A Conversation Jack Barnes
The Brief what’s the most important conversation for today?
what’s the most important conversation for the future?
There are many important topics for conversation in the current modern age. Some are predominantly political based and some are more focused on our society and culture. Sometimes these lines get blurred and conversations can fall into political and society-based boundaries.
In terms of future important conversations that we will participate in as a society, it is much harder to predict as society, technology and our surroundings are always constantly evolving and shifting.
I feel very strongly and find myself engrossed in politics a lot of the time. Because of this, I feel there are many political issues that the general population need to engage in and conversation of these issues should be encouraged. One of these is getting people to vote. I feel strongly about this issue, especially after the recent election as many young people are disillusioned with politics and are now not represented in any shape or form. In addition, I feel that the recent refugee crisis is also an important conversation for today. Many people are divided on this issue but i think conversations need to take place to see whether we should do more to help those in desperate need. Another issue i feel strongly about is the wealth divide and how the powers that be can lessen that and help those
in need. I feel that in current society, especially amongy younger people, that politics is a tabboo subject to discuss but ultimately, conversation about politics should be encouraged. An example of this, i felt, was during the election and how Russell Brand engaged millions of young people to become interested, informed and discuss politics by using social media to engage these young people. Simlarily, there was also another cult-like movement on social media in support of Ed Milliband. I think social media and technology is vital in engaging young people in politics.
An obvious conversation for the future is the state of the environment and how do we best care for our planet for the future generations. Some people refuse to believe global warming exists and then we are faced with this impending energy crisis and the damage our planet is suffering. I feel that conversation needs to take place in order to sustain our planet’s wellbeing. Another interesting conversation topic for the future is the mechanicalisation of the workforce. As technology evolves and becomes more accessible, businesses are increasingly using robots to automate jobs which humans have populated. There are many ethical issues surrounding this as it takes a substantial amount of people out of their jobs, and ruins their livelihoods that they have worked towards for their entire lives. This ‘conversation’ sprung to my mind after a recent BBC report which investigated how many jobs will become automated in the future.
Ken Garland’s Manifesto First Things First Published in 1964 and backed by over 400 designers and artists, Ken Garland’s First Things First manifesto was a criticism of Britain’s design industry for being too lazy and uncritical. The manifesto was also endorsed by Tony Benn and was also picked up by The Guardian. The manifesto seeked to radicalise the industry and wanted to go back to the humanist aspect of design with a focus on bettering society. The manifesto also drew on ideas from the Frankfurt school and rallied against consumerist culture. Somewhat appropriately, Adbusters updated the manifesto and released it on the eve of the millenium. Its aim was to generate discussion about the profession of graphic design’s priorties and was signed by industry-leading design figures such as Erik Spiekermann, Milton Glaser and Jonathan Barnbrook. It criticises how designers who apply their craft to selling cigarettes, hair gel, credit cards and the like have changed how the public percieves design and backers of the manifesto argue that their problem solving skills could be put to better use.
I read the manifesto and found it to be extremely interesting. My personal impression from reading the manifesto in eye magazine was of support for the designers who signed the manifesto. Design is a tool and it can be used for good and for bad. I also admire the way that the manifesto acts as a platform to encourage discussion in the design industry.
JWT Future Trends Trends that impact society. J. Walter Thompson is a marketing communications brand that specialises in identifyig trends that impact society and the public’s moods and perceptions of things in our culture. I researched into this company because of the importance of knowing the change that occurs in society and the change in technology and how that can influence design. They published a list called the ‘future 100’ which is split into different categories: ‘Culture, Beauty, Brands, Food and Drink, Innovation, Lifestyle, Luxury, Retail, Sustainability and Technology’ It states that the smartphone is the biggest influence on consumer change and i think this can also be expanded into how we interact with each other on a daily basis. We’re always conversing people using smart phones, whether we know them or not. Be it through social media (conversing through texts, images, videos or sound) or through platforms such as email or Skype. Smartphones and digital technology also breaks down the barrier of distance, meaning we can converse with people across the world with as few limits are there has ever been.
Young People & Politics The 2015 General Election & conversations In the 2015 general election, young voters finally became encapsulated by politics with 58% of 18-25 year olds casting their votes, compared to the measly 38% in 2005. This is still too low. I was 20 during the general elections, so it was the first time I was eligible to vote. My increased interest in this area may impact my view, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many campaigns and conversations occuring amongst young people around politics. There was the milifandom, Russel Brand’s Trews and social media was integral in engaging young people in politics. The cult-like social media campaign ‘milifandom’ started on twitter by student Abby Tomlinson. Hashtags and memes were created to support Miliband’s campaign and to highlight the negative portrayal he faced in the media. The campaign used this light-hearted, less-dry view on politics to engage a younger audience in the world of politics, making them aware of manifestos and policies. So as well as the multitudes of conversations that occured due to the milifandom, many young people became educated in politics when they wouldn’t have normally
been should the milifandom not have been created. Likewise, Russell Brand’s trews YouTube series also helped to contribute in the increased discussion amongst young adults in politics. Initially, Brand was apathetic towards voting and politics in general, but after interviewing the Green Party and Ed Miliband, Brand told his supporters to vote to ‘end the danger of the conservative party’. Again, social media acted as a platform to engage young people in politics. I think in regards to my conversation brief, I would have to integrate social media and digital technologies into whatover outcome I would design if I focused on getting young people engaged in politics. This could be in the form of an ezine which I would be comfortable doing as I am very interested in magazine / print design.
Automation of the Workforce The morals of robots taking jobs A recent investigation by Oxford University calculated the odds of each job becoming automated in the future based on several skills that are needed to perform the job, such as social perceptiveness, persuasion and caring for others. It claims that a quarter of all jobs could be lost as a result of automation and that lowskilled, low-paid jobs will be hit the most in the next 10 years. The BBC looked at some jobs which were most likely to become automated. One of which is taxiing which could become automated with the looming invention of driverless cars. Other jobs include doctors, journalists and factory workers. There are obvious moral and ethical conflicts that arise from this. What happens to the humans who have lost their careers and have been replaced by robots? In Martin Ford’s Rise of the Robots, Ford argues that we could be dealing with economic collapse and mass unemployment if this is allowed to happen. I think this is an important talking point that we need to discuss for our future. In terms of designing a visual outcome to address this issue, I think looking at how art addresses the future, especially
in the form of film (such as 2001 Space Odyssey and Moon) could allow me to create a relatable, contemporary outlook on what the future holds for us in terms of automated jobs.
A literal conversation Another area I could investigate in regards to conversation is how we converse with each other, be it through spoken language or through a more digital means. In England there are many variations of spoken language and I find it fascinating how they all form and how we all have our own individual way of communicating with others with different dialects, idiolects, sociolects and accents. Being from Yorkshire, I have my own way of speaking and use words and phrases that other people from other parts of the country may not be familiar with. I could use this and design some form of series of posters which act as a way of educating people on how I speak. Alternatively, I could also create infographics to illustrate the differences in people’s dialects and accents. Because of the increasing grasp digital technologies has on our lives and how that influences how we converse each other, I could also look at this area. Something of interest could be emojis and how they visually communicate things between people without the use of conventional language. A fun idea could be a manifesto on standardised emoji use, or a
new set of emojis. This would be a more light hearted piece of work, which is unfamiliar to me as many of the projects I undertake have a serious tone.
Matt Wiley’s Independent Rebrand With the intentions of “reviving the spirit of its founders”, Matt Willey’s Independent overhaul wanted the newspaper to go back to its elegant roots and to draw a difference from the paper’s sister paper ‘the i’ - which had became famous with its magazine-style design and bitesize news format. Because ‘Independent’ is a long word, Willey pushed for the masthead to appear vertically on the left hand side of the front page. He argued that a more traditional layout made the masthead look uncomfortable and unfriendly. The new change could ‘give pertinence’ to the news and allowed images and type to work in conjunction more efficiently. Willey also implemented a framework for sub-editors to abide by; fewer but better images; no text over images; no doglegging of stories around adverts and a stripped-back colour palette mainly based on black, grey and red, as well as sticking to the grid to keep the right amount of white space. Henrik Kubel also worked on the new in-house typeface for The Independent and La Tigre also redrew the logo.
Mark Porter’s Guardian Rebrand In response to The Independent’s tabloid redesign to a tabloid size in 2003, The Guardian was redesigned by Mark Porter and currently has a constantly evolving design philosophy, which included the shift in the paper’s size from broadsheet to the berliner format. The paper was voted best-designed newspaper in 2006 by the society for news design. Porter was also responsible for the publication’s adaptation into mobile and web platforms. I think this in particular could be very useful as I am exploring the possibility of looking into creating a politics / social issues-focused ezine / publication as my reponse to the conversation brief to get young people more involved and aware of real issues that regard them. Porter says the rebrand’s aim was to “create an intelligent serious paper, with a calm tone of voice, which retained a sense of the Guardian’s 200-year history, but was at ease with modern technology and culture. Our response was to design a calm, readable, typographically rigorous paper, which is also colourful and committed to visual journalism through the powerful use of images.” After viewing The Guardian’s
physical format, their web layout and their mobile edition, I think they have achieved this. I really like the mellow soft tone used in the paper’s philosophy, making it not like an hyperbolic attack on the eyes like lots of news are today.
Initial Ideas Idea #1 Politics publication
My first idea is to create a magazine / short newspaper which is focused on politicalbased and social-based issues which is aimed at getting young people involved in real issues which concern them. This would have to intergrate social networking and / or digital platforming in some way, shape or form in order to engage with this audience. As well as this I would also have to research a variety of news-based journalism websites and publications, and determine which platform would be most suitable.
Idea #2 Workforce Automation Movie Posters
I find the idea that more and more jobs becoming automated as technology becomes more advanced really interesting, and quite under-discussed in our society. Because this issue is somewhat important, and the type of people it involves, I feel, might not be too informed on this subject, an idea I had was to create pastiches of famous sci-fi movie posters, and to use these to communicate this subject to a large audience. Alternatively, I could produce work in the form of movie posters which help to promote the issue of work automation.
Idea #3 What is Graphic Design?
As I see myself as a designer, I am constantly greeted with confused faces when I tell them what I study and what it is I do, and I must admit I can sometimes struggle explaining this to all sorts of people. I see some form of irony here, because as designers we are communicators first and foremost, so what good is it if we can’t communicate to people what it is that we do. Because of this, and after being inspired by the first things first manifesto, I think I could design an informative manifesto of sorts to tell people what it is that we do.
The topography of typography El Lissitzky’s electro library manifesto In 1923, Russian designer El Lissitzky produced a manifesto which intended on revolutionising printed media. He proposed the shift from traditional print-based media to a digital platform - the electro library, the new book. I found this to be quite fascinating because Lissitzky clearly seemed to be ahead of his time as he discussed about the digitalisation of literature in 1923, over 80 years before we saw the dawn of e-books on iPads and Kindle. In his manifesto,Lissitzky said that ‘inkpot and quill pen are dead’, very similar to the notion of the idea that print is dead. During my research of this manifesto, I found an interesting piece of writing from Eye Magazine who similarily drew comparisons from Lissitzky’s plea to revolutionise print design, to how the new ‘digital page’ is an ‘undiscovered landscape of opportunity and possibility.’ and calls for the new El Lissitzky. “The Electro-Library demands that we reconsider every aspect of page design – from the details that we understood to represent the craft of typography, to the elements of the page itself: the running heads, the folios, the paragraph and chapter. The ‘design of the book-space, set according to the constraints of printing mechanics’ no longer matters to us. This new page is an undiscovered landscape of opportunity and possibility.”
Researching this manifesto really inspired me on the importance of design-based thinking and theory as a whole. It really brings into focus how thorough of a craft design is, and how its our responsibility as designers to help better society. 1. The words on the printed surface are taken in by seeing, not by hearing. 2. One communicates meanings through the convention of words; meaning attains form through letters. 3. Economy of expression: optics not phonetics. 4. The design of the book-space, set according to the constraints of printing mechanics, must correspond to the tensions and pressures of content. 5. The design of the bookspace using process blocks which issue from the new optics. The supernatural reality of the perfected eye. 6. The continuous sequence of pages: the bioscopic book. 7. The new book demands the new writer. Inkpot and quill-pen are dead. 8. The printed surface transcends space and time. The printed surface, the infinity of books, must be transcended. THE ELECTRO-LIBRARY.
The Bauhaus Manifesto Walter Gropius’ 1919 Manifesto With the beginning of the Bauhaus school in 1919, founded by Walter Gropius, the German produced a 4-page pamphlet outlining Gropius’ manifesto and the aims of the school which was to reunite the arts, in the form of art, craft and architecture and to revolutionise design and take an entirely new fresh approach to design - with the intention on creating a better society. The manifesto was launched with the beginning of the school, but despite its short lifespan of only 14 years (having to close due to pressures from the Nazis over claims that the bauhaus promoted communist thinking), but the school’s influence on design is still prevalent to this day, both in ways of thinking and it’s aesthetic identity. The school was influential in regards to the early progression of modernism and is still viewed as important in its influence of contemporary architecture. I find it harder to relate to, or admire the bauhaus’ intentions because I think it reads as being quite controlling and limiting by wanting to unite the arts and crafts trades.
“The ultimate goal of all art is the building! The ornamentation of the building was once the main purpose of the visual arts, and they were considered indispensable parts of the great building. Today, they exist in complacent isolation, from which they can only be salvaged by the purposeful and cooperative endeavours of all artisans. Architects, painters and sculptors must learn a new way of seeing and understanding the composite character of the building, both as a totality and in terms of its parts. Their work will then re-imbue itself with the spirit of architecture, which it lost in salon art. The art schools of old were incapable of producing this unity – and how could they, for art may not be taught. They must return to the workshop. This world of mere drawing and painting of draughtsmen and applied artists must at long last become a world that builds. When a young person who senses within himself a love for creative endeavour begins his career, as in the past, by learning a trade, the unproductive “artist” will no longer be
condemned to the imperfect practice of art because his skill is now preserved in craftsmanship, where he may achieve excellence. Architects, sculptors, painters – we all must return to craftsmanship! For there is no such thing as “art by profession”. There is no essential difference between the artist and the artisan. The artist is an exalted artisan. Merciful heaven, in rare moments of illumination beyond man’s will, may allow art to blossom from the work of his hand, but the foundations of proficiency are indispensable to every artist. This is the original source of creative design. So let us therefore create a new guild of craftsmen, free of the divisive class pretensions that endeavoured to raise a prideful barrier between craftsmen and artists! Let us strive for, conceive and create the new building of the future that will unite every discipline, architecture and sculpture and painting, and which will one day rise heavenwards from the million hands of craftsmen as a clear symbol of a new belief to come.”
Claes Oldenburg’s Manifesto An Ode to Possibilities: I am for an art... Swedish sculptor Claes Oldenburg wrote ‘I am for an art’ in 1961 in which he outlines his visions for what art should be. Oldenburg’s approach to the manifesto, which was created for an exhibition, is like nothing I have seen in any of the other manifestos I have researched because of how he starts each sentence with ‘i am for an art’. I think it really makes his ideas stand out, and emphasises the scale and importance of art and its impact on our lives. I feel that some of Oldenburg’s statements can also resonate with graphic design. “I am for an art that tells you the time of day, or where such and such a street is” “I am for an art that is politicalerotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum”
This appoach to design as a whole really relates to my views on design and how I think it should be used. I really like design which is highly functional and simplistic, and as well as this, admire art / design which is used in a political context or is used to help better society.
Because one of my initial ideas looks at producing a manifesto to inform and outline what graphic design is, i think researching this manifesto was useful. I think I could possibily look at using a similar form of structure to highlight the vastness and multiple purposes that graphic design serves in our day-to-day lives.
Sci-fi Movie Posters A look at the design of sci-fi movie posters. I looked into classic movie posters, as well as contemporary sci fi movie posters to gain an insight into the conventions of them because I am looking at creating some posters to focus on the automation of the workforce. I really like the classic movie posters such as Blade Runner’s and The Empire Strikes Back because because of how action-packed they look, and I think the aesthetic of having vectors of the characters looks really great. I prefer them over photographs which are used in contemporary movie posters. There’s also the trend of using the combination of blue and reds in sci-fi movie posters, which I would have to follow if I do a movie poster of my own. It’s also conventional for information about the movie poster (cast, a strapline, release date) to be placed at the bottom of the movie poster. I feel I could use this to give the audience information about the issue at hand, but it would still have to be somewhat light-hearted because the posters would be a pastiche of sorts. If I do continue with this idea, I think the posters would be more retro.
Saul Bass Movie Posters A look at Saul Bass’ iconic movie posters. I looked at Saul Bass who’s movie posters are iconic and heavily influential in the history of movie posters. Bass worked with many big filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. I really like Bass’ minimalistic, silhouette aesthetic and I think it’s simplicity really sets the posters out from the other postes you see and I’m surprised its aesthetic isn’t used as much in contemporary posters. I think I could be influenced by Bass’ posters when creating some responses to my idea of creating movie-posted styled outcomes to address the idea that jobs will be replaced by robots in the future.
Retro Sci-fi Movie Posters A look at retro sci-fi movie posters from the 50s
Retro Sci Fi Movie Poster Experimentation
Retro Sci Fi Movie Poster Experimentation
Initial Idea: PostModernism & News A post modernist take on news journalism One of my initial ideas was to create a news publication which was aimed at bringing real social issues to young people and trying to get them engaging in politics. Thinking about ways I could get young people engaged in politics and current affiars, I hypothosised with the concept that contemporary newspapers can be seen as following modernist principles, so I thought I could turn this on its head and draw inspiration from postmodernism in graphic design to create a news publication which has a post-modernist philosophy. An example of post-modernism and young people going hand-in-hand, i believe, is ID and Raygun magazines. I feel that these publications can be seen as more of a fashion-accessory for the readers, than publicaitons which prioritise content. If I was to follow suit, however, it would contradict my intented purpose by bringing real news that matters to people.
Now, I will have to extensively investigate the post modernist aesthetic and art movements, such as Jamie Reid’s sex pistols punk aesthetic, Carson’s Raygun, Terry Jones’ ID magazine and Barbara Kruger’s artwork. I would also have to look at what issues I want to include in the publication. My initial ideas are Jeremy Corbyn, workforce automation, the Snoopers Charter, Tax Credits and the Refugee and Syran Crisises.
ID Magazine A Post-modernist British fashion magazine Terry Jones is a British art director who’s experience include working as art director for Vogue before he launched his own fashion magazine ‘i-D’ which redefined graphical printing styles. i-D became renowned for its strong visual aesthetic with vibrant contrasting colours in layout, type setting and photography. i-D was highly influential in the punk and new wave movements in England’s youth during the 1980s. In addition to this, the magazine was also seen for its nurturing of upcoming talent in the fashion industry. I really like i-D’s front covers because of how vibrant they are, whilst still maintaining the coherentness and visual hierarchy that established magazines have. I also found it interesting how Jones doesn’t really have an ethos or agenda when it came to design. His work is very much straightforward, and more focused on the aesthetics.
Raygun Magazine A post modernist alternative music magazine
David Carson is an American graphic designer famous for his magazine layout design which broke established traditional layout systems, as well as his typography which was extremely experimental.
Raygun magazine was extremely experimental. With varying typefaces, layouts, compositions and colours used, Carson says that his work is to be emotionally interpreted.
Barbara Kruger A post modernist take on news journalism
A conceptual artist, Barbara Kruger’s work focused on social and political issues, with a strong emphasis on feminism Her aesthetic is incredibly recognisable, with the use of futura and red acting as a caption on top of photos which deliver an assertive, direct slogan, often being
personal such as ‘your body is a battleground’ and ‘I shop therefore I am’. I really like her work because of how simplistic it is, allowing anyone to understand the general meaning of the prints, making her artwork extremely accessible.
Florencia Gavilan A post modernist take on news journalism During some searching for visual inspiration on Behance, I found Florencia Gavilan’s Vivienne Westwood editorial work which was exactly the type of aesthetic I had in mind when I had my idea of creating a post-modernist inspired take on news journalism.
Communique Development
Hillary Art I developed some artpieces to be used in my magazine. The first piece of artwork was a pastiche of Shepard Fairey’s Hope poster, which promoted Barack Obama during his 2008 election. I spun this to criticise Hillary Clinton. Another piece of artwork I produced was very simple; I superimposed Hillary Clinton’s face on American currency. I was happy with how these political artworks came out, critical of Hillary Clinton, reinforcing the articles in the magazine.
Corbyn Art I developed some artpieces to be used in my magazine. Inspired by soviet-styled constructivist / stencilised art used in propaganda, I produced art based around this aesthetic. I thought this was appropriate because of Corbyn’s socialist background. I was extremely happy with the outcome of these design experimentations and will be using them on my front cover.
Finished Magazine