Emily Duong | BA (Hons) Graphic Branding and IdentityAnti-design was a movement that originated in Italy between 1966-1980. According to art history archive (Moffat, 2011), “The movement emphasized striking colours, scale distortion (i.e giant chairs that made you look small), and used irony and kitsch”, the designs were opposing to Modernism as they focussed more on functionality than the aesthetic. In contrast, Modernism was about ‘form follows function’. Anti-Designers felt that “objects should be temporary, as quick to throw away and be replaced by something new and more functional” (Moffat, 2011). It was a rebellious art form, resulting in interesting and bold formats with mixed bright colours. It created groundbreaking designs as they were literally breaking the traditional design elements such as: hierarchy, grid, scale and colour theory. The characteristics of Anti-Design are asymmetric, overcrowd, non-existent grids, mismatch elements and odd colours. According to 99design, Anti-designers are “seeking to create memorable experiences that both respect and challenge their intelligence” (Levanier, 2022), this allows them to be explorative and extend the view of design, rather let it stay stuck in the normality of Modernism’s timeless style. An Anti-design example: The Selene chair by Vico Magistertetti (1966) manufactured by Artemide (Moffat, 2011). It was a new creation of stackable chairs to enable easy storage and optimise space. The radical design was complex but proved to be useful and allowed users to participate in the design. As Widewalls magazine stated, “Anti-designers wanted to make people think about the object they were buying” (Martinique, 2016). This demonstrated the power of interaction and its importance; it definitely was impactful on users and made them think more. However, due to the Anti-Design idea of generating more and creating products to be replaced later, turns it into maximalism and increase consumerism. The limitation of the movement is that it promotes more waste. Additionally, in the minimalism packaging trend, there is a growing concept of refill packaging to be more environmentally friendly. One example would be the ‘SKKN’ line by Kim Kardashian. It portrays how a refill design has gone wrong. The branding is geometric and minimal, similar to the Modernist features. The cleanser refill is identical to the original packaging except for the product case. There is no difference between the original and ‘refill’ product as they are both mass produced using the same materials. Other brands that I have seen reduce the packaging a lot more for refills to save cost and resources. The purpose of the case is to look aesthetic on the bathroom counter but lacks a useful function. Making this an example that simple can also be wasteful. I am not against the minimalism style and refills, but I feel that the refill design can be improved; anti-designs work well in these scenarios as would create better alternatives and solutions. But who said single-use packaging is bad? A biodegradable water exists! This is an Anti-Packaging example: It is more like a pre-recycling concept than an Anti-Design. It is different compared to the conventional bottled water. From dieline, the idea of pre-recycling is “a way to eliminate waste before it’s even created.” (Freeman, 2016) The Ooho edible water appears like a transparent jelly, and provides a large drop of biodegradable water. This is an example of innovative Anti-Packaging, moving towards a sustainable and eco-friendly environment. In conclusion, the Anti-Design movement can be seen as a waste but it is innovative, meaning it will strive more efficiently, by optimising materials/products better. The rebellious approach to design encourages exploration and experimentation. Challenging the intuitive objects of everyday life led to creating a new packaging for water, as plastic bottles are something we are still trying to reduce the usage of. Minimalist designs create organised and clean environments, which is beneficial for our lives to work quickly with less distractions - giving us more time for other things and be more intentional. I believe Anti-design is a good concept to help innovate existing packagings as there are many more that are still inconvenient such as, Capri-Sun - it has the same packaging but with a paper straw which makes it even difficult to use. “Anti-design seeks to expand what design can be, encouraging viewers to reconsider what constitutes beauty and usability” (Levanier, 2022) Bibliography:
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