Four contemporary designers

So far this semester, we've taken a look at the work and philosophies of four contemporary designers:
In the previous classes we have been recently introduced to four designers Marian Bantjes, Bruce Mau, Stefan Bucher, Stefan Sagmeister and observed their work along with their philosophy on design.  Each designer relates to me and my "Design Is" statement in their own way of self discovery.
      Marian Bantjes is a women who describes herself as a graphic artist. This is because she creates graphics that she now does from the heart, she feels her designs, she allows herself be portray within it as well as her ego. She explains that her best work is work she has felt a connection or interest in and was not planned or part of a strategy. I feel that this connects with me because I was first an artist then became a graphic designer. This transition was harder then thought because of the structure design follows. I was used to creating with some basic idea but knew somehow the pieces would fall in place. When designing, everything has meaning and relevant to another object. There is more thought put into a well designed piece then I even would have imagined. This is why I feel as though I can connect with Marian because she seems like an artist at heart and allows design and art to become one. I was doing this at the beginning of my first year and am trying to overcome this. Design is still structured and should be, where as art has no limits and is experimental. To have both together and still be successful she has done a extremely difficult thing but it is what makes her work recognizable.
      Bruce Mau is a designer who's website displays a brilliant manifesto about the world and design. This is something very interesting because everyone has different believes and opinions, and if people live by even the same ones it does not mean the outcome is always the same. Bruce speaks many good points in his manifesto and creating one of these is a great idea. Bruce, like Marian displays how he has lived his life and learned throughout his experiences what he strives in. Comparing Bruce to Marian, Bruce has recorded his findings in a different way, a more formal approach. This applies to me because I feel as though I would want my self discoveries in some type of logic and written out but also including examples of work when I recognized this new finding. Bruce seems to do so by numbering, explaining and including some photos in his manifesto.
     Stefan Bucher is a designer that again tells the audience what he has done in his life and explains his findings and what works best for him. Stefan uses slides as well as small clips to explain his manifesto. He too like Marian explains how he is unique from other designers. He shows his work as a designer and how it moves from computer based to more hand based creativity. Stefan uses the organic shapes of a blow pen to start a piece of work and creates from what he sees or feels. Stefan explains his way of thinking to the audience and explains why he feels more comfortable working alone now because he has come to terms with his design process. He is a designer and a creator. Stefan's manifesto shows his self discovery and how he has adjusted designing to his creative process.
      Stefan Sagmeister displays his manifesto in a list called "Things I Have Learned in my Life So Far" which includes findings and pictures of his work that were specifically dedicated to this. He explains how design is something that needs time away from design. Which is something 100% true. Good design is not instant and involves a large process, which can he tiring. This is why breaks in life are needed. Sagmeister takes a year break to recenter himself and grain inspiration. This is something that is very important to designers.
     All designers have learned many things throughout their career in design and explain them in manifestos in their own way. My "design is" statement emphasis the process being most important to good design and that design is in many things all around us, meaning that it is always be inspiring, intriguing and interesting. Each designer explains this and relates to this in their own way which is what makes design so awesome; we can all have the same guides but have different ways of creativity and outcomes. Design is what you make it when you follow the specifications.

Stefan Bucher

Listening to Stefan talk about is work process through his past experiences as well as his way his brain works is really interesting. First off I love how he is proud of everything he has done, even the failures and mistakes because he obviously has learned from them and has helped him become who he is today. This is something I live strongly by, everything happens for a reason. If you fail, you learn from it and recover. Stefan does this and uses humor to help make light of the situations that did not work out.  This is one of my favourite characteristics about Stefan. Moving on Stefan then speaks about his functioning of his brain, the way the conscious and subconscious minds seem to work together but at an unpredictable rate. He describes his conscious mind being over thought and compares it to a hyperactive dog chasing squirrels to tire itself out where as the subconscious mind is a team player but the amount of effort cannot be documented as it is occurring.  This I find I can relate to most, because of the fact that some of my best ideas have come when I am working late in the night out of no where rather than during the day when thought long and hard.  My brain needs to do its resting during the after hours of class and then restart itself later in the evening before real ideas can occur. Although this is not entirely the same as Stefan, I do understand that the subconscious mind somehow gets the job done. Ideas are always passing in and out but it is until they are recognized by my conscious mind is when they are put to paper. Stefan shows that with different creative people we all have different creative processes; that because it may not look like work doesn’t mean it is not creating ideas.

What I have Learned So far & Design Is Statement Edited

      So far this semester I have learned that design has a lot more thought and depth to it's theory then I thought I knew. Our class dicussions allowed me to realize that design was hard to define but yet we all feel like we know what it is. This is very interesting because when the question was asked some of us sat there in blank thought, when some of us refered to online dictionaries and other resourses. It's funny how we think we know something until we are asked to define what it is exactly that we have no idea where to start. This is how I felt for my statement. Although, after much long discusion, viewing the super bowl commercials, Ted Talks, reading our course textbook and even the new release of the new iPad2, it is crazy how much we really have no idea of how much design exists.
      The fact that we do not see design always but we are aware it is there tells us that is good design (to a certain extent).  It is like the theory of windows, you don't notice a window is there unless it is dirty.  It is something so natural that unless you have a negative thought of it that your brain will really take recognition of it. Same goes for design, it is always around us but it is only when we see really bad design that our brain will recognize it as design.
    Another thing that I have learned in this course is how we as consumers take for granted the speed of technology. With our media usage assignment it was easy to see that all of us depend on technology more than we even know, which some of us knew a lot but was even surprised to know exactly how much. The discussion in class about the iPad2 opened my eyes that we really do always expect the best. Even though the new iPad was improved in ways that were probably extremely time consuming and difficult to design from the inside, we were almost underwhelmed with the outcome of the new improvements, we were expecting more. Our generation has experienced a lot of change with technology and we feel that it will constantly be this way (and may just be that way) but it should not be dismissed if the newest improvements are not exponential.

Culture & Design

Viagra Campaign
Gold
Product/Service
Pharmaceuticals
Viagra Campaign (Campaign)
Pfizer Viagra
TAXI, Toronto

     Some of the social influences for this campaign is the fact that Baby Boomers are aging and is getting to the stage where they are a large target audience. Another influence is sex being so freely discuses in  media that it seems to now being applied to an older group to make it more open to them where as before the topic would be very taboo. Another influence might be the scene of famous celebrities frequently checking in and out of rehab, this is where addiction to activities comes in to play. Viagra is humorously stereotyping an older age group with typical actives they might be seen doing and using an age group who seems to be entering the retirement years to describe the activities as addictive. Viagra acts to be the solution to this "problem".    

Target Market - This campaign targets about  50-65 year old directing more to males rather than females due to its directed gender usage. However, females maybe the ones purchasing it for spouses. This ad is more directed to North Americans with an average income of 25,000 to 60, 000. This is known because the ad displays confessionals of this target market so that the viewer can relate.
Cutural Issues - With the majority of North American population is getting older, the advertising world is taking a shift to who the advertisements are directed to, this being displayed within this ad. The overall design is simplistic to keep the focus on the personal struggle the customer is explaining. This allows the target market to trust the person because they are explaining an addiction (something that would be considered embarrassing and personal)
Overall Observation- Viagra pokes fun at the social issues what a young adults might be interested in and applying it to the Baby Boomers and their life changes. Its use of humour allows viewers to get a laugh out of it but also deliver a rememberable campaign message.

Media Usage

My Design Creating Process

When I am first given a new project ideas start going through my head as the brief is being explained, not necessarily good ones but they are starting to be had. Before the brief is even fully shared I may start to do quick thumbnails or at least jot down ideas in writing. After the brief is fully completed and free time is given, this is when my worst quality kicks in, I seem to need a break from all the "hard work" I have already done and check my social media sites as well as my email, in other words procrastinate. This then leads to a bit of distraction and maybe even ideas lost along the way, but also a few found. After a couple days of working on other remaining for the week, I then glace back at the project assigned. I might talk to friends and family about ideas and ask for thoughts and opinions, this can be an advantage or a disadvantage, so be careful who you talk to.

After the process has occurred I then start working on my project. This could mean by creating more refined thumbnails. I find this gives me the structure I need in order to start working with illustrator or photoshop. If I run into a problem along the way I usually attempt to solve it by taking a break. What I have noticed as a designer, especially as an artist or even in life, is when you come to a problem that really seems to tick you off the best thing to do is step back. When you come back to your situation, you are in a better mind set and have a whole new perspective. However, if this does not work when designing the next step I take is to again research the internet or inspiring ideas I have collected and saved into a folder on my Mac. Hopefully my problem is solved and I can actually get some of that stuff designers never seem to get - sleep.

Design is...

This weeks blog was to post our own definition of what design is, so here it goes.

Design is a skill, rather than a talent (design is intentional), that applies creativity toward a project that is either new or improving and influenced by others or someone.

This is what I believe design is based on what I know and what our class discussed in week 2.