Results tagged “D-CRIT” from :: ( CRIT ) :: DESIGN BLOG ::
Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger, co-founders of Antenna Design, speak about their belief in design’s power to activate people, both physically and intellectually, and to stimulate social interaction. For Antenna Design, “people-centered” design means recognizing people as complex beings with the potential to learn and grow, to be responsible, creative and reflective. http://dcrit.sva.edu/view/events/lecture-antenna-design/
When: December 15 2009, 6:00–8:00 pm
Where: MFA D-Crit Department, 136 West 21st Street, 2nd floor, NY, NY
Price: Free, RSVP to dcrit@sva.edu
2. AIGA/NY Holiday Party
Be merry and bright at the AIGA/NY Holiday Party. Admission includes a drink. http://www.aigany.org/events/details/10SP/
When: December 15 2009, 6:30–9:30 pm
Where: Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Price: $12 All attendees (includes a drink)
3. WWW.DESIGNBLOGGINGISCHANGINGEVERYTHING.COM
We're giving away FREE tickets! Just post a comment with your favorite design blog and we'll randomly select winners!
Four design blog luminaries, Khoi Vinh of subtraction.com, Josh Rubin CoolHunting.com, Tina Roth Eisenberg of swiss-miss.com, and our faculty Allan Chochinov of Core77.com, will discuss today's most prominent design trends, including example projects, critical discussion of how design blogs are changing design, the unintended consequences of self-publishing, and what blogging can achieve for its readers, writers, and the design community at large. Moderated by Alice Twemlow chair of the SVA MFA D-Crit and contributing editor at DesignObserver.com Questions for the discussion will be taken via Twitter leading up to and during the event. To pose a question, use the hashtag #freshd or address @freshdialogue.
http://www.aigany.org/events/details/10FD/
When: December 16 2009, 6:30–8:30 pm
Where: Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12 Street, New York, NY
Price: $20 members, $10 student members, $35 general public, $10 Non-member students
4. SPD Holiday Party
SPD is holding a holiday part at Retreat, a sleek design-y lounge, complete with drinks, food, great tunes, sweet prizes, free cocktails & Secret Santa fun! http://www.spd.org/2009/12/tis-the-reason.php
When: December 15 2009, 7:00–Midnight
Where: Retreat, 37 West 17th Street, NY, NY
Price: Free for members, $10 for non-members in advance, $15 at the door (Open bar 7–9pm)
5. Exhibition: December Editions, Limited Edition Prints
Printmaking has been the backbone of counterculture art and design movements for decades, and even in today’s digital age, the process is still very much alive amongst many young designers. December Editions aims to provide a platform for designers who have produced their work through a variety of limited edition printmaking processes. View works by ADC Young Guns Andrio Abero, Paul Pope, Chris Rubino and ADC Hall of Fame Laureate and winner of the ADC Design Sphere Award Paula Scher. http://www.adcglobal.org/adc/events/calendar/?id=139
When: Now through December 23, 2009
Where: ADC Gallery, 106 West 29th Street, NY, NY
Price: Free
6. Exhibition: Widows and Orphans
View a selection of Wilhelm Staehle's charming works, such as original silhouettes and fanciful letterforms along with selected pieces from his infamous Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre, and the Dollar Dreadful Family Library. http://tdc.org/tdc/archives/1510
When: Now through January 29, 2010
Where: Type Directors Club | 347 West 36th Street, Suite 603 | New York, NY
Price: Free, viewing by appointment only, email director@tdc.org or (212) 633-8943
Here's a roundup of interesting things to do, see and attend this week. Mark your calendars, this week is packed with great events!
///// EXHIBITION
The Wilde Years: Four Decades of Shaping Visual Culture is at the Visual Arts Gallery on the west side through November 7, 2009. Come and check out this multi-media exhibition of familiar work by notable alumni of Wilde, including Deb Bishop, Rodrigo Corral, Archie Ferguson, Drew Hodges, Julia Hoffman, James Victore, Scott Wadler, and more. The Wilde Years is curated by Gail Anderson, Sal DeVito, Janet Froelich, Todd Radom and Lisa Rettig-Falcone and designed by Kevin O'Callaghan.
THE WILDE YEARS
Through November 7, 2009
Click here for details
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street, 15th floor
New York, NY 10001
///// EVENT
AIGA/NY is hosting an event in honor of Richard Wilde's 40th Year Anniversary chairing the BFA Design & Advertising program at SVA. In the agenda are our very own Gail Anderson and Steven Heller, along with Arem Duplessis, Carin Goldberg and Paula Scher. Spend an evening with the best and brightest of design educators as they discuss their own careers in design education and showcase some of their results—their students.
THOSE THAT CAN, TEACH
Monday, 10/26/09 6:30—8:30PM
SVA Theatre
333 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
Click here to register
///// TALK
ADC Young Guns presents selected winners to showcase their work at the Apple Store in SoHo. This month's speaker is Julien Vallée. Based in Montréal, Canada, graphic designer Julien Vallée marries handcraft and digital technology to produce awe-inspiring work in both print and motion. From art installations to videos for the music industry, Julien's work has been published worldwide in international graphic books and magazines. In 2008 he was part of the YCN Live 2008 event where he exhibited work in Sydney and at the Bloomberg YCN showroom in London. His client list includes Computer Arts, Swatch, MTV-One and the New York Times Magazine. Julien was part of the ADC Young Guns 6 class of winners, honored in 2008.
JULIEN VALLÉE
Monday, 10/26/09 6:30—8:00PM
Apple SoHo
103 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
Free talk
Click here for details
///// LECTURE
MFA Design Criticism Department presents Blind Handshake, a panel moderated by art historian Gloria Kury, where David Humphrey and Geoff Kaplan will discuss their recent collaborations on books about contemporary art and art writing. Kury is an art historian who has taught at Yale and SVA, and is the founder and director of Periscope Publications; Humphrey is a writer and visual artist who is a recipient of the Rome Prize and a senior critic at the Yale School of Art; Kaplan is a graphic designer at the General Working Group and teaches at California College of the Arts; and Nesbit is a professor of art at Vassar College and the J. Kirk T. Varnedoe Visiting Professor of 2007 at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.
BLIND HANDSHAKE
Tuesday, 10/27/09, 6:30PM
SVA West Building
133 West 21st Street, Room 101C
New York, NY 10011
Free lecture
Click here for details
///// LECTURE
MFA Interaction Design Department welcomes Jason Fried, co-founder and president of 37Signals, as part of their bi-monthly Fall Lecture Series to inspire conversation, pursue change and incite creation. Jason believes there’s real value and beauty in the basics. Jason
co-wrote all of 37signals books, and is invited to speak around the
world on entrepreneurship, design, management, and software.
JASON FRIED LECTURE
Wednesday, 10/28/09, 6:00-8:00PM
MFA Interaction Design
132 West 21st Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Free lecture
Click here for details
///// EXHIBITION
The Wilde Years: Four Decades of Shaping Visual Culture is at the Visual Arts Gallery on the west side through November 7, 2009. Come and check out this multi-media exhibition of familiar work by notable alumni of Wilde, including Deb Bishop, Rodrigo Corral, Archie Ferguson, Drew Hodges, Julia Hoffman, James Victore, Scott Wadler, and more. The Wilde Years is curated by Gail Anderson, Sal DeVito, Janet Froelich, Todd Radom and Lisa Rettig-Falcone and designed by Kevin O'Callaghan.THE WILDE YEARS
Through November 7, 2009
Click here for details
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street, 15th floor
New York, NY 10001
///// EVENT
AIGA/NY is hosting an event in honor of Richard Wilde's 40th Year Anniversary chairing the BFA Design & Advertising program at SVA. In the agenda are our very own Gail Anderson and Steven Heller, along with Arem Duplessis, Carin Goldberg and Paula Scher. Spend an evening with the best and brightest of design educators as they discuss their own careers in design education and showcase some of their results—their students.THOSE THAT CAN, TEACH
Monday, 10/26/09 6:30—8:30PM
SVA Theatre
333 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
Click here to register
///// TALK
ADC Young Guns presents selected winners to showcase their work at the Apple Store in SoHo. This month's speaker is Julien Vallée. Based in Montréal, Canada, graphic designer Julien Vallée marries handcraft and digital technology to produce awe-inspiring work in both print and motion. From art installations to videos for the music industry, Julien's work has been published worldwide in international graphic books and magazines. In 2008 he was part of the YCN Live 2008 event where he exhibited work in Sydney and at the Bloomberg YCN showroom in London. His client list includes Computer Arts, Swatch, MTV-One and the New York Times Magazine. Julien was part of the ADC Young Guns 6 class of winners, honored in 2008. JULIEN VALLÉE
Monday, 10/26/09 6:30—8:00PM
Apple SoHo
103 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
Free talk
Click here for details
///// LECTURE
MFA Design Criticism Department presents Blind Handshake, a panel moderated by art historian Gloria Kury, where David Humphrey and Geoff Kaplan will discuss their recent collaborations on books about contemporary art and art writing. Kury is an art historian who has taught at Yale and SVA, and is the founder and director of Periscope Publications; Humphrey is a writer and visual artist who is a recipient of the Rome Prize and a senior critic at the Yale School of Art; Kaplan is a graphic designer at the General Working Group and teaches at California College of the Arts; and Nesbit is a professor of art at Vassar College and the J. Kirk T. Varnedoe Visiting Professor of 2007 at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. BLIND HANDSHAKE
Tuesday, 10/27/09, 6:30PM
SVA West Building
133 West 21st Street, Room 101C
New York, NY 10011
Free lecture
Click here for details
///// LECTURE
MFA Interaction Design Department welcomes Jason Fried, co-founder and president of 37Signals, as part of their bi-monthly Fall Lecture Series to inspire conversation, pursue change and incite creation. Jason believes there’s real value and beauty in the basics. Jason
co-wrote all of 37signals books, and is invited to speak around the
world on entrepreneurship, design, management, and software.
JASON FRIED LECTURE
Wednesday, 10/28/09, 6:00-8:00PM
MFA Interaction Design
132 West 21st Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Free lecture
Click here for details
Design commentary is everywhere—blogs like Core 77 and Design Observer, magazines like STEP, Print, Eye, Metropolis, I.D, Dwell, Surface, etc.—and while the core of design criticism still resides in the niche design-centered market, it’s being exposed to a wider spreading reach like the New Yorker, BusinessWeek's blog about design and innovation, and the Design section in the New York Times.
Launched in 2008, the SVA MFA Design Criticism program aims break down the insular and alienated designer-to-designer dialogue by drawing the roots of design criticism deeper into history and the general public.
Heading the department is Alice Twemlow, a seasoned writer in the design field, as well as a former director of numerous AIGA conferences and events. Her academic background is an ideal foundation for her current role: she earned an M.A. in Design History at the Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum, where she’s currently completing a Ph.D. in the History of Design. Appropriately enough, her dfissertation focuses on design criticism in the U.S. and U.K. from the 1950s onward.
Twemlow is driven by her vision of design criticism for the masses—an overall democratization of the language and subject matter. The two-year curriculum helps students to hone their ability to evaluate and explain an object, idea or experience and use their research to write and discus the ways it connects to society in general. The final deliverable is a public conference—planned, organized and presented by the students themselves. Each student’s 10-minute presentation is a condensation of a 10,000-15,000 word piece of extended critical journalism.
This fall will mark the second year for the program, so CRIT sat down with co-chair Alice Twemlow for a follow up interview to get her perspective on how the first year went, her thoughts on the inaugural class, and the surprises she encountered along the way.
On the first year:
As Twemlow recounts, “It’s been absolutely fantastic. It was so exciting to have students arrive and fill the empty seats. You can craft the most interesting, intellectually rigorous program but if the students don’t come and step up to the bar, it’s a failure. These students are extra special because they’re the first year, and with their pioneer spirit, they’ve tackled everything I’ve given them and even more. It’s exceeded my expectation.”
On student diversity:
Twemlow paid particular focus to diversity in shaping the first class of D-CRIT students, and as a whole, they represent a wide range of ages, academic training and cultural backgrounds. Some students came straight from undergraduate programs, while others were mid-career professionals who decided to recalibrate their careers by learning more about writing and design criticism. There were students who were practicing designers, and others who came from humanities backgrounds like English, Philosophy, History, Art History. Moreover, Twemlow exclaims, “it’s a lovely international mix”, with students coming from Dubai, Portugal, Singapore, Vienna. All students have to come from the level of practicing writers and be fluent English speakers, as all work is done only in English.
On students without a design background:
Although non-design students are given a crash course in design history, terms and vocabularies involved in design references all students are required to focus their studies on industrial design and architecture—the academic foundation of the D-CRIT program.
Twemlow welcomes non-designers, explaining, “design criticism doesn’t have to come from within design. It gets more interesting when people look at it from all different angles. We need design to be opened up, and explored and interrogated by people from outside. I would hate everyone in this program to come only from a design background. That would be boring. We want as many backgrounds and interests represented to make sure the discussion is as rich and interesting as possible.””
On the D-Crit Design Conference:
The graduating students are expected to write a 10,000-15,000-word piece of critical journalism piece, including an application/dissemination of their thesis (a book, an exhibition, a podcast, etc), and finally, condense it all to 10-minute presentation, which they’ll give at the final conference. The goal is to produce professionally academic writing that’s both densely researched, but also written in an intensely engaging narrative, structured around characters, much like a feature story in the New Yorker.
As for the thesis topics—quite a few are film-related. One student is looking at use of design and specifically typography and lettering in Goddard films, while another focuses on the relationship of design criticism and science fiction.
Other thesis topics include an exploration of locally-rooted design in Brazil; an investigation into the cultural and political implications of the Keffiyeh and the way it has been exploited as a fashion accessory.
Twemlow expects the character of the conference will be a mixture between academic symposium and popular conference, “I’m hoping it will become something the New York design and journalism communities will want to come to every year”.
To help the class with thesis preparation, Peter Hall, a design critic and senior lecturer in design at the University of Texas at Austin, will spend the second week of December in the classroom, assisting the program’s first graduating class with their thesis projects. As part of Hall’s residency at SVA, he will also be giving a talk entitled Writing Design History: Problems and Provocations, which will be open to the public.
On the public’s response to the program:
There seems to be a perception amongst some sections in the design community that the word criticism means that you are critical and derogatory about work. What the D-CRIT program hopes to do is bust this stereotype and help the public understand that criticism is a form of analysis. The point of the analysis of a subject is to expose a larger social issue.
According to Twemlow, the notion of design criticism is often misunderstood: “It’s not about whether the kerning is good or bad. Rather, it’s how does this piece of design impact society? That’s the question that we’re looking at. Why does it matter?”
Twemlow’s hope is that the program will help shape a more keen understanding of design and its significant implications among the general public. For this reason, conversation with the public is a key aspect of D-CRIT. These conversations take the form of scheduled readings at the KGB bar, weekly Tuesday night lectures; and, of course, the final conference—all of which are open to the public. In addition, Twemlow hopes forming connections and collaborations within institutions like the MoMa and the School of Architecture at Columbia University will add new dimensions to her own viewpoint and experience.
On post-graduation jobs:
While some graduates may want to focus on writing as full-time/freelance writers and editors, others may take the radio/podcast route. Other post-graduate pursuits might include museum curation at, say, the Cooper Hewitt, or as a strategic design consultants at a company like IDEO. Several students from the department’s inaugural class are already bringing their critical skills to print and online design publication: John Cantwell wrote about Trump Tower for Design Observer; Frederico Duarte contributed to Icon; Emily Leibin penned “Future Advancement” for Surface; Alan Rapp wrote for Dwell; and Angela Riechers’ work appeared in Voice: AIGA Journal of Design.
As Twemlow explains, “We can only speculate about their future careers at the moment, but I think they’re all incredibly bright, they’ve been taught incredibly well, and they’ve come in contact with so many people, I have utter confidence that they’ll go on to get fabulous jobs.”
The first year’s biggest lesson:
Being the first year of a completely unique program (the only Design Criticism program in the United States), the biggest challenge was being flexible with the framework of the program and accommodating the individual idiosyncrasies and the different personalities of all the students—everything from cultural backgrounds, to interests, to levels and knowledge of design. It didn’t come as a surprise to learn the biggest lesson was dealing with control: “When real messy people come into the mix, it explodes your neatly defined diagram, and that’s fantastic because you learn so much from that. Otherwise how boring would that be?”
Her advice, “be open to change, it’s ok if something changes completely. The incredibly valuable input comes from all the people, not my black and white schematic, and I’m enjoying it intensely.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
SVA MFA Design Criticism Website
D-CRIT Student Work:
John Cantwell on Design Observer
Angela Reichers on Design Observer
Frederico Duarte in Icon magazine
Emily Leibin in Surface magazine
Angela Reichers on AIGA
Chappell Ellison, winner of Winterhouse Award for Design Writing & Criticism
D-CRIT Events
Peter Hall’s Writing Design History talk
December 8, 6 – 8pm, at MFA DCRIT, admission is free
DCRIT Readings at KBG Bar
SVA MFA Design Criticism Lecture Series: Fall 2009
Launched in 2008, the SVA MFA Design Criticism program aims break down the insular and alienated designer-to-designer dialogue by drawing the roots of design criticism deeper into history and the general public.
Heading the department is Alice Twemlow, a seasoned writer in the design field, as well as a former director of numerous AIGA conferences and events. Her academic background is an ideal foundation for her current role: she earned an M.A. in Design History at the Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum, where she’s currently completing a Ph.D. in the History of Design. Appropriately enough, her dfissertation focuses on design criticism in the U.S. and U.K. from the 1950s onward. Twemlow is driven by her vision of design criticism for the masses—an overall democratization of the language and subject matter. The two-year curriculum helps students to hone their ability to evaluate and explain an object, idea or experience and use their research to write and discus the ways it connects to society in general. The final deliverable is a public conference—planned, organized and presented by the students themselves. Each student’s 10-minute presentation is a condensation of a 10,000-15,000 word piece of extended critical journalism.
This fall will mark the second year for the program, so CRIT sat down with co-chair Alice Twemlow for a follow up interview to get her perspective on how the first year went, her thoughts on the inaugural class, and the surprises she encountered along the way.
On the first year:
As Twemlow recounts, “It’s been absolutely fantastic. It was so exciting to have students arrive and fill the empty seats. You can craft the most interesting, intellectually rigorous program but if the students don’t come and step up to the bar, it’s a failure. These students are extra special because they’re the first year, and with their pioneer spirit, they’ve tackled everything I’ve given them and even more. It’s exceeded my expectation.”
On student diversity:
Twemlow paid particular focus to diversity in shaping the first class of D-CRIT students, and as a whole, they represent a wide range of ages, academic training and cultural backgrounds. Some students came straight from undergraduate programs, while others were mid-career professionals who decided to recalibrate their careers by learning more about writing and design criticism. There were students who were practicing designers, and others who came from humanities backgrounds like English, Philosophy, History, Art History. Moreover, Twemlow exclaims, “it’s a lovely international mix”, with students coming from Dubai, Portugal, Singapore, Vienna. All students have to come from the level of practicing writers and be fluent English speakers, as all work is done only in English.
On students without a design background:Although non-design students are given a crash course in design history, terms and vocabularies involved in design references all students are required to focus their studies on industrial design and architecture—the academic foundation of the D-CRIT program.
Twemlow welcomes non-designers, explaining, “design criticism doesn’t have to come from within design. It gets more interesting when people look at it from all different angles. We need design to be opened up, and explored and interrogated by people from outside. I would hate everyone in this program to come only from a design background. That would be boring. We want as many backgrounds and interests represented to make sure the discussion is as rich and interesting as possible.””On the D-Crit Design Conference:
The graduating students are expected to write a 10,000-15,000-word piece of critical journalism piece, including an application/dissemination of their thesis (a book, an exhibition, a podcast, etc), and finally, condense it all to 10-minute presentation, which they’ll give at the final conference. The goal is to produce professionally academic writing that’s both densely researched, but also written in an intensely engaging narrative, structured around characters, much like a feature story in the New Yorker.
As for the thesis topics—quite a few are film-related. One student is looking at use of design and specifically typography and lettering in Goddard films, while another focuses on the relationship of design criticism and science fiction. Other thesis topics include an exploration of locally-rooted design in Brazil; an investigation into the cultural and political implications of the Keffiyeh and the way it has been exploited as a fashion accessory.
Twemlow expects the character of the conference will be a mixture between academic symposium and popular conference, “I’m hoping it will become something the New York design and journalism communities will want to come to every year”.
To help the class with thesis preparation, Peter Hall, a design critic and senior lecturer in design at the University of Texas at Austin, will spend the second week of December in the classroom, assisting the program’s first graduating class with their thesis projects. As part of Hall’s residency at SVA, he will also be giving a talk entitled Writing Design History: Problems and Provocations, which will be open to the public.On the public’s response to the program:
There seems to be a perception amongst some sections in the design community that the word criticism means that you are critical and derogatory about work. What the D-CRIT program hopes to do is bust this stereotype and help the public understand that criticism is a form of analysis. The point of the analysis of a subject is to expose a larger social issue.
According to Twemlow, the notion of design criticism is often misunderstood: “It’s not about whether the kerning is good or bad. Rather, it’s how does this piece of design impact society? That’s the question that we’re looking at. Why does it matter?”
Twemlow’s hope is that the program will help shape a more keen understanding of design and its significant implications among the general public. For this reason, conversation with the public is a key aspect of D-CRIT. These conversations take the form of scheduled readings at the KGB bar, weekly Tuesday night lectures; and, of course, the final conference—all of which are open to the public. In addition, Twemlow hopes forming connections and collaborations within institutions like the MoMa and the School of Architecture at Columbia University will add new dimensions to her own viewpoint and experience.
On post-graduation jobs:While some graduates may want to focus on writing as full-time/freelance writers and editors, others may take the radio/podcast route. Other post-graduate pursuits might include museum curation at, say, the Cooper Hewitt, or as a strategic design consultants at a company like IDEO. Several students from the department’s inaugural class are already bringing their critical skills to print and online design publication: John Cantwell wrote about Trump Tower for Design Observer; Frederico Duarte contributed to Icon; Emily Leibin penned “Future Advancement” for Surface; Alan Rapp wrote for Dwell; and Angela Riechers’ work appeared in Voice: AIGA Journal of Design.
As Twemlow explains, “We can only speculate about their future careers at the moment, but I think they’re all incredibly bright, they’ve been taught incredibly well, and they’ve come in contact with so many people, I have utter confidence that they’ll go on to get fabulous jobs.”
The first year’s biggest lesson:Being the first year of a completely unique program (the only Design Criticism program in the United States), the biggest challenge was being flexible with the framework of the program and accommodating the individual idiosyncrasies and the different personalities of all the students—everything from cultural backgrounds, to interests, to levels and knowledge of design. It didn’t come as a surprise to learn the biggest lesson was dealing with control: “When real messy people come into the mix, it explodes your neatly defined diagram, and that’s fantastic because you learn so much from that. Otherwise how boring would that be?”
Her advice, “be open to change, it’s ok if something changes completely. The incredibly valuable input comes from all the people, not my black and white schematic, and I’m enjoying it intensely.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
SVA MFA Design Criticism Website
D-CRIT Student Work:
John Cantwell on Design Observer
Angela Reichers on Design Observer
Frederico Duarte in Icon magazine
Emily Leibin in Surface magazine
Angela Reichers on AIGA
Chappell Ellison, winner of Winterhouse Award for Design Writing & Criticism
D-CRIT Events
Peter Hall’s Writing Design History talk
December 8, 6 – 8pm, at MFA DCRIT, admission is free
DCRIT Readings at KBG Bar
SVA MFA Design Criticism Lecture Series: Fall 2009
