Lorraine Wild and Rick Poynor have worked closely, if not directly, within the field of design throughout their entire careers. Both share a passion that naturally develops when one loves their craft, and with that passion comes a higher level of criticism. The understanding of intricacies of the design work, its development, and its history sharpens their eyes to its flaws and the new directions it might take. When one cares deeply about a subject, they strive to improve it. It is not surprising that Poynor and Wild have dedicated the latest years of their careers to writing about design, graphic design, its evolution over time, emerging trends, and, not uncommonly, about other critics. This is when opinions might diverge, and perspectives can become most contrasting.
This website is a graduate project for Parsons' Communication Design program, specifically under the Typography & Interaction subject. Here, we aim to perceive websites in their true essence: through typography, and by using typography to convey meaning. This meaning can then be translated back into type, providing users with a certain level of interaction. The website is also a collection of texts, all by Rick Poynor and Lorraine Wild, where their thoughts, dedicated to design and the design craft, sometimes clash with each other. Rick Poynor expresses his disappointment with the intellectual production and societal impact of graphic design, based on his extensive understanding of its evolution. He calls for the rise of new critical thinkers. On the other hand, Lorraine Wild, a critic herself, criticizes many of Poynor's journalistic reports on design history, stating that much was missed or wrongly categorized. This website is also about contrast, and how ideas become text, and texts become shapes, and shapes can be easily perceived by us when contrasting with each other.
Finally, this website is also about me, if I may add my own perspective to the discussion, as a designer myself, I observe design unfolding in the world, witnessing the societal change in the work designers do every day. I see the significant impact of interfaces on apps shaping cultures, and I recognize the value of translating ideas into messages that become stories among people. If there's something I can take from Mrs. Wild, it's that many of the inquiries and criticism are like castles in the sand—beautiful but destined to be dissolved away.
by Rodrigo Gouveia