Maddie Shackelford: capstone
Date
2017
Authors
Shackelford, Maddie, artist
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The artist's statement: There used to be an uncomfortable tension between art and craft. That pressure has since dissipated and been replaced with a new tension - that between art and design. Arguably art and design are different, however I am interested in how they can be the same. Design is becoming less and less about simply displaying information in a visually stimulating way, and more about user experience, empathy and psychology. Being interested in both fine art and Graphic Design, I want to explore how that user experience can be heightened by art, and how design can inspire and grow from roots founded in art. When I design or make something, my best projects and work occur when I come from a place of empathy. I enjoy designing, making objects, and creating experiences that are tailored to a user and what they will enjoy from my work. It is important that my designs for anything from a poster to an application never inhibit the person that is going to use or see it from understanding what they need to. Design should never get in the way of function, but should instead elevate it. I think this still leaves much room for art within design. Designers should be artists; they should know how to draw, paint and make. Designers should have a fundamental understanding of the principals of art in addition to regularly exercising the way artists think about their work in their own designs. Design without art is dull. In both visual and user experience design I focus on what emotions and feelings a person will have when looking through a book, at a poster, or perusing a magazine article I have designed. The content I am designing for always has a purpose or a message, so I strive to make my design reflect that purpose. If the content is exuberant my design will be more playful. If the content is more mellow and simple my design is more simplistic and calming. It is important that my design first asks what its user or audience will require of it and primarily fills that functional need. Secondary to that I strive to fulfill the user's desire for beauty and aesthetic appeal, although in many cases beauty and functionality are one in the same. The meaning behind my design work rarely comes directly from me. Meaning must always be inspired by the purpose of the design and whom it is for. In art making, a piece is often imbued with meaning by its maker, in design the opposite is true. I feel that my designs give me meaning and purpose. As a designer, the job I get to do every day boils down to helping people. Design helps people understand their world better; it helps them navigate faster and more easily in a rapidly changing domain. Good design creates understanding, elevates content, and brings art to the world in a way so subtle it often goes unrecognized.
Description
Colorado State University Art and Art History Department capstone project.
Capstone contains the artist's statement, a list of works, and images of works.
Capstone contains the artist's statement, a list of works, and images of works.
Rights Access
Subject
design
graphics
illustration
packaging
application
graphic design