wferre20's blog

I think what I have learned is that graphic design really is a lens. It is not the same as an illustration or a photograph in that lens itself is not the same thing as the image it contains. In some ways I believe this is what makes graphic design even more powerful. Design has a discreet way of framing an issue that illustration and photography do not. In some ways I believe this makes design even more powerful. Great design can elevate photography and illustration, and doesn’t need either to convey a potent message.

We trust design. People depend on design for direction, safety and values in design can cause great influence. Design can sell and market and idea for good or bad. My focus on this project is propaganda, and I’ve come to the conclusion that not all propaganda is bad. However, propaganda has been used for incredible evil throughout history. Most notably the propaganda wars during the 30′s and 40′s saw design being used for its absolute worst. Though one of the best propaganda movements of all time is the Smokey the Bear campaign.

As an ex editorialist I am very cognizant of my opinions. I start with them as a baseline and try to recognize my bias. The key to editorializing in my opinion though is to be able to argue the counter view effectively so your personal idea  can stand the test of opposing ideas. Like chess, it’s good to be a step ahead. Regardless of me editorializing or not I think this has informed my creative practices by motivating me to research. I also have come to the belief that regardless if you are editorializing or not, every idea needs a case. One should be able to defend it. So even if you are not arguing, the work should still be a great argument regardless.

If anything my experience at SCAD has been one big lesson in disruptive wonder. I mean this in the most positive way possible. I have learned so much about using materials that I would have never thought of using or trying things that are new to me that I would have never dared to do before. I think back on my typography class specifically where I for the first time thought about making a three dimensional representation of typography.

Being a 2-d person my whole life this scared me. However, the project forced me to think creatively out of my box, and more importantly out of my comfort zone. I ended up designing an exit sign that instead of saying exit…it says “FATE.” I hang it in my classroom so that every student who walks out the door of my classroom walks into their fate. I used a laser and fiberglass and various computer programs like Corel Draw that had me rethink what I thought was possible with the materials.

For my other work, I use various chaotic thought exercises to develop ideas that assist me with developing analogies such as actor/stage/action that take me to unexpected places with developing ideas. Through understanding Anderson, I have learned that I could push my work even further using her methodology and will continue to do so. Her record player has left a lasting impression on me that has changed my fate as a working artist…hopefully for the better.

One of the things I will take away from this project is overcoming blocks into my development process.  The biggest fear I have to overcome was to embrace hand lettering. In the end, I still chose a digital type because I thought it unified my images better, but I was all ready to hand draw the type. This is a huge personal breakthrough for me.

I was always told when I was younger that my penmanship was terrible. So I feared using hand drawn letters. When I was working as a cartoonist my editor would ask me to take care more in my lettering. Personally at the time I thought the image was more important not fully  understanding the one section of an image that is terrible can wreck the entire symphony.

Later when at Ringling studying illustration I had instructors who said that lettering is not the realm of illustrators, but designers. The safe way to treat type is to use type that type that already made. Therefore this type is already successful.  So print it out and draw from already digital type or find type, but never make your own.

During this project I was thinking through drawing type and the class really seemed to enjoy some of my mental dalliances in different directions. In their comments I found confidence to try things I would have never would have dared to do with type before. I would not say my journey is completely over that my foray was a complete success, but every fantastic journey has to start somewhere. I’m just glad I had such a great class to get me started.

Every journey may start out with an intended destination, and you may get to the place where you intended to go. However, it does not mean you will be the same for it. The current exploration I have had on this project has had me see things in my creative process I never expected. I almost feel like an astronaut in my own mind.

The hardest part of the journey for me was the quick the long turnaround time. I know we had a lot of work due in a short period of time, but the thinking stage is taking longer than I am comfortable with. I feel like I tend to over think things and this can be dangerous territory for me. Though in knowing this I can explore better why I think I go off the rails sometimes.

This truly has been a personal discovery journey where I feel like I am on my own personal Star Trek.