Karolina Alvekrans BA (Hons) Design for Art Direction Alongside interning at Pentagram, I have spent most my weekends this year working on a D&AD New Blood brief as part of my SIP. Set by Google Fonts and HMCT, the brief asks you to create a typographic led campaign brings attention or awareness to a human rights issue. I chose to focus on gender inequality, using children as a chosen audience. I have come up with a campaign idea that uses typography as a playground to foster a positive attitude towards feminism. Though speculative (for now), the campaign invites children and their parents or carers to a set of activities based on different fonts. Working on a New Blood brief is great practice, not only because they’re set by people in the industry, but also because they make you do a lot of research. The core of a New Blood project is always “the big idea” and it challenges you to come up with something unexpected and bold, that no one has thought of before. I have certainly enjoyed this way of working, as it has challenged the process I normally follow. Before, my theoretical and visual research would go hand in hand. Thanks to the New Blood brief, I have realised that this may not always be the best way, and perhaps it works better for me to first do research, then come up with a big idea, then form a concept and then last of all design it. If your concept is strong, it will back up all your design decisions. Then again, is there such thing as an ‘ideal’ design process? We all work in different ways, and what works for someone might not work for someone else. It’s always good practice to explore different ways of doing things and challenge your perception. Defining and knowing the way you work best will for sure help you work more efficiently and will help you push even better outcomes. The New Blood brief (and my DPS year in general) has opened my eyes to the world of typography, and the way it can really enhance and transform a message. For my project, one of my key references is Vocal Type – a type foundry founded by Tre Seals, that aims to create typefaces that reflect a diverse perspective. Tre Seals of Vocal Type. “This is a type foundry for creatives of colour who feel they don’t have a say in their industry. This is for the creative women who feel they don’t have a say in their industry. This is for the creative who is tired of being ‘inspired’ by the same creations from different people and wondering why.” Seals’ practice is very inspiring to me, not only his mentality and drive, but also his method of making typefaces. They are based on extensive research on communities, protests, and scraps of ephemera. It is interesting to see how many things can inspire the design of a typeface, adding extra layers of meaning. It inspires me to do something similar. Seals’ outlook on type is that it can be the starting point for important conversations. Essentially, everything we read is made up of type. He says: “If consumers understood design half as much as they understand technology, they’d be able to make better conscious (and possibly world changing) decisions.” Vocal Type typefaces. Whilst talking about activist typography, I would also like to mention Buy Fonts Save Lives, a foundry that I also researched for my SIP. They sell typefaces which various designers contribute with, and all the proceeds go to charities. I think it is such a wonderful example of using the power of design and creativity to do good. I have decided that I would like to do something similar, either contribute with a font, or start my own cause. It has also inspired me to do work for charities – there are many in need of good graphic design. For example, Marina Willer’s charming identity for Battersea Dogs and Cats home is heart-warming and it speaks with friendliness and joy. Just what a charity needs – an identity that reflects the good work they do. Buy Fonts Save Lives by Paul Harpin and Ampersand Media. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home branding by Marina Willer. For my future design practice, my thesis topic research, and interests for year 4, I am keen on focusing on projects with a greater cause, helping people make their voices heard and use my skills to create meaningful change. I am also interested in developing my New Blood project further, and for year 4 I would like to research more about how kids can learn graphic design and visual communication. It’s a topic that is more relevant than ever before. Cat How of How & How Studio explains very well how visual communication is the key factor in the fight for a better world.
“People who understand that media can be used as a force for good are on the right track... […] communicating a message in a visually engaging way, will get in front of more eyeballs and spread the word. It is an essential part of our armoury in the fight against climate change, alongside political reform, etc.” As they say, good design is invisible, but bad design isn’t. The world right now needs good graphic designers that can help people make sense of the overflow of information. That is really the core of my SIP – to introduce children to the wonderful tools of design early on in life. Buy Fonts Save Lives (2021) Available at: https://buyfontssavelives.com/ (Accessed: 14 March 2022). Brewer, J. (2018) Pentagram rebrands Battersea dogs and cats home to visualise "personality over sentiment". 16 April. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/pentagram-rebrands-battersea-dogs-and-cats-home-graphic-design-160418 (Accessed: 14 March 2022). Moody, E. (2021) Cat How on how How & How are reducing their environmental impact, and how everyone could do more. 9 November. https://the-brandidentity.com/interview/cat-how-on-how-how-how-are-reducing-their-environmental-impact-and-how-everyone-could-do-more (Accessed: 14 March 2022). Munro, S. (2019) Typography as a Radical Act in an Industry Ever-dominated by White Men. 26 August. Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/tre-seals-is-turning-typography-into-a-radical-act/ (Accessed: 14 March 2022). Vocal Type (2022) Available at: https://www.vocaltype.co/ (Accessed: 14 March 2022).
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