THE DESIGN AND MUSIC INDUSTRIES ARE BFFS- THEY JUST DONT KNOW IT YET - EMILY GOSLING (AIGA DESIGN)

READING NOTES

• Design and music are inextricably linked

• People who have an appreciation for one the two, tend to have an enhanced experience of the other, this is why many singers and bands have emerged from art schools. Including but not exclusively;  David Bowie, Roxy Music and Blur. 

• Likewise, renowned graphic designers; Peter Saville, Jonathan Barnbrook, and Malcolm Garrett have used their skills to design for music- Further research on these three designers for the essay and practical project. 

• The author notes that it is not just a case of people associated with one of the two happen to have an appreciation of the other also, but that their are actually studies showing that musics encourages creativity.

• The relationship of the two lead to AIGA announcing they were going to start a programme that exclusively focused on the two areas, working together (2016)

• This focus set to examine the the role of design in "shaping the future for the music industry). 

• The Programme "...spotlight how art and design enrich our connection to music and creates more value", and "strengthen the connection between music and design".

• They mention that there is going to be a dedicated website in 3 weeks for the programme (obviously, this will have been launched by now since the article was wrote in 2016. This can also be looked into for further research).

• Laddesign was heavily involved in leading the programme- will also look into them for further research.

• Alongside running workshops across the US, the aim of the site is for it to be a platform "where designers, musicians and the creative community can propose their ideas on how design can help people engage with music on a deeper level". - This starts to look at how music and design engages with their audience, which is extremely relevant to the social context of my essay question. 

• "The idea lab is a place where musicians and bands and labels can learn about how they can raise their game with the design community".

MIDWAY SUMMARY

So far the article is referencing the relationship between music and design, which is relevant to my essay question because I want to know how that has changed since the beginning of streaming services. Has it strengthened or weakened? What ways have designers tried to overcome the digitally restricted, new age music industry?

• The author next touches on how in the past, the relationship between design and music was clear. however, since music, like many industries has become one of the many to join the digitally-first world. Causing the lines to blur- This relates to why I chose to look into this for my essay.

• They then talk about how design is still found all over the music industry.

• "According to the Pew Research Centre. "14% of online Americans say that at one time they downloaded music files, but now they no longer do any downloading. That represents 17 million people". 

• This came about when streaming services emerged.

• The number of music streams doubled in 2015 alone to 317 billion songs- will look for up to date figures because 5 years is a long time and the numbers have probably fluctuated a lot since then.

• Meaning designers have a completely new platform to design for and adapt to. 

• Azerrad says designers need to engender (to produce, cause or give rise to) transitional thinking (outside the box?) design that can help the music industry and vice verse. 

• His main point being how the two can work together to make people engage with the music in life changing ways.

• "Something tactile may have been lost..."

• "The way we’re engaging with music now is very passive", he says,"Streaming allows you to listen to any song any time, but we may be listening to it more as background music".

• Music used to be a marker on life experiences, telling a story in which is different for every individual that resonates with that song. 

• Artists like Bowie had a huge impact on queer identity and since music has become so passive, it no longer has the same effect. Streaming services have made it less engaging. 

• "...a loss of that emotional resonance".

• Adam Farrell of record label Loma Vista Recordings says that the role of design today is "probably more important that at any time in the business of music".

MIDWAY SUMMARY

So, from the beginning of this article, the context has moved to how peoples engagement with music has changed since the advancements in technology and streaming services. The author then talks about how designers can help encourage engagement.

• He makes the point that design was once musics opening statement. Designers would use billboards, music videos etc, to invite people in. 

• The narrative then looks over a more positive outlook to the situation by talking about how even though design for music has been reduced to digital only, does not mean there is any less room for innovation. 

• Author notes that despite the digital revolution- it actually provides an opportunity for exciting design. 

• "Everything has a common thread of digital".

• Explains that rather than "lamenting"on the good old days, designers should embrace the new age. 

• They list examples where designers have already made these innovations such as: MIT Media Lab's Open Music Initiative, where participants worked with the IDEO to develop new tools that use digital data to help us interact with music on the new levels. 

• Mirror- a wearable device in which "moments of inspiration and focus", it is meant to help artists better understand the creative process and reflect on it. 

• Intrstlr- a tool that aims to highlight recognition towards artists that would otherwise not be bestowed credit. 

• An interesting point made is that (shared moments)

• This links to what Azerrad said about how music should be something we spiritually engage with, not something that should be enjoyed passively. 

• Bjork Digital at London's Somerset House- this was an immersive virtual reality experience in which strange depictions of herself were in reaching distance of the participants. She would be a giant in one moment then singing lyrics beside you. 

• Radiohead- They did something similar in 2011 using augmented reality towards their eight studio album, The King of Limbs. This allowed users to manipulate the surrounding environments to accommodate the tracks in the way they pleased. 

• However, there is an argument that only the culturally elite would seek out such experiences- which links to my ideas for the physical side of the project ans the doubts I had for this sort of approach.

• On the contrary, other artists have tried different approaches to herald their new album releases such as; Beyonce's Lemonade which is a sixty minute film to spotlight the release of her eight album. Frank Ocean released a magazine alongside his new album, Boys don't cry. 

• Author then concludes with, how the whole design field has an integral place in the world of music and maintaining it and vice verse. 

• The two have "the power to make cultural and societal shifts"- relates to my chosen contexts.

REFERENCE:

Gosling, E. (2016) The Design and Music Industries are BFFs- They just don’t know it yet. AIGA Eye On Design. Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/the-vital-links-between-the-design-music-industries-how-can-they-enhance-one-another/(Date accessed 2nd October)