Emotional Information Design with Jonathan Harris Tipographia Exploring Latin Type with Sergio Serrano On Love and Furniture with Allison Murray The Future of Creativity Examining the Creative Class A Cyclical Nature Dealing with Postmodernism
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International edition â‚Ź15 / ÂŁ10 / C$10 / US$20 01
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Volume 01 Number 01 2008. Two
The Beta Issue www.inputoutput.com
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Student Showcase
Alaine Haynal examines the codex Collin Hnetka gets geometric
Volume 01 Number 01 2008. Two
The Beta Issue
For our mothers. For our fathers.
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FALL/WINTER ISSUE NO.1 THE BETA ISSUE
Editor + Art Director Jaime Calayo hello@jaimecalayo.com
Distribution 6 copies of this issue were handmade and distrubuted.
Editor Jaime Calayo hello@jaimecalayo.com
If you would like a copy please contact Jaime Calayo hello@jaimecalayo.com
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Typography Helvetica Designed by: Max Miedinger Tiffany Designed by: Edward Benguiat Avant Garde Designed by: Edward Benguiat Thesis Designed by: Lucas de Groot
First Things First Manifesto A call to arms
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I Want You To Want Me Information graphics and the world of online dating
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Tipografia The past, present and future of Latin typography
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Hardly Linear Alaine Haynal explores the deeper meaning of what makes a book a book
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Hustle and Flow Collin Hnetka gets geometric
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Going Vinyl Enter the world of designer toys and get the chance to feel like a kid again
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From Thrones to Trash Allison Murray gets us to re-examine our relationships with our furniture
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Post-post Defining Postmodernism. Now
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The Rise of the Creative Class Who we are. Where we are. Why we are.
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Contributors Sergio Serranno Visual Communication Collin Hnetka Industrial Design Alaine Haynal Visual Communication Allison Murray Industrial Design Thomas Gaudin Industrial Design
ISSUE NO.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 04
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from the editor: “hello”
06. In nearing the end of my design education I can truthfully say I have learnt and grown immensely. Without the guidance of professors nor the inspiration from my peers I wouldn’t be half the designer I am now. Through the years a lesson is learned and that is that design, if anything else, is a collaborative process. It is not through the individual but through the cooperative work of a community that good design work is achieved. The following is a collection of articles and work done by design students from the University of Alberta. As a whole, the magazine seeks to explore the world of design as well as create a meaningful dialogue between design students. So there you have it. A design magazine for students, by students. I hope you enjoy the first issue and hopefully it won’t be the last. Let the dialogue begin.
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first things first history As this is the first article of the first issue of this magazine it would only be appropriate if in involved one of the most important design manifestos. As a reaction to the industry at the time, British designer Ken Garland wrote First Things First—a manifesto addressing the consumerist culture of the 1960’s, stating that designers should not use their talents for the pursuit of the dollar and instead take the time to invest in more meaningful more lasting forms of visual communication. The manifesto was republished in the anti-advertisement magazine Adbusters in 1999 which internationally urged designers to again take a stand a sign a revised version of the manifesto. Adbusters were replied by 33 signatories from different graphic design backgrounds from print to web design and the First Things First 2000 manifesto was published in a future issue. Directed towards the general public, the manifesto was only a small part of larger campaign by Adbusters in their fight against consumerism and capitalist culture. Adbusters organized such events such as “Buy Nothing Day” as well as the “The Big Question” campaign that included print ads, billboards, and TV spots that asked the public “Is Economic ‘Progress’ Killing the Planet?” Students were a main target in the eyes of the publishers. Kalle Lasn, founder of Adbusters stated that “It’s time to give students a new perspective on what they are doing. If we can communicate that to the next generation of designers, then
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I think the whole industry will heave. Once the teachers and students in the design schools realize that, the they will change the world. That’s how revolutions begin.” The updated manifesto received mixed reviews within the design industry as some herald it like gospel while others thought of it as an unrealistic pipe dream. In response, one group of designers in England went to write a manifesto titled A Call to Arms Against Future RetroManifestos From the Disillusioned. They write, “Design is encased in capitalism, and even though there are many brownie points to be won for the individual through the creation of coffee-table books and niche magazines, this link will persist.” Ultimately, it’s on us to decide on what to do with our talents. With that said it should also be stated that with that decision comes a heavy responsibility—a responsibility to our peers, to your friends, to the public. Because with every piece of design we create we get the chance to communicate a message and with that comes a power like no other. So take the time to stop, breathe, and ask yourself “are these the messages I want to send?”
a reversal of priorities.
2000
for the better good.
manifesto
We, the undersigned, are graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators who have been raised in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative, effective and desirable use of our talents. Many design teachers and mentors promote this belief; the market rewards it; a tide of books and publications reinforces it.
There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help.
Encouraged in this direction, designers then apply their skill and imagination to sell dog biscuits, designer coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer and heavy-duty recreational vehicles. Commercial work has always paid the bills, but many graphic designers have now let it become, in large measure, what graphic designers do. This, in turn, is how the world perceives design. The profession’s time and energy is used up manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best.
We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a mindshift 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 de sign.
Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endorsing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.
In 1964, 22 visual communicators signed the original call for our skills to be put to worthwhile use. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, their message has only grown more urgent. Today, we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart.
signed.
nick bell linda van deursen andrew blauvelt chris dixon hans bockting william drenttel irma boom gert dumbar max bruinsma simon esterson siân cook vince frost Katherine McCoy Ken Garland Armand Mevis Jan van Toorn Rick Poynor Teal Triggs Lucienne Roberts Rudy VanderLans Erik Spiekermann Bob Wilkinson jonathan barnbrook sheila sevrant de bretteville
Milton Glaser Jessica Helfand J. Abbott Miller Steven Heller Andrew Howard Tibor Kalman Jeffery Keedy Zuzana Licko Ellen Lupton
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I want
to wan exploring the search for love on online dating Showcased in New York’s Museum of Modern Art , I Want You to Want Me is a visual exploration of the world of online dating. Conceived and created by Jonathan Harris and Sep Kamvar the exhibit mixes aspects of graphic design, technology, anthropology and the whirlwind complexities of love. In it’s entirety, the exhibit interactively shows viewers the different ways in which people interact and find love in today’s society.
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One can say the simple act of dating has entered a whole new level in today’s world. With life getting more and more complex by the day, having never ending to-do lists and meetings within meetings, people barely have the time to sit down and have personal interactions with one another. Because of this, the world of online dating has flourished, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors per month.
you
nt me By spending a mere 5 minutes, a new user can create a personalized biography of themselves and have it published within a network of millions. As Harris states, these personal profiles are modern messages in a bottle, short statements of the self, telling not only who people are, but also what people want. Then by throwing these bottles into a digital sea, users then wait, patiently, to have their messages read and hopefully, replied to. Drawing the bulk of their research and information from a wide range online dating websites, Harris and Kamvar developed a system that collects and systematically organizes information users provide from dating sites on an hourly basis including people’s ages, genders, sexualities, needs, wants and desires. By examining these qualities in detail, viewers get to, in a somewhat voyeuristic manner, take a glimpse into the personal lives of others. Also, with having this system updated hourly, viewers get to keep in touch with the most recent dating trends like where most people go for first dates or what qualities people of a certain age demographic are looking for.
feel the emotion evoked by the color and the graphics on the screen. The backdrop to the whole display is an interactive sky where viewers can change the weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc). The information gathered from dating sites is represented by blue and pink coloured balloons. The original concept was to have the silhouettes appear in the windows of an apartment building, but that was considered “done.” Moving balloons carried more meaning as they acted like little vessels individuals lived in. Harris explains “you have all these balloons flying around, they are so close to each other they are even bumping up against each other, but ultimately you are trapped in your balloon.” Pink balloons represent women while men are shown through the blue ones. Age is shown through the lightness or darkness of the balloons with the lighter ones representing younger online dating users while the darker ones represent those older. Viewers can interact with the balloons by touching them causing a little polaroid to drop and a sentence to appear above the balloon.
I Want You To Want Me is displayed on a heart-achingly beautiful 56” high-resolution touch screen. Installing it within MOMA , Harris and Kamvar asked for it to be displayed in a dark secluded corner. In the dark is where you get to really
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THE FIVE MOVEMENTS WHO I AM
WHAT I WANT
Who I am displays sentences beginning with “I am”, as balloons careen wildly through the sky. Interesting in the sense that the identities of the users of online dating sites are limited to a short brief statement.
What I Want displays sentences beginning with “I am looking for”, as balloons form a giant pulsing heart.
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SNIPPETS OPENERS
CLOSERS
Snippets consists of three smaller movements: Openers, Closers, and Taglines. Openers displays profiles’ opening lines, as balloons form a field of bursting flowers.
Closers displays profiles’ closing lines, as balloons form a grid.
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TAGLINES
MATCHMAKER
Taglines displays profiles’ subject lines, as balloons form a spinning DNA double helix.
Matchmaker algorithmically pairs people based on their descriptions of who they are and what they’re looking for. Balloon couples emerge on the horizon before pausing side by side and then floating off together.
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“I am ready for my prince.”
BREAKDOWNS
From a 22-year-old man looking for a man in Brooklyn, New York
Breakdowns, the final movement, reveals the zeitgeist of dating, showing the most popular turn-ons, first dates, desires, self-descriptions, and interests.
“I’m not lonely or horny, but I am incomplete.” From a 40-year-old man looking for a woman in Raleigh, North Carolina
“I am a single mom supporting kids; I don’t need to support no man.” From a 40-year-old woman looking for a man in Raleigh, North Carolina
“I’m logical, too practical at times, and completely out of my element when it comes to dating. ” From a 26-year-old woman looking for a man in Chicago, Illinois
“I’m a single dad trying to make it in this crazy world” From a 30-year-old man looking for a woman in Tampa, Florida
“I’m looking for a virgin supermod nymphomaniac with huge breast a liquor store.” From a 43-year-old man looking for a woman in Las Vegas,
“I am looking for a starter boyfriend to teach me the ropes.” From a 27-year-old woman looking for a man in Seattle, Washington
“I’m looking for someone who can make my heart beat fast (not to be confused with giving me a heart attack).” From a 38-year-old man looking for a woman in Owensboro, Kentucky
“I AM THE WORLD’S GREATEST LOVER AND A DANCING MACHINE!” From a 21-year-old woman looking for a woman in Madison, Wisconsin
“I’m wild like that.”
From a 20-year-old woman looking for a man in Upland, California
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on
jonathan harris Combining elements of computer science, anthropology, visual art and storytelling, Jonathan Harris designs systems to explore and explain the human world. He has made projects about human emotion, human desire, modern mythology, science, news, anonymity, and language, built a time capsule, and recently documented an Alaskan Eskimo whale hunt. He studied computer science at Princeton University, and was awarded a Fabrica fellowship in 2004. His work has been exhibited at Le Centre Pompidou and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, and in the name of research, occasionally uses online dating.
I Want You To Want Me aims to be a mirror, in which people see reflections of themselves as they glimpse the lives of others. Thinking of it as a mix between a love song and a thesis paper it assures viewers that people can still find love in today’s busy world, especially when work and progress have more and more invaded our personal lives and where one can feel ultimately
alone in a subway car full of people. At times amusing and at times tinged with heartache, the piece is a heady meditation on the wonderful, horrible force of love. Hanging vertically on the wall it was installed at MoMA on February 14, 2008, Valentine’s Day as part of the “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibition.
“Hurt me and you die.”
“Shining my armor now.” From a 40-year-old man looking for a woman in Houston, Texas
From a 19-year-old woman looking for a woman in Orange County, California
“I know what you’re thinking -- 23, no way, but let me tell you, I have a very old soul.” From a 23-year-old man looking for a woman in Portland, Oregon
“Want to get married? Then skip to the next listing.” From a 63-year-old man looking for a woman in Washington, D.C.
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sep kamvar Sep Kamvar is a consulting professor of Computational Mathematics at Stanford University. His research focuses on data mining in large-scale adaptive networks such as the web, peer-to-peer and social networks, and markets. He also is interested in using large amounts of data in the study of human nature through art. From 2003 to 2007, Sep was the engineering lead for personalization at Google. Prior to Google, he was the founder and CEO of Kaltix, a personalized search company that was acquired by Google in 2003. Sep is the founder of Distilled, a premium men’s fashion line and art collective, and has created a number of web-based art works, including We Feel Fine and Lovelines. He has not tried online dating himself, but has served as an online dating coach to his collaborator on this project.
“Shy gal for sweet guy.” From a 30-year-old woman looking for a man in Los Angeles, California
“I’m a good dancer AND straight; yes we do exist.” From a 38-year-old man looking for a woman in Henderson, Nevada
“I’m looking for a guy to JUST make out with.” From a 21-year-old woman looking for a man in Orange County, California
“Respectfully, your future husband.” From a 43-year-old man looking for a woman in Seattle, Washington
“I have considered rehab but insurance refuses to pay.” From a 48-year old woman looking for a man in Portland, Oregon
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Tipograf A Short History on Latin American Typography
Written by Sergio Serrano
Typographic and graphic design culture in Latin America comes primarily from abroad –whether it was through colonization or globalization. Amidst these strong influences, most Latin American designers seek to develop a local visual identity. The majority of Latin American countries have strong visual cultures; as a result, typography is mostly used as a graphic element. Fortunately this is changing and the number of graphic designers and typographers in Latin America is increasing every year.
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The most prominent pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, had well-developed visual and pictographic traditions. The visual style of these cultures is more evident in their architecture and artifacts. Not as well known, are the manuscripts and codices or the inscriptions found on stone and pottery. These items feature very stylized and reďŹ ned pictographs and symbols representing concrete and abstract concepts.
fía
“Graphic Design in Latin America develops as a struggle between the influence of international styles and the integration of local elements. In pursuit of quality and identity, some designers choose to create works that blend in with those produced in the industrialized world; others push for total localism, whereas most seek a balance between both concerns.” —Jorge Frascara
Some designers create typefaces inspired by the forms found on the architecture, objects and symbols created by these cultures. The resulting typefaces aren’t necessarily primeval looking, nor are they “Latino” clichés.
The typeface Aztlán, named after a mythical Aztec place, was inspired by the post-and-lintel structures often found in pre-Columbian architecture
The face Mexica is a tribute to Náhuatl, the dialect spoken in ancient Mexico.
Despite its futuristic look, Neocodex was actually drawn based on pictographs found on Mayan codices. All three typefaces are by Gabriel Mártinez Meave
After Christopher Columbus “discovered” America in 1492, and Spanish and Portuguese colonies had been established in the central and south America, the settlers began imposing on the natives their beliefs and language. In Spain, the printing press had been an efficient tool for the �ur�, and thus it was introduced into the New Spain to aid the settlers convert natives to Catholicism.
Spanish Colonies societies were divided according to castes. Criollos were people of Spanish descent born in Latin America. Mestizos were persons of half Spanish and half Native descent
The first printing press in Latin America was imported from Spain and set up in Mexico in 1539 by the printer Juan Pablos. Later followed Lima, Peru in 1584; Boston, United States in 1639; and Guatemala in 1660. The arrival of the printing press, among other things, not only helped Catholicism proliferate, it also consolidated the Hispanicization of the native people. Later on, the fast growing Criollo and Mestizo populations affected the local identity and eased the integration of the Spanish language and culture. During Post-Colonial times, local graphic culture still relied heavily on Spanish equipment and culture.
Enrico, by Gonzalo García Barcha, is a revival of the type cut originally by Enrico Martínez, a novo-hispanic printer Santa Clara by Ángeles Moreno shows a style that prevailed in the rotulista tradition
The printing and calligraphic traditions brought in by the Spanish colonizers have also influenced type designers. Particularly the new styles that resulted from the culture clash as well as the assimilation of the new language into the local culture. Most of these typefaces are revivals of type cut by Spanish and novo-Hispanic printers, some featuring ligatures particular to the Spanish language, while others are re-interpretations of calligraphic styles and other types of hand-lettering.
Lagarto by Gabriel Martínez Meave is a calligraphic family of type based on the work of Luis Lagarto, a novo-hispanic scribe. Arcana, also by Martínez Meave, is based on the more romantic and ornamental calligraphy of the Victorian era
Despite the influences of the English language and globalization, Spanish seems to be escalating through the world. There are around 400 million persons in the world speaking Spanish –plus an estimated 22.5 million in the United States who use Spanish regularly. It’s been estimated that by the year 2050, 500 million people will speak Spanish. Spanish is the official language in twenty-one countries in the world. Twenty of those countries are located on Central and South America.
Spanish arrived to the American continent during colonization. The Spanish settlers imposed on the natives a new language, religion and culture. With time and with the growing mixed-race populations, the language was assimilated into local culture. Spanish adapted according to each local culture and native languages, evolving and creating various pronounciations, inflexions, vocabulary and slang across the many countries in Latin America. Many Latin American typographers believe that their work should not only reflect their culture and local identity but their language as well.
Despite the influences of the English language and globalization, Spanish seems to be escalating through the world. There are around 400 million persons in the world speaking Spanish –plus an estimated 22.5 million in the United States who use Spanish regularly. It’s been estimated that by the year 2050, 500 million people will speak Spanish.
Punctuation. In Spanish inverted question & exclamation marks are used at the beginning and the upright ones at the end.
¿?¡!¿?¡!¿?
The examples on the right are from Fontana ND by Rubén Fontana, Scala Sans by Martin Majoor and Adobe Garamond drawn by Robert Slimbach
Spanish is the official language in twenty-one countries in the world. Twenty of those countries are located on Central and South America. Spanish arrived to the American continent during colonization. The Spanish settlers imposed on the natives a new language, religion and culture. With time and with the growing mixed-race populations, the language was assimilated into local culture. Spanish adapted according to each local culture and native languages, evolving and creating various pronunciations, inflexions, vocabulary and slang across the many countries in Latin America. Many Latin American typographers believe that their work should not only reflect their culture and local identity but their language as well. Like many other languages, Spanish requires a number of extra characters, some of them only used for this language. Since Colonial times, type designers have tried to create special designs for each of these characters. Perhaps the most famous one is the ñ, since it created controversy when it was not included on computer keyboards or character sets. Many contemporary designers have decided to include some of these characters into their typefaces as a tribute to their language.
Digraphs. CH and LL were considered letters in the Spanish language until April 1994, when the Association of Spanish Laguage Academies adopted standard Latin alphabet collation rules. Now they are considered digraphs. Some Latin American designers have created ligatures for these characters. There also are ligatures for other pairs of letters common to Spanish such as rr, qu or de. On the right is Antigua by Luis Siquot, featuring ch, fí and DE ligatures. At the bottom are more custom ligature examples from Rubén Fontana’s Andralis
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Eñe. Although technically ñ is a diacritic, in Spanish it is considered and used as a letter on its own. In Spanish collation order it goes between n and o. This characeter is available on most typefaces.
Two examples of satirical and political publications dating from the 18th century
Through modern history, design in Latin America reflected and adapted European art movements. Ar�itecture, art and design show local elements resembling Art Nouveau, Constructivism, and Art Deco styles, among others. Local governments encouraged these styles, hoping to incorporate their countries into the civilized world. Some of the most prominent work was insurgent and political in nature. Examples of this are the political publications and propaganda produced by writers and artists during the late 19th century. One of the milestones of Latin American modern design history was the 1968 Olympic Games held in Mexico. The scope and prominence of the visual system developed for the event unleashed a great interest in graphic design. It was then that design attained recognition as an entity independent from art, crafts and advertising. Careers in graphic design started being offered in schools and enrollment grew in the following years. At the time, design was also used as a political tool. The student protest movement of 1968, which ended in massacre days before the inauguration of the Olympic Games, produced various graphics that were very critical of the Mexican government.
Logotype and sign system for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. Designed by Lance Wyman and Eduardo Terrazas
Diacritics. The only diacritics used in Spanish are acute accents for the vowels and diaereses only on the u and only on the syllables shown on the left. These characters are used in other languages as well, and they are available on most typefaces. The examples below are from Fontana ND by Rubén Fontanta and Scala Sans by Martin Majoor
ñññññññññ
A poster from the student protest movement featuring parodies of the Olympic Games sign system
áéíóú güe güi
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Technology and globalization have made it possible for contemporary Latin American graphic design to emerge and participate with international design communities. Nonetheless, both technology and globalization have also negatively impacted local culture and traditions. Technology is endangering traditional design techniques such as rótulos, while globalization allows foreign influences to infiltrate societies and engender attitudes of malinchismo. Malinchismo is the notion that foreign things and ideals are better in quality and value than those produced locally
Malinchista attitudes affect many areas ranging from products to aesthetics. In the area of design and typography, this means that many clients often prefer to “look” foreign rather than local, or worse, clients would rather pay much more to hire foreign designers than local designers. The influence of international styles is more evident on advertising and mass media.
Bloke by Quique Ollervides is a De Stijl inspired face
The Quimera Family by Alejandro Lo Celso is in part a tribute to Antique Olive by Roger Excoffon and also an exploration of text legibility at small sizes
Darka by Gabriel Martínez Meave borrows from European blackletter tradition while still addressing how Mexican culture has appropriated blackletter
The Rondana Family by Gabriel Martínez Meave is a geometric post-modern typeface with a 60’s retro touch
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Another main way in which international styles enter local design is through education. Graphic design education in Latin America often follows European typographic history while overlooking local styles and traditions. The influence of international styles isn’t always negative. It is important to acknowledge and learn the historical background of typography. Some local designers have found inspiration on foreign ideas and forms and have explored them and adapted them to their language and culture. Fortunately, now exists many Latin American design studios and some type foundries creating work of international acclaim. Many designers work hard not only to produce quality work, but also to alert their clients and public of the value of good design and effective communications. They also strive to develop more concrete styles that reflect the local cultural identity while still borrowing from international design practices.
Rótulos are signs or inscriptions laid on the façades of buildings. The lettering is hand-painted and spans a range of styles
As far as typography goes, the number of type designers in Latin America has been increasing rapidly within the last few years. Their typefaces often show a wide range of influences as well as concerns for language and cultural relevance. Vernacular and popular culture are big influences on contemporary graphic design. The scope of this theme is vast, ranging from traditional customs to pop culture references.
Borges and Rayuela are two literatureinspired type families by Alejandro Lo Celso. Borges is named after Jorge Luis Borges, an argentinean author, while Rayuela is named after a novel by Julio Cortázar. The faces were designed to fit the writing style of each author
Señal by Leonardo Vázquez is a typeface proposed for road signs in Mexico. It is clean and simple, designed for readability
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Cinematográfica by Alejandro Magallanes is a hand-rendered type reminiscent of the casual and careless hand-painted signs from Mexico. Similarly, Alejandro Paul’s Candy Script is based upod the thick, rich script sometimes used in Argentinean signs
Luchita Payol by Quique Ollervides is a tribute to traditional mexican wrestling posters
Bass+Treble and Tabique both by Quique Ollervides, two postmodern typefaces: Bass+Treble inspired by music, and Tabique (spanish for “brick”) is suggestive of the construction material. Platillo Volador by Jorge Alderete is another post-modern face, named after UFOs, with a retro sci-fi feel.
Mexinbats, a series of dingbats, created by various Latin American designers, show images inspired by Mexican traditional and popular culture. It was released by the Mexican magazine Tiypo to conmemorate the Typographer’s day, September 25
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Sergio Serrano is a fourth year student specializing in Visual Communication Design at the University of Alberta. This article was part of a research project on the exploration of the history and culture revolving around Latin American typography. It is important to note that typography has the potential to go far beyond just form and style as it can also be used as a mirror to reflect the visual values of society.
In his spare time Sergio enjoys eating white chocolate chip cookies, reading books, and saving the world with typography. His favorite books include One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabrielle Garcia Marquez, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami, and Pale Fire by Vladimir Navokov.
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Every October light seems to refract differently off of things. This is a visual exploration of those refractions translated through solid coated Pantone glory.
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hustle& flow Student Showcase Collin Hnetka + Cornered + Drfit Collin Hnetka is a fourth year Industrial Design student at the University of Alberta. His showcased furniture pieces push the use the geometry with the materials used.
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DRIFT Materials Baltic Birch Satin Clear Coat Dimensions H: 13: L 36” D 14” Drift uses line and form to reference a wave of water. By using a continuous flow of a contoured profile, it integrates with the ground it sits on. The white wash finish replicates the effect of sun bleached driftwood.
full view
wave detail
Cornered Materials Aluminum Glass Gun Metal Gray Powdercoat Dimensions H: 13” W:17” D:17” Based on geometry and simple form, the relationship between figure and ground provides the structure for Cornered. The translucent black glass showcases the supported system. Highlighting the clean lines and delicate joinery. The overall form is enhanced by the cut outs in each leg, as they interact with the surrounding negative space.
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hardly linear
Student Showcase Alaine Haynal + The Redfining of the Code
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ex
Student Showcase Alaine Haynal + The Redfining of the Codex
This project was initially inspired by previous research on the work of a designer and RISD professor named Lucinda Hitchcock. Her MA Design thesis focused on the significance of space in typography. She conducted a number of experiments with media and structure, exploring various conventions of how language is created and represented, as well as how meaning is assigned to these conventions. Some of these experiments focused on the structure of the traditional book, or codex. Dictionary.com defines the codex as “a quire of manuscript pages held together by stitching: the earliest form of book, replacing the scrolls and wax tablets of earlier times.” Lucinda Hitchcock’s writings on and experiments with this structure made me realize how important the codex is to our culture, and how often we take it for granted. Almost no one, designer or otherwise, thinks twice about a collection of pages, bound on the left with a cover attached, read left to right, front to back, because it is so familiar. My research in this area led me to the work of several artists that have made the book their focus. This kind of exploration has really only flourished in the last century or so, but several prominent artists have utilized the codex as a conceptual vehicle. Among these include John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, and, of course, Marcel Duchamp. A smaller number of artists, however, have made the book their sole focus, and have deconstructed almost every possible aspect of the book and its associated meanings. The most well-known of these artists would probably be Keith Smith, who many consider the authority on structural exploration in artists’ books. He has authored over 150 one-off and editioned books, in addition to his extensive theoretical writings on the subject. Other important book artists include Dieter Roth and Nathan Lyons.
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1.1 french fold
1.2 inside view
1.3 book cover
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Looking over the work of these artists, I felt that their discoveries could (and should) have major implications for the designer. The ideas that they explored could be incorporated into design practice and used to enhance communication. A story can become more than words — it can be about the experience. It can be about the feel of the book; the experience of turning the pages and interacting with its structure to create another level of meaning that words alone can’t accomplish.
its the paper, its the binding, its the pacing,
There exists then an opportunity for designers to further the meaning of their work by giving these conventions more thought. I believe that designers and students often treat a piece of “design” as little more than an amalgamation of text and image. They fail to consider how text and image can be combined with structure to achieve meaning and resonance. A book is more than words and pictures — it’s the paper, its how it’syou the hold binding, it, it’s the pacing, it’s how you hold it, how you turn the pages, how you interact with it.
how you turn the pages, how you interact with it its the paper, its the binding, its the pacing, its how you hold it, how you turn the pages, how you interact with it
It seems odd that exploration of the book, this essential vehicle of communication, has now been relegated to the realm of the “fine arts,” when its structure is so integral to what we consider the tenets of communication design. Maybe we should stop taking it for granted, and start thinking about what it can do for us; how much farther we can push it.
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For this project, I chose to do some explorations of my own surrounding these ideas, but within a narrative context. I chose a text by Jonathan Safran Foer, entitled “A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease.” In it, the author details a language of “punctuation” that he has created to ascribe meaning to the various silences in his familial communication. He has grown up in a family where more is “said” with silence than with words. He is left to discern between what is said, and what is meant. The text alternates between detached, almost taxonomic definitions and descriptions, and moments of real honesty and emotion. In essence, the story is about communication — said and unsaid; understood and assumed.
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The book I created aims to communicate these ideas through the visual and structural elements available within the constraints of the codex. Page structure becomes a communicative tool, in addition to the typography and graphic elements. The motif of the line runs throughout the book, as a visual metaphor for communication. Sometimes the lines cross paths and create understanding, sometimes they just barely miss each other. Beyond the visual motif, however, this book is intended to make the viewer think about more than the words and pictures. They are forced to interact with the structure of the book — unwrapping string, turning the book over, folding out some pages, while looking inside others — in a manner that reflects and enhances the meaning of the text. Its reading is hardly linear, and can sometimes be quite challenging — entire sections of the story can be looked over if the reader doesn’t pay attention to what the book’s structure is saying. The structure, then, reinforces the story’s overarching message: communication is difficult. It doesn’t always work.
1.4 inside foldout
1.5 inside spread
Alaine Haynal is a student specializing in Visual Communication design at the University of Alberta. Her exploration into the codex shares how the communication of a message has the potential to go far beyond conventional printed means. By experimenting with the anatomy of the book, both visually and structurally, designers have the power to take a message and imbue it with much more meaning.
Alaine’s exploration of codex and context has also won her the Applied Arts student design scholarship through the GDC in 2008. Her piece was one among many student submissions across Canada.
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sunday
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is some you
sunday
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monday
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ething build ITC Tiffany ITC Tiffany was designed by Edward Benguiat, a highly contemporary blend of two typefaces, Ronaldson and Caxton. The best characteristics of both were combined to produce a refined and refreshing typeface. The ITC Tiffany font family is distinctive and useful for display work in advertising and for short pieces of text setting.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
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Series: King Ken III By: Amos Toys
If you’ve been keeping up to date with the latest trends you would have noticed by now the emergence of these small, sometimes cute, sometimes disturbing breed of toys in small boutique stores across our fair city. First gaining popularity in the East , these toys have slowly found their way into the hearts of North Americans. These toys range from simple cheap acorn sized trinkets to life-sized cuddly monstrosities. Coming in different shapes and sizes, the materials that go into making them include everything and anything; plastic and vinyl are most common, but to see these toys made out of materials like tree bark or putty wouldn’t be out of the ordinary either. The history of designer toys can be traced back to Hong Kong in the early 1990’s with artist Micheal Lau as the pioneer of the craft, bringing the medium into mainstream culture. The thing that drew people into these trinkets was the idea that most of them were limited edition creations. Vinyl figures feature original designs, small production numbers, and are marketed to collectors, predominantly adults. The satire and wit that revolves around these toys also draw people in as they take the shapes and forms of beloved childhood toys and impose an adult aesthetic to them. With these qualities its hard not to see how these toys have risen to where they are now—produced as three dimensional canvases, artists take these toys to the next level, creating pieces of playful art.
Series: In Crowd By: Amos Toys
Series: Bear Qee By: Toy2R
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Japan Series: Gloomy Bear By: Mori Chack
Series: “Be@rbrick” By: Medicom
China Series: CiBoys By: Red Magic
Series: “Sound Speaker” By: Jason Siu
United States
Series: “Dunny” By: Kid Robot
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It’s important to point out that these toys alone are nothing if it wasn’t for the community backing them. The small artists communities, small shops and boutiques that support them are the things that give these toys their value. Like artist trading cards, these toys work to bring artists and creative people together as some collectors would go out to trade an arm and a leg for a toy from so and so while others are willing to trade three vinyl’s for a limited addition wood engraved one-off from the big shot artist next door. A collaborative spirit is also present in the designer toy scene as artists will often work with one another - taking
what one artist has created and put their own personal spin on it. With this back and forth exchange of toy modifications relationships are made and with those, communities. Mind you these communities aren’t only created on a local basis. Designer toys now transcend geographical and national borders, with artists from all over the world working together to create these bizarre objects.
Series: Mini Spanky By: Headlock Studio
Series: “Barneys New York” By: Huck Gee
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Series: Gloomy Bear By: Mori Chack
Series: KnockMan By: Maywa Denki
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Series: “Be@rbrick” By: Medicom
Series: “Cactus Friends” By: Simone Legno
With designer toys, as Paul Budnitz founder of Kidrobot states, you have to convince your customers to buy them for no other reason than their really, really, really weird and well—that takes guts. But above all, the thing that attracts me the most about these odd objects is the idea that they are odd and aren’t afraid to be. I believe this is what great art is all about. Brave and often putting a lot of financial risk into these projects, these artists have the guts to create something small, fun and above all else different. By examining the toy industry, you don’t see a lot of originality. Toys you see on supermarket shelves are often created as marketing materials for something else exterior to the toy
itself—whether it be a toy from a movie or television show. In this sense these toys rely on these exterior factors to create the appeal. So the next time you see these toys displayed in your local boutique take a second to stop and appreciate them their quirkiness, their off-kiltered cuteness, and their originality. Take the time to appreciate the artists and illustrators behind them. But most importantly, take the time to feel like a kid again.
DESIGN CAN BE AN MISTRESS. BE GOOD DON’T RUSH THINGS PROBABLY REWARD TIME. TREAD LIGHTLY AS SHE WILL RIDICU FRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS PEERS IF YOU CROSS ISSUE01/08 / 46
AVANT GARDE ITC Avant Garde was designed by Herb Lubalin & Tom Carnase in 1968, for Avant Garde magazine. The original face was all uppercase. ITC Avant Garde Gothic is a geometric sans serif type, that is, the basic shapes were made with a compass and T-square. The design is reminiscent of the work from the 1920s German Bauhaus movement. Its letterforms are built of circles and clean lines and highly effective for headlines and short texts.
AN ELUSIVE GOOD TO HER, THINGS, AND SHE’LL ARD YOU EVERY LIGHTLY, HOWEVER, ULE YOU IN FRIENDS AND CROSS HER.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Justin Hampton Artist and Designer
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Thrones Trash
from to
an evolution of furniture written by allison murray
As a furniture designer, the last place that I want my designs to end up is the garbage bin... It breaks my heart to see piles of discarded furniture behind my apartment building. This is not an isolated event; at the end of the month unwanted furniture items find their way to this pile. I ask myself why this happens. Is it because the pieces were broken? If this is the case then why aren’t they fixed? The majority of the time it is cheaper to replace the product rather than repairing it. Most of the pieces that were in the dump pile looked perfectly fine, but were now damaged due to other articles thrown on top of them.
This prompted me to investigate the relationship we have with our furniture and what that says about our culture. Has it always been this way? Or was there a radical shift along the way that changed the way we think of furniture? What is responsible for the way we treat our used possessions like garbage? Is mass production to blame? Or is there a finger pointing to design?
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We live in a consumerist society. We are constantly bombarded with messages telling us to buy the new and improved products which will make our lives better. The consumer is overwhelmed with choices of what they can buy, but are not educated on how to make those choices. This causes buyer remorse and dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction leads to the purchase of new products and the disposal of the old. The easiest way to dispose of something is to throw it in the garbage. The problem with this is that furniture is not garbage. Furniture is an intimate part of our lives. Not a waste product of daily life, but an indication of our existence.
IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY Furniture from early civilizations was designed to last longer than a lifetime and was often reserved for ceremonial purposes. The notion of furniture as a sacred object can be seen in the personal possessions found in the tombs of Egypt. Egyptian furniture was a status symbol and would be placed in the tomb for use in the afterlife. Medieval thrones were designed to be heavy and substantial to convey a sense of permanence and power and would outlast the occupant. During the 17th century, people began entertaining guests in their homes and the highly decorative furnishings were indicative of the owner’s wealtth and status. The use of elaborate decoration in the Baroque style was meant to overwhelm the viewer and leave them in a state of awe. Baroque period furniture became ostentatious in providing a lavish display of the owner’s prosperity. Up until this point furniture was expensive and regarded very highly because of the manual labor that went into creating it. Furniture took a long time to build and was expected to last for generations. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution. Michael Thonet developed a process for bentwood chair frames using new mechanical processes. This lightweight furniture was functional, cheap and easily transportable. The simplified design was mass produced and could be shipped in pieces and assembled with ten screws upon arrival.
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Philip Webb The Morris Adjustable Chair
new styles With new styles available in mass quantities and low costs furniture was chosen for its decorative aspect and novelty rather than its functionality.
With the onset of new technologies and methods of production, previous furniture styles appeared out dated. William Morris formed the Arts and Crafts movement as a reaction against the low standards of mass production and the Victorian obsession with comfort. He warned against the dreary precision and impersonality of the machine, however, the hand produced goods were too expensive to reach the masses. The Industrial revolution sparked new ways of thinking about furniture. Gerrit Rietveld’s Red-Blue Chair was completely different from anything that had been done before. Rietveld embraced machine production and reduced the chair to its primary elements, and paved the way for a different approach of designing. The Bauhaus was a major turning point in furniture design, it adopted the industrial process and technology driven materials. This changed the character of furniture; the designer was no longer dependant on wood and was encouraged to reassess functional needs. From here on new materials and technologies drove furniture design. Plastic and molded plywood provided an opportunity to break away from the geometrical forms of the Bauhaus and were perfect for designing around human contours.
Gerrit Rietveld Red Blue Chair
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In the postwar period the consumer was born; satisfaction was for sale. The desire for a frequent change of environment was a commercially fostered; newness and novelty could be achieved through the possession of goods. The more possessions you had, the happier you would be, and the more social status you would gain. ‘Modern Furniture’ was different from historical styles had and allowed the owner to create autonomy. People were able to recreate themselves by buying new furniture or re-decorating their homes. This became increasingly true in the 1960s with the Pop Art movement; Pop furniture was an ideal way to reject existing values and to embrace
the idealism of a new generation. More than ever before furniture was making a statement. Materials and forms were vastly different from previous furniture styles, and new technologies made manufacturing inexpensive and widely available. With the radical social change and emerging new styles people were able to experiment. Furniture became more about a temporary convenience rather than permanent possessions. As time progressed, furniture became impersonal, the evidence of the maker was nowhere in sight. Machines were producing anonymous furnishings for sale in anonymous box stores which would be purchased by generic families for use in their typical suburban homes.
This need for autonomy was the death of heirloom “Furniture today is thought of primarily as equipment, as furniture. impersonal as plumbing and as functionally efficient as In his book, A Social History of Furniture Design, John Gloag compares our use of furniture today the same way that we consider the modern convenience of plumbing.
plumbing should be; something that may be easily removed or replaced, so that the surroundings of the home may be brought up to date periodically.”
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Verner Panton Stacking Chair
Teno Mokko Reiko (Murai) Tanabe
The problem with this type of thinking is that furniture is not impersonal- it is an intimate part of our lives. What we choose to surround ourselves with reflects who we are. When furniture fails to meet our personal needs, it is disposed of, with no concern of what happens to the ‘old’. It may still be perfectly functional but it is no longer desired. Many of these pieces
The furniture which we have been producing for the last 40 years is designed to go out of fashion in a decade
are manufactured so they are inconvenient to re-make; making it easier and often less expensive to purchase something new. The furniture which we have been producing for the last 40 years is designed to go out of fashion in a decade; however the materials that we have used to create these pieces will long out last its novelty.
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If we continue to mass produce furniture the way we do, we are facing the problem of landfills and unsightly back lanes filled with ‘garbage’.
Mass production has led to mass consumption which is leading to mass disposal. Our current methods of mass production have reduced the significance of furniture. The low costs and high availability of mass produced objects lack meaning; these pieces are not special to the owners because they are easily replaceable. If furniture is a reflection of the people that own it, what does it say when we toss it aside once the novelty has worn off? In this information age we demand instant gratification and that everything is incredibly accessible. If this is the way that society is, then we as designers need to design for the desire of new objects. How have we arrived at the point where furniture no longer means something to us? Is it only once our natural resources become scarce that furniture will become meaningful? We would not consider bringing any of our furniture into our afterlife, and it is seldom passed down, or used for more than one generation. The combination of widely available, low cost, poorly made furniture and our materialistic society have reduced our possessions from riches to meaningless objects.
Do we need to change the way society uses things, or the way we make things? The answer is both, and there are solutions. Designers can focus on emotional design and incorporate meaning and value into pieces which will create significance for the owner. Another option is to incorporate the eventual destruction of the object into its design. Embrace the fact that human beings are fascinated
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with new products and design for remaking. Furniture is an important part of our lives, not only does it serve functional purposes, but emotional ones as well. Furniture is not trash, it is treasure.
Allison Murray is a graduate industrial design student at the University of Alberta. Her essay From Thrones to Trash encourages people to re-examine their relationships with their furniture especially in this day in age where ever growing mass production and planned obsolescence continue to shorten product life spans. It is because of this that designers now need to find new meaningful ways to connect people and their furniture.
As a devotee to the works of Verner Panton, Allison encourages people stop living in dreary, grey-beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colours and to don some brightly coloured spandex. Allison also enjoys pancakes and is an avid collector of fake mustaches.
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with the universe
The rel The Relevance of very relative Post Modernism and Modernism
written by thomas gaudin As designers we hear the terms Modernism and Post Modernism thrown around a lot. Seemingly, Modernism refers to clean lines, a reduction of form, a motto of “form must follow function,” “ornament is crime” and so on. When Modernism ended Post Modernism was born. Think Ettore Sottsass, think Memphis; crazy colors, references to pop culture, and an emphasis on humor and irony. I think that sums up my article; right?
wrong. Here I want to explore the concepts of Modernism and Postmodernism more closely, examining how both are fundamentally adaptive to the environments in which humans live in and how both form a sort of cyclical continuation of theory and traits that are still extremely relevant in the contemporary design world. I will do this first by briefly describing the historical basis of modernism, the transition from “pure” modernism to Post Modernism, and then finally I will compare two contemporary design objects to illustrate how neither term is isolated from the other and how both terms are still relevant in today’s design practice.
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levance I will start by briefly giving some examples of Modernist styles to place the theory in historical context. First, De Stijl founded in 1917 by the artist-designer Theo van Doesburg. A good example of this way of design/art/architecture would be Gerrit Rietveld’s red/blue armchair. Furthermore one can list other movements such as the Russian constructivism, Bauhaus and the Italian Futurist movement. De Stijl could be somewhat summed up by this quote from the Galerie de l’effort Moderne, Paris.
The new spirit must be manifested in all the arts without exception… As soon as one art becomes plastic expression of the abstract, the others can no longer remain plastic expressions of the natural. The two do not go together: from this comes the mutual hostility down to the present. The new plastic abolishes this antagonism: it creates the unity of all the arts.
MOVEMENTS AMONG movements De Stijl 1917—1920 Proponents of De Stijl sought to express a new utopian ideal of spiritual harmony and order. They advocated pure abstraction and universality by a reduction to the essentials of form and colour; they simplified visual compositions to the vertical and horizontal directions, and used only primary colors along with black and white. Russian Constructivist 1919—1939 Rejecting the idea of art for the sake of art, the Russian Constructivist movement went on to use art as a way to address social issues at the time. Constructivists worked on public festivals and street designs that promoted revolutionary change. Noteworthy figures include Alexander Rodchenko, graphic designer El Lissitzky, and typographer Jan Tschichold. Bauhaus 1919—1933 The design innovations commonly associated with the Bauhaus are radically simplified forms, the emphasis on rationality and functionality, and the idea that mass-production was reconcilable with the individual artistic spirit. Walter Gropius was the founder of the Bauhaus school located in Weimar Germany. Futurism 1908—1933 Futurist artists derived their means of expressing the excitement of speed and change from the fragmentation and spatial dislocations of Cubism. Founder, Filipo Tommaso Marinetti wrote and published the futurist manifesto in 1908. The text proclaims the unity of life and art, Marinetti understood violence not only as a means of producing an aesthetic effect, but also as being inherent to life itself.
In his book Postmodernism, Glenn Ward has defined four loose traits which underlie the ideologies of all the aforementioned movements.
novelty
progress
heroism
purity
Modernism express the spirit of the modern, industrial age, and not be tied to the past. It should speak of and contribute to this dynamism, unfettered by tradition. Buildings should be streamlined, rational machines.
Modernists see themselves as the god-like creators of a brave new world.
Humankind can only escape from misery by shredding the past and embracing the age of the machine and mass production. Industrial manufacturers and machine designers are engaged in a search for universal harmony and perfection.
This utopian vision is to be achieved through the strictest of means. Design is reduced to there purest forms. Their beauty lies in their function, simplicity, rationality, newness and unity. Ornament is to be rejected as superficial, dishonest and wasteful.
If these values were a search for an underlying universal design sought to bring about a positive change then why where they questioned in the second half of the 20th century? First off, we must recognize that Modernism was initially a reaction to modernity. Modernity is defined in the book Introducing Modernity by Chris Rodriguez “in terms of new technologies—on mass scale for mass consumption. Modernity in real terms means new modes of transport, new media, new materials, and new sources of power and energy.” In general, we can describe this progress in terms of such terms as the Industrial Revolution or key events such as the London Great Exhibition of 1851, the opening of the trans-continental railway in the U.S.A., the opening of the Ford motor company and so forth. Secondly, it is important to note that the key formative years for many of the pioneering Modernist Movements occurred at a time of societal flux. As Paul Greenhalgh writes in Modernism in Design, “there were events taking place in the political, intellectual and economic arenas the importance of which it is hard for us to grasp: the creation of Germany and Italy, the Russian Revolution, the madness of the First World War. The Moderns wished to take advantage of this vortex of movements to arrive at a new and final stability.” Greenhalgh also suggests that the “universal” and “international” aspects of Modernist ideology were strongly influenced by the strong nationalisms created by the First World War. The modernists’ international ideals were a rebuttal to what they perceived as a nationalistic system of alienation and false doctrine. One can see then that once the rapid changes of the late 19th century to mid 20th century were “over”, the conditions which fostered Modernism would cease to exist and Modernism would as Greenhalgh states, be stripped of much of its theoretical baggage as it became the International Style.
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CJGHSI CJDHGE The question then arises, “Is modernism over, and has Post Modernism taken its place?” If Modernism is said to be a reaction to Modernity via the ideals of the universal uniform truth, then Post Modernism could be said to be a reaction to Modernism in that it accepts the pluralism of different times, places, cultures, styles and so forth. Also like Modernism, Postmodernism is relative to the prevailing societal conditions of the time. Charles Jencks writes in Critical Modernism: where is post-modernism going? “This is the omnipresent reality, particularly in the West, of networking, social leveling, moral relativism, multiculturalism, global migration and media hype.” So far, it might seem that Postmodernism is held in isolation to Modernism, but that is untrue.
Unlike Modernism, Postmodernism does not wish to deny the history, styles and culture which preceded it Jencks writes: “Put positively, the attack on the present tense is motivated by the idea of living across time, in a historical and cultural continuum that stretches into the future, living in greater dimension that one period. It denies the flatness of ‘presentism,’ and insists that memory and cultural DNA are built into the universe in a way that Modernism underrates. In this case it is the ‘post’ of the term that relates it to ‘posterity’; the desire and delights of living across cultural zones. It is also a rebuttal of nostalgia because, while acknowledging the past, it does so in a way that is ironic and non-revivalist. The ‘post’ sees both traditional culture and modernism in its rear-view mirror.”
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Therefore Post-Modernism can be said to be a continuation of Modernity as well as a force able to extend beyond the realms of Modernity’s strict ideologies.
Similar to what Modernism tried to achieve, Postmodernism has a sort of universal appeal through its characteristic of what Jencks calls plural coding or multivalence. That is, a design object can have more than one meaning (in comparison to Modernism’s underlying univalence.) Like Modernism, Postmodernism also has problems contained within its logic. For example, in his book Introducing Postmodernism, Richard Appignanesi talks of Postmodernism’s “consumerist aura,” or the idea that anything of historical reference becomes a sort of souvenir of yesteryears. This can lead to the perceived silliness and lack of depth of Postmodern design. One can now see that the concepts of Postmodernism and Modernism exist in and are of high relevance to contemporary society and more specifically design.
“This is called image consumerism. The reproduced is taking the place of reality or replacing it as hyper-reality. We are living what has already been lived and reproduced with no reality anymore but that of the cannibalized image.” Richard Appignanesi
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A work can become modern only if it is first postmodern. Postmodernism thus understood is not modernism at its end but in the nascent state, and this state is constant. Jean Franรงois Lyotard French Philosopher & Literary Theorist
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To further this point I will compare contemporary objects:
Tobias Wong’s “This is a Lamp (isn’t it Romantic?) which one could see as Postmodernism Kursi’s Sideboard which seemingly fits into a sort of neo-Modernist style.
Kursi’s designers have a self proclaimed “penchant for all things mid-C20th” and International style. Furthermore in their proposal they say, “they are exploring fiberglass manufacturing and other emergent technologies such as 3D printing. With every intention to increase their library of products, they are engaged in a continuous process of product design and development.” Visually, the sideboard adheres to clean lines and simple geometry, another indicator of a modernist aesthetic. Undermining these modernist tendencies is the pieces reference to traditional woodworking (the finger joints.) Kursi’s website states that, “they employ traditional, time-honored joinery and upholstery methods to produce contemporary pieces of furniture.” These cross influences are a clear example of Postmodernist design. Tom Spector writes in his essay The Morals of Modernist Minimalism, that “Modern design was once a value-laden signal-a sign of ideology. Now it’s just style, one of the many forms of aesthetic expression.” This lack of value and ideology echoes the Postmodern problem of image consumerism. Similarly, on closer inspection Tobias Wong’s “This is a Lamp” displays Modernist tendencies while retaining it Postmodernist value. The blatant cross referencing (the already Postmodern chair is originally designed by Phillipe Starck) of the chair/lamp is definitely Postmodernist. The objects sense of humor and irony further reinforce this feeling. Surprisingly then, Modernist ideals can be found in this piece of furniture. Like the Modernists who sought to overcome alienation through the search for universal design, Wong seeks to “overcome our alienation by going shopping.” That is, a purchased item can become universal through means of easy alteration. Furthermore, like the De Stijl movement, Wong seeks to blur the lines between art and design. In a interview with Core 77 it was said that,
Much of Tobi Wong’s work plays between concept and beauty, exposing the similarities between art and design rather than blurring their boundaries. Unlike purely conceptual work - which often lacks a real appreciation for beauty, aesthetics, and a desire for consumption his work often finds expression in real objects. He’s coined the term Paraconceptual to describe it: “Of, relating to, or being conceptual.
To conclude I will quote the philosopher Jean-François Lyotard: What then, is the Postmodern?...It is undoubtedly a part of the modern. All that has been received, if only yesterday…must be suspected. What space does Cezanne challenge? The impressionists’. What object do Picasso and Braque attack? Cezanne’s. What presupposition does Duchamp break with in 1912? That which says one must make a painting, be it cubist. And Daniel Buren questions that other presupposition which he believes has survived untouched in the work of Duchamp: the place of presentation of the work. In an amazing acceleration, the generations precipitate themselves. A work can become Modern only if it is first Postmodern. Postmodernism thus is not Modernism at its end but in the nascent state, and this state is constant.
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Thomas Gaudin is a fourth year Industrial Student at the University of Alberta. In his essay he questions the current understandings in regards to Modernist and Postmodernist ideologies. As design students, it is important to be aware of the zeitgiests of our time as design goes far beyond the studio.
When Thomas isn’t knee deep in theoretical thought he spends his free time playing in his band, The Wicked Awesomes!. Thomas is an avid painter and enjoys drinking Earl Grey tea at midnight.
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METHODS
In time, in time, in time, in time, in time.
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TOOLS
Is it a vehicle or a weapon? Wit needs no reason.
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RESPONSIBILITY
Different beats better. Every time.
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TRUE GRIT
A legacy is something you build everyday.
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Riseof the
Creativ Class Inspired by the book written by Richard Florida
With one year left before I graduate I feel its important to start thinking about my future as a graphic designer in terms of how I fit within the broader scope of society. Where would I want to live? What kind of design would I be doing and where? Ultimately I wanted to find out what the options are for today’s creative. But upon looking at my options I realized that the world has changed since the days of my parents as the role of the creative has taken on new meanings. Initially unbeknownst to me that as I graduate I will be part of a new emerging class system that is slowing transforming work, life and community, defined by urban theorist Richard Florida as the Creative Class.
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Although creativity has always been a part of human history I feel that creative minds now have the potential to become influential members in society. Although it would probably take years to fully synthesize the complete workings of the creative class I plan, for the purposes of this article, to address four main areas of interest which include who the creative class is, the creative economy, the creative workplace, and the creative community. I think that by understanding this new class and its values, designers and creative minds alike will have the knowledge and tools needed to confidently embark onward onto our rapidly changing creative future.
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ROLL CALL So who makes up the creative class? Richard Florida defines the core of the Creative Class to include people in the sciences and engineering, architecture, design, education, arts, music, entertainment—whose economic function is to create new ideas, new technology and new creative content. The key difference between the Creative Class and other classes lies in what they are primarily paid to do. Those in the Working Class and the Service Class are primarily paid to execute according to a plan while those in the Creative Class are primarily paid to create. Members of the creative class also differentiate themselves from other classes in terms of the values they uphold with one emphasis given to individuality and self-statement as some members stray from conforming to organizational or institutional directives. Merit is also very strongly valued by the Creative Class as they favor hard work, challenge and stimulation from themselves and their peers. Its members have a thirst for goal setting and achievement and want to get ahead because they are good at what they do. Merit is also valued because members are motivated by the respect of their peers as they inspire each other to raise the bar. Diversity and openness is also at the forefront of Creative Class values because for the most part many highly creative people regardless of ethnic background or sexual orientation, grew up feeling like outsiders in one way or the other, different from most of the people around them. Also, creative class people are mobile and tend to move around to different parts of the country and when sizing up a new company or community, acceptance of diversity is a sign that reads “non standard people are welcome here�
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MAKING CENTS In terms of the economy, it is no secret that creativity is and always has been the driving force of any strong market. Looking back at history you can see the effects of innovative thinkers on the economy starting with the introduction of machinery to help farmers with organized agriculture all the way to the information age and the emergence of Silicon Valley. What separates today’s age from the rest of history is that we are now finally mainstreaming the creative potential of society as a whole, building economic structures around them rather than from them.
It is easy to see the growth of the creative class over the last half of the twenty-first century with the recorded growth of the creative workforce increasing from 42,000 members to 5 million between 1950 and1999. In the same time period,
investment in creativity in the form of research and development spending has increased from roughly $5 billion to more than $20 billion—a quadruple growth. Amateur and professional creative minds alike have been catching on with the times as the number of patents granted annually in the US nearly doubled between 1900 and 1950 and has tripled since then rising from 43,000 to 150,000 by 1999.
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Also, creative work is one that requires one to take on influences from ones community and because of this, the creative economy is a fundamentally social economy. Connections among individuals and businesses are crucial to success - and even to survival. Especially in the industry we work in, it is important to realize that design doesn’t happen alone in your basement. The benefits of collaborative work include the ready availability of support and abundant opportunities for formal and informal networking. The most notable change of the new creative economy is the labor market and how people don’t stay tied to companies as they did in the past. Climbing the corporate ladder isn’t as important anymore as members of the creative class are taking on more risks in the quest for personal development. This concept of horizontal hypermobility states that instead of moving up through the ranks of one organization, people move laterally from company to company in search of what they want. American’s now change jobs on average every 3.5 years with workers in their twenties being susceptible to switching jobs on average every 1.1 years. The playing field is now horizontal and people are always on the roll. Money too is also taking on a different meaning in the new Creative Economy. Creative people now require more than compensations for their time. “You cannot motivate the best people with money,” says Eric Raymond, author of The Cathedral and the Bazaar. “Money is just a way to keep score. The best people in any field are motivated by passion”
In a survey conducted by Information Week readers were asked detailed questions about their work pay, benefits and more importantly their overall job satisfaction. One key question asked “what matters most to you about your job?” and the results stated that money was an important but insufficient motivator. What seemed to matter most to people was the challenge of a job and responsibility to the company. Along with the challenge the job brings, workers valued flexibility, peer recognition, and exciting job content over a simply well paying wage. Creative people come in many different forms. Some are intuitive in their work habits whereas others are more mathematical and precise. What creative people have in common in the workplace is a strong desire for environments that let them be creative—that value their input and challenge them. Companies that can provide this kind of environment, regardless of size will have an edge in attracting, managing and motivating creative talent.
The Class Structure 1990–1999 (Percent of Work Force) 50%
Core Industries of the Creative Economy (by market size in billions of U.S. dollars, 1999)
Sector R&D Publishing Software TV and Radio Design Music Film Toys and Games Advertising Architecture Performing Arts Crafts Video Games Fasion Art Total
creative class working class service class agriculture
45%
Global
U.S.
U.S. Share
$ 545 506 489 195 140 70 57 55 45 40 40 20 17 12 9
$ 243 137 325 82 50 25 17 21 20 17 7 2 5 5 4
44.6% 27.1 66.5 42.1 35.7 35.7 29.8 38.2 44.4 42.5 17.5 10.0 29.4 41.7 44.4
$2,240
$960
42,8%
source: John Howkins, The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas. New York: Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 2001, p. 116.
40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1991
1999
source: Richard Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class. New York, Basic Books, 2004, p. 75.
Creativity has come to be the most highly prized commodity in our economy—and yet it is not a “commodity.” Creativity comes from people. People whose creative capacities cannot be bought, sold, or turned on or off at will. Richard Florida ISSUE01/08 / 73
OFFICE POLITICS Like everything else in the new Creative Age, the workplace too is evolving. This no-collar environment works at integrating elements of the flexible, open, interactive model of the scientist’s lab or artist’s studio more than the machine model of the factory or the traditional corporate office. One area in the workplace that has almost become universally changed is the idea office dress code policy with casual Friday now being everyday. Businesses that fail to adhere to new attitudes towards a more casual office risk losing competitiveness and appeal. Gone are the days of the suit and tie as people are now embracing clothing that express individuality. This new dress code allows people to be content with being themselves—evolving towards a dress code of diversity and tolerance.
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Along with clothing, the concept of time has also taken on new meanings within the workplace. Working hours are now evolving as people now get to dictate how their schedules look like, working the hours they want to work. The flexible schedule of the creative economy is closely tied to the very nature of creative work as it requires enormous concentration and people require that flexibility so they can have some personal downtime. Also, it is important to point out that creative thinking isn’t something that only happens between the hours of nine to five. I personally find myself thinking in circles trying to find an idea for a project only to have that special eureka moment hit me at two in the morning.
The biggest change happening however has to be the integration of creative thinkers as key decision makers in the workplace. Moving creative departments, media production, and creative directors more closely within the core of the company, or at least inviting their input with important decision-making processes, is the next step needed to fully realize the value added by the creative thinkers in the workplace.
The biggest change happening however has to be the integration of creative thinkers as key decision makers in the workplace.
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CREATIVE COMMUNITIES Finding the right job is hard enough as it is but it is also important to figure out why one decides where to live and work. What really matters to creatives in making this kind of life decision? Jobs alone don’t influence today’s youth anymore, as they are now rather looking for places that best suit their lifestyle needs. Cities that help foster lifestyle development are typically characterized by having opportunities for cultural production and consumption, public animation, commercial, retail and residential development, good links to the rest of the city, and support networks. Members of the creative class are now moving away from traditional corporate communities and working class centers to creative centers where they are provided with the integrated ecosystem where all forms of creativity—artistic and cultural, technological and economic can take root and flourish. This then begs the question: Why do creative people cluster in some areas and not in others? In terms of employment many creative people set out to relocate to find not just a single job but for many job opportunities. Personally, I don’t see myself ever staying with a company for longer than two years—there’s just so much in the world of design to discover with so little time to do so. For a city to be attractive it has to offer a job market that caters to a horizontal career path like discussed earlier. In other words, places have to offer a thick labor market. It is common sense that no city can evolve and thrive as a creative center by being static. This is why members of the creative class are drawn to places known for diversity of thought and open-mindedness. Signs of a diverse city include people of different ethnic groups and races, different ages, different sexual orientations and alternative appearances. It is also important to point out that diversity brings out the excitement and energy in a community, as members of the creative class want to experience different things. They want to be able to listen to the newest music from overseas and try food from different countries. They want to be able to connect and even at times bump heads with people who come from different backgrounds. In essence a great creative center is any place where any outsider, regardless of their creed or color, can quickly find their niche and become an insider.
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It also goes to say that each creative center needs that extra something special that sets it apart from other cities. This is where the idea of authenticity comes to play, as it is a collection of different aspects of a community including its historic buildings, established neighborhoods, a unique music scene and specific cultural attributes. Edmonton itself has been dubbed as the city of festivals and is well known for its strong local music scene and these things combined are doing a great job at creating a unique identity for the city.
A new social class has slowly risen to a position of dominance in the last 5 decades and the effects of the shift are now being seen in the way our present economy and society operates. Economies are now seeing the importance of creative people and are now making them vital members of the market. Policy makers for cities and communities are now setting out to cater the needs of a more creative population. In this new age we also see ourselves in a new light, as we’re no longer simply creative people but leaders. It should also be mentioned that I refer to the creative class in terms of “we” and “us”.
No single person has the answer in building a successful creative society. We need to work as a collective or else fail in seeing our creative potential realized. It is with this that design graduates shouldn’t be looking towards the future apprehensive that they won’t be able to find the right job or the right place to live. They should be optimistic and excited in the fact that we now more or less influence the shape of things to come.
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Beta Issue /bay’t*/, /be’t*/ or (Commonwealth) /bee’t*/ n. 1. Mostly working, but still under test; usu. used with `in’: `in beta’. In the “Real World” systems, magazines often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha (in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Beta releases are generally made to a group of lucky (or unlucky) trusted readers.