An A-Z of Graphic Language

Hello, welcome to my A-Z. 

The brief was to create an A-Z of Graphic Language that “says something visually interesting, entertaining or informative” - so I thought I’d make it about me, obviously.

This is a multi-platform project: it exists in a more polished format as a PDF: download PDF

Quack!

She is the mother duck!

I owe her a lot, probably more than a load of cards with ducks on and one letter of an A-Z.

Poster, Print & Process

I designed a poster to encourage my new course mates to join me for a night out in Hoxton see Art School C*nts

I printed it digitally, then made further prints using solar etching. The technique is similar to traditional etching but allows you to develop images directly on to the plate with UV light.

Green

“Don’t design landfill.”

“Beautifully designed things have value and longevity, but mediocre design usually ends up in a bin.” 

These two statements were made by a speaker at a talk I recently attended; How To Be An Eco Creative. It made me aware of some important issues in design and in the wider world. I have since made a conscious decision to try my upmost to be a socially responsible designer.

I want to pass the message on and help raise awareness. These sites are a good start:
Three Trees Don't Make A Forest
Lovely As A Tree
Transition Towns
Chris Jordan

Web Design

I’ve dedicated this year to acquiring skills that will help get me employed. Knowledge of web design seems to be in high demand, so I’m studying short courses alongside the degree.

Juxtaposition

 Juxtaposition is an image placement approach whereby related or contrasting images are placed side by side. It may imply similarity or dissimilarity.

CONCEPT

Good design work is concept driven. The concept is crucial. I think Sagmeister is the modern master of concept. His work has quality and depth. It is interesting and effective. It is considered. That is the value of good concept in design.

Vinyl

Vinyl is wonderful. No other format of music is collected and treasured like vinyl and most likely, never will be again.

QUOTES

Everyone loves a good quote. People see a good quotes and it speaks to them. It says something they wish they'd said.

Handwriting

I have always liked handwritten type. I think this quote from Stefan Sagmeister sums up its appeal:


"I am not obsessed with typefaces and find the selection of just the right one a rather tedious exercise. Using my handwriting eliminates that process, personalizes the piece and can be interpreted as an anti-computer statement all in one easy move."

Newspapers

What amazes me about newspapers is the speed and quantity with which we consume them, particularly here in London. The rise of free newspapers means they are now more abundant and less valuable than ever before.

Yesterday's news is old news, and yesterday's newspapers are forgotten.

Universal Language

Universal Language refers to the language of symbols. This is a set of abstract symbols I designed to be used by hunters. I don't know any hunters, but I'm sure hunters would love them.

Origami

"Our culture and society rest upon twenty six firm pillars, the letters of the alphabet, and they're not going to give way that easily"


In his book The Essentials of Visual Communication, Bo Bergtrom says it can seem as though pictures are our enemies, but letters are our friends.

He says most people are afraid of pictures; and analysing a picture can often say more about the person doing the analysis than about the picture itself, which turns the process into a kind of self-portrait. He suggests that on this basis we have to hope that the pictures teach us the value of admitting our secrets and the dangers of hiding them.

Letterpress

Its taken a while - but I finally got to try letterpress. I enjoyed setting type by hand, it appealed to my obsessive nature. I hope to find excuses to spend more time in the letterpress studio this year.

Apple + Z

'Apple Z' should be a sin. Which would make me a sinner.

I live in an 'undo' culture. I worry it makes me complacent. I know I should spend more time thinking and planning a design, but I head straight for the computer safe in the knowledge I can always 'undo'.

I wish I did more design manually. Letterpressing, screen printing, sketching and drawing. Even cutting, and pasting with scissors and glue. I'm going to make an effort to try for the remaining two terms.

Xerox

I still love you photocopier.

The photocopier is almost regarded as obselete, but I think its a great tool for image making. Graphic designers shouldn't forget how fast and cheap it is. I used it a lot during the workshops at the start of the year, plus I think its good to embrace anything that gets you off the computer.

Mantras

I read Things I Have Learnt In My Life So Far by Sefan Sagmeister. I felt inspired to produce some mantras of my own. I like them, but I do feel this sort of typography is verging on pretentious. Also, I noticed writing mantras can make you think you're wiser than you actually are.

I found a whole website dedicated to kind of stuff: Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far. Two is enough for me. Who's going to top Sagmiester anyway?

Talent

Do some people have a different way of seeing and thinking? Is talent gained from experience or are you born with it?

I think design can be learnt, but some people have a natural talent for it. It pains me to admit it, but I don’t really consider myself to be a talented designer. I’m not sure I have the raw ability or the creativity.

I will work hard to be a technically strong designer. I would like to lead projects and work alongside the more talented designers..

I do however have some friends who are very talented designers and create beautiful works. Check out these guys:
Rob Francis, Joe Hughes, Isobel Williams, Mike Calandra Achode

Collagraph / Charity

Through out the first term I signed up for various printing inductions. Surprisingly, collagraph was one of my favourites. A piece of card is used as a starting point for a plate. The surface is then added to, or scraped away, to create relief. The plate is sealed with shellac, intaglio inked and printed like a traditional etching plate.



I volunteer at the British Heart Foundation. Its nice to do something for others because I reckon most of the time I'm pretty obnoxious and self-centered. I'd like to find design work in the charity sector. Next term I am doing a branding project for Home Start.

Books

I have a tendency to accumulate graphic design books and never read them.

I’ve decided to put an end to this! I’ve read three books already this year, and I really enjoyed them. One book at a time, I am going to be a reading machine!


Here's my reading list for 2010:
-Made You Look
-How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
-The Essentials of Visual Communication
-No More Rules: Graphic Design and Postmodernism
-The ABCs of The Bauhaus
-Graphic Design the New Basics


-and from the Design:Basics series: 

Grids, Layouts, Image, Colour and Design Thinking