Ou(te)r
Space
Graphic Design with
Jeremiah Chiu
Course as
Collective Manifesto
An experimental course held during Summer of Art / 2020 at Otis College of Art & Design
Ou(te)r
Space
Course as
Collective Manifesto
Ou(te)r Space: Course as Collective Manifesto Slanted Publishers (UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Nebeniusstrasse 10 76137 Karlsruhe Germany T +49 (0) 721 85148268 info@slanted.de slanted.de @slanted_publishers © Slanted Publishers, Karlsruhe, 2021 Nebeniusstraße 10, 76137 Karlsruhe, Germany © Concept & Design by Jeremiah Chiu All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-3-948440-25-1 1st edition 2021 Artwork: Adrienne Liang Amelia Johnson Annalucia Fernandes Ayla Gordon-Mandel Chloe Loflin Claudia Maldonado Darcy Alexander Edie Odegard Gus Mesch Harlow Gruendyke Izabela Cookson Jackson Kruse Jack Younger Jayni Blackwood Jeremiah Chiu Lily Habas Lilia Soto Gonzalez Lucas Lee Lukas Hendriks Marisa Mendosa Ryan Rogers Serena Miller Cover: Jeremiah Chiu
Publishing Direction: Lars Harmsen, Julia Kahl Production Management: Julia Kahl Printing: Ipskamp Printing Typefaces: Neutral Std Lyon Disclaimer: The publisher assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of all information. Publisher and editor assume that material that was made available for publishing, is free of third party rights. Reproduction and storage require the permission of the publisher. Photos and texts are welcome, but there is no liability. Signed contributions do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher or the editor. The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at dnb.d-nb.de.
About Slanted Publishers: Slanted Publishers is an internationally active independent publishing and media house, founded in 2014 by Lars Harmsen and Julia Kahl. They publish the award-winning print magazine Slanted, which twice a year focuses on international design and culture. The Slanted blog www.slanted.de and social media have been publishing daily news and events from the international design scene and presenting inspiring portfolios from around the world for 17 years. In addition to the Slanted blog and magazine, Slanted Publishers initiates and creates projects such as the Yearbook of Type, tearoff calendars Typodarium and Photodarium, independent type foundry VolcanoType and others. Slanted’s publishing program reflects their own diverse interests, focusing on contemporary design and culture, working closely with editors and authors to produce outstanding publications with meaningful content and high quality. These publications can be found in the Slanted Shop alongside other extraordinary products by young design talents and established producers from all over the world. Slanted was born from great passion and has made a name for itself across the globe. Its design is vibrant and inspiring—its philosophy open-minded, tolerant, and curious.
About Jeremiah Chiu: Jeremiah Chiu is Los Angeles-based artist, graphic designer, musician, educator, and community organizer. From 2008-16 he served as co-founder and principal of Plural, an award-winning and internationally recognized design studio based in Chicago. In addition to Plural, he has worked with Project Projects, IN-FO.CO, and was the Sr. Art Director at Compass. Jeremiah’s current practice, Some All None, works at the intersection of art, music, technology, and publishing. The studio is focused on activating graphic design beyond a “traditional” commercial practice, working equally to re-imagine its role in a capital society and to implement itself as a tool for community organization, social activation, and experimental expression. In addition to Some All None, Jeremiah is a full-time Assistant Professor at Otis College of Art & Design, faculty member at Art Center College of Design, and a resident DJ at Dublab. Jeremiah’s work has been exhibited/performed at The Getty Center, LACMA, Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, amongst others.
Ou(te)r
Space
Graphic Design with
Jeremiah Chiu
Course as
Collective Manifesto
An experimental course held during Summer of Art / 2020 at Otis College of Art & Design
Summer of Art Otis College of Art & Design
July Tu We Th
7–30
9:00– 4:30
20 20
This book contains the work of 21 highschool students participating in an introductory Graphic Design course at Otis College of Art & Design during the 2020 Summer of Art session, held July 7–30, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00am–4:30pm. The entirety of the course was held remotely on Zoom with students from Los Angeles, Northern California, Hawaii, Miami, Virgin Islands, and Bangkok, Thailand.
Instructed by Jeremiah Chiu
Interim Director of Summer Programs Jessica V. Jacobo
Assisted by Craig Wei
The course structure—while introductory—activated the remote classroom as a space for self-reflection, critical inquiry, and expression through experimentation. In analyzing Graphic Design through the lens of ‘designed space’— our objects, our screens, our environment—students re-examined, deconstructed, and reclaimed their space by articulating their vision and voice through writing, image, form, and typography, resulting in this co-published volume.
Work by
Adrienne Liang Amelia Johnson Annalucia Fernandes Ayla Gordon-Mandel Chloe Loflin Claudia Maldonado Darcy Alexander Edie Odegard Gus Mesch Harlow Gruendyke Izabela Cookson Jackson Kruse Jack Younger Jayni Blackwood Lily Habas Lilia Soto Gonzalez Lucas Lee Lukas Hendriks Marisa Mendosa Ryan Rogers Serena Miller
Adrienne
Annalucia Fernandes
66
68 Liang
Edie Odegard
Adrienne
70 Liang
Gus
Edie Odegard
80
Harlow Gruendyke
82
Izabela Cookson
Lily
Lucas Lee
92
Lukas Hendriks
94
Marisa Mendosa
78Mesch
90Habas
Amelia Johnson
72
Chloe Loflin
74
Claudia Maldonado
76
Darcy Alexander
84
Izabela Cookson
86
Jackson Kruse
88
Jayni Blackwood
96
Ryan Rogers
98
Serena Miller
Week 02 Establishing a Voice
July Tu We Th
14, 15, 16
9:00– 4:30
Course Overview Otis College of Art & Design
Ou(te)r Space
Graphic Design is tethered to every facet of life, from the ads we see, to the products we buy, to the ways in which we navigate our streets, cities, and airports. Everything in the human-made world has been designed.
The text presented throughout comes directly from the Course Syllabus & Assignment Sheets
Graphic Design employs the power of image and language—how people read, see, and interact—how culture is made. This course encourages you to breakdown and analyze the designed world, asking: Who was this designed by? Who was this designed for? And most importantly, How might I design towards a brighter, more inclusive future? Graphic Design is often taught as a set of technical skills aimed at success in the industry. This allows us to imagine a career at tech monoliths like Google, Apple, Facebook; at agencies like Pentagram, Wolff Olins, Tribal DDB; or at boutique studios— making products, designing websites, etc… While those career paths may be perfectly suited to some, it’s important to recognize that a designer can also forge ahead as an entrepreneur, artist, publisher, or author— defining a path that is best-suited for one’s unique skillset. All of the tools/techniques that we will work through address the very same techniques used in the professional industry, but we will aim to go a little further. — The course will emphasize mindfulness, thoughtfulness, respect, and rigor—to our fellow classmates and through our conceptual, investigative approaches. You will learn to develop and assess your own practice and process. You will also learn how to experiment, explore, and discover your own voice. Design is primarily concerned with space. Every example, every treatment, and every idea results in the design of space. This can be the design of objects that take up space, the design of our visual environment, of signs and symbols that guide us through space, of publications, of artwork that engage our headspace, or the design of a page or screen—the design of culture. In our current moment, we can see everything through the lens of space. Covid-19 has forced us out of public space, into personal, home, Zoom space. Worldwide protests have millions of people reclaiming space—
the street space, the institutional space. We are confronting governments and capital structures in which space is not equally distributed. — So let us use the safe space of this classroom to learn in, experiment with, and explore our own space. In this course, we will copublish a volume together. Each week will be focused on 1 theme— think of it as 4 week-long workshops: Week 1, a portrait of our collective selves through our objects (what we’re surrounded by), Week 2, our voices (a new typeface), and Week 3, our images through abstraction and typography (a vision for the future), culminating in a collective graphic ‘self-portrait’.
15
Week 01
(Learning
A Portrait through Objects
to
See)
Your visual world is impacted through your daily interactions with designed objects. In this first week, you will learn to see the design in your world— wayfinding and environmental graphics, the design of your favorite books, games, websites and objects, the packaging of your food. You will collect and document 20 items, using the documentation as material to create an abstract self-portrait. By seeing, manipulating, and examining these objects, you can reclaim your visual space—you are no longer passively subject to their power, and you can reconsider your interactions—re-imagining and reinventing your space. 17
23
27
37
47
Week 02
(Experimental
Establishing a Voice
Alphabets)
Typefaces are made by designers under specific circumstances— commissioned, research-based, or exploratory. When we use a specific typeface, we must consider its context and intention in relation to the work. Who’s voice is spreading the message? During Week 02 you will explore typography in a few different ways: letterform/alphabets, typographic expression, and detail in typography. You will each design and execute an alphabet of 26 letterforms representing your unique voice. What is important to you? What do you stand for? Is there a community or group whose ideas resonate with you? These answers will define your formal approach. 63
65
81
97
What do you want the future to look like? What are the key ideas, definitions, and research that will lead your process and exploration? —
A Collective Working Manifesto Reduce the production of fast fashion and promote sustainability. Sustainable fashion is a movement of fostering change to fashion products by producing clothing that is made of eco-friendly resources. In order to have healthy communities, clean air, and a nontoxic environment, sustainability is necessary.
I want to highlight the disparities that exist in our society at the present moment, particularly in the realm of healthcare. Disparity of access. Disparity of wealth. Disparity of resources. Disparity of power. Disparity of income. Disparity of education. Disparity of opportunity. There is no such
thing as not being black enough. Stop telling people who they are. You identify yourself… Who decides your identity? Who decides? Who tells you?Finite/Infinite. The resources of the world can be broken into two categories, finite and infinite. Humans have failed to develop the consciousness required to maintain sustainable lifestyles. Although we live individual lives our actions impact communities. Working as a collective is vital in creating a future101
113
117
121
Tu/We/Th
9:00–4:30
July 7-30
2020