The Science of Imagination
24/10/14
This year I decided to attend Design Manchester's Core Festival Day, I felt that this would be good for my own development to hear from professional and well-aclaimed designers, and I thought that it would be interesting anyway.
I was looking forward to seeing Adrian Shaughnessy especially, as I had recently read a book of his for my context of practice written piece (How to be a Graphic Designer without losing your soul.)
The first speakers where Unit Editions
Unit Editions
Adrian Shaughnessy & Tony Brooks
(Sam Stevenson wasn't present)
Unit Editions
http://www.uniteditions.com
Are a publishing company, they publish books, made by designers for designers.
They talked about the idea of publishing books on design and the history of design in the age of the Internet.
What does it mean to be a graphic designer in 2014- An enabling ability to not only answer the brief in hand.
They had become frustrated with the mainstream publishing industry, they felt that they had so many restrictions (especially when it came to designing the front cover) they also made little to no profit from a lot of work.
And so they began there own publishing company
Why start a publishing company when all the content in the books can be seen online anyway ?
There is no context online, and things can be deleted or lost online to never be seen again and then it will be lost forever.
( I support this point, and I had never thought about it like this)
With the arrival of Amazon and Google Images, many publishing businesses caved in.
However designers still want books and journals.
They then showed a quote from Umberto Eco.
Their first book was about studios, 'Studio Culture'
they initially sent this to distributors and say from this they learnt that it was unsustainable for their business.
And so they set up online and this is how they sell their publications, nearly all online or in specific bookstores.They also sell and advertise through Facebook and Twitter, which allows them to talk directly to their buyers and audience.
They say that they only exist because of the internet- ironic
There are no compromises without the commercial book distributers, you can make your own print and paper choices.
'If your going to chop down a tree it has to be worth it, we have that responsibility' - Tony Brooks
Making books that assist graphic designers, not pastiche
'Type Only' took on a swiss modern style,
and showcased typefaces from a designer who 'designed digital typefaces before the computer'
computers now produce 'supergraphics'
'Type Plus' showcased the manipulation of type and image
Unit Editions also consider their packaging of the books, and feel they consider everything. Including special tape to wrap their boxes, and they use recycled card.
We rephotograph everything that goes in our books.
Creating a book requires a huge amount of work, the research process is enormous and so is the design process.
Heavily rely on archives
Insist on a contemporary style no matter what the subject
Adrain Shaughnessy then went on to talk about FHK Henrion, whom they had created a publication about, and whom he admires.
FHK Henrion 1914-1990
(most important British Graphic Designer of the twentieth century)
invented the concept of the professional graphic designer
in his earlier years he designed a portable sewing machine, it was never made, as no manufacturer would make it as it was to risky.
Henrion in the 50s also recognised that TV was also a designers medium
Walter Landor, was the giant of identity design in America at the time,
Henrion was the British equivalent
He was in the war arrested in Britain for being a German, and then after his time in jail he designed for the British Ministry of Information, (war propaganda)
Before Henrion design was 'crayons and airbrushing'
He used dot screens and created posters
As well as this in the 50s he pioneered exhibition design.
He designed KLM airlines identity (which is still used now, the only airline to of not changed its identity in fifty years)
He not only designed but he studied neurology and semiotics unlike graphic designers of the time, he understood how we receive messages.
His identity design work was his best and 'incredibly relevant'
'Design Manuals'
a showcase of design manuals, showing the evolution of the manual
required a huge amount of research and permissions
had to be a big book
popular as they where things no one had ever seen or had access to
Called it Manuals 1 to allow for the second, third etc
Things to come
'Don't Go to Blackpool'
Technology Will Save Us
Daniel Hirschman
Head of Kit Experience
also owns his own separate design company
one side is learning how to use technology
the other is bowing to push its potential
is amazed at how little we have been taught to respect technology- consumer society
learning happens everywhere
All gadgets they make are built so anyone can make them and learn
Playdough for instance is conductive
'DIY Thirsty Plant'
'DIY Speaker Kit' (you can discover how sound transmits)
User centred design approach
Methodology
Insights- Prioritise, Prototype & Design, Resources & Scaling, Measurement
'DIY Gaming Kit' (to teach coding to all ages)
nothing is hidden or concealed
develops critical thinking, debugging, problem solving, computational thinking
Give a focus to people to achieve a result
Also make online resources available
Co-Learning
21st Century Skills
Hirsch & Man (his design company)
Corner Shop experience
doing things in reality not CG brings a more lifelike effect
Siemens- 'City Shapes' model in the London store
Cadburys 'Joy Jacket' how do you show the joy of eating chocolate.
Supermundane
Rob Lowe
Supermundane (means out of this world not super, mundane !)
London Based
'Anorak' magazine aimed at 6-12 year olds girls and boys
aimed to encourage imagination
Fire and Knives, a cooking magazine,
no photography
a multiple booklet style
usually designs his own typefaces
also designed 'Cagoule' but only made 1 issue
likes line colour and movement
experimentation with styles, lines and geometric illustrations, re-introduction of type
Superalpha,
designed the whole alphabet out of tiny illustrations
also does murals
did a huge one in the MoMA in Frankfurt, Germany
Rejane Dal Bello
graduated in 2000, the millennium
was grounded in web design
studied at the DDC (Dutch design college)
created an identity for an open top bus in New York
Identity = Equal
got into hand drawn type and did the Virgin logotype.
doesn't find herself pinned to one area of design
also designed the Alzheimer 's typeface for the campaign
she designs with social considerations
worked as a social worker too
completed a very low budget project, for a new hospital set up in Rio de Janeiro
'Pazho'
painted signs by hand
sustainable, not loud, simple and respectable suits the hospital
signage, toys, stickers, colouring books
Created the book 'Dr Giraffe'
a self initiated project
helps mothers explain to their children what is happening to them in the hospital
for serious illnesses, such as cancer
Daziel & Pow
Ross Philips
worked at Fabrica in 2001
with Andy Cameron
created mirror mirror for Topshop 2003
encourage personal shopping
live feedback from famous people and stylists, SHOW studio
and it is still useable without the digital part
video grid
Read Aloud, performing and reading
used out of copyright books
(people like to look good when they are being filmed, so really got the set up and lighting perfect for this, so people are comfortable)
started with Alice in Wonderland
each person/group read a line, film this one line at a time
unmoderated
Consultancy 2009
Jimmy Choo- Shoe,Shoe,Shoe 3 mirrors with cameras so you can see the feet, full body ands leg
Mulberry- Love Blossoms
Dalziel and Pow 2013
Retail design agency- interior and graphic design combined
realised digital needs to be incorporated
Primark, Berlin
moving signage wall, used map of berlin city centre
and reliefs of this too
Argos
realise that they are in an advantageous position having physical store space unlike amazon, but weren't using digital and online barely at all
designed 6 concept stores
got rid of the catalogues and replaced with screens
multi-platform
Screens instead of posters
Broke all the serving counters up into separate modules so staff could walk around freely, feels more open
all the content on the screens are unique to store
The White Company (Bespoke and Traditional)
created delicate projections to advertise the textile and tactile
No screens but moving images
projections onto surfaces
projectors where hidden in books etc
it was easy to project as most of the surfaces where white
doesn't always have to be passive, some projections where set off by sensors
Micheal C Place
Build
(in conversation with Angus Montgomery from Design Week)
'Technology as a tool"
understanding how things work, even print
I-D magazine placement
music focus
worked at Designers Republic, Sheffield
and Trevor Anderson in London
moved back to DR
Typographical interest
left to make own studio, wanted there to be no hierarchy
D&AD Judge too
Generation Press
Long projects take around 4-5 months
average is around 2 months
take 2 weeks sometimes
doesn't pitch especially for clients who won't pay, because they are a studio of four it takes two away from other work all day, for work they might not even get
doesn't believe in unpaid internships
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