DIY Screenprinting

Last week we had a DIY screenprinting workshop with Kathryn Shearman of Kazoo Studios. We learned how to create printed designs with just paper and exacto blades, which was really simple and exciting to learn. We worked in teams to produce our final prints, and despite some minor problems they turned out great!

The assignment was to create a wearable billboard, and I decided to use the phrase "make something good." I like it because it encourages people to go out and create something of their own, and to contribute something to their community. It also means that if you make something, it should bring about something good, rather than something detrimental. I also liked that it could be taken to mean that you should make something that already exists good, as in alter it to be something better than it was. I think all of these meanings are good general principles to live by, and that's why I chose to wear it. 

Inequality and New York's Subway

A really interesting interactive graphic about median incomes and their corresponding subway stops in New York...

http://www.newyorker.com/sandbox/business/subway.html

Jesse Palmer / Kathryn Shearman

Today was certainly an inspiring example of DIY design. I love the handmade, crafty aesthetic of design done outside of the computer, but sometimes I need to be reminded just how much. It's easy to fall back on technology and not get your hands dirty...

Jesse Palmer visited us and spoke about his collective publication Slingshot, which he's been helping to produce for many years now. It's certainly a very unique publication, and he spoke about wanting to make it artful, fun, and distinct for readers which I think it absolutely is. The cut-and-paste and low-budget quality of the paper is really great I think, it doesn't take itself too seriously and instead serves as an outlet for some very free form art and writing. I found it very inspiring the way that it is completely not for profit, it simply exists to share information and creativity with the public. It seems to harken back to what printing is really all about.

We were also visited by Kathryn Shearman from Positive News. I hadn't heard of the publication, but I have to say I love its mission! I honestly avoid the news because of its negativity (which I know I shouldn't do), so I very much appreciate them spreading some hopefulness. After today, I'm very excited for next week's workshop. I've done a good amount of screen printing, but somehow never a process as simple as the one she demo'ed today. I'm really looking forward to making effective design by hand in such a simple manner. 

Project 3 Proposal

For Project 3 I plan to design a campaign to educate San Francisco residents about our water supply. I feel that there is a lack of awareness about where our water comes from, its safety and cleanliness, and where our water waste goes to. Many people seem to distrust the quality of water here, though we actually have some of the cleanest and safest water in the world. The campaign would be comprised of a series of posters to be placed around the city, on buses, in bus stops, on Market Street, and even on the new interactive bus ads in some parts of the city. It would feature clear and simple infographics, tips on water usage and conservation tactics, and facts about water regulations and testing in a colorful, fun, and cohesive manner. I also hope to include information about using reusable water bottles and discouraging bottled water use. It would be primarily a print/poster campaign, but as mentioned there could be an interactive aspect used in interactive advertising spaces, and possibly even a website to go along with the poster campaign.

Why Beauty Wards Off Obsolescence

I really liked this article by Lance Hosey about our society's obsession with constantly buying newer, "better" gadgets, while the "old" versions go to waste. Though I know this has been a problem for a long time now, I feel like I've watched it escalate around me in my lifetime. I remember getting my first iPod, one of the original white ones. It looks somewhat retro and very dated to us now, compared with the color touch screens that are presently the norm, but that iPod lasted through years of use, where the subsequent iPods I've had give out quicker and quicker. Bring it to an apple store, and you'll learn that to fix it or replace the part that broke, you'd have to pay more than it would cost to buy a whole new model, so of course that's the option you'd choose.
It feels like such an unfortunate problem, that our gadgets are becoming obsolete to us ever more rapidly. It feels near impossible to even keep up with the latest and greatest, knowing that there will be an even newer version not two months later. Yet this is in the best financial interest of their producers, so I don't see this trend changing anytime soon. It's therefore so important that we find better ways to recycle, reuse, and dispose of the waste from these obsolete items, which I think the article addressed very well.
I also really enjoyed reading about our attraction and connection to beautiful objects. I think this has such a powerful influence over us. I thought it was very interesting learning that we're often attracted to the same sorts of aesthetics, and that they can actually make us happier. I think this is just one more powerful social influence design holds, which is a really exciting prospect for me. I love the idea that good design and a beautifully crafted object could make a difference in someone's happiness (not in a materialistic, superficial way, but in a long-term way as described in the article).

Buying a Gun is Easier Than You Think

Here's an example of some excellent design for social change by Kelli Anderson. She created these beautiful infographics about the acquisition of guns in America in response to the Newtown shootings last year. I think putting this sort of information into such a clear visual format could have a large impact on public knowledge of the issue, and I think it's a great response from a design perspective.

Taller Tupac Amaru

Last week we had the exciting opportunity of hearing Jesus Barraza, Melanie Cervantes, and Favianna Rodriguez of Taller Tupac Amaru speak about their show on display in the Thacher Gallery this month. As well as being a really visually striking and beautiful body of work on display, it was a really timely and first-hand example of the power that images and visual culture can hold over matters of social change. I found Melanie's example of her poster backing the revolution in Egypt to be such an inspiring example of this. By simply creating a image about this issue she had read about, and posting it online, she created a visual identity that supported the cause of large numbers of people that reached around the world within days. Seeing this unifying image in photos of both protesters on the Golden Gate Bridge and across the world in Asia and the Middle East within days of each other created a unity and bond for the cause that would have been impossible otherwise. I found that story to be very inspiring, and a great example of just how powerful an image can really be. (This was the poster:)

I think my favorite pieces were Favianna's though, and I really enjoyed her talk as well. She had a lot to say in person (I wish it could have gone on longer for her!) and it really shows through in her work. I had previously heard about her work with Migration is Beautiful, and had seen some of the striking butterfly imagery previously and really enjoyed it. I felt like her pieces stood apart, and because of their distinct style had a little more impact for me than the others. I think as a collection overall though, the show is a really powerful one, and a great example of modern political poster art that is taking a serious stance on social issues.