There is No Information Today explores and evaluates the relationship people have with the overwhelming amounts of information we deal with on a daily basis. Do we need it all?
Diana Makejeva carried out several environmental campaigns in Edinburgh and London, challenging the public to consider their relationship with information through a series of striking artefacts and posters containing no information.
Could we survive without the abundance of information we're surrounded by? That's the question asked by Diana Makejeva
"I wanted to avoid being descriptive and repeating obvious things," she explains. "The best way seemed to push the boundaries and go to the extreme with my theme – I was attempting to be more provocative and bold, but keeping it simple at the same time."
"When Ferrofluid is dropped onto a magnetic surface of loose letterforms, it forms extraordinary intricate details," says Cameron Gibson
Course: BDES (Hons) Graphic Design
Project: Are We Afraid to be Alone?
Are We Afraid to be Alone challenges our reliance on our mobile technology and the dilution of human interaction through the use of a magnetic typeface made of Ferrofluid.
"Technology is developing so fast that we forget what we’re leaving behind," warns Gibson
"Mobile technology is still in an a relatively early phase of development and society is just starting to see the repercussions of being over-connected," explains Gibson. "I used magnets and ferrofluid to symbolise the forceful connection society feels they need to have with their devices."
Neil Pitman's exhibition space at the Edinburgh Napier degree show
Course: BDes (Hons) Graphic Design
Projects: We Are Scotland/The Living Museum of What We Are
Part of Neil Pitman's final year project, The Living Museum, is a collection of stories told through everyday objects, in the form of a poster book. "This project has made some great headway into political graphic advocacy in Scotland," says course tutor Myrna MacLeod.
"It has beautifully captured a cross-section of Scottish cultural history, and has the power to unify, rather than divide."
"Everyone has something interesting to say, if you ask them the right question," says Pitman
Pitman also designed and art-directed We are Scotland, an opensource newspaper that lets citizens contribute to political conversations in a traditional graphic format. He collaborated with fellow creatives and writers to create the content.
"The most challenging part was establishing a tone of voice that was relatable to a large group of (Scottish) people," he says. "What do they share in common? And how can that be expressed visually in a way that both informs and delights? I overcame that through carefully planned research and a wide selection of people."
Inspired by the recent V&A exhibition, Disobedient Objects, Lois Glen’s major final year project is an interactive, sensory exploration of the difficulties faced by young people suffering from communication disorders, such as dyslexia.
Losing the Thread is an outcome of a conversation with dyslexic students. The piece portrays the difficulties of reading
"This project sets out to share how it feels when confronted by the inner disobedient self, when trying so hard to communicate, and just not being able to," says Lois.
"I wanted the outcome to represent their point of view as well as allowing others to experience something unknown, but so common.
Sebastian Helene's final year project tackles social pressures, over-thinking and stress in a slick film/poster format, with the goal of highlighting the importance of switching off every now and again to keep a healthy mind.
Like Sebastian Helene's main piece, the film, this poster visualises stressful thoughts in a graphic way
"This is an important issue," says Helene. "In the UK alone the total number of working days lost due to stress, depression and anxiety brought on by pressures of the workplace/social pressures was 11.3 million in 2014" – according to Labour Force Survey statistics in 2014.
Helene says he plans to make an impact in the creative industries with his willingness to learn and develop as his driving force.
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