Talk To This Wall by Naïma Underwood

Project Book

Na茂ma Underwood Specialist Practice & Research Graphic Arts 路 Year 2

1 Introduction 2 Briefing 3

Aim Target audience Support

4 References 12 Identity 13 14 16 18 19 20 24

Philosophy Naming Logo Graphic elements Colours Typeface Posters Web

26 How it works

Introduction “Talk to this wall” is an urban project that explores ways of interaction between people and space without the use of digital technology.

At the same time I was playing around with possible content to put out there for people to engage with. This part in particular was a struggle because everything I came up with seemed too trivial, like just an excuse to try out the different design methods.

It was slowly conceived after a lot of research regarding the impact of digital technology and interactive platforms on our lives. Whilst the internet and interaction have connected us more on a global level, it can make us more distant and isolated on a local/physical level because we are so focused on communicating through our phones and computers we can forget what’s right in front of us.

After some tests and prototypes, I figured that the best way to create an engagement between people and a place was for the content of the message to be about that specific place. And a way to get people to feel involved in the project could be for them to contribute their thoughts and feelings about what’s around them.

I started exploring ways in which to create an interaction that wasn’t through an online platform but with a physical, in-situ approach. This was also a challange to the conventional way of reading information. It seems like digital platforms are constantly being improved and centering around the users’ needs, but print and analog remains the same, with very little change to the way we use them. My initial intentions with this project were to come up with a way to make people engage with something communicated through design, and let them participate in the message.

Essentially this is how the project turned into a system for posting messages on a real wall about the place it’s in, and being able to see other people’s posts in that exact place. The messages can then be shared on a website where people can post what they’ve written and it can be used to make a collection of posts from different places in the world. This way it creates a local interaction as well as a way of sharing it to a wider audience through the internet.

Briefing

Aim The intentions of this project are to try out different ways of communication on a physical level, that create an engagement between people giving a sense of community. I wanted to make people look up from their phones, stop texting so much and appreciate what’s in front of them, because I get the feeling that isn’t always the case after placing so much focus on online communities and social networks.

ties. If we spend too much time staring at screens we can overlook little things that are right in front of us. This projects aims to encourage people to look out for little or big things around them that give them any sort of reaction. Hopefully it will make people notices their surroundings more. In spite of wanting to create an engagement through a physical space, I don’t want to dismiss the advantages of the internet, for it can be very useful. That’s why the project also has an online platform where people can see what happens in other places and hopefully be inspired to keep up the project in their own town.

The internet is a great tool that helps connect people from all over and is a quick and easy way to contact people. However, it should be just that, a tool, and should be secondary to our daily activi-

Target audience The project is open to any type of audience, however it is true that it’s nature is perhaps more appealing to a younger demographic.

Furthermore, the topic this project touches is frequent in younger age groups, because they have been introduced to smartphones and computers at a younger age and use them a lot more day to day. The issue of being too focused on your online persona and not being aware of what’s around you is less common in older people even nowadays.

This is primarily due to the tone used in the design, which is bright and dynamic, not at all serious looking. Another factor is that asking people to write a note and post it on a wall is probably something that people between the ages of 18 and 35 will accept quicker than older people.

However, despite addressing the audience in a more playful and youthful way that doesn’t in any way exclude an older audience, and the idea is that this will create a sense of engagement with a place for everybody.

Support The type of support for this project was always somewhat ambiguous. Although one thing that was clear was that it would try to challange conventional printed graphics, creating something more interactive that didn’t require a screen.

actual content and the message, I thought that it could be the readers themselves who created the content. As well as connecting with the content by allowing the users to participate in it, I wanted them to be able to share it. A publication was too individual in the way you read it. That’s why I started looking at public places and projects, and the support edged more towards being a poster or a hybrid-poster.

Because of the starting point being the concept of engaging with content, initially I thought of creating a publication. Later, when thinking about the

References

The following projects and creations are all things that have been important inspirations for the process of this project. Every one of them represents an aspect that has made the initial idea evolve and without them the end result might not have been what it is.

Hybrid novels These unconventional novels are the work of Alberto HernĂĄndez. They explore the way we read novels, always in a passive way. Through the use of materials and composition they involve the reader in the story by allowing them to take part in the unvailing of it. I was very interested in the aspect of creating an interaction and engagement with what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reading, rather than just stand and look at it. Especially when in the digital world everything is edging towards interactive supports, but traditional print graphics arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so much.

Do No Harm This poster made by David Angstead for a non-profit organization explores how to make posters interactive. In the same way as hybrid-novels create an engagement, interactive posters also do so, with the added factor of being a public print. I like the idea that you can see what another person has made out of the design, and through everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imput you end up making something.

Appeel The Green Eyl took some of the paradigms of the digital world and translated them onto a wall. By placing hundreds of stickers like they are pixels, they then leave it entirely up to the audience to decide what that wall will turn into. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through the collaboration of every hand who has taken a sticker and moved it around or just left a blank on the wall, drawing or writing something, that the result is formed. And the beauty is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a fixed result, at least while the wall remains in place. It can be changed and re-arranged as many times as desired, opening a cycle of interacting with the wall.

Klas Ernflo Since I was heading towards a project that focused on public places and people’s physical surroundings, came across this campaign that took place in Barcelona, to create awareness and help make the city cleaner. I really like the idea of the city talking to the citizens. It’s actually telling the citizens what it needs and therefore creating a “direct contact” between them.

This is done with something as simple as placing the message in a speech bubble. By doing so, people who read the message will take it as coming from someone, it is more dynamic than placing it on an orthodox sign, and it will stick in people’s head more and hopefully convey the message in a more direct way.

Lawrence Weiner As a conceptual artist, Weiner has focused mostly on installation work, placing message in front of people in public spaces or in galleries, leaving them open to interpretation. The aspect that inspired me in that sense was how a message places on a wall created a connection between the artist and the audience because of the open nature of the messages. They suggested things, left things unsaid, allowing the audience to become a participant in the creation of the content. It’s the concept that through every individual imput a whole, complete piece is created.

Steve Powers The work of Powers has always fascinated me. I admire how he manages to brighten up an area of a city with a message that’s simple but speaks to you directly, even if it’s addressed to every single person passing by.

and the reader. It creates a connection through the content, just by placing it somewhere you’ll randomly walk by or go by on the train, and this one phrase might lighten up your day and put you in a different frame of mind that if you hadn’t come across it. It is also focused on the specific things you can find in each area where a message is written, because it uses icons or typefaces found there.

In this project I wanted to work on an aspect that’s present in these big, colorful murals, that somehow creates a conversation between the author

Hello Lampost! This project by Pan Studio won a competition on creating a playable city and was installed in Bristol. It also plays on the idea of having a conversation with your city, by sending text messages to urban furniture like lamposts and postboxes.

I was really struck by the idea of talking to the city, saying something about it. However I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t entirely convinced by the fact that it took place through text messages, because it was still part of the cold technological world and in my project I wanted to get away from that.

Sagmeister & Walsh Stephen Sagmeister has always been an inspiration, both in terms of his experimentation with techniques in his designs, and in the concepts he explores.

through everyone. I believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that the tone of these projects has been a direct influence in my work, as it has a playful tone in it and allows the participants to take part in a show and relax while watching it take place. It makes them think about just that for a while and forget about other things, focusing on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in front of them and enjoying the moment with people around them.

I have been particularly inspired by his projects on happiness and others that make the public get involved, giving a sense of building something

Bruce Mau Mau is a graphic designer who has centered a lot of his work on creating a dynamic between people and designers, and trying to make education in the arts and design better and more accessible. I find interesting how he wants to make the design process something public, something everyday people can be involved in, and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just go on behind doors. It creates an involvement in the community and a dialogue. This is something I have considered while thinking about this project.

Identity

Philosophy After much looking for what it was the project had to convey, it is now clear it has turned into a way to interact with the city, and the people who pass a certain area. This is to create a conversation away from online platforms, at least in the local aspect of it, and create a further awareness of people’s surroundings that they might not pay enough attention to.

by posting notes on a wall and reading what random people have also posted. An aspect that was introduced towards the end was the idea of sharing it online. It was at the end because the idea of making a website a support when the project is trying to come up with an analog system seemed contradictory. But since posting notes on a wall is a very specific thing, and you wouldn’t be aware of it unless you happen to be in that exact spot, it felt like making a website wasn’t such a bad idea. This way the messages can be shared and organized by area, and anyone from anywhere can see what people post about a place.

This conversation happens through the analog way that is posting notes. Initially the idea was that the notes could be posted into some sort of post box or ballot box, and someone else could take a note and it had an element of surprise and randomness to it. However, because it is meant to be a public project, hiding the notes away seemed to take away openess to it. So in the end a system was created which allowed the notes to be posted directly onto a wall, on a poster, and taken from there. This also connected the messages to the place itself without the need for a bulky element like a box, which would be more expensive to install in each place.

Moreover, it will hopefully inspire people to set up their own posters in other places. In order to facilitate this, the website offers a set of downloadable instructions and a template of the poster so that the action can be carried out by anyone, and doesn’t depend on the organization having to go around to every place. This way it creates an ongoing cycle, placing not only the messages but the actual setting up of the project in the hands of the participants.

The setup now seemed to fit with the concept of creating an ongoing conversation within a space,

Naming The idea of posting on a wall is taken from opening a post box and making it public, and this way creating a dialogue within a city or area. With this in mind the name of the project revolved primarily around the following terms:

Dialogue Conversation

Post Talking

The concept of posting on a wall resonated, and then I put it together with the phrase “talking to a wall” which essencially means you say something but no one listens. It also plays on the concept of a wall on a website, except this one is a real, physical wall that’s in front of you. An idea for the name that seemed to work for a while was calling the project “Talk to the wall” followed by the tagline “this one will listen”.

Message City

Then I took the element of a post box as a representation of anyone being able to post messages. In this case it would be an open, public post box, placed on a wall, with the idea of it being an unconventional form of a poster.

It worked because it was playful with the elements involved and it was kindly asking people to post their thoughts and messages on the wall. But it needed to be more specific to the project, and not be exactly the same as the known phrase.

By making it a slight variation people would still be able to connect it with the common saying, which is nice because it’s like giving the audience a wink, and yet by not being exactly the same it then becomes something unique to the project, giving it it’s own identity.

Finally it became “Talk to this wall” with the tagline below being “You can say anything”. The name emphasises the fact that you’re in front of a specific wall and what you write will be for that place only, and the tagline entices the participants to tell the wall anything they want.

Logo The logo had to be something that was iconic and transmited the concept of the project without being too obvious, basically suggesting things. In order to make it iconic, the main concepts it needed to represent are:

Communication

Sponteneity

Conversation

Informality

Post/Writing

Everyone/Anyone

The following logo is a rough first version. The typography used and the shape are referencing those used on post-boxes, bringing the idea of writing to someone and communicating. The hand-written style gives it a sense of informality.

The first versions gave a vague sense of what I wanted to convey, but it wasn’t immediate enough. While the intention is for it to be subtle, it can’t be too subtle or it won’t work. So as we can see in the next versions some aspects were emphasized, such as the hand-written aspect of it. It isn’t meant to be cliché, because a lot of designs these days adopt a hand-written style, but in this case it is true that the notes

people post are hand-written. It has now become clearer that it is something that happens through physical presence and touch rather than just posting on a blog. Another aspect that came into play was the speech bubble icon. At first it also seemed perhaps too obvious, but it is a recognizable icon to everyone, and can adopt a laid-back informal style, so why not make the most of it?

After trying out different techniques for the letters and filling, all in a style that resembled writing something on the spur of the moment, we have the final version of the logo.

I believe this is a good representation of the main concepts previously mentioned for the project.

The following samples show the proportions of the logo and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use when placed over a coloured background. It is always used in the same form, with black letters/frame and a white background.

It is also always used in black and white, as it is the background that has colour in both the posters and the website for the project.

Symbol Because the proportions of the logo are rectangular and sometimes it is convenient to have a square shape, or something smaller to identify the brand with, we can find the symbol of the project is a simplified version of the logo, consisting of a speech bubble. There is no text in it because it would be too illegible in a small size and the icon itself is enough to identify the project by.

Graphic elements Other graphic elements that we can find also follow the same aesthetic and concepts as the logo. Because the idea is for the poster to be reminiscent of a post box on a wall, except it is a slightly different post box - a public one - the composition of the elements on the poster follow a similar layout to the postbox.

We find the posters have a coloured background, with the text framed and with a white background to make it more legible. The hierarchy is also similar, in that the logo is displayed at the top (the rectangle resembling the slot you post into), then the text frame with information and instructions. This layout is however represented in the same manner as the logo, with a hand-drawn/written style that resembles someone drawing it out in a couple of minutes and putting the poster up. The hand-drawn aspect is intented to give a sense of informality and familiarity, bringing it closer to the participants and not looking too perfect. So this translates to the frames, which are drawn and coloured in by hand. As for the speech bubbles, they are displayed in order to resemble the bricks on a wall. This takes us back to that idea of Lawrence Weiner, of a whole being formed out of little bits. In this case, a conversation is formed by every personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to the wall.

Colours From the beginning the intention was for the colours to be quite bright and energetic. This would create a way to atract attention, and distinguish the poster on a dull-looking wall. It also gives an informal and friendly look to the project.

Each poster will be a single colour, as to not create confusion within each one. However there are up to four different options for colours. The cards on which to post the messages are presented in the same four colours. However these can be combined within a same poster, since it’s the participant who has the decision on where to place the card.

However the first chromatic choices were way too bright and gave a sense if naïvety. This made it seem like the audience being addressed was of a very young age, younger than intended.

The idea of different coloured cards comes from the concept of every post forming a whole, bigger conversation. By having different colours it gives a sense of variety and different opinions.

After trying out various combinations the final colour scheme for the posters was obtained.

Although the four colours are used equally on the posters, the main colour is yellow, being the one that gets used as the basic colour for the brand. It is a strong and energetic colour that catches attention and has a warm effect towards people, which is ideal for the concept of the project.

The secondary colours are slightly colder and if used as the primary ones wouldn’t have the same energy as yellow. However they are also bright and draw attention, and work well in complementing each other.

Typeface From the beginning the typeface was meant to be one that resembled the one used on post-boxes. These are typically geometrical serif types.

An advantage is that it is a very clear and legible font, ideal for placing on a poster at a medium size. It works for this type of poster as there isn’t a huge amount of writing. If there were more, and it was in a smaller size, it wouldn’t work as well.

The chosen font is Rockwell Std, used only in the regular weight. It is a geometric serif, just like one on a post-box, so it has that element of tradition and history to it that is reminiscent of this urban element.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Posters In the next pages we can see the posters use for the project, in all four different colours used.

for the blank cards to go in, from which the user will take it, fill it in and place it on the other poster.

We can find the main poster with an explanation about the project and the steps the participants need to follow to take part in posting a message.

The second type of poster is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wall of postsâ&#x20AC;?, which initially only has empty slots waiting for people to post their messages into. On this poster there is also a blank space in which to introduce the post-code. This is so that when a person posts there, they can see what it is and then tag their online post with that post-code.

The first example of poster includes the logo and main tagline, as well as directions to the website for posting the messages online. It also has slots

You can say anything.

Stop rushing. Stop worrying. Stop texting. Look up. Take a moment to look around.

A wall is a dual space. It is public. It is here for everyone. It is also private. It belongs to someone. It belongs to this place. It is available only here.

What is this place to you? How did you get here? Do you like it?

1. Pick a card 2. Post your message 3. Take a card home

Once you’ve posted...

Go to our website and share your message. Discover messages on different walls around the world!

http://talktothiswall.tumblr.com

You can say anything.

Stop rushing. Stop worrying. Stop texting. Look up. Take a moment to look around.

A wall is a dual space. It is public. It is here for everyone. It is also private. It belongs to someone. It belongs to this place. It is available only here.

What is this place to you? How did you get here? Do you like it?

1. Pick a card 2. Post your message 3. Take a card home

Once you’ve posted...

Once you’ve posted... Go to our website and share your message. Discover messages on different walls around the world!

Go to our website and share your message. Discover messages on different walls around the world!

http://talktothiswall.tumblr.com

Post Code

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are put together. It also makes every poster different because the participants can combine them in the ways they want, and there is no fixed order.

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Web Although this project is based on an interaction through non-digital methods, having an online platform can always be beneficious to the project as it is an easy way to promote it all over the world.

their own poster wherever they want, and a page for people to post the messages from the wall. In this case the post-code of each message plays an important role because thanks to tagging the post with it you can then locate all the posts by a similar post-code, and see what people say in each different place.

Here we can see the website for the project, in which there are pages explaining what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about, a page with a downloadable kit for anyone to set up

How it works

Create the posters and cards Print out the cards and follow the cut-out lines.

Cut out slots in posters Follow the cut-out lines for the slots, and by making a small fold on the top corner you now have an easy way of holding the cards inside the poster.

Poster placement Introduce the post-code in the top corner of the poster, once you know where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be placed. Then stick it on a wall and provide cards for writing the messages on.

Participation Let people write their messages. It is now out of our hands and entirely up to the people who pass by and come across the poster to continue with the project. Without them, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possible.

Online sharing Once people have posted their message the idea is that they can take a photo and upload it onto the website. But if you walk by a poster you can also take a photo of someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message and

upload it yourself. Thanks to tagging each post with the locationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post-code we can keep track of where each message has been written, and even go there.

Get the project running Again it is in the participants hands. Now anyone can download a poster from the website, print it out and place it somewhere, getting the project to continue all over the place independently of

the original authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being involved. This creates a further interaction with people because it is everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project. It is up to the participants for it to work and make sense.

Enjoy! Get creative and come up with fun way to interact. Look closely around you, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than you notice at first sight.

This is an urban project with the aim to create an engagement between people and their surroundings. We live in an era where texting while walking is a common act. On the internet we can find things from all over the world, but that can make us overlook things that are right in front of us. Through a system of posters and cutout cards, this is an initiative for people to post - in situ, not just online - about the place where they are. It can then be shared on the website, but the messages are specific to each place. Anyone can download a template and set it up themselves. Stop rushing. Stop worrying. Stop texting. Look up. Take a moment to look around. A wall is a dual space. It is public. It is here for everyone. It is also private. It belongs to someone. It belongs to this place. It is available only here. What is this place to you? How did you get here? Do you like it?