Michal Maciaszczyk (GMD)
https://mehow.myportfolio.com/blog

​Over the course of the last year, we all had way too much time with our own thoughts and surely many of us spent it on "living on the internet". Like everything else, it has its pros and cons. The internet helped us to stay in touch and allowed me to continue my work remotely. But as a graphic and media design student, I realized an alarming increase of my screen time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I was interested in how it influences my everyday well-being and mental health in general. Unfortunately, with more online news I followed, the more anxious I felt. Consecutive spikes in sickness, huge numbers I didn't really understand, government assurances that were changed every now and then. Overall, I very often felt this strange feeling of stress, anxiety and lack of control over what I couldn't really change. ​

Black Lives Matter movement assigned to Nike's products. The equality movement is not a fast-fashion slogan.

​The peak of this complete online confusion came at the time when everyone was posting black squares on social media to show their solidarity with the Black Live Matter movement. All my woke friends became experts in the topic. One day I saw a Nike advertisement - 'For Once, Don't Do It' and on the same day, my friend posted that all white people are racists. It made me feel confused and concern at the same time. Based on gained knowledge, Nike’s campaign is nothing more than a good real-time marketing move and most of my friends opinions are nothing more than modern populism. Even if I support the idea of this movement, the pace at which the movement was capitalized simply shocked me.

That was the moment when I realized that it's so hard for me to find focus and also I figured out that my online presence affects my mental health. As the result, I decided to significantly reduce my media consumption.

The rainbow Apple logo during Pride Month, real support for the LGBT community or marketing tricks?

Politicians, designers as well as marketers, they are all specialist in what emotions to arouse to achieve their goals. Is it possible that they do not have scruples to count on someone else's harm? Sadly, I doubt they care very much. That's why a somber Instagram post is meaningless when it comes from a multi-billion dollar company. Knowing something about branding and marketing, I know very well that such campaigns are not put into action unless they are to be profitable. This is the truth about capitalist reality we all live in - profit over everything.

​
Big brands are speaking up on social equality, but are they taking action behind the scenes?


Does Nike’s campaign change the world for the better? It is certainly meant to look like this. I don't think I am the right person to judge, but what I see (as a designer) is definitely using someone's pain to gain profit. Nike is not the only one, almost every big company change their colour for the pride month but what does it really mean?

I remember Tinder's #singlenotsorry campaign. This corporation used the person of Chider Eggerue (@theslumflower - a feminist and author of valuable books) to promote their dating app by benefiting from feminist woman’s image. It supposed to be a  celebration of single culture and the important role being single plays in people's lives but here is my question...

how does choosing women based on their picture based profile relate to the philosophy of feminism? In marketing, a big brand always stands for great cause, but in many cases it's just a cover-up for their worse parts. I am sure that anyone who uses Tinder before can also relate to the same feeling, it is an extremely toxic environment. It may be true that Tinder want to convey something positive but it's definitely true that, like social media, Tinder causes body confidence problems because you are continually aware of your online competition.

To explain my confusion, I must say that I do not deny actions of activists but just question the pure intentions from corporations...

​Using the same narrative in a new context. 'Western civilization saves the whole world' - humanitarian catholic aid in Africa (old) or the enlightenment of ethnic minorities by conviction to western,  progressive values. (new)

Hence my thesis in the context of - profiting off the pain. I do not judge activists for their decisions - everybody needs money to maintain, but what’s the solution in my case? Where do I see myself as a designer? What do I stand for? The creative industry seems just ruthless and manipulative. If I once knew my views were progressive, now I don't believe in any of these political illusions.

At a young age I moved out of Poland where the Catholic Church has influence on the government's decision. After a few years of living in London, I can see that the opposite is not so different. I recognize the same sociotechnical methods where people blindly believe in certain 'saint'  and undateable values without any chance to question it - as is the case with any religion.

In London there is completely opposite but somehow similar way of mass indoctrination. In this case, there is a constructed narrative which draws from something as positive as social activism. (In Poland, the equivalent of this could be catholic social service organizations such as Caritas.)

Such activism was the main reason why I joined UAL, because I still believe that we (designers) could change something for better through our actions, but I don't accept to believe that our efforts are just a corporate product for sale.
​

Corporations are increasingly involved in contentious social debates – such as race discrimination – that are not the business of business. Companies will always be dependent on the market needs, therefore social justice initiatives shouldn't be capitalized by venal sponsors.


Unfortunately, I see it everywhere... ignorant celebrities promote body positivity, fast fashion brands pretend to be sustainable, liberal politicians use LGBT community for their political propaganda and many many more. No doubt, activism became a profitable trend. It all became very popular in the time of social media rise and the rich wanting to profit on it. In my opinion it is earning money based on someone else's harm or discrimination. What does it have to do with change for the better?

The family model according to Volvo in Poland and in the rest of Europe. Brand values should not depend on the audience.
​
This is one of the most interesting examples showing the scale of the problem. Marketing specialists decided that the same content must be conveyed in a different way depending on their target audience. In the same post, Volvo Cars in Poland changed its original post with gay couple into a 'traditional family' which in Poland represents popular ‘traditional values’.


Something that is ultimately obvious to me as a marketer seems to be a scam to me as a human being. 


Here is the problem that affects me as a designer. Big brands such as Apple portray themselves as great supporters of the rights of sexual minorities but see no conflict when selling their products in Saudi Arabia where the penalty for homosexuality is being beheaded.

Again, I am not here to judge or reveal the truth, I am simply trying to find right approach to my specialization. Isn't it that activists are trying to fix something and when we succeed, it is sold as a ready-to-wear product?

​I'm not a fanatic and I am not looking for any conspiracy theories but  clearly something is wrong here.  I just don't know what to make of it all. It deeply hurts me when I see it in the world of art, there is a certain set of topics considered right to present, does it not kill the freedom flowing from art? Can I be correct and wrong at the same time? Is it not obvious that positive discrimination is still discrimination? If politicians would be disastrous artists, why are artists so keen on politics today? Is political art the only art that matters now? How interesting it is! How much I like to delve so deeply into such complex topics!
​
How should I approach my profession when a large company offers me a lucrative contract? I know that some brands are trying to change something for the better, but how do I know what to choose. During my year in industry, I faced my first moral design choices. On the other hand, I don't want to get paranoid, nowadays everything is political and maybe it can't be changed. Either you have to be on the right or on the left side... It's a pity choice because the world of art and design has always been an escape from what this machiavellian mindset represents. 

Hi I am Karman, a student from BA Graphic Branding and Identity.
 
This is a year full of challenges for me. I planned to start a new internship in Feb unfortunately it cancelled due to the Covid variant I was not able to be back in London. I was lucky to be recommended by an old colleague to work in Fit&Misfit, a start-up clothing brand in Hong Kong. This is the most challenging internship job. I can join in different parts of works and discussions as this reason I have more chances the reach different professional fields of people and gain experience from them. My employers allowed me to have complete freedom in the design field, as it’s a start-up company they are willing to have a new trial even that seems impossible. In one of the projects we tried to design an online meditation, we used sound and motion graphic on an online store to guide our users to create their own most comfortable pattern for the clothes. We clearly see our societies and general markets are moving to the virtual world due to the pandemic. But before that, we can still observe the trend of virtualising, virtual fittings, VR applications, even virtual banks. As a graphic designer these are challenging me how to cross the line from physical to virtual. When I design my artworks the material is one of the important parts of the presentation but now it’s hard to display while virtualised. My internships experience provided me with some new opportunities to satisfy the virtual markets. To assist the fashion and textile designers is a part of my job, they have the knowledge of garment and fabrics and I know how to play with the patterns and visual. One of my colleague who worked in the art industry for over 10 years, he has a different perspective to treat artworks. As a design student I was only know how to design something’s eye-catching, I never think about how to let the artworks be influential to our societies, and that really makes me reconsider ‘what is design’.
 
Sylvain Boyer, French graphic designer, initiated an Ecobranding campaign - redesign the logo with hollow design to reduce the amount of ink used by about 10% to 40% worldwide. Every design decision has a great impact on the environment even if the change is subtle, the effect of saving resources is still significant. A logo will be printed tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of times, a change has a great contribution to the ecology and economy of the earth. Reducing the amount of printing ink is not only beneficial to the ecological environment but saves corporate expenses. According to Consumer Reports, the price of printing ink per ounce ranges from US$13-75.
 
Considering the brand recognition, popular and traditional brands may be difficult to abandon their original logo for environmental reasons. Tom Rickner, director of Monotype Studio thinks it is problematic to implement environmentally friendly logo. He pointed out that the concept of reducing the lines and ink consumption of trademarks has long existed. Monotype's early newspaper printing emphasized the readability of words. In addition to the balance between the two, the brand’s reputation must also be considered in brand design. The design, colour and imagery of the font itself are one of the main elements to establish a brand’s reputation, for environmental protection The above conditions must be considered when changing the trademark design due to factors.
 
It may be difficult for major brands to change their logo; fonts are also an important element in design though. Hollow fonts and hollow trademark designs can also greatly reduce the amount of ink. London advertising agency Grey and stationery brand Ryman also collaborated to design the free font Ryman Eco. For printing purposes, compared to popular fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana, using Ryman Eco fonts can reduce ink usage by up to 30%. Dan Rathigan, the designer of Ryman Eco, said: "Ryman Eco's design concept based on the concept of environmental protection, hoping to reduce the amount of ink by reducing the area of printed letters." The use of hollow fonts for printing purposes other than trademarks is more attractive to companies. The development space is relatively larger.
 
Sustainability is without doubt one of the significant focus to businesses in the UK, we can see a gradually mature development tendency, however, there is still relatively in its infancy in Hong Kong. This is the first time I’ve been back to the workplace in Hong Kong after 2 years, I can see the grow of sustainability of businesses is becoming unpredictable. Sustainability seems a new concept and growing sluggishly. Meanwhile, Sustainability being an important topic of new and young enterprises. Review my internship job in Fit&Misfit, be sustainable is one of the major goal. As a clothing brand they deeply know how fast fashion affects the environment. We released a scheme that we encouraged our customer to bring their own clothes and we helped them redesign it. This is a totally new concept to me and really impressed me. Not only Fit&Misfit, I saw lots of young enterprises put the effort on sustainability and trying so hard to find the balance between design and environmental protection. This inspired me as a graphic designer how can I implant sustainability into my futures design. Like the example I mentioned, hollow logo design reduced ink consumption by reducing the area of printing, I guess this will be one of the direction when I am working on things about sustainability. Plastics succeeded in changing the way of life of human beings because of the low-cost nature of plastics, but they laid the groundwork for the climate crisis years later. The Ecobranding campaign definitely a perfect reference to promote sustainability in Hong Kong as now we know to reduce the amount of printing ink is not only beneficial to the ecological environment, but also saves corporate expenses, this is a huge benefit to businesses.
 
Sources:
 
Ecobranding – Branding with Eco-design
https://ecobranding-design.com/ecobranding/
 
Consumer Reports – The High Cost of Wasted Printer Ink
https://www.consumerreports.org/printers/the-high-cost-of-wasted-printer-ink/
 
 
 
 

Alexandra Virlan
​Graphic & Media Design
Visual designer @claptongirls

Has the pandemic proved to be the right push for organisations who otherwise counted on print form as their trusted medium? Will schools, in particular, continue to do things the way they used to pre-Covid? Or will they continue to restructure their systems, now that they have witnessed the full effects of the digital realm.

​Just two questions that arises from discussions within the marketing office at CGA (a school in Hackney that I am currently still working with). A year living with Covid-19 has cornered artists/designers/marketers into unleashing their digital skills, even further than some might have already been tackling. Schools in particular have been put to the test the most, as in a short time span, technology had to be at the centre of everything they did. CGA, founded in 1906, has always honoured its traditional ways of doing. Fast forward to last October, 2020, when I started working; the school was at the stage of rethinking majority of their event structures for online use. Having been a student myself at the school, seeing the development of certain frameworks move to digital, has been a real life time-lapse of print to digital form. The digital world has allowed us to keep running even when the physicality of work, shops, leisure activities had to be put on pause. Considering our technologically driven world, we predict that a digital future is the right direction we should be headed in and as creatives, we are always told to think about the future of design. But what happens if the internet is still not accessible to everyone? And will the digital ever replace a physical experience? ​

​Working within a marketing department is a constant learning curve, to say that the digital wave has not persuaded schools is to say the least. Education became one of the main environments for technology to thrive during this last year; CGA has experienced a big push when it came to rethinking architectural structures of how they do things, how they run events and how best to support their students. One of my first solo project was reworking their structure of how Sixth Form students were able to explore their interest subjects through taster sessions and how they decided on their A-level choices, all paperless and all virtual. Although for this digital option, the audience in question are well equipped to handle the navigations, I pause and wonder though- would schools have changed their, in-person ways, if the system put in place did not reflect any problems? As a result then, has the pandemic ultimately pushed certain institutions in doing things differently than they were willing to try? Potentially a positive way forward that they will continue to use. The final product for the Sixth Form turned into an interactive subject map, showcasing 22 options, where students virtually were able to get a taste of their subjects. <https://www.cgasixthform.com/virtual-open-evening> The Sixth Form team seeing the map work in action are now reconsidering the way they will do subject choices moving forward; this raises my initial exploration again of- will the digital ever replace a physical experience? Or will it continue to always aid alongside the physical?
​
Analysing data and statistics has been one new strand of information I have been able to learn while in charge of social media and helping with the schools digital newsletter. School newsletters originally have always reminded me of primary school; the end of school on a Friday, with the paper stuck to my hands to give to my mum. It’s memories like this where print forms can physically create experiences as memories. Yet even before the pandemic, the education environment took a step further from print newsletters and letters as they started to mass email them out. Even primary schools nowadays, equip parents with apps to allow them to keep track of all parent letters. Much more information is now kept online, as we consider it to be safer and easier not to loose track off, but although technology proves to be the direction of the future, how safe is this path that we are all blindly following and using, especially now as the pandemic has proved to us how reliant we are on it. Technology, especially during the last year, has made us reliant on the services it provides; it has provided us with information, it has kept us connected with our loved ones and at times helped us escape our house even if only briefly and virtually, and for all of this technology has gained our trust. But if ‘algorithms are opinions embedded in code’ (O’Neil, 2017) then should we be blind in thinking technology is more accurate than any other forms. At the end of the day we have to remember that even technology was created by us, therefore the historical data sets that are embedded in certain algorithms are simply the repeat of our past practices and patterns, as Cathy O’Neil points out. Technology has always been a further aid of the physical and I believe that even if advancements lead technology as a stand alone, it will always need a human interaction, as practices and patterns can sometimes have a sudden change, otherwise not predicted by the algorithms made. 

As a young creative, I know that the potential for digital design is huge. Situating myself within the education environment these past few months, I am able to witness the digital world expanding the potential of what schools can do, making them run smoother and much more efficient during times of change. But we all know print will always be at the heart of things, the same way human opinions are essentially what creates codes for algorithms.

Alexandra Virlan
@Alexandra.virlann

References:
​O’Neil, C. (2017) TED: The era of blind faith in big data must end. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/_2u_eHHzRto>.  

When discussing medium with fellow junior creatives, digital is the outright forerunner for nearly every designer I know. In fact, the debate is far more which design software you use - is it Adobe? Blender? Are you desperately trying to understand ToonBoom by the end of the week? - not whether you work digitally.  However, digital artists and designers, despite providing the professional skills necessary in nearly every corner of the industry, have always found it a little difficult to make money out of our originals. 
 
Before I get in to the nitty gritty, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Elizabeth (Lee) Stephenson, a designer and illustrator specialising in 2D digital work, currently studying Illustration and Visual Media at LCC. So far, I’ve done a little bit of everything, and even been paid for some of it. However, one thing that remains consistent is that - because 80% of my work is digital - clients, tutors, and peers have decided that it’s easy. Critiques are a little slice of nightmare fuel, and actually being paid for the hours you put in to something is nigh on impossible. 
 
Designers have always been exploited, and with the rise of digital, clients have decided exploitation is charity. 
 
So, like most designers who spend their days plugged in to the internet mainframe, when I heard some of my favourite designers were making upwards of 20 thousand USD for a single jpeg by minting them in the blockchain, I just about lost my mind.
 
Sharma, R (2021) defines NFT’s as “cryptographic assets on blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other. Unlike cryptocurrencies, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency.” In simpler terms, NFT’s, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are uniquely coded jpegs encrypted within cryptocurrency, primarily Ethereum, to then be bought and sold within the crypto network. In even simpler terms, they’re like Pokémon cards surrounded by cryptocurrency, that are sold for tens of thousands of dollars. 
 
Michael Winkelmann, professionally known as Beeple, made $53 million USD in real terms, and over $70 million USD in Ethereum on paper, through NFT sales in early 2021. This translates to roughly 3300 Ether, each created through digital Proof of Work (or POW) blockchain processes. His most expensive work, Everydays: The First 5000 Days (2021) – fig. 1, sold for $69,346,250 on 11th March, 2021. At the time, this was the most expensive NFT ever sold. It has since been overtaken. 

​Design has always thrived at the forefront of technology, and in the mid-pandemic crypto boom of early 2021, there was absolutely no exception. Designers had found a niche in which their work was being appreciated monetarily, and were utilising it quickly and effectively. The only problem is, this wasn’t the full story. 
 
Due to their reliance on electricity to be produced, cryptocurrencies utilise a great deal of carbon with each transaction. In fact, the production, sale, and transfer of ownership of each NFT, across an average of 8000 transactions conducted by Memo Akten (2021), produces roughly 211kg of Carbon. That’s equivalent to an EU residents electricity consumption for 1 month. 
 
One of the most popular NFT trading platforms, SupeRare, has been home to Crypto Artists for an average of 11 months. The average artist who has been using this platform for those 11 months, has a Crypto Art related carbon footprint of over 2 tonnes, or the equivalent of a plane flying 57 hours, non-stop.
 
The total number of all NFTs on SupeRare, have a Carbon footprint of over 4 Megatonnes – or driving a petrol car 20 million miles, or an EU residents electricity consumption for 2 thousand years. And this is just one of many sites. 
 
The above figures were produced by Memo Akten in December 2020, before the major mainstream boom of NFTs. The Carbon production has since become far, far worse.
 
In their article drawing attention to the Carbon cost of NFT transactions, Akten stated “I am absolutely not blaming the artists. I have no doubt in my mind that they have no clue this is happening.” However, this is no longer the case. As NFTs have become more popular, the carbon related issues have become more well known. 
 
At a point when the majority of designers are aiming to decarbonise their work and minimise their carbon footprints, a small number of highly successful artists and designers in popular internet circles have chosen profit over environmental longevity. Having been exploited in their craft for so long, any opportunity to make large profits was quickly jumped at – with little concern for the toll on an already dying planet. 
 
It could, of course, be argued that this is not the fault of the designers, and that the system itself is broken. However, is it not the prerogative of all designers to work within a broken system in order to fix it, from the inside out? We’re all culpable, somewhat, for feeding in to the entirely profit driven form of hell that we currently find ourselves – we eat fast food because it’s cheaper than vegan, we took on that big-name brief because we need the exposure. However, when it comes to entirely designer related circles, where designers themselves are causing the problem, there is very little cause for sympathy or exemption. 
 
One of the most concerning developments of the NFT saga, is the subsequent move from giant corporations and to join the NFT trend. Pringles, DC comics, and powerhouse fine artist Takashi Murakami have all joined the current NFT climate, bringing what has previously been a quiet struggle between designers to the forefront of the public conscious. And, in the style we have become accustomed to with the majority of these ‘get rich quick online!’ schemes, the market was quickly overrun and saturated by people desperately trying to jump on the gold train to a burning planet. The market remains oversaturated and, while Ethereum is currently sitting at an all-time high, many artists are now not making back the value of the cryptocurrency it takes to produce an NFT. 
 
Designers, artists, animators, and freelance practitioners of all varieties, deserve respect in their work and decent monetary compensation for the value they add to society. It doesn’t matter if you’re working for yourself, for a small company in house, or for the world’s largest design agency – we all deserve respect. We all deserve to live our lives in safety and security. And we should, under no circumstances, be expected to sacrifice the wellbeing of our planet in order to do so. As designers, it is our responsibility to accept people and their practices, and champion an inclusive and sustainable design industry open to all. Improving the interpersonal treatment within the industry - treating clients and collaborators with respect, understanding the importance of varied practices, and removing the corruption of nepotism and cronyism as the primary methods of ‘breaking in’ and getting work, are the only ways to avoid a repeat of the dangerous NFT saga. 
 
The climate damage done by NFTs and the artists who rely on them for income is virtually incalculable at this point. We could well have undone any good done by increased sustainable design practice in the past year. It is our job, as designers just beginning to understand our identities and roles in the future, to create a creative environment where climate destroying technology like NFTs and their successors, are both unused and unnecessary. 
 
Thanks for reading,
Lee :) 
 

References:
 
BBC (2021) ‘What are NFTs and why are some worth millions?’, 12th March
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56371912 [Accessed 8th April 2021]
 
Clarke, M (2021) ‘NFTs, explained’ The Verge, 11th March
Available at: https://www.theverge.com/22310188/nft-explainer-what-is-blockchain-crypto-art-faq [Accessed 8th April 2021)
 
Howson, P (2021) ‘NFTs: why digital art has such a massive carbon footprint’ The Conversation, 1st April 
https://theconversation.com/nfts-why-digital-art-has-such-a-massive-carbon-footprint-158077 [Accessed 8th April 2021] 
 
Kastrenakes, J (2021) ‘Beeple sold an NFT for $69 million’ The Verge, 11th March
Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/11/22325054/beeple-christies-nft-sale-cost-everydays-69-million [Accessed 8th April 2021]
 
Memo Akten (2020) ‘The Unreasonable Ecological Cost of #CryptoArt (Part 1)’, Memo Akten, 14th December
Available at https://memoakten.medium.com/the-unreasonable-ecological-cost-of-cryptoart-2221d3eb2053[Accessed 8th April 2021]
​

I’m Trevor, I’m an Illustrator and animator based in London. I’m studying illustration and Visual Media and am interested in the field of animation and all that it has to offer. 
I’m currently working with a refugee charity to create a 5-minute animation based around an oral recording of a refugee’s experience and have been working on some collaborative projects with other DPS students.
 
Through attending the lectures on technology practice + space – I was able to find something that I find intriguing and sparks some interest in the subject of what parts technology plays in the design industry that you might not think about; this being Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence and how they have such influence over our everyday life, as well as the big part they’ll play in our future.
Looking at aspects in technology and how they have taken over industries with automation and the growing result of AI leaves the question of what parts AI will play within the design industry and our own practices.
Will AI take over, where people would be able to go onto a website type in some specification for a designed logo they want. Then an AI will use this information to create a logo, eliminating the need for designers.
But also, these notions that I’ve specified feel very distant like it’ll be sometime before the robots take over – even today designers have the help of AI and algorithms in their work, with design tools, social media, and a lot of everyday life. For example, when you’re in a design software like Illustrator or InDesign, there are AI coded in to help selecting a colour, typeface etc. With AI in its infancy, we need to start addressing the ethics and morals of AI and algorithms in the industry.
 
In the Google AI framework (Google, no date), they have laid out some principles stating that that they would like to use AI to help solve important problems and help people in their daily lives, furthermore trying to uphold scientific excellence, and making sure AI isn’t used for morally corrupt reasons.
This framework is a beginning to help make sure that we stay fair and use Artificial intelligence to help further our work and everyday lives - also that some areas AI shouldn’t be pursued where it would take over industries and eliminate work.
This is a good step, as it allows people to feel at ease; making sure that people have an understanding that the industry won’t be monopolized by the threat of AI and Algorithms but instead that they will help the world and industries flourish and be the best they can be as well as to help and assist people in working, planning, navigating, and other day-to-day life activities. 
 
Even some governments like Australia (AI ethics principles, no date) have put in some ethical guidelines for people and companies to follow when creating AI, so they can help reduce a risk of negative impact, and that the creation of AI should be to create something that benefits people and make the world a fairer place.
Having a government starting to address this is quite interesting, as it’s a steppingstone for other countries to consider the possibilities of AI and making sure it doesn’t become a threat and a tool for misinformation, or segregation. The capabilities of AI are endless, but this is a key point in history to scrutinise the capabilities of AI so then we will be better equipped to deal with the impact that it’ll have on the future of industries and people lives.

When creating Artificial intelligence, it’s important to address how algorithms can impact society, for example algorithms not making it easy for emerging designers and artists.
 
Making sure that we have considered the ethics of AI, there are so many ways it can evolve letting the imagination run wild, but the future of AI shouldn’t be to dominate the human race but instead to help make everyone life a little bit easier. 

Even in its infancy AI Is a dangerous tool that can be a reckoning or a gift but right now is the time to choose and make that decision while we have time to make that decision and before it does any more damage than it already has.
This damage I refer to being misinformation, AI created images, videos, music, design, art etc.
In an article written by Anna Cafolla (2017), she talks about a study by researchers at the Rutgers university’s art and artificial intelligence laboratory. They were able to teach an AI how to be creative by feeding it thousands of images and allowed it to grow its own sense of style. They then used the work that the AI created and showcased them along with human artist work.
When concluding the study, it appeared that most people weren’t able to distinguish from the humans to the AI work, and some most of the participants preferred the AI artwork more.
 
There needs to be more discussion around these subjects such as fake news, as the AI bots that are responsible for sharing and creating false information need to be stopped. Although not all AI is bad, like using AI to predict who will share and spread that fake news.
 
An article written by the University of Sheffield (University of Sheffield, 2020) uses an AI and algorithms to examine a couple of thousand twitter accounts and over 1 million tweets so then it can properly identify and predict who is most likely to spread false information through the platform.
Being able to predict information like this, is amazing as it gives the platform another way to tackle and stop the spread of fake news using different means that people might not consider. Having this kind of growth will allows us to consider more possibilities and allow us to think of new ways to tackle new ways of making sure 


Through attending this session and then further researching the subject I have been able to reflect on the information and conclude that AI and algorithms in the industry are important to help maintain a lot of systems currently and the growth in which AI is developing is amazing and wonderful but also quite scary.
This research has led me to believe the future is what we make of it. We need to make sure to take control and think of all the contingencies now so then there won’t be any types of problems or issue that’ll occur in the future. Furthermore, allowing the use of AI instead of taking over helping to improve our ways of life, and to make sure that the world is a better place for tomorrow.
 
 
 
 
Google (no date.) Artificial Intelligence at Google: Our Principles. Available at: https://ai.google/principles/ (Accessed:29 March 2021).
 
University of Sheffield (2020) AI can predict Twitter users likely to spread disinformation before they do it. Available at: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/ai-can-predict-twitter-users-likely-spread-disinformation-they-do-it (Accessed: 30 March 2021).
 
Australian Government (no date.) AI Ethics Principles. Available at: https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/building-australias-artificial-intelligence-capability/ai-ethics-framework/ai-ethics-principles(Accessed:29 March 2021).
 
Caffolla, A. (2017) People chose AI-made artwork over actual Art Basel pieces. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/36940/1/people-chose-ai-made-artwork-over-actual-art-basel-pieces (Accessed: 1 April 2021).
 
Basu, R. (2019) Algorithms Are a Designer’s New BFF – Here’s Proof. Available at: https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/principles/emerging-technology/automation-ai-wont-replace-designers/ (Accessed: 3 April 2021).
 
Walch, K. (2019) Ethical concerns of AI. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2020/12/29/ethical-concerns-of-ai/  (Accessed: 5 April 2021).
 
 
 
 

Hi, I am Fredrikke Rusten studying design for art direction at LCC.

This uni year has gone by in a flash and we are already almost halfway through 2021. In March 2020 I believed that the pandemic would be over by now but we are finally starting to see what looks like the end of it soon. I started my internship at an agency in Norway at the end of August 2020. I was so fortunate to be able to work from the office at that point. It was great because I was able to socialize, form relationships with my coworkers, prove myself and learn more about the industry and myself all at once.  As covid started taking a more prominent role in what was quite subtle restrictions in Norway, in November we were all sent home and told to work from our households. The question I asked myself was, how would this affect the learning profession, to what extent would it effect the agencies work and how can we benefit from an experience like this? ​

As of February 2021, I had been working from home for about three months and I could feel the lack of physical relationships, the importance of small talk at the office in order to get inspired, and the absence of motivation kicking in. Although it is hard, I do realize that the world and the agency was still trying to thrive even when working from home. This is extremely interesting because it opens up the question of, do we need physical workplaces in the future, or will more jobs have the opportunity to work remotely. I believe that this new phenomenon of more people working remotely does have both its pros and cons in our complex world. One pro that I have realized is that I have used nearly no public transportation due to lockdown. This applies to many other people who have tried to avoid traveling, hence bringing everyone’s carbon footprint down by a large amount. One negative aspect of working from home is the lack of social interactions one has on a daily basis. Even though digital interactions/meetings work, I do believe that physical interactions are a vital part of everyday life and that that connection cannot be replaced online through a screen.  

John Thackara has written a book called ‘In The Bubble’ and there he talks about how our society has become extremely materialistic and how he wants us to rely less on stuff, and more on people. The question is how we can design society another way and design products that will be sustainable, cruelty free etc. This is what we need to focus on and use our already existing technology to help this complex world that we have created but that is destructive. One role design can have is through creating desirable, aesthetically pleasing packaging and products that will push our society forward to go in the right direction. Design has such a vital role for the consumer and I believe that due to social media, people are more engaged and aware of things that are aesthetically pleasing while also aware of sustainability. This is something that we have been working on at work. There has been several instances where we have been conscious of designing packaging that would fit in our complex world so that for ex. Its co2 emissions would be less, designing in order to use as little waste and material as possible.  

I worked with a big Norwegian corporate company called DNV back in December and they wanted to create Corona prompts in order to communicate certain corona restrictions they wanted these to by physical, but us as designers were able to convice them that since no one is at their offices we only create them for digital use in order to save paper, ink and electricity. They agreed to this and the final outcomes were only digital. By educating DNV about the benefits of only digital outcomes for the environment and how it can be used for better communication w were able to create something for a world that does not need more posters that will just be thrown away later, but rather ones that are ever lasting, on the computer and social media.

Bruce Sterling wrote in Shaping Things that through all our new devices we are becoming increasingly connected but through all this new information and technology how can we navigate through it. What we need are new tools as designers in order to create a sustainable world while also still maintaining good design. The car industry is where design meets great technological function and where even some now have become more eco-friendly, and a great example of this is Tesla. With the leading battery technology and incredible technological functions all throughout the car, Tesla has also had a large focus on the design of the car. They designed an electrical car with a sleek and somewhat sports like appearance. Due to its desirable design and battery efficiency, it easily becomes a consumer favourite while also acting a sustainable product. They have tried to solve a complex problem in society and have really come up with a type of eco friendly packaging, creating a desirable and aesthetically pleasing product.

After nine months in industry both working from home and at the office I see how the agency has been able to benefit from this situation and really pull through and motivate us as employees. We have been able to find solutions to missing the social aspect in the workplace with social gatherings via zoom instead. I believe that this pandemic has really challenged the complex world we live in today but has made people become more creative with their problem solving. It has brought the best and the worst out of people, but all in everyone has learned something about oneself and we have seen both the negative and positive effects that the pandemic has had globally.

To really finish off I want to ask you what your thoughts are on the effects of the pandemic globally. You should also ask yourself in such a complex, networked and technologically driven world are we really holding ourselves accountable and doing what we say we do? Are we as sustainable as we say we would like to be? Are we holding ourselves and others accountable to take care of this globalised world? I believe that we have come far, but that there is still a lot to learn.

Sources: 
- Bruce Sterling, Shaping Things: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/shaping-things
-John Thackara, In the Bubble: https://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Designing-Complex-World-Press/dp/0262701154

A world that was once dominated with human touch and close interactions has become one of home offices and social distancing. It is hard to believe that is has been over a year since the first global lockdown. The world hit a giant pause button on what we once recognised as normality. Offices and schools were forced to close, Industrial activity limited and travel restrictions put into place. Places which we saw as hubs of life quickly resembled ghost towns. 

While there has been a limit to physical activity our activity online has drastically increased with heavy technology usage being our form of contact with one another. This has been through all forms of media be it streaming or social media. With an increase of users online the design world has seen the forefront of many online schemes. What does this mean for a designer adapting to live in this new world?

“Silicon Valley design guru John Maeda distinguishes between three categories: “classical” designers, who create physical objects or products; “commercial” designers who innovate by seeking deep insights into how customers interact with products and services; and “computational” designers, who use programming skills and data to satisfy millions or even billions of users instantaneously.” - Times Magazine about John Maeda.

While looking at my own practice and its application to technology I have discovered that I am what Maeda would class as a hybrid between and ‘classical’Designer and a ‘commercial’ Designer. I have explored that in the past year through my practice. At the start of the year I would have classed myself as a ‘classical’ Designer due to the fact I designed for personal gratification. I designed because I wanted to express myself and my identity and I did that through a series of my own illustrations as well as expressing my own interests through my university projects. Bottom line was that I was designing for myself.

​This year has demonstrated that I can adapt my skills towards commercial design. I have worked for both Netflix as well as Storyteller, both experiences led me to discover the commercial side of the design world. While at Once Upon A Time I designed for a more speculative project for Netflix I was taught how to adhere to brand guidelines and create work that would stand out amongst millions of other titles on the platform.While at Storyteller I have learnt a lot more about Digital marketing and its greater impacts. I have learnt about customer interaction and what is needed to grab the attention of someone scrolling through social media. This demonstrates that I have been able to combine my classical design skills with new found skills in the commercial realm.

Along with my classifications I aspire to entail the skills to be a ‘computational’ Designer.  I believe that I have started to explore these mediums in my practice. At Netflix I was informed about the use of algorithms and how each key art image is tailored to each user to convince them to watch a certain title. I found this interesting as an overall application of algorithms because it is something that is used throughout various streaming mediums. It works because of the individuality of each users search page. 

Similar algorithms can be applied while advertising and is something that I have started to learn about at Storyteller. Storyteller has given me the chance to work with the large Facebook ad database that stretches over to Instagram (Facebook being their parent company). The large database has allowed me to see how each advert targets certain demographics, locations and age groups. This entails understanding audience behaviour and programming it to certain digital marketing techniques. When looking at Storytellers brand ethos there is a focus on creating a community. This concept bridges the cap between digital and physical as we work on creating an experience for the customers that is validated. 

There is an increase in people using technology as a platform to reach people and this has only been pushed forward in a post covid world as more people explore personal ventures whether that be being social media influencers or starting up a small business. This however has also meant that a lot of work is getting lost and there is an over saturation of content. It means that there is a higher demand and pressure on designers to either stand out or become the best in a crowd. I believe personally I have experienced both on my DPS year. To stand out was to work on my personal work as a designer and I am still learning. To become the best in a crowd, this has happened through storyteller, a lot of it is market research. See what is working successfully and make it work for our brand. This has meant that I have been challenged as a creative to make sure that my work is individual but inspired.

​It is clear that I have explored all of Maeda’s explanations of different definitions of a designer. Does that pose a question to what it means to be a designer in a post covid world? Or is it something that now is interdisciplinary and not applicable anymore like it once was. It just goes to show how complex the design field is as it deals with everything and anything. What I have explored today is just the surface of how complex the design world is thanks to the development of technology. Our race continues to find ways to be personal and connect and we have continued to do soo in a world which limits social contact. We have made technology one again work for us in our favour.