ANTI means yes by Betsy Medvedovsky

heme d Theme// //Conclusion Conclusion// rd Theme // Conclusion

Visual IndexIndex // // Visual // Visual Index

Bibliography // // Bibliography // Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements // Credits and Acknowledgements // Credits and Acknowledgements

ANTI means yes.yes. ANTI Mea means Culpa A design thesis A design thesis by Betsy Medvedovsky by Betsy Medvedovsky I have made too many beautiful things that no one got.

I have made too many clever things that made no sense. Artium Baccalaureatus, Linguistics Artium Linguisticspoints that were convoluted and lost. I have Baccalaureatus, made too many interesting Minor in Languages and Literature MinorRussian in Russian Languages and Literature University of Chicago University of Chicago May 2004 May 2004

Introduction

©Betsy Medvedovsky ©Betsy Since I Medvedovsky started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push

it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, A thesis submitted in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements for the degree of Atothesis submitted in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements for the think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had.degree It!s a of Master of Fine Arts, Communications Design Master of Fine Arts, Communications Design dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. School of Art and Design School of Art and Design Pratt Institute Pratt Institute leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve MayIt2011 May 2011 broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes too personal, a formal exploration that can no Received and incomprehensible, approved: Received and approved: longer hold content. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ As much asAdvisor, I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Primary Thesis Edvin Yegir Primary Thesis Advisor, Edvin Yegir Yet I am addicted to exploration. At to communicate with people visually.

heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and Secondary Thesis Advisor, Manuel Miranda! Secondary Thesis Advisor, Manuel Miranda! a need for originality. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Secondary Anti. Thesis Advisor, Mark Sanders! Secondary Thesis Advisor, Mark Sanders! Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed

with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical _____________________________________________________________ to in formJeff or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Chairperson, Bellantoni _____________________________________________________________ respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a Chairperson, Jeff Bellantoni highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get _____________________________________________________________ anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the MFA_____________________________________________________________ Candidate, Betsy Medvedovsky expected with a Betsy twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still MFA Candidate, Medvedovsky recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication Dedication

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// //

Introduction Introduction

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Defining Defining ANTI ANTI

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First First Theme Theme

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Second Theme Second Second Theme Theme

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ANTI ANTI means means yes yes ANTI means ANTI means yes yes to to context context ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to sense sense ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to communication communication ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the standard standard ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to orginality orginality ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the vernacular vernacular ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the expected expected with with a a twist twist ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the anti-hero anti-hero ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the recognizable recognizable ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the familiar familiar ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to compromise compromise ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to reconciliation reconciliation ANTI means means yes yes to to violation violation ANTI ANTI means yes to breaking ANTI means yes to breaking the the rules rules ANTI means means yes yes to to the the rules rules ANTI ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to the the productive productive ANTI means means yes yes to to convention, convention, cliche, ANTI cliche, stereotype stereotype violation ANTI means yes to convention ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to tweaking tweaking convention convention ANTI means yes to ANTI means yes to engaging engaging convention convention ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to groundbreaking groundbreaking ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to form form and and ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to function function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to constraints constraints ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to to acknowledging acknowledging boredom boredom and and incompetence incompetence ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to laughing laughing at at convention convention limitations ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to limitatations limitatations ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to opposition opposition ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to more more opposition opposition ANTI ANTI means means yes yes to to fun fun ANTI means means yes yes to to the the box box and and beyond ANTI beyond the the box box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means means yes yes to to the the rules rules of ANTI of the the game game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means means yes yes to to ambiguity, ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means means yes yes to to meta meta ANTI with ANTI means yes to working ANTI with and and against against ANTI means means yes yes to to working tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and and juxtaposition juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means means yes yes to to using using your your weakness ANTI weakness as as strength strength narratives ANTI means no to absolute ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means means yes yes to to freedom freedom ANTI and ANTI means yes to cynical optimism ANTI optimism and optimistic optimistic cynicism cynicism ANTI means means yes yes to to cynical all the the regular regular stuff ANTI means yes to all stuff ANTI means means yes yes to to beauty beauty ANTI

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http://antimeansyes.com

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and

To my parents, who've been ANTI from the very beginning.

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

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ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Mea Culpa I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost.

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

key way. ANTI sounds negative, but in essence, it is a strategy for

Conclusion

compromise.

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Personal justiﬁcations It!s an amazing gift to visualize ideas as a job.

Mea Culpa

How cantoo I not have a fundamental respect for got. the client—and his I havethen made many beautiful things that no one opinion—whose money allows me to make images, mess with type and I have made too many clever things that made no sense. think part of everyday? Thepoints rare client may want the esoteric, the I haveasmade toomy many interesting that were convoluted and lost. difﬁcult, design that keeps everyone out except for a chosen few. But most clients want maximal communication—clear, loud messages that resonate.

Introduction Clear, loud messages means what is recognizable and familiar. So maximal design wants to follow into tropes, boring solutions that have been Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push tried a million times before. it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a How does the designer who loves client keep his sanity? How to dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!this control. communicate maximally while not going mad from cliché, from re-tooling what has been done before? How to communicate while giving room for It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve the designer to breathe? How to communicate while allowing some broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work experimentation, some voice, a point of view? becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no longer hold content. How to reconcile communication with exploration? As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want ANTI becomes awith sound approach for Yet thisI reconciliation. formsAtand to communicate people visually. am addicted toFamiliar exploration. themes allow the viewer in; a small violation allows the designer freedom. heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for Crucially, though, theseand small violations are not Ajust indulgent simple communication a need for the new. need for the moments standard and —rather, they!re used in a structured way for effect.When expectations a need for originality. exist, they can be flouted. Actually, these expectations become currency for the designer: respecting them gains him credence with the viewer until—at Anti. just the right moment—one is broken. Quickly, ANTI has been transformed Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed from a personal coping mechanism to a design strategy for creating effect. with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Breaking rulescommon as a way to push forward respects.” the They!re English words everyone knows; antiitself is a What I talk about above—experimentation, breaking highly productive affix, meaning in the right exploration, context, anyviolation, word might get expectations, breaking form—is at heart the same thing: breaking the rules. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still That breakingas the rules can be productive is old news. But what breaking theseen recognizable the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike we!ve rules for its own sake, without a concrete objective, seems unnecessary, before. self-indulgent. In Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott McCloud defends in art.ofHe positsI formalize that there aare six facets any work Drawing rule-breaking from this definition “anti-”, strategy I calltoANTI, of art: surface, craft, structure, idiom, form, and idea. McCloud sets up a which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

dichotomy of artists who are primarily interested in the idea/purpose vs.

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

artists primarily interested in form. (Luckily they can switch back and forth.) By choosing form, he!d be setting up to become an explorer. His goal, to discover all that the art form is capable of.... his art would just become his

Mea Culpa

purpose and the ideas would arrive in time to give it substance. Creators who take thistoo path are often pioneers who want I have made many beautiful thingsand thatrevolutionaries—artist no one got. to shake things up, change the way people think, question the fundamental I have made too many clever things that made no sense. laws govern their chosen art. (McCloud, I havethat made too many interesting points that 179) were convoluted and lost. McCloud thus explicitly see questioning the fundamental laws (and presumably ignoring some of them) as a way of changing the way people

Introduction think.

Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push In a satisfying twist, successful rule breakers end up inventing new rules. it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, Walter Benjamin wrote: “All great works of literature either dissolve a genre to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a or they invent one.” (quoted by David Shields on “Start the Week”, 2/14/11) dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Indeed, Benjamin points to something: every time a genre/concept/format is productively dissolved, a new genre (with its own rules, of course) is It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve invented. Breaking convention pushes the state-of-the-art forward. broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no >>Deﬁning longer hold content.

ANTI

As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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Conclusion

Visual Index

Mea Culpa Deﬁning

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

ANTI

AntiI have made too many beautiful things that no one got. The deﬁnition of anti- according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: I have made too many clever things that made no sense. 1 a : of the same kind but situated opposite, exerting energy in the opposite I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. direction, or pursuing an opposite policy b : one that is opposite in kind to 2 a : opposing or hostile to in opinion, sympathy, or practice b : opposing in effect or activity 3 : serving to prevent, cure, or alleviate Since I startedor doing design,against I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push 4 : combating defending

Introduction

itThe to the see what likesame it hadn!t done before, keylimit, definition here would is the happen, first one: do “ofitthe kindbeen but situated to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a opposite.” dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Once found, adopting anti- becomes an easy choice. Consider the words It leadsillustrate to beautiful graphicanti-novel, experiments, fun visual work. ButThese too often, which this usage: anti-hero, anti-climax. are I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work words that are both quickly understandable and yet have room for freedom becomes personal, formal that canisno built in. Anincomprehensible, anti-novel is sometoo sort of novel,ayes, butexploration what!s interesting longer how it!shold not content. a novel. What!s especially strong about antiis it!s a productive prefix (like un-, non-, de- , etc.) which can be used by any English speaker As much as aI!m interested in form, am functions a graphicwithin designer. Thatcontext. is: I want to generate new temporary word Ithat a given to communicate with people visually. I am addicted to Temporary anti- words pop up and dieYet in conversations allexploration. the time, butAtfor heart this thesis is about trying reconcile thesegoogle two needs: a need for some more popular usages thattohave persisted, something like simple communication a need for A need for thepopularly standard and anti-Oscar, anti-drug orand anti-villain. As the suchnew. it!s perfect: both a need for originality. understood with no art or design baggage as well as extremely productive within temporary contexts. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed Genre/format with the prefix that means not to antagonistic or opposing, but “identical For the sake of“anti-” succinctness, I want introduce the term genre/format. A to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential genre/format is anything that is defined and framed by conventions, and respects.” They!re English understandings words everyoneexist knows; anti- something itself is a thus, can be anti!d:common where common of what highlybe, productive meaningWhen in thewords right context, any word get must they canaffix, be violated. like everyone doesmight X, typical, anti!d by a speaker. combines the familiar with the new, becomes archetype, standard,Anticommonly accepted, usual, conventional, cliché, the expected with twist. it!s Likea an anti-hero, design canthe betracks slightlyofoff—yet still stereotype, areaused, good sign we!re hot on a recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen genre/format. before. A graphic design example might help illustrate what a genre/format can be: Drawing from thisItdefinition “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, a green tea logo. would beofridiculous to claim that there are a set of rules which uses forms, butinvolve. breaks them in some written downfamiliar that say whatformats a greenand tea tropes, logo must A “green tea

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

logo” is hardly a genre, a form, or a format as such. But it!s reasonable to

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

say that there is a set of conventions associated with green tea company

logos, most notably the color green and leaf imagery. In this context, an “anti-green tea logo” makes sense: a logo that ﬁts within the genre/format and yet exerts energy in some opposite direction.

Mea Culpa

Outside of design, a typical Republican politician I have made too many beautiful things that no onecould got. be a genre/format. Sarah Palin!s popularity stemmed in part to her breaking I have made too many clever things that made no sense. that mold of a typical Republican politician. To Benjamin!s invented a lost. I have made too many interesting points thatpoint, werePalin convoluted and genre/format: tough lady Republicans have mushroomed throughout United States.

Introduction As shown in the above examples, the term genre/format allows us to talk about temporary categories that can be much more specific than standard Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push genres, formats or archetypes. Indeed, a genre/format can be populated by it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, just one thing: for example, Times Square (to be revisited). Times Square to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a as a genre/format is how it is popularly understood (chaotic, touristy, full of dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. billboards, etc.) rather than an explicit definition of it (an intersection in New York City, etc.) It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work ANTI becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no Building on anti-, I define ANTI as a creative approach. longer hold content. Take a given genre/format “X”, with its set of conventions that both frame and define it. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Acknowledging and working with the conventions, violate one or more of to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At these conventions. heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for The resulting anti-X can be the desired end goal, or it can be a direction to simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and work towards. a need for originality. ANTI or Mannerism? Anti. My approach is heavily influenced by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed Brown!s idea of Mannerism. In Architecture as Signs and Systems: For a with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Mannerist Time, a little known book which summarizes the evolution of to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential their thought, Venturi and Scott Brown define Mannerism as their working respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a approach. Though Mannerism is explained over the length of the book, the highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get most succinct definition is a subtitle: “Mannerism as Convention Tweaked.” anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the In this sense, ANTI is Mannerism. Or rather, antiis a mannerizing prefix: expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still any anti-object acknowledges past convention but breaks it as necessary. recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen Elsewhere, they elaborate: before. Mannerism…as acknowledging a conventional order that is then modified Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, or broken to accommodate valid exceptions and acknowledge which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

unambiguous ambiguities for an evolving era of complexity and

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

contradiction…(Venturi and Scott Brown, 74)

Credits and Acknowledgements

The key here is the idea of acknowledging the conventions—and breaking the rules for a purpose. Why is this thesis called ANTI rather than

Mea Culpa

Mannerism in Design? Why do I talk of an operation that anti!s rather than mannerizes? I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. II found another term to be crucial because: have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Using architecture terminology in graphic design seems tempting, but is frequently problematic. (Consider the many discussions in graphic design about what deconstructivist design might be. A term that is ambiguous in

Introduction

one field becomes extremely unclear when used in another field.) Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push Venturi and Scott Brown!s terminology does not seem to have been widely it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, accepted by the architecture community. As they themselves note, it!s to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a important to engage convention—and neither the term Mannerism nor dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Architecture as Signs and Systems (my personal favorite of the Venturi canon books) are conventionally used. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work Which brings us to their most “conventional” book—or what they are most becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no well-known for, the controversial Learning from Vegas. Referring to Venturi longer hold content. and Scott Brown inevitably brings up associations of Learning from Las Vegas and its defense of the American architectural vernacular which As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want would ultimately occlude rather than clarify the issue of Mannerism and/or to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At ANTI. heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and ANTI is everything a need for originality. Once ANTI is defined, almost everything new and somehow groundbreaking can be seen through the ANTI lens. In the context of the Anti. academic painting reigning in France in the 19th century, Impressionism Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed becomes an anti-painting movement: a painting style which (beyond issues with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical of content) no longer attempts to hide brushstroke. Cubism becomes to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential anti-painting in that it consistently denies a single viewpoint to the painting, respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a an assumption inherent to the painting until that point (in the Western highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get tradition at least). Abstract Expressionism becomes anti-painting in anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the rejecting content—the painting, how it!s made, is the content. expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen It goes beyond traditional art, of course; Seinfeld is the anti-sitcom in that before. there is no arc (with the Chinese Restaurant episode seeming to be the universally acknowledged apotheosis of this) (TIME, 1998); John Cage!s Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, work is anti-composition in that he embraces chance as a composition tool; which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

ripped jeans as an item to buy are anti-jeans whose meaning is quite

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

different than that of complete jeans. The list could go on and on: but at

heart, the point is that anything that!s somehow new, that somehow breaks the rules of what came before can be reformulated in terms of ANTI.

Mea Culpa

ANTI as object Generally, I see a movement: direction work in or angle to I have made too ANTI manyas beautiful things a that no onetogot. approach from. (Which is to say, it!s unimportant if viewers I have made too many clever things that made no sense. recognize the ANTI ANTI a working method for the when successful, I haveact: made tooismany interesting points thatdesigner; were convoluted and lost. its ANTIness resonates somehow, though maybe not directly.) But based on the deﬁnition given above, almost any object can be ANTI!d and stays an object (rather than approach). A plastic to-go cup becomes anti-to go cup

Introduction

when it!s ceramic; a t-shirt proclaims “ANTI.” rather than a band name or a one-line joke; an old sack for rice is converted into a new bag. Put a piece Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push of trash into a museum, frame toilet paper, make a book out of rubber it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, instead of paper, make a newspaper designed for kids, not adults. These to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a are ready made ANTI objects, easily generated by decontextualizing or by dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. changing a part of the form. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve The very ease of generating such objects makes them somewhat banal broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work after a point. Dutch design is filled with such objects—objects that function becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no while laughing at themselves—and both Kenya Hara and Michael Rock longer hold content. begin to question this endless self-joking. (Hara, much more harshly; he sees Dutch design as essentially empty in its tireless irony (Hara, 432) As much asonly I!m interested in form, am a graphic designer. That is: I want while Rock begins to poke at itI [Rock, “Mad Dutch Disease.”]) to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for I suspect that the Dutch design Hara objects to most, and which I, too, simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and begin to find boring are ANTI objects where the object is violated on just a need for originality. one level—the surface/form level or context level. When these violations are nowhere tied to a content violation, the ANTIhood is facile. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed ANTI in layers with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Ultimately, the discussion begins to hark back to “form follows function.” In to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential order for ANTI to be rich, interesting and have staying power, form and respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a context violations must connect with a content violation: otherwise the highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get treatment of form is purely stylistic. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still I!ve kept the term genre/format purposefully vague so that ANTI can be recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen applied as broadly as possible, but a genre/format usually has some before. common traits which define it at its most typical: Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, physical/surface which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some form

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion content //

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

context Each of these traits has any number of subcharacteristics, all of which can be ANTI!d. I see each of these main traits—form, content and context—as Mea Culpa a level which works somewhat independently. I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. Indeed, if making ANTI objects is easy—objects which easily veer towards I have made too many clever things that made no sense. the ﬂat—making sure the ANTI resonates on a content level can salvage I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. the design.

Introduction

Periods of Activity is an example which works on a couple of levels. On the one hand, it is an anti-book whose pages are not bound (disruption on the form level). But really, it is also an anti-autobiography, a personal work that Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push is completely de-personalized (which, indeed, looks like a dossier and it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, consists of essentially public information). This disruption on the content to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a level resonates with the form level disruption: the dossier feel is reinforced dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. with the loose sheets and folder. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve The Last Minute Signage System is another example of multi-level ANTI. broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work Both the poster advertising the MFA show and the map of the space are becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no ANTIs: the poster consists of separate sheets that could be added or longer hold content. removed as necessary while the map keeps a running tally of all the changes to the space. These are violations that take place on a form level. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want But on a content level, the Last Minute Signage System is guided by an to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At anti-signage outlook. If most signage aims to provide a sheen of order, the heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for Last Minute Signage System acknowledges and flaunts chaos. simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Consider also the Dutch windmill, an ANTI object I consider very successful. It actually swaps out just one element: Arabic calligraphic Anti. decoration for traditional windmill souvenir decoration. It!s a surface/form Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed level switch that functions on a content level as well—the very Dutchness with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical of the souvenir is questioned by the Arabic text. In the larger context of the to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Netherlands trying to steer its understanding of itself as a country in light of respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a its large Muslim immigration and the ensuing conflict, the anti-Dutch highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get windmill is a joke with some depth. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still Like the anti-Dutch windmill, the Comic Sans studies exploit that the recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen surface is the content. Early experiments using a high design treatment on before. Comic Sans elicited excitement—but confusion. These were essentially a funny form violation that didn!t offer much interest for further consideration. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, A famous Helvetica poster re-done with Comic Sans is a bit more which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

interesting, but it is only as an anti-Helvetica series that the Comic Sans

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

pieces begin to be a full-ﬂedged, stand-alone project. Though it is the form that!s violated (the typeface), the explicit targeting of canonical Helvetica designs points to the content violation (high replaced with low).

Mea Culpa

ANTI acquires a richness and depth when form and content are violated in tandem. ANTItoo onmany a content levelthings gives the both I have made beautiful thatpiece no one got.sustained interest—and justiﬁed the ANTI in form or context. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost.

>>First theme: Introduction ANTI as Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push a way it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, of to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a dealing dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. with constraints It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no longer hold content. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Mea Culpa First Theme:

ANTI as a way of dealing with constraints

I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. Dealing with constraints is how I come to ANTI. Broadly, design is I have made too many clever things that made no sense. governed by the fundamental constraint of communicating with others. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Other constraints that motivate ANTI can be a frustration with the rules,

Introduction

inability to cope with them, boredom with them or the sheer fact that they cannot be cleanly applied to the situation at hand. Venturi and Scott Brown list these reasons one might employ Mannerism: Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think who up something weirder and crazier than by everyone people know the rules well and are bored them else had. It!s a dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. naive people who misunderstand them It leads“necessary to beautifulapproach graphic experiments, funand visual work. But too often, need: to architectural urban design given the I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work complexity and contradiction of the situations in which we build.” (Venturi becomes too personal, a formal exploration that can no and Scott incomprehensible, Brown, 212) longer hold content. Denise Brown adds from an urban perspective: “You As muchScott as I!m interested in form, I am aplanning graphic designer. That is: Ibreak want the rules because you can!t follow all the rules of all the systems all the to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At times,this or at the same time.” (Venturi and Scott Brown, 212) a need for heart thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. I want to mention these as a starting off point, while I elaborate some reasons I!ve used ANTI in visual communication (and interpret other Anti. designers as having asAnti-particle. well). Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Boredom to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Though I!dThey!re avoid claiming thewords rules everyone of design so terrifically well, is a respects.” commonI know English knows; antiitself ANTI comes out of my search to marry experimentation and highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get communicative design: search for the howfamiliar to avoid being by graphic anti!d by a speaker. Anti-a combines with the bored new, becomes the design. Inwith some sense, most my projects fall can under umbrella term. expected a twist. Like anof anti-hero, design bethis slightly off—yet still More importantly, this is the category appropriate forunlike any artist perseen recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist whatwho, we!ve Scott McCloud!s categorization, is interested in matters of form and before. “questioning the fundamental laws” of their art. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, Iwhich can, however, mention one concrete which boredom assome such uses familiar forms, formats andproject tropes,inbut breaks them in

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

played a very explicit role. An assignment from long before ANTI to choose

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

an object and photograph it for seven days, each day a different mise-en-

scene. I choose an orange. The ﬁrst few days, I play with it, vaguely using it a just an art material. By day ﬁve, I!m starting to get sick of it. I stitch “PURPLE” into it. By day six, my hatred for oranges grows: I make the E-Z

Mea Culpa

Orange: an orange which opens with a zipper instead of the usual hassle of pealing it. (Don!t miscount this hassle: a friend of mine refuses to eat them I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. because of the work involved). By day seven, I hate the thing and try to I have made too many clever things that made no sense. make the anti-orange: a negation of all an orange might symbolize—an I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. anti-fresh, anti-orange, anti-healthy garbage heap. Interestingly, day seven!s “anti-orange” is not that at all—it!s just an unrecognizable mess. Too many of the rules of orangehood have been broken. Days ﬁve and six,

Introduction however, are a great success: in each one, just one principle of

orangehood has been broken—the purple orange and the E-Z Orange are Since I startedbut doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push recognizable different. it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a Incompetence/Inability dirty compulsion, impulse can!t control. A category I knowan well. What IVenturi and Scott Brown list as a reason for Mannerism—a misunderstanding of the rules—I see in ANTI as a close It leads to beautiful experiments, visual But example too often,after I!ve cousin—an inability graphic to deal with the rules.fun Here I canwork. provide broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work example of my own work; I always believe in turning your weakness into becomes incomprehensible, toolong personal, formal exploration can no your strength: here!s one, also before aANTI: FALSE. In thethat magical longer hold content. city of Atlanta where I am a designer as soon as I say I am, I am asked to design a whole magazine. My inpreparedness for this task cannot be As much as(indeed I!m interested in form, am a hint graphic That is: Ifurther want overstated the results gaveI me that designer. I should probably to communicate with people Yet and I amfocus addicted to exploration. At a my education), but let!s forgetvisually. the inside on the cover. I inherit heartfor thisFALSE, thesis is aboutwhich tryingistoclearly reconcile needs: aa need for logo a logo ugly,these barelytwo designed, logo which I simpleI communication and a Redesigning need for the new. A need for the standard and know cannot stand behind. the logo is quite frankly beyond a need for I!m originality. me, which extremely aware of. Stuck with a logo I hate, I resolve to play with it somehow for the cover of each issue. For The Poor Issue, I tape the logo up behind a jar of pennies. For The Age Issue, I burn it. A logo which I Anti. hate, whichAnti-matter. I destroy: an anti-logo. AAnti-climax. destructionThese which words takes on Anti-hero. Anti-particle. are formed meaning—but born ofthat inability. with the prefix “anti-” means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re commoncited English words everyone knows; antiis a David Carson is frequently as an example of a designer whoitself broke highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, anybetter. word might get the rules of typography simply because he didn!t know anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Likerestrictions an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still Dissatisfaction with the recognizable as the main protagonist. protagonist what An easier category: breaking the rules Abecause you unlike don!t like thewe!ve rules.seen before. Irma Boom!s Best Books Catalogue cited above is a great example of Drawing from this of “anti-”, a strategy call ANTI, dissatisfaction withdefinition the restrictions. In Iaformalize talk she gave at theI Walker Art which uses familiar forms, andshe tropes, breaks them in did some Museum (Boom, Walker Artformats Channel) talksbut about a book she

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

compiling the best books of the year. Describing this book, she mentions

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

that it!s an honor to be chosen—each year, a young designer is chosen to

design it: “And it!s a one-off. You never do it twice.” Immediately after these words, she notes: “I wanted to make two books in one.” (Boom, Walker Art Channel) So she combines two books into one: ﬂipping through it one

Mea Culpa

direction, you see a book which is the best book covers of the year; ﬂipping through the other way, it is a book cataloguing the best designed book I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. insides of the year. Laughing at the conventions of these best books of I have made too many clever things that made no sense. year books, she wants to design two books rather than one: thus creating I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. an anti-book, or rather an anti-one-time-opportunity-book. Not enough resources to deal with the rules/outsider status

Introduction

Conventions often require more resources than are available. Accepting a limitation on resources and flaunting it can become a powerful way to Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push compete. Periods of Activity, the auto-biography in the form of a folder with it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, unbound sheets mentioned above was originally to be printed as a to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a traditional, bound book. The size of the pages (9” x 15”), however, made dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. signatures too costly. Perfect binding was inappropriate. The book thus quickly became a folder from reasons of necessity—but the unbound It leadsnow to beautiful work. But too often, I!ve sheets becamegraphic a majorexperiments, focal point offun thevisual project. broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no The rules do not allow for enough ambiguity longer hold content. One of Venturi and Scott Brown!s original justifications for Mannerism. Ambiguity gets a section of its own later on, but it!s interesting to see As much as I!mconflict interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want ambiguity and in terms of constraints. to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for Periods of Activity is again an excellent example. Looking back at my own simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and life, I began to be confused about the order of events—did I really begin to a need for originality. be interested in creative work before I started dating A., the designer? Did I really quit an education in advertising because my grandmother died—or Anti. was it a coincidence? The book form forced events too neatly into a linear Anti-hero. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These of words are formed narrative ofAnti-matter. my life which would gloss over the periods uncertainty, with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical indecision and vague flailing. Unbound sheets allowed rearrangement and to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential hinter at the act of self-construction that writing an auto-biography actually respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a is. A dossier aesthetic naturally fit the content, the emphasis on events and highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get packaged the pages. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still Against content recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen Sometimes the content of the genre/format you!re working in is what you before. are opposing. Kenya Hara, the art director of MUJI, writes that if “If most brands are after, MUJI should be after its opposite.” He thus explicitly Drawing “anti-”, I formalizeIf aother strategy I call ANTI, seeks forfrom MUJIthis to definition become aofsort of anti-brand. brands are about which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

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Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

creating consumerist lust, MUJI must become “not appetite, but

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

acceptance.” (Hara, 238) The MUJI graphic identity is famously quiet and neutral, as much an anti-branding as possible.

Hara also introduces the concept of “exformation” which could perhaps be

Mea Culpa

situated as the anti-information. (Hara, 371) He proposes design that, rather you what to know (informing), exforms I have than madetelling too many beautiful things that no one got. you: reminds how “little we know.” (Hara, 376) I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. This concept of exformation, as well as Hara explicitly imagining what an anti-guidebook for New York might look like inspired the Brooklyn Notebook: a guidebook that reminded you how little you know of New York

Introduction

and how much there is to discover, rather than tell you where to go. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push The Comic Sans Studies are an example of work which reveals a dubious it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, relationship to the content. On the other hand, I respect and admire the to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a classic designs—and the tradition they symbolize—that are the subject of dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. the studies. On the other hand, I ﬁnd problematic how this tradition views vernacular design (here embodied as the consistently ridiculed Comic It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve Sans.) The Comic Sans Studies both acknowledge one narrative of design broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work while ANTIing, and thus poking fun at it. becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no longer hold content.

>>Second As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want theme: to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At ANTI heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for as simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and creative thinking a need for originality. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Mea Culpa Second

Theme: ANTI as a way of thinking outside the box (while still relating to the I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. box) I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost.

Introduction Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no longer hold content. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. At the very beginning of this thesis, the Mea Culpa mentions smartness and beauty that go to waste if they are not understandable. The Anti. fundamental premise in most creative approaches is that thinking outside Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed the box is ideal and desirable. I want to counter that from my personal with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical perspective. Thinking outside the box is rarely the problem; but if you!re to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential flying so far out from the box that nobody can appreciate how creative you respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a are, there is a communication issue. highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the ANTI is a with way a totwist. think Like creatively while still staying the realm of still expected an anti-hero, design canwithin be slightly off—yet understandability. recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Restrictions themselves are what can be opposed In this line of thought, constraints are Ino longer viewed as external. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, formalize a strategy I call ANTI, Restrictions may be added, even arbitrarily so, if other constraints are not which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

12 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

enough to facilitate a good enough solution.

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

In Dutch Resource, Linda van Deursen talks about restrictions: Someone once said that design is always the product of a lot of restrictions, Charles Eames, I think, or maybe it was Charlie Chaplin — but

Mea Culpa

it!s exactly how it is, you can!t overstate the role played by the restrictions. I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. But notmade only the come withthat the made job, I mean the given ones, I have too ones manythat clever things no sense. content, the project, theinteresting time, yourpoints own limits, evenconvoluted the expectations of the I have made too many that were and lost. client or whoever you are working with. They all restrict you. But I think that you then have to introduce a set of extra restrictions based on these, that in a way, protect you from them. I think it!s here that you in fact ﬁnd ﬁnd all the

Introduction

decisions you need. The size, the format, whether you choose color or only black and white, whether to use images and type or just type. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, It!s a way of setting up rules to a game you are about to play. Rules that to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a create the game. And the clearer the rules, the more fun it is in fact to play. dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Because it!s not about wanting to be dogmatic or something less free, it!s It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve the opposite. By knowing what the rules are or are the limits, you seem to broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work get a better sense of the possibilities. You react more quickly and you becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no make decisions more easily and effectively. You look for all the possibilities longer hold content. for freedom within those restrictions and you play them out. (Quoted in Dutch Resource, 66) As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At As mentioned earlier, Mevis & van Deursen are designers I believe use heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for ANTI as an approach. This quote makes their outlook even quite explicit: simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and rather than working with a genre/format whose rules they try to ANTI, they a need for originality. have a set of rules of the game—within which they try to look for freedom. For me, this is a clear example of using ANTI, though perhaps it is clearer if Anti. I talk about it in terms of with and against: Mevis & van Deursen are Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed working with and against the rules they have set up. (The next section with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical discusses the idea of with and against further, but essentially I see it as a to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential reformulation of ANTI: working simultaneously with an idea and its respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a conventions and against it as well.) highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the Their work speaks to this formulation of their process. Consider also a expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still small project they did for the Dutch Architectural Institute given as an recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen example earlier. An exhibition on new three dimensional design was before. designed by an architectural studio wherin all the work was hung on ropes from rails so that the work was constantly moving. Mevis & Van Deursen Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, were asked to do the captions for this show. As Armand Mevis recounts in which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

a talk at the Walker Art Center in 2006:

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Actually, I was not immediately attracted to the job because then we would also [normally] work on the catalogue, but the catalogue was done by Jochan Benigan who is a Dutch designer who I really like, so he got to do

Mea Culpa

the catalogue which is of course the nice job and we had to deal with the captions, which the horrible job. I have made tooismany beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. At the same I thought, um, ok,points because thinkconvoluted that maybeand shows I have made time too many interesting that Iwere lost.a little bit the attitude we have. Because even when an assignment really seems to be very unattractive, then I think you you just have to sit down and see how it can become attractive job. I was also challenged by the fact

Introduction

that all the designers who were in this show came up with smart and ironical solutions. So I thought, can we come up with an equivalent of this Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push kind of design which is shown with these captions? it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a Finally, of course it!s so simple but it took us so much time to come up with dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. it. It became actually this catalogue which we didn!t do and we just made the catalogue and then we cut it off like two inches from the spine. Of It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve course it was a fake catalogue because the real catalogue was still there broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work but everyone who actually went in the exhibition got this little book which becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no contained all the captions…. and of course we played a little bit with the longer hold content. fact that it was cut off…. (Armand Mevis, Walker Art Channel Talk, 3/21/06) As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Thus Armand Mevis sees the fact that they are doing the caption book and to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At not the catalogue as part of the rules of the game—but their end product heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for plays with and against these rules. simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Problem setting If Mevis & Van Deursen are typically Dutch, then Bob Gill is a striking Anti. example of someone who uses an ANTI approach to produce a sort of Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed self-contained rebellion—a rebellion which can live safely within American with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical corporate logo-hood. to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a "The problem is the problem. If we as graphic designers, are to arrive at highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get interesting, original solutions that also communicate exactly what the client anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the requires, we have to start by being critical of the problem. The more expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still interesting the problem, the more likely the solution will be interesting. recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen Here!s an example: before. AGM, a company which makes very small industrial models, wanted a Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, monogram as their logo. (A conventional, boring problem.) Original which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

14 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

problem: design an interesting arrangement of an A, a G, and an M to be

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

used on their stationery, their delivery vans, and on the side of their building. Problem made more interesting: design an A, G, and M which

Mea Culpa

communicates that the company makes very small models, and at the same large enough so it things can bethat easily on the side of their I havetime, madeistoo many beautiful no seen one got. vehicles and on their building.” (Gill, 10) I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. What!s striking is that in Gill!s most interesting formulation of the problem there is a thesis/antithesis quality. In essence, Gill provides a way out of any conventional design problem: when the rules of the game cannot really

Introduction

be played against, it is up to designer to reframe the problem so that it becomes a with and against problem. AGM probably doesn!t want Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push ambiguity or contradiction in their logo, but Gill frames the question as such it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, and comes up with a fun solution. to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control.

>>Third It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve theme: broken ANTI the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no as longer hold content. ambiguity As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Mea Culpa Third Theme:

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

ANTI and Ambiguity

I haveas made too many beautiful things that no one got. ANTI gesture A number of atoo projects I!ve talked about at the edges. Brooklyn I have made many clever things that show madeANTI no sense. Notebook shows how ANTI in approach something completely I have made too many interesting points can that become were convoluted and lost. different in its ﬁnal form. The Once and Future Poster is another example where it becomes more and more difﬁcult to speak about ANTI. Though in

Introduction

its final form the poster was tiled together from separate smaller sheets and thus became an anti-poster, it works just as well as a single sheet. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no longer hold content. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. Anti. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen If the poster is a single sheet, how then is it an anti-poster? The poster!s before. hierarchy is swapped, but it would be difficult to claim that a trait of posters is a straightforward hierarchy. Wherein lies the strength of The Once and Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, Future Poster? which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

12 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

I suspect that it!s in the simple statement, “The poster is dead! Long

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

live the poster!” printed itself on a poster. It is in the strength of this declaration, its inherent contradiction. These ambiguities and contradictions are at the heart of the piece. This is where ANTI enters. At its core, ANTI is about contradicting one!s own self, exposing one own!s

Mea Culpa

ambiguity. ANTI as an operation requires a genre/format to act on, but ANTI here acts only on the internal idea. I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. ANTI acts and gently, likethat a gesture, the trace of a stronger I havehere made toointangibly many interesting points were convoluted and lost. move. There are no more external expectations to subvert or to violate—only the internal ones of the artist.

Introduction I began to think of ANTI as gesture a while ago, but only recently did I return to Venturi!s definition of Mannerism as something that “engages Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push ambiguity–engages ambiguity unambiguously.” (Venturi and Scott it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, Brown, 212) I!m struck with this full circle, from Mannerism back to to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a Mannerism again (which is why I see myself as partially translating dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Mannerism from architecture to design). ANTI as gesture is no longer about a genre/format and its conventions: it is about engaging ambiguity. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work There!s another way to think about the ANTI gesture: the inevitable joke of becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no this thesis: antithesis. longer hold content. Thesis and antithesis As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Definition of ANTITHESIS to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At 1a (1) : the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for of words, clauses, or sentences (as in “action, not words” or “they promised simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and freedom and provided slavery”) (2) : opposition, contrast b (1) : the second a need for originality. of two opposing words, clauses, or sentences that are being rhetorically contrasted (2) : the direct opposite Anti. 2 : the second stage of a dialectic process Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Seen this way, ANTI as gesture is clearly about thesis and antithesis: to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential building in opposition and contrast and thus exposing ambiguity. [I can!t respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a find the source, I seem to recall thinking of the phrase “The poster is dead! highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get Long live the dead” after reading about other antithetical statements. But anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the this might be another case of structuring the narrative ex post facto.] expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen With and against before. Though thesis and antithesis sits in the background like a joke that I only now get, more and more I think about ANTI as working with and against. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, With and against is a simple, humble and broad way to communicate what which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

ANTI as gesture/Mannerism as ambiguity/thesis and antithesis might

Conclusion

mean.

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Working with and against means acknowledging an idea and working with that idea, while simultaneously working against that idea. With and against

Mea Culpa

sits then with ANTI or Mannerism as Convention Tweaked as the same approach buttoo withmany different wording. Like thesis andgot. antithesis, with and I have made beautiful things that no one against builds into itself the idea of opposition/duality/conﬂict. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Whether one talks about ANTI as gesture, thesis and antithesis, working with and against or even Mannerism, the end results work might involve:

Introduction opposition juxtaposition Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push ambiguity it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, contrast to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a internal tension dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. internal conflict threshold of two things It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work Indeed, these tensions fuel ANTI. When coming at ANTI from this angle, its becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no inevitable ambiguity seems obvious. Working with ANTI means at heart, longer hold content. accepting a set of rules and yet opposing (some of) them. The other themes which explore ANTI can be reformulated in terms of this conflict as As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want well. Dealing with constraints is about accepting the constraints and yet to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At trying to find a way around them; thinking outside the box means accepting heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for the idea of the box. That is why ANTI is not and cannot be simply against simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and the rules. In order to be ANTI, one must first engage with convention.Those a need for originality. who are completely unconflicted or unambiguous simply do not accept, acknowledge or engage with the rules. On a social level they may be the Anti. hermits, sociopaths or anarchists; on a design level, they create a world of Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed chaos that leaves viewers lost at sea, without any bearings to navigate. with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a

>>Conclusion

highly productive afﬁx, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. Drawing from this deﬁnition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Mea Culpa Conclusion:

Using your weakness as your strength I have made too many beautiful things that no one got.

IFrom have constraints made too many clever things that made no sense. to ambiguity I havebegan made as tooamany interesting points thatto were convoluted and lost.to the ANTI reaction for me: a reaction constraints; a reaction very constraint of communication.

Introduction

Along the way I began to see ANTI quite clearly as a creativity tool as well. Thinking outside the box is given its own section in this thesis: it!s important Since design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push to offerI started up ANTIdoing in this light, especially when it marries such differing itdesigners to the limit, would happen, it like it hadn!t been done before, as see Bob what Gill and Mevis & vando Deursen. But in some sense, ANTI to think up something weirder than else had. It!s a as a creativity tool is still withinand the crazier realm of theeveryone constraints theme: dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. constrained by circumstances, how does one stay creative? It leads to did beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But toosome often, Only later the theme of ambiguity emerge, as I realized that ofI!ve my broken formfittoo well, past theOr, limits tooaccurately, far: the work work nothe longer into the exploded constraints pile. more it still fit into becomes incomprehensible, too resonated personal, amuch formal exploration that can no the constraints pile, but actually more on a different level. longer hold content. Periods of Activity is nominally an anti-book (in the pages are not bound) or even an anti-autobiography, but it is above all a depersonalized autobiography. it can be seen reaction to someThat constraints, As much as I!mThough interested in form, I amasa agraphic designer. is: I want Periods of Activity most exemplifies an inner tension/ambiguity. to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and This tension/ambiguity/thesis-antithesis aspect to ANTI was the true a need for originality. discovery of the thesis. Indeed, in some ways it is the most powerful engine of making that!s explored here. Rather than looking outward and reacting, ANTI as ambiguity basically posits that humans cannot have Anti. absolutist as ambiguity makes aThese narrative from Anti-hero. narratives. Anti-matter.ANTI Anti-particle. Anti-climax. words are formed acknowledging the internal tension any issue. or opposing, but “identical with the prefix “anti-” that means notofantagonistic to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Times Canyon became a fitting capstone the thesisknows; in thatantiit most respects.” They!re common English wordstoeveryone itself is a directly engages the question of thesis/antithesis. The simple highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word question might get behind Canyon was: Times Square is hated—so does the the anti!d byTimes a speaker. Anticombines the familiar with the what new, becomes anti-Times Square lookLike like? execution of individual elements was still expected with a twist. anThe anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet quite traditional: a logo, explanations, advertising. There is seen no recognizable as the mainillustration, protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve longer any need to react to any outside strictures to provide an energy to before. the project. The central idea is the energy. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, ANTI revisited which and usesMannerism: familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

12 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

ANTI began as an idea that was inspired by, but not directly fed by

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Mannerism. ANTI became more and more a translation of Mannerism from architecture into design. Again and again, themes I thought I had discovered fresh in ANTI—I discovered upon re-reading Architecture as Signs and Systems. The thesis/antithesis angle in particular only emerged

Mea Culpa

quite late in ANTI—and it was with amazement that I later realized this had already been treated by Venturi and Scott Brown as a fundamental tenet of I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. Mannerism. Again and again, they keep insisting that Mannerism is about I have made too many clever things that made no sense. ambiguity and conﬂict. Later when I saw ANTI as a need in some I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. situations—when the requirements of a design solution simply could not copy existing models—I remembered that Denise Scott Brown had noted the same about Mannerism before.

Introduction

Far from making it weaker, these parallels make ANTI stronger. I did not Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push start out with the intention of copying Mannerism, but independently came it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, to many of the same conclusions after staring at my own work and trying to to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a figure out how it fit in, when pieces were no longer responses to external dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. constraints. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve One important difference between Mannerism and ANTI is that Mannerism broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work is not offered as a creativity tool, though Venturi does incidentally touch becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no upon the issue with his cry, “A bas boring originality!” longer hold content. Moreover, though articulation has been a weakness in my work from the As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want beginning, I would venture that the language of ANTI makes it slightly more to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At robust than Mannerism. Anti- is a common, productive prefix in English that heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for speakers use; though some initially think of the opposition meaning, giving simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and some examples (anti-hero, anti-climax) almost immediately makes it click. a need for originality. (Dare I say that ANTI!s total everydayness is actually more appropriate for the work of Venturi and Scott Brown than the word Mannerism?) The prefix Anti. anti- allows the conversation to expand far beyond the realms of art and Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed design, especially when thinking outside of the box is no longer the purview with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but of just artists. At heart, ANTI is not so much a creative approach as“identical a way to form the or function, lacking, opposite or contrary in essential of in seeing world: itsbut articulation in common words like anti- and with and respects.” They!re English words everyone knows; antiitself is a against allows that common expansion. highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the ANTI and Mannerism: revisited, 2 expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still This thesis has consistently credited Venturi and Scott Brown as being an recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen influence and a model, at times openly questioning what the difference is before. between the two programs. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, This issue would have benefited from being directly engaged with. I have which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

said above, in many ways ANTI is a translation of Mannerism from

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

architecture to design and the broader world. But in many ways it!s not. This is perhaps most clear at the most superﬁcial level: our aesthetics differ. I am troubled by the fact that I ﬁnd much Venturi Scott Brown

architecture unpleasant. ANTI nowhere outlines any aesthetic approach,

Mea Culpa

but every piece of ANTI work I!ve created this year has aimed to be beautiful and appealing to eyes beyond just my own. My highly biased I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. judgment is that I!ve been successful (with the eventual exception of the I have made too many clever things that made no sense. Exquisite Corpse Project, The Once and Future Poster and Last Minute I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Signage). This question of how Mannerism and ANTI differ in actual programs and

Introduction

underlying aesthetic assumptions is non-negligible. My suspicion is that there is something to Mannerism that is almost aggressively Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push combative/ugly; ANTI is a broad approach to the world which tries to it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, subsume the reigning aesthetic in order to communicate more easily with to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a others. This thesis would have profited from delving into the schism dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. between the two. Even divorced from Mannerism, if ANTI does indeed implicitly espouse an aesthetic (beyond my own), a future direction may to It to beautiful experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve beleads articulate what it graphic is. broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no Further directions longer hold content. Above I!ve noted that I think that the thesis/antithesis angle may be the most powerful engine of making to ANTI. ANTI remains a crucial tool in As muchwith as I!m interested in approaching form, I am a brainstorming, graphic designer. That is: thesis I want dealing constraints and which this to communicate withI would peoplestart visually. Yet I am addicted of to ANTI exploration. effectively outlines. any future exploration should At heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for begin with this issue of thesis/antithesis/juxtaposition/ambiguity. simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and a need for originality. ANTI-ANTI What started out as response to external constraints has ANTI!d itself: Anti. ANTI has revealed its own internal force. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Working from a place of ambiguity, tension, opposition, unease is not an to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential ideal solution. But insofar as ANTI is a worldview, it does not believe in the respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a ideal: there is only what is and what can be done with it. A moment that is highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get depressing, yet full of possibility. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen before. I started by saying that this thesis is not a designo-political strategy, but I will be the first to contradict myself. ANTI is about coping with the world, Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, about creating freedom where only rules exist. which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Post-script

Dedication Dedication

14 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

It!s up to you whether ANTI is fundamentally pessimistic or optimistic. ANTI

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

means that working with a ﬂawed, conﬂicted, ambiguous narrative is

assumed. There is no ANTI in a utopia. ANTI means acknowledging the way that humans are, for good and for bad.But ANTI means that powerlessness can be turned into opportunity and the world can be worked

Mea Culpa

with and against for change. I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. We all made exist within the world ourthat hands, to anocertain I have too many cleverwith things made sense.extent, tied. We can ﬁght openly, ignoring our weakness, or we can acknowledge I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted andour lost. weakness and ﬁght smart.

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Brooklyn Notebook: anti-guidebook

Times Canyon: anti-Times Square

Bio-dossier: anti-personal autobiography

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Dutch Design is ANTI.

Visual Index

Bibliography

Classic design is ANTI.

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Anti-orange

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

The once and future poster: anti-poster

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Last Minute Signage: anti-anti-chaotic signage

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Last Minute Signage: anti-anti-chaotic signage

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Anti t-shirt

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Last Minute Signage: anti-anti-chaotic signage

Bio-dossier: anti-personal autobiography

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Kenya Hara is ANTI.

Mevis and van Deursen are ANTI.

Big Little: anti-designated space

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Times Canyon: anti-Times Square

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Classic design is ANTI.

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Bio-dossier: anti-personal autobiography

Anti-orange

Brooklyn Notebook: anti-guidebook

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Mevis and van Deursen are ANTI.

Irma Boom is ANTI

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

FALSE: anti-constant logo

Irma Boom is ANTI

Comic Sans Studies: anti-Helvetica

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Dutch Design is ANTI.

The once and future poster: anti-poster

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Kenya Hara is ANTI.

Anti-orange

Mevis and van Deursen are ANTI.

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Classic design is ANTI.

Bio-dossier: anti-personal autobiography

Classic design is ANTI.

Credits and

Dedication // Acknowledgements

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention ANTI means yes to limitations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Third Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

FALSE: anti-constant logo

Irma Boom is ANTI

Credits and

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Mea Culpa Annotated

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Aldersey-Williams, Hugh. Cranbrook Design: The New Discourse. New I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. York: Rizzoli, 1990. A valuable background in what deconstructivist design I have made too many clever things that made no sense. was understood to be in the 1980s. Comparing it to other understandings I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. of what deconstructivist design is showed that deconstructivism was too loosely deﬁned to be a path to pursue.

Introduction Betsky, Aaron, and Adam Eeuwens. False Flat: Why Dutch Design Is so Good. London: Phaidon, 2004. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push An exploration of what makes Dutch design. Designers repeatedly use the it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, ideas of “restructuring” and “reality with a twist” to talk about their work, to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a which is often how I think of my work as well. dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Boom, Irma. Walker Art Center It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve Irma Boom talks candidly about individual projects at length. A long talk, broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work but great introduction to her work and the way she operates. I recommend becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no leaving on in the background and listening until something catches one!s longer hold content. interest. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Dutch Resource: Collaborative Exercises in Graphic Design (Dutch to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At Resource : Exercices De Collaboration En Graphisme.) Amsterdam: Valiz, heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for 2005. simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and Interviews with a number of Dutch designers like Irma Boom and Mevis & a need for originality. van Deursen. Anti. Gill, Bob. Logomania. New York: Rockport. 2006. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed Bob Gill!s books are always short, sweet and heavily illustrated: excellent with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical insights into how he thinks about design. to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a Hara, Kenya. Designing Design. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller highly productive affix, meaning in the right context, any word might get Publishers, 2007. anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the Amazing, well-written, thoughtful and elegant book where in Hara talks expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still about some projects he!s worked on while elaborating his views on design. recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen For western readers like me, begins to act as an introduction to some ideas before. running through Eastern design. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, Lupton, Ellen. “Deconstruction and Graphic Design: History Meets Theory.” which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

12 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

Thir Thir

rd Theme

Typotheque. Web. Jan 27 2011.

Conclusion

Visual Index

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

A history of deconstruction in graphic design. Lupton!s description as

compared to the ideas embodied in Cranbrook Design seemed to not gel exactly, convincing me that Deconstruction was not the path to pursue.

Mea Culpa

Malanowski, Jamie. “Television: Forgetting Nothing,” TIME. 1.12.98. Accessed on too the many web, March 1, 2011. I have made beautiful things that no one got. Seinfeld as the anti-sitcom. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Marr, Andrew. (Host) (2011, February 14) “Start the Week” (podcast). Retrieved February 15, 2011. Discussion of the novel and whether it!s a relevant form for contemporary

Introduction

society or whether the genre needs to be adjusted to be more relevant. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. Northampton, MA: Kitchen it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, Sink, 1993. to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a An interesting introduction to comics and art in general. As comics marry dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. image and word, many ideas are quite relevant to graphic design. It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve Mevis, Armand. Walker Art Center Insights Design Lecture. 3.21.06. Web. broken the form too well, exploded past the limits too far: the work Jan 27 2011. becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no Another great talk at the Walker Art Center. Like Irma Boom, Armand Mevis longer hold content. is frank and open about motivations behind projects. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want Poynor, Rick. No More Rules: Graphic Design and Postmodernism. to communicate with people visually. Yet I am addicted to exploration. At New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003. heart this thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for The standard introduction to postmodernism in design. When I identified simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and ANTI as being essentially breaking the rules, I began here, but did not find a need for originality. a theory to latch onto. Anti. Rock, Michael. “Mad Dutch Disease.” 2"4 Readings. Web. Jan 27 2011. Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed Another investigation of what Dutch design is and if it!s ultimately too ironic with the prefix “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical and clever for its own good. to in form or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a Venturi, Robert, and D. in Scott. Architecture Asword Signs and get highly productive affix,Brown meaning the right context, any might Systems: For a Mannerist Time. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of the anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes Harvard Press, expectedUniversity with a twist. Like2004. an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still Seems to be aascompletely unknown work by Venturi unlike and Scott recognizable the main protagonist. A protagonist whatBrown we!vewhich seen summarizes their work and ideas heretofore and outlines Mannerism. In my before. opinion, by far and away the best of their books: the points of other books are made simply, accessibly and with lots of examples. Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, which uses familiar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some

Dedication Dedication

13 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

>>Dedication >>Credits and Acknowledgements Mea Culpa

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost.

Dedication Dedication

11 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

Conclusion

Visual Index

Mea Culpa Credits

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

and Acknowledgments

Indexhibit for helping me build this site and others. Thanks also to their I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. forum community for support. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. D. Oscar Horner, for photos of the Thesis Show I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost. Nick Misani, photos of Thesis Show DIY Design tool by More Good, used for Last Minute Signage

Introduction Thanks to: My parents, for their support, and always, a point of view. Since I started doing design, I!ve always felt compelled to break form, push Edvin Yegir, Manuel Miranda, Mark Sanders, for teaching me to start it to the limit, see what would happen, do it like it hadn!t been done before, talking about design. to think up something weirder and crazier than everyone else had. It!s a Jeff Bellantoni, for starting the MFA at just the right time. dirty compulsion, an impulse I can!t control. Milosz, for keeping my bike running and me cheerful. Kevin for much late night working company; Soum for fielding many It leads to beautiful graphic experiments, fun visual work. But too often, I!ve HTML/CSS questions. broken the form too well, exploded past the me limits toocreative far: the work Everyone (Katya, Armen) who encouraged to go when it becomes incomprehensible, too personal, a formal exploration that can no wasn!t at all obvious. longer hold content. All my friends and family (especially Kostya, Anna, Kate, Becky, Ilya) who put up with me as I saw this design thing through. As much as I!m interested in form, I am a graphic designer. That is: I want to with people Yetenthusiasm, I am addictedinsights to exploration. At Allcommunicate my MFA colleagues, forvisually. patience, heart thisBerenato thesis is about trying to reconcile these two needs: a need for Theresa simple communication and a need for the new. A need for the standard and Daniel Wiggins a need forWiener originality. Rebecca Skyler Balbus Matt Scheer Anti. Julian Rehani Anti-hero. Anti-matter. Anti-particle. Anti-climax. These words are formed Maria-Nefeli with the prefixStavrindi “anti-” that means not antagonistic or opposing, but “identical Christie to in formShin or function, but lacking, opposite or contrary in essential Elizabeth Kuehnen respects.” They!re common English words everyone knows; antiitself is a Brendaproductive McManusaffix, meaning in the right context, any word might get highly John Chaich anti!d by a speaker. Anti- combines the familiar with the new, becomes the expected with a twist. Like an anti-hero, design can be slightly off—yet still recognizable as the main protagonist. A protagonist unlike what we!ve seen Anthony Acock before. Christina Latina Nick Misani Mira Rojanasakul Drawing from this definition of “anti-”, I formalize a strategy I call ANTI, Richard Hallfamiliar forms, formats and tropes, but breaks them in some which uses

Dedication Dedication

12 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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rd Theme

Anqi Li

Conclusion

Visual Index

Mariya Campwala

Bibliography

Credits and Acknowledgements

Janice Ramirez Chantal Fischzang Frances Pharr

Mea Culpa Natalie Sims

I have made too many beautiful things that no one got. I have made too many clever things that made no sense. >>Dedication I have made too many interesting points that were convoluted and lost.

>>Bibliography

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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Colophon This book was printed from a Firefox browser with the default print settings except for the following settings modified:

These settings can be reached by typing about:config in the address bar.

Dedication Dedication

1 1

Introduction

Defining ANTI

First Theme

Second Theme Theme Second

// //

ANTI means yes ANTI means yes to context ANTI means yes to sense ANTI means yes to communication ANTI means yes to the standard ANTI means yes to orginality ANTI means yes to the vernacular ANTI means yes to the expected with a twist ANTI means yes to the anti-hero ANTI means yes to the recognizable ANTI means yes to the familiar ANTI means yes to compromise ANTI means yes to reconciliation ANTI means yes to violation ANTI means yes to breaking the rules ANTI means yes to the rules ANTI means yes to the productive ANTI means yes to convention, cliche, stereotype ANTI means yes to convention violation ANTI means yes to tweaking convention ANTI means yes to engaging convention ANTI means yes to groundbreaking ANTI means yes to form and ANTI means yes to function ANTI means yes to meaning ANTI means yes to constraints ANTI means yes to acknowledging boredom and incompetence ANTI means yes to laughing at convention limitations ANTI means yes to limitatations ANTI means yes to opposition ANTI means yes to more opposition ANTI means yes to fun ANTI means yes to the box and beyond the box ANTI means yes to understandable ANTI means yes to the rules of the game ANTI means yes to reframing ANTI means yes to ambiguity, unambiguously ANTI means yes to contradiction ANTI means yes to meta ANTI means yes to working with and against ANTI means yes to tension, conďŹ&#x201A;ict and juxtaposition ANTI means yes to engagement ANTI means yes to using your weakness as strength ANTI means no to absolute narratives ANTI means yes to freedom ANTI means yes to cynical optimism and optimistic cynicism ANTI means yes to all the regular stuff ANTI means yes to beauty

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