Overview
Our first reading consists of an introduction to the text Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Armstrong, Helen, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Navigate to pages 6-7 to read “Why Theory? by Ellen Lupton.”
And we will also read a page from the text “Extra Bold” by Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, and Jannifer Tobias.
Due Date(s)
- Add your reading response in a comment HERE on this post before our next meeting. Follow the instructions below.
Instructions
NOTE: Prior to starting this assignment, complete the Week 2 Agenda tasks: setting up Hypothesis, and review OpenLab Help> Commenting on a Site.
1. Open the reading.
In a new tab open the text Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Navigate to pages 6-7 to read “Why Theory?” by Ellen Lupton.
In another tab, open this excerpt from “Extra Bold” by Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, and Jannifer Tobias (Log in to OpenLab to view)
2. Enable Hypothesis.
Enable Hypothesis in your Chrome browser, login to your account and select our group COMD Theory Fall2024 Group (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group. See Using Hypothesis for details.
HAVING TROUBLE accessing hypothes.is on your device?
Add “https://via.hypothes.is/” to the start of any web address (URL) or use the Paste a Link feature.
Still, having trouble? Sometimes, the Adobe extension conflicts with the Hypothesis extension in Chrome. Turn it off temporarily.
3. Read & Annotate.
Practice close reading with annotations. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates.
Add the tag Why Theory? to your annotations. (See adding tags in Using Hypothesis.)
4. Consider these questions/prompts
- What stood out to you in these two readings?
- What is your own definition of Design Theory?
- Why do you think studying Design Theory could be useful to you as a designer?
- Why do you think contributing your voice to the written discourse of the design field could be important? *You might also check out AIGA’s Eye on Design to discover what topics contemporary designers are exploring.
5. Add your Reading Response in a comment on THIS post
Write a draft of your 200-word response in your software of choice. Check for grammar/spelling errors using Google Docs spell-grammar check or Grammarly. Check your word count.
Include links to at least (3) of your Hypothesis annotations in your response. In Hypothesis > select the Share icon > copy the URL. (see Using Hypothesis > Share)
When ready, add a comment at the bottom of this post and paste your response. Be sure to double-check the formatting before hitting “Post“!
Resources
More info
- Tutorials > Using Hypothesis
- OpenLab Help > Commenting on a Site
Texts
- “Introduction: Revisiting the Avant-Garde” from DesignOpenData
- “Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers” by Ellen Lupton, Farah Kafei, and Jannifer Tobias
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In “Why Theory?”, what stood out to me was this quote, “Design is visible everywhere, yet it is also invisible—unnoticed and unacknowledged.” (pg. 7). And it made me think of how I used to act that same way before I wanted to become a graphic designer myself. In the past I would just see an ad as an aesthetic piece of information, but now I see ads as more than that. When I look at one, I notice the choice of colors, the typeface used, the images used and how they work with the ad’s message. How does this ad stand out compared to others? And I’ve noticed I do this with not only graphic designs like ads, I also notice it when I look at buildings or vehicles, someone had to draw out the design of the building or vehicle, what it would look like, what part would go where, and how people would respond to it or use it. I’ve begun to notice all kinds of things everytime I leave my house and how an art piece, or structure, or vehicle, came to be, it all stems back to someone wanting to design their idea.
In “Extra Bold” what stood out to me was the last sentence, “Inclusive design is created by people with varied identities, backgrounds, and abilities.” And I think that’s very important for all designers because if we follow a “single story” it’ll only expose people to that story when we should learn multiple stories so we don’t just believe in one stereotype and design in that one stereotype.
Based on the two readings “Why Theory?” and ” Extra Bold”, Design Theory can be defined as the framework that guides how designers think about, and create their work, considering the social, cultural, and ethical implications of their designs.
What stood out to me while reading “Why Theory?” was this sentence: “Design is a social activity. Rarely working alone or in private, designers respond to clients, audiences, publishers, institutions, and collaborators” (pg. 6). Responding to clients, audiences, and collaborators can be challenging, but it offers unique advantages that enhance the design workflow. One key advantage is the opportunity to develop social and communication skills. And the reason I chose to major in communication design not only to become a designer but also to improve my communication abilities. I appreciate how professors encourage and push students to work in groups, as this experience will benefit us in our future careers. Working with colleagues and interacting with clients will not only improve the final product but also foster professional growth.
What grabs my attention in “Extra Bold” is this sentence: “Creating a more just world requires struggle and debate. Over time, securing rights for some people has ended up excluding others” (pg. 1). This often happens because true inclusive design comes from embracing diversity. When designers from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives work together, they create designs that better serve everyone, rather than just a small group. Over time, focusing on the rights of some can unintentionally exclude others, but diverse teams can help address this issue and ensure that designs are more inclusive.
Standing out to me was Design Theory’s take on public recognition pg.6. I think it explains how we as creatives received little to no credit from the public compared to other fields of work. And yet, our work is what drives the center of attention to other events, people, fields, campaigns, brands, etc. In Extra Bold, what stood out to me was the way they described graphic designers, I agree that we represent our societies, and like I commented, we make sure they look good by attracting other public audiences.
My definition of design theory is questioning every little action and thought we have, because if we don’t who will? And I think by questioning our actions, thoughts, values, we begin to grow our own identities and own our thoughts. It also helps us determine the answer to the common questions of “Why did you choose that?”, “What was the meaning behind this decision?”. By studying design theory I believe it’ll help me answer these questions during presentations, interviews, or when I’m just aimlessly designing. It’ll help give meaning to how I create. Contributing a written element to what is usually visual, may expand others’ thinking about the design’s functionality.
Design theory’s take is how we create works that get high exposure compared to the designers themselves having little to no credit.
Extra Bold’s description of graphic designers being representations of how society resonated with me because I think we, as designers, are the ones who create an appealing image to others so that they feel inclined to be a part of ours. Behind the visuals are the concepts and strategies that go into making something look visually appealing but also functional for brands or, in this case, societies.
In “Introduction: Revisiting the Avant-Garde,” I noticed how it talks about the history and principles of avant-garde design, focusing on challenging traditional ideas. “Extra Bold,” on the other hand, grabbed my attention because it’s more modern and inclusive, discussing feminism, anti-racism, and nonbinary perspectives in design. While both readings highlight the importance of pushing boundaries, I found “Extra Bold” more interesting because it relates more to today’s design world. One of the quotes is, “Designers are creating culture. We’re creating the interface by which people engage with their futures.”One more quote, “The routine intake of certain images, colors, or textures from our cultural environments significantly affects our perception of what’s normal, even what’s beautiful.” The last quote, “We make artifacts that people interface with every day, whether it’s software, whether it’s shoes, whether it’s your car.We’re making tools for other people to make things.” My design theory aligns with the definition from Heni. It sees theory as the framework that guides how designers think about and create their work, considering the social, cultural, and ethical implications of their designs. It’s also about how designers shape these principles through their work and contributions to the field. By sharing my ideas and challenging existing norms, I can help shape the future of design and ensure that it continues to evolve in a socially and culturally responsible way. Some of the annotations I took from “Introduction: Revisiting the Avant-Garde,”.
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P.S. My Hypothesis did not work for “Extra Bold,”.So I could not see others students annotations and my own when I opened a new tab.
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In the second paragraph of “Why Theory” it says, “Theory is all about the question “why?” The process of becoming a designer is focused largely on “how”. When I first read this I was a bit confused. The book was telling me that to become designers you need to learn how to do things with hard skills. However, the book states that there is more to it than just doing and asking yourself “why?” will make you a better designer. Which stands out to me because this book wants to talk about why design is important and acknowledges that to become a designer you need to know how to do things, however there’s more to just doing and that thinking about design theory and understanding the deeper political and philosophical questions is essential for growth. It does this by introducing notable designers such as El Lissitzky, Josef Müller-Brockmann, Paul Rand, and Kenya Hara in page 7, who influenced the field of design by their visual work and their teachings, this tells us the importance of a community in design because it connects designers from everywhere. Ultimately, these two pages aim to stimulate and inspire designers to engage in design theory and understand its principles in order to grow as a designer and to have a deeper connection with the field.
In ” Why Theory “ in the first paragraph, page 6 that stood out the most to me was “social purposes of design” I think that when it comes to design it is a group effort and not just a single vision of design.”Each text assembled here was created in order to inspirepractice, moving designers to act and experiment with incisive principlesin mind. “( page 7) . I think design theory is about finding new ways to design things that have never been done before. I believe Design Theory can be used to inspire future designers to create new design methods. I think our contribution as designers is to give people a new perspective on what we are creating whether if its an Ad for a TV show or a design for a start-up company logo. “A different kind of design theory reader would have drawn ideas from outside the field” This quote from page 7 in my opinion is valid because it is a way to push designers to experiment with outside sources and to inspire them to stimulate growth and expand their knowledge. In the end, I believe that these two pages from the reading are to inspire designers to grow and have a deep dive in their profession.
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Design theory is the study of basic ideas that help guide how designs are made in areas like graphic design, architecture, and product design. It focuses on how different elements, such as color, shapes, lines, and textures, can be combined to create something that looks good and works well. Designers can examine their work more critically by applying design theory. Designers can make more significant and well-informed decisions if they have a solid understanding of past movements, present trends, and possible future directions in design. Design theory enables designers to question norms and innovate because it is both thoughtful and progressive. In addition the idea that design is not just about creating visually appealing work, but also about responding to the changing needs of society and technology. Different design styles or movements, such as minimalism or modernism, each follow their own set of ideas and have influenced how designers approach their work. Design theory can help guide designers in making the right choices, making sure that their designs not only look good but also are used for a purpose, whether it’s to make something easier to use or to convey a message.
The quote that stood out to me the most in “Why Theory” was “Design is visible everywhere, yet it is also invisible—unnoticed and unacknowledged.” (pg. 7). This quote stood out to me because it I often go Times Square a lot and I observe a lot of beautiful design, but I don’t get to see everything because there is a lot to look at and in New York you just got to keep it moving. The only designs I see are the ones that are the most eye-catching. Even when I am walking down any street in NYC there is always design around me, but I never notice it. I feel as though is quote is relatable to everyone.
My definition of Design Theory is how was this design created. Also asking yourself a series of questions like what inspired this designer to design it this way. Who did the designer take inspiration from. In “Why Theory” it states “Designers read about design in order to stimulate growth and change in their own work. Critical writing also inspires new lines of questioning and opens up new theoretical directions.” This quote indicates that designers take inspiration from other artist so that they can improve their own work to make it stronger. They also ask themselves a lot of questions so that they can head in the right direction. I think that studying Design Theory is important for me as a designer because it will allow me to dive deep into what design is really all about. It will also teach me to ask questions that I would never think to ask.
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What stood our to me in Why Theory? was the idea of or own day to day problems being a step towards inspiration to our design. Doesn’t necessarily have to be problems, it could be the good things that come out of your dad to day but it all can play a role into the next or current project you are working on. It discusses about how writers having an understanding of their living processes to raise philosophical, aesthetic and political questions about design and I 100% agree with this. The world is an open canvas of information and inspiration that there is so much to take in or expand on which helps me as a designer to grow. Not only would it inspire my work but it may have an impact on others.
In “Extra Bold” towards the end talked about inclusive design being created by people from different abilities, backgrounds and varies identities, as a designer it’s important to being open and not only staying within our own lane. We should extend our knowledge with others, being empathetic with others. This can create other ideas coming from different intellectual broad minds instead of one’s mind,yourself. After all most of the time you’ll be working with others and hearing one’s story can also inspire you with your design.
I believe design theory is the art of creating something new but not only new but the way it was created, the system to that approach or creative process. In depth, I think it can mean how one can communication a message towards their direct target audience by enhancing visuals.
When reading the Foreword of WHY THEORY, initially stood out to me were the following quotes, 1. “Design is a social activity. Rarely working alone or in private, designers respond to clients, audiences, publishers, institutions, and collaborators.” p7. In other words, design by its very nature, is a synthesis of human ideas and human effort. Another quote from WHY THEORY, which I think is extremely powerful is, “Design is visible everywhere, yet it is also invisible-unnoticed and unacknowledged.” p7. This statement is truly the power behind design. Only by investigation, or clues can such designs become discovered. In the introduction to Extra Bold, the first three lines, for me, hit home. The quote is “Creating a more just world requires struggle and debate. Over time, securing rights for some people has ended up excluding others.”. There is no simple response to this quote. There are designs in place that do not support justice for all. The study of design theory can certainly help you develop the personal skills to fight for your own justice. It teaches awareness of others, how to protect yourself and how to live as a creative.
My own definition of Design Theory includes the freedom to communicate one’s ability to design and to freely create alongside other humans in this world. When I contemplate the designs, strategy always comes to mind. I think of the objective, and the message. I look for meaning. However, in doing so it is also important for me to recognize the Elements of Art within design. It is especially vital to realize the relationship between the visual and auditory elements of design. As each element comes with a vast amount of data, depth, and interpretation. For me, they provide clear links between the signifier and the signified, as evident in my descriptions, expressions, visualizations, and dreams.
Contributing my voice to the discourse of design adds to the variation of human expression. It teaches me to recognize and learn from the creative and strategic thinking of different cultures. On such forums I can represent myself. I am American and Black. I come from generations of people born and raised in the United States.
Assignment II: Revision
Response to introduction text Graphic Design Theory, Armstrong, Helen, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009,” Why Theory?” p6-7, by Ellen Lupton
My definition of Design Theory is the study and practice of encoding imagery and language that has cultural and societal meaning, information and aesthetics. As a designer I will need to utilize the various signs visual communication. This will include coded iconic and non-coded iconic, symbols and indexes. These signifiers, which is the carrier of the message as a concept to the signified the signified will receive the message and interpret according to their own traditional, cultural, and educational understanding. When I design, I look deeply for meaning and cultural relevancy in my research. On a very personal and introspective level, I am inspired by time, space, and history. I bring my meditation into my work. I like to think my vantage points are limitless, since I like movement. However, no matter my perspective I never forget the importance of art elements and principles within the creation of visual design. For me, each element comes with a vast amount of subtlety, depths, and data. No do I limit my designs to only the visual since sound is often applied to my work. In design gestures and touch can also be included as well. Whether my voice is included or heard will depend mostly on the receiver, I will do my best to represent the message and empathize with the moment and the movement of the people to whom I am designing for. Although being a designer can come with economic benefits, I do not design exclusively for that reason. Part of me must live to express my creative self, and for as long as I can remember, I have never been one to do follow everyone’s flow. My work is an extension of my thoughts and the thoughts of others. However, within definition of design theory, the inclusion of my voice is of me, the American, the Black, Red, and White, the Patriot.
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What resonated with me from the readings is that design is a collaborative social activity. I think this observation is interesting in that it is realized, but often forgotten. I think that as designers and artists, we are often concerned with the self: the self-expression of our unique human experience, the self-discovery within design, and our self-contribution of a bigger purpose. We want to stand out, leave an imprint of the self especially within our designs. But design is rarely a solo sport. I feel it is a culmination of ideas, principles, and processes that are all inspired from one another and influenced within the cultural and social context. And with that, it is essential for the discourse of design for participants to continue to question, inspect, and consider to further push and continue the intricate cycle of exploration, debate, and inspiration.
My definition for design theory is the participation and inquisition in the discourse of design within its social, historical, and cultural context. Design theory is how I see conscious design. Questioning and debating design principles, processes, and context in question which not only makes the work itself conscious, but the designer themselves. And as more designers become conscious of the fundamental basis and purpose of their design, the more it will inspire new designers and their ways of thinking that are more inclusive, effective, and impactful. Individually, we can move the dial in the discourse of design, small or big, which will ultimately determine the political, cultural, and social environment that we live in. Although design itself doesn’t seem like it has a direct impact in moving the world as other big moving pieces (like economy), I believe design is just as big a contributor in moving the dial on a global scale.
In Why Theory, one moment that really cracked me up was their discussion of a specific designer trauma: the deep-rooted hatred of Helvetica. It’s funny but also kind of profound—it reminds us that design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a social activity. Then, in Extra Bold, the focus on who actually gets to access art is something that has always grabbed my attention. Art, for so long, was this exclusive club for those who had the money to get in. Even now, in some cases, it still feels that way.
Design theory, to me, is like cracking open the secret code behind all the creative decisions we make. Why does red pop in one country but not another? Why do we call this specific slant a bevel? It’s the collective wisdom of all the visual thinkers who came before us, guiding our hands today.
Studying design theory feels like the key to unlocking something deeper for me. Understanding the historical context and the why behind design choices would help me create work that’s more intentional, more layered. Sure, making something pretty is cool, but it’s just scratching the surface. Real design sparks conversations, invites appreciation, and builds on a legacy of knowledge.
I also think it’s super important to keep bringing fresh eyes and new perspectives into the design world. Designers come from all kinds of cultural backgrounds (sometimes blending a few), and the more independent takes we have on trends, both old and new, the better. It’s like breathing fresh air into the world of design, and I’m all for it.
Assignment II Draft 2
Assignment IIA-My Personal Design Theory-Draft 2-COMD 3504_Marcia Jackson
Ellen Lupton’s “Why Theory?” goes into understanding how design theory is super valuable for designers. Foe example Instead of focusing on “how” to use the tools or make things look good, understanding theory gets us to think about the “why” behind these choices. Lupton suggests that theory helps designers see the bigger picture, making design not just a job but a way to impact people and the world. They also point out that, while design is everywhere, designers themselves often stay behind the scenes. Theory can change that by bringing designers into a community where ideas and creativity can thrive together.
I’d say Design theory is a way to connect what we make with the meaning and impact it has. It pushes us to think about why our work matters. Studying it helps designers (me being one) grow because it’s like adding new layers to your creativity. It’s not just about making cool stuff but about understanding how it affects others.
Adding our own thoughts to design discussions makes the field richer and more inclusive. It’s a way to share new ideas, challenge old ones, and make design a space where everyone’s voice counts.