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Defining Design on a Changing Planet
BY
Industrial Brand Creative
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We have just returned home and begun an intensive recovery that is befitting of the work hard / play hard ethic with which we tackled these past four days at ICOGRADA’s Design Week in Seattle. The news has been on the television all evening: looping footage of the escalating tension between Israel and the Hezbollah; of blown out Lebanese neighborhoods and clips of Anderson Cooper chasing after the next ground zero. After dinner, we rent Syriana, remembering its scenes of a claustrophobic and heavily armed Hezbollah-occupied Beirut; trying to make some sense of it all; but, of course, it only serves to underline the point that there are no simple answers, no defined lines that clearly separate right from wrong, the good guy from the bad guy; and a harsh reminder of what we are up against as we return from this conference back to reality with our heads full of optimism and ideals.
We live in a fast paced and ever-changing world. This statement has become ubiquitous to the point of cliché in the post 9/11 21st century. It is often used as an excuse or as a dismissive explanation for the chaotic state of our existence. But what we were repeatedly told during the conference, the theme of which was “Defining Design on a Changing Planet”, was that as designers, we possess the skills and ability to create an order to our surroundings, to facilitate conversations with others and among others as well as the ability to inspire. What it all comes down to is that this ever-changing world is not an excuse for us; it is a challenge. One for which we need to make some commitments.
The event was a partnership with the AIGA Center for Cross Cultural Design. Only 4 years old, they are a committed group of designers who believe in "not seeing borders" when it comes to design. The opening introduction on the ICOGRADA Design Week in Seattle. website reads "Design should solve multi-cultural branding challenges, promote peace and stability, balance profits with human rights and create more sustainability." Lofty goals indeed. To explore these goals, 60 design students from around the world were invited to compete in the 2006 International Design Workshop.
Breaking into seven collaborative teams, the students were mentored and guided by leading design educators and practitioners with daunting creative briefs provided by the United Nations with subjects based on the UN Millennium Development Goals such as combating diseases like HIV/AIDS, eradicating extreme poverty and environmental sustainability. Participants had 4 days to concept and develop innovative solutions to these issues in dramatic ways using poster design. All images, illustrations, text and compositions had to be developed by the students in the short period of time. A difficult challenge, but the student groups banded together to delve into various design process methodology and techniques such as rapid research, brainstorming, thought-mapping, prototyping and iterative processes in pursuit of effective solutions. Many of the students commented that although a monumental task, the workshops expanded their perspectives on design process and changed their lives forever.
Final designs were showcased during the conference's Over the Fence Seminar, with Heather Anderson winning the best poster design for her innovative solution to addressing the issue of extreme poverty with an edible poster. For her efforts Anderson won a unique and valuable trial internship at Fabrica, Benetton's famous communication and design research centre in Italy - a privilege reserved for a select few with an 18-month waiting list.
Set within the impeccable facilities of the University of Washington campus, the conference began with a unique gathering of some of the brightest members of the design community from around the world for the 2006 Icograda Regional Meeting. In a meeting room at the Faculty Club, representatives from international design associations such as AIGA, GDC, GAG, and many others met to present reports on the status of design in their respective jurisdictions; of global trends, influences, ethics, accreditation, education, and the changing definition of design and it’s role. Scattered among the expected regional reports about association histories, missions and accomplishments were tales of design's positive impact around the world. One moving story presented by the SEGD’s Paula Rees nearly had the room in tears as she told them about Lily Yeh and Alan Jacobson and their two year multi-dimensional art project, The Rwanda Healing Project, which won SEGD's 2006 Design Award for its work with genocide refugees in war-torn Rwanda. The overall message gleaned from this peek behind the curtain was that communication design is alive and well, healthier and more relevant than ever before. Those who attended left the meeting inspired and excited to learn more in the days to come about using design to make a difference in a changing global climate.
The next day, Cheskin CEO Darrel Rhea delivered an inspiring starting point for this discussion by stating that designers naturally have more empathy and compassion than others in the world of business. In fact Rhea went further, declaring that you can’t be a competent designer today without empathy. "It is a core component of our work" he said, "to care about our client and their product". The 80’s image of the advertising agency concerned only with sales and the manipulation of the consumer has been replaced with an openness and an inclusion of customer insight. It has finally come around that doing the right thing is actually good for business. There is a growing appreciation for this movement in both the corporate world and among consumers. They talk of “meaningful consumption”, that people want to get something more out of all of their “stuff”.
Furthermore, it is apparent that the global business world is more seriously embracing the business of design and designers and the value that we provide. Pentagram co-founder Mervyn Kurlansky expanded on this notion when he described the majority of humankind as innately existing in “a fixed way of being”. The example he gave was the classic notion of learning to ride a bike, something you never forget how to do, and something you will always essentially do the same for the rest of your life. The ease with which we cling to such habitual behaviour is a survival technique, a safety clause in our DNA. But somehow designers can look past this instinct, instead relying on our intuition, approaching situations with new perspectives and in the process creating change.
Examples of designers bringing about such change were plentiful throughout the conference. We heard from Alejandro Quinto and Lorraine Gauthier, both of whom worked with Bruce Mau on his immensely important design driven art exhibit Massive Change before joining forces and starting Work Worth Doing, a Toronto-based company that considers the social, economic and environmental areas of design. We reveled in the contagious passion of Mo Woods, a designer and UW Design Instructor who has developed the Inneract Project, a program that teaches inner city youth "filled with potential but without opportunity" about the power of graphic design. We met Saki Mafundikwa, who started the first design school in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA), encouraging Africans to discover and define their own graphic language: "Vigital" is a word I coined (and trademarked) to best describe the institute I had in mind: teaching visual arts using digital tools, "vigital" is really visual and digital morphing to form a whole new word.” And we were deeply inspired by the eloquent story from Ravi Naidoo, founder of the Design Indaba (a Zulu word meaning “gathering of the people”) of how graphic design was embraced as a major force in uniting the people of South Africa in their new post-apartheid nation.
Equally as inspiring were the more informal discussions with designers that we met from all around the globe, while eating lunch out in the sun or grabbing a coffee – Starbucks of course – during a break. Passionate people are doing some very inspiring and important things as a result of their understanding of design and the ICOGRADA Design week allowed them to meet others of similar mindsets and in many cases make the scope of their individual foci larger or more realized.
But with this message of our new role as communicators of change came a stern reminder of our heavier obligation towards social responsibility. Linda Fu, who is currently completing her PhD thesis on “the visual representation of the Other in the context of globalization” stated that globalization has become the “term of our time” but it tends to remain undefined while being overused. It has, without a doubt created a smaller world, but with bigger responsibilities, one in which “the obvious is often false and the truth is often the exact opposite”. She stated that we are currently in the third stage of globalization, which she termed as Coca Cola-nization or the Disneyfication of the world. Both of these serve to comment on the grotesquely off-balanced position of American influence over other cultures. Fu told us that she fears the emergence of a homogeneous culture, that a global monoculture is very real and the weaker cultures will not survive. Her advice for us on this issue was to go out and see the world, celebrate its differences and, on the topic of indigenous cultures, "love them, and try to understand them."
The notion of a shrinking cultural map was reinforced dramatically on Saturday when Andrea Marks presented her film Freedom On The Fence, a documentary on the Polish poster art movement that was born as both a result of and as a response to the Soviet rule of the country from 1952 to 1989. Through their bold and original works, Polish poster designers were responsible for bringing both joy and an acerbic political commentary to the otherwise crumbling and dismal streets of Warsaw and Krakow serving as bright flowers in a concrete garden. One cannot help but marvel at the seemingly natural proliferation of human creativity during such horrific and repressive conditions. The sad reality of the present is that with the fall of Communism and an opening up to the West, this unique cultural art form has quickly faded away to be replaced with the standard Hollywood and brand name fare. You can only wonder how many other micro-cultures are disappearing in a similar way but without the benefit of a documentation to share their moment with the world. At the same time, it begs the question of what strange and wonderful cultures are germinating in our current perilous period of world history.
It was the last presentation of the day that seemed to bring the main issues of the conference to a head. Earlier in the day, Henry Steiner had presented a thoughtful talk on cross-cultural design, revisiting some of the themes and ideas that he wrote about in Cross Cultural Design: Communicating in the Global Marketplace ten years ago. In a globalize world, Steiner stated design is often the arena where cultures, either "fuse" or "crash", two extremes where disparate cultural aesthetic and vernacular either merge to create new forms or collide to render them subject to aberrant decoding. He had begun by talking about the apparent arrogance of Starbucks opening a store in Vienna, a city already rich in coffee heritage and history. Interestingly, though perhaps not coincidentally, the final speaker of the conference was none other than Stanley Hainsworth, the Global Creative Director of the Starbucks Coffee Company located just down the street in Seattle. In an unprecedented move, when it came to the question and answer period, Henry Steiner was given the mic from the audience and readdressed his comments from the morning. In his response, Hainsworth, played it safe, as he had throughout his presentation, assuring us that the main intentions of Starbucks were always to create communities and that in the end, it is “all about the bean.”
It all screamed of towing the party line. And perhaps this was Hainsworth’s only major fault: that he didn’t engage us in a more genuine conversation about the challenges of a major international corporation in its attempt to “do good”. He seemed to be on the defensive, like the Marlboro Man in a cancer ward. We’ll admit that we were cynical. Most of us in the marketing world, who have pulled back the curtain generally are. And regardless of whether the Chinese government invited Starbucks to open a store in the Forbidden City or not, it still seems wrong. Like the real estate developer who looks out over a stretch of virgin forest and imagines suburbia, it would seem that the powers that be at Starbucks cannot walk a block in any city without envisioning its betterment by the presence of a round green sign.
But to be fair, after giving it further thought, it also appears that Starbucks is sincere in its intentions; that it really is trying its best to apply socially responsible thinking to its decision making process. Hainsworth stated that whether they are opening a store in a foreign country or simply in a new local neighborhood that they do so with sensitivity to the local culture” by speaking with the leaders of the community and developing a visual language that is complementary and relevant to the area. The Starbucks Studio, located just down the street in Seattle is set up as a designers' playground, each desk equipped with a large-screened Mac and an array of art supplies—paint, drawing pencils, markers, paper and ink. Hainsworth encourages organic and non-digital work for the Starbucks brand with few other limitations beyond five main criteria that hang as a checklist in the middle of the design area: handcrafted, artistic, sophisticated, human and enduring. “If the work produced is not all five of these things, we go back to the drawing board and try something different”, he explained. “We do have a list of corporate fonts (Clarendon, Trajan, Bembo and Trade Gothic) and an unchanging logo, but otherwise the world of creative possibilities is open."
The reason that Hainsworth’s presentation was such an interesting finale to the conference was that it provided a concrete example of how the ideas and ideals that had been discussed in the days previous have actually been played out in the real world by a very large American corporation. Like every other manifesto or utopian vision, the social responsibility model that we had been molding over the course of the conference will always require amendments when it is put into practice in the real world. There is no defined line between absolute right and wrong and ultimately someone must make a decision that will reverberate through all levels of the corporate system, benefiting some aspects and taking its toll on others. At the same time, they are a business that has all intensions to make a profit and be successful. When it comes down to it, we can spend as much time as we like engaged in debate and discussion about how the world can be a better place and develop our visions of a designed utopia, but the truth is that it starts to become far more complicated when you actually apply those theories to a real life business solution.
So where does all of this leave us? How do we define ourselves? It seems that designers are always asking that question and the stakes are higher than ever to describe our role clearly to both ourselves and the world. The Turkish designer, Esen Karol ironically pointed out that the very aim of the conference, of defining design on a changing planet was paradoxical, that it is hard to hit a moving target. Linda Fu chastised our present state of identity crisis when she said, “There is still not a clear definition of what a graphic designer is. Do you wonder why? Look around. We are getting what we deserve.” The solution to this, or at least a good start can be found in the advice of Darrell Rhea who encouraged us to start talking with other people about what it is that we do, and what we believe, and not only with other designers. But perhaps we should leave the last word on this matter in the more than capable hands of the conference's matron Sara Little Turnbull, who was honored at the conference with the ICOGRADA Achievement Award and stated that “The designer is the conscience of the company. We can’t expect anyone else to fill this role.”
In the end, we return to the state of world affairs that are playing out this evening with rumors of World War III guaranteeing a troubled sleep tonight and in the times ahead. As a point of consolation, we are reminded of one other pinnacle moment at the conference early in the proceedings that had actually served to set the tone for why we were there and assured us that what was to come would be worthwhile. It came in the form of Tarek Atrissi’’s presentation on his use of Arabic typography in design. Born in Beirut, but currently working out of the Netherlands, his work was beautiful and it made us realize that up until that point, the majority of Arabic type that we had been previously exposed to was on the nightly news, as captions beneath the faces of “evil doers”, or wrapped in biased messages that encouraged the hate and fear of cultures that we don’t understand. In that moment, the power of design to change our perspective on things was personally felt. Even though we could not read what was written on the screen, Atrissi’s design communicated its message absolutely.
Industrial Brand Creative
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The article above was well-done by TAXI Design Network's Icograda Design Week in Seattle’s Photography and Editorial Collaborators, Industrial Brand Creative: Matt SamyciaWood, Kevin Broome and Mark Busse.
Their photography of the event coverage can be viewed here.
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Matt SamyciaWood brings over 10 years experience in communication design to Industrial Brand Creative. Matt honed his conceptual design and photography skills at Glasgow School of Art where he graduated with First Class Honours. Matt went on to receive his Masters of Art from the Royal College of Art in England. Most recently Matt was responsible for creative and design efforts as Art Director at Kaldor Group in Vancouver, working for major clients such as GrowthWorks Capital, GLOBE Foundation of Canada, Rick Hansen Foundation and Government of Canada. Both within his role as a designer, and beyond it, Matt has been actively involved in a number of charities such as British Dyslexic Association, Adults Dyslexics Organization, Arts Dyslexia Trust as well as organizing Visual Communication, a unique event created to raise awareness for deaf culture.
Yes, his name really does have a capital W in the middle of it. Don't ask why.
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Kevin Broome is a communications designer, writer and creative strategist at Industrial Brand Creative in Vancouver, BC Canada. Kevin brings his love of music, art and culture to every design project he undertakes. After graduating with an honours degree in English Literature from University of Western Ontario, he travelled and lived in Asia, studying their culture and teaching English.
In 2001, Kevin relocated to Vancouver to study multimedia and web design at the University of British Columbia, joining IBC soon after graduation. Kevin has lent his graphic design talents to several not-for-profit and fundraising activities including The Compassion Project, Canstruction, the Peace Out Conference and Benefit Concert and a unique consulting project to determine the best way to provide high-speed Internet service in Uganda for the Youth Millennium Project. He presently lives in with his wife Jane and their two cats, Basil and Coriander.
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Mark Busse is a founding principal and Design Director at Industrial Brand Creative in Vancouver, BC Canada. With diverse education and experience in business management and the graphic arts, Busse has used his unique perspective to create many award-winning projects for clients in Canada and internationally.
As a design instructor at Vancouver's VFS, member of Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH, and President-Elect of the BC Chapter of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, Busse’s vision is to reform the GDC from the inside with a renewed focus on the issues that are important to its members and the design industry. He has also been involved with numerous charitable organizations such as leading the Industrial Brand team entry in Canstruction, an annual fundraiser for the Vancouver Food Bank and volunteering website design and other services for The Compassion Project. Students and colleagues have alternatively described Mark as clever, resourceful, passionate and weird.
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The groovy banner above was done by Christopher Liechty, President of AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design.
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Christopher Liechty is the President of Meyer & Liechty, as well as AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design who is responsible for the strategic planning and cross-cultural design. Liechty began his career in 1991 as part of the WordPerfect international publications team, where he designed materials in more than 25 languages. At WordPerfect, he became the Asian language specialist and the lead designer, responsible for the global promotion of certain WordPerfect products and services. In 1994, Liechty founded Meyer & Liechty with his wife, Hailey Meyer, who holds an MFA in studio art.
Christopher Liechty built his company's reputation by understanding and meeting specific client business needs while exceeding expectations in areas that emphasised strong customer service and creative work that was direct and to the point. With that focus, Meyer & Liechty has produced global campaigns for more than 140 markets in 30 languages, winning several regional and national awards. Clients of Meyer & Liechty include American Express Travelers Cheques, the World Congress of Families, Talk2 Technology, Sonic Innovations, The Arbinger Company, PowerQuest, Flowserve, and others.
He speaks fabulous Mandarin.
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TAXI Design Network is proud to be the Major Media Partner for this inaugural international design event.
© 2006 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
We live in a fast paced and ever-changing world. This statement has become ubiquitous to the point of cliché in the post 9/11 21st century. It is often used as an excuse or as a dismissive explanation for the chaotic state of our existence. But what we were repeatedly told during the conference, the theme of which was “Defining Design on a Changing Planet”, was that as designers, we possess the skills and ability to create an order to our surroundings, to facilitate conversations with others and among others as well as the ability to inspire. What it all comes down to is that this ever-changing world is not an excuse for us; it is a challenge. One for which we need to make some commitments.
The event was a partnership with the AIGA Center for Cross Cultural Design. Only 4 years old, they are a committed group of designers who believe in "not seeing borders" when it comes to design. The opening introduction on the ICOGRADA Design Week in Seattle. website reads "Design should solve multi-cultural branding challenges, promote peace and stability, balance profits with human rights and create more sustainability." Lofty goals indeed. To explore these goals, 60 design students from around the world were invited to compete in the 2006 International Design Workshop.
Breaking into seven collaborative teams, the students were mentored and guided by leading design educators and practitioners with daunting creative briefs provided by the United Nations with subjects based on the UN Millennium Development Goals such as combating diseases like HIV/AIDS, eradicating extreme poverty and environmental sustainability. Participants had 4 days to concept and develop innovative solutions to these issues in dramatic ways using poster design. All images, illustrations, text and compositions had to be developed by the students in the short period of time. A difficult challenge, but the student groups banded together to delve into various design process methodology and techniques such as rapid research, brainstorming, thought-mapping, prototyping and iterative processes in pursuit of effective solutions. Many of the students commented that although a monumental task, the workshops expanded their perspectives on design process and changed their lives forever.
Final designs were showcased during the conference's Over the Fence Seminar, with Heather Anderson winning the best poster design for her innovative solution to addressing the issue of extreme poverty with an edible poster. For her efforts Anderson won a unique and valuable trial internship at Fabrica, Benetton's famous communication and design research centre in Italy - a privilege reserved for a select few with an 18-month waiting list.
Set within the impeccable facilities of the University of Washington campus, the conference began with a unique gathering of some of the brightest members of the design community from around the world for the 2006 Icograda Regional Meeting. In a meeting room at the Faculty Club, representatives from international design associations such as AIGA, GDC, GAG, and many others met to present reports on the status of design in their respective jurisdictions; of global trends, influences, ethics, accreditation, education, and the changing definition of design and it’s role. Scattered among the expected regional reports about association histories, missions and accomplishments were tales of design's positive impact around the world. One moving story presented by the SEGD’s Paula Rees nearly had the room in tears as she told them about Lily Yeh and Alan Jacobson and their two year multi-dimensional art project, The Rwanda Healing Project, which won SEGD's 2006 Design Award for its work with genocide refugees in war-torn Rwanda. The overall message gleaned from this peek behind the curtain was that communication design is alive and well, healthier and more relevant than ever before. Those who attended left the meeting inspired and excited to learn more in the days to come about using design to make a difference in a changing global climate.
The next day, Cheskin CEO Darrel Rhea delivered an inspiring starting point for this discussion by stating that designers naturally have more empathy and compassion than others in the world of business. In fact Rhea went further, declaring that you can’t be a competent designer today without empathy. "It is a core component of our work" he said, "to care about our client and their product". The 80’s image of the advertising agency concerned only with sales and the manipulation of the consumer has been replaced with an openness and an inclusion of customer insight. It has finally come around that doing the right thing is actually good for business. There is a growing appreciation for this movement in both the corporate world and among consumers. They talk of “meaningful consumption”, that people want to get something more out of all of their “stuff”.
Furthermore, it is apparent that the global business world is more seriously embracing the business of design and designers and the value that we provide. Pentagram co-founder Mervyn Kurlansky expanded on this notion when he described the majority of humankind as innately existing in “a fixed way of being”. The example he gave was the classic notion of learning to ride a bike, something you never forget how to do, and something you will always essentially do the same for the rest of your life. The ease with which we cling to such habitual behaviour is a survival technique, a safety clause in our DNA. But somehow designers can look past this instinct, instead relying on our intuition, approaching situations with new perspectives and in the process creating change.
Examples of designers bringing about such change were plentiful throughout the conference. We heard from Alejandro Quinto and Lorraine Gauthier, both of whom worked with Bruce Mau on his immensely important design driven art exhibit Massive Change before joining forces and starting Work Worth Doing, a Toronto-based company that considers the social, economic and environmental areas of design. We reveled in the contagious passion of Mo Woods, a designer and UW Design Instructor who has developed the Inneract Project, a program that teaches inner city youth "filled with potential but without opportunity" about the power of graphic design. We met Saki Mafundikwa, who started the first design school in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA), encouraging Africans to discover and define their own graphic language: "Vigital" is a word I coined (and trademarked) to best describe the institute I had in mind: teaching visual arts using digital tools, "vigital" is really visual and digital morphing to form a whole new word.” And we were deeply inspired by the eloquent story from Ravi Naidoo, founder of the Design Indaba (a Zulu word meaning “gathering of the people”) of how graphic design was embraced as a major force in uniting the people of South Africa in their new post-apartheid nation.
Equally as inspiring were the more informal discussions with designers that we met from all around the globe, while eating lunch out in the sun or grabbing a coffee – Starbucks of course – during a break. Passionate people are doing some very inspiring and important things as a result of their understanding of design and the ICOGRADA Design week allowed them to meet others of similar mindsets and in many cases make the scope of their individual foci larger or more realized.
But with this message of our new role as communicators of change came a stern reminder of our heavier obligation towards social responsibility. Linda Fu, who is currently completing her PhD thesis on “the visual representation of the Other in the context of globalization” stated that globalization has become the “term of our time” but it tends to remain undefined while being overused. It has, without a doubt created a smaller world, but with bigger responsibilities, one in which “the obvious is often false and the truth is often the exact opposite”. She stated that we are currently in the third stage of globalization, which she termed as Coca Cola-nization or the Disneyfication of the world. Both of these serve to comment on the grotesquely off-balanced position of American influence over other cultures. Fu told us that she fears the emergence of a homogeneous culture, that a global monoculture is very real and the weaker cultures will not survive. Her advice for us on this issue was to go out and see the world, celebrate its differences and, on the topic of indigenous cultures, "love them, and try to understand them."
The notion of a shrinking cultural map was reinforced dramatically on Saturday when Andrea Marks presented her film Freedom On The Fence, a documentary on the Polish poster art movement that was born as both a result of and as a response to the Soviet rule of the country from 1952 to 1989. Through their bold and original works, Polish poster designers were responsible for bringing both joy and an acerbic political commentary to the otherwise crumbling and dismal streets of Warsaw and Krakow serving as bright flowers in a concrete garden. One cannot help but marvel at the seemingly natural proliferation of human creativity during such horrific and repressive conditions. The sad reality of the present is that with the fall of Communism and an opening up to the West, this unique cultural art form has quickly faded away to be replaced with the standard Hollywood and brand name fare. You can only wonder how many other micro-cultures are disappearing in a similar way but without the benefit of a documentation to share their moment with the world. At the same time, it begs the question of what strange and wonderful cultures are germinating in our current perilous period of world history.
It was the last presentation of the day that seemed to bring the main issues of the conference to a head. Earlier in the day, Henry Steiner had presented a thoughtful talk on cross-cultural design, revisiting some of the themes and ideas that he wrote about in Cross Cultural Design: Communicating in the Global Marketplace ten years ago. In a globalize world, Steiner stated design is often the arena where cultures, either "fuse" or "crash", two extremes where disparate cultural aesthetic and vernacular either merge to create new forms or collide to render them subject to aberrant decoding. He had begun by talking about the apparent arrogance of Starbucks opening a store in Vienna, a city already rich in coffee heritage and history. Interestingly, though perhaps not coincidentally, the final speaker of the conference was none other than Stanley Hainsworth, the Global Creative Director of the Starbucks Coffee Company located just down the street in Seattle. In an unprecedented move, when it came to the question and answer period, Henry Steiner was given the mic from the audience and readdressed his comments from the morning. In his response, Hainsworth, played it safe, as he had throughout his presentation, assuring us that the main intentions of Starbucks were always to create communities and that in the end, it is “all about the bean.”
It all screamed of towing the party line. And perhaps this was Hainsworth’s only major fault: that he didn’t engage us in a more genuine conversation about the challenges of a major international corporation in its attempt to “do good”. He seemed to be on the defensive, like the Marlboro Man in a cancer ward. We’ll admit that we were cynical. Most of us in the marketing world, who have pulled back the curtain generally are. And regardless of whether the Chinese government invited Starbucks to open a store in the Forbidden City or not, it still seems wrong. Like the real estate developer who looks out over a stretch of virgin forest and imagines suburbia, it would seem that the powers that be at Starbucks cannot walk a block in any city without envisioning its betterment by the presence of a round green sign.
But to be fair, after giving it further thought, it also appears that Starbucks is sincere in its intentions; that it really is trying its best to apply socially responsible thinking to its decision making process. Hainsworth stated that whether they are opening a store in a foreign country or simply in a new local neighborhood that they do so with sensitivity to the local culture” by speaking with the leaders of the community and developing a visual language that is complementary and relevant to the area. The Starbucks Studio, located just down the street in Seattle is set up as a designers' playground, each desk equipped with a large-screened Mac and an array of art supplies—paint, drawing pencils, markers, paper and ink. Hainsworth encourages organic and non-digital work for the Starbucks brand with few other limitations beyond five main criteria that hang as a checklist in the middle of the design area: handcrafted, artistic, sophisticated, human and enduring. “If the work produced is not all five of these things, we go back to the drawing board and try something different”, he explained. “We do have a list of corporate fonts (Clarendon, Trajan, Bembo and Trade Gothic) and an unchanging logo, but otherwise the world of creative possibilities is open."
The reason that Hainsworth’s presentation was such an interesting finale to the conference was that it provided a concrete example of how the ideas and ideals that had been discussed in the days previous have actually been played out in the real world by a very large American corporation. Like every other manifesto or utopian vision, the social responsibility model that we had been molding over the course of the conference will always require amendments when it is put into practice in the real world. There is no defined line between absolute right and wrong and ultimately someone must make a decision that will reverberate through all levels of the corporate system, benefiting some aspects and taking its toll on others. At the same time, they are a business that has all intensions to make a profit and be successful. When it comes down to it, we can spend as much time as we like engaged in debate and discussion about how the world can be a better place and develop our visions of a designed utopia, but the truth is that it starts to become far more complicated when you actually apply those theories to a real life business solution.
So where does all of this leave us? How do we define ourselves? It seems that designers are always asking that question and the stakes are higher than ever to describe our role clearly to both ourselves and the world. The Turkish designer, Esen Karol ironically pointed out that the very aim of the conference, of defining design on a changing planet was paradoxical, that it is hard to hit a moving target. Linda Fu chastised our present state of identity crisis when she said, “There is still not a clear definition of what a graphic designer is. Do you wonder why? Look around. We are getting what we deserve.” The solution to this, or at least a good start can be found in the advice of Darrell Rhea who encouraged us to start talking with other people about what it is that we do, and what we believe, and not only with other designers. But perhaps we should leave the last word on this matter in the more than capable hands of the conference's matron Sara Little Turnbull, who was honored at the conference with the ICOGRADA Achievement Award and stated that “The designer is the conscience of the company. We can’t expect anyone else to fill this role.”
In the end, we return to the state of world affairs that are playing out this evening with rumors of World War III guaranteeing a troubled sleep tonight and in the times ahead. As a point of consolation, we are reminded of one other pinnacle moment at the conference early in the proceedings that had actually served to set the tone for why we were there and assured us that what was to come would be worthwhile. It came in the form of Tarek Atrissi’’s presentation on his use of Arabic typography in design. Born in Beirut, but currently working out of the Netherlands, his work was beautiful and it made us realize that up until that point, the majority of Arabic type that we had been previously exposed to was on the nightly news, as captions beneath the faces of “evil doers”, or wrapped in biased messages that encouraged the hate and fear of cultures that we don’t understand. In that moment, the power of design to change our perspective on things was personally felt. Even though we could not read what was written on the screen, Atrissi’s design communicated its message absolutely.
Industrial Brand Creative
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The article above was well-done by TAXI Design Network's Icograda Design Week in Seattle’s Photography and Editorial Collaborators, Industrial Brand Creative: Matt SamyciaWood, Kevin Broome and Mark Busse.
Their photography of the event coverage can be viewed here.
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Matt SamyciaWood brings over 10 years experience in communication design to Industrial Brand Creative. Matt honed his conceptual design and photography skills at Glasgow School of Art where he graduated with First Class Honours. Matt went on to receive his Masters of Art from the Royal College of Art in England. Most recently Matt was responsible for creative and design efforts as Art Director at Kaldor Group in Vancouver, working for major clients such as GrowthWorks Capital, GLOBE Foundation of Canada, Rick Hansen Foundation and Government of Canada. Both within his role as a designer, and beyond it, Matt has been actively involved in a number of charities such as British Dyslexic Association, Adults Dyslexics Organization, Arts Dyslexia Trust as well as organizing Visual Communication, a unique event created to raise awareness for deaf culture.
Yes, his name really does have a capital W in the middle of it. Don't ask why.
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Kevin Broome is a communications designer, writer and creative strategist at Industrial Brand Creative in Vancouver, BC Canada. Kevin brings his love of music, art and culture to every design project he undertakes. After graduating with an honours degree in English Literature from University of Western Ontario, he travelled and lived in Asia, studying their culture and teaching English.
In 2001, Kevin relocated to Vancouver to study multimedia and web design at the University of British Columbia, joining IBC soon after graduation. Kevin has lent his graphic design talents to several not-for-profit and fundraising activities including The Compassion Project, Canstruction, the Peace Out Conference and Benefit Concert and a unique consulting project to determine the best way to provide high-speed Internet service in Uganda for the Youth Millennium Project. He presently lives in with his wife Jane and their two cats, Basil and Coriander.
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Mark Busse is a founding principal and Design Director at Industrial Brand Creative in Vancouver, BC Canada. With diverse education and experience in business management and the graphic arts, Busse has used his unique perspective to create many award-winning projects for clients in Canada and internationally.
As a design instructor at Vancouver's VFS, member of Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH, and President-Elect of the BC Chapter of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, Busse’s vision is to reform the GDC from the inside with a renewed focus on the issues that are important to its members and the design industry. He has also been involved with numerous charitable organizations such as leading the Industrial Brand team entry in Canstruction, an annual fundraiser for the Vancouver Food Bank and volunteering website design and other services for The Compassion Project. Students and colleagues have alternatively described Mark as clever, resourceful, passionate and weird.
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The groovy banner above was done by Christopher Liechty, President of AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design.
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Christopher Liechty is the President of Meyer & Liechty, as well as AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design who is responsible for the strategic planning and cross-cultural design. Liechty began his career in 1991 as part of the WordPerfect international publications team, where he designed materials in more than 25 languages. At WordPerfect, he became the Asian language specialist and the lead designer, responsible for the global promotion of certain WordPerfect products and services. In 1994, Liechty founded Meyer & Liechty with his wife, Hailey Meyer, who holds an MFA in studio art.
Christopher Liechty built his company's reputation by understanding and meeting specific client business needs while exceeding expectations in areas that emphasised strong customer service and creative work that was direct and to the point. With that focus, Meyer & Liechty has produced global campaigns for more than 140 markets in 30 languages, winning several regional and national awards. Clients of Meyer & Liechty include American Express Travelers Cheques, the World Congress of Families, Talk2 Technology, Sonic Innovations, The Arbinger Company, PowerQuest, Flowserve, and others.
He speaks fabulous Mandarin.
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TAXI Design Network is proud to be the Major Media Partner for this inaugural international design event.
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