design is improvisation_ a critique by jessica helfand _ jessica helfand on the human touch and...

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Home>Arcles>Design

ByChrisnaBeard

Nov4,2013

Thischapterisfromthebook

Criqued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign

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DesignisImprovisaon:ACriquebyJessicaHelfand

Withherposterintow,ChrisnaBeardmeets

withleadingdesigners,writers,andcurators,

whereeachpersoncriquesherposterandtalks

abouthisorherowndesignprocess.Basedon

theirconversaon,Chrisnaredesignstheposter

beforeheadingtothenextcrique.Inthis

excerptfromChrisna'sbook,Criqued:Inside

theMindsof23LeadersinDesign,Chrisnagets

criquedbyJessicaHelfand,afounderofDesign

Observer,apartneratWinterhouseStudio,andaYaleUniversityprofessorandalumnus.

Clicktoviewlargerimage

AFTERAlicesfeedback

LOCATION YaleUniversity,NewHaven,CT

EDUCATION BAGraphicDesignandArchitecturalTheory,Yale;MFAGraphicDesign,Yale

EMPLOYMENT PartnerandCoFounder,Winterhouse Studio;CoFounder,DesignObserver;Faculty,YaleUniversity

DURATIONOFREDESIGN 6days

Itshouldfeelvisceralandemoonalandtheatrical, Jessicasaid,wavingherhandsintheair.

Print ShareThis Discuss Page1of1

Youwantsomeonetothink,Ohshit,Ihavetowashmyhands.

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ign is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfa... http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2149191

6 17/11/2014 13:02


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AnhourearlierwemetinthedarkSterlingMemorialLibraryatYaleUniversity.WedecidedtogooutsidesinceIwouldbefilming.Wewalked

throughthelongnaveoftheGothicrevivalbuildingasthousandsofstainedglasspanesflasheddownonus.

Sohowmanymeswillyouredesignthis?Jessicaasked.AnddoIgettoseeallofthem?Sheseemedexcitedabouttheprojectaswe

walkedquicklylookingforaspottositoutside.


BEFOREJessicasfeedback

Iwasnervous.JessicaHelfandisapowerfulvoiceingraphicdesign.SheisafounderofDesignObserver;apartneratWinterhouse Studiowith

herhusband,WilliamDrenel;andaYaleUniversityprofessorandalumnus.

Wesatonabenchinacourtyard.Thisisreallyagreatproject,Jessicasaid.ItwasawarmSeptemberaernoon.

Ipulledoutmylatestiteraon.Jessicalookedattheposter,pulledbackslightly,andrespondedfirmly,Imoftheoldschool,PaulRandview

oftheposter.Shelookedatmeovertherimsofhereyeglasses.Itstheraremewehavethechancetomakeimpactwithpuregraphic

form.


Jessica,responding totheposter

Youwantsomeonetothink,Ohshit,Ihavetowashmyhands.Shelookeddownatherhandsandactedoutthemoment.Jessicaproposed

anaconorientedposter,visceralenoughtomakesomeonewash.Theposterwastoodigitallyrendered,shesaid,andthegermculture

didntreadfromadistance.

Designisimprovisaon.



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Theillustraonlookslikeadetachedpieceofcleaningequipment,shesaid.Sheencouraged metogetawayfromthecomputer,getmy

handsdirty,andimprovise.


DrawingsbyJessicaHelfand

Designisimprovisaon,shesaid,shakingherfists.Shedescribedherownexperiencewithimprovisaonwhiledrawingabirdsnest.It

occurredtomeoneday,drawingthenest,thatifIdrewthenestthewaythebirdmakesthenest,itwouldlookmorelikeanest.Ijuststarted

todrawthelinesandstartedtothinkaboutthewaytheyputthetwigstogether.Theygolikethisandsomemestheygolikethis,andsuddenlyitstartedtohavethefeelingofanest.Jessicaproposed Idothesameandimprovise withbehavinglikebacteriaandexploringnew

materials.

Itsaneasythingforyou,procedurally, toexplore,shesaid.Youcouldputyourhandsinstuff.Shedescribedmanywaysofmakingforms,

whileacvelyperforminggesturesontotheposter.Shetalkedquickly,somemesstumbling.Iwouldencourageyoutoinvesgateittwo

ways.One,openuptheinvesgaonformallyandjustseewhatthatthingcouldbe.Doesitrepeat?Isitaspore?Isitacell?Isitabug?Isit

manybugs?

Whatifyoustartedoutwithatotallycleanposterandstartedpungallthecrapontop?Shesmackedandsmearedherhandsagainstmy

poster.ThenIwouldjustworkoutthetypographyonawhitespaceanddothisasasecondlayer,totallyseparate,andbringthemback

togetherandseehowtheycoalesce.


PosterfromNaonalLibraryofMedicine

Jessicapaused.Shescannedtheposteroncemoreandthenlookeduptome,herglassesslippingdownhernose.Iwouldreallyblowthis

thingout.Whatdoyouhavetolose?

Jessicasspiritwascontagious. Herenergyandopmisminspiredmetowanttogobacktothestudioandstartredesigningimmediately. On

thetrain

ride

home,

Iwatched

the

video

Ishot

ofour

mee

ngand

wrote

about

the

experience.

Ifelt

completely

reinvigorated

about

my

enreproject.

Backatmyapartment, IpulledouteverytoolandmaterialIhadpaper,charcoal,acrylic,andwatercolor paintsand startedtoexplore.I

printedoutphotographsofbacteriaanddrewbylookingandthenmovedontocreangimaginaryforms.Ifeltfreetomakethingsthatdidnt

havetoworkwithinaposter.Ispenttwodaysplayingwithmaterialswithnoendresultinmind.Iphotographed myhands,smearedmyhands

overcharcoal,dippedmyhandsinpaint,anddrewlilebugswithink.



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PagefromJessicasbookScrapbooks

ThenIexaminedwhatIhadanddevelopedonlythepartsIliked.Aeracoupleofdays,whenImergedtheelementstogetherdigitally,the

posterfeltsomuchmoredisgusngandgriy.Jessicaenergizedmetoimprovise,toputmyhandsinstuff,andtoexplorethebacterialformbeforeevertouching thecomputer.

Atthesameme,herguidancewasopenendedenoughtoempowermeasadesignerand,ulmately,toexpressmyowncreave

personalitywithintheredesign.


PROCESSDrawingbugs

JessicaHelfandOntheHumanTouchandExpandingtheField

Doyouhaveauniqueprocessorapproachtodesign?

Besidesmakingbirdneststhewaybirdsmakethem?

IstudiedtheatrewhenIwasinschool,soIfindmyselfdrawntotheactualmetaphorsofchoreography andmovement.Actualhumanbeings

lookatposters,andhumanbeingsconsumedesign,sowhyisnttheprocessfullofthat?WhenIwenttoschoolitwasverySwiss.Itwasvery

dogmac.IfeellikeIvehadtofightforthatright.Ithinkyourgeneraon,mystudentsnow,feelmuchmoreopentovariedkindsofwork.

Asmegoeson,thebalanceformeismoreintofineartandlessintodesign.SoIfindthatthemoremeIspendinthestudio,themore

facileIbecomeinfindingnewwaystobuildforminmydesignstudio.

Sothisissomethingyouvedevelopedoverme?

Verymuchoverme.TherewasaperiodwhenIwasverystuck.ThemesIvebeenstuckhavebeenbecauseoftechnology.

...humanbeingsconsumedesign,sowhyisnttheprocessfullofthat?



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Ifyourestuckonasoluonwhatdoyoudo?

Write.Draw.Drawinghastaughtmethemoreyoudontknowinyourmindwhatyouregoingtodo,themoreitcomesoutinyourhand.You

learnfromlooking,andlookfrommaking,andmakefromlooking,anditsallpartofthisongoingprocess.

Howoendoyouexperiment?

Daily,hourly.TheotherdayIwasincrediblyexhausted.Ithought,IreallyneedthenapandIdonthavetheenergytodraw,butIsatdownin

achairandIdrewfor20minutes.Ifeltcompletelyreborn.Itssohardbecauseitsatotalblankslateeverymeyoustartaproject;butyou

lookandyouthinkandyoureflectandyoudrawagainandyougobacktoadrawingyoumadethedaybeforeandyougoforwardand

backward.Drawingisreally,reallyimportant.

Howwouldyoudescribeyourvoiceasadesigner?

Classical.Ilovehistory.Iwroteabookonscrapbooks, andIteachacourseongengstudentsoutofthestudioandintomuseumstolookat

primarysourceslikeleersandjournalsandbooksandplayingcardsandarfacts.Itsaboutreallylookingattheworldbefore2010.Ihavean

incredibleloveforanythinghistoric.Ilovevintageclothes.Iloveoldmovies.

IfinditsthattheatricalevocaonofsomethingthatexistedbeforeStarbucks oriPhones,beforewebecamehomogenized. Ilovejusfied

type,reallyclassictypography,photography,oldphotographs.Ilovethingsthatcanevokeasequenceofme.


BookbyJessicaHelfand

Whatsthefutureofdesign?

Ithinkthefutureofdesignismuchmoreinternaonal.Designismuchmorecollaboravethanitusedtobe.AllthedesignersIknow,whoI

respect,are

making

their

own

work.

Theyre

not

wai

ngfor

aclient

tocome

tothem

with

aproblem.

Theprofession hasanincredibleopportunity tobecomesomethingmuchgreaterthanjustcommercialartbecause,letsfaceit,thatshowit

started.ButIthinkitreallyrequiresacomplete360onhowweeducatestudentsandhowwethinkofourselves.Evenifschoolsarentableto

makethepedagogicalshi rightawaytothinkingmorebroadlyandinternaonally,wecanofferexchangeprogramsandtravelgrantsand

gengforeignstudentshere.Butitsalsoaboutlearninghowtomakedesignmoreaccessibleinotherpartsoftheworld.

Theworldneedspeopletodomuchgreaterthings,thathavetodowithpeopleandtheirneedsandeducaonandcommunicaon.Thatsmy

newcrusade.IwanttomakemorethingsandIwanttomakethingsforandwithpeopleoutsidetheconfinesofmypracce.

Itsagreatmetobeadesignerbecauseitdoesntlimityouatall.Butyouhavetothinkofitasaportalintosomethingmuchgreaterthan

justmakingaposterormakingabrochure.

JessicasFeedback:ImprovisewithDesign,BecomeYourSubject

Thinkaboutbecomingyourobject,whetheritsagermoracharacter.Drawandwriteanddontthinkabouttheendresult.Justfreeyourself

toexplore. Aerathoroughexlporaon,pullelementsyouwanttomoveforwardwithandstartformingthemintoalayout.

Youlearnfromlooking,andlookfrommaking,andmakefromlooking.



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