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TYPEFACE | TRADE GOTHIC DISPLAY | BY LYNNE YUN
Aesthetics In addition to environmental influences, it can’t be underestimated how influential hip hop culture is to the design sensibilities of its fans. Hip Hop represents more than just the music. The rhythms
and energy are seen in the visual stylings as well. In the 1990s, design firm Pen &
Pixel pushed the elements of urban street culture to the extremes by creating in-your- face, blinged-out, heavily Photoshopped, layered designs for rap labels Cash Money Records and No Limit Records. Their influence can still be seen today in many urban brands. The routine intake of certain images, colors, or textures from our cultural environments significantly affects our perception of what’s normal, even what’s beautiful. In my students, I often see these influences translate to expressive, bold designs that combine textures and layers with vibrant color choices. This sometimes means there’s a lack of interest in the flat colors and grid-based compositions of- fered by the International Typographic Style and other Eurocentric movements.
Furthermore, consider how experiences with wealth and poverty seep into our de- sign aesthetic. If someone grows up poor, in a family that struggles to make ends meet, that person might view wealth in a fantasti- cal, idealistic way. If asked to design a logo for a financial institution, they might opt for a representation of money that matches those idealistic feelings, such as . . . gold, extravagant, glitzy, big!
Bank
TYPEFACE | HALYARD DISPLAY MEDIUM | BY JOSHUA DARDEN
Conversely, if a person grows up well-off, where having lots of money is normal, then their design might be quieter and more corporate. The latter is more universally accepted as “good” design in most class- rooms and design spaces. When thinking of how often a student is asked to design something and make it look “expensive,” or “cool” or “trendy,” it becomes clear how the cultural interpretation of those words will affect the fonts, colors, and symbols used to express those concepts.
Biases Of the many young Black designers I’ve taught, the ones who have been grant- ed the most opportunities in this industry come to understand that all too often, their portfolios must communicate an appreci- ation for European design and must only showcase Black and urban design in spe- cific brand choices. What’s most troubling is that Black people have been assimi- lating to White culture for so long that we sometimes fail to recognize it as a problem. In fact, the process of getting closer to Whiteness in our design can be met with feelings of accomplishment, as graphic designers are typically taught against hav- ing a culture-specific aesthetic and learn instead to service a mainstream audience governed by Eurocentric principles.
Years ago, as I was searching for jobs after grad school, I interviewed for an art director job at a large minority ad agency in New York. This agency handled the African