It is my daily nightmare. No, it is not a true nightmare, let us say, a visitor. It is not only a night visitor; it is a visitor of every time. I am a designer, and as a designer cares for everything, I frequently find myself thinking like a designer. I ask questions that a designer asks. I attempt to find functional design solutions to a design problem I have uncovered while being a designer. I think of design brief, design proposal and design principles to guide me through the process. I rely on design thinking.
This is does not concern how much experience I have, no matter who am I, a great designer or not, it is normal to find something missing when I forget myself as a designer, or I do not consider my self as one of the audience, a user, a consumer or an audience. If I do not act as so, I will not be able to solve a problem.
All design solutions are considered as conjecture. Ok, that is fine, but this requires me using design thinking and principles; and how good to solve problems, and simply be not only a designer. How important for me to know whether the design works in a positive sense or not. Am I able to answer the question. I think that the answer can be achieved best by incorporate user feedback in the design process, by allowing myself playing a double role, a designer and a consumer, or one of the audience.
It is simply to act on behalf of others by allowing myself to get into their world, better than inquiring what they have in mind, and living their role not investigating it.
This way, I will always act as a designer.
Monday 3 November 2008
Sunday 27 July 2008
Hello, Amman Designers! Hello, Design Education Sector.
Do you know that we all need to teach ourselves a lesson, not only professionals, but colleges and universities, from the school to vocational training to career developments:
Students and designers must be equipped with the right skills to meet design and business needs.
Can you identify skills gaps?
Obviously, Amman has more than its fair share of design skills! Isn't it?
If that is true, what about the country?
Improving designers' skills is a huge task, it is like creating a new era in which the right mix of design skills can be found in the right places.
Note that design is a way of thinking, not a way of making things look pretty.
Students and designers must be equipped with the right skills to meet design and business needs.
Can you identify skills gaps?
Obviously, Amman has more than its fair share of design skills! Isn't it?
If that is true, what about the country?
Improving designers' skills is a huge task, it is like creating a new era in which the right mix of design skills can be found in the right places.
Note that design is a way of thinking, not a way of making things look pretty.
Friday 25 July 2008
A whisper in the ears Jordanian Designers !
Never mind, and no matter what type of classification we have,
Why do we consider ourselves and others designers?
How do we perceive our task, culture, identity and our future?
Where we are? What do we innovate, alter and create?
We are what we are! Designers.
We are the designers of Jordan. We came here to make a practical and substantial difference to our Country, people and ourselves.
Let each one of you ask him/her self these questions:
Have you ever thought of taking part in the development and well- being of Jordan, of course by using the design?
Have you been up to the challenges that face you in developing and promoting sustainable design solutions in all fields serving our country?
It is not an easy task! But it could be easy if we design and import our own ideas and styles, and at the same time, we preserve our identity and character and shy away from imitation.
I should be genuine. To be so, I should answer these questions to identify and define my objectives:
- What is a designer, who is he, and what is his\her role?
- What are the characteristics that should mark the Design?
- What should our design academics plan and how they embark on teaching Design?
- What public services that need Designs?
- What type of design business should exist in Jordan?
Amman, as many other Arab cities, is proud of its design status\identity.
But, does Amman promote design in other cities of Jordan?
Does Jordan raise the awareness of design among the public?
Do Jordanians demand products and services that meet their needs?
These questions need an answer, for the future!
Why do we consider ourselves and others designers?
How do we perceive our task, culture, identity and our future?
Where we are? What do we innovate, alter and create?
We are what we are! Designers.
We are the designers of Jordan. We came here to make a practical and substantial difference to our Country, people and ourselves.
Let each one of you ask him/her self these questions:
Have you ever thought of taking part in the development and well- being of Jordan, of course by using the design?
Have you been up to the challenges that face you in developing and promoting sustainable design solutions in all fields serving our country?
It is not an easy task! But it could be easy if we design and import our own ideas and styles, and at the same time, we preserve our identity and character and shy away from imitation.
I should be genuine. To be so, I should answer these questions to identify and define my objectives:
- What is a designer, who is he, and what is his\her role?
- What are the characteristics that should mark the Design?
- What should our design academics plan and how they embark on teaching Design?
- What public services that need Designs?
- What type of design business should exist in Jordan?
Amman, as many other Arab cities, is proud of its design status\identity.
But, does Amman promote design in other cities of Jordan?
Does Jordan raise the awareness of design among the public?
Do Jordanians demand products and services that meet their needs?
These questions need an answer, for the future!
Saturday 12 July 2008
Design characteristics for the Future
Is it possible for us to perceive the future? Is it possible for us to understand the design characteristics of the future?
Of course we can!
We can do that if we change the way in which we perceive the present and future. To do this, we will need to transform ourselves from being mere observers to being initiators who fully use our creative potential to anticipate future needs and to develop solutions.
We may already know that the answer lies within ourselves, specifically, within our way of thinking about and evaluating the world. But theoretically, bridging the gap between theory and practice is difficult since our thinking is affected by traditionalism, dependency and waiting to adopt the results of others' experiments, rather than developing our own.
The real situation in professional design is quite different, for example in the fields of visual communication, multimedia, architecture, interior and industrial design. Similarly, all academic and professional institutions are responsible for their own production.
Any designer will be unable to produce adequate work if he/she is not essentially a creative being. A designer's productivity is also related to the environment in which they are working which must support the creative process at all stages of the product's design and manufacture. It is so important that the designer works within an environment that supports their vision, allowing them to anticipate and design for future needs on projects which are also supported with financial input and the necessary craftsmanship.
Politicians observe and analyse the world and then produce strategies to solve the problems they find. In design, we employ observation, analysis and strategic problem-solving as well. Our present, past and future are interconnected. Transformation of our present involves both observation of our current situation and extending our eyes towards the future and towards the vision we wish to achieve. Even if no-one has succeeded with these ideas before, we may still aim towards them. It is also necessary to be well-prepared, to have the correct tools, knowledge and learning in order to work towards our goals.
Confusion is caused by the amount of information that we deal with when observing the future and its constant changes: geographical information, economics, environmental issues, etc. For example, worldwide differences in climate, global warming, CO2 pollution, overcrowded cities, increased motor-traffic, air pollution, the increasing growth of the human population and it's needs. Life itself involves constant development in all fields! Yet, it seems that we ourselves are the source of these crises! Yes indeed we are and this is primarily because of our carelessness in failing to think positively about our future needs. So often we deal only with our immediate daily responsibilities and requirements, without anticipating the need to provide for the future.
The question is then: what type of role must the designer adopt to face these changes in our lives and our future requirements? The answer is simply: that the designer must allow his creative potential to interact with the environment to anticipate product needs and to create the best design for the future. The designer should not overload himself and his concepts with concern for the near past and the present. If we think about it, the distance between ourselves and source of our creative inspiration, our history and the present environment, is very small.
We should permit ourselves to positively create, understand and learn about the future language. This will be achieved through developing ourselves, our potential and expanding our knowledge. As designers, we need to be able to be innovative and creative, to think deeply about the present issues and relate these endeavours to the future. Creativity is not the place for fear, and we should not allow the fear to stop us being innovative and creative. Further, the aim of our design must be to produce a product that is useful with relation to it's intended function.
What we need is called Optimistic Futurism, it is the way towards confidence, transformation and creativity, Optimistic futurism will enable us to develop our technical potentials, skills, and enable us to deal with digital softwares and new technologies.
Optimistic Futurism is an attitude that will serve our creativity, as it is a logical solution and will not affect our ability to create and innovate. Indeed, a designer equipped with knowledge and experience will be a source of power, having the ability to control his production in a positive and useful way.
As much as our task is to deal with the future, we will be able to increase our creatively and innovation to achieve this end by adding self-belief and a desire to be forward-looking to the mix.
Of course we can!
We can do that if we change the way in which we perceive the present and future. To do this, we will need to transform ourselves from being mere observers to being initiators who fully use our creative potential to anticipate future needs and to develop solutions.
We may already know that the answer lies within ourselves, specifically, within our way of thinking about and evaluating the world. But theoretically, bridging the gap between theory and practice is difficult since our thinking is affected by traditionalism, dependency and waiting to adopt the results of others' experiments, rather than developing our own.
The real situation in professional design is quite different, for example in the fields of visual communication, multimedia, architecture, interior and industrial design. Similarly, all academic and professional institutions are responsible for their own production.
Any designer will be unable to produce adequate work if he/she is not essentially a creative being. A designer's productivity is also related to the environment in which they are working which must support the creative process at all stages of the product's design and manufacture. It is so important that the designer works within an environment that supports their vision, allowing them to anticipate and design for future needs on projects which are also supported with financial input and the necessary craftsmanship.
Politicians observe and analyse the world and then produce strategies to solve the problems they find. In design, we employ observation, analysis and strategic problem-solving as well. Our present, past and future are interconnected. Transformation of our present involves both observation of our current situation and extending our eyes towards the future and towards the vision we wish to achieve. Even if no-one has succeeded with these ideas before, we may still aim towards them. It is also necessary to be well-prepared, to have the correct tools, knowledge and learning in order to work towards our goals.
Confusion is caused by the amount of information that we deal with when observing the future and its constant changes: geographical information, economics, environmental issues, etc. For example, worldwide differences in climate, global warming, CO2 pollution, overcrowded cities, increased motor-traffic, air pollution, the increasing growth of the human population and it's needs. Life itself involves constant development in all fields! Yet, it seems that we ourselves are the source of these crises! Yes indeed we are and this is primarily because of our carelessness in failing to think positively about our future needs. So often we deal only with our immediate daily responsibilities and requirements, without anticipating the need to provide for the future.
The question is then: what type of role must the designer adopt to face these changes in our lives and our future requirements? The answer is simply: that the designer must allow his creative potential to interact with the environment to anticipate product needs and to create the best design for the future. The designer should not overload himself and his concepts with concern for the near past and the present. If we think about it, the distance between ourselves and source of our creative inspiration, our history and the present environment, is very small.
We should permit ourselves to positively create, understand and learn about the future language. This will be achieved through developing ourselves, our potential and expanding our knowledge. As designers, we need to be able to be innovative and creative, to think deeply about the present issues and relate these endeavours to the future. Creativity is not the place for fear, and we should not allow the fear to stop us being innovative and creative. Further, the aim of our design must be to produce a product that is useful with relation to it's intended function.
What we need is called Optimistic Futurism, it is the way towards confidence, transformation and creativity, Optimistic futurism will enable us to develop our technical potentials, skills, and enable us to deal with digital softwares and new technologies.
Optimistic Futurism is an attitude that will serve our creativity, as it is a logical solution and will not affect our ability to create and innovate. Indeed, a designer equipped with knowledge and experience will be a source of power, having the ability to control his production in a positive and useful way.
As much as our task is to deal with the future, we will be able to increase our creatively and innovation to achieve this end by adding self-belief and a desire to be forward-looking to the mix.
Thursday 26 June 2008
* An eye on Graphic Design in the Arab world
We find it mandatory to say that graphic design, this late specialty, quick in its development, related to all walks and activities of life, this only comprehensive technical specialty due to its relation with a piece of information and technology, we know it by its many names besides graphic design, for it is a design of a piece of information and design of communication means. All of these names refer to the extent of its development as an independent science, the task of which in to find solution to problems in the field of promotion, presentation or communication. Therefore, it is the language of time, a language that is not stationery or static, but developing and keeping pace with the changes of time thus, we find that graphic design is in need for a qualified and developing cadre able to deal with modern life requirements in a language that has a brief, simple and direct message, we acknowledge also the relationship of graphic design with writing, printing and publishing since its origin and it is an innovative work that couples word with shape using art and technology as a means of communication which begins with a message innovated by a designer that develops to become a means of visual communication beyond words and excels them with control of color, letter, picture and ideas through the designer's imagination and production of media through which he can convey the desired message to the crowd.
Hence, its importance emerged to play an important role in modern life and to be a critical factor in promotion, media and other means in fast conveying a piece of information to community dominated by speed that excels the speed of light, therefore, it becomes fast in changing due to its relation with community. We find ourselves in front of the fact of graphic design origin and its development stages. Through reading its history, we have been able to know the stages it had gone through since its beginning at the early of 19th century and how Europe was its first home and the role played by some of the pioneer designers, each in his specialty, through developing its tools and techniques besides knowing its means which developed and multiplied after the first poster and book. Further, we know the factors that made it an independent science in addition to its influence by the late artistic trends.
I talked about the relationship of graphic design with special techniques confined with printing which developed to visual media and become conclusive of multi phenomena that get developed by the development of modern technology, therefore, graphic design changes into a knowledgeable science with a constant developing concept. This reflects the limits of the classical concept of graphic design and the development in what is called net vacuum which brings back to the mind the necessity of assessing the individual skills and characteristics of cadres in this field in addition to limiting the classical concept of the term graphic design as being fictitious and imaginary though organizing theoretical or imaginative factors to produce them by the use of different techniques that suit the production mechanism, so, production may be one of the media contained in graphic design.
The close relationship of graphic design with printing can not be ignored; therefore, I would rather clarify a misunderstanding that confuses between graphic design and graphic art and the role of each of them. Relying on this definition, we were able to clarify the role played by the graphic designer who uses design factors in an idea and prepares a special design for each media depending on its end i.e., what printing style he will use, keeping in mind that the success of printing depend first on the designer.
All of this makes us ask, is graphic design philosophy able to, through imagination and fiction, face the challenges of the information time in an effective way? For sure, the answer is determined by the fact that a designer should have absorbed the product of his time concerning information in on effective way and he has to develop his fictitious impression of the piece of information in order to produce it in a form that suits his time and his requirements. I also talked about how graphic design deals with given material and information and how to manage each of them to realize the required message.
We can not talk about technology without talking about computer which since its beginning has an important influence on the development of performance of graphic design since 1970 outside the Arab World and at late 1980's in the Arab World. By nature, the availability of computer makes available many programs that serve graphic design at all levels besides the innovation of the internet. The computer has helped a lot in developing the abilities of designers as well as introducing the attribute of speed performance through a group of solutions special to picture, letter, shape and color.
We can not deny the importance of developing means and curricula of graphic design besides diversifying them in order to cope with the speed of its development and not to forget the requirements and the development of the market. The academic process should depend on time requirements determined by the constant developing technology and the requirements of time. Therefore, the goals of innovative work combined with designer's competency and qualification are the basis on which planning strategy depends to prepare study plans that motivate and activate creative thinking and relate it to information technology relying on the different levels of human knowledge and scientific programs supporting the principle of how to understand and apply comprehensively graphic design program in order to protect it from short term programming relying in this respect on the designer's material cognitive theory, the language, how to talk and his ability to know how to deal with time changes, technologies, training and qualification for what is in the future concerning the stages of human knowledge developments, developed curricula and programs that are subject to constant development.
Thus, the nature of graphic designer work is different from other professions not only because it is the most innovative field through the approach of dealing with a piece of information and visual communication means but also through the different standards constituting the work scene which follow a special innovation and an advanced approach to realize the goals of this innovative work as well as the competence and qualification of the designer. Graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to make use of the available programs and their techniques in order to fulfill the task he is charged with. As a result, he is a designer who, through his imagination, reaches the crowd, promotes his imagination, reaches the crowd, promotes and presents through effective implementation with little technical exaggeration to realize successful work.
The fact is that graphic design is firm in its core, developing in its tools which needs close follow- up and cadre distinguished with a lot of knowledge in the field of arts, psychology, marketing, knowledge and information techniques. It is considered the assistant partner of technical development in terms of computer, the internet or programming and its systems. We find it developing in the ways of presenting its different media which come in the form of stationery, poster, brochure, flyer, catalogue, directed post, pamphlet, website and other large group of media.
The core of graphic design is the design foundation factors and their theories and philosophy which are constant any whereas the variable is the style of implementing the design, the form of the medium and the tools of implementation which have moved to the practical side of using computer and a large group of programs that deal with picture, hand writing and color. The development of the ways of promotion, presentation and communication besides the diversity of their developed forms, all depend on digital media.
We conclude, after studying these factors and phenomenon in which and with which graphic design plays an important role that graphic design is constantly developing.
* THE FUTURE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IN THE ARAB WORLD
www.ezinearticles.com
Hence, its importance emerged to play an important role in modern life and to be a critical factor in promotion, media and other means in fast conveying a piece of information to community dominated by speed that excels the speed of light, therefore, it becomes fast in changing due to its relation with community. We find ourselves in front of the fact of graphic design origin and its development stages. Through reading its history, we have been able to know the stages it had gone through since its beginning at the early of 19th century and how Europe was its first home and the role played by some of the pioneer designers, each in his specialty, through developing its tools and techniques besides knowing its means which developed and multiplied after the first poster and book. Further, we know the factors that made it an independent science in addition to its influence by the late artistic trends.
I talked about the relationship of graphic design with special techniques confined with printing which developed to visual media and become conclusive of multi phenomena that get developed by the development of modern technology, therefore, graphic design changes into a knowledgeable science with a constant developing concept. This reflects the limits of the classical concept of graphic design and the development in what is called net vacuum which brings back to the mind the necessity of assessing the individual skills and characteristics of cadres in this field in addition to limiting the classical concept of the term graphic design as being fictitious and imaginary though organizing theoretical or imaginative factors to produce them by the use of different techniques that suit the production mechanism, so, production may be one of the media contained in graphic design.
The close relationship of graphic design with printing can not be ignored; therefore, I would rather clarify a misunderstanding that confuses between graphic design and graphic art and the role of each of them. Relying on this definition, we were able to clarify the role played by the graphic designer who uses design factors in an idea and prepares a special design for each media depending on its end i.e., what printing style he will use, keeping in mind that the success of printing depend first on the designer.
All of this makes us ask, is graphic design philosophy able to, through imagination and fiction, face the challenges of the information time in an effective way? For sure, the answer is determined by the fact that a designer should have absorbed the product of his time concerning information in on effective way and he has to develop his fictitious impression of the piece of information in order to produce it in a form that suits his time and his requirements. I also talked about how graphic design deals with given material and information and how to manage each of them to realize the required message.
We can not talk about technology without talking about computer which since its beginning has an important influence on the development of performance of graphic design since 1970 outside the Arab World and at late 1980's in the Arab World. By nature, the availability of computer makes available many programs that serve graphic design at all levels besides the innovation of the internet. The computer has helped a lot in developing the abilities of designers as well as introducing the attribute of speed performance through a group of solutions special to picture, letter, shape and color.
We can not deny the importance of developing means and curricula of graphic design besides diversifying them in order to cope with the speed of its development and not to forget the requirements and the development of the market. The academic process should depend on time requirements determined by the constant developing technology and the requirements of time. Therefore, the goals of innovative work combined with designer's competency and qualification are the basis on which planning strategy depends to prepare study plans that motivate and activate creative thinking and relate it to information technology relying on the different levels of human knowledge and scientific programs supporting the principle of how to understand and apply comprehensively graphic design program in order to protect it from short term programming relying in this respect on the designer's material cognitive theory, the language, how to talk and his ability to know how to deal with time changes, technologies, training and qualification for what is in the future concerning the stages of human knowledge developments, developed curricula and programs that are subject to constant development.
Thus, the nature of graphic designer work is different from other professions not only because it is the most innovative field through the approach of dealing with a piece of information and visual communication means but also through the different standards constituting the work scene which follow a special innovation and an advanced approach to realize the goals of this innovative work as well as the competence and qualification of the designer. Graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to make use of the available programs and their techniques in order to fulfill the task he is charged with. As a result, he is a designer who, through his imagination, reaches the crowd, promotes his imagination, reaches the crowd, promotes and presents through effective implementation with little technical exaggeration to realize successful work.
The fact is that graphic design is firm in its core, developing in its tools which needs close follow- up and cadre distinguished with a lot of knowledge in the field of arts, psychology, marketing, knowledge and information techniques. It is considered the assistant partner of technical development in terms of computer, the internet or programming and its systems. We find it developing in the ways of presenting its different media which come in the form of stationery, poster, brochure, flyer, catalogue, directed post, pamphlet, website and other large group of media.
The core of graphic design is the design foundation factors and their theories and philosophy which are constant any whereas the variable is the style of implementing the design, the form of the medium and the tools of implementation which have moved to the practical side of using computer and a large group of programs that deal with picture, hand writing and color. The development of the ways of promotion, presentation and communication besides the diversity of their developed forms, all depend on digital media.
We conclude, after studying these factors and phenomenon in which and with which graphic design plays an important role that graphic design is constantly developing.
* THE FUTURE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IN THE ARAB WORLD
www.ezinearticles.com
A designer for the future
We can not deny that there is a considerable number of innovators working in the field of graphic design, some of them are academic whereas others are far away from this specialty. The market is crowded with those who knew this field of knowledge as a result of dealing with computers and the availability of design programs that are not subject to copy rights. This enables many to practice this art without the minimum knowledge of the rules of this specialty which is considered one of the disadvantages of the unlicensed technology.
The academics who worked in this field, some of them do not hold the academic specialty, they, naturally, lack full qualification to play this role at the competency required, so, it is not enough to able to use design programs and its techniques if you are not qualified to know when and how to manage the ideas and how it could realize the desired target.
It is necessary to find a designer who know how to deal with the changes of time and its techniques besides providing him with training in what is to come in future as we see fast developments in human knowledge and the developed curricula and programs that are subject to constant development to be able to keep pace with the concept of information and knowledge technology.
The expansion of graphic design base in visual communication media determines an important characteristic for a graphic designer who should be able to acquire courage, innovation and the ability to judge and assess, combined with curiosity through the size of information, knowledge and content acquired which can not be reached unless through:
− The desire of learning, curiosity and the enjoyment of expanding knowledge net.
− The courage of challenging the status quo and taking intellectual risks.
− Meditation and imagination in thinking of new methods to develop work mechanisms and its approaches.
− The ability to assess and direct imagination to the service of the real world, human circumstances and responsibilities.
These are the goals of teaching professionalism, which call for developing the challenging ability of designers in order to find solutions to contain problems by the use of special techniques found in certain profession. Thus, the designer is able to direct and adapt his knowledge among professional barriers i.e. the importance of designer's knowledge of other specialized subject related to graphic design such as computer programming and program techniques used in the field of visual design.
The nature of graphic designer work in different from other professions not only because it is the most innovative field through the approach of dealing with a piece of information and visual communication means but also through the different standards constituting the work scene which follow a special innovation and advanced approach to realize the goals of this innovative work as well as the competence and qualification of the designer.
Graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to make use of the available programs and their techniques in order fulfill the task he is charged with. Therefore, he is a designer who, through his imagination, reaches the crowds, promotes and presents though imagination, reaches the crowds, promotes and presents through effective implementation with little technical exaggeration to realize successful work.
The academics who worked in this field, some of them do not hold the academic specialty, they, naturally, lack full qualification to play this role at the competency required, so, it is not enough to able to use design programs and its techniques if you are not qualified to know when and how to manage the ideas and how it could realize the desired target.
It is necessary to find a designer who know how to deal with the changes of time and its techniques besides providing him with training in what is to come in future as we see fast developments in human knowledge and the developed curricula and programs that are subject to constant development to be able to keep pace with the concept of information and knowledge technology.
The expansion of graphic design base in visual communication media determines an important characteristic for a graphic designer who should be able to acquire courage, innovation and the ability to judge and assess, combined with curiosity through the size of information, knowledge and content acquired which can not be reached unless through:
− The desire of learning, curiosity and the enjoyment of expanding knowledge net.
− The courage of challenging the status quo and taking intellectual risks.
− Meditation and imagination in thinking of new methods to develop work mechanisms and its approaches.
− The ability to assess and direct imagination to the service of the real world, human circumstances and responsibilities.
These are the goals of teaching professionalism, which call for developing the challenging ability of designers in order to find solutions to contain problems by the use of special techniques found in certain profession. Thus, the designer is able to direct and adapt his knowledge among professional barriers i.e. the importance of designer's knowledge of other specialized subject related to graphic design such as computer programming and program techniques used in the field of visual design.
The nature of graphic designer work in different from other professions not only because it is the most innovative field through the approach of dealing with a piece of information and visual communication means but also through the different standards constituting the work scene which follow a special innovation and advanced approach to realize the goals of this innovative work as well as the competence and qualification of the designer.
Graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to make use of the available programs and their techniques in order fulfill the task he is charged with. Therefore, he is a designer who, through his imagination, reaches the crowds, promotes and presents though imagination, reaches the crowds, promotes and presents through effective implementation with little technical exaggeration to realize successful work.
Monday 16 June 2008
THE MEDITERRANEAN ARTISTS GROUPAT THE ANTALYA MUSEUM ART GALLERY
THE MEDITERRANEAN ARTISTS GROUPAT THE ANTALYA MUSEUM ART GALLERY
The Mediterranean is the region of firsts and beginnings, at the key point of worldwide civilizations.Starting from prehistorical eras, the development process of Humankind and Universe in this region will be determined by ancient Egyptian, Minoan, Anatolian,Greek, Roman Civilizations and the Renaissance...Beside its fundamental history, its sky-blue sea, its burning sun and its vivacious people combine themselves with its huge cultural and artistic richnesses on an exciting attractive field.The Mediteranean Artists Group has been created in this attraction field by the unification action of artists, who have been molded within this culture and sprouted from this climate. Our aim is to add new visions to worldwide fine arts and world peace under this framework and to arrive to one of the steps of artists international unification and solidarity...The Group is going to realize its first exhibition at the Art Gallery of the archeological and ethnological Museum of Antalya,the favourite touristical metropolis of Turkey’s Mediterranean coasts.We would be pleased and honoured to participate at the Antalya Museum Art Gallery with our artworks as The Mediterranean Artists Group Members.We would like seeing Art&Mediterranean Lovers in our exhibition in order to share Art and Mediterranean Love, on the Dates of 1-15 November 2008 at the Antalya Museum.
Sevgi ÜRÜM /Artist/TURKEYFounder Member of Mediterranean Artists Group
The Mediterranean is the region of firsts and beginnings, at the key point of worldwide civilizations.Starting from prehistorical eras, the development process of Humankind and Universe in this region will be determined by ancient Egyptian, Minoan, Anatolian,Greek, Roman Civilizations and the Renaissance...Beside its fundamental history, its sky-blue sea, its burning sun and its vivacious people combine themselves with its huge cultural and artistic richnesses on an exciting attractive field.The Mediteranean Artists Group has been created in this attraction field by the unification action of artists, who have been molded within this culture and sprouted from this climate. Our aim is to add new visions to worldwide fine arts and world peace under this framework and to arrive to one of the steps of artists international unification and solidarity...The Group is going to realize its first exhibition at the Art Gallery of the archeological and ethnological Museum of Antalya,the favourite touristical metropolis of Turkey’s Mediterranean coasts.We would be pleased and honoured to participate at the Antalya Museum Art Gallery with our artworks as The Mediterranean Artists Group Members.We would like seeing Art&Mediterranean Lovers in our exhibition in order to share Art and Mediterranean Love, on the Dates of 1-15 November 2008 at the Antalya Museum.
Sevgi ÜRÜM /Artist/TURKEYFounder Member of Mediterranean Artists Group
Sunday 8 June 2008
Why we would say " Visual communication Design"
Here is the official explanation directly from Icograda:
“A policy decision that was made by the Icograda board at a board meeting in April 2006 in Montreal. In 2006 they have been concentrating on renewing Icograda’s strategic objectives and measuring the relevance of our best practices and policies as well as identifying gaps.In April, as part of the policy discussion on competition guidelines and best practices on soliciting design work, it became apparent that there was consensus amongst the board that the term ‘graphic design’ did not reflect either the current state of the profession or how Icograda members described themselves. So Icograda made time within the agenda to devote a session to the topic of defining the profession.As designers, Icograda members work in increasingly rich media and collaborative environments. In addition, the senior members of the profession are working increasingly in consulting capacities with less focus on ‘traditional’ design production. In many ways, it reflects the shift from thinking about design as an artifact – producing a thing – and embraces the reality of design as a process – a means of creating communications solutions.There was unanimous support as the outcome of this policy session and subsequent follow up in a virtual environment to shift from ‘graphic design’ to ‘communication design’. In general, it has been well received by Icograda stakeholders, especially design buyers, who understand the idea of communication design more clearly than graphic design and the value and role that it plays in their businesses.”“The borders between graphic design and its associated creative disciplines have been blurring for some time. The discipline is currently in a state of flux. This is due in part to the computer revolution and the multimedia phenomenon, but mainly to a changing attitude towards design itself. Design is now referred to holistically.
Multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary practise is growing.”from the AIGA website:
“In an ongoing quest to fulfill both needs, AIGA’s board and chapter leadership recommended a shift in positioning. The organization has begun using the existing acronym along with a new tagline that better describes AIGA, its members, and their interests instead of using the full name of the organization. “AIGA, the professional association for design” was chosen for its ability to help the organization create a greater understanding of our members’ potential role, the value of their role and importance of their contributions. Retaining the brand equity of the acronym “AIGA” has been a priority, as it preserves a rich legacy of graphic design. By shifting the language away from “graphic arts” and towards “design,” AIGA can achieve greater recognition for design’s role in culture, civic society and business.”
From the Cdot website:
“Cdot emerged out of the need for graphic designers to go “beyond graphic”. Industry research via beyondgraphic.org made it clear that once again the role of the “graphic designer” was evolving — and that our professional title must evolve with it. The term communication design deliberately emphasizes readability (function) first and aesthetics (form) second. Design with a message…”It seems that designers have polled in the last year that the word “graphic” fails to accurately describe the design solutions that they create. Many feel that the word “graphic” refers primarily to pictures and images — not the strategies, concepts, words, sound, animation or any other immersive experiences we may choose to include in the design solutions we produce. It is time to ask ourselves if we are holding on to outdated terminology that is in effect putting our reputations and entire industry at risk of being misunderstood and confused with desktop layout providers.Some people argue the other perspective - quite angrily in fact - claiming that trying to educate the public is too high a hill to climb and we’d be better served to just focus on doing good work. Easy to say, not so easy to do as the marketplace gets increasingly competitive. Many get hung up on arguing over the technologies designers use these days or the difference between an artist and designer, but computers are just tools and art will always be a huge part of what we do.
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“A policy decision that was made by the Icograda board at a board meeting in April 2006 in Montreal. In 2006 they have been concentrating on renewing Icograda’s strategic objectives and measuring the relevance of our best practices and policies as well as identifying gaps.In April, as part of the policy discussion on competition guidelines and best practices on soliciting design work, it became apparent that there was consensus amongst the board that the term ‘graphic design’ did not reflect either the current state of the profession or how Icograda members described themselves. So Icograda made time within the agenda to devote a session to the topic of defining the profession.As designers, Icograda members work in increasingly rich media and collaborative environments. In addition, the senior members of the profession are working increasingly in consulting capacities with less focus on ‘traditional’ design production. In many ways, it reflects the shift from thinking about design as an artifact – producing a thing – and embraces the reality of design as a process – a means of creating communications solutions.There was unanimous support as the outcome of this policy session and subsequent follow up in a virtual environment to shift from ‘graphic design’ to ‘communication design’. In general, it has been well received by Icograda stakeholders, especially design buyers, who understand the idea of communication design more clearly than graphic design and the value and role that it plays in their businesses.”“The borders between graphic design and its associated creative disciplines have been blurring for some time. The discipline is currently in a state of flux. This is due in part to the computer revolution and the multimedia phenomenon, but mainly to a changing attitude towards design itself. Design is now referred to holistically.
Multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary practise is growing.”from the AIGA website:
“In an ongoing quest to fulfill both needs, AIGA’s board and chapter leadership recommended a shift in positioning. The organization has begun using the existing acronym along with a new tagline that better describes AIGA, its members, and their interests instead of using the full name of the organization. “AIGA, the professional association for design” was chosen for its ability to help the organization create a greater understanding of our members’ potential role, the value of their role and importance of their contributions. Retaining the brand equity of the acronym “AIGA” has been a priority, as it preserves a rich legacy of graphic design. By shifting the language away from “graphic arts” and towards “design,” AIGA can achieve greater recognition for design’s role in culture, civic society and business.”
From the Cdot website:
“Cdot emerged out of the need for graphic designers to go “beyond graphic”. Industry research via beyondgraphic.org made it clear that once again the role of the “graphic designer” was evolving — and that our professional title must evolve with it. The term communication design deliberately emphasizes readability (function) first and aesthetics (form) second. Design with a message…”It seems that designers have polled in the last year that the word “graphic” fails to accurately describe the design solutions that they create. Many feel that the word “graphic” refers primarily to pictures and images — not the strategies, concepts, words, sound, animation or any other immersive experiences we may choose to include in the design solutions we produce. It is time to ask ourselves if we are holding on to outdated terminology that is in effect putting our reputations and entire industry at risk of being misunderstood and confused with desktop layout providers.Some people argue the other perspective - quite angrily in fact - claiming that trying to educate the public is too high a hill to climb and we’d be better served to just focus on doing good work. Easy to say, not so easy to do as the marketplace gets increasingly competitive. Many get hung up on arguing over the technologies designers use these days or the difference between an artist and designer, but computers are just tools and art will always be a huge part of what we do.
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A fool may talk, but a wise designer speaks
Creative designers, fear less, hope more; fantasy less, imagine more; complain less, breathe more; Talk less, act more; create more, and design more.
True designers own their world of creativity and innovation.
Creative designers spent the best part of their life designing for success, whether it is identity, print, packaging, media or interior, they approach every brief with the same goal- to create something engaging. In a world where everything else shouting, engaging design creates dialogue with people.
True designers own their world of creativity and innovation.
Creative designers spent the best part of their life designing for success, whether it is identity, print, packaging, media or interior, they approach every brief with the same goal- to create something engaging. In a world where everything else shouting, engaging design creates dialogue with people.
Thursday 31 January 2008
The State of Graphic Design in Jordan
Jordan’s unique geographical position results in its experts choosing self development, which includes graphic design. Experts are also involved with developments taking place in neighbouring countries and the internet was extremely useful in putting interested parties in these two fields in touch with each other and sharing possible development tools. The development of Graphic Design is also assisted by annual exhibitions and specialised conferences held both in Jordan and outside the Arab world.
The academic and professional specialists for the basis in developing graphic design through the formation of local learning institutions. In these institutions academics, programmers and graphic design teachers can meet with professional designers and discuss the way business is moving forward and requirements of the labour market.
Practical training is considered the foundation of Graphic Design, upon which the academic skill of the student and his creativity are built. Working in a design office is considered to be the most important and effective tool in measuring the level of academic learning. It also gives an indication of the effectiveness of teachers in producing a generation of students capable of dealing with the academic ethos and engaging with the requirements of the profession. This training provides the students with opportunities to polish and develop their skills by working along side established practitioners.
Today’s graphic design tools rely on information technology for producing visualisations of scientific developments. This visualisation requires an understanding of the scientific theory and the visualisation tools available, which in turn relies on the expertise of graphic designers.
In this paper I will focus on the profession of graphic design and its development by discussing its early development. I will review the positive and negative aspects of that development and how they related to changes in the market and the size of the market and labour force. I will also discuss the academic concepts, and the requirement for graduate graphic designers.
In this paper I draw from my experience of working in Jordan since 1987 at the MIDAS Establishment and my roles in student training at Yarmouk University and the Applied Sciences University, which I had been attached to since 1999. This paper addresses many questions and aims to explore the mechanics of enhancing graphic design in the academic and professional sectors.
The historic and technical initial stages of graphic design in Jordan
Graphic design developed alongside the printing and information technology industries. Printing was brought to Jordan in the 1940s by people who had learnt the trade in other countries. Jordan’s printing evolution was similar to that of other countries. Printing started using wooden moulds, then zinc clichés and letterpress, as well as other printing tools, symbols and shapes. It was the printing technology that restricted the scope for producing new designs. The range of items printed was limited to newspapers, cards and stationary. Printing started mainly in black and white, and was then developed to make photo made clichés through which the printers were able to print in full colour. Typolography, or raised printing was the main method and is still used today. Offset printing enhanced the quality of production, providing improvements in colour and picture reproduction. Around the same time the role of the graphic designer was developed, involving the preparation of makettes and then film montage and plates to be ready for printing (prepress); this relied on the professionalism of the film montage technician for the preparation of backgrounds for the pictures and words. Prepress was considered the most important process in the production of the final printed article. This process was carried out at the prepress service centre which was limited to a single institution until 1987. This centre had the capability and technology to perform a range of techniques where an artistic touch was required.
In the late sixties, design pioneers were not graphic designers, but had learnt the technologies of collage and calligraphy. They were able to imitate designs from abroad and in some instances reproduced them. Their work initially ranged from greetings cards, business cards, social stationary, letterheads and envelopes, then progressed to brochures and folders. The work was mainly limited to newspaper advertising which relied predominantly on the offset printing method.
We shouldn’t forget the air brush technology that provided designers with the use of graded colours, achieving three dimensional effects for some designs, although the number of people using this was limited.
From 1980-87 design was performed by specialists in Plastic Arts and Architecture, as well as the first graduates of the college of arts at Yarmuok University and similar institutions.
By the end of the eighties, the computer Linotype was used as a publishing tool by newspapers to prepare text for layout and paste it on the required pages next to advertising. Some publishing houses have graphic design offices which also acquired these systems to ensure the production of books and magazines to a similar quality. Linotype was also used to prepare the design of brochures and advertising materials that cannot be hand drawn. With time Linotype was also used for the preparation of other material by this method, including greeting cards, posters and advertisements.
The design and printing sectors found the computer to be an effective way of improving productivity. In 1988 with the arrival of the first design computer by Apple Macintosh, the numbers of workers in the field increased and performance progressed in the pre-printing stages such as film making and separation. However, the expense of computers meant that there use was still limited.
The production of personal computers by competitors of Apple Macintosh as well as the ease with which film can be processed through its programs, created a huge increase in the number of professionals interested in graphic design. This became evident by the growth in the number of agencies, design offices, publishing houses and service centres.
Personal computers affected the technical and artistic aspects of production. Some production centres were able to develop their skill base and by recruiting experienced designers and developing them by organising training courses. These highly trained individuals achieved high standards of work within and outside Jordan and were able to compete with others in the Arab regions and captured a share of these markets, producing many publications. Jordanian specialists became serious competitors against other Arab countries which had previously monopolised the fields of design and printing.
Jordan has developed so that it can meet the demand for design and printing within the country. Jordan has become a magnet for many publishing houses in the Arab region.
Many production and publishing organisations were able to catch up to the levels of the latest technology. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that they will develop further, using modern production tools, and this will ensure there are enough local specialists who can continue to produce work of the highest quality.
The pace of technological development made it necessary for the academic institutions to provide the Jordanian market with the skilled workers who can work to the high standards required. These institutions have to continually adapt to the advancing technology as well as support the academics in their quest to enhance the artistic, scientific and technological aspects of production and publishing.
Relationships must also be strengthened by co-operation between business leaders and academic institutions in order to provide the mutual benefit of improve standards, with the ultimate aim of keeping up with both local and international developments.
The easiest way to judge the standard of design and printing in a country is through the newspapers, magazines and books published. Television also provides a showcase for visual communication through locally produced advertisements.
The speed of printing development has made impositions on graphic design and the designers themselves. Designers have to continuously update their training to keep abreast of new technology. This enables them to be at the forefront of improving quality and creativity in all aspects of production.
The advantages and disadvantages of sectors allied with graphic design
When discussing the organisations involved in design and production in Jordan it is easy to become overwhelmed by the variety and abundance of them. These organisations saturate the market. One of the reasons for the number of organisations is the variety of production formats, each of which has its own structure. Computerisation has lead to many operators being made unemployed.
Production sources can be divided into;
- Design
- Commercial printing
- Publishing houses
- Pre-press services centres
- Computer software training centres
These are the organisations where people often look for graphic designers, although most of them do not have academically trained staff who specialise in graphic design. Many of the people who own these organisations have chosen to specialise. Some of them specialised because the profession does not require a large capital outlay, others specialised because they had a knowledge of the tools used. Most appear to have specialised because this provides them with status in their community.
Although there are many organisations working in graphic design, the workers and owners in these establishments often lack awareness of the professional graphic design concepts as they have not studied the subject in depth. Employment opportunities for graduates only began to develop after 2000 when some organisations recognised the need for such skilled workers and academic institutions were able to produce professionals of this standard. The impression of graphic design graduates has changed so companies are no longer choosing graduates who studied abroad. Design establishments have noticed the high quality of products which trained graduates can produce with their competence and skills, and their ability to use the full range of design and printing equipment. Without this properly structured training program, experience had been gained through hap-hazard on the job training.
One of the weaknesses of those producing the designs is that they are not always confident about how to use the latest techniques. They often ask advice and prefer to work within their comfort zones, failing to produce designs that would demand a great deal of time, effort or care. Graduates are much more comfortable with change and willing to develop new skills. There are a few professionals, however, who have been invaluable in the development of graphic design by training others and developing their own technical and professional skills. These people have also monitored the pace of development in the fields of printing and graphic design.
Many of the professionals have established themselves thorough the high quality of the work they produce. This is not possible without a capable, aware and educated body of co-workers, who have scientific knowledge and are creative rather than imitating the work of others.
The increasing gap between academic designers and employers, or art directors and creative managers is often due to misunderstanding the role of graphic designers. In industry, the priority of some designers or agency owners is profitability regardless of the quality of the results.
The first problem is that some of the art directors or creative managers are not aware of the importance of their position, and often the employer is equally ignorant of this. Job titles are often arbitrary so artistic or creative managers frequently lack experience and expertise.
There is an absence of a common language between academic designers and managers or employers. This often frustrates designers, creating insecurity and hindering creativity. Such an environment can be an attempt to reduce a designers` status and restricts him from engaging in the creative thinking he would have been taught and university.
Adequacy of the professional reality
Graphic designers are distinguished from other fields by being one of the most creative professions; they work with information technology and visual communication. It also involves dealing with the business world, in which credibility and ability are necessary to achieve the creative work. Qualifications and talent are essential for this.
A graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to use software and techniques to tackle the project in hand. His approach should go beyond communication with the audience, to effective promotion and display. His aim is to produce clarity and he should be able to do this from the information using the techniques available to him. The aim is to connect the data and in order to do this must understand the development and design of the software that could be used. He has to understand all the innovations and methods of designing texts.
The design sector requires professionals to have the experience to be able to select and classify information, and to create links between related elements. However, this won’t be enough if they can not interpret this and transform it into definite forms. It is also important to understand the vocabularies of with language, sound and music as they are the most important tools of communication. Added to this, the designer must understand how to use the specialised design software to write texts, prepare drawings, animated cartoons and websites. The designer should know about design, timing, transformation, rhythm and visual presentation.
The potential of the design sector should be realised by knowledge of the necessary theories and techniques to improve communication with the audience, enrich the design proposals and understand the reflective aspect of the design process, studies and research.
There is much variation in the qualifications of staff within the design sector. It is important to differentiate between the craftsman and the academic designer. The graphic designer is a complete cultural and intellectual entity that is noted in the sensational theory, linguistic theory, visual eloquence and the cultural history of art, literature, science, technology, industry and humanity. They cannot isolate themselves from developments in theories of communication, information development, and from management and criticism. Moreover to improve the added value of the final product, all methods and tools used in production and publication should be understood. They must understand the stages before the design, and they must understand the printing process and its implications on the design.
The market is crowded with many people working in graphic design. Due to the wide use of graphic design in many fields of work, the widespread use of computers and availability of basic software packages there is a role for people using graphic design without any prior knowledge. The expression of graphic design is still not adequately understood by some employers in industrial and commercial firms and organisations that need graphic design services.
I do not doubt the potential of the vocational sector but this is the reality of graphic design. It must be remembered that well qualified people now occupy high status positions in the Jordanian market, showing its expertise and its ability to demonstrate the highest levels of graphic design.
The size of the market and people working in graphic design
There are now more than five hundred establishments working in graphic design. There are many who would not classify themselves as an agency, centre or office, as they have found their own market niche. Therefore these classifications can not be meaningfully applied in Jordan.
The sector is large compared to the market. The establishment of new graphic design organisations peaked in 1999. Since then, some have declined while others have expanded. Some have stagnated or changed management, while others have merged.
A quick look at the design sector will show that 85% of those working in the field can be classified as;
- Computer science graduates
- Architecture graduates
- Interior design graduates
- Graduates in ‘Computers and the Fine Arts’ from community colleges
- Fine arts graduates (both graphic design specialists and non-specialists)
- Graduates of design courses run by computer centres
- Unemployed people who are interested in computers
University educated graphic design graduates fulfil an important role because;
- Universities produce Graphic Designers with a different outlook to those mentioned above.
- Organisations run by people who understand graphic design will be better able to develop designers skills and adapt to the future
I am concerned for students who study graphic design at university but do not try to improve his rate of innovation and creativity in order to improve. This will affect whether he is employable.
Academically and scientifically talented students will have few problems because good employers need students who are able to form ideas quickly, use appropriate design programs for his ideas and able to produce those.
Other organisations are not useful for the academic designer. These are the push-pull level of the graphic design sector which reflects the levels of awareness of the concepts and functions of graphic design.
The market is capable of absorbing all graduates. This is dependant on the development of visual communication methods through graphic design. Such development requires the presence of skilled workers capable of meeting the needs of the market. This places incentives for educational organisations that deal with design to plan to suit the graphic design market.
The academic reality of graphic design
The emergence of academic institutions that specialised in the arts started at the Yarmouk University where the first arts and music department was established in 1980. This became a faculty in 2001, teaching drama, design (industrial, interior and graphic), plastic arts and music. The university awards bachelor degrees. It started in 2001 at the height of the computer revolution within the design sector in Jordan. In1991 teaching graphic design started as an independent specialisation within the Arts Department at the Applied Sciences University. This was followed by the Ahiya Amman University, the Petra University, Philadelphia University, AlZaytouneh University, the University of Jordan, and later the Israh University.
Apart from universities, during the time when graphic design became popular and a profitable profession, community colleges started teaching graphic design. These included the Al-Quds College, Granada College, Middle University College and Princess Alya College.
The work of the universities that award bachelor degrees is similar to colleges that grant two year diplomas, because both produce students with a certificate in graphic design. But in reality where creativity and technical skills are concerned we find differences. The differences are in the course curricula, and include understanding the production process, product identity, knowledge of software and design innovation.
There is confusion between graphic design and graphic art. These differences affect the student, particularly when he enters employment. He is judged by both his creativity and innovation in producing new ideas and his ability to use technology which now involves the computer, the main graphic design tool.
The reason for these differences becomes clear when we look at the number of workers in the market and where they graduated from. During the time that the largest number of graduates was being produced, the highest quality graduates were produced by well-known institutions and these were recruited by the most successful companies.
A distinction has developed between artisan and designers. This is because some academic institutions concentrate on technology and the practical aspects of design software, whilst others developing the ability to use knowledge and know how to connect ideas to the psychological and social context and include qualitative studies of theories and design curricula.
The reasons for this are;
- The absence of specialised academic experts in graphic design and the poor quality of some of the teachers.
- The absence of appropriate study plans for creating graphic designers
- The absence of a system defining the role of universities and colleges in teaching graphic design
- The absence of entry examinations to graphic design courses, unlike courses in the art specialisations
- The absence links to the outside world, other than through books.
- Some universities and colleges do not understand the concept of graphic design in an industrial context.
- The absence of official government support for finding a way to establish a core curriculum for university courses.
Conclusion
I have taught in the art departments of a number of universities and have assessed many graduation projects. These gave me the opportunity to find out about graphic design teaching, the standards of students, and showed the need for appropriate study plans. There is a lack of competitiveness which would improve educational standards and there is an arbitrary use of teaching methods. Objectives can be clear, but often mistake in not using the appropriate teaching methodology leads to them not being achieved.
In order to develop and improve, the graphic design sector needs skilled and competent workers. The workers will not be able to respond to the changes in technology unless they have a formal academic training. In order to achieve this advancement it is essential that graduate students are used as graphic design specialists.
There is a requirement in the Jordanian arena for the academic and professional sectors to review their experiences and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This is used by them to set a strategy capable of giving graphic design the respected position it deserves.
There is a requirement for government intervention to provide arena where specialists in graphic design may discuss many of the concepts that help them make company owners and managers aware of how to make the best use of graphic designers.
As well as teaching graphic design, universities and community colleges must support the markets needs for designers and artisans within the new specialisations which need to be introduced in order to reduce unemployment.
There is a need for a professional body in graphic design to give support to designers, co-ordinate educational and technical preparation and for making contacts with the outside world.
It is important to hold workshops and symposiums that enhance the competence of teaching staff, designers and students; these should be held with assistance from international institutions which are respected in this field.
It is also important to hold national and international competitions to encourage creativity and innovation. This will create a competitive atmosphere in which graphic design can flourish.
Finally, it is important to create a national identity in graphic design, which can cement its position in the international arena.
The academic and professional specialists for the basis in developing graphic design through the formation of local learning institutions. In these institutions academics, programmers and graphic design teachers can meet with professional designers and discuss the way business is moving forward and requirements of the labour market.
Practical training is considered the foundation of Graphic Design, upon which the academic skill of the student and his creativity are built. Working in a design office is considered to be the most important and effective tool in measuring the level of academic learning. It also gives an indication of the effectiveness of teachers in producing a generation of students capable of dealing with the academic ethos and engaging with the requirements of the profession. This training provides the students with opportunities to polish and develop their skills by working along side established practitioners.
Today’s graphic design tools rely on information technology for producing visualisations of scientific developments. This visualisation requires an understanding of the scientific theory and the visualisation tools available, which in turn relies on the expertise of graphic designers.
In this paper I will focus on the profession of graphic design and its development by discussing its early development. I will review the positive and negative aspects of that development and how they related to changes in the market and the size of the market and labour force. I will also discuss the academic concepts, and the requirement for graduate graphic designers.
In this paper I draw from my experience of working in Jordan since 1987 at the MIDAS Establishment and my roles in student training at Yarmouk University and the Applied Sciences University, which I had been attached to since 1999. This paper addresses many questions and aims to explore the mechanics of enhancing graphic design in the academic and professional sectors.
The historic and technical initial stages of graphic design in Jordan
Graphic design developed alongside the printing and information technology industries. Printing was brought to Jordan in the 1940s by people who had learnt the trade in other countries. Jordan’s printing evolution was similar to that of other countries. Printing started using wooden moulds, then zinc clichés and letterpress, as well as other printing tools, symbols and shapes. It was the printing technology that restricted the scope for producing new designs. The range of items printed was limited to newspapers, cards and stationary. Printing started mainly in black and white, and was then developed to make photo made clichés through which the printers were able to print in full colour. Typolography, or raised printing was the main method and is still used today. Offset printing enhanced the quality of production, providing improvements in colour and picture reproduction. Around the same time the role of the graphic designer was developed, involving the preparation of makettes and then film montage and plates to be ready for printing (prepress); this relied on the professionalism of the film montage technician for the preparation of backgrounds for the pictures and words. Prepress was considered the most important process in the production of the final printed article. This process was carried out at the prepress service centre which was limited to a single institution until 1987. This centre had the capability and technology to perform a range of techniques where an artistic touch was required.
In the late sixties, design pioneers were not graphic designers, but had learnt the technologies of collage and calligraphy. They were able to imitate designs from abroad and in some instances reproduced them. Their work initially ranged from greetings cards, business cards, social stationary, letterheads and envelopes, then progressed to brochures and folders. The work was mainly limited to newspaper advertising which relied predominantly on the offset printing method.
We shouldn’t forget the air brush technology that provided designers with the use of graded colours, achieving three dimensional effects for some designs, although the number of people using this was limited.
From 1980-87 design was performed by specialists in Plastic Arts and Architecture, as well as the first graduates of the college of arts at Yarmuok University and similar institutions.
By the end of the eighties, the computer Linotype was used as a publishing tool by newspapers to prepare text for layout and paste it on the required pages next to advertising. Some publishing houses have graphic design offices which also acquired these systems to ensure the production of books and magazines to a similar quality. Linotype was also used to prepare the design of brochures and advertising materials that cannot be hand drawn. With time Linotype was also used for the preparation of other material by this method, including greeting cards, posters and advertisements.
The design and printing sectors found the computer to be an effective way of improving productivity. In 1988 with the arrival of the first design computer by Apple Macintosh, the numbers of workers in the field increased and performance progressed in the pre-printing stages such as film making and separation. However, the expense of computers meant that there use was still limited.
The production of personal computers by competitors of Apple Macintosh as well as the ease with which film can be processed through its programs, created a huge increase in the number of professionals interested in graphic design. This became evident by the growth in the number of agencies, design offices, publishing houses and service centres.
Personal computers affected the technical and artistic aspects of production. Some production centres were able to develop their skill base and by recruiting experienced designers and developing them by organising training courses. These highly trained individuals achieved high standards of work within and outside Jordan and were able to compete with others in the Arab regions and captured a share of these markets, producing many publications. Jordanian specialists became serious competitors against other Arab countries which had previously monopolised the fields of design and printing.
Jordan has developed so that it can meet the demand for design and printing within the country. Jordan has become a magnet for many publishing houses in the Arab region.
Many production and publishing organisations were able to catch up to the levels of the latest technology. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that they will develop further, using modern production tools, and this will ensure there are enough local specialists who can continue to produce work of the highest quality.
The pace of technological development made it necessary for the academic institutions to provide the Jordanian market with the skilled workers who can work to the high standards required. These institutions have to continually adapt to the advancing technology as well as support the academics in their quest to enhance the artistic, scientific and technological aspects of production and publishing.
Relationships must also be strengthened by co-operation between business leaders and academic institutions in order to provide the mutual benefit of improve standards, with the ultimate aim of keeping up with both local and international developments.
The easiest way to judge the standard of design and printing in a country is through the newspapers, magazines and books published. Television also provides a showcase for visual communication through locally produced advertisements.
The speed of printing development has made impositions on graphic design and the designers themselves. Designers have to continuously update their training to keep abreast of new technology. This enables them to be at the forefront of improving quality and creativity in all aspects of production.
The advantages and disadvantages of sectors allied with graphic design
When discussing the organisations involved in design and production in Jordan it is easy to become overwhelmed by the variety and abundance of them. These organisations saturate the market. One of the reasons for the number of organisations is the variety of production formats, each of which has its own structure. Computerisation has lead to many operators being made unemployed.
Production sources can be divided into;
- Design
- Commercial printing
- Publishing houses
- Pre-press services centres
- Computer software training centres
These are the organisations where people often look for graphic designers, although most of them do not have academically trained staff who specialise in graphic design. Many of the people who own these organisations have chosen to specialise. Some of them specialised because the profession does not require a large capital outlay, others specialised because they had a knowledge of the tools used. Most appear to have specialised because this provides them with status in their community.
Although there are many organisations working in graphic design, the workers and owners in these establishments often lack awareness of the professional graphic design concepts as they have not studied the subject in depth. Employment opportunities for graduates only began to develop after 2000 when some organisations recognised the need for such skilled workers and academic institutions were able to produce professionals of this standard. The impression of graphic design graduates has changed so companies are no longer choosing graduates who studied abroad. Design establishments have noticed the high quality of products which trained graduates can produce with their competence and skills, and their ability to use the full range of design and printing equipment. Without this properly structured training program, experience had been gained through hap-hazard on the job training.
One of the weaknesses of those producing the designs is that they are not always confident about how to use the latest techniques. They often ask advice and prefer to work within their comfort zones, failing to produce designs that would demand a great deal of time, effort or care. Graduates are much more comfortable with change and willing to develop new skills. There are a few professionals, however, who have been invaluable in the development of graphic design by training others and developing their own technical and professional skills. These people have also monitored the pace of development in the fields of printing and graphic design.
Many of the professionals have established themselves thorough the high quality of the work they produce. This is not possible without a capable, aware and educated body of co-workers, who have scientific knowledge and are creative rather than imitating the work of others.
The increasing gap between academic designers and employers, or art directors and creative managers is often due to misunderstanding the role of graphic designers. In industry, the priority of some designers or agency owners is profitability regardless of the quality of the results.
The first problem is that some of the art directors or creative managers are not aware of the importance of their position, and often the employer is equally ignorant of this. Job titles are often arbitrary so artistic or creative managers frequently lack experience and expertise.
There is an absence of a common language between academic designers and managers or employers. This often frustrates designers, creating insecurity and hindering creativity. Such an environment can be an attempt to reduce a designers` status and restricts him from engaging in the creative thinking he would have been taught and university.
Adequacy of the professional reality
Graphic designers are distinguished from other fields by being one of the most creative professions; they work with information technology and visual communication. It also involves dealing with the business world, in which credibility and ability are necessary to achieve the creative work. Qualifications and talent are essential for this.
A graphic designer is not only an artist but also a technician who is able to use software and techniques to tackle the project in hand. His approach should go beyond communication with the audience, to effective promotion and display. His aim is to produce clarity and he should be able to do this from the information using the techniques available to him. The aim is to connect the data and in order to do this must understand the development and design of the software that could be used. He has to understand all the innovations and methods of designing texts.
The design sector requires professionals to have the experience to be able to select and classify information, and to create links between related elements. However, this won’t be enough if they can not interpret this and transform it into definite forms. It is also important to understand the vocabularies of with language, sound and music as they are the most important tools of communication. Added to this, the designer must understand how to use the specialised design software to write texts, prepare drawings, animated cartoons and websites. The designer should know about design, timing, transformation, rhythm and visual presentation.
The potential of the design sector should be realised by knowledge of the necessary theories and techniques to improve communication with the audience, enrich the design proposals and understand the reflective aspect of the design process, studies and research.
There is much variation in the qualifications of staff within the design sector. It is important to differentiate between the craftsman and the academic designer. The graphic designer is a complete cultural and intellectual entity that is noted in the sensational theory, linguistic theory, visual eloquence and the cultural history of art, literature, science, technology, industry and humanity. They cannot isolate themselves from developments in theories of communication, information development, and from management and criticism. Moreover to improve the added value of the final product, all methods and tools used in production and publication should be understood. They must understand the stages before the design, and they must understand the printing process and its implications on the design.
The market is crowded with many people working in graphic design. Due to the wide use of graphic design in many fields of work, the widespread use of computers and availability of basic software packages there is a role for people using graphic design without any prior knowledge. The expression of graphic design is still not adequately understood by some employers in industrial and commercial firms and organisations that need graphic design services.
I do not doubt the potential of the vocational sector but this is the reality of graphic design. It must be remembered that well qualified people now occupy high status positions in the Jordanian market, showing its expertise and its ability to demonstrate the highest levels of graphic design.
The size of the market and people working in graphic design
There are now more than five hundred establishments working in graphic design. There are many who would not classify themselves as an agency, centre or office, as they have found their own market niche. Therefore these classifications can not be meaningfully applied in Jordan.
The sector is large compared to the market. The establishment of new graphic design organisations peaked in 1999. Since then, some have declined while others have expanded. Some have stagnated or changed management, while others have merged.
A quick look at the design sector will show that 85% of those working in the field can be classified as;
- Computer science graduates
- Architecture graduates
- Interior design graduates
- Graduates in ‘Computers and the Fine Arts’ from community colleges
- Fine arts graduates (both graphic design specialists and non-specialists)
- Graduates of design courses run by computer centres
- Unemployed people who are interested in computers
University educated graphic design graduates fulfil an important role because;
- Universities produce Graphic Designers with a different outlook to those mentioned above.
- Organisations run by people who understand graphic design will be better able to develop designers skills and adapt to the future
I am concerned for students who study graphic design at university but do not try to improve his rate of innovation and creativity in order to improve. This will affect whether he is employable.
Academically and scientifically talented students will have few problems because good employers need students who are able to form ideas quickly, use appropriate design programs for his ideas and able to produce those.
Other organisations are not useful for the academic designer. These are the push-pull level of the graphic design sector which reflects the levels of awareness of the concepts and functions of graphic design.
The market is capable of absorbing all graduates. This is dependant on the development of visual communication methods through graphic design. Such development requires the presence of skilled workers capable of meeting the needs of the market. This places incentives for educational organisations that deal with design to plan to suit the graphic design market.
The academic reality of graphic design
The emergence of academic institutions that specialised in the arts started at the Yarmouk University where the first arts and music department was established in 1980. This became a faculty in 2001, teaching drama, design (industrial, interior and graphic), plastic arts and music. The university awards bachelor degrees. It started in 2001 at the height of the computer revolution within the design sector in Jordan. In1991 teaching graphic design started as an independent specialisation within the Arts Department at the Applied Sciences University. This was followed by the Ahiya Amman University, the Petra University, Philadelphia University, AlZaytouneh University, the University of Jordan, and later the Israh University.
Apart from universities, during the time when graphic design became popular and a profitable profession, community colleges started teaching graphic design. These included the Al-Quds College, Granada College, Middle University College and Princess Alya College.
The work of the universities that award bachelor degrees is similar to colleges that grant two year diplomas, because both produce students with a certificate in graphic design. But in reality where creativity and technical skills are concerned we find differences. The differences are in the course curricula, and include understanding the production process, product identity, knowledge of software and design innovation.
There is confusion between graphic design and graphic art. These differences affect the student, particularly when he enters employment. He is judged by both his creativity and innovation in producing new ideas and his ability to use technology which now involves the computer, the main graphic design tool.
The reason for these differences becomes clear when we look at the number of workers in the market and where they graduated from. During the time that the largest number of graduates was being produced, the highest quality graduates were produced by well-known institutions and these were recruited by the most successful companies.
A distinction has developed between artisan and designers. This is because some academic institutions concentrate on technology and the practical aspects of design software, whilst others developing the ability to use knowledge and know how to connect ideas to the psychological and social context and include qualitative studies of theories and design curricula.
The reasons for this are;
- The absence of specialised academic experts in graphic design and the poor quality of some of the teachers.
- The absence of appropriate study plans for creating graphic designers
- The absence of a system defining the role of universities and colleges in teaching graphic design
- The absence of entry examinations to graphic design courses, unlike courses in the art specialisations
- The absence links to the outside world, other than through books.
- Some universities and colleges do not understand the concept of graphic design in an industrial context.
- The absence of official government support for finding a way to establish a core curriculum for university courses.
Conclusion
I have taught in the art departments of a number of universities and have assessed many graduation projects. These gave me the opportunity to find out about graphic design teaching, the standards of students, and showed the need for appropriate study plans. There is a lack of competitiveness which would improve educational standards and there is an arbitrary use of teaching methods. Objectives can be clear, but often mistake in not using the appropriate teaching methodology leads to them not being achieved.
In order to develop and improve, the graphic design sector needs skilled and competent workers. The workers will not be able to respond to the changes in technology unless they have a formal academic training. In order to achieve this advancement it is essential that graduate students are used as graphic design specialists.
There is a requirement in the Jordanian arena for the academic and professional sectors to review their experiences and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This is used by them to set a strategy capable of giving graphic design the respected position it deserves.
There is a requirement for government intervention to provide arena where specialists in graphic design may discuss many of the concepts that help them make company owners and managers aware of how to make the best use of graphic designers.
As well as teaching graphic design, universities and community colleges must support the markets needs for designers and artisans within the new specialisations which need to be introduced in order to reduce unemployment.
There is a need for a professional body in graphic design to give support to designers, co-ordinate educational and technical preparation and for making contacts with the outside world.
It is important to hold workshops and symposiums that enhance the competence of teaching staff, designers and students; these should be held with assistance from international institutions which are respected in this field.
It is also important to hold national and international competitions to encourage creativity and innovation. This will create a competitive atmosphere in which graphic design can flourish.
Finally, it is important to create a national identity in graphic design, which can cement its position in the international arena.
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