Week_3 Fields of Practice
How has Globalisation affected your business over time?
Lecture 1
Simon Manchipp of SomeOne, discusses how Globalisation has helped to broaden his clientele, leading to the exchange of ideas and a cultural-awareness that only seeks to contribute to the studio-culture at SomeOne. Simon states that through Globalisation, we should look to change the status-quo and be open to different perspectives.
In his interview, Sam Winston explores the importance of interconnectivity and the role that it plays in the relationship between the Graphic Designer and the client. He elaborates on the point by explaining, how important it is for him to be in the same room as his collaborators when discussing important considerations relating to the production process.
In their discussion, RegularPractice summarise their experience by exploring the benefits of having a broader network of collaborators, specifically, in relation to the printers that they are able to work with-this allows them to explore the techniques that best conveys their ideas or the find the most cost-effective option for any given project.
Lecture 2
Harriet Ferguson of Pearlfisher covered a number of key concerns, that are currently presenting a myriad of challenges to the contemporary practice, outlining both the positive and negative aspects of globalisation, and specifically, how it has impacted the studio practice at Pearlfisher.
This has ranged from a dialogue with a Chinese feminine-hygiene company, wanting to encourage a new attitude towards the use of Tampons, to questioning the continued role of simplicity in the aesthetic language of design. For me, it was interesting to hear how, combining a western perspective on the use of feminine hygiene products with an eastern aesthetic, allowed for the successful delivery of a branding-solution, that addressed a complex and nuanced societal-view on a women’s relationship with her own body-Does this demonstrate how, we can utilise visual-communication to transcend entrenched societal-views to introduce new ideas to a culture outside of our own?
In exploring this idea, Harriet proceeds to discuss the value of having a universal language through which to communicate with international clients-and how this can help to navigate the more problematic aspects of working with a global brand.
As a practice, Pearlfisher had made good use of their relationships with external Crafts-people and Artisans-in doing so, they have imbued their work with an authenticity that can only be achieved by going to the source-in this instance, the country of origin. By choosing to work with the independent artists of Cuba, Pearlfisher were able to give the Cuban people a voice in the creation of work for a Cuban brand-however, is this responsible practice? By taking a team of researchers to Cuba, utilising air-travel and contributing to the carbon-footprint, did the studio act responsibly in the delivery of that project? Does this contradict their desire to create ethically responsible outputs? I would argue, that being on location could have been perceived as unnecessary, as the availability of video-conference software allows for long-distance communication and would have reduced the environmental impact of the project, as well as reducing the budget.
The counter-argument here, of course, is in relation to how highly we value the opportunity to have a face-to-face contact with our clients, and whether or not this method of communication will ultimately contribute to the quality of the end-product?
In their response to this question, Adrian Talbot and Julian House felt that being able to engage with a client in a face-to-face meeting is an invaluable resource for IntroDesign, as it allows for greater ease in the resolving of problems relating to the project and ultimately, contributes to the effectiveness in the managing of the project.
Further Reflection
The increasing integration of the global community into the conversation around design-practices, has had a broad and profound impact on the fundamentals of business-practice within our industry, and on Visual Communication in general-galvanising the discussion and posing multiple questions, pertaining to the very fabric of Graphic Design: How do we define the role of the designer in the 21st Century? What does a design-agency look like in ten or twenty years from now? And, How does the increasing relevance of technology impact the relationship between the human-condition and the creative instinct?-Does the role of technology somehow take-away from our working-through process, and the pursuit of understanding ourselves-thereby dehumanising the emotive power of a visual dialogue, between designer and consumer?
On a practical level, the effects of globalisation can be observed in the form of budgetary considerations, time constraints due to working in a number of different time-zones, questions around the environmental impact as a consequence of increased air-travel and long-distance travel, the challenge of having to integrate different cultural-practices into a universal language that can transcend borders and languages, and in the increased cross-pollination taking place between design-philosophies and artisanal practices, throughout the world-Is this a positive by-product of globalisation? or just another example of, cultural-appropriation?-Are we culpable in the erosion of traditional belief systems and traditional practices?
In my opinion, the establishment of a global network for the purpose of developing a greater understanding of our respective cultures, is a hugely positive step in the right direction-with the aim being, to change how we engage with each other and how we can work together in sustaining and progressing civilisation.
For example, a group-orientated dialogue will contribute to establishing a more sustainable pipeline through the use of more cost-effective methodologies, thereby lessening the impact of a disruptive-workflow. Reducing costs, and promoting cross-border collaboration between international design-agencies-In doing so, we are re-inventing traditional crafts-thereby protecting the integrity of our cultural-heritage and preserving the wealth and depth of our histories. This point is important, due to the role it plays in guaranteeing an authenticity in the execution of the idea.
JohnPrinceBranding 