Four Designers

Throughout this semester, we've been given a look at four particular designers: Marian Bantjes, Bruce Mau, Stefan Bucher and Stefan Sagmeister. What these four have in common is their willingness to put their own personality in their work. Of these four, Bantjes and Sagmeister in particular have developed styles for which they are known and that have spawned numerous imitators. While Bruce Mau and Stefan Bucher are unique in their own right, their work is much more solution oriented. When you hire Marian Bantjes to do a book cover, nine times out of ten you will get a gorgeous, intricately lettered & patterned cover. With Bucher and Mau, the outcome might be different.

What's also interesting is that again, the four break of into pairs: one of Toronto designers, the other of ex-pat Germans.

Thinking about these designers, I feel the need to make an addedum to my design theory. While I talked about the importance of solution-based, pragmatic thinking in design, that does not preclude the chance of infusing own's personal tastes into their work.

Which is to say, though Bruce Mau and Stefan Sagmeister both approach projects and make decisions based on personal beliefs and preferences, they scrutinize those decisions and justify them using the same thought process: "Does this best suit the needs of my client, their audience and the project itself?"

Dear Mr Stefan Bucher,

When I first watched your talk at the 2009 AIGA Make/Think  I must admit I was a little indignant. My take-away from the talk was that you are privileged enough to have a career in design that allows you to choose jobs based on personal interest and select clients who can work around your creative process due to your obvious talent and skill.

This speaks to something I think(hope) most student designers feel. That their heroes and idols live as trapeze artists, hanging from a golden ring most of us fear we'll never grasp.

Of course, after some consideration, I realized that your presentation, given less than a month into my first semester, was not a targeted attack on me and my hang ups – though I'm still tender when it comes to the phrase 'debt free' – but a thoughtful, fun look at how your individual approach allows you to make things people seek out and how personal projects have brought you even more work. It's unfair of me to assume that you or any designer was hatched, fully-formed, ready to do only the work they want to do with no challenges.

There's a lot of talk about the good-fast-nice matrix when it comes to creative work. Take away any one quality and the industry collapses, we need designers who can meet deadlines, designers who create great work and designers who aren't total jerks.

Clearly the designer who can incorporate these three values is the Kwitzatz Haderach.

What I now take away from your talk is that personal style and craft can shake up that balance, much like how the Fremen took the reins of power from the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit and the Emperor.

My question to you is whether or not you feel that your personalized approach to your work, that back and forth between conscious and sub-conscious, has changed as you've progressed throughout your career or if it was a fixed thing that shapes your career?

Thanks.

Further iPad discussion

To re-iterate what I was saying in class:

What's interesting about the iPad isn't how it's defining a new niche for itself, but how it's forcing the redefinition of the personal computer.

Not too long ago, there was talk about how the pc was going to replace the complex home theater system. That with the ability to play movies, as well as do work, play games and surf the internet, obtaining even more video and audio. After all the home computer was easy enough for most people to work, had less components than a home theater, and cost less.

What the iPad and other tablets have the potential to do is make the home computer a specialized device for doing work or play that can't be accomplished or is less than optimal on a tablet.

Split in two

Following discussions on the cultural themes in place within the 2011 Superbowl ads, I've been asked to find an award winning campaign to analyze. I've chosen to look at BBDO Malaysia's Jeep Two Worlds campaign.

Staying away from the traditional SUV Soccer Mom set, these ads likely target a younger urban male audience, without children, who hold a professional job. There are many clues to this.

Focusing first on the immediate images, we see the juxtaposition of two subjects, generally a northern climate one in light blue and a southern climate one in tan. These of course meet to make the Jeep, in classic Jeep Green. These images conjure ideas of adventure and travel, things which, unfortunately, are out of reach for families. More importantly, the ads target the ideal of the adventurer within men, an Indiana Jones archetype that travels to all four corners of the world and meets with its disparate peoples. Aspirationally, these men have the budget and free time available to get in their Jeeps and go explore, but lack the immediate access to reach these destinations.

Design-wise, the juxtaposition of identifiably different subjects and a lack of copy demonstrates an understanding by the creators on the importance of crafting an ad that can be understood regardless of country and language. As the design and advertising world becomes more globalized, the creators show how ads can transmit a message that few people would misunderstand.

Overall, these ads are clever, visually engaging and proves that some advertising can get its message across regardless of local. While the imagery may feel flat, the universality of the images is enough that the goal, to reach men throughout Asia, is achieved.