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Critical Perspectives - blog

Making Histories Lecture Task

Imagine you are going to curate an exhibition on the history of your discipline. Compile a list of 10 practitioners (or specific pieces of work) that you would include and write brief notes on why.

 1) Peter Saville 

A graphic designer born in Manchester, however he was heavily involved in the British music scene, in which he designed countless album covers for some very influential musicians.  

2) Carolyn Davidson

A graphic designer best known for designing the Nike Swoosh logo. 

3) Banksy 

An anonymous England-based street artist, vandal, political activist, and film director. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique.

4) James Neilson 

A graphic designer that creates musicians album covers with crazy illustrations and colours. He is a highly underrated artist, yet has created numerous designs for artists such as Tom Misch and Reggie Snow. 

5) Stephanie Collie 

Stephanie Collie, is a costume designer very well known in an aspect of design that i consider to be shadowed by other elements. She has designed for many things, but for me; her eye for detail in the costume design of ‘Peaky Blinders’ is what made the series. 

6) Brian Thomas Helgeland 

Helgeland is an American screenwriter, film producer and director. 

7)  Paul Rand 

An American art director and graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs. He was one of the first American commercial artists to embrace and practice the Swiss Style of graphic design.

8) Miuccia Prada

Miuccia Prada is the co-chief executive officer and lead creative director of the Italian handbag and fashion label Prada. 

9) Bruce Kilgore

The Air Force 1 was created by designer Bruce Kilgore and was the first basketball shoe to use theNike Air technology.

10) Paul Smith

Sir Paul Smith is a British fashion designer. His reputation is founded on his designs for men's clothing, but his business has expanded into other areas too. Smith was made a Royal Designer for Industry in 1991, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

Participatory Culture Lecture Task

Consider the four phases of participatory culture discussed at the start of the lecture (you will need to refer to the lecture slides and your lecture notes for this). Make a case for a current (fifth) phase – what are the key features of this current phase? Draw upon ideas raised in the lecture; create a label for this current phase. Write this into a paragraph (around 250-300 words).

Phase 5: where are we now?

Phase 5 - ?

It's no secret that our society has its flaws - dependence on technology, taxes, obesity, devaluation of workers - to name a few. Some people may not even want to think about any of these problems in society.  Typically, people have started feeding their ego through the likes of others through social media. Not only this but we are destroying our seas through the pollution. Everyone is trapped in their own maze of justice. And now even simple resources such as books are being nailed through and through by facebook, Youtube etc. The phase we are in is not quite 5, but as we all think we have been developing, we have actually been going further down. Therefore, i believe this stage should be called irrevocable and as Shakespeare once said “firm and irrevocable is my doom” - its everybody's. 

Visual and Cultural Hierarchies Blog Task

make a top 10 list of your favourite practitioners in your field and consider what it is about their practice that you value

1) David Carson 

Experimental typography, clearly includes his own artistic touch in very piece he does. 

2) Paula Scher 

The line between pop culture and fine art in her work.

3) John Maeda

I enjoy thinking of what he merges together in all his pieces - they all have a story behind them.

4) Neville Brody

His work as a whole inspires me. Particularly his clear experimentation with colour pallettes and typo. 

5) Wolfgang Weingart

The illusions he creates whilst developing a slick layout is incredible.

6) Armin Hofmann

His close attention to detail. 

7) Banksy 

The fact he is unknown but has made a stamp on the world. 

8) Massimo Vignelli

He worked in a number of areas in design but still managed to be so effective in all elements. 

9) Peter Saville 

His work looks like it could be done in such a short amount of time, which i value because the best pieces do. 

10) Saul Bass

His illustrative designs are interesting with how he blends them with typography. 

Questioning Visual Materials Lecture Task

Choose a practitioner whose work you find interesting.  Identify and list 5+ different 'paradigms' in which they operate and consider how each might impact on the reading of their work.

Neville Brody

1) Collage of Typography 

Might be telling us about who the person is, if they like or dislike them?

2) Large typography

Makes his work more eye catching - means what he has to usually say means he wants people to see it quick and fast. 

3) Primary colours

Can energize readers/viewers particularly those whose tasks involve physical activity. Could increase the heart rate and even produce a slight rise in blood pressure, red can help boost the body's ability to complete physical tasks, maybe even something as simple as turning the page over to see more of his work. 

4) big/small text 

Wants the reader to turn the page upside down/sideways to read what he has put. 

5) Usually double page spreads

Likes to use both images and texts rather than one, impacts in the way that the reader can relate to the image?