2015 summer design abroad
DESCRIPTION
This publication documents the 2015 WWU Summer Design Abroad: Germany & Switzerland. 14 students and 2 professors traveled across Europe to learn about art, architecture & design.TRANSCRIPT
HALLO.
SUMMER DESIGN ABROAD 2015
SUMMER DESIGN ABROAD 2015 During August and September
2015, fourteen students from Western Washington University’s Design Department traveled through Germany and Switzerland.
For three weeks, they studied international art and design movements and historical events while experiencing local culture.
BERLIN DESSAU
08 38STREET ART
SIGHTSEEING
FOOD
FIRMS
BETAHAUS
ARCHITECTURE
TYPOGRAPHY
BAUHAUS12
22
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26
30
32
36
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THIS PUBLICATION WAS PRINTED ON 80LB WHITE TEXT, USING THE FONTS AKZIDENZ GROTESK, DIN, ABSARA, AND HELVETICA.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY AND CONTENT WAS PRODUCED BY THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY OF THE TRIP.
FRANKFURT ZÜRICH
46 54VITRA
FOOD
ZHDK
MATERIAL ARCHIVE
FREITAG
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DESIGNED BY ABBY MCCARTIN, DALLAS DYSON, HANNAH STUTZMAN, MEGAN LEES AND SHAUNA CRAWFORD.
BRAUN
GUTENBERG
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52
6
2 Cool Profs.
SHAUNAPAULDALLAS
KAYLEEHANNAHERICA
KACEY
BRITTANY
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2 Countries.14 Designers.
MADDYMEGAN
NATALEEKATY
AMELIA
NICOLEJASON
ABBY
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BERLINBERLINBERLINBERLINBERLIN1
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BERLINBERLINBERLINBERLINBERLIN1STREET ART
SIGHTSEEINGFOODFIRMSBETAHUASARCHITECTURETYPOGRAPHY
10
11
12
13TEUFELSBERG
U.S. SPY TOWER & STREET ART
15We started our day off
by going to Teufelsberg,
a spy facility used by the
U.S. during the Cold War.
Teufelsberg is located at the
top of a large hill composed
of 26 million cubic meters of
rubble left by WWII. At the
top we got to see one of the
largest street art galleries in
Germany with featured work
by Plotbot and Tobo. We then
went up 211 poorly lit steps
to the very top dome, where
we saw expansive views of
Berlin.
211 STEPSTO THE TOP
ENTRANCE TO TEUFELSBERG
STARTING OUR JOURNEY TO THE TOP
16
TOP LEFT THE GROUP CUTTING OUT STENCILS
TOP RIGHT AN EXAMPLE OF GRAFFITI DONE WITH
A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
BOTTOM RIGHT DEBBIE, OUR GUIDE GIVING US A
STREET TOUR
STREETART
We did a graffiti tour with a
local street artist. She taught us
all about the techniques used in
graffiti and how much time each
artist has to complete a work in
order to not risk being caught
by the cops.
After the tour, we got to test
our skills with some stenciling
of our own. It was interesting
to experiment with all the
different techniques and
amazing to see what everyone
was able to come up with. The
group definitely has a new
appreciation for street art.
THEY BRING TECHNO& WE MAKE PARTY.
THEY BRING TECHNO& WE MAKE PARTY.
- GERMAN TOUR GUIDE AT TEUFELSBERG
HISTORICAL SIGHTSEEING
We took the train to Museum
Island to begin our walking tour of
historical sights. Here we saw the
gorgeous Berlin Cathedral along
with the WWII book-burning
memorial.
We made our way on foot over to
the site of Hitler’s bunker. It is
now just a parking lot, completely
un-memorialized other than a dis-
crete sign indicating the spot. Just
around the corner was the Holo-
caust Memorial where we spent
some time exploring and reflecting.
We ended our walking tour with
Brandenburg Gate, a neoclassical
triumphal arch which was com-
missioned by a Prussian king as a
symbol of peace.
WALKING TOUR
LEFT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
TOP BRANDENBURG GATE
BOTTOM BERLINER DOM, SKETCH BY BRITTANY
FOOD AND DRINKS OF GERMANY
During the trip, our group
experienced many culinary German
adventures. On our first night in
Berlin, we sat down to a dinner of
salad and schnitzel, a pounded and
breaded pork dish. Most mornings,
we sat down to a typical German
breakfast of meats, eggs, bread,
and fruit.
EATING BREAKFAST AT OUR FIRST HOTEL
25
Outside of our hotel, students
drank plentiful amounts of beer
and scoured the city for street
meat and bakeries. Many pastries
incorporated a variety of fruits,
with apples and plums being
particularly popular. For the savory
LUNCH TIME IN BERLIN NEAR CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
THE INFAMOUS CURRY WURST OF BERLIN
dishes, a great deal of salt and spices
were baked, fried, and cooked in
to the meats. As for the beer, there
was a golden rainbow available at
almost every eatery. We quickly
learned of the hearty and flavorful
nature of German food.
F I R M S
visiting design firms across Berlin
27
NODE is a small design
firm that was established in
2003 by Anders Hofgaard
and Serge Rompza. The firm
primarily focuses on print,
2003
15FOUNDED
EMPLOYEES
identity, and exhibition
design. We were shown a
variety of books from travel
guides to experimental
scratch-and-sniff books.
NODE
28
Founded by Erik Spiekermann,
Edenspiekermann is no doubt one
of the biggest and most prominent
design firms in Berlin, but also all
across the globe.
During our visit, we were able
to analyze the difference in
atmosphere between working in a
large design firm, versus working in
a small firm such as NODE.
Edenspiekermann
In order to design for understanding, we need to understand design.
Erik Spiekermann
1.5M
Edenspiekermann
EtsyEtsy is an online
marketplace for
individuals to create
and sell products to
customers all over the
planet.
After visiting Etsy, we
were able to see the
flexibilty and freedom
they had as designers.
The culture of their
business allowed for
this freedom and it
showed through their
design work.
2005FOUNDED
757EMPLOYEES
1.5MACTIVE SELLERS
32MPRODUCTS
A CO-WORKING SPACE Betahaus is an open workspace
that invites designers, writers,
developers, entrepreneurs, and
many others to work and share
with one another.
31
There are many rooms and
workspaces in the Betahaus,
ranging from a café, meeting
rooms, a woodworking shop, an
electronics lab, and even a 3-D
printing lab. We were able to sit
MAKERBOT 3-D PRINTER USED IN THE WORKSHOP
KATY WORKING ON A MODEL
in on several presentations from
international start-ups, giving us a
new perspective on a shared design
workspace. To end the tour, we
experimented with 3-D printing.
Architecture
AN OVERVIEW
Across the city of Berlin, we saw many
iconic and historic buildings alike.
Berlin’s political history has shaped
the landscape we see today. The city
is a tapestry of remodeled pre- WWII
monuments, examples of Modernism,
and East German Plattenbauten.
With cranes, pipes, and scaffolding
visible everywhere, the city continues
to grow, adapt, and search for its iden-
tity, while not forgetting the past.
NEUE NATIONALGALERIE DESIGNED BY THE FAMOUS LUDWIG MEIS VAN DER ROHE IN 1968
34
We had the opportunity to visit
the Bauhaus Archive, based on the
original design by Walter Gropius.
The Archive, Modern in its design,
holds many products, textiles, and
pieces of art created by the students
and teachers of the Bauhaus.
RIGHT THE BAUHAUS ARCHIVE
FAR RIGHT BERLINISCHE GALERIE
TV TOWER, BUILT DURING THE COLD WAR IN EAST BERLIN, IS THE TALLEST STRUCTURE IN BERLIN
Pictured above is a model in the
Berlinische Galerie, where we saw
an exhibition about the architec-
ture of post WWII Berlin.
BERLIN HAUPTBAHNHOF IS THE CITY’S CENTRAL TRAIN STATION
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TYPE
TOP LEFT THE LOBBY OF FONTFONT
BOTTOM LEFT THE ENTRANCE TO
GESTALTEN
RIGHT A DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUM OF LETTERS
TYPO GRAPHY
The group started the day off with
a tour of FontFont. The members
at FontFont taught the full
extent of what goes into making
a font family. After meeting with
FontFont, everyone has a little
more appreciation for typefaces.
Later, the group visited Gestalten
Publisher, where a designer/editor
spoke about the importance of
books in design.
At the end of the day, we went
to the Museum of Letters. This
museum was a collection of signage
from Berlin and around the world.
Each of the letters on these old
signs represented a humanistic
approach to typography.
TYPE ALL DAY
2DAY TRIP: BAUHAUS DESSAUAND MASTERS’ HOUSES
DESSAU
DESSAU
BAUHAUSTHE
WE
IMA
R
DE
SS
AU
BE
RLIN
BAUHAUSWE
IMA
R
DE
SS
AU
BE
RLIN
THE BAUHAUS SCHOOL OF DESSAU WAS A PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT AND LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF DESIGN
42
Walking through the halls
of one of the most famous
design schools was an unreal
experience. As a design
student you don’t expect to
ever see what you’ve read in
design history books. But we
had the opportuity to see one
of the most famous design
schools, and it lived up to all
of our expectations.
Everything the Bauhaus did
was a carefully calculated
decision that worked to
make a cohesive whole.
The building’s architecture,
the design of the lamps
and doors; everything had a
place and a meaning. Going
through and seeing those
minute details essentially
emphasized the entire
philosophy of the Bauhaus.
It makes you question how
a school could be so forward
thinking. The building looks
like something that would
have been built today, but
in reality was designed all in
the 1920’s.
INSIDE THE BAUHAUS
THE BAUHAUS SCHOOL LOCATED IN DESSAU.
Everything had a place, a meaning, a purpose.
43
ABOVE A MIRRORED SPHERE USED IN PHOTOGRAPHY EXPLORATIONS
LEFT THE HALLWAY OF THE SKY BRIDGE LEADING TO GROPIUS’ OFFICE
44
Students of the Bauhaus
were expected to be fully
immersed in their work
and design. Therefore the
Bauhaus created what may
be considered the first dorms
of Germany. It allowed
students immediate access to
the buildings and the ability
THE BAUHAUS EXPERIENCE
to foster closer relationships
with their classmates. The
Bauhaus had a similar idea
for their masters as well
with a designated living
community a couple blocks
away from the school.
THE STUDENT DORM BALCONIES
45
LEFT ENTERING THE MASTERS’ HOUSES
ABOVE AN ABSTRACTION OF MASTER GROPIUS’ HOUSE
3FRANKFURT
DAY TRIPS:KRONBERG: BRAUNMAINZ: GUTENBERG
MUSEUM
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FRANKFURT
48
Many of us don’t think about the design of the
everyday objects we find in our house. We don’t
think about the angle of the handle on our hair
dryer or the grip on our toothbrush. We don’t
need to because of industrial designers like
Braun who have perfected it down to a science.
ABOVE A SKETCH OF BRAUN GADGETS BY AMELIA
49
Visiting the Braun Museum was
extremely eye opening. Everyone
kept saying, “Hey, I own this!” or
“Wow, my parents have one of
these.” Braun has been designing
household items since 1921 and
has essentially led the way in terms
of industrial design. Their sleek
uniform design has been extremely
influential. Companies like Apple
have taken Braun’s successes and
incorporated it into their own
design. We were grateful to have
been able to see the progression of
Braun’s advancements.
THE PIONEERS
BELOW STUDENTS LISTENING TO THE TOUR
LEFT AMELIA LOOKING AT THE PROGRESSION OF BRAUN’S HAIR DRYERS
FRANKFURT
FRANKFURT
While touring the historical
artifacts of the Gutenberg Museum
in Mainz, Germany, the group
gazed upon three copies of the
infamous 42-line Bible. Students
were also able to experiment with
hand-done alternative printing.
THE TOUR GUIDE SHOWING AN ALTERNATE PRINTING TECHNIQUE
GUTENBERG MUSEUM
NATALEE WITH HER FINISHED HAND PRINTED PAGE OF THE 42-LINE BIBLE
53
Using three oil-based inks in
primary colors, the students
printed designs of their
choice. Using rollers to
apply the ink, images were
created through pressure
from letterpresses or from
the students passing the
paint rollers over paper
themselves.
4VITRA DESIGN MUSEUMZHdK CAMPUSMATERIAL ARCHIVESFOODFREITAG FACTORY
ZÜRICH
ZÜRICH
VITRA
TAKE YOURPLEASURE SERIOUSLY
-CHARLES EAMES
DESIGN MUSEUM
We stopped at the Vitra Design
Museum on our way to Zürich,
Switzerland. At Vitra, we were
able to experience firsthand a lot
of the design furniture that we
had learned about in our previous
design classes. There was also an
exhibit on African design and a
large slide/viewing tower just on
the outskirts of the museum.
DESIGN MUSEUM
TOP RIGHT OUTSIDE OF VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM
LEFT VITRAHAUS FILLED WITH DISPLAYS
OF FAMOUS DESIGN FURNITURE
BOTTOM RIGHT ABBY ADMIRING A DESIGN
BOOK ON DISPLAY IN THE VITRAHAUS
In Zürich, Switzerland,
much of the food was
similar to the food in
Germany in the sense
that there was plentiful
meat, bread, and cheese.
FOOD AND DRINKS OF SWITZERLAND
59MEGAN CELEBRATING HER BIRTHDAY
ONE OF THE DELICIOUS WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNERS
However, at a group dinner
we were given the good grace
of American fare. Many of
the students ordered “Yeasty
Boy” beer and fried chicken
with french fries for dinner.
The restaurant was located
on a farm that is built on
the farm-to-table concept.
The dinner also doubled as a
celebratory feast for Megan’s
22nd birthday, resulting in
a great deal of appreciated
merriment.
We had the pleasure of visiting the
most prominent school of art and
design in Zürich, where we got a
demonstration of student projects,
as well as touring the school itself.
ZURICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS
NICOLE LOOKING THROUGH LIBRARY
ZHdK
WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS OF ZHDK
THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND LOBBY
ZHdK
MATERIALS ARCHIVE
While visiting ZHdK in
Zürich, Switzerland, the
group’s tour through the
University included viewing
the materials archive in the
library. The objects ranged
from natural fibers, to 3-D
printed objects, metals,
glass, fabrics, and almost
everything else imaginable.
63
BELOW ONE OF THE MANY EXAMPLES OF NATURAL FIBERS
ABOVE EXAMPLES OF TEXTILES AVAILABLE
FREITAG FACTORY
A RESOURCEFUL LOOK INTO URBAN FASHION
A FUNCTIONAL TOOL AND ACCESSORY
A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN THAT REDEFINES
65
FREITAG FACTORY
Freitag was created in 1993
by two brothers who saw the
need for strong, functional
and weather resistant bags.
They found their solution
in reusing old tarps from
trucks and bicycle tires.
Today Freitag has expanded
dramatically to selling 40
different models in 460
stores around the world as
well as online. This increase
in commerce and unique
design is what led us to the
Freitag Factory in Zürich,
Switzerland to see how these
bags are made.
We were not disappointed.
As soon as we started our
tour we were blown away by
their dedication to recycling
or rather upcycling of their
products. Their entire
facility was designed to be
environmentally friendly.
Even the rainwater they
collected was used to wash
the tarps.
Freitag’s ideals permeate
through everything that they
do. It was fascinating to see
a company that cares about
sustainable design.
THE IDEA OF FREITAG
AN EMPLOYEE CUTTING OUT BAG PATTERNS
WWU.EDU/DESIGN/SUMMERABROAD
CHECK OUT MORE AT
Our time abroad showed us many things that we could not have experienced otherwise. We were immersed in a design landscape that was both foreign and familiar because we had previously learned the history. It gave many of us a new
perspective and opened our eyes to the diverse culture of design. Our study abroad was awesome and amazing and exceeded all of our expectations. We hope you enjoyed learning about our time abroad too.
WWU.EDU/DESIGN/SUMMERABROAD
68
CIAO.