘good’ images being the counter to ‘bad’ images, maybe no images is the counter? Loretta Staples points out a startling possibility,

“Could it be that increasingly graphic design is less the solution and more the problem? This is the squeamish possibility professional graphic designers are loathe to confront, because in so doing, the profession risks undoing itself. This is the threat posed by any rigorous discursive critique.”16 15 Http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/where-are-the-designintellectuals/2347/ 16 Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Steven Heller, (2002), Looking Closer Four: Critical Writings on Graphic Design: Allworth Press, New York

In order for an honest look at the problem, we need to be open to any conclusion, even if that results in our own undoing. The conclusions taken from all this research is that something needs to be done. This brings us back to where this project started, First Things First manifesto,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.17

The debate must expand, designers need to be challenged on an individual level, this is why this project is happening. Ultimately another idea, another narrative is needed to change society. But until that comes, we need to search for it by expanding the debate and thought in society.

http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=18&fid=99

Section 3: How it is made

This section will discuss the method and medium with which this whole project aims to communicate – whether word or image, digital or print, provocative or empathic – then going onto explain the details of design within those choices.

First of all we will discuss the medium with which this content will be presented, weighing up the options and considering the impact of making it digital or a printed physical pack.

One of the first items researched was a video [Ill. 8] made by a company called Rethink. The video is of a group putting up posters on a wall above an assortment of other posters already there. The posters they put up are of a plain black image of an oil tanker printed on A2, the tanker is printed with water soluble ink, so when it rained the ink ran down and ruined all the posters below revealing text behind the tanker saying, “Oil spills affect everyone, take action at notankers.ca”. This is instantly engaging, it engages any person walking past physically and leaves an impression. In contrast to this

the digital platform is so instant, unless it is saved somewhere, it is consumed and gone.

At the beginning of March this year, a thirty minute video [Ill. 9] was released by a charity called Invisible Children, who work in central Africa where the LRA occupy. The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) kidnap children and force them to murder, torture and rape as part of the LRA. The leader of the LRA is a man named Joseph Kony, Invisible Children made the video with the intention of making Joseph Kony famous. In four weeks since being uploaded to Youtube it has amassed a whopping 86.1 million views, and 27.7 million on vimeo.

It was remarkable how fast it spread, it took over social media websites and the news for a week. But four weeks on there’s not even a mention of the campaign rolling around the back pages of the news or social media. The benefits of the digital media are that the market is much bigger due to social media sites, you can reach such a large market. The downsides are that it’s harder to make it last, a memorable video can’t be printed out and stuck beside your desk.

The next decision to be made was what approach to take in communicating whether a provocative and empathetic approach. At a conference (mentioned in an earlier section) in New York in 2006, the designer Milton Glaser talks about the title of the conference, ‘designism’,

“Designism is I suppose you could call it an ideological position about whether designers should and can do good...”18

Designism he describes is the assumption of a philosophical position that says something about our relationship to the world. It raises the issue of whether design as an activity has a social context whether or not it’s only about persuasion and selling goods, or whether it has a social leaning that has the ability to create a better world. The practicalities and outworking of this idea was discussed at a conference in 2006, included panellists were Kurt Andersen, Milton Glaser, Jessica Helfand, George Lois, and James Victore. Author Tony Hendra provided introductory remarks and Steven Heller served as the moderator of the panel.

http://www.adcglobal.org/programs/designism/

The main question that is discussed is how to affect people, what is the best way to grab people’s attention? Milton Glaser tells the story of him designing a poster that was an extension of the ‘I Love NY’ logo that he designed. [Ill. 10]. Glaser designed the poster immediately after 9/11, it read ‘I love NY more than ever’, he sent the poster to a friend at the Daily News, the editor decided to wrap it around the newspaper going out the next day, it was on a million newspapers the next day. Then students at the School of Visual Arts in New York managed to get 5,000 copies that a printer donated, and distributed them throughout the city overnight. It was enormously effective, he explains it worked because it reflected something that everybody in the city was feeling at that moment. That social action worked because it resonated with the city, it connected with something that everyone was feeling. Another reason it was

so effective was that it empathised with people, it

connected on a very deep emotional level.

Glaser argues that empathy is possibly the most effective way to connect with people, he also believes that the use of striking images of poverty don’t work. He argues that people are so horrified by it that the turn away and actively try to forget about it.

Kurt Anderson replied making the point that it starts with the individual, that it’s ‘victory by a thousand cuts’. That people need to be challenged on their everyday life and if the masses change the media will have no power over them. Agreeing with Glaser he states rage and anger will connect with those already on your side but, in order to connect with those uninterested or opposed you need to be more polite and approachable.

George Lois takes a different approach, he’s well known for designing covers for Esquire magazine, they are argued to be the most provocative and memorable covers in the history of the magazine industry.

“The artistry of changing people’s minds is to kick ass with a smile on your face, that’s the trick.”

Lois believes you must first be ‘pissed off’, before taking meaningful action, that activism needs to be in your blood in order to affect real change. That passion is tantamount, you have to be furious, but your fury shouldn’t show in your work, it’s about being smart,

understanding people. To â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;do it with wit, charm, power and simplicityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Jessica Hefland immediately replied arguing that a subtle approach is needed, we need to listen to people and understand society and culture. Then to provoke and subvert, to do things quietly yet effectively.

Somewhere in between the extremes is most effective, since the aim of this project is to raise curiosity and debate about ethics. A more subtle and questioning approach would be more appropriate.

There is an interim exhibition [Ill. 11] in February as part of the course, I decided to use this as an opportunity for research, choosing 8 quotes from different designers. Asked people to vote if they either didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, agreed or disagreed about each quote. The results are displayed in an infographic, see appendix 1. The results are almost entirely from students at Grays School of Art.

It was obviously conclusive that the majority agreed with the

statements, this shows an that people see it as an important issue. But those answers don’t seem to be reflected in people’s work, there was a wide range of topics covered in the exhibition but there was only one other project about design ethics, out of over forty. If there is so much agreement why isn’t it showing in the work produced? Is this just because people do care and think it’s important but don’t know how to approach it, or to take the cynical point of view, maybe people agreed because they would feel guilty if they disagreed? You would struggle to find someone that would openly disagree with the importance of ethics, but why aren’t more people engaging with it in society?

Questionnaires were sent out to designers as market research see appendix 2. One of the questions asked was ‘What do you find is the most effective way to engage you on a topic you’re less familiar with?’ to try and find the best approach to take in designing the pack. The responses are from professional graphic designers, working with a design agency, in-house design and a self employed graphic designer. One answer was something funny, that would make him laugh, that it is simply a good creative fun idea. Another was a funny, clever and attractive well designed poster, or a viral

video that’s been well made. More than that if people he respects recommend it then he would be compelled to engage with. Another two were similar, simply saying strong visuals, that would stand out.

Another question was ‘What’s the most engaging piece of design you’ve seen recently?’ One response was a comic [Ill. 12]. It is clear why this is engaging very simple black and white design, that’s easy to process. The idea is strong and simple, you don’t need to decipher it at all, a very clear analogy. Another was a video [Ill. 13] which in thirty seconds depicts 13 films all with numbers in the title, the challenge is to name each of the films from a three second animation illustrating the film. This doesn’t have a message in the same way as the previous comic does, this video is made as a game, for fun. Visually it is exquisite, it’s so fast paced and attention grabbing it excites you to engage with the game, just a very well made video. The last is an advert for a company called ‘dollar shave’ [Ill. 14], the company sends razor blades to your house for a monthly subscription. With selling point of a simple way to shave, with affordable but good quality blades, posted to your door. The video takes a similar approach as the old spice advert, of talking plainly to men openly ridiculing the competition for being

over complicated, using jargon. The advert connects with the market being very straight forward and honest, using humour to engage the audience, a well made video with a unique selling point, redefining the market.

A source of inspiration for me has been the work of Scottish artist Robert Montgomery, recently he’s taken on a new project. He goes about at night illegally plastering over advertisements with posters covered in his poetry [Ill. 15]. He describes himself as following in the wake of the Situatonists, in creating pieces of art to engage society in spreading ideas about beauty, consumerism and hypocrisy, among other things. Montgomery is interviewed in this article from the independent,

“People respond to it really well. Lots of people pass by. Ordinary people just really like to see billboards covered up with poetry. They find it really refreshing I think. So, we’ve never really got into any trouble. ... We get anything from smiles to hugs. I’ve been hugged in the street several times [Laughs]. It’s really nice. I meet a huge cross section

of people. It’s nice to sell my work in galleries, obviously, it’s nice to be at the Venice Biennale, but this way my work reaches ordinary people which is a more fundamental thing to me. Normal people in the street are much more intelligent than society gives them credit for – and they are not at all conceptual art-phobic.”19

This proves to show that society do care about all the advertisements that are thrown at them, it shows that people are intelligent and can engage with these topics.

In terms of the design, he uses a plain black background with a bold sans serif font, he explains his reasoning,

“I want the words to appear almost like statements from the collective unconscious, in a sense. They are quite subtle ideas, and poetic ones; sometimes political points mixed with poetic allusions. The words can be complex, so I want them 19, 20 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/the-artist-vandalising-advertising-with-poetry-6353303.html?fb_action_ids=10150694136893608&fb_ action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline#access_token=AAADWQ6323I oBAAVVM86vckCjdjoo6Cljg3d86GY48vWIKpJJWEVHLuZA9YwbUVmLYbOWD qzv8HPDQiTq3yvvW0P1bmnjApuebFDL2ZCwZDZD&expires_in=6105

to look as straightforward as possible.”

This kind of reasoning resonates with this project, as the project’s design is basic, simply being black and white. Emphasising the concept of the project expanding, that the project is in it’s infancy with time the design would develop, using colour. Another point being that the project isn’t offering any solutions, it’s acting as a catalyst calling for all of society to create solutions and new ideas. So the design is basic looking for others to bring the project to life by engaging with it and passing on the message.

Conclusion

In engaging with the philosophy of Baudrillard, and considering the meaning of images and their influence. That arguably the way media has used images has been detrimental to society, it has caused people to communicate in different ways, that relationships and community have fundamentally changed.

In an article titled ‘Why I dumped my iPhone – and I’m not going back’, Sam Graham-Felsen discusses his experience of having an iPhone and the affect it had on his relationships. He describes that when he first got his iPhone, it was a joy to have, and made so much in his busy life easier. Since giving up his iPhone, for a basic phone without access to the Internet he concludes,

“It feels a little like getting a new contact lens prescription: Things that were blurred together feel sharper and more distinctly coloured.”

He feels happier and healthier without constant access to the

Internet. The media can be seriously damaging to relationships. This type of effect caused me to question whether my career choice was a good one, could I really benefit society with graphic design?

The work of Robert Montgomery had a significant impact on my thinking, another compelling argument I can across was posed by Banksy, [Ill. 16].

“Asking permission is like is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.”20

If we are to counter the negative impact of images, they need to countered and attacked, the system needs to change the debate must grow and expand into new possibilities and ideas. Jan Van Toorn articulates my sentiment well,

“If ever an alternative is proposed, it will have to arise from within society of the real subsumption and demonstrate all the contradictions at the heart of it.”21 20 21

http://blog.signalnoise.com/2012/03/01/banksy-on-advertising/ Jan van Toorn, (2006), Design’s Delight: 010 Publishers, Rotterdam

Bibliography

Books: Kalle Lasn, (2006), Design Anarchy: Oro Editions; illustrated edition. Steven Heller & Veronique Vienne, (2003), Citizen Designer (perspectives on design responsibility): Allworth Press, U.S. Lucienne Roberts, (2006), Good: An Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design: AVA Publishing David B Berman, (2008), Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change the World: Peachpit Press Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Steven Heller, (2002), Looking Closer Four: Critical Writings on Graphic Design: Allworth Press, New York Jan van Toorn, (2006), Designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delight: 010 Publishers, Rotterdam Ji Lee, (2006), Talk Back The Bubble Project: Mark Batty Publisher, New York Paul Arden, (2006), Whatever You Think Think The Opposite: Penguin Group, London Adrian Shaughnessy, (2005), How to be a graphic designer, without losing your soul: Princeton Architectural Press, New York Alan Fletcher, (2001), The Art of Looking Sideways: Phaidon Press

Rick Poyner, (2001), Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition: Booth-Clibborn, London Michael Bierut, (2007), Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design: Princeton Architectural Press Guy Debord, (1994), The Society of the Spectacle: Zone Books, New York The South African Histroy Archive, (2004), Images of Defiance, South African Resistance Posters of the 1980’s: STE Publishers Articles: Graphic Designers, Flush Left? – Michael Bierut – http://observatory. designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=2537#.Ty62eY7iDgY.facebook Design Can Save The World – Joshua Blackburn – The Art of Protest – Joshua Blackburn – http://provokateur.com/provokations/articles/ Why I Dumped My iPhone - And I’m Not Going Back – Sam Graham Felsen – http://www.good.is/post/why-i-dumped-my-iphone-andwhy-i-m-not-going-back/ World’s Richest Man Says “Charity Doesn’t Solve Anything” – Patrick James – http://www.good.is/post/world-s-richest-man-says-charitydoesn-t-solve-anything/ I Hated Kony Before He Was Cool – Jonathan Langley – http:// narniansocialist.com/i-hated-kony-before-he-was-cool/

Philosophy, Graphic Design and Virtue of Clarity – Adrian Shaughnessy – http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/ philosophy-graphic-design-and-virtue-of-clarity/26738/ Uh-Oh: Science Says Creativity And Dishonesty Go Hand In Hand – Suzanne Labarre – http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669295/uh-ohscience-says-creativity-also-dishonesty-go-hand-in-hand First Things First Manifesto 2000 – http://www.eyemagazine.com/ feature.php?id=18&fid=99 – First published in Eye no. 33 vol. 9, 1999 A Designer Moment: Why commercials can’t spark change. – http:// www.adbusters.org/magazine/77/a_designer_moment. html Where Are The Design Intellectuals – http://observatory. designobserver.com/feature/where-are-the-designintellectuals/2347/ Images and Everyday Life – http://archive.org/details/ SpectacularTimesImagespdf Videos/Lectures: Russell Brand interview – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNCDovAWB8 Designism conference 2006 – http://www.adcglobal.org/programs/ designism/

Illustrations

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

List of Illustrations

1. Project website – itmustexpand.com

2 - 6. Project website header – itmustexpand.com

7. Silkscreening workshop in South Africa – The South African History Archive, (2004), Images of Defiance, South African Resistance Posters of the 1980’s: STE Publishers

8. No Tankers campaign – Oil tankers posters – http://www.youtube. com/watch?gl=US&feature=player_embedded&v=tiYaz6xg4mM

9. Kony 2012 video – http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

10. I love New York More Than Ever poster – http://www. miltonglaser.com/the-work/c:posters/532/school-of-visual-arts-ilove-new-york-more-than-ever/

11. Photo of Interim Exhibition

12. Political comic – http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZST3iy7BQw/ T0YszbtXWhI/AAAAAAAAPNg/9zcOK4iaW1c/s1600/The%2BPeople% 2BDon%2527t%2BKnow%2BTheir%2BTrue%2BPower.jpg

13. 123 Film – http://vimeo.com/38785342

14. Dollar Shave advert – http://www.youtube.com/ watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

15. Robert Montgomery peotry poster – http://www. independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/the-artistvandalising-advertising-with-poetry-6353303.html?fb_action_ ids=10150694136893608&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_ source=other_multiline#access_token=AAADWQ6323IoBAAVVM86vc kCjdjoo6Cljg3d86GY48vWIKpJJWEVHLuZA9YwbUVmLYbOWDqzv8HP DQiTq3yvvW0P1bmnjApuebFDL2ZCwZDZD&expires_in=6105

16. Banksy poster – http://blog.signalnoise.com/2012/03/01/ banksy-on-advertising/

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Alex Baker – Photographer/Journalist/Editorial Designer Hi Iain, Dude, I shall try to help you as much as I can. 1. Who is your favourite designer and why? My favourite would be Shepard Fairey of Obey Giant. He started getting really well-known when I was in University so I’ve been a fan since before he became the global brand. I’m also a fan of David Carson (behind Ray Gun magazine) who was also seminal during my varsity days as was Vaughan Oliver, the man behind the look of the 4AD record label. I like them all for different reasons. Shepard because of his politics (socialist, left-leaning, counter-culture, protest) and strong soviet-era aesthetic (design as clear tool of mass communication). Carson because of his typography - he makes fonts and type become the design itself. Oliver because of his ability to evoke emotion and memorable moods - more an artist than a designer I suppose. 2. What do you find the biggest challenge is as a designer? Finding a beneficial symbiotic client/designer relationship with shared ideals and aesthetics 3. What do you find is the most effective way to engage you on a topic you’re less familiar with?

Make it funny. Try to look for what would make you laugh or think it’s cool 4. What do you see as the positive and negative impacts of graphic design on culture and society? Overall, graphic design is largely a negative force in society. Before you think I’ve gone mad, here’s why. The vast, and I do mean vast, majority of graphic design is shallow, temporary, superficial, easilyforgotten and more often than not the slick packaging of poisonous adverts/marketing campaigns. However, I would make the argument that that’s like shooting the messenger for the message. Graphic design is just a tool for communication - change the message and suddenly it becomes a more positive force. The closer graphic design gets to art the more lasting its impact. The ‘great’ examples of graphic design (the ones they’ll keep for the museums) fulfil that requirement. In a nutshell: graphic design’s overuse and misuse has made it a negative force - we could do with fewer flyers and billboards (a la Sao Paulo). However, it’s core purpose is still very positive. 5. Where would you draw the line on a project that you wouldn’t do due to ethical reasons? The client. It’s all about the client. If they stand for evil things or doing things in an evil away then run. Run. Run. 6. What’s the most engaging piece of design you’ve seen recently? Gosh...recently? The Tideswell School of Food (from the weekend). The website’s okay but their visitor centre and logo branding meant

you could immediately spot their products all over the town and you were always curious about what it all meant. I hope that helps. Alex Baker

Malky Currie – Digital Designer 1. Who is your favourite designer and why? I’m the epitome of a 21st century postmodern designer I think. I don’t tend to pat attention to designers. I just trawl design blogs and think, oh that’s nice I’ll nick that for inspiration. Recently I cam e across a dude Tom Lane http://www.gingermonkeydesign.com/ Love his stuff. The attention to detail and doing everything from scratch often by hand is rare and impressive. I like Shepard Fairey, Milton Glaser and George Lois. I love designers that have a blatant agenda and actually care about affecting positive change through their work and influence. 2. What do you find the biggest challenge is as a designer? When clients a vision and my own clash. The worst is if they hate it and it turns out we have different objectives. But also, often I’ll produce a piece of work and my bosses/ clients are happy with it but it might well be mediocre. It’s great to have my stuff liked but it’s even better when working with a great client/art director/ editor who is really into design and really wants to push for something really great. It’s sometimes easy to settle for something average otherwise. 3. What do you find is the most effective way to engage you on a topic you’re less familiar with? Give it to me in a medium I enjoy. If you put it in a funny/pretty

poster. Or in a viral video that is worth watching cos it’s funny or beautifully done. Or maybe if everyone’s talking about it I’ll feel that I need to get informed. Or if people I respect or like think it’s important. 4. What do you see as the positive and negative impacts of graphic design on culture and society? Big question. At it’s best it makes beautiful art commercially viable. I guess within a capitalist system good work makes money for clients therefore good work will be out there and people will see it who would otherwise not engage with visual art (see becks vier music inspires art 2010 campaign, or Absolute vodka). Now those examples are ideal because what are the things that great design tells us is most important in life? Booze. Is that ok? In it’s self design makes the world a better place, a more beautiful, creative thought provoking place. I’m tempted to say there are little negative impacts of graphic design. However the negative impacts of advertising are HUGE and graphic design is a primary advertising tool. Advertising creates a culture in the west of depression, greed and insecurity through it’s harmful messages and manufacturing needs in people that their product claims to fulfil. 5. Where would you draw the line on a project that you wouldn’t do due to ethical reasons? I’d love to have a situation as dramatic as ‘drawing the line!’ but in my experience it’s not really like that. Because I care about what I do then I pursue (end up the right circles of) the kind of work I like. Working for a development charity I find myself doing work

for similar clients. My wife is an independent musician so I do some work in that field too. I deliberately don’t go after big multi-national corporations who’s ethics I disagree with. I’d like to think I’d turn down a huge deal with Coca-cola or Nestle but I’m yet to have the opportunity! I’d also be willing to turn down stuff that’s promoting or condoning any kind of hatred or prejudiced. In fact I actively do the opposite through projects like The Narnian Socialist Review. http:// narniansocialist.com/ 6. What’s the most engaging piece of design you’ve seen recently? This http://vimeo.com/38785342 And this http://tinyurl.com/6r5bpb7

Malky Currie Digital Designer

Asa Rodger – Graphic Designer 1. Who is your favourite designer and why? I don’t really have one, I like elements of each style, but prefer how the problem was solved rather than who it was solved by. However, I don’t look at design like art. 2. What do you find the biggest challenge is as a designer? Inspired work under tight time lines. The creative process is hard and takes time. 3. What do you find is the most effective way to engage you on a topic you’re less familiar with? Image. 4. What do you see as the positive and negative impacts of graphic design on culture and society? Positive: Messaging delivery, the power to deliver messages with more impact through graphic design. Negative: trends 5. Where would you draw the line on a project that you wouldn’t do due to ethical reasons? If I wouldn’t support it by word, I wouldn’t support it by image. 6. What’s the most engaging piece of design you’ve seen recently? http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/

Viral campaign done well, clean design, intelligent marketing and strong business model with USP, defining a new market. Asa Rodger

Robin Ireland – Graphic Designer 1. Who is your favourite designer and why? David Carson. A predictable choice perhaps, but he made a big impact in the 1980s and 90s (showing my age now!). I loved his use of bold typography and styles that broke free from the norm. I remember being wowed by his magazine designs and I still like them today. 2. What do you find the biggest challenge is as a designer? There are lots of challenges! Keeping up with current trends is one. Its so important but takes time. Its very easy to rely on tried and tested methods, especially when you’re busy and only have short time scales. 3. What do you find is the most effective way to engage you on a topic you’re less familiar with? I’m naturally a visual learner. So great imagery always draws me in rather than text. Although a good headline will get my attention too! 4. What do you see as the positive and negative impacts of graphic design on culture and society? Good design keeps things fresh and it inspires. The negatives for me are that design often looks to shock or disturb in its attempt to find something new. Or the other extreme is that it promotes a false reality where everyone should be beautiful and without imperfection (perhaps more media driven than design – but they work closely

together). 5. Where would you draw the line on a project that you wouldn’t do due to ethical reasons? This is an interesting question. There are definite lines I would draw on pornography or hate literature. However, there are many grey areas too. I think if the design was to promote something I felt uncomfortable with, I would have to say no. 6. What’s the most engaging piece of design you’ve seen recently? Looking back at David Carson’s work again having mentioned him above! Love it :-)