This was the “zine there, done that” pop-up exhibition that happened today (7/6/19).
Illustration credits: https://instagram.com/__9een?igshid=1xo7u5hafr0pr
My personal objectives for Communication Design Studies are learning and improving on skills such as translating my ideas into my designs. I was looking forward to the theoretical knowledge alongside a set of practical tools and skills for my own practice or future study.
I achieved most of my objectives in the course. It changed my thought process slightly and made me more open-minded about my designs. I became more accepting of feedback from my peers and although there’s no bad design, it helped broaden my perspectives.
I discovered several historical art and design movements including early-print, pop-art, Swiss-style, modernism and post-modernism, along with concepts like critical thinking, typographic principles and publication design. I also experimented with different materials during my first assignment and unlocked skills such as prototyping, curation and making zines.
I was inspired by Oliviero Toscani, Benetton’s art director, who created controversial campaigns and provided a topic of conversation. He wanted to initiate social debates and communicate the values of the company. The campaigns were very provocative, and I liked how he used this platform to get his message across.
Cuneiforms was a historical movement that moved me, because it was a significant movement and the beginning of writing. Shapes were printed and impressed into soft clay by using scientific instruments and were highly accurate in communication. Mark, J. J. (2018), in the 19th century, these cuneiforms were deciphered, transforming human understanding of history. Hence, ancient does not mean prehistoric, they served as a form of communication.
In week 7, there was an activity where we went around Building 9 to exhibit our works. We hung up our printed designs using strings, tape, clips and took advantage of our environment. I thought it was a creative way of showcasing our works and it was really fun experimenting with the curation.
I would like to explore more about the Bauhaus, and if it was a progressive environment for women in the 1920s. Lutyens, D. (2018), the manifesto of 1919 welcomed “everyone without regard to age or sex”, yet only 6 out of its 45 teaching staff were women. While the men in the Bauhaus are considered design titans today, women are relatively unknown.
