RES PON SES 1-7 FALL 2012
A Semester in Reading Responses
KATIE LADD
TA B L E O F C O N T EN T S RESPONSE
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Number 2
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Number 3
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Number 4
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Number 5
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Number 6
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Number 7
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Responses 1-7: Response 1
NUM BER 1
READING RESPONSE Doyald Young: Logotype Designer “ You shouldn’t use big words because people won’t trust you.” I think this is the most interesting quote used in the entire video. Said by Doyald Young’s father, I think it represents a dichotomy between old and new. I sincerely appreciate Young’s acknowledgement of where he came from but I also think he exhausts the classic style. I also believe in the importance of “not using big words”, because if a design does not communicate its purpose then it loses worth. Young’s father has a point, in design you must always stoop to the level or raise to the heights of your audience in order to gain their trust. If the audience does not understand your design, then the design ceases to communicate and fails. Doyald is an inspiring figure because of his attention to detail but almost marginalizes the importance of where he came from. I think ultimate credit always needs to be given to the development of a person. You cannot understand where you are currently unless you understand where you came from. I am not sure if Young would agree to this; he seems to be rebelling
against his history by becoming such a polished, worldly gentleman. Though he trivializes his impact on the design world and his contributions to typography he is extremely successful. He states that there are no secrets in his work, and he is not interested in making things new, but making them better. However, I would argue that the opposite is true in regards to some of his work. In our fast paced world of instant gratification isn’t sticking to old ways and techniques original? Isn’t the perfection of antiquated ideas stranger than being fresh and new? Young downplays what he does, but is secretly enormously innovative. A third and final aspect of the video that I loved was Young’s acknowledgement of how necessary exploration is. He mentioned the embarrassment of presenting a design solution without acknowledging every possible answer. I feel the same way. I also believe like Young that preference is extremely personal. For example, if you are going to present a solution to a design problem every angle must be considered in order to address different design preferences.
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Responses 1-7: Response 2
NUM BER 2
READING RESPONSE Helvetica: A Documentary I like the way the movie presents Helvetica as a controversial font and analyzes all aspects of it. Personally, I appreciate the interviews with so many designers with conflicting opinions about the font. Some may think it is the most versatile, beautiful gift to society, and others, like Paula Scher for example, detest it, and have spent entire design careers attempting to avoid it. I also like the way the video presents the information in an accessible way. I feel as if the video would be interesting even if you had no previous experience in graphic design or had never even given Helvetica a second thought. I also appreciated the examples the video provided of the use of Helvetica in cityscapes; I had never
realized how much one font family truly permeates our lives. I also thought it was extremely interesting learning about the history of Helvetica, and why or why not it is the so-called “perfect” font. I learned a lot about how fonts are created, and why they can be so versatile. For example, one of the reasons why so many different emotions can be applied to Helvetica is because of the flat terminals on the ascenders and descenders. Finally, the video changed the way I look at Helvetica as a font. I have never detested it, but I do not use it very often either. Now, I can appreciate it based on its history and value the ways it is used in my life.
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Responses 1-7: Response 3
NUM BER 3
READING RESPONSE AVideo Series by Hillman Curtis This video is great because it is so informative. Hearing the perspectives of a number of different designers is great because they all achieved success in a different fashion. I liked the way the video presented information from design firms, like Pentagon, and contrasted that with the opinions of separate designers within and outside of those firms. I liked the way David Carson focused so intenesely on interpretation and the extreme importance of personalizing design in his video clip. Looking back at the freedom he was given in designing Raygun magazine, he noted how his lack of training allowed him to create innovative design. Paula Scher also mentioned a sense of play when she talked as well. When describing her design process for the posters for The Public Theater in New York she stressed that she is not a refiner. I completely understand her statement from the clip, if she doesn’t get it the first or second time, she often doesn’t get it. It is refreshing to hear a successful designer describe her process as so intuitive. I often struggle with this in my own work, and second
guess myself, when often my initial reaction to prompts become my best ideas. I also liked the way many designers used their work as a vehicle for social commentary. James Victore and Milton Glaser in particular. Glaser mentioned that design must project into the future, and be used within our responsibility as good citizens. However, my favorite statement from him was that he said to never lose your capacity for amazement. I think that it is very admirable that a designer that has already lived such a successful and fulfilling life can step back and say that he can still be truly amazed by something. In the clip about James Victore, he also stresses graphic design as a mode of social commentary. I like the way he acknowledged the commercial uses of design, but stated that graphic design at its best states a political, social, or cultural message. Not only is play a theme in Scher and Carson’s work, but also the work of Stefan Sagmeister. I like the way Sagmeister stated to start with the hard things first . This is another practice I would like to integrate within my own workflow.
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Responses 1-7: Response 4
NUM BER 4
READING RESPONSE Marian Bantjes: Graphic Designer I really enjoyed the way Marian Bantjes approached looking at the world around her. After a long and successful career in a respectable design ďŹ rm, she left to pursue her own interests. I think she is brave and noble because of this. I respect how much faith she has in her own ideas, and her refusal to sell herself short or cater her work directly to her client. I also admire the obsessive attention to detail that is so obvious in her pieces. I also admire the sense of wonder and joy she attempts to put into her pieces. I think that she accomplishes universality without losing personality within her pieces, which is quite an accomplishment. She mentioned trying to work against what is expected of her, and I also appreciate this. I think that often what is expected or asked of us does
not coincide with what we want to do, or feel. Sometimes it is necessary to break free from obligations and guidelines in order to create better work. I think this is what Marian discovered when she left Digitopolis. Finally, I like the way she approached the idea of graphic design. Stating that she thought she hated graphic design, but then rediscovering her love for it, and realizing she knew so much about it. Bantjes also mentioned the aspect of public access in the graphic arts, and I think this is so important. I believe that artists can often alienate themselves from society, and that design is a sort of meeting ground between ďŹ ne art and popular culture.
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Responses 1-7: Response 5
NUM BER 5
READING RESPONSE Margo Chase: Graphic Designer I thought it was interesting the way that Margo Chase described her development as a graphic designer. I had never thought about design in the music industry in contrast to design in a corporation, and what that means for the creative freedom of the designer. She expressed that the jobs that she had previously thought she wanted seemed unfulfilling and limiting compared to the artistic freedom she experienced when designing in the music industry. This was the major reason why she became a freelance designer and ended up owning her own company. I liked the different aspects of the documentary and how it looked at not only her tools and style, but also her work. I also enjoyed her discussion of how she goes about branding a product and creating a brand identity for a company based on psychographic mappings, and how important it is to consider a specific person when designing a product. Chase also talked about how important it is to connect to customers and communicate with a visual language that will develop a unique identity for a company that cannot be copied, but will also make them stand out. She also mentions how important it is to remove yourself and your own personal interests when designing for the needs
of a company. Chase stated that the reason why she loved packaging so much was because of its lifespan. A poster may be glanced at and thrown away, but the package of a product may stay with you for the entirety of your use of that product and even afterwards. I also thought the lynda interview process at the end of the documentary was great because Chase talked about what she looks for in portfolios. It was refreshing to hear a successful designer describe how she looks for diversity in a portfolio. As a student, I have many different interests, and it was nice to hear Chase talk about how she looks for pieces that are unique and eclectic, and designers that are versatile. I think there is often a lot of pressure placed on students to specialize, but there is something to be said about having multiple interests and a broad range of talents. Finally, I enjoyed Chase’s discussion of perfection. She mentions it mainly when speaking about flying, and how flying parallels design in regards to a constant search for perfection. I believe, like Chase, that perfection is unattainable and therefore presents a constant competition. In other words, perfection is not achievable, but a goal to strive towards.
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Responses 1-7: Response 6
NUM BER 6
READING RESPONSE Art & Copy: A Documentary I liked the way the Art & Copy documentary approached the popularity of slogans in advertising. It was interesting to see how the “Got Milk?” slogan was ideated, as well as other radically successful advertising campaigns like “I want my MTV”, the black silhouetted Apply technology billboards, as well as Nike. As a student hoping to work in the graphic design industry, advertising is a viable occupation. Contemplating the role of morality in advertising, as well as the aspects of manipulation and psychology has always fascinated me.
What would I do if I were asked to advertise a product that did not function properly? What if the product was bad? How can I target a specific audience at the right moment? Art & Copy had me thinking about questions like these, I assume people who work in the advertising industry ask themselves the same questions. Finally, I completely identified with the portrayal of humor in the movie. I love to use humor to communicate. A laugh can often be the shortest distance between two people.
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Responses 1-7: Response 7
NUM BER 7
READING RESPONSE Kit Hinrichs: Graphic Designer I thought it was interesting the way Kit Hinrichs referred to himself first and foremost as a storyteller. Like many other famous designers, he emphasized the importance of travel and exposure to new cultures. He stated multiple times how he believed these two things informed his practice and allowed him to create unique work. I think travel is so important as well, and it is extremely important to consider design that’s going on in all parts of the world, as well as drawing influence and inspirations from other designers and cultures. Hinrichs also discusses influential people within a lifetime and a design career, stating that you will most likely meet the most influential people in your 20’s and 30’s. I am going to take this statement as advice. It is nice to think that I
still have yet to meet the most influential people in my life. I’m assuming Hinrichs is not referring to parents with this statement. A final thought that was intriguing was Hinrichs’ discussion of typography as art in his retrospective poster, as well as the fascination with the human face. He begins by stating his love for typography and desire to turn typography into art. His result was a typographic poster with text arranged in a design to create an image of his face. Hinrichs ties this into the human fascination with the face, stating that it is everywhere we look; on the covers of magazines, the television. I had never thought about the face in the manner and I learned something new.
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