OUGD502 - Berlin Trip - Studio Pandan

Studio Pandan were an inspiring duo to talk to, being made up of two female designers Ann Richter and Pia Christmann, it was interesting to hear their perspective of the industry which seems to be dominated by males. A lot of their work focuses on typography which can be seen in pieces such as their poster design for Mir ist alles viel zu laut und alles viel zu leise, a theatre play by Malte Schlossr at Theaterdiscounter Berlin. However, much of their work is for editorial design, such as books and magazines. The pair both studied graphic design at Leipzig's Hochschule fur Grafik und Buchkunst, one of Germany's oldest art schools with a tradition in book arts relating to the city's history as a publishing centre. This is what inspired them to build the studio and their love for more typographic, editorial designs. This can be seen specifically in their design for Publishing as Artist Practise by Sternberg Press, which explores what it means to publish today 'in the face of a changing media landscape'. Studio Pandan were given creative freedom on this project, allowing them to use their own perspectives, explaining that they 'created a series of visual quotes, some reference the essays loosely, others add an additional layer of meaning to what's written'. This work was inspiring to see, in the amount of time it must have taken to read through the entire book and then typeset it in ways which represent what is written.

One thing I learnt from this visit therefore was the importance of research, although we are taught at university to conduct research before we start any project and this is clearly shown in the development of my work, but it was interesting to see this in a professional way, for instance in the book design for Publishing as Artist Practise. It also taught me the importance of putting my own thoughts, values and beliefs into my work. In the end, this allows for the production of a more informed piece of work, having creative freedom to express yourself whilst also working towards a client's brief is important. It makes your work unique and recognisable.