@lpl #nowplaying #doommetal #saturdoom the uncanny #Pentagram ;
https://youtu.be/wRIkfMSnED4?si=MnQ15Ie6cvGCAuZd
Doom On, Chug On! \m/_ (>.<) _\m/

So, to finally end this infinite rant, Scher's words aren't really news, just a more open elitist position that now, in line with the current political winds, doesn't have to hide behind performative politically correct language. The power of design is now finally demonstrating its true face: design for the powerful.

As usual, apologies for the typos.

Here the original article https://www.creativebloq.com/design/ive-never-seen-anything-like-this-before-paula-scher-on-the-backlash-to-pentagrams-ai-government-website-design

/eof

#design #pentagram #capitalism #AI #elitism
#illustration

So, unless you are illustrating the whole Divine Comedy (Botticelli did it with 92 illustrations, btw), tell me, why would I need 1500 illustrations? Adv is too short lived to make use of it, and if you are expecting that people will browse all of them either online or on an expensive 1500 pages of AI generated illustrations book, than Scher also demonstrates that has no idea on how information and human work.

17/

an illustration is generally a combination of many layers of information, the more complex the composition, the more detailed the drawing, the more time is needed by the observer to absorb it all. That's why it so often happens that when you look at an illustration for a second or a third time, you notice details that you missed in the first one. That's also why e.g. very messy comic panels or doodles feel overwhelming (on purpose).

16/

As we've seen in the beginning of this thread, illustrations are specific representation. Contrary to fine art, illustrations are there to tell a story, to literally, cast a light on something:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/illustration

"1500 illustration in the same style" are pointless:

15/

#design #pentagram #capitalism #AI #elitism
#illustration

Which brings me to the last point "1500 illustrations in that style". Scher here speaks the same language of Big Tech when they boast about 'Big Data', which, as @pluralistic just recently reminded us, was the precursor of "AI":

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/17/caliper-ai/#racism-machine

1500 illustrations in the same style means nothing: it's a hype, it's making it looking grandiose, it's signalling a scale that is absolutely unnecessary

14/

While you are upskilling and taking on a load of work of a team (without the money to hire one) to end up with the classic 'make the logo bigger', the clients that could actually pay decently and really value those skills - the "capital 'D' design" - go to Big Design like Pentagram.
Does it look familiar? It's neoliberal monopolistic capitalism over and over again.

13/

They will select you based on your IG account, where they expect animated logos and typefaces, viral reels, stunning mockups, video concept brand presentations, and yes, illustrations too. If you felt you started as a graphic designer to end up being a coder, a videomaker, an animator, a character designer, an illustrator, and a copywriter, you are right: thanks to Big Design, that's what's expected from you

12/

With dramatic repercussions to all that workforce that doesn't have Pentagram's means. As it happened for architecture, where now even the old lady asking you to refurbish her bedroom wants a shiny render, now the small entrepreneur that hires you for their logo expects Instagram reels and interactive heavily animated web experiences.

11/

Their portfolio are super well crafted presentations were a logo becomes more than a graphic symbol: it's an animation, an illustration, a original full typeface, an icon font, a website, a concept, and what not. They are the results of a (probably underpaid) team of diverse specialists that they can hire. They are public and thanks to the hype created by design magazines, they are elevated as the examples of 'good design'

10/

Maybe you don't give a damn about illustrators, but you might be interested in knowing that the "best world designer" consider you, and your job, inferior. To analyse the implication of this, we should first look at what agencies like Pentagram are: the equivalent of big architecture firm and giant tech companies. They are monopolistic entities that suck up oxygen while setting impossible industry standards for all smaller businesses

9/

Alphonse Mucha posters, e.g., in the world of Scher are merely 'illustration', a lowercase 'd' design. And this is just limiting to one western case, let's not even enter in what her attitude implies for indigenous design practices.

Let's move on to the second point, the "capital 'D' design job

8/

What is undeniable, however, is that design is a child of illustration and craft, someone could say, it's illustration and craft adapted to industrialisation. To have one of the most prominent designers, head of probably the biggest and higher paid design agency in the world downgrading 'illustration' as a sort lower job is insulting, not just for illustrators and artists, but for the story of design itself:

7/