Teams & Textiles

Signs and symbols are the nuts and bolts of visual communication. While we often think of the design profession as one that has been cut new from whole cloth in the last century, there is a very long tradition in all culture to invent and use graphical systems to represent membership in different groups. Colors, shapes, geometric patterns and figurative symbols have been used for thousands of years to help us figure out who is with who out in the world.

These systems were and still are used to distinguish lords and nations but also to indicate identity with other collectives or even to communicate to members of (possibly secret) publicly unknown in-groups:

When we think of "technology" we often think of the the most popular media of a particular era but we sometimes gloss over the more mundane technologies that have a profound effect on everyday life. One of those under-represented techniques that has played a vital role, not just in survival but also in visual culture is that of textiles. One could even argue that textiles are a kind of proto-digital technique and that using them to create hybrids of digital and analog is especially relevant today. Here's a great background article on histroic weaving techniques that look a lot like contemporary pixel art.

Assignment:

Design a football scarf for a group that does not have an official representation, organization or known set of symbols. You may use a real, unrepresented group or invent something fantastic but original, no fan-art please. You should think about colors, shapes, patterns, symbols and how these contribute to an expression of visual language.

Please Consider:

  • We will use the service from Wilde Masche
  • You can use a maximum of 5 colors (less is fine)
  • We will use the size 145 x 17cm which has 772 x 84 pixels
  • The scarf has a front and a back side which can have different designs
  • These scarves may be hung up as decoration or worn by group members – consider how they will function
  • You are free choose your tools but please don't just use the online editor: some suggestions here
  • Knits are not tiny like on a screen and they are not square pixels
  • Curves and diagonal lines will not come out perfect

Dates:

  • 03.05. – Research and presentation of initial sketches, tests, mood-boards, etc.
  • 10.05. – Final presentation of finished designs (followed by a group purchase).

Make sure to write a short text or make a diagram that can explain the details of your system.