How do you uncover opportunities for an authorial artefact through a reflection on your own skills and interests?
As a practising designer I have always had a side to my practice which is self-initiated. However this side to my practice has always been separate to my clients. It’s almost a whole different practice. Back in 2021 I wanted to start exploring how both could come together and produce work I was passionate about. The MA so far has enabled me to uncover a series of routes I can start to explore, more local community based projects.
I had to stop looking at ‘big’ projects and start to look more locally. This allowed me to tap into my experimental side and combine it with design. But within this process I discovered I wasn’t a designer in initiating these projects I was almost a researcher / author of these projects. With these projects evolving into design projects. I also found that I had these obsession with ‘experimenting’ with materials and artefacts attached to that project (for example pencil rubbings from local mill walls or found plant life from the local pond) these all informing the visual element of the project.
Explore your locality – I always ignored what was happening around me but as soon as I started to tap into this I got so fascinated about the history, peoples goings and why people thought X about a town (initiating project ideas)
Be free to explore ideas no matter how wild they are!
Below: Exploring my current practice and how it’s started to evolve to tap into the self-initiated projects and become one practice. The first diagram shows both my client facing business (Volley Design) and the more experimental side (no name) These come up against a wall where there is no crossover and collaboration. This is where I have been working and exploring on my practice to remove and break down this wall. I feel this wall is where my passion and practice is.
In the middle is the merge of both the sides allowing for both client projects and self initiated to work within the same practice and collaborate if the project is right. This also stop there being two types of work. All work sits under the same practice with both influencing each other.
The final graphic shows a developing practice which is where I feel I am working towards. A practice which is collaborative (open dashed line) and explores projects which I want to explore. (a more community based practice) where my experimental, low – fi work can be adopted to delivery communications NOT just visuals for my own sake.
Can you work solely on self-initiated projects?
Do clients see self-initiated projects as a turn off? or do they entice them in more?
Should everyone do self-initiated projects? I feel as creatives we most likely have an element of self initiation in us even if we don’t commit time to explore our own ideas. As creatives we are constantly stimulated by visuals all around us. We see typography, logos, writing, experiences, graphics, symbols, photos, films everywhere and for me I always look at them question how they were made and think what if I was involved within that project, what if they tried this? Did they think about does this. OR why did they do that? Why didn’t they explore that route.
Can client projects help self-initiate projects?
Design Development
Studio Clause Due self-initiates many projects from their studio however here they have a positive influence and impact on the working a studio. The projects which have been explored have come from an intrigue, a connection to a story or a call out to an exhibition which has sparked interest. What’s so refreshing to see within studios is this personal side. Knowing that it’s ok to explore interests within your own time. This time spent exploring projects develops you as a designer and if within a team setting will only benefit those around you as well.
It also opens up further possibilities to work with new mediums. As a designer I feel we should always be exploring our interests to inform our work. Claus Due mentions that self initiated projects are “being totally obsessed by something” researching into it, living with it, exploring it. Claus mentions that on one of his projects he continually thought about a project for over a year, which eventually developed into a project.
Another output I have seen from Studio Claus Due is them creating work for exhibitions they have been invited to take part in. This is a great platform to respond to a set brief but explore it in your own way however you want.
“being totally obsessed by something”
Claus Due
Paula Scher – Maps
Influenced by her fathers profession Paula worked on these maps from an interest of data and the happenings of locations (NYC) I first explored the work on Paula back on my BA (Hons) in Graphic Communication in 2011. I remember re creating local maps of my new home town inspired by the work of Paula Scher.
Self initiated work is powerful, it comes from an inner want to explore a subject / a happening or a response to something. The way Paula was influenced by her father’s profession only made these projects more prominent. If you look at the work Paula does for clients I feel you can see the same energy in what’s been produced? The maps are expressive, beautifully considered and show the dedication and passion Paula has for her work.
There is a contrast to her client work with them being paintings but does this give Paula the freedom to use her hands, use a raw material and almost make mistakes ‘live’ Does working in this raw format inform the work she does for Pentagram?
I always have found it hard to see the crossover and connections between self initiated and client work. I have a very expressive, experimental and ‘art’ self initiation output myself which has rarely fed into my client work. However is this maybe due to my practice not being what I really want to pursue… in terms of the work I’m producing. OR is my confidence to share, show and explore what my self initiated projects could be low? Paula talks of when her friend visited and they told her to show her maps? She did that and people started to noticed them, Paula became known for the maps as well as her Graphic Design work.
Where is the barrier between self initiated work (as a Graphic Designer) and client work (as a Graphic Designer) or should we being seeing ourselves as authors which provide the graphic design for these self initiated projects.
10 Ideas:
1. Sound and typography within a local town. I’ve been sitting on this idea since module 1 but it’s come back to light here and from seeing a poster called ‘ Plymouth Sound Tides 2022’ This idea would look at how a town (In this instance, Trowbridge) can be communicated through sound and typography. The sounds would not be those of voices but the sounds made within the area (traffic, pedestrians, transport, shops, machinery) to capture the identity of the town through sound.
2. Creation of a species dictionary (plants and animals) from a local wildlife area. Spawn from the project I have been exploring over the last few modules (Trowbridge Pond) A ‘live’ species dictionary which would document and update the species within a local wildlife or wildlife areas within a location. Inspired by projects such as Garden Bird Watch. How can this live dictionary be used as an educational and environmental resource for those locally and more widely. (public would be able to share, capture and submit there findings)
3. Can a forest have its own identity? – Can a body of natural life have its own identity? How can an identity of a forest support its eco system and connection to the public.
4. The Hidden town publication / Newspaper – uncovering what once was within a town. Exploring the past and present of towns and how it can inform and highlight the town. Even act as a tool to increase tourism / visitors to that X location.
5. Proposal of re wilding / wilding within new housing developments. New housing development are popping up all around the UK and since recently moving into one I’ve seen 1 issue – the lack of respect and treatment of keeping elements of wild areas. I’m very lucky that our new house backs onto a thick tree lined area however recently this has started to be hacked back (to make way for a new fence) they call it annual ‘clearing’ But how can a project help the communities within these developments and OR the developers allow for wild areas to be either kept, included or introduced. Now the development I live on has a wilded front entrance and will eventually have a ‘green space’ but I’m talking about wild areas around the development (tree lined streets?) why is this overlooked? Within my area they planted 3 new trees? That’s it… How can a campaign / project help initiate this project?
6. Brand your house – Brand the structure you live in. How does the place you live in speak about you as an individual. Do the items, artefacts, colours and format allow you to describe who you’re visually?
7. Community Flags
8. Creative Hub (space for designers and artists) within new communities
Research
“Designers manipulate form and replace it by exchange to establish control of the content in a way that portray’s users relationships with the world”
Michael Rock (2009)
Alan Kitching – A life in letterpress
Self-initiated as a place to showcase and reflect. A life in letterpress is a monograph which is supported by an exhibition around the work of Alan Kitching. Does a self initiated project always need to be something new? Can we look back and reflect to create new projects (exhibition for example)
This monograph shows us a mix of Alan’s work produced within his own studio in London. All of Alan’s work is produced by hand (letterpress blocks, ink, rollers) the workings, sketches, mistakes all form part of the journey, all self-initiated.
“Go everywhere, do everything” – Anthony Burill
I’ve had this book on my shelf for a good few years now and have referenced it in quite a few talks I’ve done to students coming into the industry. It’s a fantastic book which encourages you to explore and document everything. Be informed by your surroundings and take it all in.
My connection to this is the collection of ‘items’ wherever I go (day out, Holiday) I will collect something typographical ( a photo, receipt, leaflet) or a graphical mark. I have a few boxes of ‘stuff’ which is fantastic to look over. I refer to it as my archive. How can this idea of ‘collecting’ spawn new projects and ideas?
Anthony Burill talks of his design education and him looking at it as an experimental environment where people were finding out about themselves. This almost refers to self-initiated projects. Allowing yourself as a designer to play and experiment new ideas and outcomes. You should feel passionate about exploring a self-initiated project, it shouldn’t be a forced exercise?
Few quotes from the book which resonate with me:
“Being in a new environment forces you to question yourself about everything”
“Document everything, take photographs, collect things and keep mementoes”
“Find the extraordinary in the ordinary”
Gavin Strange – DO/FLY – Find your way. Make a living. Be your best self
“Work should be enjoyed not endured”
Gavin Strange
Aardman Designer talks of his side projects under the title of ‘Jam Factory’ A creative outlet to his day job as a designer at Aardman Animations in Bristol. He describes his practice as:
By night I go under the alias of ‘Jamfactory’, indulging in all manner of passion projects, from filmmaking to illustration, toy design to photography and even making music under the moniker of ‘Project Toy’.
Using his side hustle to explore the projects he wants to, trialling new ways of working, exploring possibilities and having fun. Jam Factory does however help inform his day job as Director and Designer for Aardman Animations.
Weekly Reflections
This week was an overall reflection week I felt. It allowed me to look at the continuing development of my merging practices. (shown in the diagram at the top) I was able to reflect on what I was doing and could see how my practice is going to develop with the ideas I have. The 10 ideas was a good place to initiate things of interest which linked to my developing practice. However I’m not sure if I should continue on previous ideas and use this next few weeks to develop them?
One thing I struggled with slightly this week was the wording around authorship and self-initiated. I struggled to see where the line was between them or if one fed into another? I ended up concluding that your an author or your own self initiated work (+ whatever may come with this for example a publication or brand identity)
James Shaw 