Design Jam: Dark Patterns

We recently held our first Design Jam with MA Graphic Design and Visualisation students from Loughborough University. We asked them: what are the changing roles and responsibilities for designers in an era of quasi-intelligent media?

DARK PATTERNS

The Design Jam was designed to fit within the MA courses Dark Patterns module and focused on some of the more questionable aspects of digital media tools and services with a focus on AI.

We broke the day down into two sets of discussion and activity. The first session set the scene but was followed a student research session to uncover potential new tools that might empower the students in their future professional practice. The second session developed the idea of integrity in terms of intent and usage of tools that resulted in the students developing a personal media manifesto.

We had an amazing day. Thanks to the students and staff for showing so much enthusiasm and really engaging with the subject matter. We live in interesting times and it really is up to us to shape the ways that we would like to work with OUR media.

FINDING MEANING

We are living through a complex time and it’s full of contradictions. Generally we are wealthier than we’ve ever been and yet we feel poor. We know that there is rising inequality but we cannot agree on ways to rectify it. We have access to more knowledge than we’ve ever had and yet we cannot solve fundamental issues. As our media has become more open and democratic, we can all have a voice and yet, the things we choose to say fall within increasingly narrow conceptual margins.

For the fist time in history, we are negotiating with our tools. These tools are created by a specific group of individuals, in a certain part of the world. This group includes those that have attended certain courses that have trained them to develop data driven, digital manipulation. That industry is lucrative and where there is money, there are a certain group of people ready to dive in and develop our digital futures. This group will have certain agendas and we are quite aware that the developers of a very social media might, just might, not be the most socially well rounded individuals.

This is the cultural landscape that a new generation of students must navigate as they define for themselves the nature of graphics and develop communications for themselves and for potential clients.

This is a world where brand is god, where marketing is all pervasive and right and wrong is dictated by algorithms. How do you deal with this? How do we prioritise personal agency and develop meaningful brands that accurately reflect business in motion?

IS CODE THE NEW DRAWING?

Those that have been to art college will be familiar with the mantra ‘drawing, drawing, drawing!’. As our digital media develops and our options for communication multiply, wouldn’t it be empowering for creatives to code? With AI assistance, this is now possible. Could creatives build interfaces and could they design systems that build generative identity systems? We are living through a gap between paradigms. There is the world before and after the advent of generative AI. There are incredible opportunities available. Each time we use AI it has the potential to offer up clues for new uses. This progression will be exponential and it’s important for creatives to be engaged in potential developments.

While industry markets creative tools to creatives, it is up to the creative community to find the ways to use the tools to fit their own agendas, within a broader cultural framework.

DEVELOPING MODULES FOR EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY

Institute seeks to help develop communications across disciplines and across the boundaries of education, practice, institution and industry. The more we share our knowledge and skills, the more we all benefit. We have to take cultural contradictions head on and become more collectively proactive as we build our joint futures.

If you’re interested in joining the dots or you’d like us to develop an education module for your course or business then get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

REAL: Taking the Initiative with Phoenix Arts

Graffio Arts have just finished the REAL incubation programme at Phoenix Arts in Leicester. 25 film makers and digital artists are now moving ahead with their new businesses.

Course design and leadership : Graffio Arts. REAL initiative coordinators: Nick and Julia Hamer.

REAL Incubation will run from April 2022 to May 2023. The programme includes: Free access to a large co-working space at Phoenix Arts, access to industry standard production facilities, and film / digital art kit, screening and exhibition opportunities, including REAL Film Festival in April 2023, business start-up training to establish and grow your new business, inspiration from established documentary and digital art practitioners, mentoring, coaching, support to introduce their film, art or service to the market and help from experienced professionals to work on a passion project, with a focus on documentary or digital arts.

The course will be led by Steve and Guy, Directors at Institute/ Graffio Arts, and will include contributions from other industry guests.

Steve Barradell has worked with SME’s through to international blue-chip companies for over 20 years, specialising in business development, project management, marketing and insight for creative-lead businesses. Steve spent six years as a creative business consultant and was an accredited Growth Accelerator Business Coach.

Guy Boyle has spent over 25 years in the arts and has worked across many disciplines; design, digital imaging, branding, animation and film art direction for some of the best-known global brands. Guy spent seven years as an Associate and Senior Lecturer at the University of the Arts London / Central St. Martins, covering design and media practice and has a flair for developing young creative talent through education and industry. 

“Our goals for the program were to increase the creative’s understanding of the relationship between personal creative goals and viable commercial opportunities. Now, at the end of the programme, the delegates are taking their first informed first steps into industry.”

As part of the programme, delegates were supported to propose and work on a self-directed ‘passion project’, to develop their portfolio. REAL Incubation will surround you with inspiration to help shape your ideas. Examples of passion projects may include:

• A short documentary film or video

• An interactive documentary

• A piece of digital or immersive (VR/AR/MR) art

• An audio or sound art piece

• A musical score/key artwork for a film

• A treatment/pitch or development product associated with a new project

Some delegates had to develop a service offering or develop their creative practice in relation to commercial activities in different ways. This may require bolstering the ability to secure funding streams or to develop their marketing scope or focus. The key objective of the programme is for the delegates to develop their ability to express their ideas creatively and to find commercial vehicles for this expression.

There are a huge variety of people on the programme and it’s been a humbling experience to witness some of the history and experience of the veteran delegates and the enthusiasm and ambition of the relative newcomers to their fields in documentary film making, video, immersive art and beyond.

We’d like to extend a thank you to Phoenix Arts for helping to make this programme possible, Nick and Julia for making REAL happen and to the delegates for their open minded enthusiasm. You can find out more below.

LINKS

realinitiative.phoenix.org.uk

www.phoenix.org.uk/real-initiative

DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS

One of our key ambitions at Institute is to help others develop their creative practice and to be creative about how this practice can and will, pay the bills. If you are interested in becoming involved in this initiative in the future, then contact Nick and Julia here. You can find out more about the spread of Institute’s services here.