Research and Resources
This week started with some practitioner’s case studies, how they work, why they do what they do, and their progress over the years. I’ve never worked as a designer let alone in a Design Studio. Therefore it was very valuable for me to see the different kind of designers and spaces they work in.
Smaller studios tend to do more work that is based on what they strongly can identify with (“freedom to do the kind of work we want to do”, Tom Finn, Kristoffer Soelling from Regular Practice), while bigger studios such as SomeOne focusing on bigger brands and projects. It was interesting to see that everyone is working differently and each project can be “a new approach to working” (Tom Finn, Kristoffer Soelling from Regular Practice).
At SomeOne they work with big-scale customers which is not always easy because you have to get “everyone to agree […] which is sometimes harder than design itself” (Simon Manchipp, SomeOne). At the same time for Simon Manchipp its a way of problem-solving and working together with many different kinds of customers and also expanding the business to other countries.
Many of the designers have self-initiated projects apart from their studio work, which are close to their heart, like Paula Scher and her colorful typographic maps.
Regarding the work location everyone seems to agree that the (big) city helps to have “big ideas” (Simon Manchipp). Even though having a quiet space at the same time is important says Sam Winston. For him, the ideal is to “live somewhere where it’s intensive, culturally rich, diverse but go to a space where there is growth and you can cultivate ideas”. I can quite identify with that as I have previously lived in Barcelona and Berlin which was a very bustling experience, but at the same time, I needed some calm space to retreat, where I could get creative and have ideas.
Now I live in a very small city close to Munich, and I feel like there is less cultural and creative diversity. Nevertheless, I hope I find my creative flow.
Sam Winston also prefers to bring people into his space to collaborate at certain times, while the space of the “ideal” studio as designed by Spiekermann is more a space of collaboration at all times. Nevertheless, Sam Winston feels like the “biggest asset is being able to deal with people […] and ask for help”.
How to deal with change is another important topic for designers, with the evolution from print to digital design. Many of the introduced practitioners agree it’s necessary to trust the process. Digital and non-digital became “less separate” (Adrian and Julian, Intro Design). For Simon Manchipp there is the idea that digital designers are more interested in data while graphic designers are more dreamers. Both have to work together to “get people inspired” (dreamers) and “help people navigate […] efficiently”.
Research task: Choose one piece of design work that you think is extraordinary and share this on the ideas wall with a short description about why it is so important to you
I remember seeing a poster of Ernst Haeckel’s “Art Forms from the Sea” in a street window one day. I stopped for a moment and thought: “Wow, that’s beautiful”. After doing a little research, I found out that he was both a scientist and an artist. He liked to study protozoa and other life forms with his microscope.
Of course, they are not completely scientific, because he adds a certain aesthetic flavour to them. For me, it is interesting to see why we perceive these images as beautiful. In psychology, there is the idea that people always want to perceive something that is ordered and has a certain regularity. We often find these concepts in nature.
Note: After I posted this on the ideas wall I checked Haeckel’s biography a bit more. I don’t agree with some of his ideas about the “ideal human being”. We must always see graphic design in the socio-cultural time in which it was created. Nevertheless, I began to wonder whether I should support or like a work of art that was created with a certain way of thinking that I don’t agree with.
Webinar and other thoughts
It was great to meet everyone from the cohort and hear their different stories and backgrounds. With the first brief in mind, I started thinking about myself this week. I recently returned to the area (although not the same city) where I lived as a teenager after having stayed in different places inside and outside of Germany. It feels like there is a lot to explore about myself, but at the same time, it’s hard to grasp what my identity is. There are a lot of changes in my life at the moment. Not only had I moved here from another country, but I had also finally decided to pursue design professionally. Unlike me, most of the people in the study cohort seemed to already have experience in design.
This magazine is saw in a cafe. It seems to refer to the first brief in a way. I also like the typography with its vintage typeface. It has a strong look with the rounded-pointy serif and all-caps.
Week 1
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