Response to: CD Lecture:
Elaine Lopez
In the CD Lecture Series, Elaine Lopez shares her practice in creating designs centered around cultural
diversity and inequality. She introduces the phrase ‘let’s colonize design’ which I found striking because
the phrase seemed counterintuitive when first heard, but Lopez’s in-depth reasoning of the term allowed me
to understand its meaning. Lopez explains that the word ‘decolonization’ is applied in a way that the
meaning is diffused, undermining the people who have been displaced and are fighting for sovereignty. She
continues to explain that graphic design can be used as a tool of colonization and raises the question of
what parts of design should be removed without turning away people of color. It’s a heavy question as a bulk
of the elements of design we standardize today are coined from the West. In the phrase ‘let’s colonize
design’ Lopez suggests that we add our own cultures to design and build upon the current standards to
diversify it. Overall, it was a new perspective to twist the meaning of decolonization and suggest change in
design to make it more inclusive.
Response to: CD Lecture:
Lynn Kiang
Lynn's lecture was insightful in terms of highlighting the inner workings of independent design studios and
how relationships truly build a career. Lynn discusses her own trajectory after graduating building her
career through trial and error. Kiang emphasizes the importance of building relationships and connections in
the design industry, as connections largely structure the flow of work for design. She also discusses the
importance of diverse perspectives in design, particularly in large-scale projects that celebrate and
highlight the contributions of underrepresented groups in society. I found value in her words as it
highlights the importance of being aware of and sensitive to diverse perspectives. Kiang also offered
advice, including taking advantage of opportunities to learn, experiment, and prototype, reinforcing the
idea that design is an iterative process and that it's essential to be open to feedback and willing to make
changes. Overall, her lecture offered valuable insights into working in the design field with importance in
networking, diversity, and an iterative design process.
Response to: CD Lecture:
Pascal Glissman
In his lecture, Pascal Glissman talks about design
as a mode of inquiry. In his works,
Glissman uses observational practices to combine nature and technology. Exploring a variety of urban
environments and their everyday objects sparked Glissman’s research interests that extend beyond
cultural
and disciplinary boundaries. Glissman explains what it means to observe and translate your observations
into
visual work. When people look at the same thing, they are not actually seeing the same thing and the
contrast of observations from different people can offer meaningful discussions to learn from one
another.
Overall, from the lecture I gained insight on being more open-minded when it comes to design as people
will
always have different interpretations of what they’re observing. It was insightful to hear how different
events can play a large impact on how we view certain things.
Response to: CD Lecture:
908A
The lecture by E Roon Kang & Andrew LeClair provides valuable insights into the design process and the
challenges that designers face in real-life projects. The presentation showcases the creation of a printed
book dedicated to the Communication Design Program. Kang and LeClair discuss the process of creating the
book and highlight the importance of creating a system for developing one. They demonstrate using different
software programs and formats to efficiently create a final product, as well as the use of technology and
the importance of context in design. Overall, the lecture can provide valuable knowledge and ideas on how to
efficiently create a final product using different software programs and formats. It was insightful to learn
of their process and how they handled different aspects of design when coming to the final product.
Response to: CD Lecture:
Kelly Walters
In Kelly Walter’s lecture, Walter presents several projects she has been working on, including her
experience at an artist residency at a printing museum, where she experimented with wood blocks and collages
to explore representations of the female body and language. She emphasizes the importance of experimentation
and playing with different elements to create new forms of representation. Learning from Walters' work
helped me understand the importance of exploring history and representation in design, and how to experiment
with different techniques to create innovative work. Her focus on black history and the history of women was
also inspiring to create designs that are more inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives.