Bil'ak + Triggs Responses

Bl'ak -

Experimentation. The first thought that came to mind was - performing actions with the intentions of producing something "un-experienced" or "new." Milton Glaser said "creativity is something never before experienced." When someone says "hey, that's creative," it usually equates to something "un-experienced" or "new." The typical scientific idea also came to mind by performing a series of tests to make sure a new creation is practical in relation to its need of its' environment.

David Carson thinks along the same lines of Milton Glaser:

    -    Experimental is something I haven’t tried before … something that hasn’t been seen and heard’. (fig.1) Carson and several other designers suggest that the nature of experiment lies in the formal novelty of the result.

I do believe that experimentation  is truly something that has never been tried before, but I have to disagree with Mr. Carson on the topic that the nature of experiment does not lie within the formal novelty of the result! This would only mean that the process leading up to the end product is irrelevant. I understand now that, yes we must utilize our preceding theories of tradition to reach a new result, however, the process of that product, is the only thing we can document to consider it a true experiment.

I think we have the expectations of being Avant Garde within the term 'experiment' when in reality after this new thing, whatever it may be, has been produced and experienced, it just becomes part of a body of work that is considered part of whole; which isn't an isolated entity of new anymore. When completed there are no more risks. I must say that Michael Worthington is closer to my Cup-O Tea. Taking risks and not knowing the outcome dictates that "if you know what you are making, then it cannot be: art, something new, or Avant Garde." It can only be a variation of something existing.


Triggs -

I found the 2 separate paths of Experiment in Type Design and Experiment in Typography quite enlightening. The difference between Type design being focused on typeface creation and Typography of relationships in layout on a page with the existing typefaces are both opposite and common. They need each other to function correctly: type faces need layout to know what environment these typefaces are going to be living in, and layout needs typefaces for content on what feels appropriate within that environment. I enjoyed the idea of timing playing a big part in understanding type design experimentation. Wolfgang Weingart's five year exploration of just the letter "m" is truly crazy and beautiful at the same time.

If both experiments serve a practical need to the viewer and are respectful of its environment also if you've utilized something from the process that can be learned and applied to future projects and have been tested or proven successful, then experiments are very useful whether they have a realistic application or not.

My definition or expectations of experiment has not changed from prior to the readings, it has only broadened my understanding and amount of additional knowledge that supports my previous, and yes a hyperbolic metaphorical version, of my experimental theory that - the process can only be labeled an experiment due to the risks it takes and most importantly the unknown outcomes.