week_10
Studio Practice
Workshop Challenge
Author and Maker
Find two examples of designers who demonstrate authorial / making expertise in the delivery of a component of their practice. Is it their sole output, are they passion projects or are they opportunities where they saw a gap in the market?
Upload onto the Ideas Wall and discuss.
Think about a series of outputs you could make as an author.
Generate 10 ideas for discussion, upload to the Ideas Wall and elaborate further on the blog. Please note, this is the first step of you considering one idea that will be researched and potentially launched as an authorised artefact through the last part of this module.
Graphic Designers that demonstrate authorial and making expertise:
Anthony Burrill & Craig Oldham.
Anthony Burrill: In response to Anthony’s talk, Make it Now! I had spent some time reflecting on the value of multi-disciplinary practice in relation to the designer as an author. And I am inclined to argue, that in today’s professional landscape, multi-disciplinary practice, and the role of authorship, has emerged as an important requisite for a successful career.
Anthony has established a level of ownership that is uncommon in professional practice, and for him, authorship has become a key part of his studio practice. By asserting control over all aspects of his output, Anthony has been able to streamline his process, and in-so-doing, build a model that allows him to retain his independence.
In my opinion, the role of authorship in the design industries should not be viewed as limited to creative practice, but rather as an extension of the studio practice.
A view that is certainly shared by the industry, and is evident in the emergence of multi-discipline agencies, in all areas of the industry, for whom authorship is at the core of their objectives.
So, what is authorship? And how does the definition relate to Graphic Design?
In attempting to answer this question, we must first consider the role of authorship in the contemporary landscape, and ask ourselves: What value does authorship provide for the Designer?
For me, the act of creation has many facets, some of which are practical, and others possessing a more philosophical value, that adds emotional depth and intellectual integrity, to an authored work.
In viewing the question through such a lens, I would assert the notion, that in an age in which vast swathes of people, and the value they add to society, are being replaced by digital tools, the role of the individual perspective acquires added value, through its reduction in commonality. Therefore, the value of an authored work, specifically one that is constructed by a sole author, has value as a tool against the erasure of the humanity, that is embedded in the artefact by the creator. For context: You may wish to consider the makers-mark, often to be found on items uncovered by Archaeologists.
The technology-led expansion of the claustrophobic constraints of modern life, and the sterile processes that have emerged from the digitisation of societal operations, is a threat to the individual voice, and authorship is one way that we can actively resist this assault. The humanity that seeps into the authored artefact is a means through which we can maintain a balance, in the process ensuring that our collective humanity continues to provide the bedrock of our ideas, fuelling our aspirations, and guaranteeing that the voice of the individual continues to be heard.
On this point, and speaking from the position of one whom embraces such practices, I fully encourage Anthony’s view on the importance of analogue techniques: Such practices, unlike those of the digital arena, can accommodate the imperfections of the human touch, thereby imbuing the work that is made by hand with a humanity, that the digital process actively seeks to erase. Such considerations pose fundamental questions pertaining to the subject of authorship, and as Anthony had stated, at what point does the designer become little more than a conduit for the directives of others?
Craig Oldham: This segue-way takes us back to this weeks Lecture, in which Craig Oldham explores the film, They Live. The themes of which pose intriguing questions in regards to societal constructs and the paradigms, therein.
Interestingly, through a certain perspective, the film itself can be viewed as an exploration of authorship, specifically, how as the authors of our own destiny, we are perpetually subjected to the restrictive dictates of the governing powers, and thereby rendered mute in our efforts to formulate our own stories.
Perhaps, in response to this view, we can then consider the act of creation, and the role of authorship, as a form of activism.
As communicators, we are uniquely positioned to utilise such tools as authorship, to assert control over our own lives, and in the process protect the civil liberties of our fellow citizens. When viewed as a tool for asserting identity, authorship can provide a powerful subtext, through which the designer can contextualise their work and communicate their ideas.
Craig’s approach to engaging with these themes was inspired and visually-stimulating, with the content eloquently conveying the sub-text of the films themes and ideas.
It is an exercise in design-thinking as a tool, rather than design-thinking as an outcome. And should be viewed as a kaleidoscopic lens, through which Craig has observed a single object. The book, an artefact, not only serves as the vessel for the content, but also as an authored work, an extension of the creators intentions, and a physical manifestation of the philosophical ideas, that are at the core of the wider discussion, therein.
10 Ideas for further discussion:
A series of birthday cards celebrating cultural diversity, here in the UK.
Children’s playing-cards, that examine the variations in familial structures. Helping children from none-traditional family groups, to understand the reasons behind such disparities.
A workshop, designed to educate primary school students on the different roles adopted by young women, during the second world war.
A series of gender-neutral fashion accessories exploring the subject of gender-fluidity in different countries, around the globe.
Gamification, and how this could be adapted to aide in the education of young children and teenagers, on the subject of mental health.
The British Empire: A series of school-based workshops, that endeavour to provide a more comprehensive outline of the events in British history, as viewed from multiple cultural perspectives. For example: The rise of the British Empire in relation to the slave trade, and how those who had been slaves would view that period in history, through a much different lens to those who had not been subjugated, and commoditised.
A 3D structure, designed to act as an archival tool: A collaboration between communities.
Food-packaging depicting the benefits of a healthy diet, as demonstrated through the use of visual narratives. (Aimed at children)
An mobile platform designed to educate teenagers on the values of a healthy relationship, exploring themes and subjects such as: Physical boundaries; Body language; Responsible conduct; Sexual Health; Mental health; And the role of language in the communicating of emotions.
A range of contraceptives exploring sexuality and how our views as a society towards gender and sexuality have evolved, throughout history. Bold graphics, playful content, educational in its intent.
Bibliography
Burrill, A, (2020). Showcase. [online] AnthonyBurrill.com. Available at: https://anthonyburrill.com/ [Accessed 3 August. 2020].
Burrill, A, (2017). AnthonyBurrillMakeitNow. [Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuaHeuzqKvE [Accessed 3 August. 2020].
JohnPrinceBranding 