Turning Point Design Investigation: Case Study. Written by Rhea Gaughan.
A well-disciplined designer may be defined by having the knowledge of a range of typefaces, kerning techniques, the know-how to create tension within a layout, a coherent understanding of the full Adobe suite, the skill to produce a commercial advertisement, a piece of high gloss packaging. All of these skills and knowledge may leave a designer in good stead for the future. But as designers, is this really the limit of our aspirations? I have recently been trying to break through the ‘burden’ that has arisen, asking lots of questions, all of which challenge my design future. There is not a day that passes without seeing a useless and unsatisfying piece of design, not surprising when living in a highly throw-away society, bombarded by language pulling and pushing you from one direction to another. My feelings were heightened when I volunteered as an assistant at Pick Me Up, the contemporary graphic arts fair that takes place at Somerset House annually. As you would imagine, the role as assistant was to inform, advise and help the public during their visit, but also the chance to see the event up-close, spectating the daily routine. I attended last years Pick Me Up, so I was aware of what to expect this year. I knew full well that my opinion of the event would not have changed by the end, if anything, grown even more negatively. On my first day I didn’t invigilate any further than the first gallery, displaying ‘Pick Me Up Selects’, 20 international ‘rising stars’ within the graphic arts world. I was hoping for something wonderful that could magically change my negative mind. However, I felt alone in the sea of self-wallowing that everyone seemed to love. I was hugely dissatisfied, my sight confined to the boundaries of observational, life-quoting, beauty-cautious illustrations and prints. If I had to choose a favourite it would be David Sparshott’s illustrations only because he depicted the many awkward faces of Lady Gaga. I appreciated the time that he had taken to draw something ‘properly’, compared to the work of Tim McDonagh, a style that has become far too easily imitable. Obviously my future lies within graphic design, not illustration or graphic arts that was embodied at PMU, but still, witnessing the idolization the public seemed to display for this ‘same-y’, repetitive ‘stuff’ annoyed me. After all the discipline of ‘design’
and all its branches are connected through the purpose to communicate. Yet the design I keep finding whether it be examples of illustration, graphic design or graphic arts, seems to be exploring the authors life, feelings and conversing through ‘trendy’ quotations. Where is the substance, the meaningful message, and the thought provoking idea? According to Lawrence Zeegan, dean of design at London College of Communication, “It’s all about the materials, rather than the message. It’s all about the quantity rather than the quality. It’s all about design doing rather than design thinking. It’s all style over content, function following form” (Zeegan, 2012), which I feel is a very accurate observation. Do we really aspire just to make flimsy design that is given the seal of approval by the likes of an event such as Pick Me Up; I certainly do not aspire to this sort of accreditation. While volunteering I raised the question to class peers and other volunteers, many of whom are too, studying a creative subject; “what do you think of Pick Me Up?” It was a relief discovering I wasn’t alone in my thoughts; “What is the function other than selling? Boring – no longer new and fresh! Tumblr poured out on walls, where is the message? I wasn’t buying any of that rubbish!” However, in order to make sure I do not fall into the stinking pit of self wallowing that we are becoming immersed in, I have quite radically, bullet pointed what I want my work to do, involve and explore in the future. I would like to design in order to educate, teach, inform, help, and protest and quite ambitiously, change people and environments for the better. In a discovery during my first year, that I believe has fueled a lot of my design thinking and ideas since is Ken Garland’s 1964 First Things First manifesto: “…We think that there are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world…” (Garland, 1964)
Futerra, Thomas. Matthews, Salterbaxter and Corporate Culture are the companies and agencies I have recently been researching which I feel would engage my working ethics and interests. They help clients through strategic communications; educating and changing things for the better, being proactive, promoting a meaningful message, interacting and engaging with real world issues. Some very interesting topics arose after assisting at Pick Me Up, allowing me to probe and explore possible future plans. I have also come to the conclusion that it is not just about what skills we acquire as designers but the way in which we use these skills. I personally feel it is important to keep pushing and not be easily satisfied. Through engaging with society, designers can productively utilize their skills and knowledge more efficiently, to educate, teach, inform, help and change people and environments for the better.
Bibliography: ZEEGAN, LAWRENCE (2012) Where is the content? Where is the comment? Creative Review. Weblog [Online] 28th Febuary. Available from: http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/ february/where-is-the-content. [Assessed 18/04/12]. GARLAND, KEN (1964) First Things First Manifesto [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.kengarland.co.uk/KG%20 published%20writing/first%20things%20first/index.html [Accesses 18/04/12]. Futerra: http://www.futerra.co.uk/ Thomas. Matthews: http://thomasmatthews.com/ Salterbaxter: http://www.salterbaxter.com/ Corporate Culture: http://www.corporateculture.co.uk/