communication design studies journal

babette price-sofronidis' communication design studies journal

[a-bab-ette]

reflection on communication design studies

This course has been my favourite this semester. I have really enjoyed the lecture series that provided me with an interesting analysis into the evolution of communication design. I had never gone through communication design historically, looking into specific time periods and movements, and viewing them in order to create a timeline. This was something I found so interesting as it displayed how things within design have a flow on effect, with each time period or movement in-sighting the next. I enjoyed the way Andy and Karen delivered these lectures, with them providing interesting creative and historical information. I felt like I developed my own communication design knowledge through the lecture series and was able to think more about communication design. I was introduced to multiple historic designers whom I now admire and am more aware of how a piece of design has been informed by history. 

I enjoyed my practical class equally. The assignments we created were so interesting and unlike anything I had made previously. Although we were creating works that were information or research driven, our final product was a creative piece. This was something that I enjoyed and allowed me to explore how I design to convey ideas and information. The practical classes with Bailey were super fun! We had interesting conversations about the lectures and assignments, with them allowing myself to view things in a new light and grow my knowledge. I enjoyed our practical classes as we were able to collaborate on not only work but on ideas and thoughts surround design, aesthetics and design history. Although, I would have much rather been at the university getting to know everyone and their style in a classroom environment.  

Throughout the course, I loved keeping this tumblr page as an online journal. I think it allowed for me to have a greater period of reflection on the lectures and practicals. It dedicated a space for me to generate ideas and think more deeply about what I was learning.

Although the shift to online learning did alter the experience, I did still thoroughly enjoy the course. I would have loved for it to be face-to-face but I still felt like I gained a lot from this semester and course.   

[rafaelkfouri]

[hagiharatakuya]

萩原 卓哉／Hagihara Takuya

Archive

[stellaa-r]

things that don’t exist + the week 11 lecture

This lecture both creeped me out and excited me about the future ahead in design especially when Karen and Andy referenced the ‘People that don’t exist’ which is successfully grotesque. Upon further research there are even cats and artwork that don’t exist and a shop selling this AI artwork (does this mean it does exist?!)

I don’t quite understand it but it made me question whether or not it’s ‘good’ for the world of design and art? Humanistic labour is totally upheaved here, other than the initial coding, which kind of unnerves me about the future!!

This quote from one of the Week 11 readings; Generative Practice. The State Of The Art was a point i found really interesting;

“Concepts like emergence, network theory and multi-dimensional parameter spaces defy reduction to simple principles, and artists using code quickly find themselves only partly in control of the software processes they create. So chaotic behaviour, glitch or visual complexity seem like likely outcomes.”

In regards to the glitches and pixelations which occur in these GAN processes, although they are creepy in a way, I almost feel better about them then the hype-real perfect faces, art and cats as it shows the flaws and glitches and proves its not an entirely perfect system. 

https://thiscatdoesnotexist.com/

https://thisartworkdoesnotexist.com/

[a-bab-ette]

I agree with Stella, the prevalence of technology within design is somewhat unsettling because it alters our idea of creation. I feel like creativity has always been very tangible for me and technology could remove that. I think there's so many positives within technology and the diverse ways that it can be used to create interesting works, however the good does come with the bad.

Also, I never knew there was a cat version of the ‘this Person does not exist’ website’! 

[a-bab-ette]

week 12 practical activity

Within my week 12 communication design practical, we did an activity on photoshop. The activity required us to alter a readymade template of a basic page layout to create new designs that followed a prompt word. 

The prompts were to emphasis image, emphasis text and distort. We had 5 minutes to generate each design individually. Here are my examples!

Above is the Emphasis Image 

Here is Emphasis Text

Above is Distort

This task allowed for me to think less about the work I design and trial new things through quickly generating ideas. It allowed me to work without thinking too heavily about aesthetic or style but just trying to create work that matched a prompt. It was very enjoyable.

[a-bab-ette]

This photo was sourced from https://thedailyomnivore.net/2010/06/28/ 

This is an artwork created by TEMPT1 using the Eyewriter machine. The artwork was created using the Eyewriter software that tracks the wearer’s eye movements to develop an artwork. 

[a-bab-ette]

communication design lecture: week 11

This weeks lecture posed the question ‘What is next for design?’ The lecture looked into emerging technology within design and parametric and generative design. 

The eye writer project was one that really interested me within the lecture. Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities created a project in collaboration with graffiti artist TEMPTONE/TEMP1. FAT created a program were TEMPT1 was able to paint his graffiti artwork despite being paralysed. TEMPT1 was diagnosed with ALS in 2003 but FAT’s device enabled the artist to paint with his eyes. This shows the modern interpretation of design and its impact on human beings. Technology is prevalent in modern design with this project highlighted the ways in which it can be used to enhance how individuals connect with and create designs and artworks. It shows the positive power of technology within design.

http://www.eyewriter.org 

Another one that interested me was the public face. The application analysed the sentiment of tweets within a particular country and then grade the sentiments. The quantity would then be weighed and produce an emotion. I found it interesting how an emotion could be generated off of tweets and how it boils a whole countries tweets into one emotion. It draws attention to the limitations for technology as it decides a countries emotions based upon tweets (which a generally mindless and lack the truth).  

http://www.district-berlin.com/en/public-face-2/

What’s next for design? was the question that was posed and I think design will always be evolving and improving and provide commentary and perspective on the world. Modern design will utilise the growth in technology to both provide commentary on its faults but also create new ways of utilising it for greater good and creative outcomes. Technology is a powerful tool within design that will become more apparent within the art form as time goes on. 

[ladyburde]

Justine Hill Take Four, 2016 Acrylic, pastel and pencil on canvas 54 x 46 in/137 x 117 cm

[lilsinclair-blr]

#reflections #inspiration

[a-bab-ette]

This is some imagery for my ‘Ask me Anything’ project. I am using these images on a WIP website and am aiming to create a collaged aesthetic. I wanted to make the appearance of the website match the purpose of the machine as it is a printing/duplicating machine that produces many copies and prints. 

[a-bab-ette]

This image was sourced from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-guerrilla-girls-pop-quiz-p78815 

[a-bab-ette]

communication design lecture: week 10

This weeks lecture focused on conceptualism and conceptual design/art. Andy and Karen touched on how artists could claim something was artwork through conceptualism, with them no longer needing to coincide with traditional art forms and techniques. Within conceptual art and design, objects are no longer defined by their functionality but rather their context and how they have been presented. 

An interesting early conceptual work Andy and Karen discussed was Robert Rauschenberg’s “This Is a Portrait of Iris Clert” 1961. The piece is defined as a self portrait by Rauschenberg although it does not match many definitions of what a self portrait should appear like. The matter a fact phrase of ‘if I say so’, printed on the work, highlights the conceptuality of the piece as art is defined by the artist.

The below image was sourced from https://www.artsy.net/artwork/robert-rauschenberg-this-is-a-portrait-of-iris-clert-if-i-say-so

Gilbert Baker’s design of the pride/rainbow flag was also discussed by Andy and Karen. The flag was designed in 1978 with the design not functioning for profit, instead to create iconic imagery that individuals can identify with and stand behind. I found it so amazing how something so symbolic and powerful to many began as just another design. To me, the rainbow flag proves the power within design and how a reason for design could be to unite or represent individuals and groups. 

A similar design that aimed to unite and represent was Brendon Jones’ Reconciliation flag. The flag aims to acknowledge and reconcile Australia’s indigenous past as well as hold optimism for the future. The design was proposed by Jones to replace the current Australian flag due to the lack of representation of indigenous heritage the flag holds. Like Baker’s design, the Reconciliation flag aims to unite and represent groups and aims to decolonise design. 

The Guerrilla Girls were also discussed within the lecture. I have seen their work numerous times and admire both their design work and messaging. The anonymous group was established in 1985 and used bold designs to develop activism campaigns. Culture Jamming was a method the collective used which aims to "expose the methods of domination of a mass society to foster progressive change.”

The below image was sourced from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-when-racism-and-sexism-are-no-longer-fashionable-how-much-will-your-art-p78791

Andy and Karen finished the lecture by discussing Colours magazine and The United Colours of Benetton. Colours Magazine began in 1991 by Oliver Toscani and Tibor Kalman and was funded by the fashion brand Benetton. The magazine addressed social issues in a ‘brash’, potent way through text and imagery.  The Benetton Group produced advertisements for their clothing but also had strong social and political messages. Many of Benetton’s advertisements were controversial and viewed in a harsh light due to them being advertisements to sell products. Although there was sometimes no clothing imagery, the advertisements were in an aim to gain profit as well as address social and political issues, with some viewing this as insincere.  For example, Aid’s activists believed many of Benetton’s advertisements that addressed the topic ‘exploited the suffering’ of those with the illness. 

Here is an image from Colours Magazine that was shown in the lecture. The below image is a screenshot from the week 10 lecture. 

[nobrashfestivity]

Hannah Hoch, Collage, 1930

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[ladyburde]

Kate Abercrombie, Morning Sun…Evening Moon Part 2, 2017, Gouache on Arches paper board, 20 x 15 ½ inches

[a-bab-ette]

week 9 workshop task! 

[prilliom]

Das Triadic Ballet (Not all from same production) I love how absurd and surreal this production appears to be. 

[lilsinclair-blr]

lady of the bauhaus speaking...

source

after focusing on the Bauhaus movement for the past few weeks, i was keen to look further into Annie Albers and particularly her weaving craft.

during her time at the Bauhaus school, Albers was restricted to only 2D forms of art and craft due to the views of the male teachers in the school who deemed women could not think in 3 dimensions and therefore could not work in anything but 2 dimensional craft such as weaving and painting, rather than architecture or product design. 

“In my case, it was threads that caught me, really against my will. To work with threads seemed sissy to me. I wanted something to be conquered. But circumstances held me to threads and they won me over.” - (Albers, A. (1982). The Art/Craft Connection: Grass Roots or Glass Houses at College Art Association’s 1982 annual meeting: source)

during her later years, Albers explored the communication of pictorial art through her weaves, taking inspiration from many ancient writing forms and recording techniques of Pre-Columbian culture, especially in Peru. 

source