Theories

Rhetoric was originally concerned with writing or speech, used for effect rather than necessity, in order to impress or persuade the reader. Rhetoric can be applied to visual communication to create the same effect.

Graphic communication that uses distinct styles and reveals the personality of it's cultural environment is far more powerful and memorable -- look at the rich, vibrant visual language used on the streets of India or Japan. Does the London Olympics logo have anything to do with the strong historic visual culture of London?

Examining a piece of design in isolation the universal aspects begin to break down. The work is often loaded with culturally determined elements such as the meaning of colour, myth and historical associations. Can the designer avoid using elements that carry cultural meaning and thefore create a purely universal piece of work? I'm not sure but it's certainly something I'd like to challenge and explore..

In 2004, as a student again, I found myself surrounded by resources to learn more about design and was encouraged to read essays; debate with peers; attend exhibitions, public design lectures and conferences. There were three sources of inspiration that I discovered that year that widened my idea of what design is, what you can achieve with it, and subsequently convinced me to stick with a design career.

There doesn't seem to exist a common understanding of design, more so now than ever, as the profession of designer continues to take form.