I spent a lot of time brainstorming and researching into the different options that I could choose as a focus. I started to think about culture and how this is something that very definitely informs my practice as a designer. I thought about the ways in which culture has affected graphic design techniques, or the ways in which graphic design could influence cultural beliefs.
I then started to think about the essays that I have completed in the past to see if there were any topics within them that I enjoyed and would like to dig a little deeper into.
Personal tutorial feedback
I went to my personal tutorial with the intention of focusing more on the use of typography within an editorial design approach to show what makes a magazine independent as opposed to mainstream. This was discussed with my tutor and it became apparent that this topic would be too broad and in terms of independent magazines, they wouldn't be able to be compared to mainstream ones as there would be too much content to cover. An independent magazine is based on a niche interest of someone, so in order to focus on them in terms of a graphic outcome, I would need to decide on a more specific topic in which they would be used.
I started to research a lot but instead of looking aimlessly I decided to address a current issue within the creative industry, the gender gap that still exists. This links to the idea of female portrayal that I had originally sown interest in but it is then making it a more relevant and current topic to be covered.
The gender gap in the creative industry and how editorial publications have addressed this issue.
Presentation feedback
To fully tie in the practical project to the essay topic I would need to move away from branding an exhibition as this would not have enough of an editorial focus. A zine or magazine would be the most appropriate form, with the content focusing on helping those about to start a career as a creative woman. The content would be built up from interviews and real experiences, hopefully encouraging and positive ones that women could learn from. It may also be interesting to get some males perspectives also, to ensure that women do not feel as though they will not be as valued by male team members.
There was a study about how women will only apply to a job if they feel as though they fitted at least 90% of job criteria whereas men would apply if they only see themselves fitting a much lower
Imposter syndrome - challenging preconceived ideas
“My theory about why it’s common among designers is that our jobs are poorly understood and defined, leading to scepticism about the validity of our work.” - Amy Silvers
Queer theory in terms of design may break down binaries
Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer studies and women's studies.
The queer theory builds both upon feminist challenges to the idea that gender is part of the essential self
Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies
Binary situations changing?
A binary outcome is a general term that implies there are only two possible outcomes to a certain situation.
I found the presentation a good way for myself to simplify what I had already read and make sure that I was along the right tracks. It was also very helpful to find out that others were looking at similar subjects and would be willing to discuss some ideas.
Next Steps
To progress, I will need to decide on the theories that I want to explore, find design examples within the editorial realm and then analysis and compare all of the information. I will start by finding lots of facts about the gender gap within the industry before then trying to apply different theories and pieces of history to this.
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