Practicing Critique, Through Theory and Practice

Part One: Research Journal & Collection of Readings One: Haylock, ‘What is Critical Design?’

Two: Joseph Giacomin, ‘What Is Human Centred Design?’

Three: Spinuzzi,‘The Methodology of Participatory Design’ Four: Penin, ‘Designing the Invisible: An Introduction to Service Design’ Five: Robertson, ‘S*** Design’

Skyla Harris s3751134 GRAPH2081 Design Studies Monday, 2:30 Workshop AT2 Practicing Critique, Through Theory and Practice

One: Haylock, ‘What is Critical Design?’

Brad Haylock provides an examination and discussion surrounding the practice of critical design. In his words, ‘critical design’ describes the design projects and ventures that interrogate the status quo in various ways or which present unorthodox scenarios and perspectives on the future (Haylock, 2019). In the beginnings of the academic reading, Haylock traces the roots of critical design to that of the Enlightenment period. The period in which saw to its own interrogation and practices against the status quo in relation to natural sciences and mathematics. Haylock also highlights that key notions and theories of critical design have also stemmed from Marxist political theory. It is clear from a deep interrogation of this reading myself that Haylock aims to assert the significance of critical design as a mode of critical practice for all designers and thinkers to adopt. The question of, ‘what is critique?’, is also posed in this reading. Haylock provides his own answers being that it is a ‘counterpoised answer, in their formulation, to the prevailing norms of design practice’ and rather than affirming the status quo, a piece of critical design interrogates it and creates a notion of social enquiry (Haylock, 2019). It is clear that a critical design approach seeks to break down neo-liberalism systems such as the design world in which we live and work in.

Upon reflection of Haylock’s writings, ‘Critical Design’, I found a deeper and more informed understanding of how the processes and practice of critical design can lift and push my final outputs and assets across all the briefs that I encounter and develop. As mentioned in Haylock’s academic essay, critical design outputs have the intention to not only ‘unveil’ the workings of systems of exploitation and repression, they have the benefit to create meaningful and impactful change.

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If designers embrace this aspect of design, there will be many more bodies of work that are acts of interrogation and go against the norms of design, which are aspects that I hope to implement into my own design practice.

Upon reading Haylock’s ideas, I drew similarities between other readings analysed such as, ‘The ABC of Tactical Media’ as tactical media has similarities when aiming to reveal misinformation broadcasted, presenting an alternative mode of thought offering clear differences between ideas of ‘old thought’ and ‘new thought’. I would attest that a critical design practice is often adopted when designers create tactical media outputs.

The mapping-theory image selected to align with this reading has been drawn from my personal readings by Ellen Lupton and Leslie Xia when they discuss the notion that design is normative and can also be transformative.

Lupton and Xia also provide a perspective that aims to break down neo-liberalist systems and values that are still apparent in our contemporary context. The pair comment on how brands, publications, businesses and corporations often present a face that is seemingly neutral and within the parameters of ‘the norm’ as mentioned in Haylock’s reading (Lupton and Xenia, 2021).

Their writings discuss how graphic design is utilised to study and transform social relationships and how the words we as designers utilise “in both normative and disruptive terms—also ripple through the critical writing about race and feminism. Design is a tool for diagramming and exposing structures of power” (Lupton and Xenia, 2021). I found this statement directly related to the practice of critical design and its aims to expose and dismantle structures of power that grow to be more irrelevant as our society develops and grows.

I have taken the mapping theory image from Lupton and Xenia’s publication on this perspective, “Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Non-binary Field Guide for Graphic Designers”.

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One: Haylock, ‘What is Critical Design?’

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Two: Joseph Giacomin, ‘What Is Human Centred Design?’

Joseph Giacomin, author of ‘What is Human Centred Design?’, provides a discussion on the meaning of the word ‘design’ and its relation within the paradigm of human centred design. Giacomin presents a background on human centred design and its place within our contemporary context in which we now practice design. Giacomin argues that human centred design has roots in the ergonomics of computer science and artificial intelligence as the development of these systems is integral to the way in which humans interact and use these systems and processes. He proposes the argument by Susan Gasson that although these systems are design for humans, ‘user-centred system development fails to promote human interests’ thus seeing to technical problems (Gasson, 2003). Giacomin also presents the perspective that interactions and meanings are the result of a process of communication and in order to enhance this we must apply the correct creative processes to do so. In addition to this, it is also argued that human centeredness takes the premise that human understanding and behaviour go-hand-in-hand and that they are inseparably linked, thus to ensure that artefacts, systems and products work as intended. Reflecting on human centre design in our current context, it is argued that it is based on the use of techniques which we communicate, interact, empathise and stimulate the people involved and even understanding their need and desires (Giacomin,). Giacomin also provides an informative presentation of ideas on human centred design tools and human centred design practice as a business strategy. It is evident, that the creative power and sway may lie in the needs, questions and wants of the customer rather than the designer’s direction or intention.

Upon reflection of this reading, I found that it was very much a report of a multitude of different perspectives of other academics, experts and designers on the practice of human centred design. Although it is highly valuable to read on a variety of thoughts, opinions and perspectives of different designers over the past decade, I would have been interested in the author’s opinion which I didn’t find I heard as much or maybe that he was relatively neutral on the matter.

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In relation to the perspectives provided in the paper itself, each provided a highly informative and integral mode of thought or view on the importance, intention and practice of human centred design. When reflecting on human centred design in relation to my own practice, it is clear that the consideration of human behaviours and meaning in the development of design is integral in order for products and systems to be user-centric and ergonomically effective. As attested in the reading, it is clear that the consideration of a human centred design approach allows for the understanding and insight into human and market insights beyond that of traditional strategies and practices. The mapping theory image selected in conjunction with this reading is based on the relation of human centred design being functionally and ergonomically focused when creating. Learning about the expanding sector called ‘functional food’ I saw a connection between the new category and human centred design practice. The ‘functional food’ category is designed to relax or even ‘chill’ its user out. Pepsi Co. has decided to enter this ‘functional food’ category by releasing their own product into the mix called, ‘Driftwell’. PepsiCo’s design senior manager Matthew Buchwach and Ange Luke, design and innovation director of North America beverages, “describe the Driftwell brand as “quiet,” a careful balance of “commerciality and differentiation.” The visual language of the product communicates what the customer is desiring for in the busy and cluttered world that we live in, the customers’ desire to relax, unwind and even sleep. It appeared that customers had been seeking for sleep aids that didn’t make them turn to medication or other supplements and PepsiCo along with other brands are trying to fulfil this need by creating a product that is driven purely by the necessities voiced by the customer.

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Two: Joseph Giacomin, ‘What Is Human Centred Design?’

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Three: Spinuzzi,‘The Methodology of Participatory Design’ ‘The Methodology of Participatory Design’ by Clay Spinuzzi, provides a detailed historical and methodological discussion for understanding participatory design as a methodology rather than just a notion of design theory. Spinuzzi attests throughout this academic essay that there has previously been a lack of strong methodological explanation surrounding participatory design. The author describes the methodology of participatory design to encompass its research orientation, research design, tools and methods and the entirety of its paradigm. Participatory design research in the words of Spinuzzi can be characterised by user involvement, which can be argued to be similar to that of human centred design. Participatory design research, however, participants interpretations are taken into account in the research through ethnographic observations such as interviews and analysis of artefacts. There is a method of co-interpretation and creation between the designer and consumers that becomes an essential part of the participatory design process. Similarly, to critical design, it has been found that participatory design also has Marxist underpinnings as it attempts to examine the tacit, invisible aspects of human behaviour and activity as well as the aspect of cocreation and the breaking down of barriers between ‘experts’ and ‘non-experts’. Although, participatory design has slowly moved away from this political theory some aspects are still apparent. It is argued that users’ tacit knowledge is a highly valued aspect of participatory design as it allows designers to focus on exploring that tacit knowledge and taking it into account when building new systems. Users’ knowledge is integral in participatory design to create new tools, workflows and also empower these users through the input that they have had throughout the creative process.

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Upon reflection, I found that in my own creative processes that it was important to consider, who is participating, how are they participating and what is being designed. Asking these important questions allows for power to be re-distributed ethically and equally allowing for voices to be given and also create inclusivity in the design process. These acts are what slowly breaks down neo-liberal barriers that we as designers have encountered along the way and the world in which we live. This reading also allowed me to consider the limitations of participatory design that being the limitations of methodology and method that one may encounter when utilising notions and aspects of participatory design in their practice.

When analysing this reading, I came to the realisation that I did overwhelmingly value my learnings from this reading as initially looking at the paper I also thought that participatory design was just a mode of thought or orientation rather than an entire methodology. I came to the important realisation that participatory design is related to the identity and inclusion of all when applying technical communicative research to one’s design practice. The mapping theory image selected in conjunction with this reading is from Ivy Niu’s Tent Dress Project which called for the participation of designers, artists and creators to contribute and add their own additions to her garment designs.

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Three: Spinuzzi,‘The Methodology of Participatory Design’ Mapping Theory Image

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Four: Penin, ‘Designing the Invisible: An Introduction to Service Design’ ‘Designing the Invisible: An Introduction to Service Design’, by Lara Penin, highlights the clear fundamental concepts necessary to understand services and the theories that help us think about services in our everyday lives.

Penin attests in her introduction that the concept of service design as that interactions are at the heart of it and the notion of coproduction in services allows us as designers to understand that services need customers and consumers to actively participate in order to be effective. The concept of goods and services are not two alternative ideas but are the same integrated thing that makes up the practice and implementation of service design. Penin also provides us with a clear definition of service design, being ‘the value exchange between parts, in which a certain activity results in some benefit that includes specific output of a product, system or experience’ for the user. Furthermore, Penin asserts that services are everywhere, in which she describes them as a crucial ‘scaffold’ to the ‘infrastructure’ of our lives. It is clear that the intention of the author is to attest to the importance she holds on service design and the critical role she argues it plays in our contemporary context. Penin mentions how digital services now hold a significant role in our ‘network society’ with our provisions for systems such as the internet and telecommunications. It is clear though from the text, that interactions can be through both face-to-face channels but also mediated through technology. Interactions being at the core of services and the practice of service design is also discussed in this text, a critical idea that is presented is the notion whether or not designers can design interactions and in that positive touchpoint experiences. The author presents that some designers consider that these interactions involve aspects of our daily lives that can be both scripted and unscripted, whilst others think alternatively that interactions are completely undesignable.

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Reflecting on this text, I found its ideas and thoughts surrounding service design to be clear and easy for those with minimal background knowledge prior to this reading to understand. It was significantly approachable in its content and modes of thought. However, some ideas that were presented surrounding service design, I found to be somewhat arrogant. Some thoughts illustrated the idea that designers were at the core of how society functions and interacts with one another, which I think in some aspects can be true but not entirely. I would have preferred further discussion surrounding our interactions and experiences with service design in our contemporary society as I felt this reading could have delved into this aspect of service design practice more. Upon reflection, I feel as though service design has had to rapidly adjust and change not only to become accustomed to our evolving digital age but also within the current context mid-pandemic (20202021). Service design has had to have less face-toface interactions and completely flip them to be almost zero human interaction and only digital. I think it is strange that with some systems and services we will no longer see a face-to-face alternative for as it has been found that the digital version is cheaper and even more reliable. The mapping-theory image selected in alignment with this week’s reading and reflection comes from an illustration by Artefact which discusses the ethical dilemma surrounding privacy and security when using digital alternatives for the systems we can no longer use normally mid-pandemic. I think it is important to also be critical of service design and how designers need to start thinking about how apps, digital services and systems can maintain security and privacy without compromising on experience.

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Four: Penin, ‘Designing the Invisible: An Introduction to Service Design’ Mapping Theory Image

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Five: Robertson, ‘S*** Design’

Dr Keith Robertson, author of ‘Sh*t Design: An Exploration of the Aesthetic in Graphic Design’, presents a viewpoint on the aspect of graphic design being a new language of representation. It is argued that graphic design encompasses a combination of the reality, fine art and mark-making that allows for the creation of an ‘elitist aesthetic’ that can run the risk of limiting the range of interests to a range of trend-setting aesthetics and working within the traditional parameters of graphic design. Robertson analyses two well-known magazine publications, ‘That’s Life!’ and ‘Vogue’. He compares the media values that have not only been defined by the market but have been dominated by them. Robertson provides an analysis on the publications appealing across alternative class groups and how the code of graphic design plays a part in this as well. It is stated that by the code of graphic design has ‘lost its ability to communicate across class boundaries’ as it has been so clearly stuck in the codes and conducts of elitist design values that have dominated our contemporary marketplace even today. Robertson even links this back to design education as it is mentioned that schools and universities currently ‘study the nice bits’ and then completely abandoned what has been categorised as ‘sh*t design’. It is acknowledged that it is difficult for all designers to self-reflect on the code of design and take note of us casually turning a blind eye to aspects and practices of design that do not appeal to our aesthetic preference.

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Upon reflection, this reading in particularly carefully summaries a multitude of concepts, perspectives and modes of thought surrounding design that we have studied and discussed over the course of this semester. As a result of this reading, I became more critical and aware of the system that I as a designer are working in and the ‘graphic design code’ that maybe ‘blinding’ me of other notions of design that are limiting and restricting me as well. I found it difficult to be understand my role as a designer when breaking down such significantly complicated and difficult barriers that are restraining my approach to design and also consuming of other design content. I understood that in order to approach design in an authentic way I must contribute to incrementally breaking down these neo-liberalist barriers, it will not be done quickly or immediately but gradually over time.

This gradual change is an evolution rather than an evolution. The mapping theory image selected to accompany my design is my own typographic response that rejects the status-quo in terms of legibility and traditional alphabet lettering, but explores the possibility of semiotics and aims to be approachable and accessible for a multitude of ‘class groups’. With a lack of strict design code, this allows for these kinds of boundaries to be crossed.

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Five: Robertson, ‘S*** Design’ Mapping Theory Image

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Part Two: Project Response for New Zealand Natural Ice Cream “We Don’t Make Art, We Make Ice Cream’

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Skyla Harris s3751134 GRAPH2081 Design Studies Monday, 2:30 Workshop AT1 Practicing Critique, Through Theory and Practice

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We Don’t Make Art, We Make Ice Cream This campaign proposes a satirical and stark juxtaposition between New Zealand Natural Icecream and classical fine art sculptural pieces.

This comparison is drawn in order to illustrate New Zealand’s Natural Ice Cream’s currently slogan ‘Simply Meant to Be’ and how the brand and its products are attempting to be nothing more than just simply fresh, great tasting ice cream. This post-modern, non-traditional approach I believe this time fits the creative brief at not only promoting the brand’s new parlour menu but also launching into the market in a way that is completely ‘new and different’.

Like those from New Zealand, the Australian market appreciates humour and brands that are able to poke fun at themselves and even in this case their competitors. New Zealand Natural can achieve their market objectives but making a spash into the already saturated Austalian ice cream marketplace by having a big idea that is interactive, humourous and something that is bound to turn heads.

This campaign utilises guerilla marketing tactics in conjunction with digital channels through the developement of an app and physical displays such as billboards and posters that have the potential to translate to social media as well.

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Melbourne CBD Laneways

Melbourne Botanical Gardens

Melbourne Parliament Gardens

The guerilla marketing tactic will be utilised through the creation of New Zealand Natural placing fine art replica statues around their selected city, in this example, Melbourne. The statues will be holding their own replica’s of New Zealand Natural products in their hands. There will be minimal to no New Zealand Natural branding on these displays, creating an emotional appeal of curiosity, excitement and discovery. There will be a prompt to scan the statue taking the user to the developed app interface which will then push the user to discover and find more of these displays in order to discover new menu items and the chance to win a free scoop of ice-cream.

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THE REAL PINK

SHERBET

Around or close by to the location of the sculptural displays will be large billboards or posters that then create a link between the fine art sculptures and New Zealand Natural Ice Cream.

MASTERPIECE

IS TO YOUR RIGHT WE JUST MAKE ICE CREAM Skyla Harris s3751134

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WE DONT MAKE

WE DONT MAKE

MASTERPIECES

MASTERPIECES WE MAKE ICE CREAM

WE MAKE ICE CREAM

New Zealand Natural Poster #1

New Zealand Natural Poster #2

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App Discover Page #1

App Discover Page Unlocked Items Page #2

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iPhone X Interface #1

iPhone X Interface #2

iPhone X Interface #3

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Part Two: Essay This essay provides a critique and analysis on the campaign created in support of the launch of New Zealand Natural’s new parlour menu into the competitive Australian marketplace. The commercial creative brief provided by the New Zealand Natural team stated the importance of ‘launching into the markets with something new and different’ and how the brand itself ‘cannot simply be another ice cream parlour brand doing the same as others’. With an examination of the competitive food industry and artisanal ice cream market already significantly apparent in the city of Melbourne, it was clear that New Zealand Natural needed a launch campaign that disrupted the market and allowed the brand to establish their own unique positioning within the diverse and saturated Australian ice cream marketplace. The body of theory utilised in alignment with this campaign was primarily the thoughts and academic writings from ‘What is Critical Design?’ by Brad Haylock and ‘What is Human Centred Design?’ by Joseph Giacomin. This theoretical approach to design and the development of the commercial campaign for New Zealand Natural would not only allow for the fulfilment of the primary brief being to promote the brand’s new parlour menu but also see to a ‘counterpoise of traditional norms of design’ that will separate the ice cream company vastly from its competitors and the creation of a campaign that allows for the direct engagement with the target audience to bring about awareness.

The practical design project proposed to New Zealand Natural will be an initial guerrilla marketing campaign that will see to physical displays around the city of Melbourne which will then be accompanied by a series of posters and billboards that could even be translated on social media assets. In addition to this, an app will be developed that will allow users to scan the physical sculptural displays around the city, in order to unlock new menu items and win ice-cream deals with New Zealand Natural. The practical project is titled, ‘We Don’t Make Art, We Make Ice-Cream’. It has been created to be a humorous, honest and laid-back campaign that illustrates the brand’s personality and values through the satirical and stark comparison between ice cream and fine art pieces. The campaign aims to disrupt the norms of traditional design and marketing approaches by stating that the product is nothing more than simple, fresh ice-cream and is not trying to be anything more than that. Thus, rejecting the traditional notions of marketing, advertising and design and opening a space for us to reject the roots to continental thought, whilst creating a meaningful interactive experience with the brand.

The role of critique can be described as the strategy that involves the development of design proposals whilst critically engaging with contemporary or societal issues that may be addressed through conceptual approaches (Batuman and Baykan, 2014).These conceptual approaches may include practices such as participatory design, critical design, human centred design and service design. Critique by design seeks to examine and arrive at the immanent critique of practice within and throughout the design process (Batuman and Baykan, 2014).

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Utilising the role of design critique is integral as it is important to understand the impacts of the neo-liberalist norms that are apparent in our contemporary context but also the socio-cultural influences that shape ones’ studio practice even when approaching a commercial design project (McDonald and Michela, 2019). Applying the role of design critique when approaching the development of a commercial project such as New Zealand Natural Ice Cream is overwhelmingly critical as it is important to acknowledge the failures and successes of communication design, being its ability to both attract an audience but also create a disconnect or false division between ‘great aesthetics and efficacious political systems’ (Duncombe, 2016). As further attested, a critique of commercial design is integral in order to understand prior to creation that in order to maintain a critical mind in which we produce we must work in correlation with the world in which we live on its recipients but also question it (Van Toorn, 2010). The theories applied when critiquing the design project created and the client, New Zealand Natural, come from a multitude of academic writings that utilise alternative modes of thought when discussing design theory and practice. An analysis was conducted on the ways in which the client, New Zealand Natural, is currently approaching their communicative design practice. It was clear that the majority of their content and design outcomes created aligned with an ‘affirmative design’ approach (Haylock, 2019). The content and campaigns previously created in more or less obvious ways, reproduced types of human relationships and structures that continued to perpetuate the status quo (Haylock, 2019). This is evident on their Instagram account which currently documents holistic nomadic themed lifestyle photographs accompanied with some pictures of their ice-cream product. It can be attested that, there has been minimal experimental approaches to marketing and design which can be argued to be the reason for their difficulty to become a memorable brand against the strong positive market perceptions of their competitors such as Messina and Ben and Jerry’s. It is recommended for the client in order to achieve their objectives to ‘disrupt’ and ‘drive awareness’ in the Australian market, they must ‘reject how things ought to be as the only possibility’ when creating their ‘big campaign idea’ (Haylock, 2019). They must consider alternative approaches such as co-design, human-centred design and critical design practices that allows for an openness and proposal of ways in which their brand and target audience ‘might live differently’ (Haylock, 2019). An alternative approach to communication design will allow for the creation of a project such as the one proposed to be position New Zealand Natural Ice Cream as something ‘new and different’ in comparison to its competitors in the market.

The campaign designed in response to the brief outlined by New Zealand Natural is titled, ‘We Don’t Make Art, We Make Ice-Cream’. The campaign can be described to illustrate images of the ice cream products from the new menu alongside images Skyla Harris s3751134

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Part Two: Essay of the ice cream products from the new menu alongside images of fine art sculptures and pieces of art creating a humorous and even honest juxtaposition. The campaign slogan will link the two counterpoising images together with statements such as, “The real masterpiece is to your left (that being the fine art piece) …we just make ice-cream (directing the audience to the product)”. This is a nod to not only artisanal competitors who are known for making innovative and boujee ice cream products but also aligns with the client’s current slogan being ‘ice cream that is simply meant to be’. It is evident according to the client’s creative brief that they are not trying to be anything more than just great quality ice cream that is for everyone.

The disruptive aspect of this campaign however, will begin with the practice of a guerrilla marketing tactic. The term, guerrilla marketing, can be described as an advertisement strategy that utilises surprise or an unconventional interaction in order to promote a product or service (Levinson, 1984). This strategy is utilised by the large re-creation of fine art sculptures or actual sculptures around the city of Melbourne holding a mock-up replica of New Zealand Natural Ice Cream products. With no clear attachment to the brand creates curiosity and intrigue surrounding the sculpture displays, pushing for the users to scan the code to find the answer as to why and what the display is. It is clear that this aspect of the campaign created considers the whole user experience as seen in the development of the ‘New Zealand Ice Cream Trail’ app that allows users to interact with the statues placed around the city of Melbourne, whilst learning about the client’s new parlour menu on offer (Giacomin, 2015). This allows for the involvement and engagement of users outside of the parlour store environment (Giacomin, 2015). However, some academics argue that when designing for a ‘user’ usually ‘involves optimizing characteristics of the product or service based on preconceived plans and schema…that can result in limited degrees of interactivity and exploration’ (Degani, 2014). In conjunction with this intuitive and interactive experience through guerrilla marketing tactics is the implementation of physical advertising displays such as posters and billboards. Across all outputs and assets from the created design project, typographic and aesthetic elements from New Zealand Natural’s brand book have been implemented. This decision was made based on the fact that these elements have created a genuine and well-known brand identity that loyal customers or acquainted customers will already recognise. This allows for a consistent brand voice and personality to continue to be made apparent and felt within the marketplace. It can be argued that the typographic and aesthetic elements used by the client are what can be described as an ‘elite aesthetic’. This notion of an ‘elite aesthetic’ is attested to limit the range of design to elements of ‘trendy stylistic tropes’ and ignoring an entire holistic approach to media and communications (Robertson, 2002). However, in the case of this design project this design approach using components

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from the supplied bran book lends itself to effective story-telling and brand identity in the context of ‘humans being creatures of habit and slow to change and media interfaces identity’ (Robertson, 2002).

The application of critical design and human-centred design have been applied in the development of the commercial design project for the client, New Zealand Natural Ice Cream. The definition of critical design provided from this academic reading states that, critical design practice is the interrogation of the status quo in various ways or even the proposal of unorthodox future scenarios (Haylock, 2019).

Throughout the design process a critical practice was adopted in order to create outputs that prevailed against ‘the norms of design’ and marketing, although the final campaign designs do not ‘unveil’ any alternative perspectives of social or political inquiry, they offer a satirical and post-modern application of consumer-based advertising (Haylock, 2019). This is evident in the design aspect being the campaign slogans comparing the ice cream as being pretty average or simple next to the fine art masterpiece it is being juxtaposed to. This being a humorous design and even poking fun at artisanal competitors such as Messina rejects the status quo and traditional parameters of food advertising and design. The guerrilla marketing strategy also employed in this design project also aligns with the notions of a critical design practice. This strategy aligns with the critical design practice being one that is experimental, interrogating the culture of brands, consumerism and marketing and pushing the client’s place within the marketplace into a new and different direction through the implementation of a guerrilla marketing tactic. In addition to critical design a human-centred design practice was also implemented in this commercial design project. Human-centred design can be defined as an approach for designing products, systems and services which are physically, perceptually, emotionally and mentally created with human interactions and intuition at its core (Giacomin, 2015). It is clear that the practice of human-centred design is also linked to the project created as evident in the user-interface developed in order to create a meaningful and interactive experience with the new parlour menu and campaign. The app developed for the campaign is based on the use ‘of techniques which communicate, interact, empathise and stimulate the people involved’ whilst understanding their desires to try the new flavours and products as evident in the offer to claim 1 free scoop with every 5 New Zealand Sculptures collected around the city (Giacomin, 2015). This notion of humancentred design applied to the commercial campaign created, provides emotion-inducing ‘opportunities’, ‘insights’ and ‘activities’ for the individuals that intuitively and physically interact with the product and service provided by the client (Giacomin, 2015).

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Part Two: Essay

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It is attested throughout this essay that an application of critical and a humancentred design practice has allowed for the effective creation of an engaging commercial campaign for the client, New Zealand Natural Ice Cream. Adopting a lens of design critique throughout the design process was also important in order to be interrogative on the structures and systems that shape our contemporary context and design practice. But also, to be critical of the client and the commercial design project created in order to formulate a successful and effective launch campaign. A multitude of design theories were implemented in order to expand ones’ communication design practice and approach to the development and creation of the final project, ‘We Don’t Make Art, We Make Ice Cream’.

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Bibliography

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Batuman, B. and Altay Baykan, D., 2014. Critique by design: Tackling urban renewal in the design studio. URBAN DESIGN International, 19(3), pp.199-214.

Degani, A. 2004., Taming HAL: Interfaces Beyond 2001. New York: St Martins Press, Palgrave Macmillian de Valle, R., 2021. Unconventional Sleep Aids Are in Vogue, and They’re Designed To Chill You Out. Eye on Design. https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/food-and-beverage-packaging-is-getting-very-sleepy/ Duncombe, S., 2016. Does it Work? The Æffect of Activist Art?. Social Research, 85(1), pp.113-134.

Giacomin, J., 2014. What Is Human Centred Design?, The Design Journal, 17:4, 606-623, DOI: 10.2752/175630614X140561854801 86 Haylock, B., 2019. What is Critical Design?. Routledge, 1(1), pp.1-13.

Levinson, J. and Lautenslager, A., 1984. Guerilla marketing in 30 days. 1st ed. Houghton Mifflin.

Lupton, E. and Xia, L., 2021. There Is No Such Thing As Neutral Graphic Design.Eye on Design. https://eyeondesign.aiga. org/there-is-no-such-thing-as-neutral-graphic-design/ McDonald, J. and Michela, E., 2019. The design critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy. Design Studies, 62, pp.135.

Penin, L., 2018. An Introduction to Service Design. 1st ed. New York: Bloomsburg Publishing, pp.20-42.

Robertson, K., 2002. Sh*t design: an exploration of the aesthetic in graphic design. RMIT University, 10th(1), pp.1-15.

Spinuzzi, C., 2005. The Methodology of Participatory Design. Technical Communications, 52(2), pp.163-170.

Stinson, L., 2021. Can We Trust Digital Assistants to Keep Our Data Private?.Eye on Design. https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/ can-we-trust-digital-assistants-to-keep-our-data-private/ van Toorn, J., 2010. A Passion for the Real. Design Issues, 26(4), pp.45-56.

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