This is an ongoing project for my final year at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.
Students were required to identify their own design issue.
As a Graphic Communications student my issue is as follows:
Students were required to identify their own design issue.
As a Graphic Communications student my issue is as follows:
The Charismatic Megafauna of Design
Identifying and exploring the trends of Design
Design Issue
Design has become conventional which is the result of conformity, and as Adrian Shaughnessy mentioned in his book “How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul” that most design that surrounds us lacks emotional character and aesthetic value and that design has become so competitive that designers have been bulldozed into timidity and compliance. Shaughnessy also wrote about how design has become formulaic and it has standardized the act of designing when on the subject of the process of graphic design. The following of trends, styles and fads of design has produced homogenized designers - similar, uniform designers that lack diversity in their design processes.
Design Hypothesis
By understanding and investigating the causes and effects of the existence of charismatic megafauna of design, identify is they leave a positive or negative impression on design and eventually, to promote and encourage unconventional and experimental design without taking the rules and trends of design too much into consideration.
Design Issue
Design has become conventional which is the result of conformity, and as Adrian Shaughnessy mentioned in his book “How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul” that most design that surrounds us lacks emotional character and aesthetic value and that design has become so competitive that designers have been bulldozed into timidity and compliance. Shaughnessy also wrote about how design has become formulaic and it has standardized the act of designing when on the subject of the process of graphic design. The following of trends, styles and fads of design has produced homogenized designers - similar, uniform designers that lack diversity in their design processes.
Design Hypothesis
By understanding and investigating the causes and effects of the existence of charismatic megafauna of design, identify is they leave a positive or negative impression on design and eventually, to promote and encourage unconventional and experimental design without taking the rules and trends of design too much into consideration.
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This series of 10 posters serves as an introduction to the project - it's purpose was to show examples and indentify the several types of charismatic megafauna the amight exist in Design.
Charismatic Megafauna of Design.
Verb
A Definition.
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Popular design culture or ‘rules’, to maintain the widespread usage of this 'design principle', while conserving a particular structure or specific design so that others do not get affected by a new design.
Verb
A Definition.
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Popular design culture or ‘rules’, to maintain the widespread usage of this 'design principle', while conserving a particular structure or specific design so that others do not get affected by a new design.
Case Study
Typeface Study
Helvetica
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Developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger, Haas Neue Grotesk is a sans serif typeface which became popular due to its clean lines and general good looks. A film has been made in homage of the font. It is used extensively on road signs, maps and logos. It has been identified as neutral, timeless and to the point for those who stand by the typeface, but it is also dubbed as rythm-less, character-less and, for the lack of a better word, boring by others.
Typeface Study
Helvetica
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Developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger, Haas Neue Grotesk is a sans serif typeface which became popular due to its clean lines and general good looks. A film has been made in homage of the font. It is used extensively on road signs, maps and logos. It has been identified as neutral, timeless and to the point for those who stand by the typeface, but it is also dubbed as rythm-less, character-less and, for the lack of a better word, boring by others.
Case Study
Design Movement Study
De Stijl
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In 1917 Dutch architect, designer, and painter Theo van Doesburg founded de Stijl. The importance of this movement to the grid is that it explored form as determined by function, and placed this in a political context. Arguing that simplicity of form was accessible and democratic, its members advocated minimalism, using only rectilinear forms, and eradicating surface decoration other than as a byproduct of a limited color palette: the primaries plus black and white.
Design Movement Study
De Stijl
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In 1917 Dutch architect, designer, and painter Theo van Doesburg founded de Stijl. The importance of this movement to the grid is that it explored form as determined by function, and placed this in a political context. Arguing that simplicity of form was accessible and democratic, its members advocated minimalism, using only rectilinear forms, and eradicating surface decoration other than as a byproduct of a limited color palette: the primaries plus black and white.
Case Study
Systems & Grids Study
Bauhaus
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The Bauhaus firmly establish industrial design. It stripped away the decoration, and left clean lines of function. To some this represents the removal of all that is human in the crafts. To the teachers and followers of the involved in the Bauhaus, function was the primary concern, removing the past was a secondary consequence. The Bauhaus ushered in the modern era of design. While there were similar movements, such as the de Stijl, the Bauhaus has become the symbol of modern design with their straight edges and smooth, angular forms.
Systems & Grids Study
Bauhaus
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The Bauhaus firmly establish industrial design. It stripped away the decoration, and left clean lines of function. To some this represents the removal of all that is human in the crafts. To the teachers and followers of the involved in the Bauhaus, function was the primary concern, removing the past was a secondary consequence. The Bauhaus ushered in the modern era of design. While there were similar movements, such as the de Stijl, the Bauhaus has become the symbol of modern design with their straight edges and smooth, angular forms.
Case Study
Design Trend Study
Hipster Branding
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Helvetica, italicized serifs, lots of concentric circles and nostalgic symbol, "hipster" design elements are nearly everywhere.
Design Trend Study
Hipster Branding
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Helvetica, italicized serifs, lots of concentric circles and nostalgic symbol, "hipster" design elements are nearly everywhere.
Case Study
Systems & Grids Study
International Style
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Developed in the 1950s, the Swiss International Style ephasized readability, cleanliness and objectivity. It highlited the importance of function as opposed to form. More often than not, the International style avidly uses a set of rules - a rigid grid system that organizes content. The International style is the most used and talked about grid system. The Swiss style is made up of asymmetric layouts, grids, sans-serif typefaces and flush left and ragged right text.
Systems & Grids Study
International Style
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Developed in the 1950s, the Swiss International Style ephasized readability, cleanliness and objectivity. It highlited the importance of function as opposed to form. More often than not, the International style avidly uses a set of rules - a rigid grid system that organizes content. The International style is the most used and talked about grid system. The Swiss style is made up of asymmetric layouts, grids, sans-serif typefaces and flush left and ragged right text.
Case Study
Trend Study
Minimalism
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The minimalist movement started in the early 20th century with architecture, roughly around the 1920s. Minimalism is a design trend that started in the 20th century and continues today, most prominently through companies like Apple and various graphic and visual designers. A minimalist design is a design stripped down to only its essential elements. The quote “Less is More” by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was mentioned when asked about minimalist design.
Trend Study
Minimalism
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The minimalist movement started in the early 20th century with architecture, roughly around the 1920s. Minimalism is a design trend that started in the 20th century and continues today, most prominently through companies like Apple and various graphic and visual designers. A minimalist design is a design stripped down to only its essential elements. The quote “Less is More” by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was mentioned when asked about minimalist design.
Case Study
Trend Study
Monochrome
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This shift towards simplicity, functionality, and no frills is creating a new clean aesthetic where the modern day mantra is to consume less rather than more – reminiscent of German industrial designer Dieter Rams’s mantra “less, but better.” Similar to the minimalist movement that has taken design by storm, the monochrome palette exudes a modern day sobriety. Devoid of any decoration or superfluous detailing, simple messages are communicated without frills or fuss. IKEA’s monochromatic designs reflects their product values - reliability, quality and value articulated using a clear, honest and contemporary aesthetic
Trend Study
Monochrome
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This shift towards simplicity, functionality, and no frills is creating a new clean aesthetic where the modern day mantra is to consume less rather than more – reminiscent of German industrial designer Dieter Rams’s mantra “less, but better.” Similar to the minimalist movement that has taken design by storm, the monochrome palette exudes a modern day sobriety. Devoid of any decoration or superfluous detailing, simple messages are communicated without frills or fuss. IKEA’s monochromatic designs reflects their product values - reliability, quality and value articulated using a clear, honest and contemporary aesthetic
Case Study
Trend Study
Letterpress Graphics
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Outlined as an emerging trend in graphic design for both web and print, the simple letterpress effect is now a household technique for sprucing up typography.
Trend Study
Letterpress Graphics
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Outlined as an emerging trend in graphic design for both web and print, the simple letterpress effect is now a household technique for sprucing up typography.
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Note: A letterpress(ed) card was attached onto this poster.
Case Study
Trend Study
3D Graphics
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Three dimensional graphicshas been the talk of the movie industry for the past couple of years, and the distinctive aesthetic is fast spreading into graphic design work as well – with RGB layering, stereoscopic techniques and various 3D-inspired print effects shaping a unique middle ground between digital and analogue.
Trend Study
3D Graphics
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Three dimensional graphicshas been the talk of the movie industry for the past couple of years, and the distinctive aesthetic is fast spreading into graphic design work as well – with RGB layering, stereoscopic techniques and various 3D-inspired print effects shaping a unique middle ground between digital and analogue.
