Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
AN INSPIRATION DIARY
02
THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN GRAPHIC DESIGN
AND FASHION DESIGN
Influence:
My practice:
The following spreads show examples of my own fashion related
work, specifically lookbooks that have produced throughout this
academic year.
I believe that my work is quite literal yet explorative, as well as being
highly experimental in regards to stocks and substrates, layout,
art direction, use of colour and vinyl for book binding. These are
elements of my own practice which I believe have developed over
time by working on both self-initiated briefs and client-led briefs.
03
THE FASHION INDUSTRY,
THE BODY AND
EATING DISORDERS
Influence:
When I was 15 I was diagnosed with both Anorexia and Bulimia
Nervosa. Now at almost 23 years old, I am fully recovered. I have
however, always been interested, or obsessed with fashion and
specifically magazines. I have always subconciously known that a
small fragment of my illness was influenced by the fashion industry
and the material which I was seeing and being exposed to at the
time. High-fashion magazines such as Vogue featured skinny
models, with long legs and tiny waists, whilst the more high-street
magazines such as Glamour, featured articles and plans to lose
weight in order to look like those models seen on the runway.
Even today this is evident in the media, whether via social networks,
magazines, online blogs, articles, books and advertising. There is
always a pressure to look a certain way which is where the fashion
industry have fallen through their use of advertising and design in
recent years, promoting the diets and the skinny frames, opposed
to the subsequent illnesses which can arise from such unrealistic
desires.
For my COP module, I researched into why the media is obsessed
with an ideal or perfect body image, and how this has inturn
effected eating disorders. In an expansion of this, for my practical
element, I produced a book which looked into the past 114 years of
commercial fashion advertising and photography, showcasing how
the female body is used to sell products, or promote a desired look
From my research, it was shown that over the past century there
have been many fluctuations of the average body size, however
the present day airbrushed and skeletal look we face everyday in
magazines and on billboards is the slimmest it has ever been.
In my opinion, the fashion industry should be using their power and
use of media, graphics and advertising to produce a campaign
against an ideal, delivering a positive message to a mass audience.
Lane Byrant for US Weekly, The Perfect Body rival, late 2014.
04
WHERE ARE THE FEMALE
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS AT?
Influence:
As a female, I feel it is important to have female role models in the
creative industry whom new and young designers such as myself can
aspire to be like and look up to. I hadnt realised until I had started
university and began researching more in depth into the industry
and the subsequent areas that I like, that many of the designers
behind the brand names and studios are actually men. This is not
only the case with Graphic Design, this is becoming more and more
the case in the Fashion Industries too. But why? I have reflected
upon my three years at LCA, and come to the realisation that I have
not seen one female guest speaker, or visiting professional. I find it
quite disappointing in someways, however an obvious marker that
the industry is still heavily influenced and swayed by males and the
male opinion.
I find it bizarre that in industry itself, the majority of designers,
artworks and print technicians are male, when so many females
embark on and complete creative courses such as Graphic Design.
I have said before, and will state again that one day, I would like to
be seen as somewhat of a role model within the industry, and hope
to inspire female designers to further push themselves, promote
themselves and to work in the industry post-graduation.
Whilst I appreciate different forms of design and different creative
practices, I have recognised a handful of female graphic designers
which I feel are inspiring, powerful within their specialisms and work,
or have worked in industry. These are Dawn Gardner, Kate Moross,
Susan Barber, Carolyn Davidson, Paula Scher, Louise Fili and Jessica
Hische.
Fact: It was actually Carolyn Davidson who designed the iconic
Nike swoosh tick in 1971, which is now an internationally recognised
logo. The design was sold to Nike for $35.00, and 500 shares of the
company.
nor the audience it serves. Yet there was a never a time when we
needed this more. Unprecedented social, economic and health related
challenges necessitate 360 degree thinking: a diverse range of people
and perspectives to innovate, propose and provide. While graphic design
education strives to provide an environment of equality and pluralism
where competition thrives and meritocracy is the measure, there is a
culture in parts of the industry that lags behind it may recognise the value
of talent and graft, but it rewards confidence, charisma and chutzpah,
and the uncomfortable truth is that these attributes do not always sit as
comfortably with women as they often do with men.
This is not to suggest that to be a woman has a bearing on levels of skill
and competency in the discipline great graphic design is created by
both male and female students, and in this regard the issue of gender
is of little concern. However, after 15+ years in design education, my
experience is that female students are still less likely to want to grab the
limelight, less inclined to push themselves forward and to self promote.
These students show their confidence in other ways in the events they
organise, coordinate and manage, the group work they often lead and the
imagination and innovation with which they develop their project work.
But the lack of fanfare that accompanies these activities may lie behind
the lack of visibility of women graphic designers at those top tables.
The best graphic design courses teach their students, regardless of
gender, to be skilful, articulate and agile designers: to empathise, to
work with and not just for their clients and end-users, to take their role as
citizens seriously. These courses create the space for young designers to
flex their creative muscle, take risks, push boundaries and make mistakes,
to think freely and act consciously. Im not suggesting any of this should
change. But maybe we should be more honest about where resistance
and potential inequalities lie. Few courses explicitly discuss the issue of
gender in the contemporary graphic design industry, or the hierarchical
structures and cultural machismo that persist. But if we want to equip
our students to have influence in industry, and for its shape and face to
change, perhaps it is time that more of us did so.
05
BRANDING AND IDENTITY
Influence:
Credits: Behance
06
EDITORIAL DESIGN
Influence:
With the digital age being in full swing, there is the fear that printed
publications will no longer be wanted. I have always loved books. As
a child I would read them. As a young adult, I like to design them,
craft them and create them. I think its a terrible shame that due to
advances in technology, traditional crafts are often forgotton. This is
one of the reasons why I like to produce my own publications, whilst
there is something satisfying about achieving the perfect outcome.
In my own practice I am heavily influenced by publications such as
magazines, lookbooks, photography books and zines, which I feel
transpires through my portfolio. I feel the wide variety of outcomes
which can be produced is extensive with thought and planned
out craftmanship. I also appreciate well designed and produced
books, lookbooks and magazines, having an extensive collection in
my own studio space at home. To be surrounded by creative work,
publications, books and various forms of inspiration is the key to a
starting point for any brief.
A variety of books, magazines and other publications have been
collated, showing a range of aesthetics, visuals, type choices, art
direction, exection and design which I feel has inspired my personal
practice throughout this year.