A Great Start to the Week!

Kirsten O'Loughlin’s letterpress workshop at Pyramid Atlantic made a great start to the third annual Clarvit Design Week. She put the participants to work setting metal type of a favorite quote or tweet. Citations ranged from Nelson Mandela to Nietzsche to Zooey Deschanel to even Prof. Thorpe. Quite a range indeed.



After an initial orientation about setting metal type, everyone began placing the appropriate letters into their compositions.



The students had to arrange backward-reading letters so that the words read correctly when the relief was printed.



New school meets old school.







The individual quotes were then arranged into one collaborative composition.



The morning session participants had a lively discussion about which ink color(s) should be used. Hot pink was an early forerunner, but it lost out to a teal and charcoal gray combination.





Once the quotes were compiled, a few necessary adjustments were made. Students added dingbats and other typographic marks to separate the quotes from one another.



After a final check of the type to make sure the errors had been eliminated and everything was in order, it was time make the prints. Each participant got a turn at running the press.



Lauren Siewertsen was the first to try her had at printing.



ARHU Dean Thorton Dill stopped by the workshop and had the opportunity to make a print as well. We are pleased to report that she handled the press like a pro. Perhaps we have a design convert in our midst?



Ali Clarvit with her print of the morning session’s quotes.



Nancy Clarvit takes her turn at printing.



After the prints were made, Kirsten shared some of her work from Sensura Studio. From left are Carey Ward, Sofia Chung, Nancy Clarvit, Ali Clarvit, and another special guest to the workshop, Mrs. Barbara Loh.



The morning group from left are Sofia Chung, Carey Ward, Lauren Siewertsen, Christa Ursini, April Chaires, Rebecca Welling, Ian McDermott, Kirsten O'Loughlin, Alex Dinsmore, Nancy Clarvit, Emily Hein, Ali Clarvit, Prof. Buck-Coleman, and Prof. Thorpe.



The afternoon group from left are Terry Coleman, Aurora Colón, Eliza Rownaghi, Asha Augustine, Kirsten O'Loughlin, Sabrena Sesay, Christina Bilbrey, and Brian George.

Creative Brief for the Friday workshop with Ken Carbone

The Future History of Graphic Design
Introduction:

Every generation of graphic designers looks back to prior innovators for inspiration. For Paul Rand it was A.M. Cassandra. For Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar it was Paul Rand. For Ken Carbone it was Chermayeff & Geismar. This cycle continues as the next generation of graphic designers learns from the innovators of today, which in turn helps shape their own careers. Presently, graphic design is enjoying an explosive level of integration into all aspects of business and culture. Opportunities are rich and multi-dimensional. There are certainly no limits to how a solid background in “design-thinking” and craft can be applied in our world today.

Who are the graphic designers of today that have the brightest future? Who is doing work that is profoundly influential, inspiring and will stand the test of time? Who will be the future history of graphic design?

Assignment:
Take a real, deep look at the graphic design profession today and find a designer who inspires you. Please try to look beyond the "usual suspects" that may be of an older generation. I'm looking for fresh talent! Look broadly across all channels of design, branding, publishing, advertising, interactive design, packaging, motion graphics, environmental graphics; there is exciting work being done in all categories. I would like to keep this limited to graphic design and not include other design disciplines. Do your research and find out as much as you can about your person of choice. Visit their website, read about their backgrounds, look at their portfolio and if you have time contact them and ask for some samples (PDF's) of their work for your research.

Design a poster promoting an exhibition by this designer that captures the essence of their work. I'm not looking for reproductions from their portfolio but for original interpretations of the creative spirit they embody, that you find most inspiring. This should be reflected in the image and words you use. In addition to the poster, be prepared to give a brief presentation of your research about this designer as background for your concept.

March 1: Meet Ken after his keynote address in the Design classroom. You will make a very brief 3- minute presentation of the contemporary designer you have chosen whose work inspires you (what about the work resonates with you) Create a few PPT slides with visual examples or collect the examples in a Pinterest account.

March 2: Bring pencil sketches and roughs of concepts for the poster. Bring appropriate media and laptops (or you can borrow ours). Be prepared to work for the 3 hours. Lunch will be provided.

Deadline: A critique will be held at 1:00 at the workshop on Friday March 2

Deliverable: 11" x 17" vertical poster in any media appropriate to your chosen subject.

Copy for the poster:
Exhibition dates: March 1-21 , 2013
AIGA Headquarters
164 Fifth Avenue
New York NY 10010

2012 Clarvit Design Week Schedule

Below is the schedule for the third annual Clarvit Design Week.

All events will be held in UMD Design Studio (Art/Sociology Building room 2322) unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Letterpress workshop lead by Kirsten O'Loughlin at Pyramid Atlantic. All of the spots for the letterpress workshop have been filled, but contact Professor Buck-Coleman to be added to the wait list.

Monday, Feb. 27
11:30 a.m. Kirsten O'Loughlin presentation. Lunch provided.
12:30 p.m. Kirsten O'Laughlin will sit in on an ARTT352 critique.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

11:30 a.m. Lynn Kawaratani presentation. Lunch provided.

Wednesday, Feb. 29

11:30 a.m. Designers from Polygraph presentation. Lunch provided.

Thursday, March 1

9 a.m. John Foster to sit in on ARTT351 critique

11:30 a.m. John Foster presentation. Lunch provided.

4:30 p.m., Keynote by Ken Carbone. Location ASY 2203

Friday, March 2

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Workshop with Ken Carbone.

Saturday, March 3

11 a.m.-2 p.m. UMD AIGA student portfolio reviews in the UMD Riggs Alumni Center.

About our keynote Ken Carbone

Ken Carbone is a designer, artist, musician, author and teacher. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Director of the Carbone Smolan Agency, a design and branding company in New York City. For more than three decades, CSA has integrated content, strategy and art to create comprehensive 2D, 3D and digital design solutions for an impressive roster of brands. The agency's client list includes: W Hotels, Morgan Stanley, Taubman Centers, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Canon, Carnegie Textiles, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Corbis Images, Architectural Record magazine and the Musée du Louvre. Their work has been recognized for design excellence and published internationally. Ken is a professor in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts and frequently lectures on design and creative inspiration. He is a featured "Expert Blogger" for Fast Company's Co.Design blog.

The Carbone Smolan Agency creates design and branding programs that integrate content, strategy, and art into comprehensive solutions tailored for each client. This singular ability has allowed them to enjoy successful collaborations with clients in the corporate, consumer, and cultural sectors for decades. CSA's programs address brand strategy and identity design, interactive media, sales, and marketing collateral, environmental graphics, and exhibitions, books and publications, and advertising. Their clientele includes international leaders in hotel and real estate development, financial and professional services, luxury goods, cultural institutions, and non profit organizations.

Ken's keynote presentation is entitled "Dialog: The whole truth and nothing but the truth about a life in design."

About John Foster

John Foster is the Principal, Superintendent, and assorted other big words at Bad People Good Things. He is a world-renowned designer, illustrator, author and speaker on design issues. His work has been published in numerous books and every major industry magazine, hangs in galleries across the globe and is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. He is the proud recipient of a gold medal from the Art Directors Club as well as a Best of Show from the ADDYs and is a former President of ADCMW.

A prominent authority on poster design, Mr. Foster is the author of “New Masters of Poster Design” and “New Masters of Poster Design: Volume Two,” “1,000 Indie Posters,” “Dirty Fingernails: A One-Of-A-Kind Collection of Graphics Uniquely Designed by Hand,” “Maximum Page Design” as well as having the honor of penning the layout chapter of Debbie Millman’s “Principles of Graphic Design.” He has also written a long rumored monograph on Jeff Kleinsmith for Sub Pop Records and is the man behind the “Dirty Work” column on rockpaperink.com.

He has long been a supporter of design education, speaking at colleges and universities around the world, and serving on several committees over the years. The University of Maryland will always be special to him, as it is the place his parents met and married.

His presentation is entitled “I Am Good At This: How designer John Foster found his posters in the Smithsonian, his books sold all around the world and his favorite bands staying at his house.”

About Lynn Kawaratani

Lynn Kawaratani has been designing museum exhibitions for more than 15 years. After completing her graduate degree in architecture, she started working on discovery science centers then focused on children’s museums and is currently serving as the acting supervisor of design and editing at the Office of Exhibits Central, Smithsonian Institution.

From Nuts to Bolts: The Creative Process of Designing Exhibits, will address how museum exhibits are developed and the role of the designer. This presentation will explore the complex process of creating an exhibit from an idea into a multi-sensory visitor experience.

About Kirsten O'Loughlin

Kirsten O’Loughlin offers more than twelve years of experience in design, with a focus in interactive and experience design. Before joining TOKY Branding + Design in St. Louis, she worked independently creating interactive experiences for a wide range of clients from her small studio in Portland, Oregon while building an arsenal of letterpress equipment.

While in Portland, she worked at Second Story, an internationally renowned interactive studio, on projects for The MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), The Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. and the National Archives Public Vaults exhibit in Washington DC.

As a Senior Interactive Designer at TOKY, Kirsten has worked with clients including HOK, Washington University in St. Louis, The John Burroughs School, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Trivers Architects, The Chase Park Plaza, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, Saint Louis University and Christner Architects.

Kirsten graduated from the University of Maryland with a BFA in Fine Arts. She was the recipient of the Van Crews Design Scholarship while at the U of M.

Kirsten's presentation Monday will address her interactive work, her passion for letterpress work, and how she has adapted to the ever-changing field of design.

About Polygraph

Founded in a quiet German biergarten, Polygraph is a young, multidisciplinary design studio in Washington, DC. They strive to do memorable and meaningful work for local brands; work that adds to the creative and cultural richness of the city. With diverse backgrounds in video production, industrial design, typography and graphic design, the team's approach is interdisciplinary and symbiotic. Polygraphs' principals (Lindsay, Jason and Gavin) focus on tailoring honest solutions that are strategic, thoughtful, and attractive, but they try not to take themselves too seriously. When they're not in front of their computers, you might find them in the kitchen experimenting, laser-cutting acrylic monsters, or taking advantage of DC's Capital Bikeshare.

About the UMD AIGA Portfolio Reviews

Sign up now for the UMD AIGA student portfolio reviews. The event is now open to design students from other campuses, and available spots will fill quickly.

Professional designers in from area will review your portfolios. This is a great opportunity to refine your portfolios to prepare for the professional design world. Note: you do not have to have a complete portfolio to present. Working portfolios are just fine.

Here is a look at last year's event.

To participate this year, UMD AIGA is charging $15 per person for the whole day. Included in that fee are three 30-minute sessions with three designers of your choice. Sign up by Monday, Feb. 27 and receive a free t-shirt!

Russian Avant-Garde and Rodchenko Exhibition on display as part of Clarvit Design Week

Year 2012 marks the 120th anniversary of the great avant-garde artist Alexander Rodchenko. To celebrate this event Russian Academy of Graphic Design together with Moscow Biennale of Graphic Design “Golden Bee” (member of Icograda) launches a commemorative action “Rodchenko 120”. This landmark undertaking will be conducted in a form of a poster exhibition with an aim of exploring the influence of Russian avant-garde on the world of art. The University of Maryland Department of Art is delighted to host this exhibition as part of the 2012 Clarvit Design Week.



Rodchenko was one of the most versatile Constructivist and Productivist artists to emerge after the Russian Revolution. He worked as a painter and graphic designer before turning to photomontage and photography. His photography was socially engaged, formally innovative, and opposed to a painterly aesthetic.

Much of the work of 20th century graphic designers is a direct result of Rodchenko’s earlier work in the field. His influence has been pervasive enough that it would be nearly impossible to single out all of the designers whose work he has influenced. For artists of the Russian Revolution, Rodchenko’s radical action was full of utopian possibility. It marked the end of easel painting – perhaps even the end of art – along with the end of bourgeois norms and practices. It cleared the way for the beginning of a new Russian life, a new mode of production, a new culture.

The exhibition posters were created by today’s leading Russian graphic designers, among whom are: Eric Belousov, Vladimir Chaika, Alexander Faldin, Yuri Gulitov, Igor Gurovich, Eugeny Dobrovinsky, Erken Kagarov, Dmitry Kavko, Elena Kitaeva, Alexander Lavrentyev-Rodchenko, Andrey Logvin, Dmitry Rekin, Tagir Safaev, Andrey Shelutto, Yuri Surkov, Protey Temen, Boris Trofimov, and Dmitry Zakharov.