Disconnect / Experiments + Report

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Major Final Project / Pg Dip Design for Visual Communication / LCC 2014

‘Technology has become the architect of our intimacies’, claims Sherry Turkle in her book ‘Alone Together’. We would rather text than talk. We ‘like’ and comment on photos on Facebook but ignore the same people when we see them in person. She says,‘technology gives us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. We turn to technology to help us feel connected in ways we can comfortably control.’ With technology, there is always something to do, someone to talk to. We are fooled into believing that technology is an acceptable replacement for human interaction.

'Disconnect' can be considered a social design project using graphic design strategies to explore and communicate a solution to a common social issue we are facing today with the intention of affecting a change in attitude. Although the issue of devices dictating our interactions could typically be considered a ‘first world problem’, it has greater implications for the future and the way people interact.

The question I hope to answer with this project is -

VISUAL EXPERIMENTS

Experimenting with ideas, media and materials to further explore the subject as well as develop a visual identity for the final outcome.

Photographing people in social situations

Experiments with screen printing

Illustrations

Surveys

PROJECT PROPOSAL / REPORT

For the design & identity of the project, I've explored the use of handwriting and hand lettering in Graphic design as practised by designers like Paul Rand, Alvin Lustig, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Sagmeister, and more recently, James Victore, Timothy Goodman & Jessica Walsh.
I believe this is the link between what I am trying to convey through the project and the design of the final outcome.

As Sagmeister said, ‘Using my handwriting eliminates that process, personalizes the piece and can be interpreted as an anti-computer statement all in one easy move.’