OUGD601: Socially Related Design

DIY Protest Book - Nicholas Packer

Craig Oldham: Protest Design, In loving memory of work

Interesting use of bold, structured type - quite a German feel

OUGD601: David Carson, 'Play TED Talk'

https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital#t-933536

David Carson, well know postmodern graphic designer says that play and fantasies are important for an active and happy society.

Studies show that people from more deprived backgrounds are going to be more prone to fantasy, as it is furthest away from their reality - even looking outside at a playground or onto a park is a sense of escape.

Guy he discusses around 16:00 said that ‘play can be a transformative force over his entire life’ as he grew up in ultra deprivation, drug addict mother etc, and he turned his entire life around and became super successful 

“When life becomes infused by play thats where the magic happens”

Encourages people to go out and interact with different kinds of play and fantasy, and “you’ll have a better and more empowered life”

Just as important as conventional public health, play and fantasy aid a happy life

OUGD601: DIY Editorials & Zine Culture

In order to understand the progression of editorial design and the communication of images, looking into alternative methods of production & alternative magazines is a must.
Zines and making your own publications became big in the 1980's, starting with punks, creatives and collectives often as a way to showcase or protest. Above all, they were really just an easy way to self-publish any work, often just on cheap stock and staple bound or folded to save on costs. The nature of a zine is quite 'cheap and cheerful'- a tangible graphic artefact you can make as creative as you like. Mushpit is a great examples of this, where CSM students decided to create a photocopier publication showcasing their work, and in Mushpit's case a defined point of view.

London reporter IanVisits* said that zines "marked a certain sub-culture which still needed to promote and communicate", which actually makes a lot of sense as that was their purpose for creating the zine. Their funds were low so utilised this means of production to democratise their messages. Movements such as Riot Grrrl's produced zines which became hugely popular, which in turn helped promote their feminist message. Feminism, gender and identity have often been the main topic of 'popular' zines over the past 20th/21st century, with each zine's point of view often setting the tone of the publication. 

(*https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2016/08/09/from-punk-to-modern-day-the-zine-movement/)

Zines in 2017 have moved somewhat away from it's original routes, often being more of a production piece than a sign of protest. Kanye West has created a Clabassas Zine (see other blog post), which may suggest the commercialism of zine culture. Fashion houses such as COS create zine style in store magazines and look books, which has become an increasingly popular tool of communication in the fashion industry.

i.D Magazine released a list of key zines to know, it was interesting to explore them online yet I would love to experience their tactility and production methods as an additional form of primary research. Below are a few which I find interesting and relevant to 2017 (as appropriate to the research investigation).

 

Polyester Zine

Polyester zine targets current issues in popular culture, including music, politics and fashion. Their writers contribute critical articles on current fashion trends and 'gurl talk', fashion photography and still life are combined to create an immersive experience for the viewer, always placing the subject in the focus. Their visual communication and typography are postmodern and diverse, incorporating elements of romantic nostalgia but staying pretty true to pop-culture and underground trends.

Polyester interestingly reference history, and relate the subjective natures of art and design to fact. Their point of view is liberating and all-embracing, never the less informative and (in a way) educational.

Zines can also allow graphic designers and artists to be more experimental with their communication, meaning covers and layout is often more avant grade than that of commercial publications. This is part of the charm of zines, especially with DIY Customisation allowing a personalised experience. When Liv, the Former Editor of Rough Trade magazine came in to discuss editorial with us, she spoke openly about the design process and how artwork/content was resolved. The intentions of the magazine (still only cheaply and creatively produced) was to bring a Rough Trade store, to the viewer, meaning they had full creative freedom with the aestetic, so went as mad as they wanted. Liv discussed how they created a structure, so each month it was easy to input content to save time- I wonder if these zines do the same thing?

OUGD601; Memes from Pre-16th Century Art

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/35220/1/cecilia-azcarate-the-artist-making-memes-from-16th-century-art

After doing some preliminary research into surrealist and realistic art, young artist Cecilia Azcarate has been combining renaissance art with pop culture, creating a range of surrealistic modern art. Memes, advertising and aspects of fashion photography have influenced Azcarate, yet when mixed with a different kind of subject matter, that unusual quality is present again; and it is this we often find intriguing. The sense of 'otherness'  (Darwin & Mulvey theories) acts as a intriguing factor when viewing the imagery, as pre-16th century artwork isn't often seen in this setting. Elements of humour and playfulness are placed onto the artwork in a ways similar to some pastiche's, yet the visual communication within the original artwork also shine through. Each painting shows a narrative or humorous element of some kind, and when positioned in an alternative setting can prove a powerful use of graphic design to grab the audiences attention. 

One can question what the potential impact on an audience could be by using an alternative tactic like this- including memes, classic artworks and even aspects of popular literature. The layout of each image is also current, yet definitely appeals to a younger demographic. The references to Tinder, Kanye West and Lil' Wayne may be more niche than that of Calvin Klein- yet this almost makes the viewer (well, me, aged 21) find these more funny. They are not commercial, yet when considering editorial or advertising they could be a hint to the future style to grab and entice.

OUGD601: Fantasy Shoot Proposal

Unfortunately it snowed much harder than predicted this day, so the above plan was unable to happen, so we ended up switching locations to Tropical World's snowy gardens and inside the Tetley. After hours of being suck in the snow, Harrison France the photographer was unable to stay for the day, so did not get many images for content from him. Lucy managed to come to Tropical World at the end of the day as her car ended up getting stuck on the way to Brimham Rocks. Each photographer brings forward their own style, and as a hobbyist I decided to shoot some 35mm alongside Lucy's high key digital style to provide a difference. The publication will be an expose into vernacular fashion, culture and politics, so different aspects are photography are necessary. 

The shoot features models of Asian, Indian and American backgrounds, yet will be featured in a British made publication to showcase the diversity of the UK. The styling is fairly minimal, reflecting peaceful but current vibes. These images will form a photographic sequence in the publication as self generated content.

OUGD601: Essay - Myths & Lies

Myths & Lies in Fashion Graphic Communication

Lies behind Images (photoshopping, 1920’s style editorials, pastiche)

Fashion imagery, however, can lie by often retouching or juxtaposing practicality with fantasy (which is common), even often creating garments which are unwearable for no more than an image, with typography and layout often adding to this lie. Never the less, fashion marketing will always have a subconsciously commercial intention- the same intentions magazines have by creating an editorial using eye catching headlines etc. Barthes mentions that trick effects, the pose, objects, photogenia and set design are all key aspects in creating a these images. Graphic design and typography can enhance the communication and can give a wider contextual understanding to the viewer. 

Other aspects to consider is advancing technologies and Photoshop, physically retouching the model and scene in which they are positioned. The aspects of post-production and computer graphics can alter the aesthetic drastically, commercially going more towards traditional Western beauty ideals and removing aspects of individuality. However, In the recent months online clothing store Missguided have launched a new campaign proud to be ‘non-photo shopped’, which focuses on imperfections and not retouching their models to encourage body positivity within young women, and giving a more honest side to the fashion image.

In the 1920’s we as a visual culture understand the ‘roaring 20’s’ to be full of flapper girls dancing on the tables and liquor in abundance; however, the reality was that only 12% of the population at the time could afford to live like that. The representation we are presented with by magazines like Vogue emulates that fantasy and presents it as a false reality. 

OUGD601: Notes on Rhetoric of Image, Roland Barthes

In the first line of Rhetoric of Image, Barthes questions wether “‘the copy’ can produce true systems and signed not merely simple agglutinations of symbols’ with regards to the semiology of images. ‘The image is re-presentation’.

‘Image is felt to be weak in respect of meaning: there are those who think that the image is an extremely rudimentary system in comparison with language and those who think that signification cannot exhaust the image’s ineffable richness’. Barthes questions how does meaning get into the image? Where does it end? And if it does end, whats the future of images’ meaning?

Semiotics are a huge part of this essay with Barthes discussing the implied meaning within advertising images, which have a graphical commerciality and necessary intended meaning. In advertising in particular, the audience needs to understand the communication within images in a much shorter time frame than within an editorial/fashion photograph. Often adverts are only viewed for a split second to a few seconds, so the time frame in which an audience can fully process the connotations and meanings is severely reduced. Barthes says that within advertising especially ‘the significance of the image is undoubtably intentional’ and the corresponding signifieds within the image’s message are formed by certain attributes of the product’. Bathes says that these signifieds (symbolic meanings and connotations) need’s to be transmitted as clearly as possible for the intended meaning to be understood in such a small timeframe.

Barthes says that ‘advertising image is frank’ rather than open to interpretation like many fashion editorials or abstract photographic concepts. 

Barthes breaks down the three messages presented in Panzani’s advertisement for a pasta they make. Barthes notes their ‘Italianicity’ and the ‘back from the market’ connotations due to the art direction and arrangement of props, which can be denotational and connotational. The written communication can be classed as one message, yet when combined with the image several denoted messages can arise. The tricoloured hues of the vegetables are also yellow, green and red, which is signified to Italianicity yet this reading all relies somewhat on a pre-standing knowledge of Italian tourist stereotypes. These non-verbal ways of understanding an image contribute silently to how it is perceived, even informing us of the intention without necessarily stating that it is a magazine advert- Barthes says how the caption, composition and preset conventions are deep routed into common culture and acts as a further ‘information pointer’ to construct our understanding.

 In reference to the Panzani advert Barthes says children only learn what an image is at about four years old, but they also need to know what a tomato is, a string bag and packet of pasta are, which is almost a matter of anthropological knowledge’ (p.154). This can be seen as more of a literal message than a symbolic message, as the visual communication is much clearer and straight to the point. Using Barthes’ analytical framework, we can understand that an image can be broken down into three messages- a linguistic message, a coded iconic message and a non-coded iconic message. Broken down further, we can investigate the linguistic message (what is physically said), the denoted image (signifieds and dennotations) and finally the connoted image (symbolic meaning of products, pre-existing knowledge of worldly culture and like connotations).

 The linguistic message is simply anything which contains language, typography or verbal communication. From the early stages of book making and production, the appearance of the book has been linked to the frequent combination of image and text. Chip Kidd said either to say ‘Apple’ or draw a picture of an apple, and not to do both. Barthes also questions ‘does the duplicate certain of the informations given in the text by a phenomenon of redundancy or does the text add a fresh information to the image?’, in Kidd’s oppinion, the repetition of text and like signifieds within image based communication is not the best way to communicate an idea, as you are only presenting the viewer with one fixed intended meaning. Naturally, this is a great benefit to advertising or ‘instant communication’ (more modernly seen with the combination of images and Instagram handles/hashtags to reinforce the images intended meaning). In today’s world of mass communication, Barthes says that ‘the linguistic message is indeed present in every image; as title, caption, accompanying press article, film dialogue, comic strip balloon’. Barthes adds, ‘we are still, and more than ever, a civilisation of writing and speech’ (p.155). The information structures can be continued to be broken down as a long body of text may only relate to one global signified (point of understanding) and it is ‘thanks to this connotation that the text is put in relation with the image’.

The linguistic message is especially important when considering advertising and editorial design, the copy can either enhance or contrast the image as well as introducing further signifieds to the piece holistically. Barthes says that ‘in every society various techniques are developed to counteract the terror of uncertain signs’, which is why the linguistic message is so important. As a society it is apparent that we still fear the unknown - on no matter what scale. By spelling out/confirming our reading then the denoted message is brought to the foreground and the audience can investigate the signifiers in more detail due to their initial reading being proven correct (or incorrect) by the accompanying text. Barthes says that text has a ‘representative value’ and we can see ‘that it is at this level that the morality and ideology of a society are above all invested’.

Anchorage is the most common tool related to the linguistic message, most commonly found in press photographs and advertisements. Often, just a single line of text can form a complementary relationship becoming ‘fragments of a more general syntagm and the unity of the message is realised at a higher level’ (Barthes, p157). Barthes classes the symbolic message within images as ‘operational’ (p.157) we never encounter a literal version of the image in it’s purest state. Barthes says how it would be impossible to remove these codes as they ‘impregnante the whole of the image’, especially when moving away from fashion and considering still life compositions for advertising.

‘The photograph, message without a code, must thus be opposed to the drawing which, even when denoted, is a coded message’ (p.158.)  RELATES TO EARLY VOGUE COVERS.

RELATES TO THE SNAPSHOT. When considering early covers of Vogue, young Parisian artists were commissioned by Conde Nast to create provocative and ‘modern’ covers to set the magazine aside from it’s competitors at the time. The soft illustrative nature is non-the-less packed full of signifieds, anchorage and denotation, which may be lost on the 21st century observer considering the shift in societal culture due to the time which has passed. 

When utilising photography in terms of the snapshot, despite the candid spontaneity of the picture taking, the decisive moment of capture was chosen purposely by the photographer. This can be done for a number of reasons, often related to aesthetics and composition, yet never the less emotion and narrative are huge factors which contribute towards the decisive moment. In snapshot terms, the photographer does not construct the scene, merely acts as an observer in the documentation. However, when investigating photographic practices by artists such as Tim Walker, the same level of detail goes into the communication of his pre-constructed images just as if it was physically illustrated. 

Several factors of coding can be seen in both an illustration and a fashion photograph. The point of view of the illustrator will alter the outcome (eg: if they thought Hitler wasn’t that bad during WW2 then there wouldn’t be anti nazi covers, p.o.v doesn’t mean that it is a fact or even a truthful projection). According to Barthes, there are three levels of this coding- perspective, style and the execution, as all of these factors have their own connotations and denotations which effect the outcome’s coded meaning. 

Barthes says that ‘the denotation of the drawing is less pure than that of the photograph, for there is no drawing without style’. On the other hand, the photograph is more of a ‘relationship between nature and culture’, the scene is ‘captured mechanically, not humanly’ (p.158), raising questions about objectivity as any form of drawing must be created by the human hand and mind, rather than an impartial piece of technology acting as the curator of the codes. Barthes adds that photographic techniques used by photographers however, alter the plane of connotation. Techniques such a framing, distance, lighting, props and shutter speed all impact the cultural codes and output of the intended meaning.

‘For every photograph there is always stupefying evidence of this is how it was…a reality from which we are sheltered’ (Barthes, p.159). However, when considering fashion images using a utopian frame work, the photograph may actually be reinforcing unrealistic aspirations as none of the things presented to the viewer are 100% accurate. These elements can influence pastiche’s heavily.

Rhetoric of image

The composition carries an aesthetic signified and connotations of it’s own- certain aesthetics can  instantly incur a meaning, wether it be nostalgic or referencing a text/period in art history.

OUGD601: Tim Dant- Material Culture in the Social World

Quotes

Consumption is a key feature of late modernity [Dant, 1999]

Anthropologists have shown a link between the process of consumption and symbolic meaning (Dant, p22). Mary Douglas and Baron Isherwood (1996 [1979]) also relate the social value of goods to symbolic meanings, however, differing from traditionalist Marxist, they argue that consumption is more than an economic process and involves more than the production and purchase of goods in a market place (Dant, p23).

Commodity fetishism is questioned very nicely as Baudrillard as ‘the notion of false consciousness devoted to the worship of exchange value; or more recently the fetishism of gadgets and objects, in which individuals are supposed to worship artificial libidinal or prestige values incorporated to the object?’ (Baudrillard, 1981: 89). - It is Baudrillard who begins stating fetishism as a sign of social value, with underlying signifiers aligning the unreal with identity attributes, which aids in giving them symbolic meaning and mediating value through social culture.

Classical art has always involved figurative representation of the body and other figures, making the real human form distinctive and, if utilising other means (eg sculpture), adjust human representation accordingly. The surface of many sculptures, often cold, hard and smooth does not have a colour nor texture which represents that of human skin (Dant, 1999: 184).

Thoughts

In Material Culture in The Social World, Dant discusses how the practice of living with objects can contribute to character, social life and societal values, interesting to consider when attempting to market brands. Lunt and Livingstone (1992: 115) point out that goods are acquired according to peoples personal and social requirements that are connected to their stage in life (Dant, 30) where as Marx classes objects in political and social life as commodities, which can be broken down into capitalist class status.

It is interesting to consider that as a whole, the UK turned in 2016 from a manufacturing based economy to serviced based, suggesting that the monotonous jobs which are increasingly available require some form of escapism to make them tolerable.

Veblen has a theory of conspicuous consumption in the leisure class (Veblen 1953 [1899]), suggesting that this fuels a consumerist society fuelled with excess and waste. Lunt and Livingstone (1992: 115) point out that goods are acquired according to peoples personal and social requirements that are connected to their stage in life (Dant, 30). Often, the fashion images which can be the most alluring in terms of utopia reflect Veblen’s idea of a leisure class, which can be categorised as displaying their status through non-useful activities, nor are they serving any function in human well being or growth. (Veblen 1953: 78/79). Dant argues that Veblen’s theories do have a place in contemporary culture, yet it has come away from the elite class which was most prominent in the early 20^th century, as the ability to spend money on leisure and entertainment has grown as a whole.

Goods provide a clear and recognisable social structure and symbolic meaning, enhanced by the advertising and marketing consistent throughout modern history.  Arjun Appadurai (1986) suggests that commodities have social lives, things may be inert and lifeless but, to understand the way that they gain and lose value, we need to think of them as if they had a life. Objects are not necessarily born with commodity status, however the brand which is releasing said product, if carrying social status of it’s own may naturally inject their brand authority into the goods being created, which ultimately make the objects extension of the brand. Furthermore, types of objects have a cultural history and others have biography so their value may lie in a niche target audience, rather than being prolifically symbolic throughout all of society. Vogue utilise these niches when creating some editorial content, utilising only designer pieces a few may know or understand the symbolic meaning, which sets their magazine away from others on the news stand. The Vogue reader goes directly to their pages as it is often the niche which can fuel desire, however it can also isolate the masses by using too many of these visual semiotics.

Appadurai focuses his attention to luxury goods, which he classes as ‘incarnated signs’ , who’s ‘principal use is rhetorical and social’ (Appadurai, 1986: 38). He suggests that these goods in particular carry two types of knowledge. First, he argues, modernity needs to be a factor. By the product utilising technological, aesthetical cultural knowledge through production, marketing and advertising the audience becomes aware that this is ‘fresh’ and ‘cutting edge’, often allowing a higher price to be charged because of this. Secondly, a different kind of knowledge is needed to consume it appropriately, to know what the commodity is good for (Dant, 24). These two systems of knowledge are argued as equally important, yet not necessarily equally weighted in value.

Stemming from Marxist theory, the idea of consumption is routed to the idea of wants vs needs- the excess some of society, such as the Veblen’s leisure class, is hard to categorise as needs are subjective from one person to the next, and hard to class is simply just food, water and shelter anymore. In an increasingly technological age, commodity needs may even extend to internet access , as well as social relations (friends) and means of entertainment (television, music etc).

Gronow describes the strange phenomenon of ‘democratic luxury’ (Dant, 26/ Gronow, 1997: 49) which is partly the state we are living in today in the western world. In the Soviet Union where Gronow draws his reference, he mentions how state planning and distribution of certain goods were accessible to all, and so it was the desire for foreign goods which continued to fuel the social needs and desires of those with adequate access to aspects of luxury, whether democratic or elitist.  

‘Strictly speaking, the humans of affluence are surrounded not so much by other human beings, as they were in previous ages, but by objects’ (Baudrillard 1998: 25) – When considering the technological age we live in, these objects can be broken down yet again into objects many different categories – some which serve a function of basic primal needs (warm clothing, shelter, food) and now the entertainment category can not be overlooked. Modern society have had access to the radio since ______ and television since _______, magazines and books pre-date these advancements in entertainment, yet my point is that we will never leave them behind. The age of the iPhone means we access entertainment not only through human interaction, but via the objects in our possession, suggesting that the content produced for utopic means (Tim Walker photography etc.) has got a purpose, and always had a purpose, to utilise objects (the magazine, photobook or smart phone), and project entertainment through them.

Baudrillard offers a mythology of late modernity, stating that advertisements and editorials have become ironic, self-parodying and self-knowing, and by this even the most individualistic of consumer can become wrapped up in social discourse and false needs (Dent, p28)

Mike Featherstone also points out the twentieth century art movements which incorporated commodity and consumer culture into art, (Warhol being one example), to the treating of lifestyles as a form of art (fashion photography ofen representing the excessive elitist); finally, the massive increase in the flow of signs and images (Featherstone, 1991: 66-7), meaning the contents of everyday life take on aesthetic significance.

Simmel and Benjamin note how the urban landscape has been aestheticized and enchanted through the architecture, billboards, shop displays, advertisements, packages, street signs etc., (Featherstone 1991: 76)  which, when photographed (frozen in time through the camera) could be a defining factor in how we understand the past historically and visually gage/represent the times.

According to Dant, for Marx, Freud and Baudrillard fetishism is a way to critique the over-valuation and symbolic societal meaning of goods, compared to their real value, inanimate objects (Dant, 1999: 40). However, Dant himself argues that often fetishism is not based on the notion of realism, but is a tool used to equate the social value of things culturally, with identifiable properties and characteristics with them. The history into the concept of fetishism has been used to identify a misunderstanding of goods, objects, or even people to suggest inherent value or powers into a subject. ‘By treating these fetishes as ‘unreal’ overlooks the importance of the object as a mediator of social value’ (Dant, 1999: 41).

James Gibson (1979: 272) says that a ‘picture’ is not a representation of reality but a record in two dimensions of ‘invariants of sculpture’, the forms and shapes presented to vision.  Gibson is saying that the primary use for photography is to “record” (Dant, 1999: 155), overlooking any possibility to introduce art with the medium.

Artwork is to give the viewer a sense of displacement...Being ‘moved’ is often a term to reflect our emotions, however in the case of some artwork, fashion photography and advertising in peculiar, often you are moved physically to the point of view of the creator, and creating a co-presence between creator and viewer, giving the audience a sense of being ‘here’ and ‘there’- flitting through historical times and essentially being omnipresent. (Dent, 1999: 155). It is also argued by Dent that visual artwork and communication in this way is also broken down into two key attributes- one to do with the representation of the form of the visual world, the other is ‘to do with emotion and the evocation of human presence’. (Dent, 1999: 155).

OUGD601: Experimenting with collage

After having a critical to discuss ideas for the practical, some people suggested that I recreate fantasy by using collages (surrealist style), and use old magazines to create new art.

Despite looking some-what visually appealing, the concept doesn't relate as well as it could do to the essay as I do not discuss collage - I did have a paragraph in there about DIY Zine Culture (see bottom of blog post), and so at the time, this linked. Evaluating the synthesis of this idea at the developed point in essay writing, the link really should be on photography as apposed to collage.

"Alternative magazines and DIY Zines have been a byproduct of this evolution, taking the high quality fashion image off the pages of Vogue and onto the streets itself. Bill Cunningham, one of Manhattens street style photographic icon’s avoids pre-meditated photo design at all cost, shooting his subjects candidly as they are on the street. Unlike more formal ways of image making, Cunningham focuses on personality and life, personifying Guy Dubord’s idea of society as the spectacle [ref] and, engaging with an audience on a more human level than the likes of Avedon who focuses more on elite subjects. "

OUGD601: Demna Gvasalia on Authenticity, Irony and Resistance

Demna Gvasalia is the current creative director for Balenciaga as well as the founder of Vetements. He did an interview for the Business Of Fashion.

Balenciaga and Vetements are both two current brands in popular culture, circulating on Instagram, alternative and mainstream fashion magazines, and worn by influencers. The 'Balenciaga look' is something re-created and pastiched in fashion photography and advertising- increasingly more so in the present day. Gvasalia says how "Vetements is known for a certain kind of irony, or questioning..." and I think that is present through the signifiers found in their advertising. Questioning whats beautiful is also breaking the boundaries of other brands such as Chanel and Gucci to an extent- or at least their advertising in comparison. Vetements makes satirical statements on the world at the present day, and all of their clothes carry a social message which is just as (if not more) important than the garment itself.

Just as fashion photographers are currently capturing the vernacular, often working class/everyday culture, established high fashion brands are now doing the same. These aspects of popular culture are recognisable to most people, so can be leveraged to create a common understanding between the brand and consumer (or audience), and be used as a tool to possibly benefit society by what it symbolises. For example, people know Ikea as flatpack, quite cheap Swiss furniture - and meatballs! However, other connotations are humour, play, having a laugh/road trip with friends, new beginnings, moving house, carrying clothes, the list goes on. 

Gvasalia understands the history of fashion and spent extensive time studying the design mind of Christobel Balenciaga, to understand who he designed for and what Balenciaga stood for. With this information, he is leveraging a 'authentic' point of view to an extent, yet putting a modern spin on to help make Balenciaga the brand of 2017/18.

This links to the essay as Balenciaga is a symbol of 2017/18 and will be recognised as so in popular culture/fashion history in years time. Just as we look back on the 1920's, 90 years from now people will be looking back on editorials and adverts of today and trying to understand what these times are like,

OUGD601: Diesel Advertising Campaign

Roland Barthes - "The Advertising Image is Frank"

Diesels’ Make Love Not Walls campaign, 2017 are harnessing the power of fashion advertising for good use. Diesel are harnessing their brand's reach and sending a message in protest of Donald Trump wanting to ‘build a wall’, segregating Mexicans and Americans. Using visually stimulating imagery suggesting protest, bright colours and positivity are the focus of the ad, alongside interesting styled clothes. The subjects are physically smashing down walls, promoting a message of love and equality, taking a stand against the Trump administration and what they represent- division. 2017 has also been a huge year for accepting LGBTQ rights and allowing a more open acceptance within popular culture. Vivid youthful colours are used, highlighting the positivity of the message as well as potentially targeting a younger target audience, as these are often going to be the people rebelling and fighting against the presidents actions. The use of collage also suggests integration, mixing photography and typography with an unlinear layout to break advertisings standard conventions and appear more playful and energetic. The way the models are positioned and styled also draws reference to Woodstock and the summer of love, where race, sexuality and gender was overlooked and peace and love prevailed. The use of bold typography indicates the message is serious and powerful, with the use of italics suggestive that there is only forwards to go from here, and we must all look to the future so not to get left behind in the Trump mentality.

Barthes and John Berger both say that our life experiences and our knowledge of visual culture help us interpret images, so one can assume that without the knowledge of politics, this image may get lost on some of the audience. That says a lot about how Diesel want to represent themselves as a brand, and who their target market are - intellectual people with a socially and political conscious, potentially leftist values and open to diversity of all kinds.

OUGD601: Jigsaw Campaign

Jigsaw's 2017 campaign 'Immigration <3' is another socially provocative advertising series, where the emphasis is rather not on the clothes - but on the message and concept. The typography (linguistic message) is necessary to show the concept, rather than the image solely communicating it on it's own. The message Jigsaw is highlighting is the value of regugee’s and multiculturalism in Britain, as well as a social comment against Brexit and the far right. Hate crime was up 1/5 after Brexit, with racist groups causing trouble and social tension. Their posters and rolling videos were mainly positioned in places of high footfall- such as the London underground, promoting openness and diversity as opposed to division. By using a typographic approach, Jigsaw leaves no room for interpretation within their campaign verbally stating how ‘there is no thing as 100% British’, and utilising recognisable symbols, that they are pro-immigration. Furthermore, the use of Futura typeface, despite being created in the 1930’s, remains a symbol of freedom of oppression after escaping use by the Nazi's and a symbol to look towards the future. The block text message remains soft due to the gentle terminals and central alignment, looking aesthetically pleasing and legible to the viewer even from a far, making it suitable for it's environment  Barthes says how words determine a single possibility - Jigsaw is spelling it out for the viewer, so regardless of background or awareness of visual communication their message will still not get lost.

Appropriate design for editorial, as well as large scale.

OUGD601: Ignasi Monreal - Artist

Focusing on fantasy, Montral uses paints to create his high fashion scenes, composed of designer clothes and fantastical locations. The subjects, often serene and appearing peaceful, project the feelings of utopia through the apparent tranquility captured by the colour palette and positioning of the subjects. Montral uses aspects of mythology and popular culture to create his paintings, which is probably what makes them personal and engaging to the audience- everyone will have their own memories/perceptions of the connotations presented.

OUGD601: Primary Research - Survey

In order to gain peoples views and opinions of 2017, I created a survey to gather analytical data to inform my critical report (dissertation) and practical outcome. I distributed it via email and social media, mainly Facebook and Instagram as thats where the relevant target audience was. The respondents were only from 2 real groups, mainly aged 18-24, making the target audience millennials. It would of been more diverse and beneficial to get feedback from a wider target audience, so I plan to follow up with personal interviews to fill the gaps. The survey has taught me that the millennial audience does consume fashion imagery/advertising through social media pages, as well as some who enjoy tangible graphic artefacts. Generally, people do keep up to date with social issues and politics (Trump & Brexit) is prominent in everyones minds. Where the survey was multiple choice, the answers were informed by the trends of 2017 from my research perspective, as well as knowledge of what was trending on social media and fashion magazines. Where possible, the respondent had to leave a comment - in their own words, impartial.

Other responses were Wales, Glasgow, Paris and Lancashire.