FL@33 Workshop 1 – Year 4 ((Year 5 brief variants in double-brackets)): Personal Projects and the Power of Three. ECV Bordeaux, 27 February–3 March 2017, Monday–Thursday, 9:00–13:00 ((14:00–18:00)), Friday morning ((afternoon)), workshop exhibition and presentation. Recommended links, videos and book: please see [end of] of this brief. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: FL@33 lecture and tombola / raffle (at the end of the talk), Monday evening, 27 February 2017, 18:30–approximately 20:00+.
___ Portfolio sessions – discussing your work and life after college. I suggested to offer you the opportunity to discuss students’ work, application do’s and don’ts and/or life after college. We only have approximately one hour per day for this however – if you are interested – so please do try to organise as a group and prepare your questions and presentations accordingly. Tuesday–Thursday evening, 28 February–2 March 2017, 18:15–19:15

AIM: This evolving FL@33 workshop was developed to encourage experimentation, appreciation of process, embracing failure and provoke ‘happy accidents’. The workshop aims to help students find a voice and add more personality and emotion to their work as graphic designers and visual communicators.
___ This 5-day experience encourages students to develop a sense of authorship and create – and most importantly continue to create – their own self-initiated projects, even after their graduation and into their professional lives.
___ Students are asked to take the opportunity to continue to develop ideas, work on footage and collections that were already started, while others are helped to develop starting points and ideas that are close to their heart.

Head / Heart / Hand – What is the ‘power of three’? Agathe and I studied at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. During our studies we first heard Jon Wozencroft mention the Power of Three guideline in a private conversation before one of his Sound Seminars we used to have there every week. This Power of Three was to become – not a rule or a philosophy – but a guideline how FL@33 has been trying since to operate and produce projects. The idea behind the Power of Three is that head, heart and hand – intellect, emotion and skills – are present in equal measures.
___ It was only years later that we learned that the original quote was by Professor Richard Guyatt (1914–2007) who was a British designer, academic and rector at the RCA between 1978 and 1981. Guyatt's timeless vision was that every graphic designer should have a balance of head, heart and hand in his/her work as thematic starting points.
___ If there is only one thing you take with you from this workshop please let it be this guideline – it's amazing!

Workshop 1—YEAR 4: — combination 1A: Poster / folded documentation brochure / leaflet / fanzine, 1 sheet of paper, vice versa — combination 1B: Poster / (possibly perforated) postcard set or — combination 1C: Poster / Documentation poster, 1 sheet of paper, vice versa

((Workshop 2—YEAR 5: A combination of two things: a final piece and a project docu-mention. Please choose an appropriate 2D, 3D or 4D medium for your final piece (it must look intriguing and well-crafted) PLUS a documentation brochure, leaflet or fanzine. Medium and technique can include illustration, photography, typography, video, animation, interaction, 3D installation, sound, collage, data visualisation and/or any combination. For your portfolio please ensure that the process documentation also shows at least one photo or visualisation of the FINAL PIECE – especially if it’s a video or installation and not already 2D!))

DAY 1 ASSIGNMENT—FL@33 WORKSHOP DAY 1
THE POWER OF THREE: HEAD
Concept generation. Power of Three. Seek discomfort.
Document your process and progress.

Come prepared.
Please refer to list of recommended movie clips, links and most importantly – the book.

THREE POSSIBLE STARTING POINTS
To help you get started please select the following three elements:
— one personal everyday observation,
— one personal everyday object and also
— something you collect and/or are fascinated by and passionate about

Year 4: We will together work, combine and develop your ideas and starting points on day one. We will also discuss which poster combination might suit you best and I will bring examples and folding samples of poster combinations for you to look at before you decide what you want to do.

((Year 5: We will together work, combine and develop your ideas and starting points on day one. We will also discuss which medium might be the most appropriate, intriguing, challenging and fun choice for you.))

Think creatively in the meantime whether or not these three starting points could be combined in a philosophical or concrete fashion. Use wit, humour and/or appropriate aesthetics to tackle this project. Please let your style and personality shine through.
Bring items (or pictures of them) along to discuss. Most importantly: do NOT be boring and do NOT ‘play it safe’. Use the opportunity to dive in and challenge yourself!
___ It will be up to you to translate your choice into a fascinating, communicative and overall appealing presentation while keeping the Power of Three in mind.

((Year 5: PLEASE NOTE: Please do NOT present on screen but print your project or find another appropriate method. Unless you create specifically for a screen-based project nothing is allowed to be presented on screen that doesn’t belong there. For the final presentation please only use a computer screen, smartphone or tablet screen to present if this is the most appropriate medium for your idea. You will be asked to justify your choice(s). Please discuss beforehand if in doubt.))

DAY 2 ASSIGNMENT—FL@33 WORKSHOP DAY 2
THE POWER OF THREE: HEART
Embrace failure. Add some heart. Document your process and progress.
___ Please try to embed more emotion and personality in your project.
___ You may start experimenting with actual production already – but only when you are ready with concept generation and you are satisfied with your level of authorship.

DAY 3 ASSIGNMENT—FL@33 WORKSHOP DAY 3
THE POWER OF THREE: HAND
Make. Create. Build. Experiment. Discover. Experiment more. Fail and experiment even more. Don’t forget to document your process and progress.
___ If you did not start already please do now begin to experiment and fine-tune your vision while developing the actual piece. There is still time for U-turns, changes and tweaks.

DAY 4 ASSIGNMENT—FL@33 WORKSHOP DAY 4
THE POWER OF THREE
Make it a success now, it’s time. Wrap it up and do continue to document your process and progress.
___ Decide how important the documentation will likely be in your final presentation. Sometimes making-ofs end up being a core-element in projects. Compromise or don’t – but find a way today to make your project a success for tomorrow’s presentation.
___ Double and triple-check whether you achieved an acceptable balance between intellect, emotion and skills. If not – adjust, tweak and modify accordingly.
___ Work on a well-prepared 2–4min presentation for tomorrow that showcases your workshop experience by presenting your documentation and your final piece.

Please also ensure to address the following points in your presentation:
— What was your starting point?
— Explain your process and how you challenged yourself?
— What was the most frustrating aspect of your project and what was the most satisfying one?
— Where there any ‘happy accidents’?

DAY 5 ASSIGNMENT—FL@33 WORKSHOP DAY 5
EXHIBITION AND FINAL CRITS
Good luck and thank you!
Enjoy! 8)

PLEASE WATCH
Milton Glaser – on the fear of failure (7:26)
Seek Discomfort by Stefan Sagmeister, exhibit from Sagmeister’s The Happy Show exhibition (0:55). The exhibition forms part of the research for The Happy Film by Stefan Sagmeister (out soon, currently already touring film festivals before its finally being released).

BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Parfaites imperfections
by Erik Kessels
(French translation)
A copy is available at the college. Please read it and give it to the next student.
Failed It!
by Erik Kessels
(Original English version)

LINKS
FL@33
http://flat33.com
A few of the many varyingly complex FL@33 examples of mundane observations and objects that turned into the stars of a project:
Trans-form (many different observations of tower cranes)
more
8min 20sec (observation, technique, set of rules that can be applied to different footage).
more
Bzzzpeek.com (currently still requires Flash plugin – new version hopefully in the near future...)
Picture hook faces
more
Shadows
Singing Pasta
Chinface animation
#Sky and U-turns
Autobahn custom typeface
...

Daniel Eatock
eatock.com
Examples (but please do check out his portfolio in more detail)
eatock.com/participate/lens-touch/
eatock.com/project/camera-straps
eatock.com/participate/no-photo
eatock.com/project/trees
eatock.com/projects/closed-loops
...