Layers Of Meaning and The Power of Failure
It is common knowledge amongst creatives that we are living in a n age were anyone who has access to some graphics editing software calls himself ‘a designer’. As many processes are becoming automated and software is more user-friendly, anyone can put together some ‘design’ for whatever need that may arise, albeit the quality maybe poor. What I am trying to say is that good design goes beyond the aesthetic aspect, some of which are aware. Good design embodies, form, function and meaning.
Whilst going through the resource material for this week, this phrase stuck with me – “layers of meaning”. It is from the book Design Without Boundaries; Visual Communication in Transition by Rick Poynor. In this book, the author interviewed Katherine McCoy from Cranbrook. Amongst other things, they discussed the importance of theory in the design. Through theory, designs are more substantial and definitely have meaning. Although subconsciously, this is what the target audience engages with. Yes, cool trendy graphics definitely leave an impact, but it can only do so much. It only “looks pretty”. The meaning and purpose behind a design, be it a poster, website or a piece of furniture is what leaves a mark on the target audience and or consumer.
These days, it is very easy to just go on Google and look up some ideas to get started. Thanks to technology, researching has become a much more efficient process. So is designing to an extent. One can easily open Photoshop and put together some elements and create something within a few minutes. However, because of this, in many cases the ‘research phase’ is often skipped and many go straight to production. A point that was also mentioned in the lectures, it is important to allow time to do your research, whether it is desk research, trying things out, or a mixture of both. Researching helps building a better foundation to the final outcome of the project. It can be said that the research conducted in the beginning of the project is ‘the first layer of meaning’ and as you progress, the different ‘layers’ are added. It could be the packaging made from sustainable resources for your product – benefits the environment; could be the UI design meant for people who have trouble using technology – that is contribution to society in the modern age.
I also enjoyed watching Erik Kessel’s presentation too – The Power of Failure. He starts with a pivotal point in the presentation – “as we are living in a world that strives towards perfection, it is good to disrupt that by heading towards failure and learn from it”. It was a very entertaining presentation, yet still insightful. Through the examples presented, Kessel showed how versatile the world of Graphic Design can be, and that there is art and creativity in everything, given the right context. Case in point is the Hans Brinker Hostel in Amsterdam. It is a very valid example of know reverse psychology works to result in a very successful marketing campaign. People till this day actually stay at this hotel just to see how bad the service at this hotel it. I also got to know that some years ago KesselsKramer worked on a project in collaboration with the Dutch Post Office. It was interesting at it relates directly to my project.
What I liked about this presentation though is that Kessels kept iterating that it is ok to fail. It is hard to grasp for plenty of reasons – could be budget constraints, tight deadline… in some cases failure is not something that can be afforded. However, in many cases, the best results happen by accident or due to necessity. Going back to the Hans Brinker hotel, it actually started of with a genuine case of a hotel offering poor customer service, yet the designers turned it around to make it something appealing, given the right target market. Maybe failure is a strong word that has too many negative connotations, especially in today’s competitive world. Also, “just because some people hate your work, doesn’t mean that it is bad”. People fear and reject what they do not understand, yet this does not mean that everything should be spelt out in black and white. Good ideas do not really have boundaries, so it is up to us as creatives to see how far we can push the envelope. Playing it safe may lessen the chances of failing, but it does not guarantee success either. Trends come and go, and the public is always searching for the next new thing.
Should be an interesting upcoming week. I feel really stressed out for some reason though. I know what I am doing, and I think I have a good context for it. It is just a question of getting things in motiom. I have to say, this fourth module came too quickly.
