OUGD406 - Experimental Jetset Design Studio - Designboom Interview

OUGD406 - Experimental Jetset Design Studio - Designboom Interview

Experimental Jetset are a small Amsterdam based graphic design studio. Their work is typographical and precise, which they describe as being a product of - “the late-modernist graphic landscape in which we grew up in”. This is evident throughout their work, because although they utilise geometric sans serif typography such as Univers and Helvetica in rational structures with great effect, their work can also take on more experimental compositions. In spite of this they don’t go as far as to produce more post modernist work comparable to that which has been researched for this project for the Art Rock micro-genre. 

It’s their process of applying and contextualising research visually which is a great research point for this project. For example when talking through their approach to designing a visual identity for the Whitney Museum in New York, they researched and found visual links between the zig-zag shape off the building’s architecture, New York fire escapes and the zig-zig pattern of the Whitney’s path through Manhattan and created a visual identity evocative of this. This idea of collecting research and imagery evocative of something and subsequently finding links within it to maximise it’s effectiveness and suitability is something which can be applied to any project. 

They also talk about how their punk influences as children and teenagers have shaped and had effect on their approach as designers now, and how items such as DIY fanzines, record sleeves and cassette packaging made them aware of graphic design in the first place. I think thats because all types of music have such a specific style and aesthetic, therefore as a fan of a style of music like punk, seeing it visualised in the context of design is exciting. In terms of how these ideas can be applied to this project, I think it’s about looking how effective and evocative the design of the punk era was, and how its influencing designers even now, and trying to capture this when visually representing Art Rock. This can be done through applying and contextualising research visually like Experimental Jetset, and representing this through every design decision, creating a very stylised and individual aesthetic synonymous with Art Rock as a micro-genre as much as can be done with a micro-genre.