Liberating the City
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On a more grassroots level, Babylon Chant Down is a perfect example of a platform that draws on ancient African oral tradition and Caribbean sound-system culture to reclaim, democratise, and transform the public spaces of South London into safe spaces for self-expression. The non-profit organisation, founded by artists Muva of Earth and Izzy Gzowski, came about through the need for a healing antidote to the heat of last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations (Babylon Chant Down, 2020). With their communities, the women co-produced the events in the form of open-mic peaceful protests with spoken word, live instrumentation, dancing, and book fairs. I also heard of another peaceful protest last year whereby a community of Rastafarians, armed with their drums and sound system, led a march highlighting historical sites of black success and struggle throughout the streets of London. These both exemplify the healing power of sound on the individual and collective body and its potential to liberate the collective consciousness from colonial oppression, in the context of the built environment.
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Amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, however, it is clear that our relationship with cities is changing, and it is forecasted that their designs and infrastructure will be increasingly data-led as we interact more remotely with the urban environment (Bishop and Scott, 2021). So, as I start to position myself as a forward-thinking artist-designer, I'm beginning to ask: how can I use my discipline to decolonise space across the digital and physical domain? As an artist, I recognise that my craft is a gift- it is a tool that gives me agency to tell stories and to create platforms that allow others to tell theirs. Passionate about worldbuilding, I aim to deliver transformative and immersive experiences across varying scales, domains, and media; I want to create healing spaces that facilitate internal transformation. For the near future, I'm speculating mixed-reality experiences and AR/VR tours that acknowledge and celebrate the black and PGM presence and pasts throughout London. I imagine performances, placemaking schemes, and physical and digital public artworks that privilege the healing potential of sound, preserve oral tradition and tell the collective stories of the cities we grow up in, allowing us to better understand the power constructs they contain and uphold.â
This is my mission.
This is my mission.
References
Babylon Chantdown. 2020. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzUKA7pZgM/> [Accessed 10 April 2021].
Ball, J. 2011. I Mix What I Like! A Mixtape Manifesto. AK Press. Baltimore, USA. p.4.
Bishop, K. and Scott, S. 2021. EQUILIBRIUM CITIES. Macro Trands. [online] LS:N Global. Available at: <https://www-lsnglobal-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/macro-trends/article/26527/equilibrium-cities> [Accessed 10 April 2021].
Creative Reaction Lab. 2018. EQUITY-CENTERED COMMUNITY DESIGN FIELD GUIDE. [PDF] St. Louis, Missouri, USA, pp.3, 4. Available at: <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ECCDfieldguidedownload> [Accessed 10 April 2021].
Fanon, F. 1964. Toward the African Revolution. Grove Press. New York, USA. p. 34.
Theatrum Mundi. 2019. New publication: Sonic Urbanism. [online] Available at: <https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/278193/sonic-urbanism/> [Accessed 10 April 2021].
Trust for London. 2020. London's Poverty Profile: Poverty rates by demographics. [online] Available at: <https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/poverty-rates-demographics/> [Accessed 10 April 2021]
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I'm Anne, I study Graphic and Media Design and I'm currently interning for the Robert Bosch GmbH.
After graduating my A levels I moved straight to the UK, away from my country and culture. I never really experienced design in Germany, as my passion for design first arose during my foundation year. That's one reason why I was interested in applying for an internship in Germany.
Another huge factor, which I didn't considered when I started planning my DPS year, was the pandemic, which made it difficult or even impossible to travel far away. That helped me to focus on finding a placement in my home country.
I found myself lucky getting accepted to the Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart as it is a successful future focused business which is globally known for their innovative concepts (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021). Not only the fact that the company offers a huge selection of products, technology and ideas that are to improve people's lives, but also, that I was able to become a part of a huge network, is why I decided to move to Stuttgart.
Another reason for me to accept the offer was, that I was able to explore the subject area marketing and communication, which I have always been interested in. This placement seemed to be the perfect opportunity to understand, if I only liked the thought of marketing or if I actually enjoy the work itself.
Starting the internship, I was able to go into the office, meet my coworkers and lucky to get to know another marketing student who incorporated me into my tasks. As the department usually divides the marketing topics between three students but only one was working their at the time, I had to cope with a heavy workload. Nevertheless, I liked it as I was able to explore various tasks within marketing such as event managing, video editing, social media, preparing presentations and designing promotion materials.
Yet, not only the fact that I didn't know the working environment but also that the department I'm working for is an engineering and manufacturing service provider meant that I had no clue about their work which made me feel overwhelmed. I was unfamiliar with planned projects, events and the company's drive as well as the amount of shortcuts people used to communicate. Even though I should easily understand my mother tongue, I felt like emails and documents were written in a different language. I learned to keep calm, do as much as and the best I can and don't be afraid to ask questions. I understood that nobody expected me to know everything right away. I gained self confidence and learn to trust myself.
My boss liked my designs and gave me more responsibilities. I ended up improving their corporative design, changing their logo, designing catalogues and booths for virtual event, adjusting presentations and much more.
After graduating my A levels I moved straight to the UK, away from my country and culture. I never really experienced design in Germany, as my passion for design first arose during my foundation year. That's one reason why I was interested in applying for an internship in Germany.
Another huge factor, which I didn't considered when I started planning my DPS year, was the pandemic, which made it difficult or even impossible to travel far away. That helped me to focus on finding a placement in my home country.
I found myself lucky getting accepted to the Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart as it is a successful future focused business which is globally known for their innovative concepts (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021). Not only the fact that the company offers a huge selection of products, technology and ideas that are to improve people's lives, but also, that I was able to become a part of a huge network, is why I decided to move to Stuttgart.
Another reason for me to accept the offer was, that I was able to explore the subject area marketing and communication, which I have always been interested in. This placement seemed to be the perfect opportunity to understand, if I only liked the thought of marketing or if I actually enjoy the work itself.
Starting the internship, I was able to go into the office, meet my coworkers and lucky to get to know another marketing student who incorporated me into my tasks. As the department usually divides the marketing topics between three students but only one was working their at the time, I had to cope with a heavy workload. Nevertheless, I liked it as I was able to explore various tasks within marketing such as event managing, video editing, social media, preparing presentations and designing promotion materials.
Yet, not only the fact that I didn't know the working environment but also that the department I'm working for is an engineering and manufacturing service provider meant that I had no clue about their work which made me feel overwhelmed. I was unfamiliar with planned projects, events and the company's drive as well as the amount of shortcuts people used to communicate. Even though I should easily understand my mother tongue, I felt like emails and documents were written in a different language. I learned to keep calm, do as much as and the best I can and don't be afraid to ask questions. I understood that nobody expected me to know everything right away. I gained self confidence and learn to trust myself.
My boss liked my designs and gave me more responsibilities. I ended up improving their corporative design, changing their logo, designing catalogues and booths for virtual event, adjusting presentations and much more.
The student, who introduced me to my duties, left after a month and I ended up being the only one managing the marketing unit of my department which gave me the opportunity to learn even more about management and organisation.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions the office closed and people where communicating via online portals such as Teams and Skype Business. I learned to stay positive working from home and don't let the situation affect me negatively. I also understood that working from home doesn't mean to be isolated but sometimes, when having a day full of meetings, it means to be even more social than going into an empty office.
After interning at Bosch for about two months I got more confident in writing emails, had a better idea about ongoing projects and whom to contact when. I started to learn more about the company's background and their mission. As Bosch's slogan is "Invented for Life", they adapt to society and time constantly (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021).
That is also what I impresses me because they don't focus on one concept which can become obsolete but on the idea of changing their products due to society needs, hence, they are future driven. Bosch's mission is based on seven central values such as cultural diversity, sustainability and responsibility to protect natural resources for a better future (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021).
Thinking about the responsibilities of a designer, I realised the similarities between engineers and designers, which Victor Papanek's statement underlines "Design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical" (Papanek, 2019).
Bosch's respect towards the environment when producing products also becomes clear when looking at their new campaign "Live sustainable #LikeABosch".
A young child and a grown up man, whom is the face of the company's innovation products, get together to introduce Bosch's environmental free products (Bosch Global, 2021).
Due to COVID-19 restrictions the office closed and people where communicating via online portals such as Teams and Skype Business. I learned to stay positive working from home and don't let the situation affect me negatively. I also understood that working from home doesn't mean to be isolated but sometimes, when having a day full of meetings, it means to be even more social than going into an empty office.
After interning at Bosch for about two months I got more confident in writing emails, had a better idea about ongoing projects and whom to contact when. I started to learn more about the company's background and their mission. As Bosch's slogan is "Invented for Life", they adapt to society and time constantly (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021).
That is also what I impresses me because they don't focus on one concept which can become obsolete but on the idea of changing their products due to society needs, hence, they are future driven. Bosch's mission is based on seven central values such as cultural diversity, sustainability and responsibility to protect natural resources for a better future (Robert Bosch GmbH, 2021).
Thinking about the responsibilities of a designer, I realised the similarities between engineers and designers, which Victor Papanek's statement underlines "Design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical" (Papanek, 2019).
Bosch's respect towards the environment when producing products also becomes clear when looking at their new campaign "Live sustainable #LikeABosch".
A young child and a grown up man, whom is the face of the company's innovation products, get together to introduce Bosch's environmental free products (Bosch Global, 2021).
I'm impressed to see that companies nowadays do need to respect the environment and produce products without persistent problems to be competitive. Bosch needs to prove the quality in their products constantly, hence, once a big brand doesn't mean always a big brand.
Looking at my coworker's projects, they are currently collaborating with Saudi Arab focusing on social housing. Considering that, and referring to Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, Bosch follows "a leadership model that puts society at the centre" (Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, 2021). The business is seeking for "long-term competitiveness by focussing on their relationship with society as well as mitigating the negative impacts while enhancing the positive ones" (Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, 2021). They understood that practising ethnically is the key for a lasting and successful business.
Currently, I'm in the last month of my internship, in which I'm responsible to incorporate another student into the marketing tasks. I find it interesting to teach and communicate from home because I learned how easy, fun and effective it can be to talk virtually, share screens and divide tasks quickly over the computer. I don't have the feeling of being isolated as I have another person to talk to constantly. I love the fact that I work with another student which is in the same position I used to be when I just started and I am now.
Overall, referring to this internship and my previous one at Mercato Metropolitano, the most important part for me is the working environment. I have fun working for a company and people whom show respect and I get along with on a professional or even personal level. The fact that my boss answers my emails with "good job", "I think it looks great" and "Thank you!" makes me feel appreciated, confident in what I do and it pushes me to do more work.
_____________
Bibliography
Bosch Global (2021) Bosch presents - Live sustainable #LikeABosch Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfLiwpwEqtU (Accessed: 9 April 2021).
Papanek, V. (2019) Design for the Real World: London: Thames & Hudson.
Robert Bosch GmbH (2021) About us: https://www.bosch.com/company/ (Accessed 9 April 2021).
Weidman-Grunewald, E. and Henriksson, H. (2021) What Does It Really Mean to Call ‘Society’ Your Stakeholder? Available at: https://sustainablebrands.com/read/leadership/what-does-it-really-mean-to-call-society-your-stakeholder (Accessed 10 April 2021).
Looking at my coworker's projects, they are currently collaborating with Saudi Arab focusing on social housing. Considering that, and referring to Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, Bosch follows "a leadership model that puts society at the centre" (Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, 2021). The business is seeking for "long-term competitiveness by focussing on their relationship with society as well as mitigating the negative impacts while enhancing the positive ones" (Weidman-Grunewald and Henriksson, 2021). They understood that practising ethnically is the key for a lasting and successful business.
Currently, I'm in the last month of my internship, in which I'm responsible to incorporate another student into the marketing tasks. I find it interesting to teach and communicate from home because I learned how easy, fun and effective it can be to talk virtually, share screens and divide tasks quickly over the computer. I don't have the feeling of being isolated as I have another person to talk to constantly. I love the fact that I work with another student which is in the same position I used to be when I just started and I am now.
Overall, referring to this internship and my previous one at Mercato Metropolitano, the most important part for me is the working environment. I have fun working for a company and people whom show respect and I get along with on a professional or even personal level. The fact that my boss answers my emails with "good job", "I think it looks great" and "Thank you!" makes me feel appreciated, confident in what I do and it pushes me to do more work.
_____________
Bibliography
Bosch Global (2021) Bosch presents - Live sustainable #LikeABosch Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfLiwpwEqtU (Accessed: 9 April 2021).
Papanek, V. (2019) Design for the Real World: London: Thames & Hudson.
Robert Bosch GmbH (2021) About us: https://www.bosch.com/company/ (Accessed 9 April 2021).
Weidman-Grunewald, E. and Henriksson, H. (2021) What Does It Really Mean to Call ‘Society’ Your Stakeholder? Available at: https://sustainablebrands.com/read/leadership/what-does-it-really-mean-to-call-society-your-stakeholder (Accessed 10 April 2021).
@lilla_cseh
lillacseh.com
I'm Lilla, and I'm enrolled in the Graphic and Media Design course at LCC. During my DPS year, I had a 5-month internship with a sustainable British menswear clothing company called Sirplus where I had experience in Branding, fashion photography, and illustration. I'm in the middle of securing my second internship, in the meantime, I worked on two separate creative briefs about sustainable green future with Selfridges, Project Earth, and Team London Bridge for an Augmented Reality project for Earth Day.
I will be writing about the important impacts on my professional and creative developments this year.
What is a graphic designer in the future? Is this role secure or is it going to shift with the media we use in the future?
The digital world of design lets us see other designers around the world to get inspired and learn but giving the pandemic this shifted to comparing oneself to others. Stepping into the creative industry feels far away from art students, and the university is supposed to be the time to find our style and ambitions.
This placement year made me see how other designers fixate on the thought of creating something new that can be called their own. The impostor syndrome "(IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be." That we have to create something new over and over again. I read a few articles and books about the future of the creative industry. During the professional practice tutorials, we talked about the decolonisation of design that we learned a way to think, and now we have to learn to question it. The importance of a trend in design, or the rule that we learned from Swiss design, which typeface is in season at this moment. All these thoughts that we question daily and follow, but who exactly sets these rules? One of my fellow students mentioned that they grew up in Switzerland surrounded by great design. In comparison, I grew up in Hungary surrounded by "ugly design" which was the word I was thought. That eastern European graphic design is grey and not great like Swiss design.
Sustainable design learning is not really about sustainability but the way we learn things to develop our designs. Sustainable learning is about our design thinking that what New is not New. For example, copying an idea is not sustainable design thinking. Developing a new idea through inspiration from surroundings is creative even if the base of a project is inspired by something or someone else. Design is built on similar ideas, so creating a new idea is almost impossible. I started to read femme-type.com articles about female designers, and their creative thinking opened up my creative flow as well.
During the tutorial, we talked about understanding identity, power, and equity in design leadership. Last month my social media feed was fully posted with magazines/articles that talked about women in the power of their future that inclusive politics are changing the industry, and that powerful women can become influential. Creative posts that can inspire me without words. The last couple of weeks I felt pushed down but empowered by all these happenings.
Design Activism has become a powerful new tool of communication. There's this interesting Kickstarter crowdfunded book called notamuse- It's about new perspectives on women graphic designers with interviews of people in the industry to investigate this imbalance in Europe. In the creative field, there is a big lack of female role models. this book shares the work of 54 new female graphic designers.
lillacseh.com
I'm Lilla, and I'm enrolled in the Graphic and Media Design course at LCC. During my DPS year, I had a 5-month internship with a sustainable British menswear clothing company called Sirplus where I had experience in Branding, fashion photography, and illustration. I'm in the middle of securing my second internship, in the meantime, I worked on two separate creative briefs about sustainable green future with Selfridges, Project Earth, and Team London Bridge for an Augmented Reality project for Earth Day.
I will be writing about the important impacts on my professional and creative developments this year.
What is a graphic designer in the future? Is this role secure or is it going to shift with the media we use in the future?
The digital world of design lets us see other designers around the world to get inspired and learn but giving the pandemic this shifted to comparing oneself to others. Stepping into the creative industry feels far away from art students, and the university is supposed to be the time to find our style and ambitions.
This placement year made me see how other designers fixate on the thought of creating something new that can be called their own. The impostor syndrome "(IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be." That we have to create something new over and over again. I read a few articles and books about the future of the creative industry. During the professional practice tutorials, we talked about the decolonisation of design that we learned a way to think, and now we have to learn to question it. The importance of a trend in design, or the rule that we learned from Swiss design, which typeface is in season at this moment. All these thoughts that we question daily and follow, but who exactly sets these rules? One of my fellow students mentioned that they grew up in Switzerland surrounded by great design. In comparison, I grew up in Hungary surrounded by "ugly design" which was the word I was thought. That eastern European graphic design is grey and not great like Swiss design.
Sustainable design learning is not really about sustainability but the way we learn things to develop our designs. Sustainable learning is about our design thinking that what New is not New. For example, copying an idea is not sustainable design thinking. Developing a new idea through inspiration from surroundings is creative even if the base of a project is inspired by something or someone else. Design is built on similar ideas, so creating a new idea is almost impossible. I started to read femme-type.com articles about female designers, and their creative thinking opened up my creative flow as well.
During the tutorial, we talked about understanding identity, power, and equity in design leadership. Last month my social media feed was fully posted with magazines/articles that talked about women in the power of their future that inclusive politics are changing the industry, and that powerful women can become influential. Creative posts that can inspire me without words. The last couple of weeks I felt pushed down but empowered by all these happenings.
Design Activism has become a powerful new tool of communication. There's this interesting Kickstarter crowdfunded book called notamuse- It's about new perspectives on women graphic designers with interviews of people in the industry to investigate this imbalance in Europe. In the creative field, there is a big lack of female role models. this book shares the work of 54 new female graphic designers.
Last two years I found my idealistic design team and the idea of women in power created by Jessica Walsh with the studio "& Walsh". A studio run by mostly women joins the 1% of creative agencies founded by women. She also created a global non-profit initiative called Ladies*, Wine** & Design. "Only .1% of creative agencies are founded by women & non-binary people, and the numbers are even smaller for women/non-binary BIPOC. Our mission is to see more diversity in the creative industry, especially within leadership roles." (Walsh,2015) I'm manifesting a future where I could visit this studio in New York because they gave me a reason to work for in the future. Even if women are a small percentage in the industry I'm angry but proud to be a woman, and I plan to work towards a change and not talking about women only.
The internship with Sirplus widened my view on environmental changes and sustainable fashion. Responsible design means more than being aware, but acting towards a goal to ensure the least impact possible on the planet. I think about everything I do now as a creative and a person. The 5 months helped me strengthen my communicational skills about expressing ideas and communicating visually in a professional environment.
1. making things happen: Reaching out to studios and designers is a less stressful act after all these months not like when I started this year.
2. Showcasing Abilities: Developing storytelling skills with illustration and Skillshare is a great tool for illustrational skills that I pushed aside for a while and now started a poster illustration series called “Plants are friends”.
1. making things happen: Reaching out to studios and designers is a less stressful act after all these months not like when I started this year.
2. Showcasing Abilities: Developing storytelling skills with illustration and Skillshare is a great tool for illustrational skills that I pushed aside for a while and now started a poster illustration series called “Plants are friends”.
3. Navigating change: The research process is important to acknowledge, explore and target the positive impact of design.
This year did not live up to my expectations of experiencing work in a creative studio with a design team where people could get to know my work and me in a professional environment but I’m confident now in the future of my practice, my place and to work towards my goal after graduation to work in the industry. How to sustain a new but not new viewpoint? I'll talk to my future self in this situation. Designers should work towards their goal and interest and stop questioning their worth as creatives. Every idea has a future even if it's shifted by modern tools in the future.
References:
https://andwalsh.com/articles/all/walsh-launches-joining-the-1-of-women-founded-creative-agencies-/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/notamuse/notamuse-the-book
https://sirplus.co.uk/
https://femme-type.com/
Lilla Cseh
GMD - Graphic and Media design
@lilla_cseh
lillacseh.com
This year did not live up to my expectations of experiencing work in a creative studio with a design team where people could get to know my work and me in a professional environment but I’m confident now in the future of my practice, my place and to work towards my goal after graduation to work in the industry. How to sustain a new but not new viewpoint? I'll talk to my future self in this situation. Designers should work towards their goal and interest and stop questioning their worth as creatives. Every idea has a future even if it's shifted by modern tools in the future.
References:
https://andwalsh.com/articles/all/walsh-launches-joining-the-1-of-women-founded-creative-agencies-/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/notamuse/notamuse-the-book
https://sirplus.co.uk/
https://femme-type.com/
Lilla Cseh
GMD - Graphic and Media design
@lilla_cseh
lillacseh.com
How has the pandemic has affected the way we occupy spaces in a technological shifted world?
4/9/2021
Jake Richardson
jakerichardon.uk
@jake.richardson__
GMD - Graphic and Media design
Its officially been 1 year since the start of the pandemic which has affected every part of our lives; socially, economically, technologically and even creatively for some of us on DPS. It’s daunting how time has passed since then when things were “normal”, especially when I started DPS back in September and how much has been affected due to the virus. Since my last blog post, I was extremely lucky enough to gain a remote internship working for Pentagram in Yuri Suzukis small team. His work consists of the focus on sound - through various mediums of interactive experiences, installation art, product design and exploring the importance of sound design and “sonic logos’ to accompany visual design. His work is extremely interesting to learn about, considering it’s something so different to my traditional design skill set and unique part of the greater field of design. Being able to help them in several projects and understanding their practice (especially in a world now of full of visual communication in so many platforms) opened up my own interest in this idea of multi-sensory design and how can the realms of visual be merged with sound and the other senses.
jakerichardon.uk
@jake.richardson__
GMD - Graphic and Media design
Its officially been 1 year since the start of the pandemic which has affected every part of our lives; socially, economically, technologically and even creatively for some of us on DPS. It’s daunting how time has passed since then when things were “normal”, especially when I started DPS back in September and how much has been affected due to the virus. Since my last blog post, I was extremely lucky enough to gain a remote internship working for Pentagram in Yuri Suzukis small team. His work consists of the focus on sound - through various mediums of interactive experiences, installation art, product design and exploring the importance of sound design and “sonic logos’ to accompany visual design. His work is extremely interesting to learn about, considering it’s something so different to my traditional design skill set and unique part of the greater field of design. Being able to help them in several projects and understanding their practice (especially in a world now of full of visual communication in so many platforms) opened up my own interest in this idea of multi-sensory design and how can the realms of visual be merged with sound and the other senses.
I have no knowledge on sound design, or even have any experience with playing musical instruments but have been surrounded by music since I was born. We all have. Music and sound has been present everywhere we go and has influenced so much of our culture - even silence has some sort of sound metaphorically. As we are developing into the world of new technology and increasing reliance on AI technology to help us, it’s interesting to gain insight from Yuri and his use of this in sound design to help show the importance of our senses in a modern world. Even during the pandemic, the importance of sound/visuals in communication has been pushed further as we rely on our news, work and social life to switch online to an extent. Instead of being able to touch our loved ones during this time, many took the opportunity to use video calling to keep contact to see another but as soon as the audio connection is lost - sometimes is the conversation. Our 5 senses are the fundamentals of our human understanding, how we absorb information daily and digest to learn and grow constantly. For people with hearing difficulties or visual impairments, the senses have to adapt to compensate but how has that been affected with the pandemic - the lack of touch, smells, taste or new environments apart from our own home is definitely something to reflect on. How has the pandemic changed the way we now communicate or utilise our senses accordingly? This is something I have been thinking about, especially when I am working from home and having to shift to an online working environment for the entirety of my internship.
Working for a designer who’s practice stems of the need for physical engagement with audiences and utilising sound to communicate during this pandemic has shown the need of adapting to the current climate, and how important that is as a designer especially in such a unique field. As work has shifted online for the time being, it’s been interesting to see how technology has played a big role in being forced to adapt to these new online environments; for work, socialising and even for entertainment purposes. From my own perspective, I have realised how important the spaces we inhabit are to our own wellbeing and personal creative growth. For me especially, the biggest challenge so far for DPS was adapting to my own workspace, which has been difficult mentally working long days in my bedroom with no physical separation from work and personal life. I have tried my best to constantly rearrange my bedroom and desk, switching up ways I work inside those 4 walls but overtime it becomes demotivating and hard to stay focused creatively. The importance of social interaction in work like this is forever needed - from the face to face meeting with clients to quick coffee breaks where you have the most important breakthroughs in casual conversation is something I have missed during this time. Going back to the idea of senses - it shows how important it is to work in conditions where all of them can be fully explored and stimulate how we work as designers. It was interesting to be part of a project for Space 10, where Yuri and his team had to propose fun and interesting ways of showing how sound can affect mental well being and privacy in the current “work from home” environment - something extremely relevant to a lot of us now. The project explored how sound could be used to create separations in a house in a form of a “sound curtain” and how it could be possible to make your room feel bigger so when working from home, you feel less claustrophobic and would improve your mental well being all through sound and spacial-audio design. For me this was an exciting project to be a part of that sparked my interest into wanting to explore these new territories of design and again questioning the importance of our own domestic spaces.
Design plays a huge part in our world as I mentioned earlier with new emerging technologies and the importance or design in relation to our senses and spaces, but it is so much more. Design has influenced everything we have built - in our networks of communities, cultures and society as a whole. I think reflecting on my own experience this year with design, it has really helped me further understand its importance even more and how it will always have a key role in our lives, whether we can see it or not. So what will the design future be post covid and when will our desired physical connections re-open? At this rate, who is to tell how we would go back to normal but all we can say when it does, there will definitely be new wave of reflection on this past year that will question a lot we take for granted; especially in our own spaces we create.
References:
https://www.pentagram.com/
https://dribbble.com/shots/2517152-Five-Senses-Icon-Set
Design plays a huge part in our world as I mentioned earlier with new emerging technologies and the importance or design in relation to our senses and spaces, but it is so much more. Design has influenced everything we have built - in our networks of communities, cultures and society as a whole. I think reflecting on my own experience this year with design, it has really helped me further understand its importance even more and how it will always have a key role in our lives, whether we can see it or not. So what will the design future be post covid and when will our desired physical connections re-open? At this rate, who is to tell how we would go back to normal but all we can say when it does, there will definitely be new wave of reflection on this past year that will question a lot we take for granted; especially in our own spaces we create.
References:
https://www.pentagram.com/
https://dribbble.com/shots/2517152-Five-Senses-Icon-Set
Within the world of Graphic Design and the wider design community, good environmental practice has become the norm; In the past, incorporating good environmental practice had hindered the design process; now, almost all designers consider ethical practice in all their designs. I have been amazed in recent years by the originality and creativity that designers have used to explore ethical and environmentally responsible ways to design. We're so fortunate as designers today to operate in a world with so many opportunities to further and further push our process's ethics. Back in 1990, IKEA adopted the Natural Step framework as the basis for its environmental plan. This led to the development of an Environmental Action Plan, which was adopted in 1992. The project focused on structural change, allowing IKEA to "maximise the impact of resources invested and reduce the energy necessary to address isolated issues". The plan was radical and pioneered a new trend for environmental thinking within design and retail. The change was a considerable cost to Ikea, and the dynamic project wasn't immediately reflecting in their sales.
Today, however, the culture around environmental practice has changed massively; consumers are drawn to products that emphasise the importance of supporting the current ecological crisis. French Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's foundation of ideas from his 1970 book Distinction (Bourdieu, 2013) has resonated with academics worldwide. The book explores what he calls 'cultural capital', a term used to describe how we can build up certain cultural aspects within our identity, which can help determine our social status and even promote social mobility. Bourdieu's theory's elements ranged from education, wealth, and the objects we surround ourselves with. Today Bourdieu's ideas can be compared to the current trend in good environmental design. Consumers surround themselves with products made with ethical practices to build up an identity that provides them with positive associations. Objects and products now have their own context, not only their monetary or physical value but also their footprint. Ikea's ethical thinking in 1990 has now caught up with today's huge demand for ethical practice, and Ikea now has a highly positive mind share - focusing around sustainability and sound ethical practice.
There are so many examples of how responsible practice within design has accelerated a company's growth and performance. In 2016 Patagonia reached a record-breaking $10 million in sales on Black Friday after announcing they had planned to donate 100% of clothing sales to climate charities. They had expected to reach $2 million in sales - "we beat that expectation five times over". Their customers' enormous love shown to the planet on Black Friday depicts the huge influence environmental practice can have on sales. We associate ethical products with being a better person, contributing to Bourdier's idea of building up a cultural capital based on our physical appearance and belongings. Comparing this with Judith Williamson's idea of brands being a form of 'distinction', we can begin to see a link between how individuals build up our cultural capital and how companies can build up these same identities for their products. What designers and companies are trying to achieve is very similar to the theories surrounding Bourdieu's work. Through distinction, brands can change their position in the field, and although the margins between the products are small, they're able to create significant differences in the way their products are perceived. For example, two similar products in the same market, one with a positive mind share around ethical practice and the other a negative, It's clear which one will do better within the current culture of supporting positive environmentalism. There are now so many more reasons for designers and companies to consider using good environmental practice; not only will this shift benefit the planet, but there are enormous opportunities for growth. I feel that many companies nowadays who don't operate ethically will notice a considerable opportunity cost.
When recently working on a rebrand for a boutique hotel, I noticed the value sustainability could play on a business's relationship with its consumers. I spent weeks designing a new range of packaging for the hotel's takeaway service. After debuting the packaging, I noticed a flurry of new reviews, all mentioning their appreciation for the hotel's sustainable approach. A massive increase in the businesses social media presence and an increase in sales soon followed. The product hadn't changed, or the service, but somehow that extra consideration for the design and the environment had hugely impacted the companies popularity and brand awareness. As Tom Murray, who advises companies on reducing emissions at Environmental Defense Fund, including Walmart, McDonald's Corp. and Procter & Gamble Co., has said he believes "We've moved past this concept that business versus the environment is a tradeoff".
Excitingly, we're now in a position where designers can use responsible practice to aid the design process, add interesting context and create dynamic new concepts through newly raised sustainability questions. A recent example of this that I love is Evian's new 500-millilitre bottle design. Working with fashion designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, Evian has created a water bottle made almost entirely from recycled plastic and visualises this history through a distinctive hammered texture. The bottle can be fully recycled at the end of its life, and its unique shape represents this, resembling the crushing of a bottle. This new design is a bold step for Evian as they work towards being Economically Circular by 2025. This is just one of many exciting projects that use our newly found cultural value for environmental products to push the design process further. I love seeing how we can put vital political and social questions upon the design process. Ideas of companies operating at 100% Circular seemed like wild fantasies only a few years ago. Now, however, almost all major companies are working towards a similar goal. And at the heart of this cultural shift and mass political and social transilience are designers.
Finn Dillon
Graphic and Media Design
Today, however, the culture around environmental practice has changed massively; consumers are drawn to products that emphasise the importance of supporting the current ecological crisis. French Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's foundation of ideas from his 1970 book Distinction (Bourdieu, 2013) has resonated with academics worldwide. The book explores what he calls 'cultural capital', a term used to describe how we can build up certain cultural aspects within our identity, which can help determine our social status and even promote social mobility. Bourdieu's theory's elements ranged from education, wealth, and the objects we surround ourselves with. Today Bourdieu's ideas can be compared to the current trend in good environmental design. Consumers surround themselves with products made with ethical practices to build up an identity that provides them with positive associations. Objects and products now have their own context, not only their monetary or physical value but also their footprint. Ikea's ethical thinking in 1990 has now caught up with today's huge demand for ethical practice, and Ikea now has a highly positive mind share - focusing around sustainability and sound ethical practice.
There are so many examples of how responsible practice within design has accelerated a company's growth and performance. In 2016 Patagonia reached a record-breaking $10 million in sales on Black Friday after announcing they had planned to donate 100% of clothing sales to climate charities. They had expected to reach $2 million in sales - "we beat that expectation five times over". Their customers' enormous love shown to the planet on Black Friday depicts the huge influence environmental practice can have on sales. We associate ethical products with being a better person, contributing to Bourdier's idea of building up a cultural capital based on our physical appearance and belongings. Comparing this with Judith Williamson's idea of brands being a form of 'distinction', we can begin to see a link between how individuals build up our cultural capital and how companies can build up these same identities for their products. What designers and companies are trying to achieve is very similar to the theories surrounding Bourdieu's work. Through distinction, brands can change their position in the field, and although the margins between the products are small, they're able to create significant differences in the way their products are perceived. For example, two similar products in the same market, one with a positive mind share around ethical practice and the other a negative, It's clear which one will do better within the current culture of supporting positive environmentalism. There are now so many more reasons for designers and companies to consider using good environmental practice; not only will this shift benefit the planet, but there are enormous opportunities for growth. I feel that many companies nowadays who don't operate ethically will notice a considerable opportunity cost.
When recently working on a rebrand for a boutique hotel, I noticed the value sustainability could play on a business's relationship with its consumers. I spent weeks designing a new range of packaging for the hotel's takeaway service. After debuting the packaging, I noticed a flurry of new reviews, all mentioning their appreciation for the hotel's sustainable approach. A massive increase in the businesses social media presence and an increase in sales soon followed. The product hadn't changed, or the service, but somehow that extra consideration for the design and the environment had hugely impacted the companies popularity and brand awareness. As Tom Murray, who advises companies on reducing emissions at Environmental Defense Fund, including Walmart, McDonald's Corp. and Procter & Gamble Co., has said he believes "We've moved past this concept that business versus the environment is a tradeoff".
Excitingly, we're now in a position where designers can use responsible practice to aid the design process, add interesting context and create dynamic new concepts through newly raised sustainability questions. A recent example of this that I love is Evian's new 500-millilitre bottle design. Working with fashion designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, Evian has created a water bottle made almost entirely from recycled plastic and visualises this history through a distinctive hammered texture. The bottle can be fully recycled at the end of its life, and its unique shape represents this, resembling the crushing of a bottle. This new design is a bold step for Evian as they work towards being Economically Circular by 2025. This is just one of many exciting projects that use our newly found cultural value for environmental products to push the design process further. I love seeing how we can put vital political and social questions upon the design process. Ideas of companies operating at 100% Circular seemed like wild fantasies only a few years ago. Now, however, almost all major companies are working towards a similar goal. And at the heart of this cultural shift and mass political and social transilience are designers.
Finn Dillon
Graphic and Media Design
In this placement year, I have had an opportunity to work with two knitwear brands. Both are tended to high quality, hand-knitted garment production. While working with these brands, I got to learn trends of the fashion market during a pandemic and insights into the knitwear market online. Also, social media and marketing engagement obstacles that they have that I found interesting.
Due to the constant growth of mass production, we are used to the fact that handmade, great material products are exclusive and tend to be more expensive. But the pandemic is changing the craftsmanship market. Many people are left without a job and are searching for hobbies to do during their free time spent at home. John Lewis reports that they received a massive jump in haberdashery sales during a lockdown. Also, people are not just making crafts at home but thinking about secondary income and selling their products on the e-commerce site Etsy. Etsy reports that in the second quarter of 2020, they experienced 34% seller growth compared to the previous year. This situation creates competition in the market and leads to a reduction in prices to keep those seller heads above water whose primary income is Etsy sales. But also, Etsy mentions massive growth in buyers that could be linked to store closing, boredness and the need for treating ourselves that comes from the pandemic and general capitalism. Even though there is a buyer increase, that doesn't mean it is fashion targeted. In Etsy curated podcast, the trend expert explains that trends during the pandemic are still mostly home related. Home goods, room dividers, workspaces and anything related to work at home. Fashion mostly is not needed during this time, which makes it even tougher to convince a consumer to buy your product, not the competitor's one. To summarize, I had a realisation that handmade products are becoming more popular due to more time people have to create them and sometimes linked to lack of primary income. This problem appears in my placement and as an intern, I needed to search my ways to get the brand into this jammed market.
In these placements, I got to manage three platforms - Instagram, Shopify and Etsy. One brand’s main audience is gained on Instagram but confusing was the follower and like per post ratio. Even though the brand has worked hard to gain many followers it is not visible on post likes. This difference made me look into the influencers worst enemy (or best friend?) - algorithm. What even is it, how and why is it changing from time to time? How do people know how it works? I had so many questions that I didn’t know if I will even get answers. From research, I found out that Instagram’s algorithm was unknown until recently when they shared the truth about common myths that are talked about on the platform. As it is a Facebook-owned platform, it wasn’t surprising that they took down the chronological feed and changed it to an algorithm-led feed that shows posts that it thinks is the most suitable to the user. Things that work for the benefit of creators change and at some point your profile can be in the spotlight, but after not sticking to the posting schedule for a moment, you can fade from the algorithm and not be visible to many of your followers. The biggest challenge of social media managers, brand owners and influencers is to keep up with the algorithm and know how to play with it. When you are managing a business account on Instagram or Facebook, you always end up seeing ads from a platform for you to promote posts or create ads. Ad usage as a marketing tool is important and it helps to get more engagement. But is it even possible to grow a start-up from zero without a budget allocated for ads? This made me compare the innocent start of Instagram where people just shared pictures of their lives, to the present - one of the most powerful marketing platforms that exist.
These obstacles made me curious about the world of marketing and created a desire to understand it in more depth. It feels like there are few rules that you know what to do to grow your business with marketing, and the outcome is like a lottery- either you win, or nothing happens. But is it like that? I started to learn the basics of marketing. Starting with a marketing funnel that showed me that there are many steps in goes into it, from scouting the general audience that could be interested, to analyzing the basis of getting the target audience that will eventually end up purchasing product/service and make conversion rate higher. For any business, social media appearance comes as an advantage if it is done well. While studying Design Management, we touch on many different management sides, and it gets confusing when you know a bit from each section, but you are not specialising in one of them. I am grateful for this year because it allows me to try them out and potentially find the right one for me.
Digital marketing is even more evolved during the pandemic. Social media platforms are saturated with a wide range of businesses trying to get their audience attention. Marketing is an industry that changes and evolves all the time. It is in businesses hands to choose how much time and money they want to invest in it.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/may/04/a-good-yarn-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-spawns-arts-and-craft-renaissance
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/08/07/sales-spike-146-on-etsys-marketplaces-in-q2/
https://podcasts.apple.com/lv/podcast/etsy-success-podcast/id1239556187
https://later.com/blog/how-instagram-algorithm-works/
Eliza Apsite
Design Management
Due to the constant growth of mass production, we are used to the fact that handmade, great material products are exclusive and tend to be more expensive. But the pandemic is changing the craftsmanship market. Many people are left without a job and are searching for hobbies to do during their free time spent at home. John Lewis reports that they received a massive jump in haberdashery sales during a lockdown. Also, people are not just making crafts at home but thinking about secondary income and selling their products on the e-commerce site Etsy. Etsy reports that in the second quarter of 2020, they experienced 34% seller growth compared to the previous year. This situation creates competition in the market and leads to a reduction in prices to keep those seller heads above water whose primary income is Etsy sales. But also, Etsy mentions massive growth in buyers that could be linked to store closing, boredness and the need for treating ourselves that comes from the pandemic and general capitalism. Even though there is a buyer increase, that doesn't mean it is fashion targeted. In Etsy curated podcast, the trend expert explains that trends during the pandemic are still mostly home related. Home goods, room dividers, workspaces and anything related to work at home. Fashion mostly is not needed during this time, which makes it even tougher to convince a consumer to buy your product, not the competitor's one. To summarize, I had a realisation that handmade products are becoming more popular due to more time people have to create them and sometimes linked to lack of primary income. This problem appears in my placement and as an intern, I needed to search my ways to get the brand into this jammed market.
In these placements, I got to manage three platforms - Instagram, Shopify and Etsy. One brand’s main audience is gained on Instagram but confusing was the follower and like per post ratio. Even though the brand has worked hard to gain many followers it is not visible on post likes. This difference made me look into the influencers worst enemy (or best friend?) - algorithm. What even is it, how and why is it changing from time to time? How do people know how it works? I had so many questions that I didn’t know if I will even get answers. From research, I found out that Instagram’s algorithm was unknown until recently when they shared the truth about common myths that are talked about on the platform. As it is a Facebook-owned platform, it wasn’t surprising that they took down the chronological feed and changed it to an algorithm-led feed that shows posts that it thinks is the most suitable to the user. Things that work for the benefit of creators change and at some point your profile can be in the spotlight, but after not sticking to the posting schedule for a moment, you can fade from the algorithm and not be visible to many of your followers. The biggest challenge of social media managers, brand owners and influencers is to keep up with the algorithm and know how to play with it. When you are managing a business account on Instagram or Facebook, you always end up seeing ads from a platform for you to promote posts or create ads. Ad usage as a marketing tool is important and it helps to get more engagement. But is it even possible to grow a start-up from zero without a budget allocated for ads? This made me compare the innocent start of Instagram where people just shared pictures of their lives, to the present - one of the most powerful marketing platforms that exist.
These obstacles made me curious about the world of marketing and created a desire to understand it in more depth. It feels like there are few rules that you know what to do to grow your business with marketing, and the outcome is like a lottery- either you win, or nothing happens. But is it like that? I started to learn the basics of marketing. Starting with a marketing funnel that showed me that there are many steps in goes into it, from scouting the general audience that could be interested, to analyzing the basis of getting the target audience that will eventually end up purchasing product/service and make conversion rate higher. For any business, social media appearance comes as an advantage if it is done well. While studying Design Management, we touch on many different management sides, and it gets confusing when you know a bit from each section, but you are not specialising in one of them. I am grateful for this year because it allows me to try them out and potentially find the right one for me.
Digital marketing is even more evolved during the pandemic. Social media platforms are saturated with a wide range of businesses trying to get their audience attention. Marketing is an industry that changes and evolves all the time. It is in businesses hands to choose how much time and money they want to invest in it.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/may/04/a-good-yarn-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-spawns-arts-and-craft-renaissance
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/08/07/sales-spike-146-on-etsys-marketplaces-in-q2/
https://podcasts.apple.com/lv/podcast/etsy-success-podcast/id1239556187
https://later.com/blog/how-instagram-algorithm-works/
Eliza Apsite
Design Management
Sonia Vico
BA (Hons) Graphic and Media Design
https://www.instagram.com/_soniavico
Since I can remember, I always have been interested in alterating and reusing things I have found around.
As I always say, it’s probably more related to the tight budget than to being fully concious with the planet.
I feel I got this from my dad. I remember him spending the weekends in his little workshop fixing some radio he found in the street or making little notebooks for my mum to write the shopping list by taking the unused side of some small pieces of paper and staple them together.
In a uncounscious way, I guess that made me connected more with artists and designers that would work in that way instead of being impressed by some ostentatious artists.
Not only because of their lack of money for their pieces, just as the work was based in finding beauty in the everyday life.
To explain what I am talking about, I could mention the work of the photgrapher William Eggleston which photographies were mostly taken in his daily walks around his hometown in Memphis.
kAnother artist that really inspired me was the multidisciplinary artist, Aleksandr Rodchenko.
As part of the constructivist art movement, he defended abstract, austere art to reflect modern industrial society. I am not fully agree with the total rejection to decorative style the Constructivism defended but I found really interesting and inspiring how they started to assemblage industrial materials and found objects. Beyond the way they were using the materials, I found Rodchenko’s practice interesting as he defended art for social purposes.
As part of the constructivist art movement, he defended abstract, austere art to reflect modern industrial society. I am not fully agree with the total rejection to decorative style the Constructivism defended but I found really interesting and inspiring how they started to assemblage industrial materials and found objects. Beyond the way they were using the materials, I found Rodchenko’s practice interesting as he defended art for social purposes.
This bring me to the following point: I am not interested in a skull with diamonds besides the conversation, reaction or emotions the artist wants to create If that message can only be appreciated or understood by a small portion of the population.
Not trying to be critical here because I think that at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do and what is interesting and exciting for you. But I guess because the execution of certain ideas are far away from my reach, I just learned how to work in a different way. Working with what I have available.
Besides the economically aspect, even that I will have access to expensive materials or I will have the chance to use them in my work, what’s the point of wasting? Even If you are not paying a penny for it. Why creating more waste?
Why not creating from other materials that have been industrially produced, which making has already left some mark in the environment and now they are abandoned without a purpose? As designers and makers, we must be aware of this regardless we can pay for materials or not. There is not need of waste.
During this lockdown, I have been working with materials I have at home (hello hoarder) and some I found in my morning walks.
Figuring out how to work with them has been keeping me excited and motivated.
Not trying to be critical here because I think that at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do and what is interesting and exciting for you. But I guess because the execution of certain ideas are far away from my reach, I just learned how to work in a different way. Working with what I have available.
Besides the economically aspect, even that I will have access to expensive materials or I will have the chance to use them in my work, what’s the point of wasting? Even If you are not paying a penny for it. Why creating more waste?
Why not creating from other materials that have been industrially produced, which making has already left some mark in the environment and now they are abandoned without a purpose? As designers and makers, we must be aware of this regardless we can pay for materials or not. There is not need of waste.
During this lockdown, I have been working with materials I have at home (hello hoarder) and some I found in my morning walks.
Figuring out how to work with them has been keeping me excited and motivated.
For my self initiated project proposal, I want to develop a business idea for reusing clothes and printing on top of them. Like looking to our boring and forgotten clothes and given them a second chance.
Through my practice as a print maker and as a beginner maker, I realised the amount of waste and stock you can produce. Even though I have mainly done art prints, my interest is combining my practice with reusing and upcycling materials so I will like to apply that to fast fashion.
Having that on mind and being aware of the problem that fast fashion is globally for the environment, I would like to set a business where I could rework second hand clothes and where people could send me their clothes and I could print some of my designs on them and send them back.
During the pandemic, I have been developing ways of printing from home from digital prints to other more handcrafted techniques like marbling paper or run my own t-shirt campaign through the platform Everpress.
Both practices made me realise about the amount of waste you can produce as a creative.
Doing the t-shirt campaign, made me realise that producing a line of t-shirts is a waste (in terms of having stock around, the money you have to pay upfront to produce those t-shirts and the comissioning that the platform gets from each order). But beyond that, is not only wrong as a business idea but it is not sustainable.
I have been all my life buying second hand clothes (initially, because of my tight budget mainly) but eventually because I realised the joy I find when I buy “new” clothes (even that they are second hand) is that they bring something fresh to my wardrobe. I also enjoy cutting them, sewing patches, painting or printing some idea on them, etc.
During this pandemic, I have been doing this way more as the charity shops were closed, and then I thought turning this into a service where people will send me over clothes because they want a new fresh look on them or as a designer, I will chose some second hand clothes and apply my ideas into them. Instead of just throwing them or giving them to the charity (in the future, maybe I could collaborate with some charity shops like Traid), they could turn it into something new.
To accomplish this, I have done some research in how this could be running and how to do it fully sustainable.
By instance, I researched about sustainable packaging like potato starch delivery bags and natural dyes and organic screen printing inks.
On my research I found companies like Ceres Studio, an artist collective run by Florence Hawkins, who used to be a screen printing technician at LCC and now works in the textile department at Central Saint Martins runs their own workshops in how to make your own handmade dyes.
My next step is to experiment by making them at home using the left overs of fruits and vegetables.
Blueberries, blackberries and red cabbage create blue. Raspberries and create red. Tumeric , orange and lemon peel create yellow. Spinach create green.
In terms of organic inks for screen printing I found the Australian company called Permaset which colour range Permaset Aqua and Permaset Permatone has been granted approval by the Soil Association in the UK, having successfully met the requirements of the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) for non-organic chemical inputs for use in organic textile processing.Their inks are also 100% vegan.
My plan is start thinking about all of this and keep developing it through my last year of university.
Through my practice as a print maker and as a beginner maker, I realised the amount of waste and stock you can produce. Even though I have mainly done art prints, my interest is combining my practice with reusing and upcycling materials so I will like to apply that to fast fashion.
Having that on mind and being aware of the problem that fast fashion is globally for the environment, I would like to set a business where I could rework second hand clothes and where people could send me their clothes and I could print some of my designs on them and send them back.
During the pandemic, I have been developing ways of printing from home from digital prints to other more handcrafted techniques like marbling paper or run my own t-shirt campaign through the platform Everpress.
Both practices made me realise about the amount of waste you can produce as a creative.
Doing the t-shirt campaign, made me realise that producing a line of t-shirts is a waste (in terms of having stock around, the money you have to pay upfront to produce those t-shirts and the comissioning that the platform gets from each order). But beyond that, is not only wrong as a business idea but it is not sustainable.
I have been all my life buying second hand clothes (initially, because of my tight budget mainly) but eventually because I realised the joy I find when I buy “new” clothes (even that they are second hand) is that they bring something fresh to my wardrobe. I also enjoy cutting them, sewing patches, painting or printing some idea on them, etc.
During this pandemic, I have been doing this way more as the charity shops were closed, and then I thought turning this into a service where people will send me over clothes because they want a new fresh look on them or as a designer, I will chose some second hand clothes and apply my ideas into them. Instead of just throwing them or giving them to the charity (in the future, maybe I could collaborate with some charity shops like Traid), they could turn it into something new.
To accomplish this, I have done some research in how this could be running and how to do it fully sustainable.
By instance, I researched about sustainable packaging like potato starch delivery bags and natural dyes and organic screen printing inks.
On my research I found companies like Ceres Studio, an artist collective run by Florence Hawkins, who used to be a screen printing technician at LCC and now works in the textile department at Central Saint Martins runs their own workshops in how to make your own handmade dyes.
My next step is to experiment by making them at home using the left overs of fruits and vegetables.
Blueberries, blackberries and red cabbage create blue. Raspberries and create red. Tumeric , orange and lemon peel create yellow. Spinach create green.
In terms of organic inks for screen printing I found the Australian company called Permaset which colour range Permaset Aqua and Permaset Permatone has been granted approval by the Soil Association in the UK, having successfully met the requirements of the Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) for non-organic chemical inputs for use in organic textile processing.Their inks are also 100% vegan.
My plan is start thinking about all of this and keep developing it through my last year of university.
I’m Abi and I’m enrolled on the BA Graphic Branding & Identity course at LCC. During my DPS year I have had two internships; the first was with high-end fashion brand, JOSEPH, and my current placement is with The Evening Standard Paper & Magazine. I will be drawing upon my experiences this year, namely my time at JOSEPH as well as the live brief with Selfridges I worked on alongside my internships.
The role of a graphic designer has long been thought of as a communicator; they assist in visually communicating ideas, a story or brand. However, this role has evolved over recent years in line with society’s technology-driven advancements. I have found the developments in technology truly astounding throughout the past year; a recent McKinsey report suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically sped up the adoption of digital technologies by several years.
This pandemic has affected almost all business sectors in one way or another, retail is no exception. With brick and mortar being an impossible point of access for consumers during a state of lockdown, all sales are the result of online shopping. Online sales managed to achieve 33.8% of total retail during the peak in May last year. Footfall in retail stores is declining year-on-year, regardless of the government guidelines restricting consumer access. Therefore it is imperative that brands adapt quickly in order to remain competitive within the retail sector. I witnessed this urgency during my placement at JOSEPH Fashion and quickly learned the value of technology when combined with online retail. One of my research projects was to investigate how competitors were integrating technology to present their items in new and innovative ways on their product display page. I reported that many forward-thinking companies were incorporating videography as a means to showcase their product on their display page. This method is inherently less static and allows the consumer to get an idea about how, perhaps, a garment may move when modelled in motion. The response to this research was very positive and has led to the investigation as to how JOSEPH might utilise this tool themselves. These small developments to a brand’s website can have a significant, often positive, effect on a consumer’s purchasing decision; they are given more information regarding each product. This increased transparency, on the brand’s part, with regards to the presentation of their products will only elevate their consumers’ online shopping experience. All-in-all, this should hopefully translate to the reduced rate of returns and exchanges. This benefits both parties financially, logistically and practically.
The role of a graphic designer has long been thought of as a communicator; they assist in visually communicating ideas, a story or brand. However, this role has evolved over recent years in line with society’s technology-driven advancements. I have found the developments in technology truly astounding throughout the past year; a recent McKinsey report suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically sped up the adoption of digital technologies by several years.
This pandemic has affected almost all business sectors in one way or another, retail is no exception. With brick and mortar being an impossible point of access for consumers during a state of lockdown, all sales are the result of online shopping. Online sales managed to achieve 33.8% of total retail during the peak in May last year. Footfall in retail stores is declining year-on-year, regardless of the government guidelines restricting consumer access. Therefore it is imperative that brands adapt quickly in order to remain competitive within the retail sector. I witnessed this urgency during my placement at JOSEPH Fashion and quickly learned the value of technology when combined with online retail. One of my research projects was to investigate how competitors were integrating technology to present their items in new and innovative ways on their product display page. I reported that many forward-thinking companies were incorporating videography as a means to showcase their product on their display page. This method is inherently less static and allows the consumer to get an idea about how, perhaps, a garment may move when modelled in motion. The response to this research was very positive and has led to the investigation as to how JOSEPH might utilise this tool themselves. These small developments to a brand’s website can have a significant, often positive, effect on a consumer’s purchasing decision; they are given more information regarding each product. This increased transparency, on the brand’s part, with regards to the presentation of their products will only elevate their consumers’ online shopping experience. All-in-all, this should hopefully translate to the reduced rate of returns and exchanges. This benefits both parties financially, logistically and practically.
Whilst JOSEPH was eager to adapt and progress their method of exhibiting some of their best-selling/higher priced items using videography online, I noticed they are, in general, rather resistant to embrace technology and change. Some other brands have really capitalised on this opportunity to expand further into the digital world. This is especially the case since they’ve been unable to rely upon their physical stores and traditional shop front window displays as a means of advertising their products and concepts. One brand that stands out in my mind is Selfridges. During this period of lockdowns and heavy government restrictions, they’ve continued to innovate. When I was working on Selfridges’ Project Earth live brief, I heavily researched their website and soon uncovered all the effort they’ve invested into creating such insightful and interesting content for both their website and instagram page. Noticeably, they developed a series of video material to keep their audience engaged; these varied from ‘Beauty Broadcasting’, which shared tips and tricks from various beauty and makeup artists, to more educational video clips which discussed important current topics, such as Diversity and Inclusion. I find this approach from Selfridges very strategic and rather ingenious; the past year has allowed many to slow down and reflect. It has invited people to spend time doing things they otherwise would not have had time for, for example supplementing their knowledge by learning new languages, skills or even, more about a subject area to which was unfamiliar. Education paired with technology has been truly invaluable, especially during this pandemic; it has allowed for the renowned homeschooling. However, this education has not been limited to children; it has been extended to anyone and everyone who desires to learn more in ways such as seminars, live workshops and other virtual events. Selfridges offering these very accessible resources has not only benefitted their audience, but also the brand itself. When working on the live brief, it was immediately apparent they had set their sights on becoming a B-Corp. By definition, this community of businesses are a force for good. Therefore, Selfridges is supporting their aims in achieving this certificate.
My current placement at The Evening Standard has really opened my eyes to the way a newspaper and magazine operates. I was somewhat nervous about starting a role at a newspaper publisher during a time when traditional newspaper sales are in decline. However, I was rather surprised to see their efforts to pivot the brand to become much more digital. They are really developing their online presence; this was first made apparent to me when I was introduced to their newly appointed Head of Social Media. I work closely with this individual to ensure the content posted on their social media accounts is designed in a way that aligns with their pre-existing visual identity. I am also fascinated by the power and influence social media can have in elevating, or in some cases, hindering a brand and its public image. I have learned that it is paramount a brand is conscious of the content it posts as feedback is instant and damage can be irreversible. I have also learned the nuanced art of content-making in order to avoid such instances. During my time here I have also learned it is very important to maintain, or even grow, engagement levels and increase a brand’s reach. I have enjoyed working with the Head of Social Media to develop new ways to drive interaction, such as creating daily posts that pose complex and thought-provoking questions to their followers. Additionally, I create moving image content, namely gifs and short clips, to fully utilise the platform and ensure content isn’t too static. I am keen on learning more in-depth about the strategic decisions regarding a brand’s social media and look forward to developing further ways to use these digital platforms to complement the brand and their work.
Bibliography
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-covid-19-has-pushed-companies-over-the-technology-tipping-point-and-transformed-business-forever
https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/project-earth/events/
https://www.joseph-fashion.com/en-gb/home
https://esmag.co.uk
https://www.standard.co.uk
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-covid-19-has-pushed-companies-over-the-technology-tipping-point-and-transformed-business-forever
https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/project-earth/events/
https://www.joseph-fashion.com/en-gb/home
https://esmag.co.uk
https://www.standard.co.uk
Author
Abi Baker Smith
Hello, I’m Abraham E.👋🏾, an aspiring motion graphic designer from the Graphic and Media Design course.
Like many of my peers, both in DPS and outside, I had to find ways to adjust to the endless lockdowns, increasingly competitive job market and keeping my mental health in check, something I naively thought I could keep afloat with my digital devices, entertainment and making “pretty” stuff alone... when I actually got round even doing that.
The reality is that I’ve missed interacting with people wayyyy more than I thought I could. From seeing many of my peers frustratingly brainstorming ideas for a brief we still didn’t quite understand, to the fortunate stroke of serendipity when I’d see a mate in the tube on a commutes to/from Uni, all those experiences and routines were giving me a chance to get outside my bubble and find many creative common grounds and passions – I actually had a life! something I can’t quite uphold to as much right now, especially as all of the few placement I’ve (fortunately) had, were a constant reminder of the value of actually being around people, and not communicate via Zoom, Slack, IG or whatever app promises to be just like the “real deal”, ‘cause they aren't.
Like many of my peers, both in DPS and outside, I had to find ways to adjust to the endless lockdowns, increasingly competitive job market and keeping my mental health in check, something I naively thought I could keep afloat with my digital devices, entertainment and making “pretty” stuff alone... when I actually got round even doing that.
The reality is that I’ve missed interacting with people wayyyy more than I thought I could. From seeing many of my peers frustratingly brainstorming ideas for a brief we still didn’t quite understand, to the fortunate stroke of serendipity when I’d see a mate in the tube on a commutes to/from Uni, all those experiences and routines were giving me a chance to get outside my bubble and find many creative common grounds and passions – I actually had a life! something I can’t quite uphold to as much right now, especially as all of the few placement I’ve (fortunately) had, were a constant reminder of the value of actually being around people, and not communicate via Zoom, Slack, IG or whatever app promises to be just like the “real deal”, ‘cause they aren't.
I’ve been somewhat determined to at least work towards shaping my skills, through courses, tutorials and personal projects regardless of the industry experience I’d get, to have some of the basic technical skills needed to realise my ideas, in the hope of shaping a body of work that resonates with my interests and close my growing creative gap ever so slightly. I still stand by the aforementioned, but I’m also realising the fact that I’m not projecting far enough, past the tools and aesthetic outcomes, but increasingly undermining what is the most important components of creative work: the idea + purpose.
After a very short internship trial at an amazing Titles Sequence and Motion studio, the co-founder shared with me some of their ongoing projects that I, obviously, hadn’t been exposed to in the short time I was with them. He spent some time talking me through the idea behind a rather unusual project that didn’t even seem relevant to their body of work at first, but couldn’t help but respect them even more due to the concept, audience and outreach it could’ve had, ultimately sharing with me that I should “really want to be a designer that tells stories and comes up with ideas with context, making pretty stuff for the sake of it will only satisfy one aspect of [my] practice. Focusing too much on the tools will just make [me] a button-pusher, for executing other people's ideas”, a harsh but true reality I need to seriously grapple with.
That reality-check prompted me to explore the importance of Decolonising Practices, its crux of which has undoubtedly shaped my own shallow definition of Design and Art, a greater topic I’ve admittedly not really bothered looking into, or neglected due to the large, uncomfortable conversations that often arise from it.
As a black, immigrant creative, the vast majority of what I’ve been taught academically has been mostly western-centric, from Literature, Maths, Sports, Science to Art & Design, I’ve grown to accept the history of each domain as the standard way of approaching those things, regardless of how much I was interested in the subjects.
As I’ve grown more, and made more conscious decisions about the subjects, fields (and subfields) I wish to explore, these same western-centric conventions seem to still hold that intangible sense of authority in almost everything I come across and consume, from where I go to find my “inspiration” to where I rely on to learn the techniques...if I dig a bit deeper, the foundations and practices far too often laid out by the western-centric communities:
After a very short internship trial at an amazing Titles Sequence and Motion studio, the co-founder shared with me some of their ongoing projects that I, obviously, hadn’t been exposed to in the short time I was with them. He spent some time talking me through the idea behind a rather unusual project that didn’t even seem relevant to their body of work at first, but couldn’t help but respect them even more due to the concept, audience and outreach it could’ve had, ultimately sharing with me that I should “really want to be a designer that tells stories and comes up with ideas with context, making pretty stuff for the sake of it will only satisfy one aspect of [my] practice. Focusing too much on the tools will just make [me] a button-pusher, for executing other people's ideas”, a harsh but true reality I need to seriously grapple with.
That reality-check prompted me to explore the importance of Decolonising Practices, its crux of which has undoubtedly shaped my own shallow definition of Design and Art, a greater topic I’ve admittedly not really bothered looking into, or neglected due to the large, uncomfortable conversations that often arise from it.
As a black, immigrant creative, the vast majority of what I’ve been taught academically has been mostly western-centric, from Literature, Maths, Sports, Science to Art & Design, I’ve grown to accept the history of each domain as the standard way of approaching those things, regardless of how much I was interested in the subjects.
As I’ve grown more, and made more conscious decisions about the subjects, fields (and subfields) I wish to explore, these same western-centric conventions seem to still hold that intangible sense of authority in almost everything I come across and consume, from where I go to find my “inspiration” to where I rely on to learn the techniques...if I dig a bit deeper, the foundations and practices far too often laid out by the western-centric communities:
Prior to sessions about the topic, I’d often ask myself “how big of a deal” can it really be? but after delving a bit deeper into the by-product of overly western-centric design foundations, I realised that a lot of the conversation surrounding the need to ‘decolonise design’, that is, the “shattering of the familiar” western/European practices, is essentially what the design process should be in the first place.
In an article by Eye on Design, Graphic Designer, Simba Ncube mentions how “our reliance on western culture inhibits our ability to incorporate other standards”, which might seem like a long shot when we’re often reminded of the numerous achievements from the west, but for the problems we’re facing today and the ones that've plagued us for decades, those ‘canons’ could be detrimental to innovations across a range of industries. The article further mentions that, often, when creative work from non-western cultures, such as tribal Ghanaian textures, make their way to the international mainstream, there’s a tendency to “cast [it] as craft rather than design”, undermining the creative process and thinking that may have gone behind it. But who decides what’s design or what “good design” even is?
In my first year of ‘high school’ in Italy, before moving to the UK, after being briefed to create a champagne bottle sticker with the new Adobe Illustrator tricks we’d just learnt, I was later quite happy to share my pattern extravaganza design, which was jokingly referred to as “exotic” by my teacher, maybe given the fact I was 1 of the only 2 black people in the class. While she meant well, it’s something that, in hindsight, underlines the need for design education and history to be stretched far beyond the borders of what we’re used to, which in turn can only yield a broader, innovative and status-quo-breaking range of work everyone can benefit from. Now, imagine if that notion was applied to other industries like STEM ones, what ideas from Zambia, Cameroon, Malaysia or Peru could usher novel solutions to ideas the West still struggles with today?! 🤩
In an article by Eye on Design, Graphic Designer, Simba Ncube mentions how “our reliance on western culture inhibits our ability to incorporate other standards”, which might seem like a long shot when we’re often reminded of the numerous achievements from the west, but for the problems we’re facing today and the ones that've plagued us for decades, those ‘canons’ could be detrimental to innovations across a range of industries. The article further mentions that, often, when creative work from non-western cultures, such as tribal Ghanaian textures, make their way to the international mainstream, there’s a tendency to “cast [it] as craft rather than design”, undermining the creative process and thinking that may have gone behind it. But who decides what’s design or what “good design” even is?
In my first year of ‘high school’ in Italy, before moving to the UK, after being briefed to create a champagne bottle sticker with the new Adobe Illustrator tricks we’d just learnt, I was later quite happy to share my pattern extravaganza design, which was jokingly referred to as “exotic” by my teacher, maybe given the fact I was 1 of the only 2 black people in the class. While she meant well, it’s something that, in hindsight, underlines the need for design education and history to be stretched far beyond the borders of what we’re used to, which in turn can only yield a broader, innovative and status-quo-breaking range of work everyone can benefit from. Now, imagine if that notion was applied to other industries like STEM ones, what ideas from Zambia, Cameroon, Malaysia or Peru could usher novel solutions to ideas the West still struggles with today?! 🤩
As I looked deeper into what various players, like Antionette D. Carroll, in the creative industry are doing to advocate, discuss and usher Design Equity for BAME communities and decolonize design at its roots, I can’t help but respect and admire them all for having these uncomfortable discussions with other industry leaders and give them both a reality check of what our communities and people at large really need, and shatter some of the legacy frameworks that’ve held us from making real change.
While I am no design leader, nor do I intend to be one, I’m realising that even as a black, aspiring junior designer it’s my responsibility to start diversifying where I find my visual inspiration from, what I consider to be “good design” and most importantly start taking myself out of the equation when designing for an audience that I don’t represent, as well as adding my experience as a minority to the equation when something is being designed for the BAME community.
With more thoughtful notions about the potential of my design and motion work, I look forward to riding out the remaining months of DPS, getting out of my shell and connecting more with the DPS cohort however possible, and hopefully share some of the high & lows we’ve all undoubtedly had... and some good memes of course 👀.
Thanks for scrolling this far 👋🏾
REFERENCES:
- Antionette D. Carroll: Understanding Identity, Power, & Equity in Design Leadership
- What Does It Mean to Decolonize Design?
- Q&A with Sandy Speicher —Where are the Black Designers?
Abraham E.
Graphic & Media Design
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