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The Eyewriter is a low-cost, creative technology which enables Graffiti writers and artists with paralysis to draw using only their eyes. It is a free open source software for commercially available eye-tracking devices. 

(Eyewriter Project; worn by Tempt1, Free Art & Technology, Openframeworks, Ebelling Group.)

The 1970′s U.K Punk Rock and 1980′s Memphis Design movement (in Milan) were both highly influential movements that are still found in design today. 

Singular trajectory or technodeterminism refers to all mediums we have had. Until now the discoveries of futurism, industrialisation, mechanisation and the idea that somehow we could arrive at a singular destination was ruptured with coming of post-modernism (breaking of rules), and a lot of artists, designers and musicians decided that wasn’t the track they wanted to be on.

Post-modernism responded to the failure of these ideas being realised. Promises were made but society concluded that they weren’t being fulfilled. 

Pre-modernism: “Because God put it there and thats why thats the way it’s always been” (notion of sublime.)

Modern: “Onwards and upwards with inevitable progress!!” (idea that as long as you work hard all your life you will be rewarded with all the great things capitalism promised.)

Post-modernism: “bklllllfklfjlfjahedhlfaJHFL” (chaotic unstructured approach.)

The Punk movement symbolises the ‘end of the future’, influencing design and counter cultural movements.

(Jamie Reid's cover for God Save the Queen.)

The Sex Pistols Punk design of the Queen of England with the text ‘God save the Queen’ is quite iconic for its outstanding impact within the Punk movement, juxtaposing an image of the Queen with a collage of words over her eyes and mouth to give off an eerie feel, being counter-cultural.

In Milan within the 1980′s, Memphis design was quite popular. The Memphis diametric was opposite to that of Bauhaus,, suggesting that a medium can dictate a specific meaning. Iconic RAYGUN magazines that were being published at the time were quite influential and controversial on the design elements used.

‘Architects, sculptors, painters, we must all get back to craft’ - Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus in reference to creatives feeling an ‘impulse’ to return to other forms of expression, other artistic activity and the exploration of materials above all in the 20th century.

The Bauhaus is a highly influential school of design founded in Germany which influenced major design designers. Bauhaus believed that there was a kind of spiritual connection or specific energies associated to specific colours and shapes.

The vision of ‘decolonizing’ design (that design couldn’t be taught from a male western perspective) was only successful to an extent as Gropius withheld the belief that women could not think in three dimensions (which is ridiculously sexist haha.) This notion further suggests that women could only work on 2D mediums such as paints and weren’t allowed to work on mediums such as clay. 

“The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style, but one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that requires practice” - Joseph Muller-Brockmann. 

Having an algorithmic approach and modernist pedagogy, Joseph Muller-Brockmann aimed to accentuate the relationship between humans and machines (approach between the tangible and conceptual ideas.) 

Something I found interesting is that empty space on a page is considered to be part of the design, highlighting the standardisation of page size and advocates for the standard use of page sizes.

“The New Typography”, initially publicised in Berlin in 1928, by Jan Tschichold is widely recognised as the godly ‘manual’ of design and is still referred to until this day. 

Johannes Gutenberg (1400 - 1468) invented the first moveable type of the printing press. Block printing was practical in the sense that through etching onto a single medium would enable fast, progressive mass produce (multiple prints from the same etched block) although, it was deemed superfluous upon the release of Gutenberg’s invention as not only could it be transported, but it made the process simplified (resulting in impressive mass production of ‘modern print’.) 

Blackletter gothic script (Blackletter in the Gutenburg Bible, c.1450) is iconic for its distinctive style. As found on the Motorhead album (1977, design by Phil Smee, illustration of the ‘Snaggletooth’ by Joe Catania), the Blackletter gothic script is utilised. This script type is used is many gothic themed texts or stylistic projects.

Grid on a page is an important element to allow the producer of the script type to reproduce the same styled font and form a design for each letter of the alphabet (including symbols) which can be used repetitively without having to repaint each letter - dubbed more time consuming. 

Every typeface is distinctive. 

“Hello, my question is..”