Art And Design Are Not As Antithetical As You Might Think The Truin Must Out by James Baker Just how “commercial” is the Design program at ECIAD, anyway? A recent article regarding one student's switch from Design to Photography suggests that Design is overrun with art directors and advertising agents; would that this were true, and | could comfortably look forward to a steady paycheque upon graduation in order to pay down my generous student loan. Whatever that student’s motivations for transferring from one program to another, | find it curious that the Planet couldn’t be bothered to do any further research into the aesthetic conditions over on the third floor of the south building. If Planet staff have had unpleasant experi- ences with Design students in the past, |.can only apologize, and assure them, as | would assure all students, particularly those considering major- ing in Design, that we’re really all pretty friendly, occasional outbursts of snarkiness aside. Really, we're quite happy to talk to anyone, even those without personalized pocket protectors. In order to clarify just how commercial and “explicitly marketable” Design is, we can look at the project list for second year ECD. | think most people who went through the program will agree that the projects listed below reflect neither “explicity marketability” nor “an indifference or aversion to creativity”; | note that the latter quote contin- ues on as “...creativity as an end in itself” (emphasis mine), which is somewhat more problematic and will be addressed later. The second year program for ECD and GD, incidentally, differs only in one course: while GD students take Intermediate Design Photography in second term, the ECD crew moves over to Design Animation; the other eleven courses are identi- cal. | cannot speak for the ID program and its own mercenary interests, so this only accounts for Flatliner side. So let's have it: Introductory Design Workshop Project One: Cultural Research and Symbols. This involved researching a specific culture and its visual iconography; a selection of symbols was used to explore elements of composition, such as contrast, grouping, size and shape relationships, rhythm and balance. e Project Two: Billboard Design. This involved applying the cultural research done to date towards large-scale billboards from that culture to a mainstream lower mainland context. Emphasis was placed on the relationship between text and image at a large size as seen from a dis- tance with a very short exposure time. e Project Three: Multiculturalism Brochures. Again, applying the cultural research done to date, we were to generate a brochure from Multiculturalism BC to new immigrants from specific cultures. Problems to be considered included how Canada’s multicultural policy gets com- municated to new immigrants; what kinds of language and visuals are appropriate, and what kinds of information is most necessary regard- ing Canada’s policy, given the very small (2-page) allotted space. Introductory. Design Photography Project One: Cultural Phrase. We were asked to find someone from the culture we were researching, and photograph their mouth as they spoke a phrase in another language. The phrase was to be written out and combined with the photographs in the final product. This was also a basic photographic skills course, and so included an introduction to darkroom techniques, film developing, and the usual. e Project Two: Personal Space. A more wide open project, but one that focused on recording the everyday — the people and things we take for granted — and visualize them in a new way, so that we had to look at them all over again, freshly, and find a way of representing them. ¢ Project Three: Pinhole Photographs. Just a little fun piece to finish off the term, we made pinhole cameras and took a few “shots,” if | can use that most un-Wertschekian phrase. Some quite experimental work came out of this, perhaps because not many people really knew what they were doing. Although that’s a bit presumptuous of me. Introductory Typography Project One: Letterform Transformation. Again utilizing the cultural research, we were to transform, in any appropriate number of steps, a character in the English alphabet into a character from the alphabet of our adopted culture. All to be presented in a specific three-dimensional form, not a flat drawn plane. e Project Two: Wordmark. Still with the cultural research, this project asked us to develop a logo or wordmark for that culture, perhaps taking a stance on an issue deeply related to that culture. For example, because | was working with Irish culture, | tried to incorporate the violent and bloody war between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, and ended up with a wordmark that hopefully saw the future of Northern Ireland as being “post-sectarian.” e Project Three: Composition Studies. By isolating certain typographic elements, such as size, weight, and layout, we were asked to produce a study from a set of words that would control or influence the reading order of the words. Introductory Design Drawin Well, too many projects to list, but most of them featured various drawing techniques and ‘practices. | don’t know how many of them could be considered “commercial.” Leave us say that no one has ever offered me money for anything produced in this course, though | would take it in a minute if someone should. Untraceable cash only, please. Introductory Design History Granted, Tom Becher’s academic course reeks with commercialism. | know that the outside world is currently suffering a shortage of people who can crank out an essay on Mies van der Rohe in short amounts of time, and | have been led to believe that the market for experienced December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 11 exam writers has never been more lucrative. Besides, we all know that the real money lies not in art- making, but in art criticism. Sorry, Tom, but the truth must out. Design Process The term project was to make pieces for Adbusters, the anti-consumerist magazine. Make three, and then re-work one, at which time they would be looked at by some of the staff from the mag. Okay, this sounds kind of market-oriented, but only in an ironic way. After all, the purpose was to convince people not to buy things. Both the artist and the designer need to tap into imagination and creativity constantly. Intermediate Design Workshop e Project One: Wayfinding. A six-week project that explored the way graphic design can influence or create spaces that people inhabit. A study of how signs are used, how people interact with various environ- ments, and an investigation into how design might change people’s relationships with those spaces. Project Two: Seasonal Cube. A co-project with Intermediate Typography, this involved graphic design on a 3-D surface, as we were required to design a 3.5” cube for a season. The major criteria for the piece was the interaction of text and image, and how the cube might work in multiples, thus the long wait at the printer queue in the Mac Lab as we all printed out six copies of the same thing the night before. Apologies to everyone else trying to print something that late night/early morning last April. We're all working on the time-manage- ment, rilly. This. project started “commercially,” | suppose, as a packag- ing project, but got more and more conceptual along the way, as the full implications of 3-D design rapidly became apparent to us. Besides, is there much demand for a cube on “Mosquito Season,” except for ex-Peggers? Incidentally, it is worth noting here that one strict criteria of this project, as it was of others, was that all images had to be made by us: if we wanted to use pho- tographs, we had to take them; if illustrations, same. No found images. Not for reasons of copy- write, but because it was expressed that using other people’s images would make the design conform to those images, while if we made our own images, we had the possibility continued on page 14 CURRENT JOB Library clerk, Emily Carr Institute. SKILLS Computer skills; desktop publishing; some typography, digital illustration. IDEAL JOB Web design; computer-based art production. SHANE NEIFER, EMILY CARR INSTITUTE 1992-96 Art And Design Are Not As Antithetical As You Might Think The Truth Must Out by James Baker ust how “commercial” is the Design program at ECIAD, anyway? A recent article regarding one student's switch from Design to Photography ‘Suggests that Design is overrun with art directors and advertising agents ‘would that this were true, and could comfortably look forward to @ Seadypoyeheque upon gfaduton inorder o pay down my generous ‘Whatever that students motivations for transfering from one program to another, | find it curious thatthe Planet couldn't be bothered {to do any further research into the aesthetic conditions over onthe third floor ofthe south building. If Planet staf have had unpleasant exper ences with Design students inthe past, Ican only apologize, and assure them, a | would assure al students, particularly those considering major ing in Design, that we're rally all prety friendly, occasional outbursts of snarkiness aside. Really, we're quite happy to talk to anyone, even those without personalized pocket protectors. In order to clarify just how commercial and “explicitly marketable” Design is, we can look at the project list for second year ECD. | think most people whe went through the program will agree that the projects listed below reflect neither “explcty marketability" nor “an indifference or aversion to creativity”: | note that the later quote contin Les on as". creativity 2s am end in itself” (emphasis mine), which is Somewhat more problematic and will be addressed later. The second year ‘rogram for ECD and GO, incidentally, difers only in one course: while GD students take Intermediate Design Photography in second term, the ECD ew moves over te Design Animation the other eleven courses ae ier | cannot speak forthe ID program and its own mercenary interests, 50 this only accounts for Flatlner sie. So lets have it: Introductory Design Works! Froect Oe: Caterat Rear and Symbols. This involved researching a specific culture and its visual iconography; a selection of symbols was Used to explore elements of composition, such as contrast, grouping, size and shape relationships, rhythm and balance. + Project Two: Billboard Design. This involved applying the cultural research done to date towards large-scale billboards from that culture to.a mainstream lower mainland context. Emphasis was placed on the relationship between text and image at a large size as seen from a dis ‘ance with a very short exposure time, + Project Three: Multiculturalism Brochures. Again, applying the cultural research done to date, we were to generate a brochure fom “Multiculturalism BC to new immigrants from specific cultures. Problems ‘to be considered included how Canada’s multicultural policy gets com- municated to new immigrants; what kinds of language and visuals are ‘appropriate, and what kinds of information is most necessary regard ing Canada’s policy, given the very small (2-page) allotted space. Introductory Design Photogr "Project Oe: Cetera Phrase We vere asked to find someone from the culture we were researching, and photograph their mouth as they Spoke a phrase in anather language. The phrase was to be written out {and combined with the photographs inthe final product. This was aso 8a basic photographic skills course, and so included an introduction to ‘arkroom techniques, flm developing, and the usual. + Project Two: Personal Space. A more wide open project, but one that focused on recording the everyday the people and things we take for granted ~ and visualize them ina new way, so that we had to look at them al over again, freshly, and find a way of representing them. + Project Three: Pinhole Photographs. Justa litle fun piece to finish off the term, we made pinhole cameras and took a few “shots,” if can tse that most un-Wertschekian phrase. Some quite experimental work ‘ame out of this, perhaps because not many people realy knew what they were doing. Although that’ a bit presumptuous of me. Mfroject One Late to Transformation, Aginutlizing the ctural research, we were to transform, in any appropriate number of steps ‘Character in the English alphabet into a character from the alphabet of ‘our adopted culture. Allo be presented ina specfc three-dimensional form, nota flat drawn pane + Project Two: Wordmar Stil wth the cultural esearch this project ‘5ked Us fo develop a logo or wordmark for tha culture, perhaps {aking a stance on an sve deeply related to that culture. For example because {as working with Ish utr, | ied to incorporate the Violent and bloody war between Catholics and Protestants in Northern ireland, and ended up with a wordmark that hopefully saw the future ‘of Norther ireland as being “post-sectarian.” + Project Thre: Composition Studies. By ioating certain typographic clement, such a sae, weight, nd layout, we were asked to produce a Study from a st of words that would control or influence the reading order of the words. Introductory Design Drawin Wal, too many project tet, but most of them featured various {drawing techniques and practices. | don't know how many of them could be considered “commercial.” Leave us say that no one has ever offered ‘me money for anything produced inthis couse, though I would take it in ‘2 minute if someone should. Untraceable cash only, please, Introductory Design Hist ranted Yrs Bahers scStemic course reeks with commercialism. | know thatthe outside world is currently suffering a shortage of people who can crank out an essay on Mies van der Rohe in short amounts of time, and Ihave been led to believe that the market for experienced December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 11 ‘exam writers has never been more lucrative. Besides, ‘we all know thatthe real money ies notin art ‘making, but in art critics. Sorry, Tom, but the truth must out. Design Process "ke term project was to make pieces for Adbusters, ‘the anti-consumerist magazine. Make three, and then ‘eswork one, a which time they would be looked at by some of the staff from the mag. Okay this sounds kind of market-oriented, but ony in an ronic way After al, the purpose was to convince people not to buy things. ‘oth the artist ond the designer need fo tapintoimginon and eat constant. intermedi Design Workshop s"Froject One: Wayfinding. A sxeweek project that explored the way ‘graphic design can influence or create spaces that people inhabit. A Study of how signs are used, how people interact with various environ ‘ments, and an investigation into how design might change people's relationships with those spaces. ‘+ Projet Two: Seasonal Cube. A co-project with Intermediate Typography, this involved graphic design on a 3-D surface, as we were requited to design a 3.5" cube for a season. The major criteria for the piece was the interaction of text and image, and how the cube might ‘work in multiples, thus the long wait at the printer queue in the Mac {ab as we al printed out six copies ofthe same thing the night before, ‘Apologies to everyone else trying to print something that late rightlearly morning last April We're all working on the time-manage- ‘ment, rill. This projet started “commercial,” | suppose, asa packag- lng projet, but got more and more conceptual along the way, as the {ull implications of 3-D design rapidly became apparent to us, Besides, PHONE 844-3861 TO HELP {s there much demand for a ‘cube on “Mosquito Season,’ ‘except for exPeggers? Incidentally i is worth noting here that one strict criteria ofthis project, as it was of others, was that allimages had to be made by ts: if we wanted to use pho: tographs, we had to take them: if ilustrations, same. No found Images. Not for reasons of copy rite, but because it was expressed that using other people's images would make the design conform to those images, while if we made our ‘own images, we had the possibilty CURRENT JOB Litrary clerk, Bnily Carr Institute. SKILLS Computer skilis desictop publishing; sone typography, digital iustration. IDEAL JOB Web design; computer-based art production.