@ -2592,39 +2592,85 @@ and I was in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the
studio and we were in the studio and we were in the</p>
studio and we were in the studio and we were in the</p>
<figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/keylogger.jpeg"
<imgsrc="../stephen/keylogger.jpeg"
alt="Keylogging research, recording the buttons a graphic designer presses while working." />
alt="Keylogging research. I recorded the buttons a graphic designer (me) presses while working, as an autoethnographic research method into what exactly it is that designers do. To celebrate this labour, I then used a pen plotter to make a series of posters. Three minutes of the designers keypresses took about eight hours to plot. October 24th 2023." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Keylogging research, recording the
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Keylogging research. I recorded the
buttons a graphic designer presses while working.</figcaption>
buttons a graphic designer (me) presses while working, as an
autoethnographic research method into what exactly it is that designers
do. To celebrate this labour, I then used a pen plotter to make a series
of posters. Three minutes of the designers keypresses took about eight
hours to plot. October 24th 2023.</figcaption>
</figure>
</figure>
<p>Practice-led artistic research into the 21st century phenomenon of
the graphic designer. I held graphic design in my hands using
ethnography, toolmaking and performance as research methods. I examined
how designers spend their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as
well as you, what are we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems,
mythologies and ideologies?</p>
<figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/email.jpg"
<imgsrc="../stephen/email.jpg"
alt="Email answering performance using Google’s Gmail service. Leeszaal, Rotterdam, November 7th 2023" />
alt="Email answering performance using Google’s Gmail service. To reveal the work of the designer clearly, I performed the designer’s task of answering email in front of an audience. Due to the performance happening at 7pm, out of office hours, there was extensive use of the Scheduled Email feature. Some stories emerged about our precarity including overdue rent and invalid payment information for Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. Leeszaal, Rotterdam, November 7th 2023." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Email answering performance using
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Email answering performance using
Google’s Gmail service. Leeszaal, Rotterdam, November 7th
Google’s Gmail service. To reveal the work of the designer clearly, I
2023</figcaption>
performed the designer’s task of answering email in front of an
audience. Due to the performance happening at 7pm, out of office hours,
there was extensive use of the Scheduled Email feature. Some stories
emerged about our precarity including overdue rent and invalid payment
information for Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. Leeszaal, Rotterdam,
November 7th 2023.</figcaption>
</figure>
</figure>
<figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/laziness.jpg"
<imgsrc="../stephen/laziness.jpg"
alt="A performative tool that measures the laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter. The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter draws." />
alt="A performative tool that measures the laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter. The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter draws, it creates a record of the tiny moments between the work." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">A performative tool that measures the
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">A performative tool that measures the
laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter.
laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter.
The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter
The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter
draws.</figcaption>
draws, it creates a record of the tiny moments between the
work.</figcaption>
</figure>
</figure>
<blockquote>
<p>Secondly, during my studies at XPUB, I plan to combine different
strands of my practices (design, music, programming, theatre). Being a
designer is an important part of my identity, and I am keen to make work
true to who I am.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Excerpt from xpub application letter, March 15th 2022.</p>
<figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/peecee.jpg"
<imgsrc="../stephen/peecee.jpg"
alt="Re-enacting dreams about work. Rotterdam, February 7th 2024." />
alt="Re-enacting dreams about work at Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Participants use felt dolls to tell stories of our dreams on the small and squishy stage. We’re trying to balance design labour with other labour like making food for our loved ones, we can’t stop brushing our teeth, brushing, brushing, brushing. February 5th 2024." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Re-enacting dreams about work. Rotterdam,
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Re-enacting dreams about work at Piet
February 7th 2024.</figcaption>
Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Participants use felt dolls to
tell stories of our dreams on the small and squishy stage. We’re trying
to balance design labour with other labour like making food for our
loved ones, we can’t stop brushing our teeth, brushing, brushing,
brushing. February 5th 2024.</figcaption>
</figure>
</figure>
<figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/amro.jpeg"
<imgsrc="../stephen/amro.jpeg"
alt="Re-enacting dreams about work. Art Meets Radical Openness festival. May 11th 2024." />
alt="Collective dream re-enactment at Art Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. Inside a tent, a group of people perform eachother’s dreams about work and discuss and analyse them together. We feel like impostors, we don’t know how to work these machines, we’re going to crash. March 11th 2024." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Re-enacting dreams about work. Art Meets
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Collective dream re-enactment at Art
Radical Openness festival. May 11th 2024.</figcaption>
Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. Inside a tent, a group of people
perform eachother’s dreams about work and discuss and analyse them
together. We feel like impostors, we don’t know how to work these
machines, we’re going to crash. March 11th 2024.</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/dizzy.jpeg"alt="Where do dreams come from?"/>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Where do dreams come from?</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/form.png"
alt="do you ever dream about work? Online research and publication where we shared our dreams, worries, rants, designs. The answers to the question are published together as a collection of voices." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">do you ever dream about work? Online
research and publication where we shared our dreams, worries, rants,
designs. The answers to the question are published together as a
collection of voices.</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/wood-keyboard.jpeg"
alt="Keyboard of things designers have said. Our feelings about work." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Keyboard of things designers have said.
alt="Collective performative dream re-enactment at Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. February 5th 2024." />
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
*What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does "graphic design" even mean?!????!!1!?* is an assessment of what the term "graphic design" means to its practitioners today. Through experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own practices as well as other people and groups that identify with "graphic designer" as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is conducted through the performative use and development of these tools.
alt="Collective performative dream re-enactment at Art Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. March 11th 2024." />
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
This research is carried out in three intersecting methods: experimental ethnographic research, reflexive tools, and performative research. Keylogging, performance of personal work habits, interviews about the manual work of "immaterial labourers", and dream analysis are combined in order to uncover less obvious and less discussed aspects of what a designer is and does in their daily life, as entry points to their worldviews, belief systems, mythologies or ideologies. The methods were developed in an iterative process that reflected on findings from the previous prototypes. The research took into account its own publication as part of one process.
alt="Keyboard of things designers have said." /> <img
src="imagename.png"
1. Experimental ethnographic research methods: I documented my own practices as a graphic designer for nine months. Sometimes based on technical observations of my interaction with my tools, primarily my laptop computer and the software on it. I conducted interviews with designers. I recorded the interviews. I had prompts to open the discussion such as reading material and weird tools to try with them. I will carry out auto-ethnographic research using experimental methods such as mouse tracking and unusual annotation methods. I shared the results of this research as a series of interactive publications (tools) with a small but selected audience of people who are involved in these processes and who would benefit from it.
alt="do you ever dream about work? online research" /></p>
<p>An investigation into the practices and ideologies of graphic design
2. Reflexive tools: Software and hardware tools that explore the boundaries of "graphic design" as a category. For example at the boundaries between graphic design and other disciplines. At the boundaries between work and play, or between design and art. These tools malfunction in order to explore what it even means to be working. The tools aim to highlight what a graphic designer does by interacting with their user in ways that the designers standard tools do not (for example an interface to connect musical instruments to the designers workflow), or conversely by amplifying how the designer usually interacts with their tools (for example a keylogger to celebrate and focus on the use of the keyboard). The tools are digital in nature and involve software and hardware interventions into the graphic designers work.
in 2023–24 though practice-led artistic research and ethnographic
methods. I held graphic design in my hands using ethnography, toolmaking
3. Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience, research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal, Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and practices of the graphic designer.
and performance as research methods. I examined how a designer spends
their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as well as you, what are
I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford Geertz's ideas of why humans make culture: "to affirm it, defend it, celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it" (Geertz, 1973). This exploration will also involve less constructive actions like participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about "graphic design" and the effects it is known to have on its audiences, practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to "loosen the object" of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with. This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage with the effects on and by these bodies.
we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems, mythologies and
-->
ideologies?</p>
<p><em>What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and
what does “graphic design” even mean?!????!!1!?</em> is an assessment of
what the term “graphic design” means to its practitioners today. Through
experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of
reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries
that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own
practices as well as other people and groups that identify with “graphic
designer” as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with
interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a
series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the
research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative
cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is
conducted through the performative use and development of these
tools.</p>
<p>This research is carried out in three intersecting methods:
experimental ethnographic research, reflexive tools, and performative
research. Keylogging, performance of personal work habits, interviews
about the manual work of “immaterial labourers”, and dream analysis are
combined in order to uncover less obvious and less discussed aspects of
what a designer is and does in their daily life, as entry points to
their worldviews, belief systems, mythologies or ideologies. The methods
were developed in an iterative process that reflected on findings from
the previous prototypes. The research took into account its own
publication as part of one process.</p>
<oltype="1">
<li><p>Experimental ethnographic research methods: I documented my own
practices as a graphic designer for nine months. Sometimes based on
technical observations of my interaction with my tools, primarily my
laptop computer and the software on it. I conducted interviews with
designers. I recorded the interviews. I had prompts to open the
discussion such as reading material and weird tools to try with them. I
will carry out auto-ethnographic research using experimental methods
such as mouse tracking and unusual annotation methods. I shared the
results of this research as a series of interactive publications (tools)
with a small but selected audience of people who are involved in these
processes and who would benefit from it.</p></li>
<li><p>Reflexive tools: Software and hardware tools that explore the
boundaries of “graphic design” as a category. For example at the
boundaries between graphic design and other disciplines. At the
boundaries between work and play, or between design and art. These tools
malfunction in order to explore what it even means to be working. The
tools aim to highlight what a graphic designer does by interacting with
their user in ways that the designers standard tools do not (for example
an interface to connect musical instruments to the designers workflow),
or conversely by amplifying how the designer usually interacts with
their tools (for example a keylogger to celebrate and focus on the use
of the keyboard). The tools are digital in nature and involve software
and hardware interventions into the graphic designers work.</p></li>
<li><p>Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a
performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative
act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience,
research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal,
Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work
practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with
the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily
activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without
the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for
example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a
bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and
practices of the graphic designer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford
Geertz’s ideas of why humans make culture: “to affirm it, defend it,
celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it” (Geertz, 1973). This
exploration will also involve less constructive actions like
participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and
disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about
“graphic design” and the effects it is known to have on its audiences,
practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to
“loosen the object” of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the
definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with.
This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by
it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it
hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good
way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also
dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from
the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage
do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does
do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does
“graphic design” even mean?!????!!1!?</h1>
“graphic design” even mean?!????!!1!?</h1>
<figure>
<imgsrc="../stephen/its-ok.jpg"
alt="Custom keyboard mapping for efficient design practice." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Custom keyboard mapping for efficient
design practice.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I cut my thumb so every time I type i can feel it in my nerve
<p>I cut my thumb so every time I type i can feel it in my nerve
endings. Not true, it’s my left thumb so I don’t type with it. Not true,
endings. Not true, it’s my left thumb so I don’t type with it. Not true,
I feel it anyway. Why are most of the function keys on the left of the
I feel it anyway. Why are most of the function keys on the left of the
@ -33,114 +39,486 @@ night I’m writing this on my phone. If I had a dream this is when I
would be writing it. The memory is fuzzy: either I don’t remember or it
would be writing it. The memory is fuzzy: either I don’t remember or it
didn’t make sense in the first place. It was something to do with
didn’t make sense in the first place. It was something to do with
fuzziness and memory no wait. Phones don’t have keyboards in real life
fuzziness and memory no wait. Phones don’t have keyboards in real life
third doesn’t make sense. I’m trying to type but I don’t think I can get
this doesn’t make sense. I’m trying to type but I don’t think I can get
it on the way to the office for the weekend and I think it was a good
it on the way to the office for the weekend and I think it was a good
idea to do it and I was thinking about you and I was thinking of you and
idea to do it and I was thinking about you and I was thinking of you and
the kids in the morning and I was thinking about you and I was in the
I was thinking about you and I was in the same place as a friend of mine
same place as a friend of mine and I was in the car park and we were in
and I was in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the
the car park and we were in the car park and we were in the car park and
studio and we were in the studio and we were in the</p>
we were in the</p>
<figure>
<p><imgsrc="imagename.png"
<imgsrc="../stephen/keylogger.jpeg"
alt="The result of a tool that connects musical instruments to a pen plotter, using an arduino module. I created this tool to cross the boundary of “graphic design” as a discipline separate from music." />
alt="Keylogging research. I recorded the buttons a graphic designer (me) presses while working, as an autoethnographic research method into what exactly it is that designers do. To celebrate this labour, I then used a pen plotter to make a series of posters. Three minutes of the designers keypresses took about eight hours to plot. October 24th 2023." />
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Keylogging research. I recorded the
alt="A performative tool that measures the laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter. The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter will draw." />
buttons a graphic designer (me) presses while working, as an
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
autoethnographic research method into what exactly it is that designers
alt="A performative autoethnographic research of graphic design practices, in this case answering emails using Google’s Gmail service. Leeszaal, Rotterdam West, November 7th 2023" />
do. To celebrate this labour, I then used a pen plotter to make a series
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
of posters. Three minutes of the designers keypresses took about eight
alt="Collective performative dream re-enactment at Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. February 5th 2024." />
hours to plot. October 24th 2023.</figcaption>
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
</figure>
alt="Collective performative dream re-enactment at Art Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. March 11th 2024." />
<p>Practice-led artistic research into the 21st century phenomenon of
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
the graphic designer. I held graphic design in my hands using
alt="Keyboard of things designers have said." /> <img
ethnography, toolmaking and performance as research methods. I examined
src="imagename.png"
how designers spend their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as
alt="keylogging research, recording the buttons a graphic designer presses while working" />
well as you, what are we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems,
<imgsrc="imagename.png"
mythologies and ideologies?</p>
alt="do you ever dream about work? online research" /></p>
<figure>
<p>An investigation into the practices and ideologies of graphic design
<imgsrc="../stephen/email.jpg"
in 2023–24 though practice-led artistic research and ethnographic
alt="Email answering performance using Google’s Gmail service. To reveal the work of the designer clearly, I performed the designer’s task of answering email in front of an audience. Due to the performance happening at 7pm, out of office hours, there was extensive use of the Scheduled Email feature. Some stories emerged about our precarity including overdue rent and invalid payment information for Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. Leeszaal, Rotterdam, November 7th 2023." />
methods. I held graphic design in my hands using ethnography, toolmaking
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Email answering performance using
and performance as research methods. I examined how a designer spends
Google’s Gmail service. To reveal the work of the designer clearly, I
their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as well as you, what are
performed the designer’s task of answering email in front of an
we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems, mythologies and
audience. Due to the performance happening at 7pm, out of office hours,
ideologies?</p>
there was extensive use of the Scheduled Email feature. Some stories
<p><em>What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and
emerged about our precarity including overdue rent and invalid payment
what does “graphic design” even mean?!????!!1!?</em> is an assessment of
information for Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. Leeszaal, Rotterdam,
what the term “graphic design” means to its practitioners today. Through
November 7th 2023.</figcaption>
experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of
</figure>
reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries
<figure>
that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own
<imgsrc="../stephen/laziness.jpg"
practices as well as other people and groups that identify with “graphic
alt="A performative tool that measures the laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter. The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter draws, it creates a record of the tiny moments between the work." />
designer” as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">A performative tool that measures the
interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a
laziness of the designer as they work and graphs it on a pen plotter.
series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the
The less the designer uses the mouse, the longer a line the pen plotter
research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative
draws, it creates a record of the tiny moments between the
cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is
work.</figcaption>
conducted through the performative use and development of these
</figure>
tools.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This research is carried out in three intersecting methods:
<p>Secondly, during my studies at XPUB, I plan to combine different
experimental ethnographic research, reflexive tools, and performative
strands of my practices (design, music, programming, theatre). Being a
research. Keylogging, performance of personal work habits, interviews
designer is an important part of my identity, and I am keen to make work
about the manual work of “immaterial labourers”, and dream analysis are
true to who I am.</p>
combined in order to uncover less obvious and less discussed aspects of
</blockquote>
what a designer is and does in their daily life, as entry points to
<p>Excerpt from xpub application letter, March 15th 2022.</p>
their worldviews, belief systems, mythologies or ideologies. The methods
<figure>
were developed in an iterative process that reflected on findings from
<imgsrc="../stephen/peecee.jpg"
the previous prototypes. The research took into account its own
alt="Re-enacting dreams about work at Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Participants use felt dolls to tell stories of our dreams on the small and squishy stage. We’re trying to balance design labour with other labour like making food for our loved ones, we can’t stop brushing our teeth, brushing, brushing, brushing. February 5th 2024." />
publication as part of one process.</p>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Re-enacting dreams about work at Piet
<oltype="1">
Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Participants use felt dolls to
<li><p>Experimental ethnographic research methods: I documented my own
tell stories of our dreams on the small and squishy stage. We’re trying
practices as a graphic designer for nine months. Sometimes based on
to balance design labour with other labour like making food for our
technical observations of my interaction with my tools, primarily my
loved ones, we can’t stop brushing our teeth, brushing, brushing,
laptop computer and the software on it. I conducted interviews with
brushing. February 5th 2024.</figcaption>
designers. I recorded the interviews. I had prompts to open the
</figure>
discussion such as reading material and weird tools to try with them. I
<figure>
will carry out auto-ethnographic research using experimental methods
<imgsrc="../stephen/amro.jpeg"
such as mouse tracking and unusual annotation methods. I shared the
alt="Collective dream re-enactment at Art Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. Inside a tent, a group of people perform eachother’s dreams about work and discuss and analyse them together. We feel like impostors, we don’t know how to work these machines, we’re going to crash. March 11th 2024." />
results of this research as a series of interactive publications (tools)
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Collective dream re-enactment at Art
with a small but selected audience of people who are involved in these
Meets Radical Openness, Linz, Austria. Inside a tent, a group of people
processes and who would benefit from it.</p></li>
perform eachother’s dreams about work and discuss and analyse them
<li><p>Reflexive tools: Software and hardware tools that explore the
together. We feel like impostors, we don’t know how to work these
boundaries of “graphic design” as a category. For example at the
machines, we’re going to crash. March 11th 2024.</figcaption>
boundaries between graphic design and other disciplines. At the
</figure>
boundaries between work and play, or between design and art. These tools
<figure>
malfunction in order to explore what it even means to be working. The
<imgsrc="../stephen/dizzy.jpeg"alt="Where do dreams come from?"/>
tools aim to highlight what a graphic designer does by interacting with
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Where do dreams come from?</figcaption>
their user in ways that the designers standard tools do not (for example
</figure>
an interface to connect musical instruments to the designers workflow),
<figure>
or conversely by amplifying how the designer usually interacts with
<imgsrc="../stephen/form.png"
their tools (for example a keylogger to celebrate and focus on the use
alt="do you ever dream about work? Online research and publication where we shared our dreams, worries, rants, designs. The answers to the question are published together as a collection of voices." />
of the keyboard). The tools are digital in nature and involve software
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">do you ever dream about work? Online
and hardware interventions into the graphic designers work.</p></li>
research and publication where we shared our dreams, worries, rants,
<li><p>Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a
designs. The answers to the question are published together as a
performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative
collection of voices.</figcaption>
act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience,
</figure>
research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal,
<figure>
Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work
<imgsrc="../stephen/wood-keyboard.jpeg"
practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with
alt="Keyboard of things designers have said. Our feelings about work." />
the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Keyboard of things designers have said.
activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without
Our feelings about work.</figcaption>
the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for
</figure>
example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a
<p>2023-11-24 17:52:55,103 - Key.tab<br/>
bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and
2023-11-24 17:52:57,175 - Key.alt_l<br/>
practices of the graphic designer.</p></li>
2023-11-24 17:52:57,368 - Key.tab<br/>
</ol>
2023-11-24 17:52:57,959 - Key.tab<br/>
<p>I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford
2023-11-24 17:52:58,239 - Key.tab<br/>
Geertz’s ideas of why humans make culture: “to affirm it, defend it,
2023-11-24 17:52:59,055 - Key.cmd<br/>
celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it” (Geertz, 1973). This
2023-11-24 17:52:59,208 - ‘e’<br/>
exploration will also involve less constructive actions like
2024-06-06 15:51:56,169 - Key.alt_l<br/>
participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and
2024-06-06 15:51:56,273 - Key.tab<br/>
disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about
2024-06-06 15:51:57,017 - Key.tab<br/>
“graphic design” and the effects it is known to have on its audiences,
2024-06-06 15:51:58,130 - Key.tab<br/>
practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to
2024-06-06 15:51:58,385 - Key.tab<br/>
“loosen the object” of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the
2024-06-06 15:52:04,257 - Key.alt_l<br/>
definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with.
2024-06-06 15:52:04,370 - Key.tab<br/>
This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by
2024-06-06 15:52:05,041 - Key.tab<br/>
it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it
2024-06-06 15:52:05,281 - Key.tab<br/>
hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good
2024-06-06 15:52:39,050 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also
2024-06-06 15:52:39,443 - ‘’<br/>
dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from
2024-06-06 15:52:53,985 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage
2024-06-06 15:52:54,363 - ‘’<br/>
with the effects on and by these bodies.</p>
2024-06-06 15:52:57,545 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:57,761 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:57,921 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,057 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,201 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,337 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,585 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,682 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:58,785 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:59,121 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:52:59,417 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:00,530 - ‘k’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:00,626 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:00,890 - ‘y’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:01,370 - ‘l’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:01,546 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:01,754 - ‘g’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:01,882 - ‘g’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:01,994 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:02,162 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:02,778 - ‘.’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:03,146 - ‘j’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:03,394 - ‘p’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:03,562 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:03,818 - ‘g’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:05,569 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,079 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,110 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,140 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,172 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,203 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,235 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,282 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,313 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,344 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,374 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,405 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,436 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,467 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,499 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,545 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,578 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,609 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,641 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,672 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,702 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,733 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,765 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,795 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,841 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,872 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,904 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,934 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,964 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:06,995 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,040 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,073 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,103 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,134 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,165 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,196 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,228 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:07,250 - ‘’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:08,753 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:08,881 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:08,937 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:09,058 - ‘’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:10,218 - Key.up<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:10,441 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:10,970 - Key.down<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:11,169 - Key.down<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:11,577 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:11,777 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:11,921 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:27,769 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:27,882 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:28,585 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:28,833 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:31,809 - ‘z’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:32,090 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:32,682 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:32,753 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:38,450 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:38,713 - ‘q’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:38,858 - ‘u’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:38,937 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:39,082 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:39,129 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:39,201 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:44,858 - ‘w’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:44,953 - ‘i’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:45,129 - ‘k’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:45,250 - ‘i’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:48,817 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:55,257 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:55,513 - ‘’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:56,418 - ‘z’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:56,642 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:56,882 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:53:56,946 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:05,473 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:05,609 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,185 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,693 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,723 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,754 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,786 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,831 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,862 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,893 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,923 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,952 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:08,983 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:09,010 - ‘A’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:09,177 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:09,778 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:09,842 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,026 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,130 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,242 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,634 - ‘p’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,754 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:10,850 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:11,281 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:11,442 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:11,538 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:13,689 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:13,818 - ‘“’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,225 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,731 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,760 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,791 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,839 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,869 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,899 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,930 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,962 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:14,992 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,023 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,055 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,281 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,513 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,625 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:15,705 - ‘“’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,009 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,514 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,546 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,576 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,623 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,653 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,684 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,715 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,746 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,777 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,809 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,840 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,886 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:16,916 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:17,289 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:18,058 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:18,130 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:18,314 - ‘y’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:18,394 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:19,242 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:19,409 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:19,634 - ‘Z’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:19,866 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:20,034 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:20,114 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:20,336 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:20,441 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:21,433 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:21,521 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:22,586 - ‘,’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:22,665 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,177 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,207 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,239 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,270 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,301 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,332 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,378 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,409 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,440 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,577 - Key.left<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,826 - ‘,’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:23,937 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,446 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,477 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,508 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,539 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,570 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,616 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,648 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:24,889 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:25,049 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:25,289 - Key.right<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:25,425 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:25,737 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:25,825 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:26,554 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:26,617 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:26,993 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,506 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,537 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,568 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,599 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,610 - ‘“’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:27,946 - ‘d’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,090 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,218 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,322 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,394 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,897 -”’”<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:28,978 - ’t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:29,105 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:29,274 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:29,418 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:29,522 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:29,850 - ‘l’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:30,090 - ‘y’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:30,241 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:30,394 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:30,609 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:30,930 - ‘h’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,002 - ‘i’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,137 - ‘m’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,322 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,458 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,633 - ‘l’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:31,730 - ‘f’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:32,241 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:32,353 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:33,737 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:33,833 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:34,442 - ‘,’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:34,585 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:34,834 - ‘d’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:34,954 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,090 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,170 - ‘s’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,298 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,898 -”’”<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,954 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:35,978 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,209 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,378 - ‘l’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,546 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,666 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,730 - ‘k’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:36,881 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,034 - ‘i’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,090 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,257 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,410 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,482 - ‘h’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,586 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,681 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:37,874 - ‘m’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:38,017 - ‘i’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:38,233 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:38,562 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:38,898 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:39,210 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:39,945 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,448 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,478 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,525 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,556 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,587 - Key.shift<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:40,594 - ‘“’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:41,033 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:41,137 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:42,545 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:42,650 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:44,257 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:44,466 - ‘’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:45,105 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:45,217 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:46,361 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:46,537 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:46,729 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:48,706 - ‘g’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:48,770 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:48,914 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:49,034 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:49,140 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:49,570 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:49,786 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:49,866 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:50,785 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,295 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,325 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,356 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,388 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,418 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,450 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,497 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,527 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,558 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,589 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,620 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,651 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,682 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:51,728 - Key.backspace<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:52,162 - ‘p’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:52,649 - ‘y’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:52,970 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:53,082 - ‘h’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:53,122 - ‘o’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:53,265 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:53,817 - Key.space<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:54,410 - ‘g’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:54,442 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:54,609 - ‘n’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:54,714 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:54,810 - ‘r’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:55,073 - ‘a’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:55,202 - ‘t’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:55,306 - ‘e’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:55,809 - ‘-’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:56,465 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:54:58,945 - Key.enter<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:06,353 - Key.alt_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:06,473 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:07,265 - Key.tab<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:10,985 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,492 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,523 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,554 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,586 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,630 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:11,642 - ‘’<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:15,457 - Key.ctrl_l<br/>
2024-06-06 15:55:15,730 - ‘’<br/>
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2024-06-06 15:55:33,617 - ‘e’</p>
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*What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does "graphic design" even mean?!????!!1!?* is an assessment of what the term "graphic design" means to its practitioners today. Through experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own practices as well as other people and groups that identify with "graphic designer" as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is conducted through the performative use and development of these tools.
This research is carried out in three intersecting methods: experimental ethnographic research, reflexive tools, and performative research. Keylogging, performance of personal work habits, interviews about the manual work of "immaterial labourers", and dream analysis are combined in order to uncover less obvious and less discussed aspects of what a designer is and does in their daily life, as entry points to their worldviews, belief systems, mythologies or ideologies. The methods were developed in an iterative process that reflected on findings from the previous prototypes. The research took into account its own publication as part of one process.
1. Experimental ethnographic research methods: I documented my own practices as a graphic designer for nine months. Sometimes based on technical observations of my interaction with my tools, primarily my laptop computer and the software on it. I conducted interviews with designers. I recorded the interviews. I had prompts to open the discussion such as reading material and weird tools to try with them. I will carry out auto-ethnographic research using experimental methods such as mouse tracking and unusual annotation methods. I shared the results of this research as a series of interactive publications (tools) with a small but selected audience of people who are involved in these processes and who would benefit from it.
2. Reflexive tools: Software and hardware tools that explore the boundaries of "graphic design" as a category. For example at the boundaries between graphic design and other disciplines. At the boundaries between work and play, or between design and art. These tools malfunction in order to explore what it even means to be working. The tools aim to highlight what a graphic designer does by interacting with their user in ways that the designers standard tools do not (for example an interface to connect musical instruments to the designers workflow), or conversely by amplifying how the designer usually interacts with their tools (for example a keylogger to celebrate and focus on the use of the keyboard). The tools are digital in nature and involve software and hardware interventions into the graphic designers work.
3. Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience, research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal, Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and practices of the graphic designer.
I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford Geertz's ideas of why humans make culture: "to affirm it, defend it, celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it" (Geertz, 1973). This exploration will also involve less constructive actions like participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about "graphic design" and the effects it is known to have on its audiences, practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to "loosen the object" of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with. This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage with the effects on and by these bodies.
I cut my thumb so every time I type i can feel it in my nerve endings. Not true, it's my left thumb so I don't type with it. Not true, I feel it anyway. Why are most of the function keys on the left of the keyboard. What's so functional about pressing buttons. Stephen Kerr is a designer and musician based in. Have you ever loved an instrument? The Ctrl key broke like four times since I moved here. I have one more replacement because I bought a bunch of them but at some point I gave up and use an external keyboard. I dunno I'm more confused than ever. It was something to do with dreams and working. It's the middle of the night I'm writing this on my phone. If I had a dream this is when I would be writing it. The memory is fuzzy: either I don't remember or it didn't make sense in the first place. It was something to do with fuzziness and memory no wait. Phones don't have keyboards in real life this doesn't make sense. I'm trying to type but I don't think I can get it on the way to the office for the weekend and I think it was a good idea to do it and I was thinking about you and I was thinking of you and I was thinking about you and I was in the same place as a friend of mine and I was in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the
I cut my thumb so every time I type i can feel it in my nerve endings. Not true, it's my left thumb so I don't type with it. Not true, I feel it anyway. Why are most of the function keys on the left of the keyboard. What's so functional about pressing buttons. Stephen Kerr is a designer and musician based in. Have you ever loved an instrument? The Ctrl key broke like four times since I moved here. I have one more replacement because I bought a bunch of them but at some point I gave up and use an external keyboard. I dunno I'm more confused than ever. It was something to do with dreams and working. It's the middle of the night I'm writing this on my phone. If I had a dream this is when I would be writing it. The memory is fuzzy: either I don't remember or it didn't make sense in the first place. It was something to do with fuzziness and memory no wait. Phones don't have keyboards in real life this doesn't make sense. I'm trying to type but I don't think I can get it on the way to the office for the weekend and I think it was a good idea to do it and I was thinking about you and I was thinking of you and I was thinking about you and I was in the same place as a friend of mine and I was in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the studio and we were in the
Practice-led artistic research into the 21st century phenomenon of the graphic designer. I held graphic design in my hands using ethnography, toolmaking and performance as research methods. I examined how designers spend their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as well as you, what are we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems, mythologies and ideologies?
> Secondly, during my studies at XPUB, I plan to combine different strands of my practices (design, music, programming, theatre). Being a designer is an important part of my identity, and I am keen to make work true to who I am.
Excerpt from xpub application letter, March 15th 2022.
"A sane person", says Zeno, "doesn't analyse himself, doesn't look in the mirror"
2023-11-24 17:52:55,103 - Key.tab
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@ -402,14 +412,7 @@ I cut my thumb so every time I type i can feel it in my nerve endings. Not true,
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2024-06-06 15:55:33,617 - 'e'
2024-06-06 15:55:33,617 - 'e'
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An investigation into the practices and ideologies of graphic design in 2023–24 though practice-led artistic research and ethnographic methods. I held graphic design in my hands using ethnography, toolmaking and performance as research methods. I examined how a designer spends their time in everyday life, this designer, me, as well as you, what are we doing? What are our worldviews, belief systems, mythologies and ideologies?
*What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does "graphic design" even mean?!????!!1!?* is an assessment of what the term "graphic design" means to its practitioners today. Through experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own practices as well as other people and groups that identify with "graphic designer" as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is conducted through the performative use and development of these tools.
*What do graphic designers do all day and why do they do it and what does "graphic design" even mean?!????!!1!?* is an assessment of what the term "graphic design" means to its practitioners today. Through experimental ethnographic research methods and the development of reflexive tools, the project highlights and questions the boundaries that exist around this apparent category. The research focuses on my own practices as well as other people and groups that identify with "graphic designer" as a label. The research was both conducted by and shared with interested parties in the form of the tools themselves, as well as a series of performances. There is no strict distinction between the research and its publication. The tools were released in an iterative cycle throughout the process of the project, and the research is conducted through the performative use and development of these tools.
@ -422,4 +425,4 @@ This research is carried out in three intersecting methods: experimental ethnogr
3. Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience, research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal, Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and practices of the graphic designer.
3. Performative research: I see all the methods above as having a performative element. For example the ethnographic-slash-performative act of answering my emails on a large screen in front of an audience, research which was carried out as part of this project at Leeszaal, Rotterdam West on November 7th 2023. By showing directly the work practices of graphic designers to an audience, or their interaction with the tools mentioned above, I am publishing through performance the daily activities of designers and my aim is to show these practices without the conventional lenses they are seen through. To be contrasted for example with how graphic design is presented on behance.net or in a bookshop, this performative approach will highlight the mythologies and practices of the graphic designer.
I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford Geertz's ideas of why humans make culture: "to affirm it, defend it, celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it" (Geertz, 1973). This exploration will also involve less constructive actions like participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about "graphic design" and the effects it is known to have on its audiences, practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to "loosen the object" of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with. This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage with the effects on and by these bodies.
I made this to explore why designers make design, based on Clifford Geertz's ideas of why humans make culture: "to affirm it, defend it, celebrate it, justify it and just plain bask in it" (Geertz, 1973). This exploration will also involve less constructive actions like participating, dissociating, questioning, protesting, destroying and disregarding. There is a disconnect between the narratives about "graphic design" and the effects it is known to have on its audiences, practitioners, and society in more general terms. I am attempting to "loosen the object" of graphic design (Berlant, 2022), to make the definition less defined and maybe more useful or easier to engage with. This shit could be better. Its urgent for the people being exploited by it, to break the inequalities it serves to maintain, to expose what it hides, to improve things that are definitely working but not in a good way. Design can hide and reproduce inequalities in its output and also dominate workers in its practices. This research starts primarily from the bodies and actions of the practitioners so will primarily engage with the effects on and by these bodies.
Stephen Kerr
6 months ago
