Week 2 — Assignment “Interrogate an Object”
Project 1 (1A)
Discuss + Studio due Sunday. Comments on other people’s posts due Tuesday.
–> explore the People’s Graphic Design Archive.
1/
Discuss:
Do the studio assignment first and then — write a comment below (minimum 200 words) reflecting on your project and on the research activity of browsing the PGArchive. Post a link to your presentation in progress — uploaded to our class folder on onedrive. Posts will be made visible on Monday morning. Reply to at least two other people’s posts by Tuesday.
2/
Studio:
This is a two-week research and design project.
This week, choose an object in the People’s Graphic Design Archive that is of interest to you and research it further. Share your research with others by designing a presentation. The first part of the presentation will have two parts: “interrogation” and “layout design.”
(Next week, you will design a timeline to add to your revised presentation.)
- Interrogate the object from the People’s GD Archive.* Ask the following questions (below) of it. Collect supporting documentation for your answers.
Questions:
Who made it?
How was it made?
How was it used?
Who was it for? (who did it exclude?)
When was it made, and what events relate?
What does it look like?
What is an interesting object(s) for comparison?
What are other things this designer or manufacturer made?
What technology is related to it?
Why is it valuable? - Design a visual presentation. Use powerpoint or Indesign. DO NOT use a template—make your own layout.
Write in your own words—no copying and pasting from Wikipedia.
Write at least two sentences for each question.
Use as many images/slides as you wish, no limit.
Use at least one image per slide—using the images that you found that relate to the question you are answering.
If you are not able to answer the question, please explain why you cannot find the information or why it is not relevant.
Keep track of all the research links/references and include them as a bibliography slide at the end. - Upload the presentation (in progress draft, we will continue next week, as well as add a timeline design) in your individual folder in our class folder on onedrive. If you are designing in in Indesign, package the folder and make a PDF.
++
Tools:
Teach Archives
Word Counter Tool
* prompt credit: Brockett Horne, MICA and Matthew Bird, RISD
When we started this project, I was a bit nervous to browse the graphic design archives considering I had so many options. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to choose from, but I was lucky to find an uploaded graphic from possibly my most favorite video game series of all time. During the process of investigating my object, it shocked me a little to find that I didn’t know much about the development behind these kinds of things. Of course, Nintendo makes sure to keep their development and software tools a secret from most of the public, so that only proved to be more challenging in my research. I was, however, able to find out that the team who made Zelda games specifically had their own division entirely at the company, and was simultaneously ran by Shigeru Miyamoto, who happens to be the designer of my chosen object.
Even though he is a designer, he mostly handles the production of the games that his team makes. He comes up with concepts and ideas for the team while the dedicated script writers and music producers handle their own involvements. All of this to say, Miyamoto still has a large helping hand when it comes to the design of Mario characters. His distinct art style can tell anyone looking at his artwork that he most definitely came up with the concept art.
What also piqued my interest during my research was the progression of The Legend of Zelda logo as a whole. While each entry of the series has its own respective title and stylization to go with it, it’s also interesting to note just how similar each logo is to the original, and to each other. The developers made a choice to stick relatively close to home, and that is most recognizable through the title graphics.
Link to OneDrive: https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/EiUanwArNPdCkBtVrsWrvQ8BHGbuYPA3xiW26VQUFzC9Gw?e=fmFON0
Hi Finn!
I love what you have so far! Being as into games as I am, I’m ashamed to admit that Nintendo is my blindspot and Zelda is a casualty of war. I tried Mario, was bad at it, and never touched another Nintendo system again (besides Smash but that doesn’t count because I pretend it doesn’t count).
I’ve always thought art language was really funny. Like obviously we have to be able to articulate the elements of the image and what we see, but it always felt so strange to try and talk in the tone that’s required. All that being said, you did an excellent job breaking down the title splash and what it’s got going on. I am really obsessed with title menus, I think they are a little underutilized for narrative and aesthetic purposes. Now its all banners saying “BUY DLC NOW!” so its nice to see what came before the nightmare of microtransactions.
Best of luck with the rest of this assignment!
Hello Finn,
There were a ton of options and it was a little over stimulating. I like that you chose something familiar to your own experience but also learned something new from it. It seems very nostalgic and I am excited to see how you design your presentation.
I enjoyed being able to learn about Zelda, a game that I’m not to fond of but is related to the games I grew up on. Growing up, Mario was definitely one of my favorite games at the time. Seeing how it was first developed to how it grew is fascinating.
So far, this assignment has been going well. The subject I chose was a 1957 magazine spread advertising Butazolidin, a brand name medicine containing Phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory drug consistently used for treating gout. This spread was designed by Thérèse Moll, a Swiss graphic designer who was primarily active in the 1950s and 1960s. When designing the PowerPoint, I made it based on the specific work I’m interrogating. The design is very visually distinct, with the contrasting oranges, blacks and blues, as well as the sleek, modernist design. I was even able to find a good amount of other works that Thérèse Moll had made. They have similar designs, and Thérèse Moll has a very clear and distinct style. I picked this work because it does a good job at advertising in both a professional, but still stylish and unique way. One thing I’m struggling a bit with is looking for more research. As far as I can find, there is only a single written article that goes in-depth about Thérèse Moll and her work. Because of that, it makes answering some of the questions very hard, especially regarding how her work was made. Because she’s an artist from several decades ago and mostly focused on advertisement work, she isn’t particularly well-known. I might have to do a bit more digging if I need to add more sources, and/or if my current answers aren’t good enough.
Link to assignment:
https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F%5FRachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FF%202025%2FART%20441%2FJohn%20Kaylor%2FWeek%202&ct=1755610487937&or=Teams%2DHL&ga=1
Hi John!
I really like the visual style of your presentation so far, that blue circle was really impactful for me visually. I scrolled over it to see if it was on the photo or an overlay because it looked natural, but also a way to draw attention to who you are actually talking about.
I was really impressed with your ability to maintain the design consistency while also introducing other works for comparison. It felt like the stuff I was comparing was so different that I had to think harder than I wanted about how to make them look like they fit together without ruining the design ideas I was trying to build.
Overall good work! Only thing I’d say is that sourcing higher res images will help you out a ton. It might have been my computer, but it was displaying as pretty stretched out on my end.
Good luck this coming week!
Hi John! You’ve got a great start to your presentation. I think your use of the spread you’re looking at as the focal point of the design is really smart. Great start!
Throughout doing the research for the project, it made me focus on how printmaking and graphic design go hand and hand. Posters, t-shirts, banners, merch, books, etc. They all relate back to a physical form. Any form of print goes back to graphic design. Illustration is very important when it comes to both. The majority of things that are graphic get translated to a physical object. That is why I went with Norval Morrisseau piece the Bird Family. It goes back to traditional art forms like painting in acrylic as well as him using other forms like silk print(screen-printing) and serigraph and having limited editions so regular people can get his art rather than collectors. I also learned what serigraph was. It is a form of high-quantity form of screen printing. Using it is used for larger prints. His art focuses on the spiritual side of things using colors that represent different parts of the bird, blue for water, brown for land, yellow/orange for spiritual vision, and black to represent the sacred form. I am just very into the physical part of graphic design. I really appreciate how far art and graphic design has come, to where both mediums are combined at this point of time.
PowerPoint:
https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr_riley_uncg_edu%2FDocuments%2F_Rachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FF%202025%2FART%20441%2FJayla%20Miles%2Fweek%202%2Fpowerpoint&ga=1
I absolutely love your layout for this presentation! It mirrors Norval Morrisseau’s work very well, having a clean yet visually unique screen printing-inspired design!
I truly enjoyed your presentation, i loved the vivid use of colors as well as the incorporation of Morrisseau art style. The use of his work throughout helps to keep the audience captivated throughout the whole presentation! You can truly feel his work through your interpretation of it.
Do the studio assignment first and then write a comment below (minimum 200 words) reflecting on your project and on the research activity of browsing the PGArchive. Post a link to your presentation in progress — uploaded to our class folder on OneDrive. Posts will be made visible on Monday morning. Reply to at least two other people’s posts by Tuesday.
Throughout my research progress, it was honestly difficult to find information regarding the “Best Cat Stories,” which the author was Michael Jospeh, and the graphic illustrator for most drawings was Elieen Mayo, along with other designers. Specifically, I was interested in Mayo’s illustrative work and how she is also an author herself. In the 1950s, there were a lot of limitations for women because of the time and societal reasons. Usually, being unable to vote and have control of their own property, and being expected to bear children and stay locked up. I have utter respect for Mayo and how she has her name stamped on this book and gets the credit she deserved, which is so unexpected in this period of history. This is the main reason I chose this book cover and the other illustrations she designed for this project to focus on. I love the credit that she is getting, and her work is lovely graphically. It was difficult to find information because the book was written 70+ years ago, and there just isn’t a lot of online information about it. I did find out that there are 19 stories written in total in the book, referring to house cats. This is to connect the reader to cats they may have themselves. But also admiring felines and praising them, sort of. I am sadly allergic to cats, but I have 5 cats at my home where I grew up. So I love cats even though I am allergic. This is another reason why this book struck me, because of the love these authors and illustrators have for cats in general. For such a delicate time in history, I admire the boldness of this unique book and its striking illustrations of cats bringing a large community together, sharing the same story.
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Link for Rough Draft Sketch for Presentation and research + sources:
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https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/shared?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F%5FRachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FF%202025%2FART%20441%2FHannah%20Belk%2FWeek%202&listurl=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments&viewid=4abc9883%2Dc064%2D4b0d%2Dadd9%2D1ee6b6e566f7&login_hint=HMBELK%40uncg%2Eedu&source=waffle
I really like what I saw from the rough draft! very cute! I love cats as well. I also appreciate how you were able to find the history behind the illustrators of the Best Cat Stories, I would have never known what struggles they had to go through while creating the book.
Hi Hannah! I think this is a great start to your presentation and I really enjoy the elements you’re using in your design. I’m also a sucker for cats haha. Sticking to a similar color scheme to the work you’re analyzing and using the images as the focal point of your design works well. Great start!
I had a lot of fun with this activity!
I’m familiar with the graphic design archive from previous Typographics classes. I am currently making a video game, the art direction is focused heavily around pre/post-soviet Eastern Bloc and Balkan states. I knew i wanted to find something that related to these influences, and I was not disappointed!
I get a little lazy, so this was the perfect way to encourage me to explore the time period and art movements. Ivan Picelj is an incredible artist, and being able to read more about the work that hes done was really inspiring to me. He concerns himself with some of the things that I do, where the making of art is in the interest of the public; not to be subject to the whims of the market. He wanted to create things that were easily replicated in order to dodge the markets gaping maw. It was fascinating to me. While I don’t agree with his every thought, especially with the idea that self-expression in art should be decentralized, I do agree with a large swathe of why he created the New Tendencies movement!
I like seeing how art keeps up with, surpasses, and falls behind technology since the 1960’s. Our future moves fast, and its exponentially getting much faster. Similar to the times of the industrial revolution, I like seeing how artists adapt to the new times. One of the biggest interests being the fact that there are always artists who grew up with vastly different technologies and experiences with said technology. Our interaction with one another and the digital world in tandem make for a very interesting look into where we are headed, and where we come from!
Hello Austin,
I think that is very interesting that you are making a video game currently! I think that is clever to connect this project to something you’re already working on to gain more entail. I appreciated your honesty and I love your eye to detail towards history.
For this project, I analyzed Linda Dement’s piece Cyberflesh Girlmonster. This piece is a combination of interactivity and computer art. A group of 30 women contributed scans of parts of their body of their choice which were reconstructed by Dement to create new bodily forms and feminine monsters. Dement recorded audio that plays over these digital images and viewers are able to click through and observe each image. Each image sets a scene and tells its own story. It’s vengeful and dives into ideas of feminine rage. It was interesting to look at events that happened during this time, as the piece was created in 1995. I mainly looked at the OJ Simpson trial, as it was heavily televised during the year of 1995. I also saw many parallels with Cyberflesh Girlmonster and the monsters in Silent Hill 2 and used that as my comparison.
Hello Carmen,
I love the combination of interactivity (we design) and digital artwork. Th meaning behind the work is even more inspiring and meaningful. Also so ahead their period. It was a crazy time to be alive.
Hi Carmen!
I’m fascinated by your chosen object. The use of multiple different mediums has always been an interesting subject to me… Which is probably why I’m in the NMD concentration. Your theming so far fits very well with the context behind your object!
While doing the research part of this assignment, I got to take a little bit of a close look at what art was like in the 1920s, especially in Germany. Joost Schmidt was an inspiring typographer and graphic designer that attended and then taught at the school of Bauhaus. While attending he published a number of works, including the poster i chose to do my presentation on. “The New Chess Game” is a poster that was designed for his fellow colleague, J. Hartwig. Hartwig was a sculpture in practice and desired to created a simplified version of the game, chess. So, Joost being the bright student he was, was asked to create a image that would reflect this design. During this time, Art Deco was becoming the new fad. Having this idea of simplicity, Joost combined typography and graphic to create a modernized and more geometrical chess board that including pieces that were shaped in the way that the actual piece moves. Such as a knight, it moves in the shape of an L so the piece that represents the knight in this new chess set is shaped like an L. I thought this was extremely cool to see two types of completely different mediums come together in harmony to create a tangible item that is sold to everyone.
OneDrive Link:
https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F%5FRachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FF%202025%2FART%20441%2FMackenzie%20Davis%2FWeek%202&ga=1
I appreciate the amount of detail that you focused on in your choice! I feel like your presentation does such a good job breaking down how the new chess game came to be in 1923. I thought the new design of it was unique and well thought through. And the simplicity of it is pleasing to look at as well.
Hi Mackenzie!
I really love your choice of theming for your slideshow so far, it really shows how dedicated you are to your chosen object!
I like that your presentation fits the modernist style of Joost Schmidt’s work, with the simplistic backgrounds and use of very bold, black text.