DESIGN LIVES HERE
RACHEL KOCARNIK // CAPSTONE DEC 2014 UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - LINCOLN COLLEGE OF FINE & PERFORMING ARTS
HELLO Over the course of the last semester, I’ve had the privilege of investing in design in a personal way. As a senior graphic designer at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, I was challenged to present what I’ve collected and learned throughout my academic career. This project is a reflection of my love for design and a tribute to its dimension and power in life. Thank you for taking the time to experience it! There are things that we usually do not see, do not look at. Sometimes you need someone to show you the beauty of these ‘ugly’ everyday things. Martijn Oostra
INDEX
2 DESIGN LIVES HERE
3-8 Thesis
9-12 The List
13-18 Te r m s
19-24 Process
WHAT TH ALL ABOU Software tools provide models of visual media, but they don’t tell us what to make or what to say. It is the designer’s task to produce works that are relevant to living situations (audience, context program, brief, site) and to deliver meaningful messages and rich, embodied experiences. Ellen Lupton
HIS IS UT
DESIGN LIVES HERE
4
THE
THESIS Effective design matters because it is relevant. A measure of good design is its ability to relate and connect with its intended audience. Design should be an understanding and reflection of the audience, creating a sense of community and belonging. It can also become an identity for a great product, representing its qualities. Another measure of effective design is its power to make people more aware, enhance an experience, and problem solve. It can also evoke emotion, because of its dual nature of logic and beauty. Emotional experiences create memories and ties. Since design has this potential to be so multidimensional; to be both impactful and effective, then it must matter to our community. After spending a summer in Kansas City interning at a design firm, I was drawn to its local design. It didn’t take long to find a tiny shop with a brand identity I had pinned on my Pinterest boards. This experience encouraged me to celebrate those who are pursuing design in my own city of Lincoln. Some might ask the questions, why does graphic design even matter to the community? Does it make a difference? Is graphic design relevant? As a young designer, with a lot of energy for my career, I would say yes. I’m on the edge of dedicating my life to graphic design, and I find these questions deserve valid answers.
DESIGN LIVES HERE
6
Some might ask the questions, why does graphic design even matter to a community? Does it make a difference? Is graphic design relevant?
KANSAS CITY DESIGN LIVES HERE
8
THE
LIST A logo doesn’t sell, it identifies. A logo derives its meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around. A logo is less important than the product it signifies; what it means is more important than what it looks like. Paul Rand
[ canopy street ]
[ 42 ]
[ constellations ]
[ railyard ]
[ archrival ]
[ turbine flats ]
[ hurrdat ]
[ berean ]
[ loft & craft ]
DESIGN LIVES HERE
[ open harvest ]
[ porridge papers ]
[ sheldon ]
[ paper kite ]
[ bulu box ]
[ hudl ]
10
DESIGN LIVES HERE
12
In some way or another, I feel these samplings of local businesses contribute to effective design in the Lincoln community. Whether by way of issuing a local food magazine (Open Harvest), sponsoring a beautifully branded marathon (Bulu Box), or refurbishing Mid Century furniture (Loft & Craft and Home & Closet) the people of these places are enlivening our community. This list isn’t meant to be exclusive, but rather an invitation for Lincoln’s people to reflect on design in our community.
DEFINING TERMS Graphic design should evolve and challenge existing systems of language and perception. Peter Anderson
DESIGN LIVES HERE
G
[ design ]
[ community ]
[ effective design ]
14
DIH-ZAHYN
GRAF IK
DIH-ZAHYN
GRAF IK
DIH-ZAHYN
GRAF IK DIH-ZAHYN
GRAF IK
DESIGN LIVES HERE
16
Design is a universal, perceptually based language of vision. Ellen Lupton // Design is the organization of materials and processes in the most productive way, in a harmonious balance of all elements necessary for a certain function. Laszlo Moholy-Nagy // Graphic design, also known as communication design, is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. Juliette Cezzar // Defining the limits of graphic design present particular problems because it is inherently interdisciplinary: it concerns itself with issues of the humanities and social sciences, of object and experiences, of people and messages. Meredith Davis // Graphic design is the intersection point between art and communication. Philippe Apeloig // Design: when shape, color, sound have a specific meaning and/or purpose that is not only emotional. Fluor // Design is an alternative to ignorance and misconception. M.A.D. // We think graphic design has the biggest potential of all the arts. You can mold it to say anything you want to say, in any voice, at any level. Miles Murray Sorrell // Graphic design is a meta-language that can be used to magnify, obscure, dramatize, or re-direct words and images. It can be powerful, elegant, banal, or irrelevant. It’s not inherently anything at all, but pure potential. J. Abbott Miller
COMMUNITY a group of people pursuing a common interest or goal searching for belonging, finding it in uniting with others.
DESIGN LIVES HERE
EFFECTIVE DESIGN IS DETAILED attention is given to the finer things STAYS RELEVANT There is a relationship with what’s being communicating PUSHES CREATIVITY habits are defeated by innovation REFLECTS THE CULTURE A reflection of culture, not a definition of UNDERSTANDS the audience should feel celebrated IS AWARE never overlook the importance of the standards
18
THE
PROCESS Design doesn’t just straighten and clarify the world. It also reflects the world as it ventures beyond problem solving into process, experiment and d i s c o v e r y. M a r t i n Ve n e z k y
DESIGN LIVES HERE
20
S
[ b r a i n s t o r m ]
[ blog ]
[ mock up ]
[ t h i n k ] [ visual research ]
[ research ]
[ collaborate ]
[ e x e c u t i o n ]
THE
PROCESS I had a semester to brainstorm, research and execute this project. Contemplating and reflecting on concepts, a natural process of mine, came first. I had many curiosities worth exploring, however this idea of the importance of design to our community, felt relevant, real and personally pressing. The seed for this project was planted over the summer while interning in Kansas City at a design firm. When fall classes began, I started conceptualizing this idea, which I extensively recorded in my sketchbook. Conversation with colleagues and professors contributed greatly to the growth of the project. From brainstorming, I moved on to blogging, which became more of a thread that spanned the life of the project. It was important to not only keep my thoughts organized and my professors up to date. I was also able to reach the design community via my blog, rachelkocarnik.tumblr.com. My ideas formed and evolved as my research developed. I read snippets of Design Research, The Design of Everyday Things, and articles through AIGA. My research led me to reflect on where it is in my world of Lincoln, NE that effective design exists. As I exchanged thoughts with my professor, I was encouraged to map out the different logos in our community, which then created an awareness for the diversity of design in Lincoln. I felt it was my duty to promote those organizations that embody design. Thoughts became visuals, as I began to solve this problem in my head of how to share the highlights of design in our community that are also my personal favorites. At this stage, there was a merging of visual inspiration and personal creativity, leading to mockups, trial and error, group critiques and execution, all aiding in the refinement of the final product.
DESIGN LIVES HERE
22
“I had many curiosities worth exploring, however this idea of the importance of design to our community, felt relevant, real and personally pressing.�
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
[ sketchbook ]
DESIGN LIVES HERE
24
[ mockups ] [ group critique ]
[ blog ]
THANK YOU A book like this doesn’t write, edit or critique itself. Thank you to my dedicated professors, Aaron Sutherlen and Stacy Asher, who walked me through this process. They continued to push and inspire me, making this final stage possible. Also, to my peers who motivate me to be a better designer. A big thanks to the local businesses previously mentioned. What a privilege Lincoln has to host such wonderful people and places. It was a joy to work with each one of them.
DESIGN LIVES HERE
DATE
SCHOOL + COLLEGE
PHOTO GRAPHER
DESIGNER + AUTHOR
DECEMBER 2014
UNL / CFPA
DEVON STANCZYK
RACHEL KOCARNIK
26
Fight for optical pleasure. km7