Isabella Edwards - BA Illustration and Visual Media Since the pandemic struck in 2019, there has been growing evidence of critical writing on the subject of “anti-design”. With reference to your own experience and three sources, what is your perspective on the Design/Anti-design discourse? Anti-design can be described as a “design approach that rejects conventions and traditional aesthetics”. There has been a growing amount of critical writing and a rise in the movement since the pandemic due to the shift in brands and companies opting for a more minimalistic design approach amongst rising trends, which inevitably takes away from issues such as diversity and inclusivity. These minority groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community have used anti-design as a tool to enhance their voices in an authentic manner, paralleling to their movement of breaking out of social norms and making their own space in society. Through my experience as a young queer designer, I have noticed a shift in attitude toward design and I recognise that these trends do not challenge the status quo or bring about originality, but in fact, make the design more rigid and goes against the very idea of creativity and inclusivity. In many corporations today we see them use a “safe and lazy” (Gabert-Doyon, 2021) style of design in their illustrations. The intentions behind the design is to make it “relatable” and to express “everyday stories with simple shapes…and minimal line work” (Railton, 2021) but this inevitably takes away from the uniqueness and character of the brand. Though this may not be their intention as many corporate art companies “use vivid non-human skin tones” (Railton, 2021) it does not tackle the issue of inclusivity and diversity but is some form of “token diversity”. (Facebook: Algeria, 2018) This may be because their ambitions under a capitalist regime are to not think about the real-world issues of the public but simply care for shareholders’ interests to boost their profits. This is inevitably reflected in their poor design choices of a lack of authenticity and true ambition in the brand and the design. Further exemplifying this message is the way corporate art as overly joyful and “depicts a world whose problems are already solved” (Gabert-Doyon, 2021). The poor design does not reflect the brand’s values or history but simply follows the theme of “over-active characters” where people are “forced to smile 24/7, with jobs and hobbies that seemingly never end” (Railton, 2021). The ignorance of these designs makes them feel out of touch with modern society. Design basics are still important to lay the foundation for other movements and developments, like anti-design. Anti-design is increasingly popular with various movements and minorities, like the queer community as it coincides with their goals and ambitions for the movement is not “breaking the rules but…re-interpreting” (Khode, 2022) them to spark a change with societal expectations and rigid norms. ‘Moross Who’ (2021) Aries Moross This can be seen in the work of artist Aries Moross, using their art to express their identity such as expressing their identity in ‘Moross Who’. Through recently expressing their identity of being non-binary they said that by using their name now know as Aries (formlay Kate) shows “how people understand who you are and it can also be how you create space for yourself to be seen”. Redefining society must come with a constant flow of new ideas, which Aries has shown throughout their career as a creative, transforming their art from bold and colourful graphics to a more expressive anti-design. Like with our identities, we must break out of a conventional mold and find their own identity, anti-design must adapt and grow and form new rules to design. Since 2019, when the pandemic began I have found time to understand myself and my own identity through design. The pandemic was a time of mass isolation, loneliness and a shared feeling of solidarity. After the lockdowns, people began to rediscover the world and go out and explore themselves and new experiences. With the drastic change in the world’s feelings of renewal and discovery came the rise of anti-design as it reflected people’s newfound freedom to find “experiences, meaningful interactions, mystery, the unexpected.” (Levanier, 2022) Despite this, much of the design field still felt stagnant and followed trends of “minimalism and simplicity” (Railton, 2021) but what people really wanted was what anti-design had to offer, it stood to “seeks to expand what design can be, encouraging viewers to reconsider what constitutes beauty and usability.” (Levanier, 2022) This is why my experience with anti-design has been a positive and liberating one. Not only have I been able to express my identity as a queer designer, but it has allowed me to view the world through a different lens and enabled me to express my feelings and introspection in design. In my opinion, this element of anti-design is vital to allow minorities and movements to have a voice in society. In conclusion, I think that anti-design is a useful method to express what is contained by design and societal agendas. It is a tool to enable people to express a form of identity, and culture and inject their own sense of self in it. Despite this, we must remember that it-design would not be eligible without the original design foundations and basics. Only from learning this can we transform it into something that does not bring about segregation but an understanding of all perspectives, cultures, and people when creating new illustrations and designs. Reference list
Facebook: Algeria (2018). MUSIC EVENTS QUICK PROMOTIONS. Available at: https://jsweisart.com/facebook-alegria [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023]. Gabert-Doyon, J. (2021). Why does every advert look the same? Blame Corporate Memphis. [online] Wired UK. Available at: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/corporate-memphis-design-tech. Glover, E. (2022). Why Web Designers Are Embracing Anti-Design | Built In. [online] builtin.com. Available at: https://builtin.com/design-ux/anti-design. Harrison-Baker, S. (2021). ‘Anti-Brand’, ‘Anti-Design’ or is it all just a ‘trend’? [online] WAYS OF WORKING. Available at: http://www.diplomainprofessionalstudies.com/202021/anti-brand-anti-design-or-is-it-all-just-a-trend1681165 [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023]. Khode, K. (2022). Everything to know about the anti-design movement - 9Works Design Services Market. [online] www.9works.co. Available at: https://www.9works.co/blog/everything-to-know-about-the-anti-design-movement. Levanier, J. (2022). Anti-design: the anti-rule book redefining digital design. [online] 99designs. Available at: https://99designs.co.uk/blog/design-history-movements/anti-design/. Moross, A. (2021). Moross Who. Available at: https://www.ariesmoross.com/Moross-Who [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023]. Railton, M. (2021). Why Do Some People Hate The ‘Corporate Art Style’ (and What Can You Do About It)? [online] Explanimate! Available at: https://www.explanimate.com.au/why-do-some-people-hate-the-corporate-art-style/. Smith, L. (2022). A practical approach to queering design. [online] Shaping Design Blog. Available at: https://www.editorx.com/shaping-design/article/queering-design-john-voss [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023].
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