It’s Nice That The Student Newspaper September Issue 2013
because the best things in life are free...
It’s Nice That exists to champion creativity across a whole host of disciplines. We publish exciting, original and engaging work from both established names and talented newcomers. Now, we aim to give students a bigger say in design, to get your work out there and make sure that you are the future of design. From here on out, it’s all over to you.
This isn’t a newspaper to keep you cooped up indoors all day like a chicken. This is a newspaper to inspire you to try something different, so drag yourself away from that Apple Mac and venture outdoors. Do one thing every day that scares you. Break the rules. Break the boundaries. Go outside. See the world around you (not just the World Wide Web). After all, what’s the worst that can happen?
_contents
6_Gerhard Richter’s ‘happy ac competition. 10_ creative sym the month. 14_design criticism 18_the art of potato printing. 22_monthly mixtape. 23_how
ccidents’. 8_screen printing mposium event.11_student of m and the creative process. . 20_p is for procrastination. to submit your work.
_Gerhard HAPPY There’s always something interesting about artistic processes in which the creative cedes control, and especially so when that creative is a major art world figure like Gerhard Richter. A gorgeous new book presents his November series in its entirety, an intriguing series that came about when he was decanting some black Edding marker-pen ink. Some of it dripped onto nearby paper and he was fascinated by the patterns it made, not just on the top sheet but on those it soaked underneath as well. Using benzene, acetone and black tushe he started experimenting with thinning his materials and manipulating the colours and patterns, culminating in the production of 54 works, comprising 27 individual sheets with mirror images
on both sides. This was back in 2008 and, as he’s prone to doing, Richter put them aside, only revisiting them three years later. Now Heni Publshing has brought them together in this lovely collection, full of beguiling shapes and the quiet colour palette of the images’ namesake month. In some cases he also applied lacquer or pencil to manipulate the consistency of ink as well as its flow on highly absorbent paper. The ink permeated through the sheets creating two related images, one on the front, one on the back of each of the altogether 27 sheets. The artist had a complete set of facsimiles made so both sides of the 27 sheets could be viewed at the same time. Every page is dated, mainly in sequence of their production.
PICTURING THINGS, TAKING A VIEW, IS WHAT MAKES US HUMAN; ART IS MAKING SENSE AND GIVING SHAPE TO THAT SENSE. IT IS LIKE THE RELIGIOUS SEARCH FOR GOD.
_6
Richter ACCIDENTS
_by Rob alderson
CALLING ALL SCREEN PRINTERS! AIDA PRINTS ARE OFFERING TO PRINT YOUR DESIGN ON UP TO £1000 WORTH OF MEDIA INCLUDING T-SHIRTS, POSTERS ETC...
FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER
EXHIBITION TITLE:
PRINT ABOUT ME
DEADLINE: NOV 1ST
CLICK TO LIKE
ON FACEBOOK
AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE
*
T&C’S: SEND AS PDF, AI, PSD OR JPEG. FILE SIZE NO LARGER THAN 5MB. EMAIL TO PRINTABOUTME@ITSNICETHAT.COM BEFORE THE DEADLINE FACEBOOK VOTING CLOSES NOV 31ST
_9
Here A ONE-DAY CREATIVE SYMPOSIUM CURATED BY IT’S NICE THAT CANADA, KATE MOROSS, RANDOM INTERNATIONAL AND MORE ADDED TO LINE-UP 2013
FEELING LIKE YOU COULD DO WITH A DOSE OF INSPIRATION? WELL, OUR CREATIVE SYMPOSIUM MIGHT JUST DO THE TRICK. IT’S SHAPING UP TO BE A FANTASTIC, FAST-PACED DAY OF INSPIRATIONAL TALKS, EXPERIMENTS AND LIVE ELEMENTS FROM SOME OF THE BEST CREATIVE FOLK IN THE UK AND BEYOND. WE LAUNCHED HERE 2013 LAST MONTH WITH A SNEAK PREVIEW OF SOME OF THE SPEAKERS YOU COULD EXPECT IN THE PROGRAMME FROM THE LIKES OF NEW YORK-BASED DIGITAL ARTIST RAFAËL ROZENDAAL AND WRITER-CUM-PERFORMER ADAM BUXTON, TO FRENCH DIRECTOR AND EXPERIENCE DESIGNER NELLY BEN HAYOUN AND ERIK KESSELS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF AMSTERDAM-BASED COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY KESSELSKRAMER. WE CAN NOW REVEAL THAT AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR, ART DIRECTOR AND SET DESIGNER SARAH ILLENBERGER WILL BE JOINING US TO GIVE A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE MARVELLOUS WORK SHE PRODUCES IN HER BERLIN STUDIO, ALONG WITH STUART WOOD, DIRECTOR OF RANDOM INTERNATIONAL, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HIGHLY-ACCLAIMED RAIN ROOM AMONG A HOST OF OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS. WE’RE THRILLED TO HAVE DESIGNER, ILLUSTRATOR AND ART DIRECTOR KATE MOROSS PROVIDING A UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO HER PRACTICE AS WELL AS THE SPANISH DIRECTING COLLECTIVE CANADA, WHOSE VIDEOS WE JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF. THE FULL PROGRAMME TO BE RELEASED SOON.
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
13/10/13
SUPPORTED BY PANTONE
Student of the MOnth _Diogo Rapazote Now in his fourth year of communication design at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Fine Arts, we’re very pleased to announce Diogo Rapazote as our November Student of the Month. We really loved his Rothko Rides Velos project which shows an excellent instinct for print, informed by an innate curiosity in compendiums of all sorts, something that could only be sated by exercising his own collectors mentality. It’s not common to see someone with a bike in Porto – “there are a lot of hills” he explains – so by cataloging the colours and designs of their sporadic appearances, he’s like some cycle-lepidopterist with a pleasing eye for design.
“
The finished product is a really great example of consistent communicative design – he gave himself all sorts of rules in which to fit his findings in – and it tells a nice story! The rest of his portfolio has the same charm of an illustrative brand of typography (see the Lurzen Bucht poster also pictured) that varies in outcome throughout his portfolio. “My school train us in so many different areas that It’s hard to do merely one single thing” he says. “Well Steve Jobs says you can only connect the points looking backwards. I have hope they will connect further down the road.”
At the time of making/creating this project, who or what was your biggest influence? Luzern city, and being abroad. These were the two main things which led me to develop Rothko Rides Velos. Also being in Alpenhof in the fantastic Andreas Zuest library and to see so many books there was a big help. It might not be so clear but I love Daniel Eatock’s work and process of working. And I always remember his crazy methods of working when I think of the process for this book. For Luzern Bucht I just fell in love with Matthäus Merian’s print of the city and wanted to do something with it – it seemed to match the the theme and the vibe of the Book Festival. (The teachers hated it.) What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university to date? Having friends is wonderful! It’s amazing what you can achieve if you share and participate with others. I have great teachers but I think most of the stuff I’ve learnt came from working with my colleagues. University is a great places for this to happen. Oh, and everything is easier when you’re having fun! Where are you making/creating most of your work? Right now at home. I have not been printing lately but I used to spend a lot of time at school using the screen printing machines, getting my hands dirty! Sometimes a walk around the city is nice to get your ideas straight. What are you working on at the moment? Right now I’m preparing some illustrations for an independent publication fair here in Porto.
”
"_Well Steve Jobs says you can only connect the points looking backwards. I have hope they will connect further down the road."
_Design criticism & the
creative process... At a project’s start, the possibilities are endless. That clean slate is both lovely and terrifying. As designers, we begin by filling space with temporary messes and uncertain experiments. We make a thousand tiny decisions quickly, trying to shape a message that will resonate with our audience. Then in the middle of a flow, we must stop and share our unfinished work with colleagues or clients. This typical halt in the creative process begs the question: What does the critique do for the design and the rest of the project? Do critiques really help and are they necessary? If so, how do we use this feedback to improve our creative output?
When we embrace a truly collaborative process, critiques afford the incredible intersection of vision, design, strategy, technology, and people. The critique is a corrective step in the process that allows different ways of thinking to reach common ground—for example, compromising on visual vs. technological requirements. Critiquing an unfinished design mitigates the risk of completely missing a project’s ultimate goals. Acting as a wedge in the creative process, good feedback can readjust the design message and help us figure out what we’re really trying to say. Zach Lieberman, creator of innovative eye-tracking software, preaches the idea of DIWO - Do It With Others - saying, “We need to think about art–working more like a laboratory, that we are performing research and working together.” This contrasts with the common design parable that a camel is a horse designed by committee. The critiquing process is not an excuse to form a design committee, but designers must embrace collaborative efforts and act as stewards of design rather than dictators. We need to ask ourselves: What’s so wrong with a camel? Is it not just a different way of looking at the problem? If the critique is to help us to collaborate, it must sound like a suggestion rather than an order. It should be conversational, both giving and taking, again in the interest of collaboration. When design critiques are one-sided - for example, when commands are issued without explanation - the result is like playing telephone: the message arrives diluted and insensible because the message bearer has no context or ownership over ultimate design decisions. It’s important to remember that critiques are meant to improve output rather than hinder process. Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From says, “Often times the thing that turns a hunch into a real breakthrough is another hunch that’s lurking in somebody else’s mind.” Encouraging the overlap of ideas from multiple people, as in critiques, facilitates these breakthroughs.
_14
For a designer, a good critique can: _ prevent a meandering design from veering too far from project constraints i.e. timeline, budget, scope. _ allow others to help, teach, or guide when there is a weakness or confusion _ accustom others to the shoddy state of unfinished designs to talk about bigger ideas and strategy _ familiarize colleagues, managers, and clients with the design process _ invest everyone in the project early on _ circumvent alarming change requests by responding immediately as a team _ distribute responsibility for developing creative output _ help build team trust and eliminate destructive ego Presenting Designs Sharing your work at any stage can make you feel vulnerable, but discussing it lends credence to the design process. Present a rationale for all design decisions you make. If that’s impossible, ask yourself where there’s room for improvement, and listen to suggestions. A plethora of tips are available on presenting designs and public speaking. Use these resources to target your growth areas and then practice good habits every opportunity you get. What is good feedback? While critiques are important, what people actually mean when they give feedback may still be a mystery. How do we connect the abstract things that people say to what we actually create on our computers? Here are a few scenarios where you can rein in vague feedback to benefit the design.
LACK OF CLARITY “I don’t like it,” or “I really love it!”
RESISTANCE “That’s a great idea, but not right now.”
Ask specific questions to collect specific feedback. Zoom in on whether or not they like what they see to figure out exactly what they like. Ambiguity feels safer but it doesn’t benefit the conversation or the design. For likes and dislikes ask specifically about typography, color, layout, images, etc. Show them the kind of response you might be looking for. Ask questions even if they seem absurd, even if you’re pretty sure you understand what the other person is saying. Doing this reveals potential miscommunications at an opportune time rather than later on in the project when it becomes a costly inconvenience.
There seem to be few choices in this situation. You can argue until you’re blue in the face, attempt to create allies that will help argue your case, or you can forget about your brilliant idea for now, and save it for later or for some other project. What you choose to do depends on what is at risk. For example, you don’t necessarily want to argue with your largest client. Nor do you want to push the idea if the opposition is practical, i.e., too little time or budget. If you do pursue the idea, pitch it to the best of your ability, state it to the best of your ability, but don’t overstep your boundaries before calculating the risk. There will be people that respond differently to your approach, so learning to gauge what motivates the people that you work with is helpful.
TAKING IT PERSONALLY “I don’t like purple.” Sometimes a colleague or client gets hung up on a strong personal distaste, usually on one particular detail. When criticism is based on personal preference, separate subjective comments from objective ones to filter the really meaningful feedback. Readjust your line of questioning—instead of asking what the person standing next to you thinks, ask what the target audience for the project might think. Would they, too, not like purple? This helps prioritize design effort by focusing on feedback that affects usability or product quality. Remember your own biases and be honest about them. The best designers work with their audience in mind regardless of personal inclinations. DESIGN APATHY “It looks fine as it is, let’s just go with it.” If a person cannot discern between good design and bad design, it is tempting to believe they are design blind or incapable of appreciating good work. It could be, however, that they don’t quite understand or accept design’s role in product engagement or they are not comfortable talking in visual terms. Use probing questions and specific examples of websites or animations or whatever your end product is to understand their particular reluctance. Sometimes it takes several examples to figure out the root of the problem. If observers are tightlipped, reassure them that all feedback is helpful whether it’s positive or negative. By interpreting criticism this way you not only allow an open conversation, you also control it by managing your own reactions. CONTRADICTIONS “This needs to appeal to Baby Boomers but the users will probably be in their early 20s.” Put the other person in your shoes. How would they approach this situation? Asking for advice (avoiding sarcasm) doesn’t hurt a project; rather, it opens up communication and helps people think about the project’s overall objectives. Pinning down clear, measurable goals from the outset ensures that you are approaching the project from the same perspective. INDECISIVENESS “I’m not sure what I think. What do you think?” It’s common to be asked for your professional opinion on a decision that someone else must make. The risk is that they don’t actually mean what they are asking. For instance they might be testing your subjectivity to see how your preferences measure up to their own. Regardless of the intent, this is an opportunity to gain someone’s confidence. Offer your opinion but be sure to back it up with good logic, such as user experience best practices, type methodology, or color theory. Keep your knowledge-sharing relevant and be as straightforward as possible. A situation like this is a chance to educate, and by using it to its full potential you can benefit everyone involved in the project.
TOO MUCH NEGATIVITY “I don’t like the type or that picture. The colors are off. I think you’ve missed the point.” Sometimes in the design process, especially with too much feedback or too little initial direction, the end message appears diluted or warped and you find that you missed the mark. Don’t give up as a default, but know when to cut your losses and start over. Gather as much information as you can about why this attempt failed. Frank Gehry says in The Unbuilding of Frank Gehry, “Each project I suffer like I’m starting over again in life. There’s a lot of healthy insecurity that fuels this stuff.” Starting over on the same project can be even more disheartening, but the accomplished architect offers a lesson; each time we begin again, we do so with the knowledge and lessons we learned before, increasing our potential for success in each new effort. Negotiate criticism_ The idea that feedback is not fixed is a common thread in these scenarios. Our interpretations and reactions influence feedback. A critique is the beginning of this negotiation process, allowing the exchange of thoughts and opinions. Ultimately it is important that our designs accomplish business goals and engage our audience, but getting there is not always as straightforward as it seems. Every time project members exchange and share information or insights, the project value goes up. On the other hand, if communication isn’t adding value, ask whether it is important that you collaborate or if there is an alternative. The designer as collaborator_ The critique’s importance in creative output is not a new idea; it is why design community sites such as Dribbble, Behance, and Forrst flourish. But embracing the critique depends on knowing your value to a project and understanding how to navigate process to achieve great work. In his presentation called Quieting the Lizard Brain, Seth Godin talks about “shipping” or delivery, and “thrashing,” the idea of experimenting despite uncertain outcomes. “What you do for a living is not be creative; everyone is creative. What you do for a living is ship. And as someone who knows how to ship, you have a discipline and part of your discipline is that you insist on thrashing early.” It sounds simple enough but in the depths of process it is not always an easy formula to follow. Critiques can help us navigate both complex processes and projects. The better we are able to do this, the more we can collaborate effectively, improve our creative output, and create original and engaging work.
_by CASSIE MCDANIEL
_How to critique your peers Post-it Crits Quickly jot down the pros and cons of your peer’s work on different colour post-it notes
elevator pitch
You have 1 minute to explain your concept to your audience followed by 1 minute of questions from your peers
Pin Up Critiques everyone print their work A3 Size _ stick on the wall alongside each other see how your work compares to others _ group or invididual feedback given also this gives an opportunity to see digital work in the flesh
_16
Next Month...
David Bailey presents his all new student lecture “how to review your work�
@ the Ikon Gallery _ 20/11/13 _ 7pm Students only _ Bring your work along too...
_by Christine Schmidt
_20
_by CELESTINE CHUA
_5
Hang out with people who inspire you to take action. I’m pretty sure if you spend just 10 minutes talking to Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, you’ll be more inspired to act than if you spent the 10 minutes doing nothing. The people we are with influence our behaviours. Of course spending time with Steve Jobs/ Bill Gates every day is probably not a feasible method, but the principle applies. Identify the people, friends, colleagues who trigger you – most likely the go-getters and hard workers – and hang out with them more often. Soon you will inculcate their drive and spirit too. Even reading online blogs and corresponding with other networkers regularly via email/social media works all the same.
_6 _1
Break your work into little steps. Part of the reason why we procrastinate is because subconsciously, we find the work too overwhelming for us. Break it down into little parts, then focus on one part at the time. If you still procrastinate on the task after breaking it down, then break it down even further. Soon, your task will be so simple that you will be thinking “gee, this is so simple that I might as well just do it now!”. For example, book writing at its full scale is an enormous project and can be overwhelming. However, when broken down into phases such as – 1. Research 2. Deciding the topic 3. Creating the outline 4. Drafting the content 5. Writing Chapters 1-10. 6. Revision etc, suddenly it seems very manageable. Focus on the immediate phase and get it done to my best ability, without thinking about the other phases. When it’s done, move on to the next.
_2
Change your environment. Different environments have different impact on our productivity. Look at your work desk and your room. Do they make you want to work or do they make you want to snuggle and sleep? If it’s the latter, you should look into changing your workspace. One thing to note is that an environment that makes us feel inspired before may lose its effect after a period of time. If that’s the case, then it’s time to change things around.
_3
Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines. Having just 1 deadline for your work is like an invitation to procrastinate. That’s because we get the impression that we have time and keep pushing everything back, until it’s too late. Break down your project, then create an overall timeline with specific deadlines for each small task. This way, you know you have to finish each task by a certain date. Your timelines must be robust, too – i.e. if you don’t finish this by today, it’s going to jeopardize everything else you have planned after that. This way it creates the urgency to act. Break goals down into monthly, weekly, right down to the daily task lists, and the list is a call to action that must be accomplished by the specified date, else all goals will be put off.
_4
Eliminate your procrastination pit-stops. If you are procrastinating a little too much, maybe that’s because you make it easy to procrastinate. Identify your browser bookmarks that take up a lot of your time and shift them into a separate folder that is less accessible. Disable the automatic notification option in your email client. Get rid of the distractions around you. Deleting your facebook account is a little extreme; addressing procrastination is more about being conscious of our actions than counteracting via self-binding methods, but if you feel that’s what’s needed, go for it.
Get a buddy. Having a companion makes the whole process much more fun. Ideally, this should be someone who has their own set of goals. Both of you will hold each other accountable to your goals and plans. While it’s not necessary for both of you to have the same goals, it’ll be even better if that’s the case, so you can learn from each other. Have someone who you talk to regularly, and ask each other about your goals and progress in achieving those goals. Needless to say, it spurs you to keep taking action.
_7
Tell others about your goals. This serves the same function but on a larger scale. Tell all your friends, colleagues, acquaintances and family about your projects. Now whenever you see them, they are bound to ask you about your status on those projects. Announce your projects on Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, and readers will ask about them on an ongoing basis. It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable to your plans.
_8
Seek out someone who has already achieved the outcome. What is it you want to accomplish here, and who are the people who have accomplished this already? Go seek them out and connect with them. Seeing living proof that your goals are very well achievable if you take action is one of the best triggers for action.
_9
Re-clarify your goals. If you have been procrastinating for an extended period of time, it might reflect a misalignment between what you want and what you are currently doing. Often times, we outgrow our goals as we discover more about ourselves, but we don’t change our goals to reflect that. Get away from your work (a short vacation will be good, else just a weekend break will do too) and take some time to regroup yourself. What exactly do you want to achieve? What should you do to get there? What are the steps to take? Does your current work align with that? If not, what can you do about it?
_10
Stop over-complicating things. Are you waiting for a perfect time to do this? That maybe now is not the best time because of X, Y, Z reasons? Ditch that thought because there’s never a perfect time. If you keep waiting for one, you are never going to accomplish anything. Perfectionism is one of the biggest reasons for procrastination.
_11
Get a grip and just do it. At the end, it boils down to taking action. You can do all the strategizing, planning and hypothesizing, but if you don’t take action, nothing’s going to happen. Many people complain about their situations but they still refuse to take action at the end of the day. Reality check: no one procrastinates their way to success. Whatever it is you are procrastinating on, if you want to get it done, you need to get a grip on yourself and do it.
_monthly mixtape. journeys _next month...
A playlist that will blow your minds with our kind-of-lame lame, yet paradoxically pretty spectacular playlists. This month our theme is Journeys, which has inspired the studio to dredge 24 fantastic songs out of their memories for your listening pleasure. From songs that reminded us of “sitting in the back of my parents’ Triumph driving to Spain” to some CDs that were only listened to because they got jammed in car stereos, to reggae-loving taxi drivers and lyrics like “Do you speak-a my language?, He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich” I think we can all agree that there are a lot of tracks out there that remind us of journeys. Blue Swede_Hooked on a Feeling. Ween_Drifter in the Dark. Queens of the Stone Age_Auto Pilot. Bonobo_ Cirrus. Eels, Jim Lang_Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues. Manual, Icebreaker International_A Turning. Queen_Bicycle Race. Neil Young_Unknown Legend. Jonathan Richman_Since She Started To Ride. Paul Simon_You Can Call Me Al. Chromatics_Running Up That Hill. Marl Cohn_Walking Up Memphis. Deptford Goth_Real Love Fantasy. Rolf Harris_Jake the Peg. Fleetwood Mac_The Chain. Gwen McCrae_All This Love That I’m Giving. Beastie Boys_Transitions. Frankie Goes to Hollywood_Two Tribes. Dodgy_Good Enough. Men At Work_Down Under. Melody’s Echo Chamber_I Follow You. Chemical Brothers_Swoon. Jeff Samuel_Endpoint
_How to make a pinhole camera _hand crafted paper airplanes launch
Drink and Draw
Friday 25th October
Browns Bar Pencils and paper provided. CV1 5RU #nicewednesdays @itsnicethat
it‛s
nice that
27th feb 2013 6.30-9.30
nice wednesdays
The Font Everyone Loves to Hate 13th Nov 2013 6.30-9.30
nice wednesdays An event curated by It‛s Nice That featuring: Vincent Connare / Harry Pearce Patrick Burgoyne / Henrik Kubel