Local Design

A local design vernacular
Review by Brian Garman Walker, Jason Bronkhorst, Richard
W
Hart, Oliver Schildt, am i collective,
hen I first saw that this book was out, I looked Carina Comrie, Joh Del and others.
across at my bookshelf, and wondered if I didn’t He also uses examples from across
already have too many design books. If I was go- the spectrum of print design – exhi-
ing to get this one, it needed to be something different. bition, editorial, corporate identity,
If you look through the contents page, it does seem a lit- posters, packaging and illustration.
tle “same old, same old” but there is something which makes In the third and perhaps most
this book quite distinct: it is entirely South African. Every interesting section of the book
featured designer, case study, interview and beautifully MacGarry interviews a number
displayed example is local, is lekker – and by doing this, it of local designers. The interviews
clearly demonstrates a “local design vernacular distinct from – although set out as Q&A – are Graphic design
the design languages of Europe and the United states”. But more of a series of discussions than
By Michael MacGarry
what’s more, it shows that South African graphic designers a standard set of questions that
can hold their own in an international design arena. he poses to his interviewees. They David Krut Publishing
Graphic Design, written (and designed and illustrated) talk a lot about their own work,
by Michael MacGarry is the first of the new Skill Set series what makes them tick, things that
of books on South African design which aims to respond to influence them, choices they’ve
a need for material that features local design, but that also made, the local design industry,
“celebrates the work of the many talented creatives” who etc. And like all good iconoclasts,
work in this country. none of them is slavishly complimentary of the local design Comrie from Bon-Bon works a lot with exhibition (and its
The book is essentially divided into three sections. industry. Peet Pienaar, creative director of The President is related material) and book design. What these interviews
The first is an essay by Garth Walker on the South African quite critical of the fact that local design is not very effective illustrate is the extraordinary breadth and depth in the
context. The essay is illustrated by examples of the often in exercising social influence or affecting political or social South African design industry. At the same time though,
transient “street design” Walker has collected in his travels change. Ruan Vermeulen from the am i collective expresses they acknowledge that locally the design industry is quite
around the country, and which he uses to inform much of his his frustration at the treatment of young designers in the fragmented.
own work. larger advertising agencies, “where they end up scanning Graphic Design is a beautiful book which will add value
The second section of the book gives an overview of the stuff for three months” and “do not learn anything”. to the bookshelves of design students through to seasoned,
principles and concepts of good design. MacGarry doesn’t What’s also interesting about MacGarry’s choice of sub- practising designers. Unlike many design books which are
stray far from the beaten track of the universal fundamentals jects to interview is the variety of mediums and techniques simply vehicles for pretty images, this book has something to
that you need to apply to achieve good design, but what is which are investigated. Vermeulen and Mark van Niekerk read as well as look at.
refreshing is the illustration of this somewhat generic infor- from am i collective make a lot of use of hands-on illustration Oh – by the way, if I were honest with myself, I guess
mation with local images. In this section, he makes use of the work, while Richard Hart, creative director of disturbance that I would have to confess that you can never have too
work of designers like Peet Pienaar, Scott Robertson, Garth sees their work as photography-orientated design. Carina many design books.

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A local design vernacular

Review by Brian Garman Walker, Jason Bronkhorst, Richard

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