GDFB Seminar. On decoding and graphic design

By the ever expanding accessibility of information and the increasing communication possibilities, the media landscape changes fast. What is the effect on the craft of designing? How can we handle that in an innovative and at the same time socially responsible way? The speakers give insight on developments on i.e. Open source software and DIY hardware. Sharing knowledge and cooperating with other professionals is now mandatory. Designers are now more often directors in a process instead of producers of a result.

The lecturers are:

Hans Bouwknegt
Hans Bouwknegt is lecturer and reader Digital Media Concepts at the Academy for
Digital Entertainment faculty at Breda University of Applied Sciences. In 2009, Hans received his doctorate with highest honours with the development of a conceptual framework (a canvas of codes) suitable for analysing as well as modelling digital media products.

LUST
The multidisciplinary design studio, LUST from The Hague sees designing as a process. Each design results from a concept that has been extensively researched. In the course of years LUST developed a design methodology others like to call process-based design or self-generating systems. LUST uses lots of digital code doing so. Engaging an analytic process leads to something designing itself. At the seminar they will offer insight in their work.

Michiel Schuurman
In Michiel Schuurman’s work, typography is altered to the point that is replaces the image completely. The psychedelic designs are rooted deeply into classical typographic rules and are a perfect balance between black and white. Michiel found his way in graphic design by experimenting with the DIY possibilities of printers and copiers.

Sven Ehmann
Sven Ehmann is creative director at Gestalten Verlag, The German publisher of books like Dataflow, Playful Type and Papercraft. At the seminar, Sven will give understanding in current developments, approaches and attitudes, embraced by artists. His story tells about ‘Visual Storytelling’, or the visual language now used and developed by designers, illustrators and/or graphic editors for newspapers and magazines.

Oliver Vodeb
Dr. Oliver Vodeb is a sociologist, communication and design theorist, educator and creative director at Poper Studio, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Poper is one of few companies in the world with a critical approach towards public sphere of communication, while experimenting with sustainable business models. Vodeb teaches, does research all over the planet and founded a large international festival, which nurtures and rewards innovative and socially responsible approaches to communication.

Luna Maurer and Roel Wouters
Together with Edo Paulus and Jonathan Puckey, Luna Maurer and Roel Wouters wrote the Conditional Design Manifesto. In the manifesto they plead to design the process instead of the result. Process is the product, logic is the tool and input is the material. Roel and Luna explain their opinion by means of a performance.

Karsten Schmidt
Karsten Schmidt is a London-based computer programmer an designer. With his studio PostSpectacular, he is actively exploring current possibilities at the intersection of design, art, software development and education and applying these in a variety of fields, using code as tools. Ideas are treated as software at the heart. Karsten has been an early contributor to the Processing.org project and to various books about programming and graphic design. Karsten’s design approach is based on treating ideas as software at the heart, which in turn informs all other facets of each project. He's been an early contributor to the Processing.org project and gives lectures and workshops on his generative design approach, open source and using codes as creative tools.

This day is hosted by Bert Hagendoorn of Adobe Benelux / Adobe User Group.

If you would like to attend the seminar, reserve your tickets quickly. Tickets are € 50,- (students With valid student Ids pay € 25,-). The online Presale has started.
Buy them here.

Time table:
9:30                 venue open

10.15 - 10:25   welcome

10.30 - 11:15   Hans Bouwknegt

11:15 - 12:00   Lust

12:00 - 12:15   coffee break

12:15 - 12:45   Michiel Schuurman

12:45 - 13.30   Sven Ehmann

13:30 - 14:30   Lunch break  (byo)

14:30 - 15:00   Luna Maurer en Roel Wouters

15:00 - 15:45   Oliver Vodeb

15:45 - 16:00   coffee break

16:00 - 16:45   Karsten Schmidt

16:45 - 17:15   Q&A

17:15               Drinks in Mezz café (free beer)

Some sneak previews...