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Following the meeting last Wednesday, this is a proposal for a workshop which will act as a companion to the formal MA exhibition.
Graphic Design in the Library. An exercise in practical research and the role of the designer.
When using the internet for research and discussion we can easily drop in images and links from other sites to illustrate our thoughts and ideas. We have the facility to do this and it feels natural as part of a digital dialogue.
Presenting our work in a gallery space doesn't offer a dialogue. Graphic design as an exhibition presents a set of outcomes, finalized and impenetrable.
Can we present an alternative model, creating a fluid space for graphic work to be made and shown? Is there a way to communicate something of our working process?
This may be achieved through a workshop situation.
e.g. If a workshop were to be held in the library, there would be the facility to produce graphic materials from the range of sources available / an act which would echo the opportunity for cross referencing which we find on the internet.
Each student and visitor is issued with a photocopy card, to collect sources from the Library ( we may provide suggested links and areas of investigation placed around the building ). The images collected by each person are then used to compose a poster which can be arranged on a series of large pin boards. These posters are to be made by members of the course.
Those who are involved or join the group can then request a version of the posters from a selection of formats. These ' formats ' will be the outcome of our workshop, our audience will be those who have chose to join us either as contributors or as viewers, those who have engaged in the dialogue.
The other thing I keep coming back to is this event Rubbing shoulders
It covered a fairly weighty subjects; online/offline social networks, user interaction, distribution of media, references to writers such as McLuhan and so on yet as someone particpating you didn't have to be aware of these ideas and references. It could just work as a set of stickers.
I think there's a danger of pushing people to do exactly what you want or trying to make the themes of the exhibition/publication explicit. The real challenge is to create something that engages with an audience on different levels and has a genuine sense of interaction or participation from the audience.
I think the space in the library could become the hub, where all activities spawn from and it could also have an online presence for when we are not there/ after the event/document the whole thing for post-exhibition time.
The website could also provide means for people to upload materials to work with and it could open prior to the event so that when we are there we have already something to do. And the sooner it is up the better, I agree with Neil on that.
Another approach to get contributors is to get some flyers done for the event (depends on how many people may be welcome there) and try and get some extra attention - the website could be there for people to get a better idea of the thing and/or upload stuff.
I agree with you Archimedes. Setting up a blog would be the easiest solution. Then design a webpage after the event, in a similar way to the printed material is created using contributions.
re Flyers I liked Joe's idea of having postcards with thumbnail samples of paper stock, size info etc That could be sent back to us ordering a poster.
That's an awesome idea. As the whole point of this group is to have something that can be carried on through to next year's MA and developed by the new MA students.
I could provide ideas on the "commercial" side and maybe try to get my old job in contact to see if they could do any offers -once we know what we might be looking at.
