How does one become a great designer?

In this blog I want to discuss the nature of how a designer becomes a great figure in the history of design. How is one influenced? Is credit due to those surrounding you? How do you make a difference and become an influential character yourself? I won’t label myself as a great designer, but my influence to design comes from persistence and a need to express myself in the only way I know how. I am not one with words, I’m an introvert, I love to read and not surprisingly I love to draw. 

One designer who’s influenced me is Robert Brown John. He’s a source of inspiration to graphic designers everywhere. His ability to design partly stems from the people he met in his life, starting at a young age Laszlo Moholy-Nagy gave him an appreciation of the everyday objects. His life and work were one and the same. He had very modernist beliefs; his work was simple, and his ideas stripped back to the bare, but this is what made him a popular designer. There are other elements that factored into his success and that was being in the right place at the right time; as a graphic designer it’s important to get out there and form connections with other designers. Money didn’t matter much to him as it does to majority of designers, given a commission of £3000 it would take him £3000 to complete, so he would never make a profit. The downfall to BJ came from his drug problem. He became difficult to work with, his family split up, wasn’t able to form professional relations with his clients (was late to meetings, most times not even showing up). He had this creative self-destruction thing going on, but I think he could back his ego by the outstanding work he produced. He had the ability to simplify and simplify until he had absolute distillation of the idea.

He has taught me that keeping things simple is sometimes what’s key to design, but his short life due to drug abuse also teaches me the value of improving relations; in the end he died alone, and the question that repeats in my mind was was he really happy even with all his success?

‘In the last 15 years, in typography the real advance has been the use of type not as an adjunct to an illustration or photo, but in its use as the image itself.’ BJ back in 1963




Figure 1 Christmas Lobby Sculpture (1958)

Books Read:

King, Emily (2005) Sex And Typography. Princeton Architectural Press.

Masking (Rubber Dolling)

Figure 1 Rubber Dolling (2014)

A recent documentary came on channel 4 about this phenomenon of ‘masking’ or ‘rubber dolling’. It showed a lifestyle completely unbeknownst by many people, a secret lifestyle. Men dress from head to toe in a rubber body in the form of a woman, completed with a rubber face and a wig. As strange as it seemed at first, you came to understand that these men had completely normal lifestyles, and this hidden persona only appeared during certain times. I’d like to explain this phenomenon by concluding that these people are in some ways or other unhappy with the real them. Some use it as escapism, some for enjoyment, and some purely because it boosts their confidence. One of the men was a 70 year old who was afraid to look in the mirror and see his real self. He was afraid of seeing a fragile old man and so instead sees a blonde ‘beautiful’ woman.

We could argue that the woman’s body itself is an expression of true beauty, and these people just want to appreciate the form in a physical sense. It’s a strange concept to grasp and at first you wonder whether these men have confidence issues, if they’re happy being in their own skin, and why they have to hide behind another face. This idea that Barbie is perfect woman; we’re bombarded with this image every day in the media on TV on our favourite programs, magazines. These “real” women are portrayed as flawless when in real they have been photo-shopped and airbrushed to man’s idea of the perfect woman.

There needs to be a greater emphasis on educating the youth today on how there’s more to life than what you look like, and confidence in yourself is key; there should be an acceptance for how people are different and everyone has their own styles, likes and dislikes. It could be seen as these men are attention seeking in a way; they bring it upon themselves the abuse they receive because it’s not a normal obsession. You could also see it as similar to why women (and some men) wear makeup; it gives them a shield against the world, makes them more comfortable, and makes them happier. The strange thing about it is that some of these men are in relationships, are married to women, suggesting that it’s not about attraction to the same gender that drives these multiple personalities. The attention they get from both women and men seems to give them that confidence boost with their sexuality.


Secrets Of The Living Dolls [television documentary online] Channel 4 UK (2014) 1 min At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI-udPkU7xA (Accessed on 29.04.14)

Made In Dagenham

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect when watching this film in our discourse lecture, and to be quite honest it didn’t appeal to me other than the fact that I live in the neighbouring town, Romford. The only thing I knew about it was the posters I’d seen of the female characters, and ashamedly I judged the film almost instantaneously without further knowledge of the content. It started off showing the life for women during the 1960’s. Women were inferior, earning less than men simply because they were…female. Women being physically weaker made them vulnerable and not taken seriously by their male counter parts, like delicate creatures. If a wife isn’t obedient she is judged both by men and women, she should know her place and job as to please her husband and care for her household. 

One character who really frustrated me was ‘Lisa Hopkins’. With a history degree from Cambridge she ended up as a trophy wife; a matter that still happens today with some cultures, the woman gets her degree only to be married off and raise a family. If it is her choice then by all means, but personally I feel that the education she worked so hard to achieve, has gone to waste. With all her education, Lisa didn’t have the courage to stand for what was right, whereas the main character and female heroin Rita, who came from a poor background with little or no education believed strongly in the cause enough to risk her marriage and family. She proved that all it takes is a little confidence and determination to breakthrough something big. She proved that women can’t be bought off with money or compliments. She proved that women were worth more than just their appearance, and ability to bear children. The change may have been insignificant to everyone around Rita, but to her and her colleagues/friends it meant much more. She couldn’t convince everyone of her cause, but those she did were fully inspired by her as am I.

“You can’t outwit fate by standing on the side-lines placing little side bets about the outcome of life. Either you wade in and risk everything you have to play the game or you don’t play at all. And if you don’t play you can’t win.” (McNaught)




Figure 1 Equal Pay Strike (1968)


Stockton, (2013) 50 Awesome Quotes that Will Inspire You To Take That Risk. At: http://thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2013/07/50-awesome-quotes-that-will-inspire-you-to-take-that-risk/ Accessed on 02.05.14)

Being a Woman so far

What have I really learnt being a woman so far? I’m not afraid to call myself a feminist and I shouldn’t be judged in doing so. I’m not your crazy old cat lady who hates men and lives alone kind of woman, so get that imagery out of your head before I start. I came straight from an all-girl school, to an all-girl sixth form, to a mixed environment in university. It was a new experience for me; I hadn’t been in a mixed working environment like that since primary school. You would think that these higher education places would be full of mature and well-informed students. However, my experience led me to believe otherwise. In university, in the year 2014, women are still being subject to men who think they’re far superior. It’s a constant battle of the sexes when it should be a harmonious environment where we learn from each other, gain experiences, strengthen our weaknesses. This would be the case were it not for the constant battle women have to deal with lad culture. From my own experience it’s often intimidating going to the university library having to pass through groups of boys huddled by the library entrance. A place I go to regularly, it frustrates me knowing these guys believe it’s okay to ogle every woman passing through the library. We’re entitled to be able to learn in a safe environment where we’re not judged by how we look or how we’re dressed, without having the burden of been ogled by those who value their education less. You get large groups of guys at a time and it’s rather intimidating, you’re often left unsure of where to look; if you get caught accidentally making eye contact you’re instantly labelled as “interested”, it’s then okay for these guys to harass you for your number and if you don’t comply you’re “uptight”. Let me repeat, I’m not your crazy old cat lady who lives secluded in her own shadow, but to entertain you here’s what one of them looks like…







Bates, L. (2013) 'Female Students Face a Wave Of Misogyny in British Universities.’ In: The Guardian [online] At: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2013/nov/15/female-students-misogyny-british-universities-sexism-stirling (Accessed on 26.04.14)


How Islam Made Me a Feminist [Youtube Clip online] Pres. TedXWarwickSalon (Women) UK (2013) 15 mins At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jWSDyJiIXg (Accessed on 29.04.14)

Brutalism: Robin Hood Gardens Estate

Figure 1 RGB Estates (2012)

As much as I agree with the modernist beliefs, there is one style of Architecture that I absolutely loathe and that’s Brutalism; in particular Robin Hood Gardens Estate by the Smithson’s. Form follows function, but in this case the function failed the residents who live on the estate. The theory behind the estates was to create a sense of community between the residents, creating ‘streets in the sky’. The recreation space between the buildings was devised to give space for the residents and children to enjoy quiet away from the busy hustle bustle of London streets. The architecture itself isn’t pleasant to look at let alone live in. The buildings now are the same as they were when they were built. This was a clear case of style over substance; selfishly the resident’s needs weren’t catered for in the design. The majority of those living there are of the older generation, some with restricted access. The building was not designed for these people. The lift has no turn room for wheel chair users, it’s heavily graffitied and not practical for everyday use and the stairs inaccessible. The building since it’s been built hasn’t been renovated, and there are debates to whether it should be demolished. The problem with this would be that the residents would be displaced. Architects have fought in favour of saving the building from demolition as it holds architectural value, it’s a symbol of brutalism and to destroy it would be a loss to the history of architecture. The concrete structure is visible from far, not necessarily a positive, it’s a sight for sore eyes. The only ornamentation was added after the building was built, and it was frosted cube windows, a rather dated feature. The estate feels hostile and attracts anti-social behaviour. It’s completely against the modernist ideals, and rather selfishly built, the brutalistic building is neither form nor function. It disappoints on all levels.



Figure 2 Balconies - Streets in the sky (2012)



Figure 3 Glass Cube Windows (2012)

Banksy

The artist who managed to stay anonymous for so long, his work isn’t just pretty to look at but rather carries a bucketful of meaning behind them. I value Banksy as a true artist; he manages to touch upon many issues others would be afraid to talk about, sexuality, social injustices, problems with people in power, war. Maybe being anonymous gives him his freedom to do that without being persecuted. His work wouldn’t be nearly enough valuable in a gallery as it is in its natural place…on the streets around the world. He is an artist of the people. He creates work for us to envelop and enjoy, it’s not just any other graffiti, when coming across a Banksy you have no choice but to stand and admire his work minutes on end. Banksy doesn’t create his art for himself but rather to educate the people. Sometimes you don’t realise the lies you’re being fed by TV, media, so called trusted people in high positions and you become a puppet in the commercial world.

Banksy is true to his art, as expected well-known brands beg him to work for them, but knowing their unethical background he refuses, no matter how much money is thrown at him. One of his newest pieces is that of a couple embracing but checking their phones. This addresses an issue we are all guilty of. We’re becoming too connected with technology that we forget sometimes who we’re with and why we’re doing something.

Figure 1 Mobile Lovers (2014)

I think his most controversial piece is his graffiti on the Gaza wall. It sheds light on the seriousness of the matter and the ridiculous situation there. Being Banksy it is full proof that media would latch on to his new work and therefore gets it out to the public who many are blissfully unaware. It’s a bleak and never-ending sight of a wall dressed with bright delightful paint. He is painting a picture of paradise when Gaza is anything but paradise. He describes the situation as “world’s largest open prison” an accurate analysis by far. He goes on to say: “The segregation wall is a disgrace…the possibility I find exciting is you could turn the world’s most invasive and degrading structure into world’s largest gallery of free speech and bad art…besides I love Palestine – all the giant walls, the dirt and the falafel stalls remind you of Glastonbury”

Figure 2 Gaza Wall (2005)



Banksy on The West Bank- Gaza Strip, [television programme online] Channel 4 News UK (2013) 4 mins At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-iTSQnigY (Accessed on 29.04.14)


Hattenstone, S. (2003) 'Something to Spray.' In: The Guardian [online] At: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2003/jul/17/art.artsfeatures (Accessed on 26.04.14)

Bruno Munari: Design as Art

“The designer of today re-establishes the long-lost contact between art and the public, between living people and art as a living thing.”

Described by Picasso as the new Leonardo, Munari’s work was very much a marriage of art and design. His most known pieces are his “useless machines”, designs which his friends couldn't take seriously. His inspiration to create these pieces came from art in Italy at the time; the pure geometric shapes that spanned canvases, abstract and colourful but often created from still life of real objects such as vases. He often wondered what would happen if these art forms were released from their 2D boundaries, shapes and lines popping out of the canvas into the real world as such, and so there started his journey into working within the fourth dimension: that of time. There’s often more involved than meets the eye in his designs, they aren't just randomly put together and hung with pieces of string.

“I cut out the shapes, gave them harmonic relationships to one another, calculated the distances between them, and painted their backs (the part one never sees in a picture) in a different way so that as they turned they would form a variety of combinations. I made them very light and used thread so as to keep them moving as much as possible.”

The title given to his work ‘Useless machines’ is named as such because although you see them as works of art, Munari intended them as machines. Although they do not produce anything and have no assigned use, they’re made from a number of movable parts fixed together, hence deemed ‘useless machines’.

“Machines would not exist without us, but our existence would no longer be possible without them.” (Munari, 1952, p.23).

Munari’s ethos of design working together in perfect harmony with art is very much an ethos designers share today. Artists are no longer bound by the frivolities of just being ‘artists’ stuck in the romantic period. And designers are no longer forced to create objects only fit for its purpose. There’s a leeway in which designers are given more freedom to create works that function, but are considered art at the same time. In order for a design to be successful it must appeal to both natures. Today it is very much the deal that artists and designers must be of both to succeed, they must respond with humility to the working world, unashamedly answering the demanding needs of their neighbours.it is often a preconception that design and art are two separate entities, and so it becomes the job of the designer and artist to convince people otherwise that they are not conditioned to think one way or the other but rather have an all rounded work aesthetic.

“If what we use every day is made with art, and not thrown together by chance or caprice, then we shall have nothing to hide” (Munari, 1952, p.25).



Figure 1 Design as Art (1976)



Munari, Bruno (1952) Design as Art. Penguin Modern Classics.

Popova, M. (2012) Bruno Munari on Design as a Bridge Between Art and Life. At: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/11/22/bruno-munari-design-as-art/ (Accessed on 3.05.14)

Laszlo Maholy-Nagy

Figure 1 Untitled (1922-30) With modernism a new approach to design came: design for life. The shape of an object is defined by the work it has to do; it is no longer a profession to design, but an attitude. Moholy thought that artists should no longer use their artistic talents producing paintings and sculptures for the elite but rather propagate it towards producing useful objects for the masses. His photograms were one of the greatest visual experiences of the new age incorporating space form and light. It doesn’t matter which way or other you view his photograms, they don’t lose their beauty of surrealism. The obsession for play of light inspired his very works. His ethos incorporated the unity of art and technology as many modernists believed. “Photogram experiments are of fundamental importance for the amateur and professional photographer alike. They impart richer and more important knowledge about the sense behind the photographic process than do photographs taken, mostly with little awareness and often mechanically, with a camera. One has little awareness and often mechanically, with a camera. One has total command of the light effects, organising them in a way one deems correct, without regard for the dependency and fortuity of the objects.” 1928 page 103. The most important thing in photography is light, without light the subject is dark, the eye and camera need illumination to be able to capture the essence of the subject. Photography is capturing light; Moholy is about capturing light in a different form. He captures the kinetic energy of the light and object, its spatial awareness, its abstractness, a method normal photography can’t achieve. The geometric complexity of the designs and shapes created by shadow and light convey the dynamic possibilities of both machine and camera. Photographic paper is his canvas and light is his paint. Figure 2 Untitled (1925-28) A Lightplay: Black White Grey [Youtube clip online] Pres. Moholy-Nagy. (1930) 6 mins At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0x730uP2yI (Accessed on 13.05.14) Books Read: Wittenborn, George (1947) The New Vision and Abstract of an Artist. E.L. Hildreth and Co. Brattleboro, Vermont. Klinkhardt & Biermann (1930) 60 fotos: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Editeurs, Berlin W10 Heyne, Renate (2009) Moholy-Nagy The Photograms. Hatje Cantz Verlag. Theobald, Paul (1946) Moholy: Vision in Motion. Paul Theobald Publisher.

Identity: Race, My own story

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character” (Luther King, 1963).

Figure 1 193 Bus (2012)

I am British. I am Arab. I am a woman. I wear the hijab. I am Muslim. The combination of all of these subjects me every day to racial attacks from certain individuals in society. Generally I feel safe walking down the street but there was a time that changed that feeling altogether. I was coming home from college early one day on the bus, the 193. A journey I make almost every day. This journey however decided to be different. A couple of teenage boys got on a couple of stops into my journey, and sat at the back, where I happened to sit that day. Two sitting right beside me (on an almost empty bus) and the other two in seats in front. I had no reason to feel uneasy at them boarding the bus, but as soon as they approached to sit beside me I sensed trouble. I was a different person 4 years ago, a quiet hardworking shy girl, the hardworking girl is still me, but I’m more confident now. This quiet girl isn’t someone you would expect to attract trouble. They started off calling me names, and it escalated from there. “Have you got a bomb under there?” (Pointing at my scarf) “Is your dad from bomb-istan?” “How comes you’re killing our soldiers?” I sat there staring out the window, ignoring all their comments; I wasn’t much of a confrontation person. I’ve had people calling me terrorist before and other insults shouted from afar, but I had never been in a situation like this before. I was holding back tears, trying to act like it didn’t hurt, like I didn’t care. Truth was, it hurt me more knowing the other passengers on the bus were sitting there listening to these boys but chose to ignore it and offer me only looks of sympathy. Maybe they themselves were too scared to get involved? It was then I realised I was alone on this journey. My personal space was invaded as they got closer in proximity. One of them decided to pull my scarf and another started flicking me. I had a newspaper scrunched up and chucked in my face. When they finally reached their stop, I was spat at. Soon as they turned their backs that’s when I decided it was okay to cry. I received no help and no comfort from anyone else travelling on the 193. The driver stopped the bus after the boys got off and called the police. I thought I’d receive words of comfort at least from someone in his position but all I got was “why didn’t you come down and sit at the front?” How could I have moved if they were blocking me in?

I haven’t changed much since then, except days later I passed my driving test, passed college, got into uni and now I’m studying a degree I love. I haven’t seen those boys since. Sometimes the best thing in a situation like that is silence. I could have spoken words of insult back, but then how would I be any different to them? “Silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.” Rumi. I don’t need to make an excuse or defend myself from the actions of few in society who ‘claim’ to be of this ethnicity and that religion. I am proud of who I am, and I won’t change regardless of what others ignorantly think.

Postmodernism

"A chair must be really important as an object, because my mother always told me to offer my chair to a lady" (Sottsass, 1976)

Some people believed modernism was overly pretentious. It was too clean, bland, and too simplistic for some designers. That’s what led to a more controversial colourful new style of design using salvaged materials and distressing them into something new. The purpose was to bring some excitement to design almost a funny element, that’s playful. I would call postmodernism a more absurd form of design, exaggerated furniture, fake materials, cliché. I can understand it as designers feeling more liberated but I believe in modernisms ‘form follows function’, the colour of an object should come secondary in response to the actual purpose of the design. Sottsass is a postmodernist, his influence came from India; Colour was worn even by the poor there. He wanted to bring that colour back into his designs both in architecture and furniture. The Carlton shelf in figure 1 shows iconography to its best; the combination of symbolism and consumerism is rather evident and typical of Sottsass. Modernism brought about technology that looked big cold and rather daunting, Sottsass wanted to change all that. Inspired by pop-art America and Warhol he brought back patterns and textures to Italy. His objects could make you laugh and his architecture could make you smile.

Figure 1 Carlton (1981)

McGuirk, J. (2011) 'Has Postmodernist Design Eaten Itself?’ In: The Guardian [online] At: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/sep/12/postmodernist-design-v-and-a-retrospective (Accessed on 09.05.14)

(2011) Postmodernism. At: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/p/postmodernism/ (Accessed on 14.04.14)

Modernism: Mies Van Der Rohe and Functionalism

“We are not against beauty, but against useless things” (Khrushchev, 1954)

Modernism came about as a means of forgetting about the war and damage done by the war. The movement called for a reinterpretation of history/architecture after coming from a state of devastation. It changed all sectors of design from graphics to architecture to art and furniture. One well-known figure to modernism is Mies Van Der Rohe key for his “less is more” statement. This statement gives us an idea about the ideals of the period. Ornamentation is minimal, and designs were simple but functional, essential for recovering from the war. Making things functional and less about the look made things easier to be mass produced, and get the industry back up and running. Architects like Mies were compelled by moral duty to provide designs that were functional yet affordable for the struggling public. His designs were simple but essentially timeless pieces; his Barcelona chair is still popular to this day.

Farnsworth house is an example of the architecture created during this new period. Stripped back to its bare foundations, it appears as a transparent form levitating above ground in an isolated surrounding. The steel framework shows off the new found materials and technology. The house boasts simplicity, the walls bare white, the furniture clean and used sparingly. It appears as one with nature, and everything designed has a function, like nature. The elevated nature of the building takes into account the vulnerability of the area to flood.

                               Figure 1 Farnsworth House (1989)

McKay, G. (2013) Architecture vs Building. At: http://misfitsarchitecture.com/tag/functionalism/ (Accessed on 10.05.14)


Cheng, W. (2013) Functionalist Designed Architecture and Interiors by Mies Van Der Rohe. At: http://weimararchitecture.weebly.com/mies-van-der-rohe.html (Accessed on 10.05.14)