Studio -End of Semester Review

Overview

Design is all about asking questions, calling out ideas, making decisions, and finally creating the final product for others to use or simply to enjoy. This semester came with a lot of new approaches to design, communication, and personal achievements.

There were new obstacles that arose with the new hybrid system. Most of our Studio classes were conducted over zoom, however, to stay connected we were assigned multiple group projects. I never thought I would learn to enjoy collaborating with my peers so much. This gave me the opportunity to work through ideas to come to a common conclusion. It also helped me understand how it might feel post-graduation. My partners and I came across conflict points, however, this pushed our end product to be at a level that we had hoped it to be.

In the past years we received specific prompts and guidelines that we needed to follow, however, this year we were given more creative freedom. Even though I enjoy following rules, I realized how I became open to experimenting.

Our Professor introduced us to a different approach to the design process, which made me realize how crucial the process is to design. In the past, we started designing knowing what the end product should be. This semester we started with research and then designed iterations and then evolved the product from that. This left space for a change in direction and evolving the idea to something bigger.

In addition to that, I made my first premiere video, RISO prints, playing with CMYK channels and spiral binding.

Throughout the semester we had five assignments: Research, Impact and Empathy, Question Design, Question History and Interrelationship

Project 1: “Closure and Misalignment” — Impact and Empathy

Duration: 7 weeks
Focus: Editorial Design and Research

“Closure and Misalignment” is a book that looks at the student-life during the pandemic with the transition from in-person to online. It starts with research to clearly understand the situation and in response to that look into possible solutions.

My partner and I felt a general interest in the education system and personal growth. We, therefore, drew our inspiration from the Hyperakt articles. Ironically we discussed our ideas through zoom — which by now feels natural to us.

After multiple conversations, mind maps, Pecha Kucha presentations, and iterations we narrowed down a technical approach as well as the topics we felt necessary to discuss in our work:

1. Vision: how the student sees him or herself as a learner
2. Shift: responsibilities, achievements, communication, and schedule
3. Experimentation
4. Stabilizing and control: what can we control, mental health etc.

The Visual system was supposed to reflect the idea of alignment. This was based on the pre-production of iterations. (see below)

We both decided to explore the alignment of the narrative with CMYK and RGB color models. While CMYK color printing is a subtractive process that blocks (typically) white backgrounds and creates color images by combining various levels of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black inks, RGB image projection is an additive process in which varying levels of Red, Green, and Blue light are added together to give the impression of different colors in images, with the maximum of each resulting in white. With either of these models, if all of the channels are properly aligned, the output should be an image presented as intended. We shifted the channels in different orders to give the sense of the distortion that we are trying to put back together.

To grasp an understanding of this idea I used see-through foils to see how the channels interact.

Another system that I adapted to was the zoom guideline: the font (lato), buttons, color, and feature. Additionally, I added the physical questionnaire to include the voice of other students to extend from my view of this situation.

The book is laid out so that it can be read from both sides of the book and meets in the middle. You choose if you want to understand the negative or positive aspects of the pandemic.

This made me realize how much I enjoy research and interacting with other individuals through interviews. I also enjoy the depth you get with transparent paper.

Project 2: “The room where it happens” — Research / Question Design

5 weeks of research and 4 weeks of the design process

Video editing and Research

Over the course of 9 weeks, we collected individuals who we felt inspired our design process to then create a video to present to the class.

Over the course of the last years, I realized that my organization skills are messy, but my designs are very clean and clear to understand. This contrast is reflected in my design process and therefore I decided to present my chaotic digital space as the narrative of my video = the room where it happens.

I decided to narrow it down to three designers: Caterina Bianchini, Mirko Borsche, and Chirs Labrooy. And presented an important lecture by them, my favorite pieces, and presented the piece they inspired me to create.

Each artist had a new colored background, overlaying images, and overlaying voice overs to add personality. Over time the video gets more and more chaotic to then end with a calm note — my design process.

The designers and their work are a huge part of who I am as a designer today.

Project 3: “Interrogation” — Question History

Duration: 4 weeks

Installation and RISO

This was a collaboration installation based on questions on the design discipline. We had 4 designers, 2 articles, 100 questions, 50 iterations, and ended up with one installation.

The articles were “Education and professionalism, or what’s wrong with graphic design education? by Katherine McCoy (1997) and What is this thing called graphic design criticism? Parts I & II by Rick Poyner and Michael Rock (1995 & 2011). These readings discussed the role of the designer in society, and we tried to interpret the topics that were raised, including public perception of a Graphic Designer’s professionalism, Graphic Design education, and the value and prevalence of criticism in Graphic Design.

With regards to the idea of “interrogation,” the idea of asking pressing questions, we wanted to reference the relationship between the student and the teacher and art and its viewer. This is represented through the two chairs in the installation. At times, it was uncomfortable to ask questions. Therefore we are looking for answers through investigation.

We split our iterations into 8x8in boxes (given the dimensions of the space) to create a new form and see how different designs can communicate with one another in a harmonious or contrasting manner.

The work is presented in a grid-like structure, symbolizing the Designer’s invisible tools and processes. Grids, though usually present in all Designs, are typically presented in a subliminal manner in which the audience does not see a grid, rather they simply perceive the order resultant of the grid. Not only does a grid represent our processes, but it also represents the idea of following or breaking the rules, and our willingness to stay in or out of the grid.

The gradient created by the RISO colors presents the idea of going with or against the grain.

The challenge here was presenting our design in space. We were given more space than expected and therefore had to produce a quick turnaround that also added to the idea of interrogation. This is where the collaged chair and the framing of posters came in.

This project required time-intensive planning and installation. However, it came out the way we imagined it.

Project 4: “Thoughts on Thesis”

After high school, I discovered that I have dyslexia. On a daily basis, I struggle with daunting readings, spelling mistakes, writing, and language processing issues. In high school, I realized that everyone was faster than me. Reading and writing skills do not come naturally to me, but designing does. I also am bilingual and currently live in a country that doesn’t speak my mother tongue language. Therefore, I am missing words to communicate my ideas. This often makes me feel incompetent when it shouldn’t. Up until now, I have been using art and design to express myself.

The Thesis is an opportunity to indulge in my biggest challenge and turn it into something positive. This way I can also use the space to encourage other people who go through their own personal struggles to keep going.

The goal is to raise awareness of what dyslexia is through direct experience of the installation and the success stories of individuals who happen to have a language barrier. This topic seems to be something that has been overlooked in the past.

Through the other three projects, I discovered my interest in different learning approaches, materials such as transparency, and creating new interactions.

The ideal final deliverable will follow two ideas:

1. Huge Typography reflecting the daunting feeling that I get from reading a book
2. Letters hanging from the ceiling or standing on the floor written by multiple successful individuals who have a learning disability — And possibly a mailbox to add your letter that will appear on a digital space

Over the next semester, I will find a clear connection between all the topics I want to touch open or decide to narrow it down.

Thesis Statement

Language Barrier by Emily Knobloch

Shapes, Fonts, Patterns, Hierarchy, and Color are elements that belong to a formalized system of the visual language that communicates with an audience. However, a barrier in communication can hinder an individual from confidently moving forward — my own experience. I feel a sense of impending doom when receiving a text to read, it takes hours for me to get through it and when writing an assignment I have multiple grammar mistakes. I start questioning my competence, which is something I am still trying to overcome. As somebody with dyslexia, I use the visual world to express myself. This thesis serves as an examination of how a language barrier as such can be seen as a gift rather than a ‘disability’.

With a narrative approach, the exhibition will present a range of leading individuals from different disciplines, who happen to be dyslexic. The thesis will evolve different ways of communication and research — the personal interviews with the chosen individuals, deep research on language barriers, and self-created letters that take form in the physical installation. The exhibition, as well as the book, will be based on the process and acceptance of the barrier through a typographic design. This will show the viewer how someone with dyslexia feels when reading text.

The thesis presents an opportunity to dive into the relationship between language and design as well as the success story of the language barriers (in one’s terms). This sets form to research and condition-based intake of my learning disability and the ones of others to turn the big challenge into something positive.

List of books and individuals who will serve as an inspiration:

• Successful individuals who had dyslexia: Pablo Picasso, Steven Spielberg, Ingvar Kamprad, Jamie Oliver, Albert Einstein
• The individuals I am planning to interview
• Barbara Kruger
• Helen Taylor
• Designers talking about this subject: Josh Penn, Jim Rokos, Christan Boer
• Artists: Jenny Holzer, Joseph Kosulth
• A designer who has dyslexia: Ab Rogers, Nadia-Anne Ricketts, Kate McGwire, and James Rokos
• Dyslexia by Green, Shannon; Reid, Gavin; 2016
• Breaking the Language Barrier: creating my own pathway to success by Brown, H Douglas
• The Power of different by Gail Salz
• Dyslexic Design by Jim Rokos
• Kinetic Typography by Josh Penn

• Dislexie Font by Christen Boer
• ‘Forever’ by Barbara Kruger

• Dyslexic legends alphabet by alphabet legends