In the articles, No Logo, by Naomi Klein, Branding the Individual, by Jane Pavitt, and Bing! It's Fabien!, by John Seabrook, design is presented in varying situations and contexts.
No Logo
The separation of marketing and production... is this good or bad? While the costs of production are cheaper, there are ethical issues concerning outsourcing production. The price of the product isn't even about the quality of the clothes anymore, it's about the branding. All the consumer sees is the design and marketing. As a designer, I feel like the marketing is covering up how the product is produced, disguising any trace of production. It seems that in an effort to appeal to the people the companies that outsource are disregarding other people.
Branding the Individual
I generally agree with the author. We cannot avoid branding because everything we wear has a label, well known or not. The people define the brands and the brands define the people. However I do not feel particularly attached to any sort of trendy brand, but everyone, including me, have a certain way they dress, and certain brands can cater to that. It is unfortunate when someone is caught in between this process, like Nicole, who feels peer pressure for not having Abercrombie & Finch. Here the brand is something to be both hated and revered by Nicole, a goal that she wants but cannot obtain.
Bing! It's Fabian!
This article gave us a day of Fabien Baron, an art director. Seabrook is able to express how important design can be, and Fabien's desire to create something new. However, it seems a little strange that Seabrook is so attentive to everything Fabien does, including describing Fabien's quirks and emulating his accent in the article. The article leads up to Fabien doing a photo shoot for a Calvin Klein Ad, where the model is naked with a hat to cover up his parts and his underwear is at his ankles. This image is already very provocative, and Fabien still wants to go further and just remove the hat completely. Here, it feels like the design has gone off by itself and the subject advertised (underwear in this case) is left in the dust.
These three articles also address what a graphic designer will be willing to work with. Should ethics come into your decision for who to work for? I'm not sure if I could work for Nike, if I knew they were outsourcing production under minimum wage. I'm not sure I would want to work at a clothing store, simply because I can't agree with their slogan or image. If I did, it feels like I would be selling myself out, because I would be compromising my values for money. I don't agree that something has to be shocking to be successful, and I also don't want to indirectly support unethical working conditions. However, I will agree that the designs produced from these faculties can still successful, despite by personal misgivings.
Branding the Individual
I generally agree with the author. We cannot avoid branding because everything we wear has a label, well known or not. The people define the brands and the brands define the people. However I do not feel particularly attached to any sort of trendy brand, but everyone, including me, have a certain way they dress, and certain brands can cater to that. It is unfortunate when someone is caught in between this process, like Nicole, who feels peer pressure for not having Abercrombie & Finch. Here the brand is something to be both hated and revered by Nicole, a goal that she wants but cannot obtain.
Bing! It's Fabian!
This article gave us a day of Fabien Baron, an art director. Seabrook is able to express how important design can be, and Fabien's desire to create something new. However, it seems a little strange that Seabrook is so attentive to everything Fabien does, including describing Fabien's quirks and emulating his accent in the article. The article leads up to Fabien doing a photo shoot for a Calvin Klein Ad, where the model is naked with a hat to cover up his parts and his underwear is at his ankles. This image is already very provocative, and Fabien still wants to go further and just remove the hat completely. Here, it feels like the design has gone off by itself and the subject advertised (underwear in this case) is left in the dust.
These three articles also address what a graphic designer will be willing to work with. Should ethics come into your decision for who to work for? I'm not sure if I could work for Nike, if I knew they were outsourcing production under minimum wage. I'm not sure I would want to work at a clothing store, simply because I can't agree with their slogan or image. If I did, it feels like I would be selling myself out, because I would be compromising my values for money. I don't agree that something has to be shocking to be successful, and I also don't want to indirectly support unethical working conditions. However, I will agree that the designs produced from these faculties can still successful, despite by personal misgivings.
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