How can you think up something new or develop strategies for the future if you always work with the same old tools? In our focus on "Speculative Design", we show how this area of design helps us to imagine things that don't really exist yet. And if you can imagine what a possible future looks like, you can make better decisions about how to act now. In Grafikmagazin 06.24, we open the door to the future - one that we have in our own hands.
Even though our focus on "Speculative Design" is about the future, looking back can also be enormously enriching for creative people. In our photo section, for example, we focus on analog photography. Here, Paul Hiller shows how charming it is to discover the world when you capture it using old photographic techniques. In their project "Cooking with film", students have also explored how fascinatingly different visual expression can be when working in analog form and give anyone interested plenty of tips on how to try it out for themselves. A final project from Cairo is dedicated to the topic of foreignness and finds a source of identity in Arabic poetry and old calligraphic patterns. A work for Campari pulls out all the stops of analog communication, visually resurrecting Wes Anderson's "Grand Hotel Budapest" and turning a trade fair event into a feast for the senses.
Graphics+ "Speculative Design"
There is more than enough climate data, but who can imagine what it means? But what would it look like in Munich in 2084, for example, if our climate warmed by 2 degrees or 6 degrees? How would people live if the Gulf Stream weakened and it suddenly became cold instead of hot? Students at HM Munich have translated the data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change into scenarios that allow visitors to experience these possible futures.
Speculative design helps us to imagine things better, but also to come up with completely new solutions. Studios such as Normals and Ellery from Berlin or Superflux from London have been involved in this branch of design for some time and support government agencies and companies in developing possible futures. The charming thing is that speculative design can also communicate these visions in such a way that they can be understood. This creates greater acceptance and gives people more room for maneuver. Because if I know a possible, perhaps unpleasant future, I can ensure through my behavior that it doesn't happen.
The cover
Our cover also looks to the future. The design is inspired by science and science fiction and interprets the possible futures as a multiverse. "The arrangement of the spheres symbolizes new, potential worlds and ideas," says designer Tobias Holzmann. "The depth and dynamism of the design creates a visual tension that arouses curiosity and stimulates the imagination. This cover invites viewers to think beyond existing boundaries and immerse themselves in alternative futures."
The Crush Olive paper from Favini offers a beautiful contrast to all the visions of the future. It is made from processing residues from olives and is not only produced with low energy consumption, it also has a warm and friendly effect thanks to its natural color. An embossed print(effectively print+finish, Berneisch) in shimmering orange(short) provides depth and bright accents.
The showroom
In Vienna, Kevin Nowak creates brand experiences that surprise, trigger emotions and are truly memorable, while on the other side of the world, in Australia, the creatives at Grabet show that humor and serious brand communication do not have to be mutually exclusive. In Switzerland, François Chalet has created his own graphic universe, ranging from projections in public spaces to book illustrations and VJ-ing. Last but not least, in this issue we turn our attention to book design, more specifically the design of cookbooks. Seven great new publications have caught our eye - all well worth seeing and you can even win some of them from us!
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Grafikmagazin 06.24 shows how to look to the future with design strategies and how inspiring it can be to reflect on old craftsmanship. This issue also offers many tangible tips for your work.
You can order Grafikmagazin 06.24 with a focus on "Speculative Design" here, free of shipping costs (within the EU).
