Teal Riggs Magazine

RISSUE 1

TealR Teal Triggs is a Professor of Graph- ic Design and Associate Dean at the School of Communication of the Royal College of Art, London. As a graphic design historian, critic and educator she has lectured and broadcast widely and her writings on design pedagogy, self-publish- ing, and feminism have appeared in numerous edited books and in- ternational design publications. She is a Fellow of the International Society of Typographic Designers and the Royal Society of Arts. [1] I interviewed her before her address at the  Lisbon Design Meetings  in November 2016. 01

Another aspect I find really interesting about self-publishing, especially after the demo- ratization of the personal computer, is that it has allowed non-designers to make graph- ic design. I wonder if you consider this exposure to new ways of working and think- ing to be important for graphic designers and do you think it still happens nowadays? I think in terms of the recent paradigm shift in computing technology, yes it has allowed a greater democratization of availability to means of production for those who are non-design- ers. I would also say that’s always been there in the fanzine community and that’s been the beauty of zines, because anyone one can do it. And you go back to the whole punk period, anyone can pickup a guitar and be in a band, if the will is there you’ll find the means of pro- duction. And even further back historically, with community newsletters that were created by individuals who might be considered as non-designers or ‘amateurs’. So I think that the By Ben Snow democratization has always been present. What I see more recently from designers, and we’re seeing this with students at the Royal College of Art, for example — is that fascination for the tactility found within the process of zine making, and because of an inherent zine DIY ethos, these publications are produced quickly. The risograph is the new photocopier, it’s allowing other ways of thinking in what designers or non-designers want to communicate, which can be done cheaply or inexpensively and quickly, and you gain maximum feedback at that point of production. I think the process of zine making helps designers reflect upon and better un- derstand what they want to achieve and to communicate to others. It allows for an experi- mental space to focus specifically on what and how they are communicating and, to whom. Back to politics. We cannot talk about fanzines without talking about a political attitude in self-publishing. We are living interesting times, to put it mildly, and politics is making its way into many aspects of our culture. We see it in art, we see it in writing, we see it cinema… My ques- tion to you is how do you think that graphic designers are embracing social causes in their work? lRIGGS That’sareallygoodquestion.Ithinkthere’sbeenanincreaseinawarenessamongstayoung- er generation of graphic designers that I haven’t necessarily seen in the same kind of way before. We have to be quite careful, these are huge generalizations, because we can go back to the 1960’s where collectives such as the French experimental group — Grapus, were bringing a social conscience to design, and actually making very strong, powerful, politi- cal statements. But what I’m seeing seems to be a real desire to communicate to audienc- “I think we have generations of designers es outside of the design community and one way to do that is to engage through a great- who’ve come through using technology er awareness of the political, cultural and social contexts in which designers are working. Designers seem to have a passion and a commitment for wanting to get across particular and now I think they’ve got a fascination ideas, but also as a way of generating debate and discussion. So you get examples such as the Occupied Times [of London], designed by graduates of the London College of Com- munication, engaging actively with the graphic language of protest. One of our American for things that are printed” - Teal Riggs students who is on our MRes (Master in Research) program at the RCA, returned to New York for the presidential election and has been actively engaged in the street protests. Like many other young designers, she has been very committed to making a difference by us- ing her skills and passion for taking positive action. I’ve got the utmost respect for this next generation that are trying to grapple with all these big issues — yet, at the same time are You’ve been researching fanzines for some time now, and in fact they are still a really using their skills as communicators to contribute change and by doing so, achieving much loved format by graphic designers, especially young ones. What do you something really effective and meaningful. Posters in street protests have never looked better! feel is the role of this sort of low-cost independent publishing in today’s society? In terms of the current policy climate, socially and culturally, the world is going through It is also important, when we talk about fanzines, to note that designers are somewhat a great deal of change as we are seeing all sorts of interesting phenomena taking place. forced to not just be designers — you have to be able to craft a message and have a mes- The role of independent publishing has become incredibly crucial in this new context sage in the first place. In line with what you were saying I think we are seeing design- and are increasingly bubbling up to the surface. As a result, people in the mainstream are ers thinking of themselves more as citizens than just designers, do you agree with that? a little more aware of alternative views. Normally zines and Indy mags are very much a Absolutely. And it goes back to what Jan van Toorn talks about in terms of the citizen de- part of an underground scene and it’s only the people ‘in the know’ who tend to have ac- signer. I think also that the obsession with an aesthetic that we have seen over the years in cess to or interest in looking at such publications. We had a period of time where tech- terms of everything having to be absolutely perfect from a design perspective — often an nology and the age of the computer boom and desktop publishing came into play. This obsession with perfect kerning and detailing — but now I think designers are using a de- sparked off a sense of horror, particularly in graphic design, with designers including sign lens to work through these bigger challenges or problems to be able to understand David Carson saying “print is dead”. This stirred stirred up the debate; however, today their own positioning. And it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s about the final outcome but it’s this has completely calmed down now. I think we have generations of designers who’ve about the process. And, so you’re quite right, it’s that engagement with the content which come through using technology and now I think they’ve got a fascination for things that is the driver now rather than the engagement with the final form. Again, this is a com- are printed, so the fanzine has come up again coinciding with the current political cli- plete generalization; this is not to say that the final form doesn’t reflect its content, rather mate and all this change that I mentioned before taking place. So the role of zines and what we are witnessing is a shift of emphasis — where the designer’s role comes into play Indy magazines is incredibly significant. These publications allow voices to be heard that at the beginning of the project and not necessarily just being there at the end of the pro- wouldn’t otherwise be heard and it evidences that there’s a great deal of thought, care and cess. Designers can still make something look ‘nice’, but now there’s a real change in think- attention being given to the current challenges that we’re facing. Zines provide a really ing about the ways in which designers are fully integrated into the communication process. an important and effective way of dissemination; they suggestion another kind of com- As an educator, what do you expect from a design school that’s aim- munication is taking placing. So yes, [independent publishing is] absolutely important. ing to educate a future generation able to tackle these issues? You were talking about “print is dead” and all that stuff… How much did social media What do I expect from a design school…? What do I expect from where I work! I think it is ab- change this kind of means of communication? One could argue that if I have a mes- solutely important that art and design schools maintain a free space in which students can be sage it would be easier to just write it on Facebook or Twitter. Do you feel that this has experimental, where they can push their ideas, where they can raise questions and issues that created some sort of identity crisis for self-publishing and possibly made it outdated? perhaps aren’t so easily done if you’re in a design practice or working in the industry. That is an No, I just think it’s another platform. I think social media has one kind of function — as you opportunity to think back and reflect on what it is that you want to do but also what your posi- said there’s an immediacy to getting a message out to your readership, your followers — but tion in the bigger question might actually be. And I think we need to be facilitating as educators, I don’t think it’s diminished the need for fanzine producers to make something that has not dictating. I think the days of a dogmatic approach to education doesn’t necessarily match materiality to it. The message contained within that has some sort of validity because you the current conditions that we’re living in or in how we are designing for this context. Today can touch it, feel it, engage with it. And it is about the zine community handing over zines it should be about helping students understand what it is to be more agile and flexible in their to like minded [people]. There’s an ecosystem, and it’s about community building. And thinking and less about being reactive. Instead, designers should be leading in finding solutions yes, you can do that on Twitter, there are definitely communities on Facebook and all these to these new challenges and using their design skills and critical thinking capabilities to do so. other platforms, but there’s something about the need, the desire and the enthusiasm for I’m a firm believer in the art school and what kind of ‘lived’ experience it can actually provide, having a conversation handing over your fanzine to someone physically and say “hey, what not only for feeding the creative industries but also in terms of the impact designers can make do you think about it?” or “I want to write about a particular issue, let’s have have a con- on the bigger picture. Design is absolutely key to everything that’s going on at the moment. versation and let’s get together”. There’s a whole infrastructure around this as well, with the What are the greatest challenges for this new generation of designers and are you optimistic? zine fairs and and other kinds of events that intentionally bring people together which we I’m always optimistic, I’ll come back to that in a moment. In terms of the challenges, I re- don’t necessarily get in the same kind of way [on social media]. It’s different and I think they ally feel for students who are coming out of education now. I mean, in the UK you’re now work very well together. And what has changed in these communities with the digital age? having to pay fees, you’re in debt, you’re struggling within an economic context which isn’t I think communities have grown through increased digital channels; perhaps as a result stable so there’s much more uncertainty in terms of careers and career progression. How- of being able to reach other parts of the world that individuals may not have been able to ever, I think designers are very adept at being able to maneuver through those complexi- do so easily before. The same thing happened when the internet came into play, all of the ties, so if we’re doing our job properly and the students are really taking full advantage of sudden zines were going up on the net. And that’s more of a distribution mechanism, so it’s their time and education they should be on a good pathway. So from that standpoint I’m still not losing that opportunity to engage face to face but it’s giving other people a way into very optimistic that we’ve got new generations coming through that are able to cope reading a fanzine, either through a PDF download or saying “Here I am, send me your 50 in a way that perhaps previous educational contexts have not allowed students to do. pence and, in return, you’ll get a zine”. As a means of distribution I think digital platforms I’m hopeful from this standpoint. However, I really do feel for students now who are fac- work very really well, as another form of communication which enhances the print version. ing what will be a very difficult future. If students continue to persevere, not only will Twitter and Facebook means zine producers can get the message out there and then the they reap the rewards and the benefits they will have as professionals (in whatever aspect rest of the process is about conveying the real content, substance and resulting interaction. of design that they want to engage with), but their impact on the future will be significant. 02 Teal Triggs on fanzines, youth and politics [interview] by By Guilherme Sousa

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