Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Your turn (last post of this class)

Julie Murphy, via Juxtapoz

For this last assignment, I guess I want you to tell me what you take with you from this class.  

(Honored to be your teacher this semester). :)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

What I love most about graphic design is that it has no boundaries. From the variety of art themes (surrealism to maximalism) to the diversity of graphic design’s realized forms (poster vs. architecture), graphic design spans the entire spectrum of artistic creation. It seems that typeface is the foundation for so many different forms of creation. Similar to the atom being the unit of creation for molecules, typeface can combine and morph into the creation of the designer. The simplicity of De Stijl exemplifies typefaces more basic form. Piet Mondrian’s arrangement of simple objects (eg. rectangles, squares) creates a work of art greater than the sum of the parts. Greater combination seems to go into logo creation, in which the elements create a more profound visual. Representing both trust and power in the Mobil logo, Chermayeff and Geismar pieced together typeface components almost like a chemical formula. Taking the concept of combination to a more extreme end, Polish poster does a fantastic job of confusing and captivating the viewer. Onlookers are enticed to discover the artist’s thread from a seemingly random organization of graphic pieces. This notion of typeface as the building block seems to be a significant reason for graphic design’s wide range of style and characteristics, including its bold conception of no boundaries.

-Ryan Berkun

Ashley Vazquez said...

This class has shown me how universal graphic design really is. Not only is it line art and logos but so much more than that. The combination of pictures and typography in advertisements, publications etc is such a fundamental and often underrated and unappreciated aspect of our civilization that it can easily be seen as anything other than "art". This class has exposed the emotional, political and creative intent of these designs throughout past generations and all across the globe. Professor Triff's idea that design is everywhere, in everything, and that we create "our" design was a very inspiring point of view that I otherwise would not have experienced.

Anonymous said...

I have found this class really interesting throughout. It has forced me to look at graphic design as not just a facet of art, but as something that can truly stand alone and have its own personal history. Professor Triff made sure this idea pervaded all our classes by reminding us that graphic design begins with one letter, that it is the architecture and foundation of graphic design. It has been intellectually stimulating to see how moments in history have shaped graphic design and vice versa. We have been shown why the way we interact with graphic design is as it is, how we are governed by symbols and advertising. Truly exemplifying the fact that graphic design is in everything, something that unknown to me before, is now blindingly obvious.

-Charlotte

Anonymous said...

From this class, I learned that graphic design covers so many years of history, starting all the way back from pre-historic times to modern works like graffiti. The concept that essentially everything is a mark really caught my attention because in that case mostly everything in this world can be seen as design. Like in class when we discussed the way we dress, look, and eat can be considered design because the individual decides which clothes to accessorize themselves, what they want to eat, and finally how they want to look. Changing these things the individual is essentially designing themselves without knowing. This class made me realize that design is a part of everyday life. Without design humans would be very dull and indifferent. After this class, I will forever have a different view on everyday aspects of life and the way it can be viewed as artistic value.

-Chris Green

mature said...

This was one of my favorite classes this semester because of your particularly engaging teaching style. Every lecture I was thoroughly captivated by the information presented because I could tell that you were passionate about the information you were sharing. When information is imbued with personality, it becomes memorable. I’m a history nerd, so I enjoyed learning the historical context surrounding various graphic design movements. My favorite memory from the class is when you showed us video clips from the Saul Bass 1950s graphic design at the beginning of old movies. I never thought of those entrance titles as graphic design and now I look at them in a new light. I also really enjoyed the extra credit assignment where we had to make our own typeface. I’m not actually an artistic person, and I’m an art-history major for the historical aspect of it really, but I found the project fun because it was a challenge for me. I really felt that by experiencing the difficulty in maintaining consistency in my writing I really understood how arduous being a medieval scribe would have been! Thank you for a great semester Dr. Triff!

-Abbie Auster

Anonymous said...

The style of your was one of the most engaging methods of teaching that I have experienced. The way you presented and spoke to the class about the vast variety of material was tackled in a way which really made my mind think in ways which it never had before whilst still covering the essential elements of the History of Graphic Design. The blog was an easy way to see the transition of the material; the additional aid of creative assignments such as the typeface extra credit and short videos really helped me to understand the complexities in designing something truly effective despite seeming so effortless at first glance. I was not sure what to think of the course going in, but it has completely transformed my idea of the influence of graphic design and the marks it made in society.

Thank you for a great semester,

Gemma Finegold

yuting cheng said...

this is one of the most interesting class i have for this semester, during the class, it will be really chill and easy for us to enjoy the art world and engage in the different art style and art design. although the class time was really long, sometimes around 2 hour, but the speaking was always not only knowledgeable about the history of design but keeps it modern by relating to many of the things that anyone of our generation can relate to. which make us forgot the time and enjoyed the intense and sometimes detached speech gave on the class. thank you for a great semester!!!

yuting cheng

Anonymous said...

previous comment:

de designpolitie

de designpolitie is one of a new generation of design that has come to prominence in recent years. in the last few years it has been delivering consistently well thought out concepts and designs, and has become an important and influential player in the dutch graphic design scene today. during the design, the designer need to share the need to go against the established tenets of graphic design, experiment with new approaches and searching for new modes of expression.de designpolitie's work is charaterised by a strong concept, which is always delivered in a clear and concise manner. and its visual language is created form a basic set of parameters, which is a stong use of a limited range of colours, combined with a restrictive use of tyoefaces, formats and materials. the consultancy's use of illustrations if often iconographic and on the rare occasions that it uses photography, the images are straightforward and never manipulated.

yuting cheng said...

previous comment:

adbusters media foundation

Adbusters Media Foundation is a non-profit to promote anti-consumerism and environmentalism of Canadian social activities of the organization. It was founded in 1989 by Calle Larson and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver. The foundation describes itself as "a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs keen on developing new social movements in the information age". The organization has launched many international campaigns, such as not spending days, closing TV week and occupying Wall Street, while being famous for its "subvertising " of ridiculing popular advertising. Ad Nets Critics have pointed out that their style and form are too similar to the media and commercial products they are attacking. Critics say the exquisite design of Ad Busters makes it expensive, while the magazine values style over content and below-average magazine content. Some critics argue that cultural anti-blockades have not played a significant role. Another Critics say the organization Adbusters initiated activities for middle and upper class is very easy to produce a false sense of empowerment, because some of their activities do not require a personal investment, such as Buy Nothing Day . These criticisms point out that what we need to resist should be the result of capitalist exploitation, not the "symptom."

yuting cheng said...

previous comment:

isidro ferrer

Isidro Ferrer is an illustrator and graphic designer who originally graduated in Drama and Set Design. Ferrer acted for various theater companies in the 80s, but after an accident with long rehabilitation, he left the stage to discover graphic communication. In his works, the images play with different meanings and everyday objects take on exceptional importance, becoming signifiers of amazing content and often serve as a means to represent himself. Ferrer often plays with surrealism combining shocking statement and photography together, adding a new dimension. Textures play an important role in his compositions of materials, which become humanized, or "animalized” forming unique characters.

Anonymous said...

What I most appreciate about this class was the amount of visual information we took from it. As an art and public relation student, it is important for me to have as much visual information in my brain as posible, this way I can come up with my own ideas and creations using inspiration from the masters of the past. Although it was only a one semester course, this information will last in the back of my head for a lifetime and I am sure I will one day use it in my future job. I also enjoyed learning about graphic design itself, when one sees an illustration the first thought that pops in my head is not graphic design but art history. It is important to know that graphic design as everything else in this world has its own history we cannot neglect. I am very grateful for being part of this clas, specially with a profesor that puts so much energy in teaching this course.

Sara Valbuena

Anonymous said...

This class showcased many great artists and designers over the course of history. It allowed me to study the styles and schools of many great artists I had no idea even existed before now. The main thing I took from this class was to "design my life" the way I want it and to look at everything as art. A chair, a letter, etc. It was interesting and helped me develop a new perspective on certain things.

Ethan Punal

Anonymous said...

This class changed the way I judge the term 'graphic design'. I used to think of GD as mainly electronic-media but I never understood the roots behind it. This class helped me understand just that and now I see graphic design in everything from the architecture in Brickell to the organization of my room. It's good to know GD has been around for so long, even in the Lascaux cave paintings. It makes me believe it'll always be around and be this all encompassing force to be reckoned with. I also really enjoyed finding out how GD has an effect on politics because it taught me that it has the power to make a genuine change. I appreciated the teaching style of the class because it felt very open and comfortable for discussion. Thanks for being a great professor, Triff :-)

-Gianfranco Blanco

Anonymous said...

As an art history major, I am used to being taught in a quite uniform way, strenuously covering the material. In this class however, I really enjoyed learning about graphic design, and being able to reflect and personally add our own opinions (instead of only being lectured). By requesting our feedback, it allowed us to personally engage with the materials that we were being shown, instead of just emotionlessly absorbing it.
Furthermore, I think the concept of graphic design is something that we surround ourselves with but not really notice what an important role it plays in our lives. This class helped me realize the importance of graphic design, not only in the arts but in interior design, advertisement and even politics.d
Thank you for being such a great professor!
-Victoria von Faber-Castell

Anonymous said...

I went into this class unexpectedly thanks to a mix up in my schedule, but I have to say that I left it feeling like I can view things as a different person. I am not an artist and have never really pictured myself as someone who can look at art and dissect what I see and feel. While this class' main focus is graphic design, I think that it opened my eyes to the wonders of art as a whole. What most impacted me was learning about the history of the movements. I had thought for a long time that artists followed instinct. Turns out their instincts can come from culture and the time in which they practiced their craft. I have enjoyed my time in this class and I am glad that I had the opportunity to take it.

-Camila Chediak

Anonymous said...

Before taking this class I had no idea of the historical impact that went into graphic design. I did not realize how posters could reveal the political and social climate of the time in which they were created. I loved how this class combined architecture and taught me to look at the structural relationships of buildings. Ultimately, by learning about movements and concepts like Bauhaus or surrealism I was able to gain a better understanding of the development of aesthetics. This was the first graphic design class that I have ever taken and prior to it I was unaware of the meticulous detail that goes into typography. I can truly say that I will never look at font the same way. The large amount of content that we covered taught me that graphic design is incredibly innovative and can be almost anything. There is a much greater element of creativity than I previously thought. This class exposed me to new works and styles. Some of my favorites were Jan Lenica, Wes Wilson, and Norman Rockwell. Thank you for a great semester!
- Gracie Tenney

Unknown said...

I am a graphic design major and never really thought much into the history of graphic design. Your class opened my eyes too inspirational pieces or work done by some of the best designers from the past. I would never compare work done today to stem back to designers back than but I saw much of similarity especially with the beginning stages of typography. Most of the work you showed was something I found a interest in and loved doing further research on when it came to the weekly comments. I was very interested in the work done in the 1990s and 2000s and could see how much design has changed over the ages. This class opened my eyes to new techniques and introducing me to designs that only give me inspiration for my own designs. This class has introduced designers that are a must known and I appreciate you taking the time to talk about them in the best way! Thank you for an amazing semester!!

Alfredo Triff said...

thanks to all for your kind words. now go change the world! :)