Methods of Iteration (2024)

Over the course of a month, I learned how to use Blender as a tool for Graphic Communication Design. I was tasked with producing as many images as I could, evidencing over time that through iteration I’ve made progress on the software.  My goal was not to create pristine, lifelike 3D renders, but to lean into the low poly, odd look of primitive 3D graphics—think back to the Playstation 2, or other early 2000’s videogames. I began going down the path of recreating letterpress in Blender, as I wanted to explore how that analouge process would look and work like in a virtual space.

The process of digitally replicating an analogue process created its own quirky leftovers, but instead of being familiar and charming like letterpress, these artefacts were uncanny, odd, and off-putting. 

This uncharted territory was very exciting for me to explore. I began to wonder, why do we value film grain? Why do we value vinyls that scratch and skip? Why are analogue imperfections charming, but, for example, noise from a digital sensor should be eradicated... 

Methods of Contexualising was a collaborative project between a few of my peers and I, other staff from UAL.

We were briefed on the possible routes we could take, and I selected the path of creating a more visually engaging version of a climate document. We were encouraged, via the brief, to take a look at not just legislation from governments, but also from organisations and higher education institutes, such as UAL. 

Expecting to find an innovative and creative plan to address climate change, we were disappointed to find out that the climate action plan had little to no substance, and the substance that was in the document, was buried deep within.  The UAL Climate Action Plan unfortunately was a greenwashed document. It was filled up with stories that were seemingly unrelated to climate change, projects that didn’t reduce carbon, and overall had no sense of urgency or desire to act on hard-hitting measures that could mitigate CO2 expulsion. Instead of pivoting to a more positive document, we decided to be the proverbial change we wanted to seek with the UAL climate action plan. We thought that if we could raise awareness of what’s going on within this action plan, we could put pressure on the powers that be to enact a change.  The zine “UAL: CLIMATE (RE)ACTION PLAN” is the result. By isolating key phrases and words we emphasised how empty the language used in this document can be.  We included scraps from the swap shop and GCD’s scrap pile and created 6 unique versions of the zine, emphasising sustainability and evidencing re-usage and re-imagination of trash. We printed on scrap paper from CSM’s publications workshop and in black and white, again emphasising that design can be made interesting when considered in a low-carbon way.

Methods of Translation (2023)