Mark Woods BA (Hons) Interview
Profile
Biography
Gallery
OC: You use the word 'indulge'. Do you consider
some practices as indulgent and some as
practical?
MW: I suppose what I mean by the word 'indulge' is that in college you can try anything out, irrespective of whether it will work as an idea or not. At the end of the day, it’s just a project and the client doesn't really exist…….and you aren't being paid for it.
OC: So your training was indulgent?
MW: In a way I suppose it was. At Saint Martins, where I did my degree, there was a definite house-style to the graphics that were produced. It would usually include some weird hard-to-read fonts, possibly as small as 7pts on an A2 poster, usually in dark blue on a black background. Designs like this were produced on a frequent basis and could be for anything from a circus poster to a logo design for a shoe shop. This was indulgent, and needless to say, I was pretty bad at this type of design.
OC: Why is that?
MW: I always feel that graphics is a design skill that should 'convey a message' to the reader, in that it should work as a piece of design instantly. If it's hard to gauge just what it is you are trying to say, then it's really just been designed for 'fellow designers' rather than the audience to which it is intended.
OC: So graphic design, or design in general, should do more than impress other designers?
MW: Absolutely. The reason I love the 20’s and 30’s designers so much was that you could instantly tell what they were designing something for. They were just so good with the use of typography and image. The end result was more than just a graphic design it was a piece of art. I 'indulge' in designs like this, trying to use an image to say more than just act as a background. Also, I use typography that the viewer wants to read, rather than just lay type on a page. I suppose my perfect piece of graphic design would be the best of both worlds, a beautiful piece of art that instantly tells the viewer on a practical level just what it is.
OC: Do you think the line between art and design is crossed easily?
MW: It depends on the quality of the designer, and the unfortunately the budget, is the simple answer. Too many designs produced today are lazy. "The computer will do it for me" seems to be the prevailing attitude. Look at things like the Apple Mac range. These are pieces of design that are beautiful to look at, and therefore create a 'need' in the consumer to buy them.
OC: How does good design achieve that?
MW: The design enhances the user experience. You only have to look at how the design of PC's altered substantially after the launch of the original Apple iMacs, to see how good design altered the publics' perception of what a computer could actually look like. Before the iMac, beige boxes ruled, after - every colour under the rainbow appeared.
MW: I suppose what I mean by the word 'indulge' is that in college you can try anything out, irrespective of whether it will work as an idea or not. At the end of the day, it’s just a project and the client doesn't really exist…….and you aren't being paid for it.
OC: So your training was indulgent?
MW: In a way I suppose it was. At Saint Martins, where I did my degree, there was a definite house-style to the graphics that were produced. It would usually include some weird hard-to-read fonts, possibly as small as 7pts on an A2 poster, usually in dark blue on a black background. Designs like this were produced on a frequent basis and could be for anything from a circus poster to a logo design for a shoe shop. This was indulgent, and needless to say, I was pretty bad at this type of design.
OC: Why is that?
MW: I always feel that graphics is a design skill that should 'convey a message' to the reader, in that it should work as a piece of design instantly. If it's hard to gauge just what it is you are trying to say, then it's really just been designed for 'fellow designers' rather than the audience to which it is intended.
OC: So graphic design, or design in general, should do more than impress other designers?
MW: Absolutely. The reason I love the 20’s and 30’s designers so much was that you could instantly tell what they were designing something for. They were just so good with the use of typography and image. The end result was more than just a graphic design it was a piece of art. I 'indulge' in designs like this, trying to use an image to say more than just act as a background. Also, I use typography that the viewer wants to read, rather than just lay type on a page. I suppose my perfect piece of graphic design would be the best of both worlds, a beautiful piece of art that instantly tells the viewer on a practical level just what it is.
OC: Do you think the line between art and design is crossed easily?
MW: It depends on the quality of the designer, and the unfortunately the budget, is the simple answer. Too many designs produced today are lazy. "The computer will do it for me" seems to be the prevailing attitude. Look at things like the Apple Mac range. These are pieces of design that are beautiful to look at, and therefore create a 'need' in the consumer to buy them.
OC: How does good design achieve that?
MW: The design enhances the user experience. You only have to look at how the design of PC's altered substantially after the launch of the original Apple iMacs, to see how good design altered the publics' perception of what a computer could actually look like. Before the iMac, beige boxes ruled, after - every colour under the rainbow appeared.
Copyright of images belongs to the Artist.
Copyright of interview belongs to Ovenden
Contemporary (Art Promotions) Limited. Any
un-authorised use is strictly prohibited. All
rights are reserved.
(c) 2006 Ovenden Contemporary (Art Promotions)
Limited
OC: Hi Mark. In common with many of the Artists
in the Ovenden Contemporary portfolio, you have a
degree in Graphic Design. What originally
attracted you to this course of
study?
MW: I first thought of studying Graphics when I was about 15 years old. I was always interested in illustration, photography, and painting,etc, and at this time I started to take an interest in designers from the 20 and 30s, such as McKnight Kauffer and Cassandre, and especially loved Abram Games, the designer of the 1951 Festival of Britain logo as well as other things.
OC: What interested you about them?
MW: Well, a few reasons actually. I liked them firstly. I loved the sense of fun, colour, inventiveness and the humour in their designs, and I suppose at this age I ideally wanted to be as famous a designer as these guys.
OC: So with an interest in photography, illustration and art, what made you select Graphic Design?
MW: Well, it wasn't really until I was on my Foundation course in Cardiff that I realised I had to narrow down my options for my degree course. I chose graphics as a way of keeping my options open as I was allowed to indulge in all the things I enjoyed without having to make a definite 'career' choice at that time. Straight graphics have never been my thing. If I have a poster to design I will include illustrations, possible photography, as well as my keen eye for typography.
MW: I first thought of studying Graphics when I was about 15 years old. I was always interested in illustration, photography, and painting,etc, and at this time I started to take an interest in designers from the 20 and 30s, such as McKnight Kauffer and Cassandre, and especially loved Abram Games, the designer of the 1951 Festival of Britain logo as well as other things.
OC: What interested you about them?
MW: Well, a few reasons actually. I liked them firstly. I loved the sense of fun, colour, inventiveness and the humour in their designs, and I suppose at this age I ideally wanted to be as famous a designer as these guys.
OC: So with an interest in photography, illustration and art, what made you select Graphic Design?
MW: Well, it wasn't really until I was on my Foundation course in Cardiff that I realised I had to narrow down my options for my degree course. I chose graphics as a way of keeping my options open as I was allowed to indulge in all the things I enjoyed without having to make a definite 'career' choice at that time. Straight graphics have never been my thing. If I have a poster to design I will include illustrations, possible photography, as well as my keen eye for typography.
OC: How does good design achieve
that?
MW: The design enhances the user experience. You only have to look at how the design of PC's altered substantially after the launch of the original Apple iMacs, to see how good design altered the publics' perception of what a computer could actually look like. Before the iMac, beige boxes ruled, after - every colour under the rainbow appeared.
OC: Does that make them 'art' though?
MW: I think good design is enhanced by being good art. Look at things like the Swiss Mondaine watch, The Churchill Museum Exhibits underneath Whitehall, The Chrysler Building, the Dualit Toaster, Beatles - Revolver Album Cover, the Frogeye Sprite, The Incredibles - Pixar Animation film, the
MW: The design enhances the user experience. You only have to look at how the design of PC's altered substantially after the launch of the original Apple iMacs, to see how good design altered the publics' perception of what a computer could actually look like. Before the iMac, beige boxes ruled, after - every colour under the rainbow appeared.
OC: Does that make them 'art' though?
MW: I think good design is enhanced by being good art. Look at things like the Swiss Mondaine watch, The Churchill Museum Exhibits underneath Whitehall, The Chrysler Building, the Dualit Toaster, Beatles - Revolver Album Cover, the Frogeye Sprite, The Incredibles - Pixar Animation film, the
BBC Number 2 animations, The Guardian redesign,
Battersea Power Station, Gill Sans font, The
Routemaster bus etc. There are hundreds of great
pieces of design that owe a debt to the guts and
determination of the designers involved, and also
to the courage of the clients to believe in good
design in the first place. You need both to make
it work. Good design should always make you feel
better about yourself and the 'item' in question.