Kraftwerk:Pop Art

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Design genius or author as editor: filtering and synthesising?

"In 'What is an author?' [4], Michel Foucault says we are 'accustomed to presenting the author as a genius.' We see the author as the 'genial creator' of work in which he gives us, 'with infinite wealth and generosity,' an inexhaustible world of meanings. (Being 'creative' always has a positive ring, whatever is produced!) Foucault says that the author does not 'precede' the work: ideas and meanings are already there and the author's role is to 'choose,' to filter and synthesise to create output. (Foucault also emphasises 'limiting' and 'excluding'). The author's role is to limit the proliferation of meanings and present a personal view of the world. Yet the 'genius author' is represented as a continual source of invention–the opposite of his genuine function."

(Monika Parrinder, 2000, Eye Magazine)

Neville Brody: removal of design from school curriculum is 'insanity'

"plans to remove creative subjects from the UK curriculum are 'short–sighted insanity', according to incoming D&AD president Neville Brody (+ interview).

Speaking to Dezeen, Brody described government plans to overhaul the curriculum as 'one of the biggest mistakes in British government' and added: 'The UK government is trying to demolish and smash all ideas about creative education.'

In September, education secretary Michael Gove announced plans to replace GCSE examinations for students up to the age of 16 with a new English baccalaureate (EBacc) system. Creative subjects such as art and design will not count towards the EBacc qualifications, which instead are graded on performance in academic 'stem' subjects. These stem subjects are English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language. ...

'The creative industries need high–quality creative graduates. If we're not getting the graduates, we're not going to sustain the industry,' said Brody. 'Creative services as a percentage of GDP is higher here than any other country, so why would you not want to support, promote and build that?'"

(Dezeen, 26 November 2012)

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Helvetica: feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture

"Helvetica is a feature–length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. The film was shot in high–definition on location in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium."

(Gary Hustwit, 2007 Swiss Dots Ltd.)