Fresh talent: Lionel Cipriano

/


A memorable project of the ACAD class was this style bible by Lionel Cipriano. "The Scripture of Street Style" is a monograph on the photography of The Sartorialist, but it goes beyond just a display of the photos. Lionel analysed the images and categorized them into specific style sections. Illustrations by Phil Chen were diagrammed with the specific clothes and accessories recommended to achieve each look. The book was exquisitely bound, with a red ribbon marker, gilded page edging and foil-stamped typography on the cover taking this project to the next level.

Fresh talent: Zhen Huang

/


Zhen was another of my students. His book presents the beauty and complexity of Chinese characters to a Western audience. He really immersed himself in the research and nuances of page design.

"Chinese characters and language is the origin of many asian character and language systems. They are amazingly beautiful and carry large amount of history, culture, and art within. The book Zi introduces the basics of one of the greatest human invention - Chinese characters. The book contains its hisotry, styles, and formationm it also contains some famous Chinese poems which allows the readers to truly appreciate the beauty of each Chinese character. I applied my knowledge of graphic design from both eastern and western culture to create this book and to introduce Chinese culture to western audience."

Carolyn Fraser at agIdeas, Melbourne

/

UPPERCASE's Melbourne Correspondent at agIdeas

agIdeas is celebrating its twentieth year as an international design conference in Melbourne this week. I was happy to attend a few sessions at Janine's invitation – UPPERCASE is a supporting partner, and MagNation are featuring the magazine prominently at both the conference location and at their Elizabeth Street store.

In a former life, I was an anthropologist – an ideal qualification for attendance at a design conference. In their natural habitat, designers talk to other designers, and strategise about ways to talk to non-designers. The "ideas" part of design can dominate the conversation or be completely obscured. Some presenters forget that they are not simply pitching potential clients; others betray their fawning deification of celebrity. Some talk down to students (who largely constitute the audience.) But others are so refreshingly committed that it both made me want 1. to move to Amsterdam and 2. to "save good women from bad design."

I attended a session called agIdeas In Conversation on which the panelists didn't talk to each other nor were the audience invited to ask questions. I did learn however about the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, an amazing-sounding industry-based school in Los Angeles, and about Smart Design, the venerable industrial design firm responsible for the design of everything from breakfast to cars, often on the same day. Asked what they imagined they'd grow up to be, visual merchandiser Amanda Henderson answered, origami expert, and Alex Alvarez answered, astrophysicist. Dan Formosa, from Smart Design, told a story about seeing a poster for the BMW Isetta, an innovative 1960's-era bubblecar, and his sudden realisation that things didn't have to be the way they always were.

At agIdeas Advantage, a business breakfast session focussed on showing how businesses can employ design to reach women, my hackles rose as soon as I heard talk about "using" design in purely marketing terms. The presentation by Jane Waterhouse, communications expert, about the "unbiased, factual science" that guides her marketing to the "world's biggest niche market" incensed me. Waterhouse suggested to the room of business executives that women like "unusual fonts", fonts that are "informal and fun, particularly those that are hand-scripted." I'm not sure if I was cringing more as a woman or as a typographer.


But Agnete Enga, from Smart Design, gave a wonderful presentation about her company's focus on the unique perspective women provide as both industrial designers and consumers. She insists that being female is not niche. Her company opposes the "shrink it or pink it" school of gendered design, and showed slides of an amazing early example of this kind of marketing – the Dodge La Femme, a pink car that came complete with matching make-up case, umbrella and rainboots. Agnete's goal is to "save good women from bad design." Smart Design work toward socially responsible design: surgical tools that fit female surgeons hands and air-bags that are safe for pregnant drivers fit this mandate.

But the highlight of my brief time at agIdeas was Theo Jansen. Jansen is a self-described kinetic sculptor. As a child, he wanted to fly. Imperfect eyes kept him from becoming a pilot; instead, he trained as a physicist. Sometime in the 1980's, he began exploring algorithms generated by an early Atari computer. He used the electrical piping he'd played with as a child to build moving appendages following his algorithmic patterns. In combination, these appendages form moving sculptures he calls Strandbeest, or beach animals. On stage, he set a small beach animal in motion down an inclined table: a collective awwww..... reverberated throughout the auditorium. This work, which he described as his life's work, has engaged him for more than twenty years. At no point did he discuss their purpose, other than vague hopes they might be employed to avert erosion along the Dutch coast. He did not discuss them as art objects or prototypes for products. He talked of his beach animals with all the affection and care one has toward a beloved living creature. He rejects the idea that his is an unusual creativity; he has simply immersed himself in a minute examination of function. In doing so, he has brought into being objects so beautiful, so alive, that it's almost as if design had nothing to do with it.

Many thanks to Carolyn Fraser for her fine contributions to UPPERCASE magazine each issue and for her thoughts on the agIdeas conference.

Portfolio: Fashion Central

/


I haven't posted any client work in a long while—because for the last year, I've pretty much been focussed on developing my own work through the magazine, books and wholesale and have been turning away clients (I know, kind of crazy thing to do during such times!) However, I made an exception to continue the design identity for my landlord's latest development project, Fashion Central. Located a block from Art Central, this new destination is also developed within heritage buildings in the heart of downtown.

Taking inspiration from the old mosaic tiles and architectural details revealed throughout the buildings, the identity consists of a strong, contemporary wordmark that plays off of the various pattern designs created for Fashion Central.

For today's media launch and grand opening, I designed and made some pocket mirror giveaways. Make sure to stop by Fashion Central and Art Central the next time you're in the city centre.


Parliament of Owls

/


Speaking of letterpress, over the holidays I received a fun and beautifully printed letterpressed greeting card from the Parliament of Owls: "a New York based design collective offering a range of services from branding and packaging design to custom lettering, illustration and poster design." Meg Paradise, Ariana Dilibero and Lauren Sheldon make up this talented trio, who all seem to have had some on-the-job education with Mucca Design. They each have impressive lettering skills, as shown above, and I look forward to seeing what they produce as a design collective.


Thanks for including me in your mailing list, ladies of Parliament!

Subscriber: Stitch Design Co.

/


There are so many talented people who subscribe to the magazine that I'm going to start sharing their work with your more often here on the journal. It is great to see what you do! {Feel free to introduce yourselves via a quick email.}

A few days ago, Courtney of Stitch Design Co. became a subscriber. Coincidentally, I had been admiring their work for Library, Archives of Fashion just a few days ago. The details and personality of the website are evocative and gorgeous; a definite asset for an online shop. I look forward to seeing more of Stitch Design Co.'s work and the launch of their website. In the meantime, we call all see some fine work posted on their blog. Thanks, Courtney!

{Stitch Design Co. blog}

Komboh

/

"Komboh is comprised of two individuals who realized that working together solved more problems than it produced." Michael Mateyko and Hans Thiessen, recent graduates from the Alberta College of Art & Design joined forces to form this company. Michael provided some excellent illustrations for the current issue of UPPERCASE. Here's his image for "Fedora", below. Thanks to Michael and Hans for visiting my fourth year design class on Monday, October 19.