For the past 10 weeks, I have compiled the following journal entries as part of the History of Graphic Design class at Foothill. Each week, the students were asked to expand on a subject covered in the reading in an effort to enrich their knowledge on the subject. Through this assignment, I not only expanded my understanding and appreciation of subjects already of interest, but I also developed a greater appreciation of design history overall and the way it impacts daily life.
The course load for this class could often feel overwhelming. Within one week, I would be asked to read multiple chapters, take a quiz with a short essay question, research and write a journal entry, and read and comment on the work of another student. In itself, this level of work was not overwhelming, but when taken in conjunction with my responsibilities, I had difficulty completing all the requirements.
When it became evident that I would not have the energy to complete everything in the class, I was forced to make a decision to sacrifice something, and determined that most of my time and effort was best served in these journal entries. Although these entries did not have the highest points value, they were the best chance to develop my knowledge and appreciation of the design world, and therefore seemed like the best choice to divert most of my energy.
This class really opened my eyes to the importance of design and its impact on the world, but the quizzes were mostly memorization and regurgitation of facts, things that can easily slip from my mind when they are no longer an immediate focus. These journal entries allowed me to apply that knowledge. Reading the textbook assignments became more than just snagging on to facts that might show up in a quiz. It was my first opportunity to be inspired by something in the history that spoke to me and inspired interest, and making the effort to connect it to other things that mattered to me. Each week changed my perspective of design or caused me to look deeper into an area I thought I already understood.
The first week showed me that so many things I never regarded or recognized as design were in fact part of the rich history. That graphic design was used in the development of the earliest methods of communication and has been a part of human history from the beginning. The second week awakened me to the differences of native reading directions and caused me to wonder whether this changes how we respond to the organization of a design work.
Week three taught me about the important role of mathematics in the development and organization of design, from finding the perfect measurements for typography to determining the most pleasing organization of a work on canvas. In week 4, I learned about the Arts and Crafts Movement, connecting it to the artistic entrepreneurial site of Etsy.
Weeks five and six showed me how early pioneers in the world of design can inspire styles and methods that endure forever. Art Nouveau's focus on women in advertising posters, and the way the female subject became a greater focus than the product, is a theme in advertising that still exists to this day. This movement can be seen as an originator of the way modern advertising is structured. Meanwhile, Apple borrowed the style of Plakatstil in the creation of a wildly successful advertising campaign for the iPod that is recognized worldwide.
In week 7, I learned that art and the world around it influence each other. While art and design can change how we respond to our environment and develop it for the future, the world also shapes the art we create and how popular it becomes. The events of World War II had a significant impact on the art world, changing the center of artistic communities and developments, and also making art an outlaw. The Nazi Party labeled abstract works as degenerate, but their attempts to stifle and ridicule it may have actually helped the artistic movement to grow and gain a larger audience.
Finally, I devoted the last three weeks to looking more in depth to a solitary element and seeing the part each played in the design world. I delved into the Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface, seeing the many other fonts it inspired and recognizing its enduring appeal and constant utility. A closer look into the artist Armando Testa allowed me to see early efforts in television advertisements and the growth of the Italian design world. His story is also a testament to the value of hard work in persistence in the pursuit of design as many of his early efforts resulted in failure. The man was let go from 28 different employers, but still kept pushing himself, eventually meeting with success. Lastly, research into the design firm Pentagram showcased the development of a design studio from humble origins to the status of one of the most prolific and successful studios worldwide.
Most of these topics were barely covered in the textbook, and I could only develop the knowledge by pursuing it outside that source. An overall history course cannot explore such depths of history without taking ages to complete, and has to content itself with an overview of what it sees as the most important aspects. But the lack f inclusion of these topics in the book does not equal less importance, but a lack of room and time. This class would have been a much weaker and two-dimensional experience if we were not asked to pursue the pieces that had to be missed. I look forward to continuing to search for those missing pieces and learn more about the history that had to be left unsaid within the time constraints.
As I move on from this experience, it will be impossible to not carry what I have learned with me. Already, I find myself more attuned to the presence of design work in everything I do, marveling over everything from the obvious advertisements and package designs around me, to the development of characters in a coworker's handwriting. I see the history and inspiration of predecessors in the art world in how many things have come to evolve, and I believe the knowledge I have gained can help me to be a better designer in the future. I have so much more to understand and draw from when I look at prompt, and can use the understanding of movements and methods to find the best fit for the meaning behind a request.
Overall, I find myself in awe of the development of design throughout our history. I have heard it said many times that there are no new ideas, and everything you do has been done before by someone else. But looking over how far the art world has come and how many discoveries and breakthroughs have occurred, I find it difficult to believe that. I don't think that the ideas have run out, and there is still so much room for innovation. As the world continues to grow and change and technology advances, it will be thrilling to see what ways the design world develops in response.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Pentagram
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| Source: Prezi.com |
Although major design studio Pentagram did not officially form until 1972, its origins go back over a decade to the first partnership between designers Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, and Bob Gill. The partnership had humble beginnings; the firm initially consisted of just the three designers and a receptionist, and there was very little to keep them busy. "What little work they had came from Time and Life, Pirelli and Penguin books," and the average charge to design a cover for Penguin was just 30 pounds (Fletcher 2013).
When Colin Forbes suggested expanding the group in 1965 by bringing in architect Theo Crosby, Bob Gill was unhappy, choosing to leave because "he found the whole protracted world of architecture infuriating, preferring the immediacy of graphics" (Fletcher 2013). However, the choice to bring in Crosby proved wise as the studio's business grew rapidly, acquiring high profile clients like Shell, Reuters, Arthur Anderson, and Canard. The growth led the trio to discuss expansion, and with the addition of product designer Kenneth Grange and associate designer Mervyn Kurlansky, Pentagram was formed.
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| Pentagram logo; Source: Pentagram |
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| Pentagram logo; Source: Pentagram |
Today, Pentagram is "the world's largest independent design consultancy" and has offices in London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin (Herb Lubalin Study Center, 2013). Their client list ranges from "multinational corporations, under-funded arts organizations and interesting individuals." They are recognized for their ability "to make seemingly deadpan companies appear fun-loving people" (Webb, 1993). The company is structured differently, operated as "a federation of small overlapping companies, each run by a partner who has gained recognition in his or her own field," which allows partners to enter and leave "without damaging the overall structure" (Webb, 1993). The overall result is a multi-disciplinary firm that designes everything from "architecture, interiors, products, [corporate] identities, publications, posters, books, exhibitions, websites, and digital installations" (Pentagram, 2014).
The thought process behind the design work Pentagram does can be seen in the redesign of the Daily Show, as covered in an article by Business Week. When the television show relocated its studio in July of 2005, Pentagram was retained to design the new set and graphics for the show. The design team put in a large amount of work researching the source material they were trying to parody, in order to create a loyal homage that offered an improved design. The designers attempted to create graphics that were more subtle, as the show's executive producer state that "the best design is the things that insinuate themselves into your mind without overtly doing so" (Vanderbilt, 2005).
A list of many of Pentagram's clients and work samples can be seen on the company's website, but there is also video that shows the life of the company as though it was a person, telling the story with images of the group's work throughout the years:
Sources:
Herb Lubalin Study Center. (2013). Image of the studio: Pentagram. Retrieved from
http://imageofthestudio.com/studio/pentagram
Fletcher, R. (2013). Alan Fletcher: Work and play. Retrieved from
http://www.alanfletcherarchive.com/era/1972-1992-pentagram
Pentagram. (2014). About. Retrieved from http://www.pentagram.com/work/#/all/all/newest/
Vanderbilt, T. (2005). The Daily Show: Satire restyled. Retrieved from
http://imageofthestudio.com/studio/pentagram
Webb, B. (1993). The boy's book of Pentagram. Retrieved from
http://www.eyemagazine.com/review/article/the-boys-book-of-pentagram
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Armando Testa
By the age of 14, Testa had already tried several apprenticeships, including as a locksmith, sheet metal worker, and a typesetter. He began taking night classes at the Vigliardi Paravia School of Graphic Arts, where he was mentored by Ezio d-Errico, "a teacher at the school and one of the best known abstract artists of the day" (Tungate, 2013). Although he won several competitions to design letterheads and leaflets, he was a difficult employee and was fired from most jobs after only a few weeks, "until by the age of 18 he had been let go by 28 different employers" (Tungate). But Testa had a breakthrough as a graphic designer in 1937 after winning a poster competition for ICI, an ink and paint manufacturer.
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| Source: zigposters.co.uk |
In 1946, Testa opened up his own graphic design studio in his hometown of Turin, where "he began to create labels, logos, packaging, brochures, covers, and posters," initially attracting mainly small clients (AdAge, 2003). However, he soon drew larger clientele, including Martini & Rossi, Carpano, and Pirelli, for whom his tire ads received much acclaim. In his work for Carpano, Testa created a character of "King Carpano," an anthropomorphic liquor bottle who toasted famous historical figures in the advertisements.
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| Source: AllThingsRuffnerian.blogspot.com |
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| Martini & Rossi ad, Source: TheAnimalarium.blogspot.com |
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| Pirelli ad, Source: RebelsInTradition.com |
In 1956, Testa, his wife, and associate Franco de Barberis founded Studio Testa, a full-service advertising agency "destined to become a leader in Italy and beyond" (Verzotti, 2001). The agency became highly active in television advertising, Testa created a stop motion video advertisement for client Lavazzo's Paulista coffee, featuring characters made of simple cones and spheres. The ads, run on Italy's late night Carosello advertising block became wildly popular, as many "Italians have fond memories of these early TV years and many of the early commercials and their characters" (AdAge, 2003).
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| Paulista commercial still, Source: YouTube |
Perhaps as a result of his early influences, Testa maintained a strong desire to create abstract art in addition to his interest in commercial graphic design, but he was fortunate "to be able to work with clients who, like him, felt that art and commerce were not mutually exclusive" (Tungate, 2013). His love of simplicity in design may have assisted him in his success, where advertisements that quickly impart a message can be the most memorable. At a showing of his work in 1987, Testa described this inspiration and impact: "My love of synthesis - conveying a message by means of a single gesture, a simple image - and my use of white backgrounds, primary colors, and the most basic symbols of visual communication (circle, cross, diagonal, angle) have unfortunately endowed me over the years with a distinctive style, and many people recognize my work on sight.
Testa's work pulled inspiration from many areas, and his poster style definitely recalls the Plakatstil era, but he also continues to be an inspiration. A 2002 ad by his agency for Pirelli is an homage to two easily recognizable works of Testa, showing that his designs can still have a major impact even 50 years later.
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| Source: MosernPosterArt.blogspot.com |
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| Source:ThePost.Pirelli.it |
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| Source: Coloribus.net |
Sources:
AdAge. (2003). Armando Testa. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/armando-testa/98902/
Ruffner, M. (2012). The distinctive designs of Armando Testa. Retrieved from
Tungate, M. (2013). Adland: A global history of advertising. Retrieved from
Monday, November 17, 2014
Akzidenz-Grotesk
The 1950s saw the development of the International Typographic Style movement, also called Swiss design. Major elements of the movement included asymmetrical organiation of elements on a grid, objective design and copy, and the use of sans-serif typography. In the latter area, the dominant font that inspired and drove the movement was not one developed during the era, but one that was created 60 years prior.
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
During the Swiss design movement, Akzidenz Grotesk was highly favored by many designers. The most notable of the group include Joseph Muller-Bruckman and Anton Stankowski. Muller Bruckman's designs incorporated the font in many different ways, sometimes making it the major focus of the design, such as in the Der Film poster. Almost 100 years after the font was developed, Stankowski was still singing its praises, calling it his preferred font even after 60 years in the industry.
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| Source: 100besttypefaces.com |
Many years after the end of the Swiss design movement, the typeface is still highly prevalent. It frequently ranks near the top of lists like "The Best 100 Typefaces of All Time" and "The 10 Best Fonts." The font can be seen in everything from calculators to movie posters.
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| Braun calculator with Akzidenz Grotesk buttons. Source: FontsInUse.com |
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| Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter movie poster. Blue font is Akzidenz Grotesk. Source: FontsInUse.com |
A current designer based in Portugal was even inspired to create a sample branding project, imagining an Akzidenz Grotesk range of beers in homage to the typeface's birthplace. He created mockup bottles for different types of beers with alcohol volume based on the different weights in the original typeface.
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| Source: CreativeBloq.com |
It is unlikely that Akzidenz Grotesk will ever go out of style or use. As one writer states, the font family "has remained popular and influential for a century now because it is regal without being pretentious, clean without being soulless...Typefaces come and go: Akzidenz Grotesk remains" (Alterio, 2014).
Sources:
Alterio, J. (2014). Kern your enthusiasm 7. Retrieved from http://hilobrow.com/2014/08/07/kern-your-enthusiasm-7/
Devroye, L. (2014). Ferdinand Theinhardt. Retrieved from http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-46521.html
H. Berthold Typefoundry. (2014). Akzidenz grotesk. Retrieved from http://www.bertholdtypes.com/blog/2010-12-08/akzidenz-grotesk/
Meggs, P.B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Megg's history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J Wiley & Sons.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Degenerate Art
"This art is the production of crazy people. Pity the people who are no longer able to control this sickness." -Adolf Hitler, in reference to the Dada movement
During Hitler's tenure as the leader of Germany, art was seen as "one of the most important elements to strengthening the Third Reich and purifying the nation" (FCIT, 2013). It was considered as part of political expression and power, and Hitler preferred work that was "realistic and heroic," portraying his idea of "the true German spirit" (Trueman, 2014). However, there was a significant amount of art that did not meet with the approval of the ruling party. Modern art in particular was abhorred by the group, often referred to by "the terms Jewish, degenerate, and Bolshevik" (FCIT 2013). Art that did not meet with the party's stringent standards was targeted for destruction, and the artists who produced it could often meet with consequences. In their attempt to suppress "unsavory" art, the German government did bring about the destruction of many works of art, but also exposed a wide audience to the movement they hoped to destroy.
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| Entartete Kunst poster. Source: Deutsches Historiches Museum |
In 1927, Germany saw the formation of the National Socialist Society for German Culture, which aimed to "halt the 'corruption of art' and inform the people about the relationship between race and art" (FCIT, 2013). By 1937, the Nazi Party conducted a purge of all the German museums, removing any art they classified as degenerate. "Thousands of so-called degenerate works were destroyed," but some were earmarked for other purposes (Schwartz, 2014). In July 1937, the German government debuted two major art shows - a huge showcase of great German art that embodied all the ideals of the ruling party, and Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art), an "exhibit...designed to ridicule and denigrate creative works not upholding 'correct' National Socialist virtues" (Hammerstingl, 1998).
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| Lines to see the Entartete Kunst show. Source: Red Wedge Magazine |
This exhibit included over 650 works of various mediums, including paintings, sculptures, prints, books, and musical notations. Famous artists whose works were displayed in this exhibit include Chagall, Van Gogh, and Kandinsky. Some artists whose works were considered too inflammatory were not displayed. This included artist Kathe Kollowitz, "because her work was critical of the Nazi regime" (FCIT 2013).
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| Capture of original Entarte Kunst show. Source: Judisches Museum Berlin |
The work that was showcased in the exhibit was "chaotically hung with accompanying criticism and derisive text, in order to clarify to the German people what type of art was considered unacceptable" (USHMM, 2014). After the initial showing in Munich, the show traveled to other parts of Germany and Austria over the next two years, exposing the works to a wide range of people. By the end of its run, over three million people had visited the exhibit, making it "the most widely seen exhibit of modern art" (Hammerstingl, 1998).
A video of the Entartete Kunst 1937 Show. Source: YouTube.
But the end of the exhibit also saw the end of many of the abhorrent artworks. "On March 20, 1939, the Degenerate Art Commission ordered over one thousand paintings and almost four thousand watercolors and drawings burned in the courtyard of a fire station in Berlin" (Hammerstingl, 1998). Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945, also ordered more purging of art from German collections shortly after the exhibition, "bringing the total number of modern works seized by the Nazis to over 16,000" (USHMM, 2014).
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| Recent exhibit of the 1937 art shows side by side. Source: Neue Galerie New York |
Ultimately, though this action led to the destruction of countless works of art, the effort to suppress modern art was unsuccessful. The actions of the Third Reich were unable to stop the progress of art, and their choices ultimately exposed a much larger audience to the artistic movement than it might have otherwise seen.
Sources:
FCIT - Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2013). Degenerate art: Entartete Kunst. Retrieved from http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/arts/artDegen.htm
FCIT - Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2013). Nazi approved art. Retrieved from
Hammerstingl, W. (1998). Entartete Kunst. Retrieved from
Schwartz, L. (2014). 'Degenerate' exhibit recalls Nazi war on modern art. Retrieved from
Trueman, C. (2014). Art in Nazi Germany. Retrieved from
USHMM - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2014) 1937 Munich exhibition of degenerate art. Retrieved from http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-features/collections-highlights/julien-bryan/nazi-germany-1937/1937-munich-exhibition-of-degenerate-art
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Advertising Apple: How Plakatstil Sold the iPod
When you think of Apple and the debut of the iPod, one of the first things that comes to mind is the famous silhouette advertisements. The ads are very simplified: a black silhouette of a person against a brightly colored background with a white iPod and headphones in stark contrast in the forefront of the poster. This style was used for the print and video media for the new launch, and contributed to the popularity and exposure of the item. It is heralded in some literature as being "groundbreaking" and "iconic", but it obviously owes its inspiration to the Plakatstil movement of the early twentieth century.
In a fascinating twist, the iPod ads share not only the Plakatstil style, but also a similar reaction upon their first introduction to the decision makers at Apple. Graphic artists at TBWA/Chiat/Day, Apple's ad agency, created the designs in 2003, along with a number of other possibilities. Although the agency was pushing the silhouettes in particular, Steve Jobs, head of Apple, did not like the idea and "dismissed it outright" (Fiegerman, 2012). Jobs' biggest complaint was that he felt the ad "doesn't show the product...[and] doesn't say what it is" (Doyle, 2011). However, the ad agency pushed back and managed to convince him of the merits, changing his mind and causing him to move forward with the design. This mirrors the reaction to artist Lucian Bernhard's early Plakatstil poster for Priester matches. When he entered it into a competition, it was rejected outright, but one juror convinced of it's genius convinced the others to move forward, sparking a movement,
The Priester poster and many other works of the Plakatstil movement followed "the Bernhard formula: flat background color; large simple image; and product name" (Meggs, 2006). The iPod designs fall under the same formula but with a small twist. They are described as "never more than three distinct colors on the screen at any one time, and black and white are two of them. What makes it so bold are those vast swaths of neon monochrome" (Stevenson, 2004). In Apple's case, this formula paid off. According to one source, "the distinctive marketing art used in these ads also helped Apple to sell tens of millions of iPods...[and] in some ways, helped Apple move its business to another level" (Doyle, 2011). The iPod designs are really just a Bernhard poster with a more vibrant background color, and evidence of how old methods can prove to be incredibly successful inspirations for modern graphic designs.
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| Source: AdMadness.com |
In a fascinating twist, the iPod ads share not only the Plakatstil style, but also a similar reaction upon their first introduction to the decision makers at Apple. Graphic artists at TBWA/Chiat/Day, Apple's ad agency, created the designs in 2003, along with a number of other possibilities. Although the agency was pushing the silhouettes in particular, Steve Jobs, head of Apple, did not like the idea and "dismissed it outright" (Fiegerman, 2012). Jobs' biggest complaint was that he felt the ad "doesn't show the product...[and] doesn't say what it is" (Doyle, 2011). However, the ad agency pushed back and managed to convince him of the merits, changing his mind and causing him to move forward with the design. This mirrors the reaction to artist Lucian Bernhard's early Plakatstil poster for Priester matches. When he entered it into a competition, it was rejected outright, but one juror convinced of it's genius convinced the others to move forward, sparking a movement,
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| Source: Britannica.com |
The Priester poster and many other works of the Plakatstil movement followed "the Bernhard formula: flat background color; large simple image; and product name" (Meggs, 2006). The iPod designs fall under the same formula but with a small twist. They are described as "never more than three distinct colors on the screen at any one time, and black and white are two of them. What makes it so bold are those vast swaths of neon monochrome" (Stevenson, 2004). In Apple's case, this formula paid off. According to one source, "the distinctive marketing art used in these ads also helped Apple to sell tens of millions of iPods...[and] in some ways, helped Apple move its business to another level" (Doyle, 2011). The iPod designs are really just a Bernhard poster with a more vibrant background color, and evidence of how old methods can prove to be incredibly successful inspirations for modern graphic designs.
Cited Sources:
Doyle, J. (2011). The iPod silhouettes: 200o - 2011. Retrieved from
http://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/tag/tbwachiatday-advertising/
Fiegerman, S. (2012). Steve Jobs almost killed one of Apple's biggest ad campaigns. Retrieved from
Meggs, P. B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Megg's history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.
Stevenson, S. (2004). You and your shadow. Retrieved from
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Women in Advertising: Art Nouveau's Enduring Inspiration
The female form has been incorporated into nearly every major art movement, as either subject or inspiration. In art nouveau, the female form was especially celebrated and depicted because of its organic and elegant lines, and the popular posters created during that era prominently feature females. Much of advertising history features women as a central figure in the art and media, a practice that still continues. In some ways, popular artists of the art nouveau period, such as Jules Cheret and Alphonse Mucha, could be considered the fathers of modern advertising. Their work still remains popular and heavily copied, and the use of the female form as a central or decorative feature endures. The excitement and interest their work garnered may be a key reason why the faces and bodies of women are still a major element around which many advertisements are created.
Jules Cheret has been hailed as both the "father of the modern poster" and the "father of women's liberation" (Meggs, 2006, p 201-202). He was prolific in his creation of posters and advertisements, having created over a thousand posters, and his work led to his induction into the French government's Legion of Honor. But it was the subjects of his work as much as the quality that created his popularity. Cheret once said that an advertisement "need not show its product, as long as it evoked a feeling that conveyed amusement, enchantment, or enticement toward the product" (Edwards), and he accomplished this through heavy use of beautiful women as the central focus. The women of his work were dubbed "Cherettes" and were wildly popular. But some consider the Cherettes as "an unhealthy first step towards media promoting impossible body types for women" (Stock-Allen, 2011). Cherettes were heavily idealized - women who flouted the accepted norms and wore revealing clothing and indulged in risque behaviors for women of the time. This drove their popularity amongst both men and women and spurred the use of the figures in advertisements for many items, including "beverages and alcohol, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Eventually he was promoting railway companies as well as a series of manufacturing businesses" (Collins, 2008).
Another major figure in the art nouveau movement was Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, who was also known for his use of the female figure. Mucha exploded on the art scene after taking on a commission to design a poster for actress Sarah Bernhardt's new play, Gismonda. Meggs describes Mucha's figures as "project[ing] an archetypical sense of unreality. Exotic and sensuous while retaining an aura of innocence, they express no specific age, nationality, or historic period" (2006). Also like Cheret, Mucha was very prolific in the world of advertising. He frequently designed posters for the theatre, as well as "a whole host of consumable products that remain some of his most recognizable work" (Walsh, 2014).
Cheret and Mucha were not the only artists of the movement to focus on female form. Most of the artists of the era incorporated it into their works either extensively or occasionally in their advertising work. The work ranged from innocent to somewhat erotic. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec had a much smaller body of work, producing only 31 posters, but his work depicting the Moulin Rouge and cabarets of the time are iconic. Belgian designer Privat-Livemont is cited as "an excellent example of female sensuality used in the service of commerce" (Stock-Allen, 2011). Theophile-Alexandre Steinlein heavily depicted felines in his works, but did occasionally utilize women as figures, often in a less erotic, though still romantic way.
Fast forward to the pin up art popular in the 1940s and 50s and it is easy to see the source of inspiration. Artists like Gil Elvgren, Bill Randall, and Alberto Vargas drew women who show the same idealized beauty and attractive energy as their predecessors. The Cherettes were supplanted by the Gibson girls, and while advertisements changed somewhat in artistic style, they are just a variation on a theme. Beautiful women in striking poses with elegant hair and risque clothing still dominate as the central selling figure. The figure in the Pepsi ad recalls Cheret's art seen earlier, while the woman in the Claussner Hosiery ad is drawn with much of same curvilinear organic lines seen in many art nouveau works, and the Kool cigarettes woman is just a modern Job cigarettes woman.
In the present, women are still a central figure in advertising, although the advertisements often verge away from the elegant artistry of earlier works into a more aggressive sexuality and in the depiction of women. Still, some of those influences remain. It is easy to see how these works owe an allegiance to the advertisements created in the art nouveau period, and merely impress new styles and accepted cultural norms onto a framework created by the likes of Cheret and Mucha.
Sources:
Collins, N. (2008). Jules Charet (1836-1932). Retrieved from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/jules-cheret.htm
Edwards, E. (2008). The development of posters. Retrieved from
http://www.erinedwardsdesigns.com/dev_post/f1_d1.html
Meggs, P.B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.
Stock-Allen, N. (2011). Paris & the belle epoque poster craze. Retrieved from http://www.designhistory.org/Poster_pages/LaBelleEpoque.html
Walsh, G. (2014). Masters of the poster: Cheret, Mucha, and the new art of advertising. Retrieved from http://mirappraisal.com/masters-of-the-poster-cheret-mucha-and-the-new-art-of-advertising/
Jules Cheret has been hailed as both the "father of the modern poster" and the "father of women's liberation" (Meggs, 2006, p 201-202). He was prolific in his creation of posters and advertisements, having created over a thousand posters, and his work led to his induction into the French government's Legion of Honor. But it was the subjects of his work as much as the quality that created his popularity. Cheret once said that an advertisement "need not show its product, as long as it evoked a feeling that conveyed amusement, enchantment, or enticement toward the product" (Edwards), and he accomplished this through heavy use of beautiful women as the central focus. The women of his work were dubbed "Cherettes" and were wildly popular. But some consider the Cherettes as "an unhealthy first step towards media promoting impossible body types for women" (Stock-Allen, 2011). Cherettes were heavily idealized - women who flouted the accepted norms and wore revealing clothing and indulged in risque behaviors for women of the time. This drove their popularity amongst both men and women and spurred the use of the figures in advertisements for many items, including "beverages and alcohol, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Eventually he was promoting railway companies as well as a series of manufacturing businesses" (Collins, 2008).
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| Cheret poster. Source: InternationalPoster.com |
Another major figure in the art nouveau movement was Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, who was also known for his use of the female figure. Mucha exploded on the art scene after taking on a commission to design a poster for actress Sarah Bernhardt's new play, Gismonda. Meggs describes Mucha's figures as "project[ing] an archetypical sense of unreality. Exotic and sensuous while retaining an aura of innocence, they express no specific age, nationality, or historic period" (2006). Also like Cheret, Mucha was very prolific in the world of advertising. He frequently designed posters for the theatre, as well as "a whole host of consumable products that remain some of his most recognizable work" (Walsh, 2014).
Cheret and Mucha were not the only artists of the movement to focus on female form. Most of the artists of the era incorporated it into their works either extensively or occasionally in their advertising work. The work ranged from innocent to somewhat erotic. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec had a much smaller body of work, producing only 31 posters, but his work depicting the Moulin Rouge and cabarets of the time are iconic. Belgian designer Privat-Livemont is cited as "an excellent example of female sensuality used in the service of commerce" (Stock-Allen, 2011). Theophile-Alexandre Steinlein heavily depicted felines in his works, but did occasionally utilize women as figures, often in a less erotic, though still romantic way.
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| Toulouse-Lautrec. Source: hoocher.com |
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| Privat-Livemont. Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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| Steinlein. Source: GreatVintageGraphics.com |
Fast forward to the pin up art popular in the 1940s and 50s and it is easy to see the source of inspiration. Artists like Gil Elvgren, Bill Randall, and Alberto Vargas drew women who show the same idealized beauty and attractive energy as their predecessors. The Cherettes were supplanted by the Gibson girls, and while advertisements changed somewhat in artistic style, they are just a variation on a theme. Beautiful women in striking poses with elegant hair and risque clothing still dominate as the central selling figure. The figure in the Pepsi ad recalls Cheret's art seen earlier, while the woman in the Claussner Hosiery ad is drawn with much of same curvilinear organic lines seen in many art nouveau works, and the Kool cigarettes woman is just a modern Job cigarettes woman.
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| Source: PinUpCartoonGirls.com |
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| Source: PinUpCartoonGirls.com |
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| Source: PinUpCartoonGirls.com |
In the present, women are still a central figure in advertising, although the advertisements often verge away from the elegant artistry of earlier works into a more aggressive sexuality and in the depiction of women. Still, some of those influences remain. It is easy to see how these works owe an allegiance to the advertisements created in the art nouveau period, and merely impress new styles and accepted cultural norms onto a framework created by the likes of Cheret and Mucha.
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| Source: Brewbarn.Ecrater.com |
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| Source: research-methodology.net |
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| Source: PETA |
Sources:
Collins, N. (2008). Jules Charet (1836-1932). Retrieved from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/jules-cheret.htm
Edwards, E. (2008). The development of posters. Retrieved from
http://www.erinedwardsdesigns.com/dev_post/f1_d1.html
Meggs, P.B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.
Stock-Allen, N. (2011). Paris & the belle epoque poster craze. Retrieved from http://www.designhistory.org/Poster_pages/LaBelleEpoque.html
Walsh, G. (2014). Masters of the poster: Cheret, Mucha, and the new art of advertising. Retrieved from http://mirappraisal.com/masters-of-the-poster-cheret-mucha-and-the-new-art-of-advertising/
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Etsy and the Arts and Crafts Movement
When the Arts and Crafts movement began in the 19th century, the founding ideal was a desire to move away from a market glutted with mass-manufactured goods and promote artistry and handmade creation. John Ruskin, a celebrated writer and artist of the era, "pointed toward the union of art and labor in service to society," and believed that artistry didn't necessarily have to serve a specific purpose, as "beautiful things were valuable and useful precisely because they were beautiful" (Meggs, p177). Although the original movement ended approximately 100 years ago, it continues to have a lasting impact. Thanks to modern technology like the internet, the world is experiencing a return to some of the beliefs espoused by its founder William Morris and proponents like Ruskin.
William Morris' work in the pursuit of his beliefs that founded the Arts and Crafts movement led to a revival in the creation of a book as an artistic pursuit instead of just a commercial one. When he found himself dissatisfied with the output of printers and the decline of design, he followed an entrepreneurial instinct and struck out to make his own press to create and distribute works of quality. His efforts gave consumers choices beyond the mass-produced items that had supplanted works created with care. Today, it is even easier for an artist to reach an audience and distribute their work. Through sites like Etsy, which describes itself as "the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace," artists can post their creations online for anyone in the world to see and purchase. Before the advent of sites like these, handmade items could only be purchased at fairs and festivals, or small shops who chose to include the work of local artists. The majority of goods available for purchase at chain stores were of the mass-produced kind. Online merchandising allows people to connect to a wider range of goods and artists, and increases the possibility of buying handmade items at a fair rice with limited hassle.
Morris would likely approve of Etsy, a company that once declared that its "mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: buy, sell and live handmade" (McRae, 2010). Many people who have found themselves unemployed in a difficult economy have turned to selling handmade goods as a way to make ends meet when in financial difficulty (Bassett, 2010). This would have pleased Morris and Ruskin, who were also strong proponents of social justice, wanting to see fair labor conditions and greater benefits to workers (Harvey &Press, 1991; Meggs, 2012). Sites like Etsy enable anyone to have an entrepreneurial spirit and benefit from their creations. Mass-manufactured items will always be more easily available and often have cheaper prices, but the site can allow an artist to open a "shop" with little to no overhead and a wide potential audience. Although the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement did not like the modern technology of their era (The Economist, 2014), artists of this era have harnessed it to expound on Morris' ideals and pursue a world with a greater appreciation and creation of handmade items.
Sources:
Bassett, L. (2010) Jobless turning to Etsy to make their hobbies lucrative. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/06/etsy-online-craft-store-m_n_752791.html
Economist. (2014) The art and craft of business. Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21592656-etsy-starting-show-how-maker-movement-can-make-money-art-and-craft-business
Luckman, S. (2013). The aura of the analogue in a digital age: Women's crafts, creative markets and home-based labour after Etsy. Cultural Studies Review, 19(1). Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-2984190971/the-aura-of-the-analogue-in-a-digital-age-women-s
McRae, P.S. (2010). Etsy: 21st century arts and crafts. Retrieved from
http://blackfishart.blogspot.com/2010/10/etsy-21st-century-arts-and-crafts.html
Meggs, P.B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley &Sons.
William Morris' work in the pursuit of his beliefs that founded the Arts and Crafts movement led to a revival in the creation of a book as an artistic pursuit instead of just a commercial one. When he found himself dissatisfied with the output of printers and the decline of design, he followed an entrepreneurial instinct and struck out to make his own press to create and distribute works of quality. His efforts gave consumers choices beyond the mass-produced items that had supplanted works created with care. Today, it is even easier for an artist to reach an audience and distribute their work. Through sites like Etsy, which describes itself as "the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace," artists can post their creations online for anyone in the world to see and purchase. Before the advent of sites like these, handmade items could only be purchased at fairs and festivals, or small shops who chose to include the work of local artists. The majority of goods available for purchase at chain stores were of the mass-produced kind. Online merchandising allows people to connect to a wider range of goods and artists, and increases the possibility of buying handmade items at a fair rice with limited hassle.
Morris would likely approve of Etsy, a company that once declared that its "mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: buy, sell and live handmade" (McRae, 2010). Many people who have found themselves unemployed in a difficult economy have turned to selling handmade goods as a way to make ends meet when in financial difficulty (Bassett, 2010). This would have pleased Morris and Ruskin, who were also strong proponents of social justice, wanting to see fair labor conditions and greater benefits to workers (Harvey &Press, 1991; Meggs, 2012). Sites like Etsy enable anyone to have an entrepreneurial spirit and benefit from their creations. Mass-manufactured items will always be more easily available and often have cheaper prices, but the site can allow an artist to open a "shop" with little to no overhead and a wide potential audience. Although the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement did not like the modern technology of their era (The Economist, 2014), artists of this era have harnessed it to expound on Morris' ideals and pursue a world with a greater appreciation and creation of handmade items.
Sources:
Bassett, L. (2010) Jobless turning to Etsy to make their hobbies lucrative. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/06/etsy-online-craft-store-m_n_752791.html
Economist. (2014) The art and craft of business. Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21592656-etsy-starting-show-how-maker-movement-can-make-money-art-and-craft-business
Luckman, S. (2013). The aura of the analogue in a digital age: Women's crafts, creative markets and home-based labour after Etsy. Cultural Studies Review, 19(1). Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-2984190971/the-aura-of-the-analogue-in-a-digital-age-women-s
McRae, P.S. (2010). Etsy: 21st century arts and crafts. Retrieved from
http://blackfishart.blogspot.com/2010/10/etsy-21st-century-arts-and-crafts.html
Meggs, P.B., Purvis, A.W. (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley &Sons.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Mathematics in Design
As we progress through chapters five through eight in Megg's History of Design, we start to see an increased discussion of the role of mathematics in the design process. The capitals in Griffo's Bembo type "used the one-to-ten (stroke weight to height) proportion advanced by leading mathematicians of the era." (Meggs, p104) The construction of the Romain du Roi typeface, the official typeface of King Louis XIV's Imprimerie Royale, was created by a team of scholars headed by mathematician Nicolas Jaugeon. Nineteenth century craftsman William Morris declared the development of this typeface "saw the calligrapher replaced by the engineer as the dominant typographic influence." (Meggs, p122) In the sixteenth century, mathematics professor Oronce Fine was a popular graphic designer for his "mathematical construction of ornaments" and the eighteenth century saw the development of information graphics to represent statistical data. (p113) Although people may choose to classify themselves as either right-brained or left-brained, dependent on their predisposition towards either more scientific or more artistic thinking and abilities, science and art are not mutually exclusive. Art and design can be enhanced and created through the fundamentals of science and math.
A fascinating contribution of mathematics to art and design is the golden ratio and the fibonacci sequence. The golden ratio, also known as the golden number or golden mean, is an irrational number roughly equal to 1.618. The Fibonacci sequence is a sequence of numbers, beginning with one, where each number is the sum of the two before. So the Fibonacci sequence begins with 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13..., etc. The further one travels down the sequence, the closer the ratio between the two numbers gets to the golden ratio. The sequence can be represented visually in the form of a spiral, shown below:
The golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence occur commonly in nature. The number and structure of seeds, petals, and spirals in sunflowers, pinecones, and pineapples are often a Fibonacci number, and the structure of a Nautilus shell shows the Fibonacci spiral.
These same concepts can be applied to art and design. Meggs' text discusses how mathematics was used in designing historical typefaces, and this is still an important part of typography. But typography is not just about the construction and design of the individual letterforms. Font size, line width, line height, and the proportions between them must all be considered when creating a new typeface and using them in documents to the best effect. Many sites offer modular scales and calculators to find the best proportions for font creation and placement. In the article "More Meaningful Typography," author Tim Brown (2011) offers an in-depth look at using the golden ratio in developing a modular scale. His article explores how this affects balance and appearance in web design and creates a stronger and more pleasing visual. Designer Nick Meccia (2013) also promotes the use of the modular scale in design, explaining that "its purpose is to introduce hierarchy and consistency into typography via mathematical relationships." He adds that incorporating the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio into designs can "elevate [the] visual impact."
But the use of mathematics and proportion is not limited to only typography. Fine's art is just one example of an artist whose work incorporates mathematical principles to great effect. Many of the works of artists like Leonardo daVanci, Georges Surat, Salvador Dali and others have been analyzed for proportions aligned to the golden ratio, although it is not known for certain whether this was intentional in every case. Artist Edward Burne Jones did use the ratio when composing his work. "The Golden Stairs," shown below.
With all the modern advancements in technology, incorporating principles of math and science into design becomes easier than ever. One does not need great mathematical skill or a heavy education in these topics. Readily available online tools like the modular scales and calculators and instant connection and advice from others on posting boards and listservs can improve the accessibility and use of these tools for anyone interested. While early typography and design seemed to be limited to those with great education, innate talent, or the right connections, these days, anyone with drive can find what they need to create their own works and find an audience.
A fascinating contribution of mathematics to art and design is the golden ratio and the fibonacci sequence. The golden ratio, also known as the golden number or golden mean, is an irrational number roughly equal to 1.618. The Fibonacci sequence is a sequence of numbers, beginning with one, where each number is the sum of the two before. So the Fibonacci sequence begins with 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13..., etc. The further one travels down the sequence, the closer the ratio between the two numbers gets to the golden ratio. The sequence can be represented visually in the form of a spiral, shown below:
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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| Source: photoshoptutorialsandtips.com |
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| Golden Ratio equation - Source: mathisfun.com |
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Sources:
Brown, T. (2011). More meaningful typography. Retrieved from http://alistapart.com/article/more-meaningful-typography
Hamilton, L. D. (2014). The golden ratio and typography. Retrieved from http://www.lauradhamilton.com/the-golden-ratio-and-typography
Meccia, N. (2013). Designing irrationally. Retrieved from http://blog.8thlight.com/nick-meccia/2013/08/23/designing-irrationally.html
Meisner, G. (2014). Golden ratio in art composition and design. Retrieved from http://www.goldennumber.net/art-composition-design/
Meggs, P. B., Purvis, A. W. (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.
Pearson, C. (2011). Secret symphony: The ultimate guide to readable web typography. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonified.com/2011/12/golden-ratio-typography.php
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Writing/Reading Direction and Organization of Graphic Design
For this week's History of Graphic Design field journal, students were asked to research further into something that inspired them from the reading. Throughout the assigned chapters, something that stuck out to me was the direction of writing. Writing evolved not only in how it was designed (whether pictographs or alphabets), but also how it was displayed and intended to be read. Writing could be displayed vertically, horizontally, or even on a spiral, as shown on the Phaistos Disk of the Minoan civilization.
The printed images or alphabets may be read from right-to-left or left-to-right, and different cultures adopted different methods for the display of their languages. At one point, the Greeks even adopted a method called "boustrophedon" which intends for the work to be read continuously. The first sentence can begin from left-to-right, but the next sentence will begin right-to-left to keep the eye from jumping back to the beginning,
Western cultures followed the lead of Greek civilization, which ultimately adopted a left-to-right horizontal direction of reading and writing. Arabic and Hebrew are examples of languages written and read in a right-to-left horizontal direction, and Chinese and Japanese may be written and read in either a right-to-left vertical direction, or a left-to-right horizontal direction, which the more modern writings have adopted.
I wanted to read a little more about reading direction and in doing so, discovered something interesting. Quite a few studies have been done on the effect reading direction may have on perceptual biases, spatial cognition, and even preference for image location.
A study by Ting Ting Chan and Benjamin Bergen (2005) found that English and Chinese speakers were more likely to remember images shown in the top left of a screen, while Taiwanese speakers were more likely to remember an image shown on the top right. (p. 3)
The abstract of a study by Austen Smith and Lorin Elias (2013) stated that their research found a difference in how reading direction influenced preference for left or right lit image, the direction in which circles were drawn, and the proximity to center a line is drawn when bisecting a circle.
All of this makes me wonder how reading direction can affect the reception and success of graphic designs. I have not yet located any studies into this specific topic from my perfunctory research, but I would hypothesize that the layout and construction of a design could benefit from taking into account how reading direction can impact the perception of design. It would seem reasonable to suspect that an advertisement created by a native left-to-right reader for an audience of the same could be less effective or visually appealing to an audience of right-to-left readers. It is something I am curious to look further into as we progress into more modern eras of study, and determine if I can spot a significant difference between design layouts by culture and reading direction.
Chan, T.T., & Bergen, B. (2005). Writing direction influences spatial
cognition. Retrieved from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~bergen/papers/f895-chan.pdf
Smith, A.K., & Elias, L.J. Native reading direction and corresponding preferences for left- or right-lit images. [Abstract]. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 116(2), 355-367. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24032316
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
The printed images or alphabets may be read from right-to-left or left-to-right, and different cultures adopted different methods for the display of their languages. At one point, the Greeks even adopted a method called "boustrophedon" which intends for the work to be read continuously. The first sentence can begin from left-to-right, but the next sentence will begin right-to-left to keep the eye from jumping back to the beginning,
 |
| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Western cultures followed the lead of Greek civilization, which ultimately adopted a left-to-right horizontal direction of reading and writing. Arabic and Hebrew are examples of languages written and read in a right-to-left horizontal direction, and Chinese and Japanese may be written and read in either a right-to-left vertical direction, or a left-to-right horizontal direction, which the more modern writings have adopted.
I wanted to read a little more about reading direction and in doing so, discovered something interesting. Quite a few studies have been done on the effect reading direction may have on perceptual biases, spatial cognition, and even preference for image location.
A study by Ting Ting Chan and Benjamin Bergen (2005) found that English and Chinese speakers were more likely to remember images shown in the top left of a screen, while Taiwanese speakers were more likely to remember an image shown on the top right. (p. 3)
The abstract of a study by Austen Smith and Lorin Elias (2013) stated that their research found a difference in how reading direction influenced preference for left or right lit image, the direction in which circles were drawn, and the proximity to center a line is drawn when bisecting a circle.
All of this makes me wonder how reading direction can affect the reception and success of graphic designs. I have not yet located any studies into this specific topic from my perfunctory research, but I would hypothesize that the layout and construction of a design could benefit from taking into account how reading direction can impact the perception of design. It would seem reasonable to suspect that an advertisement created by a native left-to-right reader for an audience of the same could be less effective or visually appealing to an audience of right-to-left readers. It is something I am curious to look further into as we progress into more modern eras of study, and determine if I can spot a significant difference between design layouts by culture and reading direction.
Chan, T.T., & Bergen, B. (2005). Writing direction influences spatial
cognition. Retrieved from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~bergen/papers/f895-chan.pdf
Smith, A.K., & Elias, L.J. Native reading direction and corresponding preferences for left- or right-lit images. [Abstract]. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 116(2), 355-367. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24032316
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Module 1
When I started my freshman year of college more than a decade ago, I signed up for a History of Tribal Art class. I had not had a substantial exposure to it previously, and I loved the idea of learning about something so different and new to me. Every week was exciting because of the exposure to new cultures and beliefs, and seeing how these were expressed through art. I went in to the class with no expectations and very open-minded because I had no real frame of reference when it came to tribal art. While I had some knowledge and appreciation of art and different movements, they were from eras and cultures vastly different from the ones I was now studying, and so I did not carry and preconceptions that influenced my interaction with the subject matter.
Already, the experience I am having with this class is vastly different. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit my narrow conception of graphic design before I worked my way through the first reading assignment. My exposure to graphic design and graphic designers in my professional work restricted and biased my outlook. I have known artists who turn their noses up at comic books or cartoons, insisting they do not qualify as "art." I never agreed, believing both deserve the distinction of "art" even if they are created with different motivations and techniques. However, I find myself guilty unconsciously of creating a separation between graphic design and "art."
I saw graphic design as a purely technical skill set, something that could be accomplished independently of the common ideas of "art." In my professional life, graphic design has been used to translate large sets of data into graphics that are more widely accessible and easily digested, or create pleasing presentations, reports, and advertisements to impress clients. My view of graphic design was limited to a business focus, and a particularly modern one. Until the day I logged into this class, I suppose I imagined the history of graphic design would be a relatively young one, focused on the technological advancements that have enhanced and changed the field in the digital era. The moment I saw the sample question in the syllabus about illustrated manuscripts, my previous notions were flipped.
In my Library and Information Science Master's program, I had studied manuscripts, the invention of the printing press, and other advancements in the development of the written word, but in my focus on the changing world of books and information, I never considered the substantial role graphic design played in all of it. Suddenly, I realized that the creation of the alphabets and fonts, the decision on how to lay out the works and illustrate them, all of which were key to the creation and historical significance of these advancements, were created through graphic design. As I looked at the pictures in the textbook, my idea of graphic design changed entirely, and I was shocked by how I had never recognized it.
I read an article a while back about a study where a group of radiologists whose job is to find nearly invisible signs of cancer in scans were givens slides with a picture of a man in a gorilla suit superimposed on them and told to find the cancer signs. These are experts in finding minuscule abnormalities in complex scans, but the majority of them did not notice the gorilla. The findings of the study show that how we focus on the world in front of us impacts what we perceive. For the radiologists, their intense focus on finding very specific data caused them to overlook something blatantly odd. In my case, my heavy focus on a different field and specific applications of graphic design made me blind to the impact and evolution of graphic design throughout history.
This initial reading has made me very eager to learn more about the field. It has been an invisible partner through much of my previous studies, and it will be very fascinating to spend more time understanding the role of something I had always taken for granted.
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