New Visual Language

1

DATE

PRICE

may 2015

£4.00

01

an exploration of modernism and post-modernism

Form Follows Function

City in Fluxan insight into a world

including...

also...

earth artefact

modernist media

_

_

2

ContentsNew Visual Language | Issue no. 01

directions...

25 27

13

Modernist Media City in Flux


This project runs alongside the research into Modernism. It a simple redesign of small labels for floppy disks.

For this brief I was asked to research into the City, that could either be Cities in general or a specific City of my choice. I will then use this research to encapsulate the City and interpret that into a design outcome.

3

Earth Artefact

3 the brief 5 research 9 development 11 product


15 modernism 19 post-modernism 25 modernist media

rnd Grid Sans

23 typeface design

City In Flux

27 the brief 29 research 33 product

23

3

rnd Grid Sans

Earth Artefact

I was asked to research the Voyager space probes and their Golden Records which are considered time capsules of Earth and mankind. I was tasked to create a more contemporary time capsule of Earth in a format of my choosing.

→ → → →

Earth ArtefactA Time Capsule For Extraterrestrials

I was asked to research the Voyager space probes and their Golden Records which are considered time capsules of Earth and mankind. I was tasked to create a more contemporary time capsule of Earth in a format of my choosing. The time capsule needed to contain basic information of Earth and I needed consider language and atmospheric problems when finding a solution for the physical product.

university | earth artefact

the brief...

6

MaterialsWhat Will Stand The Test Of Time?

research...

Painted and Printed

I needed to look into what materials are tough and can last years of damage and exposure to light. The most common method of displaying images and type is painted or printed matter, such as signs, paper documents and graffiti. These materials are very good for our delicate atmosphere on Earth and can last a reasonable amount of time. However as time goes on you can see the wear and tear and they soon become unrecognisable, like ghost signs you see on the sides of houses that have become worn out, or old books that are starting to yellow and fade. These sorts of materials would be no good for a time capsule unless we could encase them in a tough radiation and weather sealed container.

Physical Shape

Other than painted signs you see the shaped or engraved signs. By this I mean letters that have been physically modelled from metal, plastic or wood; or engraved in them. This is type which has a three dimensional presence. This is a much better way of maintaining longevity than painting or printing, for the obvious reason that it takes much longer to wear away, and even when it does it only weathers the edges and the rest of the type is legible. This can triple or even quadruple the lifespan of the image or typography


7

compared to if it were printed. If these images were traveling through space in a vacuum sealed container they may even theoretically last forever, given if the container does not undergo any considerable damage. This method would be a very good option to use for my time capsule however it is costly, and it takes up a lot of more room. It can also be less legible and have restrictions for small typography when engraving. If I were to use this method I could use it for only the most important information and accompany it with some printed matter to save room.

Coated and Protected Print

These modern signs I was going to put under the printed and painted category, but really they are a category of their own as yes they are printed, but they are coated with a reflective paint for car headlights and they are protected from UV rays, unlike paint or printed matter. This combines the best of printed and engraved images. What makes these coated signs so good is they last almost forever in any weather conditions, like engraved materials. But it is not limited by engravings downfalls such as illegibility at small point sizes etc. They are much cheaper to make and they also use the same amount of room as normal printed documents. This would be an excellent way of creating a time capsule to last as it combines the best of both worlds with printing and engraving.

8

Neubau WeltThe Vector Art Catalogue

research...

The Neubau Welt catalogue features an extensive range of vector graphics of everyday objects, people, animals and plant life. It is a wonderful range of the common items we come across. Its artwork is highly detailed and every point is calculated, the vector art is a carbon copy of the original. The only thing they leave out is the colour, and so all the vectors are black. If I were to use these images in my time capsule this would be helpful as black does not fade easily and even if it did the images would still be recognisable. I plan on using these vectors as icons for the real objects as they are very realistic and are suitable for the rough weathering they may be exposed to. I may also take inspiration from this artwork and produce my own vectors which do not appear in this catalogue. The catalogue itself is very well designed, the labelling system is very clear and crisp; they use different colours for different parts of the label such as the catalogue number and the sub category. I could take inspiration from this and label my time capsule in a similar way. There are many parts of this


9

catalogue which have been beautifully designed and thought out. I would like to take inspiration from these elements and include them in my time capsule. One being the little typographic details on the cover and throughout the book. These little bits of type split up the cover and add interest to what would be absent white space without adding so much that it distracts from the relationship between the white space and the display type. Since it is so small it can be spread around and so it gives a clear distinguish between each separate piece and so it will be easier for Alien life to understand that they are different subjects. The small space also saves room on the document which is essential for the time capsule so I can fit more information and more importantly, imagery in. I want to use as little space as possible for the typography as it is less important and less understandable for Aliens, therefore I want 80% of the time capsule’s space to be dedicated to imagery; the typography is just there to explain the images if any Alien life learns to decipher it.

10

ArtworkCreating the graphic language

development...

Taking inspiration from the Neubau Welt catalogue, I conduced various visual experiments which informed me of what my final style and themes would be. I started with the layout for my glass tablets. Of course I started with the grid, a simple three column grid was simple enough to be understandable for Alien life but it also has a lot of versatility for variations with the small elements. Once I had my layout set I moved on to some visual experiments. As a starting point I selected a few vectors from the Neubau Welt catalogue and began manipulating them. I wanted the vectors to interact with each other to show how they are objects of similar purpose so I cut parts of the floppy disk vector out and moved the CD inside the cut and it looked like they were merged together. And since the vectors are made in the same style they seamlessly blended together as one object. I also decided to break the vectors down into their


11

individual layers and spread them out. I like the visual quality this creates and this also provides a great opportunity for labelling and examination which would be really useful information to include in my time capsule. I did this separation to the CD and floppy disk vector again but I can see it being very useful for tools and vehicles which have many hidden parts which are crucial for their function. I then moved on and began sketching various forms of blank media, I sketched down the individual parts merging from one format to another. I sketched a full spread of this dissected visual and imported it into illustrator where I drew it as a vector. The theory behind this is that It shows multiple objects of similar purpose, in this case blank media. It then merges them together to show how one adapts to another and their similarities as technology advances; it shows their 3D construction, not just their 2D appearance.

12

13

Earth ArtefactThe Glass Time Capsule

product...


The finished tablets were printed on a UV printer with varnish to give the effect of engraving which I was looking for originally. The print it durable and it is also raised off the surface so it is tactile which provides another method of communication. This tactile effect also helps with communicating the 3D presence of our objects, like the deconstruction of the vector illustrations.

14

an exploration of modernism and post-modernism


15

ModernismThe System of Graphic Design

insights...

A Look Into Swiss Graphic Design and The New Typography

Modernism is the structure and the rules behind graphic design. It was developed at a time of huge change and so a new system needed to be established to fit the needs of a fast modern world and modern man. Modernism is brutal and strict, any part of the old art and typography which did not suit the needs of the modern man was discarded and ignored. Modernism aimed to bring an uncompromising age of innovation in art and design which could keep up with the lightning fast development of technology through industry.

Swiss Graphic Design was built upon The New Typography which came about in the 1920’s and 30’s. The general idea was that form should be determined by function within graphic design much like in engineering. The early Swiss designers looked up to the engineer and how the form of technology

university | new visual language

was determined by a considered logic of its function. Early on there was an interest in industry and its growing relevance in the modern world; the Deutscher Werkbund was founded with the aim to bring together art and industry. One of the Werkbund’s first agendas was standardisation. This would hopefully reflect the essential standardisation of mechanical industry and so bring art and industry that bit closer together in they way that they worked. One of the key developers of the standards of art and design as well as the Werkbund was the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus aimed to discover new principles of form through experimentation.

As well as the Werkbund and the Bauhaus, Constructivists were also a large influence of the development of the Swiss Style. The ideology of constructivism was to eradicate art by integrating it with society through industry. Art was considered part of the old style and it needed to be rid of before they could make way for this new graphic language. Artists would work like those in industry and in science laboratories; this was to develop new forms with the use of applied logic in the hope to construct the new world.

As this movement gained pace designers began to think about how their work has an impact on society. Rather than it being on a plinth or easel, it was in homes and on streets, it was integrated into the lives of everyday people just like industry was. And so they needed to consider how their work will communicate with the people out in the world, rather then how it communicated to them in their studios. This was one big change from the attitudes to the old art form which only saw their work within their own studios and in galleries only to be seen by the select few. Throughout this period the standards of advertising were being questioned. Advertising’s purpose was defined and so visual experiments were conducted to refine a standard form of practice. One of those rules that

16


was developed was the importance of the relationship between the text and the image. It was said that an image is supported by text and text is supported by an image and so it is essential these two elements work harmoniously. This simple rule still influences advertising today. Later the Swiss Style as we know it begun to take its final shape. The design style was to not be symmetrical, the type was only ever sans serif and the designs were only ever illustrated by photographs, not drawings. A hierarchy of text was developed and always implemented throughout the design. This few were the main functional rules that were brought together to form the matured Swiss Graphic Design. After this foundation was set up, other elements were then refined and brought into the style. Different styles for photo-montage and their various transitions were developed, primary letterpress standard was now black and one single colour and only lowercase was used until 20 years later when capital letters were finally introduced. The key words in the Swiss Style were clarity and flexibility. I have the luxury of being able to look back and see the influence Swiss Graphic Design has had on the Graphic Language of today. The Swiss Style has successfully brought together a number of art and social movements and worked with them to create a clarity in design in a time of doubt and question. It brought together art and industry as it was intended to do, it has even made art (now known as design) an industry itself. It also phased out the old art and the old typography which was mostly illustrated and inconsistent from one piece to the

other. It brought a new design and typography which is modern in the sense that it can transition across multiple disciplines (some disciplines which did not exist at the time such as digital animation). It provides a wider umbrella of design for industry which we now know as branding and the typical advertising campaign. It created a law and order where there was anarchy. It helped artists transition into this new modern world which was emerging which then ensured art did not die out. It integrated with industry and so grew along with it as it engulfed and pushed the world forwards.

In short Swiss Graphic Design merged art with industry, so safeguarding it against becoming an obsolete part of the old world. It nurtured it until it became a foundation stone of the modern world we live in now.

The New Typography, a text written by Jan Tschichold in 1928, is much like Swiss Graphic Design in its ideas; but

as you would expect it is more focused on typography rather than illustration, layout and photography. The New Typography was conceived earlier than the Swiss Style and so it was one of the influences of Swiss Graphic Design. Because of this The New Typography and Swiss Design share similar ideals and will sound very similar. The New Typography recognised a change in the world, every item the modern man was using was always in a state of change and development. Technology was advancing at an alarming rate, fuel further by WW1 and the need for weapons, and so the world was hurled forward into a new technological age. The modern city soon became enriched in the

The Swiss Style has successfully brought

together a number of art and social movements and

worked with them to create a clarity in design in a time

of doubt and question.

17

18


products within them via advertisements. These products such as light-bulbs for example already havet a basic standard, and more and more standards were being implemented. Tschichold notes how in the past, standardisation has helped, but also hindered progress throughout history. But he still emphasises the natural human desire for order. This shows Tschichold’s careful consideration of how to approach The New Typography and how it could effect the progression of typography in the wider new world.

Tschichold goes on to highlight the unity and wholeness of the new. A single part can no longer exist in isolation, it will always be, without choice, part of a larger machine. The overall purpose of The New Typography is to identify typographies place within this unit and its connecting parts in which it works with.

Design and typography had change with the world. The Old Typography was focused on groups which would read text considerately line for line; however in the new world the modern man did not have time to do so. To cater to this change The New Typography abandoned artistic and decorative elements as they were unnecessary and were often left unnoticed. It also replaced long rolling copy with short sentences which held the main message; and as it attracts the attention of the viewer there are smaller segments of text with additional information if the person required it and had the time to read it, it gave them that choice. This fundamental change quickened the pace in which the design worked with the viewer and so it kept up with the quickening pace of the world.

The purpose of The New Typography is clarity. With the extraordinary amount of print which grew every day, a certain economy is required within expression to make the most out of as little as possible. The function of printed text is communication, and so from


19

→ this function this economic form is constructed with clarity in mind. To Achieve this kind of structure and system of relationships the typographer is expected to logically consider type size and weight, arrangement of lines, colour and photography. They then take this and consider the purpose of the design and how it will be read and then reference that back into the design. To create a logical flow throughout a set of text one must never place following text above its predecessor as this violates the natural reading process and ruins the clarity. Asymmetry is one of the key elements of The New Typography which often goes unnoticed. The Asymmetry of The New Typography is not just for legibility, Tschichold also emphasised its similarities to modern life, it was a symbol for the constant changing world. Asymmetry also allowed for the flexible layout needed for The New Typography; The Old Typographies central axis was very limiting and so it needed to be replaced. Although The New Typography requires a flexible layout it is stated that designers have to be careful not to descend into chaos with their layouts. A careful balance between flexibility and control is needed.

I am a worshipper of The New Typography, not just because of its forms and style, but because of what it did to bring typography into the modern world. Much like Swiss Graphic Design it safeguarded typography from being lost as the world moved forwards. It brought typography back to its absolute bare minimum requirements and from there over the past few decades typographers and designers have built on that into the typographic style we know today. To put it into context it is like stripping the old tiles off of a wall back to the brick, it is raw and minimal, but then you plaster over it to smooth it out and then re-decorate it to your most recent tastes. The New Typography is the bare bricks and mortar behind the wallpaper and paint.

Modernism is the movement which de-cluttered art and design as the world itself was being de-cluttered and rejuvenated. It stripped back design to the bricks and mortar like you would when you renovate your house. From this bare and raw form the new contemporary style we see today which is a little more elegant and beautiful, has built upon this starting point to create a truly refined but also crafted design which I find exciting and thrilling when I think of its future possibilities.

and on that note...

Post-ModernismThe Disorder of Graphic Design

insights...

A Look Into David Carson, Dada, FUSE Magazine and Stefan Sagmeister

Post-Modernism is widely considered as the polar opposite of modernism. Post-Modernism is a graphic style that is built upon emotion, reaction and interpretation. These three areas are explored freely, without the limit of Modernist rules and systems. Post-Modernism is a way designers can wholly represent their interpretation of a subject in its purest form before it is rained in and constricted by rules. Post-Modernism was a new way of thinking, it rejuvenated creative minds and replenished the creative field with further innovative and modern work. Post-Modernism is emotion creatively represented in a raw form. Post-Modernist designers wanted to challenge your expectations and challenge the canon of Modernist ‘good design’. It wanted to explore ground that had never been walked across. It was an expedition into the unknown and the designers involved kicked up the leaves and disturbed the water of the norm.

David Carson is a rule breaker. A truly free spirit that is not influenced or lead by anything but his own ideas. When I think of post-Modernist typography I think of him without hesitation. Just picture all the rules of typography you know and then imagine Carson taking them, well actually no he does not take them at all, Carson just kicks these rules out of the way as if they were not there.

His Typography has no consistency in its layout or basic forms like weight and size. It has no clear path of communication to follow like type usually does, the most basic being how you read from left to right. Take his website for example, rather than following a scroll down system, you have to scroll right, why does he do this? Because the standard is to scroll down, and so he chooses to scroll right instead, because he is Carson and he just can. His website also lacks any hierarchy within its text so the information at the beginning of the site it almost illegible and impossible to follow.

Carson builds his work from his reactions to the content. For example Raygun issue 3; Carson remembered from the interview with J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr that he despised media, magazines and the press. So Carson used a typically press magazine photo and turned it upside down to show Mascis’ dislike for it. In an interview Carson describes his method of designing as ‘instinctive and personal.’ Carson has had no Design or Art education so he never learnt the rules or what he should and should not do. And so because of this his designs are true expressions of his personal feelings for each project. Carson’s work is not burdened by standards and rules.

Dada was one of the biggest Post-Modernist movements, it came about in the time in-between the two world wars where there was huge social and political unrest. When the dust settled after the first


20

world war people were trying to settle back in to a new life, which at the same time artists were beginning to question their traditions and started to cautiously experiment. This experimentation quickly snowballed out of control and outrageous and absurd art was being created, the artists behind this work aimed to disturb the traditions and anger those who narrow mindedly stuck with the outdated ideals and art forms. Some Dada artists did not make art however to be a piece of art as we know it, they were simply expressing their disgust with the current state of the world. They used their outrageous art to then kick up the leaves and disturb the water of the old ways of thinking.

Dada is freedom, it is spontaneous, it is chance, it is anti everything, it is the religion of truth and feelings. Dada did not just challenge other artists work, they often ridiculed themselves. They recognised how outrageous their work was and how they were often seen as silly and idiotic, so they pondered on this too and fed it back into their work. This new look on art refreshed the art world and also seeped into graphic design. It had disturbed the Modernist Swiss Style and enriched it with a whole new world of visual communication. One of the biggest effects Dada style had on graphic design was their approach to typography. They questioned the role of typography, they de-constructed its semiotic structure and played around with each part. They often removed the function of type and used it purely as a visual tool and not a communication tool. This questioning is still carried on today and there is still a feud between those who use type for communication and those who use it

for visual meaning. Dada typography was eruptive and usually had no meaning, it greatly upset the Modernist dominated graphic design. Dada graphic design was often random and had no rules or structure, there was a certain disharmony with each piece. They pushed typography to its absolute legible limits, they violated the canon of graphic design in each way they could. They would even go further to question the norm of language and logic that was already in place, everything that made design was put under scrutiny. They did not want to do what others had done before, their work was truly expressive and so original.

The story behind how Dada was named Dada is quite intriguing too. The founders all gather with the aim to name their social movement. And to deviate from the normal naming methods where they name would have some reference to the cause, the artists tool a dictionary and stuck a knife in it, and the word it landed on happened to be Dada. They liked the word because

of how nonsensical it was, it was meaningless and silly and so it was perfect for their work. I am fascinated with the manifesto of the Dada movement, their complete detachment from the red tape of high art and the restrictions it put down was a brave thing to do. And in taking

this risk and swimming against a very strong and re-enforced tide has helped refresh art and design and provide a new on-look to how artists and designers express themselves. It has had a huge impact on Post-Modernism and has helped drive it forward until modern designers like Carson and Brody took the rains and introduced it into the 21st century.


Dada is freedom, it is spontaneous, it is chance, it is anti everything, it is the

religion of truth and feelings.

21

22

FUSE was a quarterly magazine put together in London. Each issue explored a theme which would be translated into the design of a typeface, four designers and four typefaces per issue. Each designer would also use their typeface and design a poster in which to showcase the typeface and subject. The purpose and idea behind FUSE is to generate exploration throughout typography and visual language. It wanted to create a laboratory environment where experiments could be conducted and recorded. Much like the early Bauhaus. The difference between the Bauhaus and FUSE is that the Bauhaus experimented with the goal of developing standards and fixed points in design, whereas FUSE experimented to explore the fluidity of typography and design and show its fluid capabilities to the world.

One of the founders of FUSE, Neville Brody, recognised that typography and design was edging further towards a universal sameness. A boring mix of designs which were all the same and where one poster was indistinguishable from the next. Design was becoming too stiff and rigid. Brody then in contrast described FUSE as ‘liquid space’ which trips up expectations and wets the concrete of the current design scene. It was like a light in the dark, water in the desert, it gave a fresh look to design and prompted radical change in the way designers thought and worked. FUSE was a relaxed environment where designers could visually discuss and explore ideas without fear of scrutiny and without Modernist limitations. It was like the vacuum of space, free from sound and without boundaries. It gave designers the freedom and detachment they needed.

Unlike Carson, Sagmeister had a typical design education. He went to an art school and got the typical qualifications you would expect. He has worked all over the world including Vienna and Hong Kong and worked in a few studios before starting one of his own; Sagmeister co which was later re-named Sagmeister and Walsh. In an interview Sagmeister says he has


22

23


23

Although I lean more towards the Modernist style of design I do not dislike Post-Modern design. I respect the huge contribution Post-Modernism has had on the styles of today. It ensured we did not fall into a rut of bland two colour design that was all the same. It gave that spice to Modernist design which made graphic design tasty. Without it graphic design would be like spaghetti but with no meatballs or sauce. Post-Modernists appreciated Modernist standards but they saw the dangers it created like design becoming faceless and unrecognisable from one to another. It saw Modernisms flaws and thankfully stepped in and added the second part which made design the beautiful thing it is today.

and on that note...→ never been very gutsy except on a few occasions. Once he sent out postcards advertising the opening of his studio, and on these postcards was a picture of himself naked. He was told by a few people that he would probably loose his one and only client with this stunt, it was a huge risk which he was not used to taking. Thankfully it was well received and that one client kept the postcard and attached a note to it which says: “The only risk in life is to take no risk.”

Sagmeister sits on the fence between Modernism and Post-Modernism, he is what I consider as a modern designer of today, he has a contemporary style which includes a mix of both Modernism and Post-Modernism which has influenced much of the graphic design scene today. I think this is because he puts the opinions of his audience before his own unlike the Modernist and Post-Modernists which put their own rules and opinions first. Sagmeister follows basic rules of form but also allows room for his free interpretations, but the biggest influence on his work is the audiences tastes, not the opinions of high art designers. He and designers like Erik Spiekermann believe that functionality is not the be all end all of design. We as humans have an involuntary desire for beauty, and to design with only functionality in mind is as Sagmeister says, inhuman. In Sagmeister’s work there is a lot of simplicity and a base function like any other modernist design. However there are additions to his work, characteristic flicks, shadows and colours which would have been considered unnecessary by modernist designers. Sagmeister has combined basic Modernist rules with the beauty and expression of Post-Modernism, this is a contemporary style which is beautiful and human. This contemporary style is the most prominent style of today, it is lenient towards both historical styles. It has the wild expression of Post-Modernism however it has the intelligence and consideration of Modernism which keeps the expression under control and gives it meaning.

rnd Grid SansA Typeface Design

design...

From a selection of samples I chose the Beethoven poster designed by Josef Müller-Brockmann to take inspiration from and interpret that into a typeface. Of course the element I was influenced by from the poster was the circular shapes and motion which focuses your eye in on the information, and so I started with that. I drew a very simple circular grid consisting of concentric circles 5mm larger than the other, I then added 5mm width rectangles to the grid for the ascenders, defenders, cross bars and terminals etc. I also added some terminal end guides every 45 degrees around the circular stroke guide so I had a choice and guide as to where I will set the terminals. Once I had set the grid I set about creating a starting shape of the circle and building the letters elements onto it, constructing each character from the inside out. There were tricky letters to work around this circular grid, like the letter S. Typically the letter S is built upon two circles on top of each other, however doing this and breaking my grid would make the

university | process and production

letter S considerably thinner than the rest of the characters and the flow of the words would be lost. So I had to carefully consider these awkward letters when using this restricting circular grid. Of course due to the strict grid the typeface it very simple and utilitarian, there are no characteristic flares like you would find with humanist faces, and even the very small details on most grotesque typefaces. But the downfall to this is that it is impractical to use for body copy and other small sizes as the letters are not economical with space or have the ergonomic handwriting inspired shapes which make a word recognisable and legible at small copy sizes. But as a display face this typeface is interesting, it has terminals that abruptly end sooner than on most typefaces, for example the letter E which terminal stops at the 6 o’clock position rather than somewhere around 3-4 o’clock. These features trip up expectations and so sets it apart from the many minimalist typefaces that are out there.

26

Modernist MediaAn Influenced Layout Design

design...

personal | modernist media

This project runs alongside the research into Modernism. It a simple redesign of small labels for floppy disks. I followed the Modernist rules when designing these labels, the key ones being no use of capital letters, use of three or even two colours and no illustrations. For some of the design however I did include an all covering photograph with typography laid over the top and interacting with the elements in the image. However due to the nature and detail of the image the typography was illegible, and to put it on a background would remove its interaction with the image. I printed out varies of each design in different colours to match the multicoloured floppy disks, however when I printed the labels and looked at the label in relation to its matching colour disk, it clashed terribly as it was near impossible to get the same shade, it made it look poor quality and sloppy. So I alternated the colours and made a collection of different combination of floppy disk and label colour, this created interesting visuals when photographed.

26

27

28

29

City In FluxAn Insight Into My World

For this brief I was asked to research into the City, that could either be Cities in general or a specific City of my choice. I will then use this research to encapsulate the City and interpret that into a design outcome. I chose to explore the City in general as there are certain elements of many Cities which I find interesting, so I wanted to showcase them all.

the brief...

30

31

My CityA Personal Observation of the City

university | city in flux

reflection...

have basic ability to function in the environment. But you also have a second layer to see, and that is the information and typography on street signs, shop windows, fly posters and advertisements. You only see this layer of the city when you purposefully look for it, otherwise it blends in and is absorbed by your subconscious mind, for example when you are looking for a certain shop you start to see similar shops which are usually near it and you see people’s shopping bags from that shop which helps you zone in on it, you also notice city and shopping centre maps you would otherwise ignore. It is like a double vision which you can switch in and out of like night vision in a video game.

I have found that a city is like a big jumble sale of typography and visuals in which everyone is arguing for space and your attention. For example you see fly posters which have been pasted over each other, then some parts are ripped of to reveal what is underneath. I call this typography artefacts, things that are weathered and old, but have been accidentally dug up to reveal long lost gems. It is also like litter, Mc Donalds fry boxes blown into a pile with Coca Cola cans and a Walkers crisps packet from 10 years ago which colours have faded in the sun, there are also newspapers dating back months ago. All these are typographic and visual artefacts which bind and knit the city together.

In an interview with Non-Format, they explain how the fast pace of change has developed technologies which allow more people to express themselves through design. It has also increased the diversity of design and art styles out there.

I see this all the time, not just in design, but in day to day life. With the rapid development of technology you get people who have not yet caught up and those who have been swept along with it. There is a big divide on how people live their lives which creates a fascinating mixture of personalities, especially in dense and visually rich cities. An example of this I see on the 7:44 train to Huddersfield on a morning at Wakefield Westgate, I see people using their phones to check train times, buy tickets and organising their lives on social media. But on the opposite end of the spectrum I see people reading physical newspapers, writing in physical notebooks and checking a clockwork watch on their wrist, these people probably have their phone turned off in their pocket too. In-between these two extremes I see a mix of people and habits in different combinations, and it is wonderful to see.

I have also noticed when walking about in a city you see two things, the physical scene which consists of the buildings, people and other objects like bins etc. You need to see this to find your way around and to

32

CityAn Insight Into My World

The idea was to create a small book composed of photography, typography samples and ephemera, the book would serve as an insight into the city. But more specifically it will demonstrate how I see a city, rather than representing the city as a whole. I tried a few methods of binding, staple booklet binding, perfect binding and a few homemade binding methods. I looked at some similar style booklets for inspiration on layout and typography and also to get an idea on the margin size I need so to ensure my content does not creep into the fold, I also used them as a reference to see how thick my booklet may be when printed on quality stock. From this


product...

information I sketched some very basic thumbnails and made notes on possible column grids and margin sizes that will suit the style and physicality of each bind.

The final concept for this book was to showcase my City. The City I saw. I compiled examples of type, colour and the weird and wonderful things in a City in which I find interesting. That included the physical things I saw, and also what I knew lied underneath the skin of a City such as the example of HTML code and a computer’s motherboard. I am more than pleased with the final outcome.

33


34

35

36

NEW VISUAL LANGUAGE

ISSUE

PRICE

DATE

EDITORIAL + DESIGN

PROJECT

form follows function

no. 01

£4.00

may 2015

emma nicholson

new visual language

may 2015 £4.00

Documents

New Visual Language