Design is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfa...

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ColorforDesigners:Ninetyfivethingsyouneedtoknow
whenchoosingandusingcolorsforlayoutsandillustra ons

Thischapterisfromthebook
Withherposterintow,Chris naBeardmeets
Cri qued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign
withleadingdesigners,writers,andcurators,
whereeachpersoncri quesherposterandtalks
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abouthisorherowndesignprocess.Basedon
theirconversa on,Chris naredesignstheposter
beforeheadingtothenextcri que.Inthis
excerptfromChris na'sbook,Cri qued:Inside
theMindsof23LeadersinDesign,Chris nagets
cri quedbyJessicaHelfand,afounderofDesign
Observer,apartneratWinterhouseStudio,andaYaleUniversityprofessorandalumnus.

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AFTERAlicesfeedback

LOCATION

YaleUniversity,NewHaven,CT

EDUCATION

BAGraphicDesignandArchitecturalTheory,Yale;MFAGraphicDesign,Yale

EMPLOYMENT

PartnerandCoFounder,WinterhouseStudio;CoFounder,DesignObserver;Faculty,YaleUniversity

DURATIONOFREDESIGN

6days

Thischapterisfromthebook
Cri qued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign
Youwantsomeonetothink,Ohshit,Ihavetowashmyhands.
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Itshouldfeelvisceralandemo onalandtheatrical,Jessicasaid,wavingherhandsintheair.

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Design is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfa...

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2149191

AnhourearlierwemetinthedarkSterlingMemorialLibraryatYaleUniversity.WedecidedtogooutsidesinceIwouldbefilming.Wewalked
throughthelongnaveoftheGothicrevivalbuildingasthousandsofstainedglasspanesflasheddownonus.
Sohowmany meswillyouredesignthis?Jessicaasked.AnddoIgettoseeallofthem?Sheseemedexcitedabouttheprojectaswe
walkedquicklylookingforaspottositoutside.

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BEFOREJessicasfeedback
Iwasnervous.JessicaHelfandisapowerfulvoiceingraphicdesign.SheisafounderofDesignObserver;apartneratWinterhouseStudiowith
herhusband,WilliamDren el;andaYaleUniversityprofessorandalumnus.

Designisimprovisa on.

Wesatonabenchinacourtyard.Thisisreallyagreatproject,Jessicasaid.ItwasawarmSeptembera ernoon.
Ipulledoutmylatestitera on.Jessicalookedattheposter,pulledbackslightly,andrespondedfirmly,Imoftheoldschool,PaulRandview
oftheposter.Shelookedatmeovertherimsofhereyeglasses.Itstherare mewehavethechancetomakeimpactwithpuregraphic
form.

Thischapterisfromthebook
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Jessica,respondingtotheposter

Cri qued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign
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Youwantsomeonetothink,Ohshit,Ihavetowashmyhands.Shelookeddownatherhandsandactedoutthemoment.Jessicaproposed
anac onorientedposter,visceralenoughtomakesomeonewash.Theposterwastoodigitallyrendered,shesaid,andthegermculture
didntreadfromadistance.

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Design is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfa...

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Theillustra onlookslikeadetachedpieceofcleaningequipment,shesaid.Sheencouragedmetogetawayfromthecomputer,getmy
handsdirty,andimprovise.

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DrawingsbyJessicaHelfand
Designisimprovisa on,shesaid,shakingherfists.Shedescribedherownexperiencewithimprovisa onwhiledrawingabirdsnest.It
occurredtomeoneday,drawingthenest,thatifIdrewthenestthewaythebirdmakesthenest,itwouldlookmorelikeanest.Ijuststarted
todrawthelinesandstartedtothinkaboutthewaytheyputthetwigstogether.Theygolikethisandsome mestheygolikethis,and
suddenlyitstartedtohavethefeelingofanest.JessicaproposedIdothesameandimprovisewithbehavinglikebacteriaandexploringnew
materials.
Itsaneasythingforyou,procedurally,toexplore,shesaid.Youcouldputyourhandsinstu.Shedescribedmanywaysofmakingforms,
whileac velyperforminggesturesontotheposter.Shetalkedquickly,some messtumbling.Iwouldencourageyoutoinves gateittwo
ways.One,openuptheinves ga onformallyandjustseewhatthatthingcouldbe.Doesitrepeat?Isitaspore?Isitacell?Isitabug?Isit
manybugs?
Whatifyoustartedoutwithatotallycleanposterandstartedpu ngallthecrapontop?Shesmackedandsmearedherhandsagainstmy
poster.ThenIwouldjustworkoutthetypographyonawhitespaceanddothisasasecondlayer,totallyseparate,andbringthemback
togetherandseehowtheycoalesce.

Clicktoviewlargerimage
PosterfromNa onalLibraryofMedicine
Jessicapaused.Shescannedtheposteroncemoreandthenlookeduptome,herglassesslippingdownhernose.Iwouldreallyblowthis
thingout.Whatdoyouhavetolose?
Jessicasspiritwascontagious.Herenergyandop misminspiredmetowanttogobacktothestudioandstartredesigningimmediately.On
thetrainridehome,IwatchedthevideoIshotofourmee ngandwroteabouttheexperience.Ifeltcompletelyreinvigoratedaboutmy
en reproject.
Backatmyapartment,IpulledouteverytoolandmaterialIhadpaper,charcoal,acrylic,andwatercolorpaintsandstartedtoexplore.I
printedoutphotographsofbacteriaanddrewbylookingandthenmovedontocrea ngimaginaryforms.Ifeltfreetomakethingsthatdidnt
havetoworkwithinaposter.Ispenttwodaysplayingwithmaterialswithnoendresultinmind.Iphotographedmyhands,smearedmyhands
overcharcoal,dippedmyhandsinpaint,anddrewli lebugswithink.

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PagefromJessicasbookScrapbooks
ThenIexaminedwhatIhadanddevelopedonlythepartsIliked.A eracoupleofdays,whenImergedtheelementstogetherdigitally,the
posterfeltsomuchmoredisgus ngandgri y.Jessicaenergizedmetoimprovise,toputmyhandsinstu,andtoexplorethebacterialform
beforeevertouchingthecomputer.
Atthesame me,herguidancewasopenendedenoughtoempowermeasadesignerand,ul mately,toexpressmyowncrea ve
personalitywithintheredesign.

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PROCESSDrawingbugs

JessicaHelfandOntheHumanTouchandExpandingtheField
Doyouhaveauniqueprocessorapproachtodesign?
Besidesmakingbirdneststhewaybirdsmakethem?
IstudiedtheatrewhenIwasinschool,soIfindmyselfdrawntotheactualmetaphorsofchoreographyandmovement.Actualhumanbeings
lookatposters,andhumanbeingsconsumedesign,sowhyisnttheprocessfullofthat?WhenIwenttoschoolitwasverySwiss.Itwasvery
dogma c.IfeellikeIvehadtofightforthatright.Ithinkyourgenera on,mystudentsnow,feelmuchmoreopentovariedkindsofwork.

...humanbeingsconsumedesign,sowhyisnttheprocessfullofthat?

Thischapterisfromthebook
As megoeson,thebalanceformeismoreintofineartandlessintodesign.SoIfindthatthemore meIspendinthestudio,themore
facileIbecomeinfindingnewwaystobuildforminmydesignstudio.
Sothisissomethingyouvedevelopedover me?

Cri qued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign
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Verymuchover me.TherewasaperiodwhenIwasverystuck.The mesIvebeenstuckhavebeenbecauseoftechnology.

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Design is Improvisation: A Critique by Jessica Helfand | Jessica Helfa...

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Youlearnfromlooking,andlookfrommaking,andmakefromlooking.

Ifyourestuckonasolu onwhatdoyoudo?
Write.Draw.Drawinghastaughtmethemoreyoudontknowinyourmindwhatyouregoingtodo,themoreitcomesoutinyourhand.You
learnfromlooking,andlookfrommaking,andmakefromlooking,anditsallpartofthisongoingprocess.
Howo endoyouexperiment?
Daily,hourly.TheotherdayIwasincrediblyexhausted.Ithought,IreallyneedthenapandIdonthavetheenergytodraw,butIsatdownin
achairandIdrewfor20minutes.Ifeltcompletelyreborn.Itssohardbecauseitsatotalblankslateevery meyoustartaproject;butyou
lookandyouthinkandyoureflectandyoudrawagainandyougobacktoadrawingyoumadethedaybeforeandyougoforwardand
backward.Drawingisreally,reallyimportant.
Howwouldyoudescribeyourvoiceasadesigner?
Classical.Ilovehistory.Iwroteabookonscrapbooks,andIteachacourseonge ngstudentsoutofthestudioandintomuseumstolookat
primarysourceslikele ersandjournalsandbooksandplayingcardsandar facts.Itsaboutreallylookingattheworldbefore2010.Ihavean
incredibleloveforanythinghistoric.Ilovevintageclothes.Iloveoldmovies.
Ifinditsthattheatricalevoca onofsomethingthatexistedbeforeStarbucksoriPhones,beforewebecamehomogenized.Ilovejus fied
type,reallyclassictypography,photography,oldphotographs.Ilovethingsthatcanevokeasequenceof me.

Clicktoviewlargerimage
BookbyJessicaHelfand
Whatsthefutureofdesign?
Ithinkthefutureofdesignismuchmoreinterna onal.Designismuchmorecollabora vethanitusedtobe.AllthedesignersIknow,whoI
respect,aremakingtheirownwork.Theyrenotwai ngforaclienttocometothemwithaproblem.
Theprofessionhasanincredibleopportunitytobecomesomethingmuchgreaterthanjustcommercialartbecause,letsfaceit,thatshowit
started.ButIthinkitreallyrequiresacomplete360onhowweeducatestudentsandhowwethinkofourselves.Evenifschoolsarentableto
makethepedagogicalshi rightawaytothinkingmorebroadlyandinterna onally,wecanoerexchangeprogramsandtravelgrantsand
ge ngforeignstudentshere.Butitsalsoaboutlearninghowtomakedesignmoreaccessibleinotherpartsoftheworld.
Theworldneedspeopletodomuchgreaterthings,thathavetodowithpeopleandtheirneedsandeduca onandcommunica on.Thatsmy
newcrusade.IwanttomakemorethingsandIwanttomakethingsforandwithpeopleoutsidetheconfinesofmyprac ce.
Itsagreat metobeadesignerbecauseitdoesntlimityouatall.Butyouhavetothinkofitasaportalintosomethingmuchgreaterthan
justmakingaposterormakingabrochure.

JessicasFeedback:ImprovisewithDesign,BecomeYourSubject
Thinkaboutbecomingyourobject,whetheritsagermoracharacter.Drawandwriteanddontthinkabouttheendresult.Justfreeyourself
toexplore.A erathoroughexlpora on,pullelementsyouwanttomoveforwardwithandstartformingthemintoalayout.

Thischapterisfromthebook
Cri qued:InsidetheMindsof23LeadersinDesign
Learn More

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