Graphic design is a nostalgic field. Even in the art schools, the students want to make books and posters. Designing for the web has little prestige. I could say that I want students to design for the screen, and to actively engage with their digital tools, but I first need to know what it is that makes it so attractive to design for the printing press.
Books and posters nowadays start their lives on a computer in proprietary software. Many of my colleagues see the software as a neutral tool, subservient to their creativity. Therefore, the software can be used as-is. For me, software is a piece of culture, an embodiment of a certain way of thinking. The software partakes in the creation. A truly rich visual culture can only come about if designers manipulate, appropriate and subvert the software technology they use.
Hacking analogue technology is a physical affair. Cracking open software requires a different sort of interaction, with programming interfaces and computer files. It requires a new set of skills that takes time and enthousiasm to attain. It is this enthousiasm that is often lacking. In fact, my students often seem scared of digital technology.
So what are today's nascent designers scared of? The comparison with their attitude to printing technology shows it is not necessarily technology in general that designers are frightened of, nor is it geekiness. Designers actually take pride in the geeky details of their craft when they are related to the printing process, knowing about things like spot colours, paper stocks and binding methods. Is it a matter of differing cultures? Even though design is applied mathematics, most design majors study the humanities in high school. Code seems to belong to this other world, the world of the kids who choose mathematics. The other geeks.
If the divide is social, then a gentle introduction to the other culture, the culture of programming, itself embedded in the culture of science and mathematics, should form part of a contemporary design curriculum.
Or another strategy, can we force the students to get their hands dirty? With code? No more mockups. That's an efficient way to introduce the nature of the digital. There is always the question of whether designers should learn to code. I think they should.
As a student, I came across a printing press that worked with movable type. I spent a day setting a simple poem. It's dirty, precise, frustrating work. At the end of the day I printed my poem, and only after I had cleaned the press, I spotted the spelling error.
As tedious as the process had been, this day taught me so much about the nature of printing technology. My understanding of my profession really deepened. I know why uppercase is called uppercase (uppercase letters are stored above the lowercase ones); why leading, the space between lines, is called leading (it is strips of lead). I have an understanding of how all of the classical book layout conventions are related to the process of setting a block of movable type.
Even though I never set anything in movable type again, I understand printing technology to a further extent. The same is true for code. Going through the tedious process of writing a computer program will change your understanding of the medium you work with all the time. Your dirty hands will forever influence any interaction you have with programmers.
Long before Pantone themselves realised the potential of their brand and started licensing everything from hotels to coffee cups, Jop van Bennekom was organising a series of parties in Amsterdam where each one was named after a Pantone colour number.
by glit - February 20, 2014 9:44 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 3, 2020 2:58 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 15, 2020 5:20 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 19, 2020 3:47 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 25, 2020 6:03 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 26, 2020 3:24 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 5, 2020 1:24 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 15, 2020 11:13 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 3, 2020 3:22 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 5, 2020 4:40 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 6, 2020 7:03 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 6, 2020 10:26 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 7, 2020 5:56 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 19, 2020 4:57 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 30, 2020 9:52 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 2, 2021 7:38 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 19, 2021 11:54 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 20, 2021 11:55 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 3, 2021 3:56 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 12, 2021 10:09 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 14, 2021 4:13 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 17, 2021 4:34 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 3, 2021 5:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 14, 2021 7:14 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 19, 2021 8:31 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 27, 2021 8:47 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 11, 2021 6:41 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 16, 2021 6:55 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 5, 2021 4:02 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 10, 2021 3:08 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 11, 2021 1:26 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 13, 2021 6:02 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 24, 2021 3:09 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 10, 2021 1:52 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 13, 2021 4:58 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 17, 2021 5:27 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 27, 2021 5 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 27, 2021 7:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 8, 2021 3:15 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 11, 2021 6:17 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 17, 2021 2:07 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 17, 2021 5:55 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 27, 2021 4:32 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 17, 2021 12:47 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 18, 2021 4:32 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 28, 2021 7:47 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 28, 2021 9:32 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 29, 2021 6:11 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 23, 2021 11:28 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 23, 2021 10:22 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 25, 2021 6:42 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 12, 2021 5:22 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 19, 2021 4:27 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 8, 2022 2:07 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 28, 2022 5:13 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 2, 2022 9:41 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 4, 2022 9:36 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 18, 2022 4:25 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 20, 2022 6:55 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 27, 2022 10:43 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 2, 2022 7:11 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 3, 2022 1:45 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 12, 2022 2:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 17, 2022 1:38 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 23, 2022 1:23 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 25, 2022 3:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 28, 2022 7:25 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 30, 2022 3:45 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 31, 2022 5:49 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 4, 2022 10:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 6, 2022 9:37 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 7, 2022 8:41 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 11, 2022 8:21 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 12, 2022 12:55 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 13, 2022 3:15 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 14, 2022 2:13 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 15, 2022 3:34 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 15, 2022 11:09 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 15, 2022 2:17 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 16, 2022 12:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 21, 2022 7:03 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 22, 2022 1:41 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 28, 2022 5:51 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 1, 2022 3:57 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 3, 2022 5:56 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 4, 2022 4:35 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 10, 2022 12:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 13, 2022 9:10 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 24, 2022 2:13 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 25, 2022 1:38 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 29, 2022 4:49 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 30, 2022 4:19 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 31, 2022 4:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 4, 2022 5:07 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 12, 2022 3:41 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 22, 2022 8:12 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 4, 2022 8:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 7, 2022 7:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 7, 2022 10:21 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 18, 2022 10:27 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 27, 2022 6:17 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 22, 2022 2:45 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 31, 2022 10:01 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 2, 2022 3:28 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 16, 2022 7:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 17, 2022 8:20 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 21, 2022 1:33 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 21, 2022 5:45 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 27, 2022 4:44 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 27, 2022 6:50 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - November 29, 2022 3:28 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 3, 2022 11:44 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 5, 2022 3:13 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 6, 2022 1:01 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 7, 2022 4:01 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 8, 2022 3:04 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 9, 2022 11:06 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 9, 2022 11:08 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 13, 2022 1:46 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 15, 2022 5:58 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 17, 2022 12:40 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 18, 2022 3:35 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 19, 2022 2:37 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 21, 2022 9:38 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 22, 2022 9:44 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 22, 2022 6:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 26, 2022 8:57 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - December 29, 2022 4:29 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 1, 2023 6:39 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 2, 2023 8:56 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 3, 2023 2:44 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 4, 2023 1:33 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 4, 2023 2:39 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 7, 2023 8:02 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 8, 2023 10:59 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 10, 2023 3:45 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 11, 2023 7:19 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 12, 2023 9:21 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 14, 2023 9:27 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 16, 2023 8:36 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 18, 2023 7:41 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 21, 2023 4:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 22, 2023 1:26 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 23, 2023 5:28 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 23, 2023 5:50 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 27, 2023 8:08 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - January 29, 2023 7:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 2, 2023 5:25 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 3, 2023 5:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 6, 2023 3:46 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 7, 2023 7:43 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 8, 2023 10:57 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 12, 2023 5:18 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 14, 2023 10:36 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 14, 2023 11:26 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 14, 2023 6:48 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 14, 2023 11:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 15, 2023 3:35 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 17, 2023 7:29 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 18, 2023 5:33 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 18, 2023 6:55 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 19, 2023 8:23 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 20, 2023 12:12 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 20, 2023 8:38 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 24, 2023 4:49 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 25, 2023 10:38 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - February 26, 2023 2:59 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 1, 2023 10:32 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 2, 2023 12:46 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 3, 2023 2:26 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 3, 2023 9:24 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 4, 2023 11:07 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 4, 2023 9:26 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 5, 2023 1:36 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 5, 2023 9:12 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 6, 2023 2:11 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 7, 2023 9:56 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 7, 2023 3:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 11, 2023 9:17 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 13, 2023 8:58 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 15, 2023 1:05 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 15, 2023 1:22 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 16, 2023 1 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 20, 2023 2:19 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 20, 2023 7:52 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 25, 2023 9:31 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 29, 2023 3:50 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - March 30, 2023 7:30 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 1, 2023 7:29 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 2, 2023 10:50 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 2, 2023 11:01 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 6, 2023 2:29 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 7, 2023 4:32 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 10, 2023 11:58 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 10, 2023 1:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 11, 2023 8:56 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 11, 2023 9:57 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 13, 2023 6:52 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 13, 2023 6:35 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 15, 2023 12:33 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 19, 2023 3:01 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 19, 2023 10:16 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 19, 2023 8:56 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 21, 2023 7:58 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 22, 2023 12:22 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 23, 2023 7:56 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 25, 2023 6:31 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 26, 2023 4:39 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 27, 2023 12:04 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - April 29, 2023 3:31 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 1, 2023 8:14 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 3, 2023 5:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 3, 2023 5:27 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 5, 2023 5:01 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 9, 2023 12:42 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 9, 2023 2:04 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 12, 2023 11:58 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 14, 2023 9:48 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 15, 2023 7:11 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 15, 2023 1:15 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 15, 2023 6:41 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 17, 2023 9:45 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 19, 2023 1:27 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 23, 2023 1:31 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 23, 2023 8:41 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 25, 2023 12:28 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 27, 2023 11:10 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 27, 2023 1:51 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - May 29, 2023 8:20 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 6, 2023 2:16 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 9, 2023 1:49 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 13, 2023 6:51 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 14, 2023 1:46 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 19, 2023 4:07 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 20, 2023 4:49 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 21, 2023 3:17 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 22, 2023 1:04 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 24, 2023 12:33 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 26, 2023 11:23 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - June 27, 2023 2:24 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 1, 2023 8:22 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 1, 2023 7:45 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 2, 2023 9:16 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 4, 2023 8:41 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 11, 2023 12:29 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 11, 2023 11:09 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 13, 2023 10:54 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 14, 2023 8:08 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 17, 2023 10:35 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 17, 2023 11:24 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 18, 2023 9:50 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 20, 2023 6:45 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 20, 2023 9:20 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 22, 2023 7:47 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 22, 2023 1:44 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 23, 2023 12:06 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 23, 2023 11:08 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 27, 2023 5:36 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 27, 2023 5:38 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - July 28, 2023 11:04 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 2, 2023 2:17 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 2, 2023 11:13 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 7, 2023 1:13 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 8, 2023 7:41 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 9, 2023 7:53 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 11, 2023 10:15 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 13, 2023 3:28 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 17, 2023 9:57 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 17, 2023 11:33 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 23, 2023 11:08 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 24, 2023 8:30 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - August 30, 2023 1:47 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 7, 2023 10:03 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 10, 2023 11:12 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 14, 2023 4:02 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 15, 2023 11:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 16, 2023 8:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 17, 2023 9:05 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 20, 2023 10:09 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 22, 2023 4:54 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 24, 2023 2:24 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - September 26, 2023 12:46 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 5, 2023 5:51 AM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 9, 2023 2:59 PM
Reply
by Eric Jones - October 26, 2023 6:29 AM
Reply