COP briefing notes
Can cartoons and animation help discuss social issues?
Pixars first openly gay lead in 'Out'
https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/out-pixar-spark-shorts-steven-hunter-animation-260520
With Pixar releasing the first animated film with an openly gay lead in the 2020 short film 'Out', it sparks the question as to how influential design and art can be in representing minorities within the media. Does art have the power to represent sociopolitical issues? The importance of representation of minority groups is incredibly poignant, with the vast majority of media being white washed and heavily 'conservative'; animators can use their responsibility within media to discuss heavy topics and provide a stronger sense of community. As graphic designers, should we consider this in the way that we represent certain demographics, thus designing our work in the context of a multitude of communities such as LGBT.
Jonathan Barnbrook : Graphic Design and its role in capitalism
Graphic design can also be very powerful in communicating critique within society and politics, with key figures such as Jonathan Barnbrook. Barnbrook is a strong believer in that graphic design is inherently political, and that designers can't ignore this within their work. A lot of his work focuses on capitalism within design, and how designers interact with consumers; the role of a graphic designer is essentially to sell - whether it be a product or ideologies. This sparks the question into the role of graphic designers in capitalism, and how essentially we are encouraging consumerism; Barnbrook consequently challenges the concept of sustainability, as it is a very difficult task to overcome as a designer - how can designers be sustainable?
Sharon Park : using witty design and meme culture within Graphic Design
Witty design and meme culture is something that has always been ingrained into forms of graphic design; a multitude of design in the design world has adopted a satirical approach, yet now more than ever with the rise of social media, meme culture is becoming a more and more popular format for graphic designers to use. Besides this rise in popularity for witty thinking in graphics, this lighthearted and comical approach to design can actually help designers communicate various sociopolitical issues. Sharon park uses this fun and playful style in her designs, in a way that comments on social issues; for example, the designer created an immersive user experience design that explores the lack of women in Wikipedia. As well as this, Park ingrains her female role as a graphic designer into her work, and feels as though she is responsible in how she represents her Asian American identity in the work she produces. A lot of her visuals are also inspired by the cartoons she watched as a kid, which allows her work to have a balance of playfulness and nostalgia, alongside discussing social issues.
Annika Hansteen-Izora : celebrating people of colour
Graphic design can also have a massive impact on the representation of the black community, with designers such as Annika Hansteen-Izora using positive and fun visuals to create a community for queer black designers. A lot of her work is inspired by how digital media can tell stories, so through this inspiration she builds a narrative within her own designs. Now more than ever, it is crucial that designers take this responsibility to represent minority groups, as it opens up questions to the neglect of certain demographics such as the black community in society. Despite this, Annika focuses on exploring positive visuals within her work, as it helps create a safe space for her audience; it pushes the question of how graphics can build a sense of community.
Alex Weir : embracing identity in design
Alex Weir is an illustrator that surrounds his work with a strong sense of community and Scottish heritage; he uses his platform as a designer to explore relatable visuals and to celebrate stereotypes of Scotland. Weir also uses quite a comedic sense of voice within his illustrations, through using meme culture and unorthodox methods such as MS paint. Due to this, his work explores concepts of celebrating identity, yet at the same time continuing a witty and lighthearted nature. Weir is a perfect example of a designer that uses their platform to represent certain communities, and celebrate identity within design.
Banana Magazine : shedding light on the complexities of Asian identity
Banana magazine is a publication that focuses on 'shedding light on the complexities of Asian identity'; it serves as a platform for Asian artists and designers to share their work and explore their heritage in a western environment. Due to this, the publication celebrates individuality and identity, as well as using a diverse range of visuals to really represent a minority group within graphic design. The publication is all about positivity and this concept of celebration, so the visuals take a lot of inspiration from lighthearted design; the illustration styles used in the magazine blend western and eastern elements together, thus representing the versatility of the asian community. As well as this, the goals of co founders Vicki Ho and Kathleen Tso is to 'grow representation for different groups' which really showcases the role of graphic design in developing a strong sense of community.
Nova Magazine : the first groundbreaking womens' magazine
Looking back into the 20th century, Nova magazine is a prime example of one of the first publications to explore identity and femininity, through touching on subjects such as racism, gay rights and the pill. Incredibly controversial at the time, the magazine served as a safe space for women in particular, and focused on celebrating what it meant to be a woman; Nova was massively transgressive, and used graphic design in a way that was against the norm. It highlights the significance of publication serving as forms of community and developing safe spaces for the marginalised.
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