Ideas in a Different Space, Problem Swap, Cultural and Paradigm Shift
How is Perception changed when Design shifts into a new Paradigm?
Taking a graphic design interest that is familiar and investigated how the idea could be improved, disrupted or retold through a shift of application. For instance, using opposing media or environment (e.g. from book to installation, packaging to performance) or an opposing time or fictional future (e.g. speculative design).
With it being Christmas and all the extra parcels arriving, I started looking at packaging and the familiar symbols and slogans. We always have a few boxes tucked away for repurposing either for storage or guinea pig houses and shelters. I have always been curious about these marks especially the printers symbols, as they can produce different textures and outcomes depending on the amount of ink used and how much spread/bleed, as a result. Now I have an outlet for them. First thoughts were to create a navigation system, with the arrow symbols, numbers etc like you'd find to orientate your way through a multi-storey car park and then use the printers symbols to add some abstract art to the often drab grey concrete walls and pillars.
The printers symbols on the packaging reminded me of psychedelic graphics from the 90s rave scene and how would they look animated. This idea conjured up reminiscences of the electronic music duo, Altern 8 and their black and yellow album artworks (images 4 & 5 above). The symbols also reminded of Anthony Burrill's book 'Look and See', a printed compendium of collected ephemera and printed material (below).
Low and behold the symbols I had were covered in there and he too had the same reaction regards music. Anthony writes:
'Looking at abstract images conjures ideas of musical composition and abstraction in music, a correspondence that I can visualise. I suppose image patterns and sounds live together in the same part of my brain, which is why I find it so satisfying when they're combined.'
I collected the symbols from photographs and had a little experiment animating them in Adobe Photoshop, image 1. I then laid the symbols out in Adobe Illustrator to help my thought process and decide what I might do with them next. On rolling over the vectorised shapes with the select tool, the individual hexagons highlighted with a blue outline appeared to become animated, image 2-3. Lastly I imported the shapes into Adobe Photoshop once again to create a more trippy effect.
By using a different medium to display the symbols, the meaning and message is instantly altered and disrupted. By enlarging the size of the hexagon shapes, this disrupts the origin further and becomes less recognisable from its intended purpose and context of packaging. It begins to take on new meaning and a new message.
By animating the elements you begin to see a rhythm and imagine a beat. The options here are limitless. I added a cardboard textured background to add a hint of their original origin.
Thinking about futures and how art movements and music genres often reinvent themselves, I decided to add some electronic music to the piece. The music is a sample from Adobe Stock, 'Future Rave Electronics' (Dynamic, Space Age, Powerful) by Alexey Anisimov. I haven't beat matched the animation to the music, it is simply to give an idea of how it could work. The visuals could be used for a more elaborate piece to be shown as a backdrop to a stage installation for dance concerts or festivals. In the summer I watched the band Bastille at Victorious Festival and I was blown away by the graphics and how it enhanced the whole experience without detracting from the performance, telling a visual story to accompany and compliment the audible one.
This could be easily used as a printer's animated Christmas card sent out to their clients on mail lists, while also a basis to design a printed card, as a mailshot to clients.
