Art and design before the computer

This month’s issue started with the idea of graphic design before the computer, and evolved into the idea of slower craft in general. We begin by looking at physical slowness, design before the mass use of computers (both the pros and the cons), and move on to ideas of what slowness might look like integrated into the design–in which making something not be easily digestible is the point. And then we round out by looking at some of the slow crafts and hobbies that seem to be rising in popularity again precisely because of their meditative nature.

This isn’t a call to get rid of machines, but rather to think about what might be lost when we prioritize speed and efficiency over all things. And how might we bring some of the analog process and thinking into the digital or preserve them alongside it.

Ok, computer...

Design before computers ruled the universe

12 minutes

A look into the older days of design and the tools involved in a mostly analog process. While computers have made our work easier in a lot of ways, the author points out that it's also eroded our seperation from the work place and other drawbacks to the digital process.

Accepting design

9 minutes

If you've ever wondered how design became such a pillar of the Web, perhaps this essay can put things into perspective. Design has played a big role in exploring how Internet and the Web could fit within our society. Is design still relevant today? Or is everything about money now? Design is very much industrialized, but it doesn't mean that we can't be artisans.

Where have all the websites gone?

5 minutes

Are we growing out of algorithm fueled social media? Hand made web content never went away, we just got distracted by social media for a quick 15... years.

Slowing Down Graphic Design

16 minutes

"What then, does slow graphic design look and behave like?" a question posed by a design student to their teacher sets off an investigation into what design that is meant to be more meaningfully engaged with might look like.

Programming with yarn

27 minutes

This is not a talk about yarn, the package manager. Rather about what crochet and computing have in common.

Exploring the rise, and evolution, of analogue design techniques

8 minutes

There is something of a statement behind the designs mentioned in this article. The rise of analogue design techniques probably has something to do with AI. Perhaps as a way to protest, or react against the computer. If AI and the computer is the death of the artist, then analogue probably can still make us feel alive.

Bookbinding basics series

10+ minutes

I've seen a huge resurgence of bookbinding (including numerous tiktok accounts dedicated to bookbinding) and other slow zine media return (like risograph machines). While I couldn't find an article that talks about this, I figure a nice series on bookbinding for you folks to take a look at would be nice. I've picked up some bookbinding and tools in my time creating zines, and there is something meditative in the practice. Hopefully it inspires a couple other people to try the craft! You can always start a little more simple with a rebinding.

Wild imaginary west

10-15 minutes

To finish things on a light note, I recommend checking out Boylei hobby time's Wild imaginary west miniature series. In each video, the creator invents a new scene, creature or story framed in a fictional universe. Everything is narrated over the process of designing and crafting beautiful miniature models.

Books

Speculative everything

All this talk of design and craft brings me back to this book about what design is, aside from styling and problem solving. Our work is always rooted in very real problems, which we try to solve in really specific and proven ways. Sure it is practical to think this way, but every once in a while, maybe we ought to let our creative minds go wild and allow ourselves to critique our processes, think of the impossible, the impractical, yet liberating ideas we keep deep inside.

A book cover with a bright green mountain on wheels.

Risoart

Risograph printing has been steadily climbing in popularity and having a resurgence the past while. The simplest way to explain it to those unfamiliar is kind of like what if silkscreening were combined with printing? This books details the history of risograph printing, it's methods, and a whole swatch of printers and their art today.

A neon yellow and bright blue circles overlap in the center with text to the left side.

A photo of a white woman with dark hair, looking off into the distance while holding a ZZ plant in a gold pot.

5 things worth sharing with Kate Drwęcka

A book worth reading

I guess I'm cheating and including multiple books. I've been in a history bookclub. I think a lot of us are guilty of sticking mostly to euro-centric history, so here are a few (of many out there I've yet to read) books on non-euro history:

Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes (currently $6 on Amazon?!), Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, The Rape of Nanking, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, King Leopold's Ghost

A video worth watching

This is maybe a cheat because it's a series of videos. But John Berger's Ways of Seeing episodes are up on YouTube (originally aired on PBS back in the day). It takes an honest look at western aesthetics, pointing out the bias, social and political ideology that makes its' way into the images we make.

A social media account worth following

Not exactly social media, but Knife Beetle is an online webcomic ring (a curated directory of webcomics). I wish there were more of these online!

A piece of advice worth passing on

This video quoting Ira Glass talking about the skill gap that a lot of artists experience. The only thing I would note here, is what he talks about is more of a cycle. This chart sums it up nicely.

A quote worth repeating

"fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work, while fears about your reception by others prevent you from doing your own work."

― David Bayles, Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

Events

Web à Québec

28-30 mai. 995 CAD$. Québec

Web à Québec est l'événement Web à ne pas manquer près de chez nous!

Beyond Tellerand Dusseldorf

May 13-14. 99 EUR. Streaming access

Beyond Tellerand is always a neat event with great topics about the Web.

Neat things

Good Enough

A collection of tiny single-purpose web apps for writing and posting content online.

In Loving Memory of Square Checkbox

The entire history of the square checkbox until the day it died.