Contemporary Practice
Reflections, on the allocated Case Studies.
In the first Case-study provided, we explore the impact of Economic, Social, and Technological variables on a contemporary practice—depicted here, through the perspective of the more experienced creative professionals from IntroDesign.
The subjects that were discussed, have been the topic of exploration in my own musings—having written essays on the transient nature of the digital forum and how this creates a challenge for current brands, and on how identity is formed by everything from geographic location to political views and how this in-turn seeps into how we present ourselves as individuals.
IntroDesign, like many studios, are having to reflect on their own identity as a commercial practice, this is largely due to the ever-changing landscape of contemporary markets and trends—we live in an increasingly convoluted period in time, the societal constructs that had previously served to provide a paradigm in which to operate are now shifting in directions that are unpredictable, and evade definition—and therefore, proving difficult for practitioners to navigate.
In the interview with RegularPractice, we heard first-hand how the duo have had to adapt their respective practices to cater to unknown market-practices—subsequently, confronting the tried and tested methodologies learned in education, with the unpredictable nature of the demands of contemporary practice.
Diligence and adaptability are, in my view, two of the most important characteristics that are required in order to practice as a creative professional in today’s markets—as explored in the interview with IntroDesign, budgets and client-expectations are unbalanced, and it is the responsibility of our industry to adapt to this shift in expectations. This does not necessarily, translate into offering more for less—indeed, I discourage this practice. It does, however, require us to engage in a more lateral approach to how we deliver the message—asking questions at every stage of the project, challenging ourselves to explore new avenues and to redefine boundaries. Most importantly, it requires us to offer society a vision of a better world.
Kaleidoscopic eyes.
From an early age we begin to establish our relationship with images; this beginning with the picture-books that we interact with in infancy. Through-out our development in childhood this ability to interact with visual languages that exist around us is refined through our increasing ability to analyse and interpret images gained from our interactions with television, books and magazines, electronic games, music-videos’, and all manner of pop culture that we are exposed to on a daily basis.
By the time we reach adulthood we have sufficiently developed our understanding of visual communication to be able to comprehend a wide selection of visual formats: photography, film, paintings, sculpture, and dance, all of which we will encounter in our pursuit of our desired lifestyle choices.
In the course of my own professional experience I have observed the importance of clarity in the deliverance of commercial imagery, and in order to achieve clarity the designer must take a meticulous approach to both research and delivery.
When the viewer reads an image they are subjecting that work to an array of criteria which may include their own stylistic preferences, their spiritual beliefs, their professional understanding, the subjective nature of context, ethical beliefs, economic views, and any manner of minute details. Therefore it is important for the designer to assess their own work objectively and critically before sending their work out into the world.
Upon the signing of the treaty of Versailles in 1919 the nations of Europe believed that never again would they experience the devastation endured during The Great war, by imposing a series of severe sanctions on the German government the allied nations established a secure environment in which the reconstruction of Europe could begin.
During the subsequent years a resentment grew within the minds of the German people and consequently this allowed for the ascension of an ideology in the 1930s’that was rooted in right-wing extremism and nationalist sentiment.
By utilising the zeitgeist of that period the Nazi party were able to establish themselves as a conduit for change; improving the daily lives of the German people and giving them a vision for the future of the nation.
In the process of re-establishing the national identity Adolf Hitler, accompanied by his propaganda minister Josef Goebbels, set forth a vision that relied heavily of all manner of visual communication devices. By drawing inspiration from the Imperialist aesthetics of ancient Greece and The Roman Empire, he would initiate a vast building program; this was to include the construction of civil-engineering projects, nationalist monuments, and government buildings intended to establish the might and capabilities of the new Germanic empire.
The visual language that was created in order communicate the Nazi manifesto is still prevalent today; we see it in computer games, films and in all manner of paraphernalia associated with Pop culture. The result of this has led to the redefining of associations that we make with those images, the most prevalent being the Swastika; once a symbol for the idea of eternity, and now resided to being an association with the Holocaust and the ultimate visual representation of Nazism.
JohnPrinceBranding 