New Project

I've learned that things can change at the drop of a hat. I've been working on one project my whole time here, designing collateral for a corporate campaign; everything from banners to packaging, to posters. Today I moved onto another "more traditional" project that exemplifies gravity tank's IxD workflow. I'm still learning exactly what this means, but from my understanding of it, it's gt's model for innovation. For a better explanation visit their website at gravitytank.com

I can't talk specifically about what I'm doing, but the feel is completely different. Whereas before I was working in the usual modes of expression for design, now it feels much more that the design I'm doing is a vehicle for information. Even more so than it was before. Literally, gravity tank's IxD process has generated dense information, and it is my job to make the process easier to understand. Though I don't usually enjoy doing work like this, I understand how important its implications are. To be honest, at first I wasn't sure if the type of work gravity tank was doing was right for me. I didn't see it as imagistically captivating, as visually profound. Now I see that the premises that are established here are good groundwork and structure for any piece of design. Though stark modernism is not my style, learning to appreciate it has taught me the importance of composition, scale, and hierarchy. These are all overarching themes in the curriculum of the school of design, but I think it took real-world experience for these lessons to solidify into truth. Though I felt like I was being trained to understand these principles of design, the emphasis in my work was oftentimes more concerned with overall imagistic presence, with drama and immediate impact, and less concerned with details. Now I understand that unless these details are in place, unless the underlying structure is strong and clear, any additional finessing is pointless.

 That's all for now - more to come as I become more involved in the process.

Infographics, Photography, and Stamina

So I thought working on a project for a semester was exhausting.

At gravitytank we're just wrapping up a project that has been in progress for over six months. I've only been on the project three weeks and I'm already getting bored. I think that's mostly because I'm doing a lot of production work and its quite restrictive creatively, but its just about over. And in any case, this kind of work is a glimpse at the amount of refinement needed to produce clearly professional work, and the amount of creative stamina I'll need once I graduate. I know that one of my issues with the practice of design is that I have an aversion to refinement. I tend to lean towards work that is intuitive, quick, reflexive. Sweating the details is not a gift that I was born with.

But one of my bosses today explained it best. In the discussion of a piece I was working on, we tangentially talked about the field of design in general. He explained that things like spelling mistakes, inconsistencies in line weight, text size, etc - these things all make the designer look like his job is only to "make things pretty." As designers begin to move up the ranks from pure aestheticians, to copy writers,  and become more involved in the content of a piece (which I think we all can agree is when great work can happen), things like this stereotype that we only "make things pretty" hurts our progression in the field. Though things like periods, commas, line weight and type size might be drudgery, it is our duty to keep these things consistent, to be concerned over the small issues within a piece, because "God is in the details." 

I immediately thought of the article Jamie assigned us in viscom this year, about design being in the details. I don't think its validity really hit home until my boss said that. Its true though - if we ever expect to be more involved in the content, we must be concerned with it as much as with the visual aspect. 

I think this sense of detail, of organization, of obsessive and passionate involvement with the content that must be communicated is another thing that separates designers from artists, though I think a person can be both. I think one of the main hindrances in the profession now is how little communication there is between the people involved in the creation of the work. I have noticed just the opposite at gravitytank, which perhaps explains their merit. For example, a company came yesterday to discuss a branding project. Some executive members of the board knew less about the brand than some gravitytank staffers. 

The real magic in design can happen with the designer, author, illustrator, and photographer are either in close communication with eachother, or are the same person.

In addition to the design work, I just finished photographing a print piece that will be featured in the Print Design Annual. Gravitytank's brochure was selected to be featured in the midwest section, so I was assigned the task of documenting it - so look for gt in print.

I also worked on refining a timeline for a client, of when pieces of print collateral would be produced. I tried to make complex information seem clear and inviting, like we learned in viscom last semester. I also learned that any design created for a client, no matter how minor, must be consistent with our identity. 

So far the types of projects we've done at kcai have all manifested themselves in some way or another in all the work I've done.  And it's just been the first three weeks. It's encouraging to see the validity (not that I doubted it) of the curriculum in a professional setting. 

In the coming weeks I'll be moved to another project, in addition to the internal work I've been doing. More to come as I transition!

I've started this a bit late, haven't I?

I've gotten the same question from everyone.

How's Chicago?

So in the interest of not repeating myself, and in "personal development" I've started this blog.

A few things to note. Many of the projects I work on, and am surrounded by involve a certain amount of confidentiality. Due to this, I will not be referring to companies or campaigns. I can, however, discuss the design process at gravitytank, and certain aspects of my involvement in the company.

 

In the past three weeks I've learned a lot about how the practice of graphic design works in "the real world." I've also learned that I belong to a class of designers who identify themselves as image based. In the landscape of professional graphic design, or at least limited exposure thus far involves much more strategy. Much more of a conceptual basis, leaning on the stark clarity of modernism, and not (at least visually) breaking the mold. In design practice like this, design must be invisible, and it must be the information that retains prominence. 

There is good form making happening here though. I would only say that it is of a lesser priority than clear, elegant, and sophisticated design. It's an interesting environment for someone who's been told he's a maximalist. 

Though I've never understood the appeal in oceans of white space and clean, simple geometric forms; I think I'm learning more and more everyday to appreciate it for its simplicity. I've found a certain peacefulness that accompanies the experience of such work.

The most interesting part of the experience thus far has been working on a team with professional designers who have been in practice for many years. 

Like actually sitting in a room with them, much like studio at KCAI, and working. It's been wonderful experience in learning how to communicate with clients, vendors, and with your superiors (which I may add, is everyone here - spare the other interns).

Despite a corporate hierarchy, gravitytank is much more relaxed in terms of the way it treats its employees. Everyone is viewed as more or less equal, and I was immediately surprised by the amount of freedom and involvement I've had in the company, and by the way I've been treated. Yes, there are repetitive, mindless tasks involved in being an intern, but these are much more few and far between in a company this large and well-known. 

So far I've been working in two major areas:

Icon development for our library of iconography, used on projects.

(Jamie, the training I received in viscom is indispensable in this kind of work)

and branding on print collateral for a client.

When working for a client, a team of designers, strategists, and researchers work together in one of the many "bays" within the office, which are basically large studio spaces with one communal table. Working in this environment has been a lot of fun, and has involved a considerable amount of blasting MGMT and Feist, late nights with deadlines, and a constant conveyor belt of coffee and tea.

So - pretty much like the studio environment at KCAI. Except a lot less stress. A LOT less stress. Though I must say the amount of work given at KCAI really helps, or has at least helped me, to stay efficient and productive in a professional setting

As good as its been, I have been questioning my involvement at the intersection of design and business. That is essentially what gravitytank is. The experience is great, and I'm utterly grateful for this opportunity, but I think that I'd much rather work a design job that sees design as more of an offshoot of fine arts. It's just that I'm becoming much more aware of our role in society (designers, that is). We each put messages out into the global mix, that is our job. Im still trying to figure out what my message will be, but I know I don't want it to have anything to do with advertising, or legitimizing companies that shouldn't exist. I say this not because I've experienced any of this at gravitytank, this is a separate dialogue I'm having with myself.

Whatever the message is, I want it to be inspiring, positive, different. I don't want to be the mouth piece of commerce.

So - not to end on a negative note, that's the first three weeks. In a nutshell, of course. I really hate that expression, I'm not sure why I've used it. Or why I haven't erased it. In any case, check back for more updates. I'll try to keep this current.