Last semester I was intrigued with handmade design and researched many aspects of it. At the end of the semester, I was unsure if I want to continue with this topic, since it was quite hard to find research papers on it. I didn’t get exactly the information that I hoped for through research, but I think the information that I found was very interesting anyways. Now, a few months later I want to reflect on my research about the topic and see if I still feel passionate enough about it to continue with it.
I found out that handmade design is a trend that keeps evolving with the times and finds relevance again and again.
The difference between digital and handmade design for the consumer lies in the impact. Handmade design has connotations to political movements which is why this aesthetic tends to be associated with political revolt, sustainability, and fairness. It also has an obvious effect of nostalgia. All these associations can be used to emphasize a message. This can be used morally or immorally, and therefore is quite an important topic.
But it’s not only about its perceived qualities. For designers, the decision of handmade or digital design determines the whole workflow and process of creation. I read that with the slower analog process designers might be more focused because they can’t rely on the exactness of their computer programs, and therefore create more thought-out designs.
This semester I think we had both extremes already. In some projects we used a lot of Artificial Intelligence, like Adobe Firefly and only worked digitally, for example in the Greentech project. But we also did a lot of work by hand in other courses. We bound books and created postcards with a letterpress in our print production course. And for example, in my workshop during the international week we got to work with paper and scissors as well as stamps.
Personally, I enjoy both workflows and can see that they each have pros and cons. But the analog process seems especially exciting for me because I get to hold an immediate outcome. Also, most of the time I feel a bit more creative, working with my hands.
Reflecting on this now, I can say that I haven’t lost interest in my topic from last semester, and I can see many points that speak for further continuing with it.
