VCT volume 2!

In this term, we had a group assignment for Visual and Cultural Theory.

We had to write an article as a debate, and also design tow pages, so this article could be published as a part of a news paper.

Authors were been all of us, and a member of the group was the editor. Also, I was the designer, and an other member made the infographic that we included.

This is our article:

Does Technology make life easier for a Graphic Designer?

It could be argued that the evolution in technology, gradual acceptance of graphic design in society and the availability of computer programmes and networking makes life easier for graphic designers today. However, complications have arisen due to the popularity of technology and it could be argued that technology is overcomplicating the lives of modern design professionals.

‘The role of the designer’ has changed a lot from the past. In the past technological development was a slow process with a major breakthrough being the Gutenberg press, which was invented in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg. The invention of the Gutenberg press gave designers the ability to mass-produce type, expanding opportunities for design.

It could be argued that ‘the role of the designer’ although not noticed by the majority of the population plays a crucial role in serving the immense, diverse commercial business. By staying up to date with the latest technology a designer is able to produce, professional work suitable for a commercial environment. According to Patrick Cramsie, author of The story of graphic design (2010)“The Impact of Graphic Design on our daily lives begins the moment we open our eyes in the morning and continues until they close at night” Cramsie argues that Graphic Design is ingrained in our lives. The subject of graphic design is valuable to society and the economy as designers help to push the cycle of marketing and advertising.

Technology today is fast evolving,The availability of computer programs from Adobe such as Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver affect contemporary graphic designers. These programmes can be learned fairly easily through online tutorials and written guides. The question we ask ourselves continuously; Is the availability of a selection of Adobe programmes and the power of the World Wide Web making graphic designers lives easier today?

It can be stated that many luxuries exist in the modern world that are extremely helpful to graphic designers. One of the perks would probably be the fact that designers are able to put their personal design identities on the World Wide Web, promoting themselves and their skills through the shared technology of the world. This technology allows access to clients that may be interested in their design portfolios. The skill of being able to use Adobe computer software has become a necessity to any practicing designer as well as the importance of purchasing technology from Apple. It can be argued that the availability of this software and technology can save the designer a lot of time, hassle and money, through quick and low cost printing. A graphic designers life can be made easier in general, due to the flow of technology in our modern world. There is plenty of easy accessible information on each adobe programme, including tutorials, which can be viewed on ‘popular’ websites such as YouTube. Previous students have learned about graphic design from books, workshops and teachers. Now it can be argued that because of the availability of the internet, anyone can learn the skills of a graphic designer through new media.

As well as the easy accessibility of Adobe programmes, these programmes can also help to develop the designer’s ideas and help the designer to create something suitable for the commercial, computerised world through digital means. Conjoined with creativity, the designer could produce something new and exciting, which they had never thought of before. In this sense it could be argued that a designer’s life could be made easier through the exploration of these programmes, exploring new and quick techniques in graphic design.

However, it could be argued that the luxury of having the World Wide Web and the availability of Adobe software to the masses could be a disadvantage to professional graphic designers. Firstly, the availability of the web makes it easy for the masses to create blogs on websites such as ‘tumblr’ and upload non-professional graphic design which could undermine or take away the meaning of ‘professional’ graphic design, design produced by professional, trained, working graphic designers. The creation of design by non-professionals can increase competition for professional creatives who work in the industry, making it harder for their work to be noticed and appreciated by the public.

Secondly, due to the convenience of being able to download Adobe software and the fast paced modern world in which we live in, it could be argued that the ‘design process’ is becoming to easy and that anyone could create work to a professional standard. This factor can pressurise designers and make them insignificant. If anyone can do the job of a designer, what is the significant job of a professional designer? Another problem, which could affect a designer’s life, is that software is upgraded frequently. It could be argued that a designer must be able to keep up with the latest technology available to survive in the graphic design industry.

Anyhow, this thought could be viewed as subjective as it can be argued that computer programmes and software do not determine a designer’s life. The use of the design and the initial idea can be seen as having greater importance as well as the creativity of the individual. These traits can be valued as important, as without quirky ideas and a creative mind the design created would be unable to capture the audience’s imagination. The use of design can contribute to the form of a designer’s creation, putting pressure on the designer to create something, which is suitable for that particular client.

From a personal perspective, professional designers need to to continue to push boundaries further and compete against the masses in ‘the sea of designers’. Personally, the creativity of professional designers will surely surpass design which doesn’t show any or much innovation and creativity. Furthermore it can be argued that what makes a design more effective than another design is the ‘idea’. The evolution and endless use of technology will not suppress creativity as not ‘everyone’ has the imagination to produce an effective and interesting idea.

To confirm, after exploring a variety of difference viewpoints it is difficult to give a straight answer to this subjective question. As explored earlier technology can provide graphic designers with more opportunities, create individual online identities, graphic  save a lot of time, hassle and money with the quick and new technology available, help them to create new and exciting pieces as well as exploring new, modern techniques.

However these views and concepts which claim to make a graphic designers life easier can be countered with existing problems which continue to put a great deal of pressure on professional graphic designers. These problems include changing software and technology, new unprofessional competition, the popularity of the web and the convience of computer software to a mass audience. ’The new design’ emerging from the masses  is making it harder for us to give a clear definition of ‘professional graphic design’. All we can do is question the nature of graphic design. What is the difference between this ‘new’ emerging  design created by the masses and design created by those labeled as ‘professional’ graphic designers’? It is up to us as individuals to find the definition and highlight the importance.

This is how I've designed the newspaper pages:

My new design books!

During this term we do so much more interesting projects at uni, and I had a research about different fields of graphic design. I looked on the internet and I borrowed books from the library.

Also, I visited some of my favorites bookshops at London, and I bought four fantastic new books! I were been so excited about them, and I wanted to share them with you!

The first one is a book that probably more than the half people of our course have it, and that confirms how valuable could be  for both mapping and the industry projects!

Of course, I am talking about the "Information is Beautiful" by David McCandless!

(Find it on amazon)

This is a book, about information design, and as you can understand is really inspiring for second term projects! Also, I think that there is none copy of this book at the LCC's library, probably because is pretty new. As for me, I think that I need it for more than one project in my life, and it will be good to have it in my personal library.

The second boom that I bought is
"THE AGILE RABBIT BOOK OF HISTORICAL AND CURIOUS MAPS"

(Find it on amazon)

This is a book about -how unexpected!- historical maps. All of them I could say that they are fascinating, but the difference between this book and other with the same contain, is that this edition includes also a CD-ROM that includes all the contains on the book! And is not that all, but in fact all the images are hight quality resolution so a designer could use them into his project!

The third book is about binding by Josep Cambras. And to be more specific is about  "Handmade bookbinding Techniques" as his title points out.

(Find it on amazon)

This book shows step by step a variety of binding techniques! Really helpful and and easily understanding.

Finally, the last book is not focus on this term project, but I thin it's generally connected with the course subject.

"RGB: Reviewing Graphics in Britain" edited by Marc Valli and Richard Brereton, is exactly what his title clearly mention.

(find it on amazon)

I really loved this book because I think that represents all the different styles of the british graphic design. Every few pages, you can see a different designer's work. Also, it gives you their web-sites, so if you wanna research more about their work you can easily do it.

beautifull illustrations by Allexandra Cooch

Inspired from the nature, Allexandra Cooch created theses enchanting illustrations.

This is what she said about her work:

"This book will be dedicated to the beauty and strength of nature. The object is to show that nature is the best artist, designer, sculptor, architect etc. To show its multiformity and completeness. And so we must do our best to save nature. Drawing only parts of the birds is a symbolic call to preserve nature in full (most of the birds are taken from the Red Book).

On the other hand, I want to perform my own 'revolution'. Since I could remember my so recent childhood, I have never been attracted to nature. Neither of its aesthetics nor its "school" ideology, which was available in those days to my perception. Nature pictures its self as a boring landscape of "native" spaces, mushrooms under the birch forest with a squirrel. In a word, nothing of nature could make me particularly interested. Both in the real life and in art. Now I have a huge difficulty is not to describe, but at least catch that revolutionary moment in my mind, when nature had a new look for me - a frightening and inspiring. Maybe this so-called revolution is rather standard, and to some degree happens with every child, but for me it's a very important thing.

I' d like to present my book in that way, so people could not only understand but also feel, let it be a desperate attempt, but still try. Indeed, to really understand nature is possible only in that case, if "sense" (perception) of a single person coincides with nature."

As for me, I only could say that I become her fan!

Information Design!

Today I done some research about information design, as I worked on the mapping project. I looked random images on "google images" when I first saw the work of Peter Orntoft. 

Peter Orntoft is a designer in the field of visual communication. He has a BA from the University of the Arts London and an MA from the Danish Design School.
Peter usually works with a context and research based approached to traditional fields of visual communication and by using this approach his projects are able to contain multiple layers and tell more stories about the subject or the client dealt with.

This is how he expounds he's work.

"Informationgraphics in context The project is of an investigative and conceptual character. I wanted to explore data visualisation because it seemed like a subject within visual communication that still have a lot of different directions that needs to be explored. A part from that I have a bit of fascination for arranging and structuring numbers, text, forms, colours, etc. and look for patterns in the structures.

The project deals with data from a list of the social related interests of the Danish people. The list is the result of an opinion poll from a major consultancy company in Denmark. I have used the context of specific opinion polls within each interest to shape and design diagrams. By doing so the receiver understands more layers of information about the data.

Interest no.4 is refugees and immigrants. The focus of the interest deals with whether or not the Danes think it’s ethical to wear religious symbols in public professions. I have used the looks and appearances of traditional religious symbols to design the diagrams explaining the data."

"Interest no.5 is health and healthcare. The focus of the interest deals with the Danes fear of the H1N1 flu and whether they think the Danish healthcare system can handle an epidemic. At the pharmaceutical faculty at the University of Copenhagen I worked with microorganisms to design the diagrams explaining the data."

"Interest no.6 is Law and order. The focus of the interest deals with gang related crime and whether the Danes have changed behaviour because of it. I have used barrier tape as a continuous design element and I have used a person’s pattern of behaviour and urban space to design the diagrams explaining the data."

Also, these are some other infographics made from him that I liked.