PROJECT: Unheard Voices #3

Now into the making side of the project, I have been focusing my time on identifying objects that are overloaded with unnecessary information.  Continuing to spend time with my grandma, who is 89 and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, I am observing the everyday activities which have become either mentally or physically difficult for her. I understand now that a lot of the features of everyday life are simply too overcomplicated for her (and probably many other elderly people). One of the things I know about her daily life now is that she regularly only watches one television channel because she only presses the on/off button on her remote control, stressed and confused with the overwhelming amount of seemingly useless buttons. To communicate this, I have chosen to adapt a series of objects to show what technology might look like if we removed all the unnecessary information. The objects I have identified are a microwave, a TV remote control and an alarm clock. I hope the resulting images encourage us as designers and as people to reflect on the issues faced by the elderly and consider how we might reimagine a world that’s built for a younger generation. 

PROJECT: Unheard Voices #2

I am now making the transition from the research phase of this project into the making phase. I have chosen to celebrate Barbara Beskind's work by doing my own piece of human-centred design to help solve everyday problems. The characteristics of Beskind's work which I want to celebrate and pass on as a reference to my peers is her hands-on approach to design and her ability to channel her natural ability as a product designer to solve the problems of those around her. She gets to the heart of the problem by taking a genuine interest in the end user and their needs.

PROJECT: Unheard Voices #1

Our newest project has now been briefed to us. 'Unheard Voices' is a project aiming to elevate fascinating individuals working in the creative industries who don't fit the norm of people the mainstream media routinely cover. Once we have identified an inspiring and lesser-known creative, we are to create a response to their practice in whichever medium we feel appropriate. Our society is becoming more diverse but also increasingly divided. Mainstream media outlets often only perpetuate stereotypes of race, gender and sexuality which leads to a lack of empathy towards people who are different from ourselves. Elevating unheard voices and offering platforms to people whose stories aren’t normally profiled allows a better chance of challenging these dangerous divisions. The arts are not immune to this inequality - the majority of art, design, literature and film celebrated in mainstream museums, galleries and publications comes from a narrow canon of work. In an effort to discover and share references with each other, this project is challenging what we can do as designers to change the narrative.

Beazley Designs of the Year @ The Design Museum

Now in its 10th year, the Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition presents a carefully curated selection of the year’s best designs spanning six categories: architecture, digital, fashion, graphics, product and transport. The show comprises a shortlist, of which category winners and one overall winner will be chosen and revealed in January.

Can Graphic Design Save Your Life?

Cancerfonden, Kalle Mattsson, Sweden, 2016

“Graphic Design in and of itself isn’t that interesting,” says Rebecca Wright, Programme Director of Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, “what is interesting is what it does in relation to the subject that it’s serving. It is a service industry for the public and it comes to life in that context.” Wright is responsible for co-curating 'Can Graphic Design Save Your Life?' which is currently on show at the Wellcome Collection. The exhibition explores the impact of graphic design in health and pharmaceuticals as companies seek to educate, save lives, or simply sell products. I have visited this exhibition a number of times since it's opening, and have found that, critically, the display also explores the ways in which we as designers, can educate, promote, provoke and empower the public. 

To Death With A Smile

In their international poster competition, Mumedi (the Mexican Museum of Design), calls designers, students, teachers, professionals and anyone interested in the subject to participate in responding to the brief "To Death with a Smile". The brief is about death, about how we deal with it and how we celebrate or fear it around the world. The theme is very unusual and is something quite challenging to communicate. We had just under 2 weeks to conceptualise and create our response to this theme. 

Creative Politics Event

On Tuesday 3rd October I attended the 'Creative Politics' event held by the Young Creative Council and hosted by Edelman PR. The event comprised of various speakers from the world of advertising, design and political strategy who came to give an insight into the world of politics. It’s been a particularly heated time for politics in the UK and abroad, so it felt particularly relevant to take a look at the work that has emerged from this time of rapid change and uncertainty.