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Journal Entry 11 - "Postmodernism"

List some of the characteristics of postmodern design.

Up until the mid twentieth century art was something that was very regimented and structured. Every work of design or piece of art had to follow some sort of pattern. A design was something that was built upon the ideas and practices of those who came before. Each designer stood on the shoulders of giants. This practice changed beginning in the late nineteen fifties and early nineteen sixties. At this time artists began to reject the strict rules of those who came before, the choose to take a step out the metaphorical “artistic box” which had been built up over centuries. The colors of postmodern design are often bold, primary color. Textures and materials used is this type of design were repeatedly unorthodox and out of the ordinary. These materials included leather, glass, plastic, and laminates. Distressed materials, knits, wood grains, velvet, and fur are also used in this design style. The shape and line of postmodern designs were often comprised of asymmetrical shapes with straight lines and a series of strange angles. From a social and pop-culture point of view postmodernism often re-appropriates styles from the past and creates new works of design and art. These revisions are often satirical in nature, mocking some aspect of the original design or its overall message. 

Next, out of the designers discussed in your textbook (Chapter 9) and in our postmodernism lectures, pick one that you found very interesting. Do a bit of digging about them in your textbook and online.

April Greiman was born September tenth nineteen forty eight. She grew up in New York City. From nineteen sixty six to nineteen seventy Greiman attended Kansas City Art Institute. Later, in the early nineteen seventies she moved to Basel, Switzerland where she studied at the Allgemein Kunstgewerberschul Basel. During her time here she studied under famous postmodern designer Wolfgang Weingart. Greimen was one of the first designers to begin experimenting with the new capabilities computers had to offer. In  She used pixelation as well as other graphical errors, within her work.

Why are they interesting to you?

If think it is very interesting how she was one of the first designers to use the computer as a tool within her designs. This is very relevant considering the amount that computers are used within modern design.

What characteristics of postmodernism can be found in their work? Describe these in detail. 

Within her designs Greiman heavily implements the primary colors red, yellow, and blue. She uses these colors as a means of organizing her design. Her designs don’t seem to follow any apparent order, any organization is very subtle and unrestrictive. She makes use of many triangular, asymmetrical, and over strange looking shapes. She incorporates many images and objects that are seemingly unrelated, all the while making a statement. The very fact that she was the one of the first to use the computer for the purposes of graphic design is very postmodern. 

Please include an image by this designer and properly label it. 

April Greiman and John Coy with Michael Cronan, Linda Hinrichs, Michael Manwaring, Michael Vanderbyl, and Eric Martin, AIGA California Design 2, 1985, LACMA

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Week 10: “Brook Stevens and Post-WWII Design”.

How did industrial design change American culture in the mid twentieth century?

During the mid to late 1930s America was in the midst of the great depression. The people of America had grown tired and had lost their once bright view of the future. One designer who helped revive America’s exuberant outlook was Norman Bel Geddes. Through his 1939 world’s fair Futurama exhibit Geddes gave the American people a shining new image of the future. He used his model of democri-city to illustrate what the future had in store: beautiful shimmering skyscrapers, sprawling superhighways, and cars which resembled futuristic space vessels. Geddes optimistic view of the future was soon adopted by many other designers. This new wave of futuristic designers began to add depth to products which were once viewed as utilities. Now products were a statement, an extension of yourself. The car you drove, the toothpaste you used, the cigarettes you smoked, were now your identity. This dramatic shaped changed American culture in the years to come. What you owned soon became more important than who you were

Who is Brooks Stevens and what were his contributions to modern design?

Clifford Brooks Stevens was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1911. From an early age he had a great interest in design. At age eight, he contracted polio and was bed ridden. Many doctors believed he would be unable to walk again, his father did not. He consistently encouraged his son to keep both his imagination and body active. He would give the young boy sketch pads, models, and drawing supplies, all the while encouraging the boy to get daily exercise. When Stevens recovered he was filled with a new vigor and intense interest in design. He would go on to become a famous industrial designer during the 1940s and 1950s. He did most of his work for local Milwaukee companies such as Harley-Davidson, Allen-Bradley, the Outboard Marine company, and Miller Brewing. Steven’s designs are now recognized world-wide. They have become Milwaukee icons. The most significant contribution Stevens made to modern design is the idea of planned obsolescence. Stevens described planned obsolescence as, “Instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary.”. This concept is now used universally by large corporations and companies. The iPhone is a fantastic example of this concept in practice. Each year a “newer” and “better” version is released, giving the consumer the urge to buy it. Even though from an objective point of view not much really changes year to year, the illusion of change is given.  

Do some internet research on Steven’s designs. Which is your favorite? Please include an image of it and a brief description.

The Skytop lounge is one of my favorite designs by Stevens. It was designed in 1948 and was part of fleet of streamlined passenger cars. Each car contained parlor loungers were passengers could each, talk, and enjoy the view. 

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Week 9: “The Plato Effect in Architecture: Designing for Human Diversity”

What is “essentialism”?

essentialism is a form of philosophy brought about by Plato. With his philosophical standpoint Plato attempted to incorporate objective truths to what others may call subjective or relative experiences. He claimed that a universal singular essence or definition of any form as that which exists a-spatially and a-temporally. In other words Plato envisioned each object as having an abstract, perfect form. He believed that every object we perceive has an archetypal form, a form which we could only imagine existing.  

What is “universal design” and what are its historical precedents?

It is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability. This means that a particular environment is designed with a wide variety of individuals in mind. Plato’s essentialism played a large role in the development of universal design. Designers believed if one could imagine that archetypal design of a particular work, that work would meet all possible needs. This type of thinking is what lead to the idea that de-specialization was a good thing. Vitruvius used this philosophy to create what he thought was the archetypal illustration of man. Renaissance architects were also strict believers of universal design. Using the mathematical principles of the ancient Greeks in conjunction with the human form, they set out to create the most perfect structure.

What problems does the author have with universal design?

The author illustrates a case in which universal design fails and by extension illustrates the problem with universal design as a whole. He notes that Plato believed the perfect form of a dog to be a wolf. Therefore any variation of the wolf was a distortion of the dog archetype, the wolf. by the logic of universal design, if a designer were trying to create a dog house that was universally appalling to all subtypes of the dog archetype, he would create a dog house for the wolf. In practice this logic fails. The wide amount of diversity in dog breeds and the number of variables this diversity includes would make the “archetypal” dog house unviable. The author explains that in a more general sense, this is the unavoidable problem with universal design.    

Why does the author say there is “a disconnect between how some architects conceptualize universal design and the reality of the world”?

The author believes that modern architects attempt to ignore foundation of universal design principle, essentialism. Modern architects attempt to side step the glaring implications of essentialism by redefining and tweaking the definition of universal design. Despite their attempts, they still suffer from the pitfalls of universal design. 

Do you agree with how the article ended? Why?

yes, I don’t believe that universal design offers a solution to for every possible problem. In theory it should work but in practice it encounters obstacles.  

Provide an example of something in the world around you that could benefit from “mass customization”.

The education system. There is a such a wide variety of students with various backgrounds and learning habits. I believe that mass customization of the education system would greatly improve the success of many students. Unfortunately we live in world were many great ideas are limited by a lack of financial viability. Ideally reconstructing the education system into a more specialized form would increase individual students success  but such a change would require a very large sum of money. In addition, the sad reality is, universalization makes students much easier to manage and by extension makes their actions more predictable and uniform. This uniformity is something that many businesses crave, an employee that will do what they’re told, without question, an employee that will toe the line and be asset to the company, not a liability. 

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Week 7 - “The Modernist Architecture of Le Corbusier”

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier was an internationally influential Swiss architect and city planner. His designs combined the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He was born October 6, 1887 in La Chaux-de-Founds, Switzerland. At age thirteen he began attending school at Ecole des Arts Decoratifs at La Chaux-de-Fonds where he learned the trade of enameling and engraving watch faces. After attending school for three years, Corbusier decided to pursue a career in architecture. From 1907 to 1911 he undertook a series of trips that educated the aspiring architect. He later returned to Paris where he met Amede Ozenfant. Ozenfrant introduced him to the contemporary art of their time. 

The Five Principles

1.) Pilotis: This is a method of constructing buildings. it is comprised of reinforced concrete slabs which are supported by steel beams. These pilotis where typically designed on a grid, an attempt by Corbusier to add order to his designs. These structures find their roots in classical architectural pieces such as the Parthenon and villa Rotonda. 

2.) Roof Garden: The roof garden was meant to incorporate nature into Corbusier’s designs. 

3.) Free Facade: The Pilotis meant that structures no longer had load bearing walls. As a result the facade of these structures were much less restricted in their design. 

4.) Free Plan: The Pilotis also allowed for the plan of the design to be less restricted as well. It was no longer limited by the constraints of construction.

5.) Horizontal Windows: The usage of horizontal windows allows large amounts of light to permeate the structure. In effect this merges the interior of the structure with its surroundings, creating a harmonious relationship between the two. This incorporation reduces the amount of the electrical lighting needed. 

La Corbusier Building

Haus Le Corbusier by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Weissenhof Museum, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, Germany

This structure incorporates all five of Corbusier’s principles. Its structure is a Pilotis, the blue steel beams which support the reinforced concrete slabs are quite apparent, showing up front and center in the building’s layout.

 Haus Le Corbusier rooftop

The roof top is invitingly open, offering a three hundred and sixty degree view of the surroundings. Steel beams and concrete slabs also make an appearing. Most importantly, the rooftop features a vibrant garden, with colorful violet flowers and beautiful vibrant green leafs. The facade of the building is quite smooth and featureless. The most apparent aspect of the facade are the horizontal windows which encompass the entire building. Lastly the three primary colors make numerous appearances within and without this building This structure is a fantastic representation of Corbusier applying his design principles. 

Examples I see 

Le Corbusier’s influence on modern architecture is quite apparent. The Pilotis structure is one of the most widely used construction plans within modern architecture. There are countless examples of buildings which use square concrete slabs in combination with steel beams. The usage of horizontal windows is also very abundant. Here are a few examples.  

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Week 6 - Marginalized Designers

Designer 1: Isabel Seiffert

Isabella Seiffert is a inspiring designer. She graduated from Merz akadamie in Stuttgart with a degree in Visual Communications. She continued her studies at the Zurich University of Arts in the Master of Arts and design, she majored in Editorial Design. Her academic history is quite interesting. From a young age Seiffert was interested in the arts. However when she suggested to her parents that she would like to study the fine arts in college, they dismissed her. When She  eventually went to college she studied engineering. She soon realized this was a mistake and she decided switch majors. I look up to anyone who has the ability to forsake their ego and follow their true calling. She owns a studio which focuses on editorial design and typography. She has a do it yourself attitude which I admire. She published her own book, Not the End of Print which was critically acclaimed.

Isabel Seiffert: Not the End of Print

This work looks like it was stolen from the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It looks like a 1960s interpretation of the future and I like it. The type face is bold, commanding and organized. The font size reflects the hierarchy of the print, with the title being the largest and information like the publishing date being smaller. There is some strange alien symbol which takes up the bottom half the work, I’m not sure the significance of this but it certainly is mesmerizing. I also love the shade of gold which was used.

Designer 2: Buddy Esquire

Buddy Esquire was a designer who contributed heavily to the rise of hip-hop within American society. During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s Esquire designed a variety of posters and flyers for up and coming artists in the bronx hip-hop scene. His style, which he called neo-deco, incorporate elements of art-deco design, hand lettering, and Japanese anime influences. Esquire's designs were reminiscent of old movie posters. Esquire intentionally borrowed from the design of these posters to add a sophisticated air to the events which were being held. He would make his posters entirely by hand. He would combine magazine cutouts, photographs, dry transfer letters, and drawings to create these posters. The amount of creativity he was able to exhibit with such a limited selection of supplies is truly impressive. Esquire ended up designing over 300 flyers between 1978 and 1984. He opened the way for future designers within the hip-hop community.

Buddy Esquire: unnamed

This poster is very intriguing. The first thing which stands out is the mystical looking figure whose form encapsulates the flyer.  The identity of the man is not disclosed, is it a performer? This mystery invites the viewer to come and find out for themselves. The whole flyer gives off a sort of futuristic vibe, one can imagine this event taking place on a disco spaceship. the typeface used is broad and flowing, it is quite relaxing to look at. The letters are voluminous and look almost cosy. 

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Week 5 - Design History and Your World

Example 1 from lecture

Peter Behrens, A.E.G.-Metallfadenlampe (A.E.G. - Metal Filament lamps) 1907, lithograph, 69.2 x 52.7 cm, MoMa

In this work Peter Behrens uses the design elements of line and shape. He uses lines within his work to draw the viewers attention from the companies name all the way down to the companies slogan at the bottom of the work. Behrens uses the shape of the triangle in combination with the lightbulb at the center of the piece, to allude the all seeing eye of Horace. This is a suggestion that the company itself possess the same mythological wisdom as Horace himself. A design principle which appears in this work is contrast. The light bulb shines brightly in stark contrast to the dark background. This offset also draws the viewers eyes from the top of the poster to the bottom of the poster. 

Example 2 from lecture

Lucian Bernhard, Bosch, 1914, lithograph, 45.5 x 64.2 cm, MoMA

With this work Lucian Bernhard uses the design elements of color, space, and texture. Color is the first apparent element within this design. The wonderful violet logo, emphasizes the company name. The beautiful light blue hue of the spark draws the viewers attention to the companies product, the spark plug. The design element of texture is most evident in the spark plug itself. Texture is used to print the companies name a second time on the spark plug. It gives a great amount of detail to the object, its threads appear well made and evenly spaced. The orange space in the background of the lithograph, provides a great amount of contrast, through which the primary subjects of the poster are highlighted. 

Example 1 from my life

Aquafina water bottle, plastic. partially used. circa 2018. 

This Aquafina water bottle uses the design elements of color and shape. It uses the colors of both light blue and dark blue to communicate a calming message to the buyer. These colors tell the buyer that what’s inside of the bottle is cool and refreshing. The shape of the the Aquafina logo and it’s border are lengthy and flowing, like a fresh stream, again emphasizing invigorating natural quality of the product. 

Example 2 from my life

One hundred dollar bill

The one hundred dollar bill is a very iconic work of design. It uses color heavily within its design. the subtle green gives the bill an unique sort of freshness that is unparalleled by other bills. The font used is commanding and looks very official. 

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Week 4 - Art Nouveau

What is Bradford's aim in this article?

Within his article The Poster as Art; Jules Cheret and the struggle for the equality of the arts in Late Nineteenth-Century France Bradford Collins highlights the artistic tug of war which occurred in France during the mid to late nineteenth century. During this time there was a very clear divide among artists of different crafts, as Collins explains, "At the top were the fine arts: painting, sculpture, and architecture. The decorative or applied arts, such as furniture design, were below them, and the popular arts -- caricature and the various arts for mass consumption -- were at the bottom." (Collins, p.17). Within this article Collins highlights the role  Jules Cheret played in getting posters recognized as a legitimate art form.

Who is Jules Cheret?

Jules Cheret was a poster designer during the mid nineteenth century. He began his life as a designer with a lithographic apprenticeship, which he finished in 1852. After this he worked for several lithography firms around Paris. During this time he completed his first documented work, "the poster Orphee aux Enters (1858) (figure 5), which represents a rather romantic interpretation of Offenbach's light-hearted parody of Napoleon III's court... despite favorable responses to the poster, Orphee did not create a significant demand for his services, which is... why he decided to leave Paris." (Collins p.19). Cheret moved to England where he met Eugene Rimmel, a powerful mentor, "he taught Cheret the design principles established by the Royal Society of Arts. One of these principle was that design should fit the object's purpose." (Collins, p.20). Using what he learned from Rimmel, Cheret went on to have a successful career in lithographic design. He caught a big break when his work was mentioned by art critic and novelist, Joris-Karl Huysmans, "Joris-Karl Huysmans, then making a study of these diversions, mentioned him in Salon review of 1879 and 1880. Cheret and the poster were thereby thrust into the sphere of high art." (Collins p.21)

Why were posters sought after and respected art form in Paris?

During this time in Paris' history posters where one of the most cutting edge art forms. Paintings had become repetitive and derivative of one another. Posters where seen as truly original, a breath of fresh air within the artistic community. The fact that they were works of design and therefore sought to accomplish a particular goal, added to their value. Critics agreed that what Cheret and his contemporaries where doing was important, "Cheret, in effect, and several others have succeeded in raising the serene regions of Art (sic) these productions which until recently did not go beyond the banal realm of industry." (Collins, p.26). This critical acclaim played a large part in propelling posters upward as a new and emerging art form.

Favorite Cheret poster.

(Cheret, Jules. The Mime Artist Georges Wague as Pierrot, 1909)

My favorite Cheret poster is "The Mime Artist Georges Wague as Pierrot, 1909". This work stands out from all of  his other works. The use of a very subtle color scheme as a well as the black and white contrast between the character and the background is captivating. There seems to be a very grim undertone in the work, the subject's expression is almost conniving and sinister. The subject is floating like a phantom in a dark abyss. This is one of Cherets most unique works.  

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Week 3 - Design Thinking

What is design?

Within the past hundred years, there has been a massive increase in the pace of development. The sharing of information of and the bridging in communicative gaps has changed the landscape of business and technology. markets that were once insular and self-dependent have now gone world wide. with these widening markets, comes a new challenge for business owners: how to create products which appeal to their market's consumers.  Design, in large part offers a solution to this challenge. Design is in essence a creative process through which an individual or a group of individuals work to find the answer to a given problem or set of problems. this concept of design is now more important than ever. In the past design was treated as a way presenting a particular product, it was not integral to the products creation. In his article "Design Thinking" Tim Brown explains the new role design plays, "Now however, rather than asking designers to make an already developed idea more attractive to consumers, companies are asking them to create ideas that better meet consumer's needs and desires. The former role is tactical and results in limited value creation; the latter is strategic, and leads to dramatic new forms of value." (p.86, Design Thinking).

Example of design thinking products.

I believe one the greatest examples of a product which uses design thinking is the google web browser. Google has been able to design an application that uses artificial intelligence to analyze user data and optimize each individuals experience. This seems to be the future of design, the analysis of user data via AI in combination with a team of experienced professionals. this combination makes that jobs of those on the design team significantly easier. The time used getting user feedback and input is instead used to develop prototypes and establish creative frameworks.

Most significant concept?  

The concept which stood out to me the most was the idea of repetition within a design process The path a design team takes is not a linear one, it is cyclical. Similar to the scientific method, design thinking involves consistent reiteration to achieve the desired result, "it [the design] was the result of hard work augmented by a creative human - centered  discovery process and followed iterative cycles of prototyping, testing, and refinement. (p.88, Design Thinking).

"One conversation at a time", "Stay focused on topic", "Encourage wild ideas", "defer judgement", "build on the ideas of others", "Enlightened trial and error succeeds over the planning of the lone genius"

"Deep Dive" IDEO's process of innovation.

IDEO's process of innovation is very unique. Instead of enforcing a hierarchy among employees, the playing ground is leveled out in an attempt to create an open environment in which ideas can flow freely. The team begins their process by identifying a problem that they must design a solution for. Next they go out into the field to collect feedback from professionals who may provide a more elaborate view of what the problem looks like in a real world setting. After the team gathers the necessary info, they return to home base and begin brainstorming. To me this is the most interesting part of their process, their mottos do a great job of describing the type of environment they strive for. Phrases such as "one conversation at a time", "stay focused on topic", "defer judgement", and "Enlightened trial and error succeeds over that planning of the lone genius", paint a clear picture of IDEO's brainstorming climate. During this brainstorming phase, each member of the design team is encouraged to collaborate with others and create a multiple solutions to the design problem. At this stage, judgement is a no no. Finally when a series of possible solutions have been found, the team then votes on which idea they think is best. Based on the results of this poll, a final prototype is created by IDEO's very own workshop. After working a series of retail and service jobs, I've developed a strong distaste for management that doesn't care about the opinions of its workers. That is why I like IDEO's process and attitude toward its employees.

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Week 2 - Arts and Crafts movement

During the nineteenth century, Britain was undergoing an industrial revolution. Businesses became massive and their production became (for their time) hyper efficient. Machines pumped out large amounts of prefabricated parts and smoke stacks bellowed out burning coal. Small businesses, craftsman, and designers had to make a choice. To join the revolution or to be left in its dust. Augustus W.N. Pugin was an architect and  designer who chose not to follow the path blazed out by the new generation. Pugin believed that the new revolution diminished the value of art and design by removing the human component. He was the leader of a movement which believed that design had the power to moralize society and change it for the better. He believed that the past held the key to society's redemption. Pugin was the father of the gothic revival.  Pugin would inspire later individuals such as one William Morris. Morris was an artist and designer, he believed that design not only had the power to change society. He believed that the aesthetics of buildings and even that machines within them, reflected the quality of life workers had. Morris believed that design improve the lives of many, "To give people pleasure in the things they must perforce use, that is one great office decoration; to give people pleasure in the things they must perforce make, that is the other use of it." ("The lesser arts", p.35). He called for a higher standard among designers "...how good a foundation would be towards getting good Decorative Art, that is[,] ornamental workmanship, if we craftsmen were to resolve to turn out nothing but excellent workmanship in all things..." ("The lesser arts", p.36). Morris sought a regression to the guild system and favored hand crafted quality items over mass produced prefabricated ones. He desired that every aspect of design be functional, "I beg you to remember both as a remedy against this, and as explaining exactly what I mean, that nothing can be a work of art which is not useful..." ("The lesser arts" p.35). Morris created many designs in which he attempted to fight mainstream design. His works of stain glass and textile are especially apparent. His stain glass was hand made and intricately assembled, every bit took meticulous detail to craft. The pattern of his textiles, particularly his Peacock and Dragon design are very striking. This design incorporates several natural motifs. The flowing flowers engulf the print. While the peacock's feathers and dragon's wings radiate outward, colliding with the beautiful flora. This piece's incorporation of nature are in sharp contrast to many of the day's contemporary designs. I personally believe that to an extent Morris accomplished what he wanted to do. He created many high quality designs and he certainly left an impact on the artistic community. However what he failed to do was to bring those designs to a middle and lower class audience. I don't believe this was his intent when he started Morris & co., the competition he had to deal with was more than overwhelming. His works required high levels of talent and high levels of time to create, both of which cost money. I think that his business would have either failed or its quality would have dramatically been reduced, if he had lowered the price on his products. Morris was not the first to encounter this issue, having to compromise your integrity in order to maintain your existence as an artist.  Artists still struggle with this choice today.

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Week 1 - about me

Why did you take this class and what is your interest in design? 

 I have a particular affinity for design because of my interest in film. Since a young age I was always fascinated by the artistic depth of a good movie. The use of color, framing, and lighting to elicit emotion and communicate a certain theme or motif was enthralling. It was as if the film itself was a sort of cinematic jig-saw puzzle. I took this class to better understand what the pieces of that puzzle look like and how they fit together. 

 Do you have any relevant experience?

 The only relevant technical experience I have with design is drawing. I’ve been interested in drawing since I was a kid. The idea of creating something from virtually nothing always caught my attention.  If I had an idea I thought was unique, I could bring it to reality by drawing it. If there was a particular thing I saw that I admired, I could draw it.  I’ve had no real artistic training, but i know enough to appreciate the amount of work that goes into designing something. 

What inspires you? 

 I’m inspired by individuals who are profoundly passionate about a particular thing. Individuals who are so dedicated to their craft that they’re willing spend thousands of hours perfecting it. Icons like Steve Jobs and Stanley Kubrick inspire me. their ability to commit to what they love. The fact that they were able maintain creative integrity even if it meant financial or personal loss.  This nose to the grindstone, no fear, mentality is what I think of when I'm feeling lazy or uninspired. 

 Have you recently purchased any items where design was a deciding factor over a competitor?

 The most recent Item I can think of is my MacBook. I love the color scheme. It's beautifully simple.  The subtle glow of the keyboard and apple logo have always drawn me in. The computer itself is compact and feels solid. The macOS matches the computers physical aesthetic, it's simple and easy to use. I find other operating systems difficult to use, they seem very cluttered and full of unnecessary elements. I would also attribute my purchase to the marketing of the MacBook. Apple has always done a great job of marketing its products, ever since it's iconic 1984 Super bowl commercial.  All of the positive attributes I've listed where most likely reinforced by Apple's marketing at one point or another. Who knows maybe they've subtly brainwashed me. that's probably the case and I honestly don't care.  😜