Becky's MPP

Do we need a more meaningful and appropriate form
of personal memorial in 21st century western society?
Can design be used to offer a solution to the problems
surrounding memorials today?

I am interested in the areas of: identity, audience and society.
The visible word: text, type and language studies. I want to
study the relevance, role and form of personal memorials in
contemporary western society and challenge the existing
visual language of memorials today.

I feel this is a subject area that is completely overlooked by
the design industry, we all die, why are the mass market
solutions so ugly and ill considered?

I also want to question the fundamental nature of the
memorial by exploring the longevity and durability of
messages through the experimentation of the media
and structure of typography.

My audience is the entire UK population alive today.
My project will be religion neutral although the nature
of this directs it towards an audience of agnostics and
atheists. I do not intend to confront or provoke any
belief system. Because I will be using design to explore
this area my audience will be people that are aware of
and interested in quality design.


Based on the visual language of an ‘iconic’ chair poster created for Knoll by NB Studio, the piece questions the role and aesthetic of memorials. Why are these things so ugly? Not enough quality design is invested in the area of ‘death’, yet we all die and the very nature of the ‘memorial’ means that they are the pieces of visual communication designed for longevity. Shouldn’t memorials be iconic?

More transient type

Another ephemeral type project by a designer called Nir Tober.
Both this and the ice project are using basic elements (fire & water)
perhaps this is something I should look at? Although not sure how
easy it would be to create a font out of air.

http://www.nirtober.com/portfolio/firepoitypography

Ephemeral Type

One of the things I want to have a look into is Biodegradable type. I have just come across some quite interesting typo work from a designer called Kotama Bouabane. It's made of ice so has a very transient lifespan.
http://www.kotamabouabane.com/

Craig Ward

Some of this guys work is quite interesting and may
be appropriate to some of you.

http://www.wordsarepictures.co.uk/

The Helvetica killer

I know we said we'd start the blog with an brief intro
per person about our projects etc. but just came across
this and as we were discussing Bruno Maag yesterday
I thought you might be interested.

Bruno Maag is so enraged by Helvetica that he has
designed a typeface aimed specifically at wiping it
off the face of the planet. He explains his hatred in
the latest of SEA's Naturalis booklets. Visit the
Creative Review blog for the full article.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/july/the-helvetica-killer