REFLECTION Having thoroughly researched into the life and works of Josef Hoffmann, not only have I been able to learn about an important figure in the context of design during the early 20th century, but I have also learned a lot about myself as a designer. I see myself In much of Hoffmann’s work and design style, having noticed that much of my work also adheres to the ideology of simple minimalist forms. As a designer, developing your own design style and philosophy is an important part of forming your ‘design identity’, and gives you an opportunity to show the world your talent, one that the public will instantly recognise as your work. Throughout the duration of this course, I have been able to significantly improve my work and ability as both as a researcher and a designer. This includes my skills in research, writing, drawing, CAD and graphic design. At the start of the course we were asked to put together a poster by working in teams. The poster had to be designed gaining inspiration from an assigned graphic designer and information based on a specific era. Not only has this helped me appreciate the benefits of working in a team, but helped me significantly in improving my graphic design skills, which is an important aspect of assignment 3. Similarly, in assignment 2 which enabled us to further explore a designer that had peaked our interest in assignment 1; this provided the foundation of the research that accounts for section 1 of assignment 3, and ultimately our inspiration in creating our own interpretation of our designers work. Overall, this has been a very enjoyable course, and am proud of the outcomes and knowledge I have gained which have undoubtedly elevated my ability as a designer. How does your work contribute to the design field you study? In today’s society it is important to recognise that change and evolution primarily comes through radical and stark alterations to our current ‘norms’ and traditions. Hoffmann, who challenged the design conventions in the late 19th and early 20th century, first needed to be unconventional in his design style and practices, which eventually to paved the way and significantly influenced a change to the modernist design style that was present through many decades of the 1900’s. Understanding this means that sometimes we need to be ‘radical’, and challenge the current boundaries and ‘norms’ in order to improve and evolve design.
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