This past Friday (4/22) my fully installed thesis project, a poster series titled Finding Self, was critiqued by visiting designer Yoonjai Choi. I explained what the poster series was, a collection of 24 definitions of Self from friends, family, and myself included. I also made a process book for her to see how I came to this point from start to finish (I had a completely different idea for my content container and about 2/3 more content.) I picked out some of my favorites and told her a bit about the person who wrote it.
Yoonjai had talked about my level of content control in this case as more of an editor of the final content rather than a 'designer'... in this case, specifically. She said that yes, it was arranged in a grid and printed on paper, but she wanted me to describe how I saw myself as the designer. I explained that when all I wanted to do was make books (because I love them), I worked so hard in thinking and rethinking, collecting so much content, trying to make it all fit and work, and trying really hard, sometimes to the point of tears. I told her that I was the designer because of my decision to let go of over half of my content and changed my vision to one that was not necessarily something I'd usually work with. I let the content lead me in order to make it as powerful as it was.
I was then asked if I had considered taking the handwriting and translating it to a typeface. I told her that was actually something that I was working on in the way beginnings of my thesis development (during the 'I'm doing a series of books' phase.) She said that, of course, nothing was right or wrong in that sense, and also explained how the translation from handwriting to type can sometimes make things more 'authoritative.' Another aspect she brought up with the handwriting is that some are slightly more legible than others, so some will be read first and most and other last and less.
When she looked through my process book she told me that my making it was a huge comfort to her. She liked how simple the design of it was (even though it's not necessarily part of my thesis, as it will not be on display with the posters.) She thought that my inclusion of the original definitions of Self were more insightful and gave the project a different feel. She had a few suggestions for the least strong elements of the book such as the handling of typography on the cover and that my inclusion of the content that was discarded (the original book content that lead up to my decision to make posters instead of books) was jarring and could possibly do to have it's own book because of how different it felt from the entire simplicity of just having the original definitions.
I was asked what I wanted to accomplish with this project. I said I felt that lately in the world people have a hard time, or no time, to look at themselves and learn about who they are. What I wanted from this project was to touch people and have them soul-search to try and describe themselves; to see themselves and spend time with themselves. I also wanted there to be connectivity between people, to have my audience look at the writings and feel close to someone else. That's what I want out of everything I do in my design career, to be able to connect with people and give something back. Yoonjai asked what I liked working with, medium-wise, besides books of course, so I replied of course books because I like the intricacy of working with type, grids, pages, and so on, but I really have to say I like doing it all... that everything I learned to do at Mason Gross and what I'd done with some freelancing was wonderful to me.
We concluded the critique with Yoonjai telling me that sometimes designers will look back on their work 7 years later and ask themselves 'why did I do something like that?' but that I would look back and even if I questioned certain elements of the project, that I would still carry something special and sentimental that I've gained from having this experience. The highlight of my critique was when Yoonjai told me I was a very brave, passionate, and free-spirited designer to take such a chance with content, relying on others, and using a medium I may not be comfortable or enthusiastic about. She told me not to loose that because designers will sometimes feel they need to be married to certain ways and always apply what they've learned, and to be brave and take chances can sometimes be beneficial... and to also not be too free, because sometimes too much freedom is overwhelming and restrictions can be useful in shaping a project.
