Thursday, January 21, 1999
Back to the future
ON-CAMPUS: The Department
of Design’s senior exhibit brings
attention to changing technologies while showcasing
the talents of aspiring UCLA students
By Sandy Yang
Daily Bruin Contributor
Upon entering the Department of Design Senior Exhibition, you
should check in your preconceptions about design at the door, or
you may think you’re in the wrong exhibit.
Light is conspicuously absent from the spacious rooms of the
exhibit, except for the illuminating glow from the screens that
cover the walls. On closer inspection, animated shorts and design
pieces are displayed through slide projectors. Computers are
situated in the middle of the room where guests can interact with
the designers’ creations.
You are in the right place, however. The works – including
animated shorts, sound design and interactive animation – represent
the ever-changing evolution of design and the creative forces
behind its future. The undergraduate exhibit marks the first time
the UCLA Department of Design has brought out student work for
public view since its new digital media program was created in
1995.
Since then, the Department of Design has redefined its
objectives for the major, opting to concentrate on new technology
within the cutting-edge field. Three-dimensional modeling, Internet
design, animation and other types of electronic imaging have been
significantly incorporated into design classes.
Yet, the most basic tools of design have not been dismissed in
favor of the onslaught of technology available today.
"When the design department reopened, they stressed the
technology a lot more, but obviously we don’t let that stifle us in
any way," fourth-year design student Jason Moskovitz said. "As much
as we can, we take part in using our hands, and the pencil is still
our most valued tool. Our final product ends up being an experiment
presenting light and sound."
The idea of learning design on a hands-on basis on the path to
experimenting with today’s technology is even displayed in the
exhibit. In the only bright area of the gallery, more than 20
lighted dogs, constructed of various materials like wood, wire and
newspapers, stand on pedestals.
Part of an assignment for Professor James Bassler’s Design 182
class, they also represent "the emphasis on the foundation courses
which still provide the students to learn from the past and give a
breadth of vision about the world around them," Bassler said.
"It’s still very important for students to gain information
about how things are made and that will assist them when they get
to the upper division courses and beyond," Bassler said.
The UCLA Department of Design is also the only one of its kind
in the UC system. Though the average UCLA student may not know the
difference between Design and the other majors in the School of Art
and Architecture, 600 applicants vying for one of the 27 spots know
that they will get the specific technological training needed to
become competitive in this field.
"Definitely the technology and the school go hand in hand with
what the industry is asking for," visiting professor and
coordinator of the exhibit Gail Swanlund said. "But more than that,
this department trains people to think creatively."
Rebecca Allen, Department of Design chairwoman, adds, "A lot of
our students go to work in the media. We were hearing from the
industry that there was a strong need for designers … They don’t
really care about what software students know, it’s more about
their design thinking, that they know to bring up new ideas using
digital media and that they know how to explore some of the
potential of this new technology."
And the hard part isn’t just the getting in, but one’s
commitment and incredible time investment into his or her work.
"Design is a major that takes a lot of work," fifth-year design
student Michael Dillingham said. "For North Campus, I think it’s
one of the majors that requires the most work … People will work
20 days in a row on a project. They put a lot of devotion into
their project, so it’s rewarding for people to see their work put
on display for the first time."
Last Friday, more than 100 people were present at the opening
reception. For the students of design, it was a chance to show the
public what design was all about.
"We were welcomed greatly. The faculty was telling us it was one
of our best shows," Moskovitz said. "A lot of the students have a
hard time thinking of design as something other than manufacturing
clothing, or putting up decorations in a house … but basically
… design is a study of visual communication."
Second-year design student Sarena Jaggia added, "We’re really
excited to have the design department display our work in this way.
It’s a first for me because I’ve never had my work exhibited. It’s
good for the department overall. We’ve worked very hard."GENEVIEVE
LIANG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Design student Michael Spasoff produced the above wire sculpture
of a dog for Professor James Bassler’s Design 182 class on form and
mixed media.
UCLA Design Department
The online interactive program, "Crime Scene," by Soo Cho and
Gareth Smith, is showcased at the senior design students’
exhibition.
UCLA Design Department
This typography piece, incorporating photography with digitally
created text, was conceived by fourth-year design student Drew
Hodgson.
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