March 2022 – Rachel Liddle

Lisa Strausfeld and Her Work combining Supergraphics Technology and Design

Lisa Strausfeld is an American Designer and professional information architect. Strausfeld studied art history and computer science to get herself a bachelor of arts at Brown University. Then she would go on to study at Harvard University to get a master’s of Architecture. Later she would go on to study media arts at MIT to earn herself a master of Science degree. She seemingly loved to learn, but aside from her education, Strausfeld would also have an extremely successful career utilizing her multiple degrees in her design work.

An example of Lisa Strausfeld’s work innovating supergraphics.

Strausfeld began her career with two other MIT students and launched the software company Perspecta. She would use her baStrausfeld began her career with two other MIT students and launched the software company Perspecta. She would use her background in technology to push the boundaries of mass communication with supergraphics in new and interesting ways. Later, while a partner at Pentagram, Strausfeld would work with innovative digitally animated supergraphics. She specializes in digital information projects; specifically the design work of large-scale media installations and UI design work.

Lisa Strausfeld’s way to using design to visually show the Billionaire Index of the wealthiest people in the world. This project was completed and updated along side a team of deasigners at pentagram done under the managament of Strausfeld.

I chose to research Lisa Strausfeld as I originally liked her innovative Supergraphic designs and was intrigued by just how many degrees she had… turns out she had quite a few. Other than making me inspired and I chose to research Lisa Strausfeld as I originally liked her innovative Supergraphic designs and was intrigued by just how many degrees she had… turns out she had quite a few. Other than making me inspired and wholly intimidated to get one degree of any sort I appreciated how she was able to draw upon the different education backgrounds she received and combine that knowledge in her design work. She is truly a modern renaissance designer and an early innovator of using technology with design, as seen in her infographics and animated advertisement campaigns.

This is Lisa Strausfeld project taking a look into a new form if data visualization. Described as a google earth for knowledge, it’s a inforraphic network of sorts that prototypes three dimensional data visualization.

Citations:

“Meet Lisa Strausfeld, One of Fast Company’s Most Creative People.” Fast Company, 1 Jan. 2000, https://www.fastcompany.com/person/lisa-strausfeld.

Palladino, Valentina. “The Billionaire Index Gets a Responsive Redesign.” Wired, Conde Nast, 24 Jan. 2013, https://www.wired.com/2013/01/interactive-billionaire-index/.

Schwab, Katharine. “Exclusive: Lisa Strausfeld Is Developing a New Kind of Data Viz.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 19 Oct. 2018, https://www.fastcompany.com/90247240/exclusive-lisa-strausfeld-is-developing-an-entirely-new-kind-of-data-viz.

Image Citations:

“Lisa Strausfeld.” Ideasondesign, http://ideasondesign.net/speakers/speakers/lisa-strausfeld/.

“Pentagram, Lisa Strausfeld, Christian Marc Schmidt, Takaaki Okada, Walter Bender, Eben Eliason, One Laptop per Child, Marco Pesenti Gritti, Christopher Blizzard, Red Hat, Inc.. Sugar Interface for the XO Laptop. 2006-2007: Moma.” The Museum of Modern Art, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/110267.

“VR Prototype for the New Historia.” Information Art, https://informationart.com/.

The 60’s Psychedelic Design

A look into Victor Moscoso’s work during the 60’s era of Psychedelic Design

An example of Victor Moscoso’s poster designs that shows off the contrasting colour schemes that he is known for. Here he used saturated pink, blue, and green, so the colours can ‘vibrate’ off one and another.

Victor Moscoso is a Spanish American Artist known for his Psychedelic rock posters, advertisements, and underground comix. Originally from Vilaboa Parish of Culleredo, Galicia, Moscoso would travel with his parents to Brooklyn, America. Moscoso’s father worked as a painter and his mother was a seamstress, growing up in an artistically inclined family is where Moscoso would first learn about colour combinations. Later Moscoso would study art at Cooper Union in New York City then Yale University, finally Moscoso would move to San Fransico to study at San Francisco art institute, where he would later become an instructor there.

Here Moscoso adds movement through lines to an originally symmetrical layout to remove the stiff and stagnant feel it might have had and encapsulate the psychedelic rock and roll feel in the 60’s.

In his working career, Moscoso would be known for his vibrant vibrating colour schemes in each piece. Moscoso takes inspiration from Josef Albers, his professor from Yale University, drugs, and the re-popularized Art Nouveau movement. His psychedelic rock and roll posters and album covers would shoot him to widespread public success. He would design for musicians like Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and David Grisman.

This design highlights the Art Nouveau inspiration in the way the figure is rendered in a style similar to Alphonse Mucha. This poster combined the unreadable warped decorative 60’s font into the naturalistic elements of flowers from Art Nouveau.

I chose to examine Moscoso’s graphic design work as I really appreciate his bold and bright colour combinations. I was already a fan of Art Nouveau, and Alphonse Mucha is one of my favorite artists, so it was interesting to see Designers take inspiration from his work in a different era. Moscoso’s work has great flow and rhythm through each piece that makes them more visually interesting designs. The imagery works perfectly for the type of music that he’s designing for. Moscoso has inspired me to be bolder and more playful with colour combinations and design layouts.

Citations:

Gary Groth | February 9, 2011. “An Interview with Victor Moscoso – Page 5 of 14.” The Comics Journal, FROM THE TCJ ARCHIVES, 1 Oct. 2021, https://www.tcj.com/an-interview-with-victor-moscoso/5/.

Kondolay, Ryan. “The Art of Influence: Victor Moscoso.” Comet Creative, 15 Mar. 2019, https://wearecomet.com/1960s-psychedelic-tribute-calendar-victor-moscoso/.

“Victor Moscoso.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, SAAM, https://americanart.si.edu/artist/victor-moscoso-18206.

Image Citations:

Dukepope. “Victor Moscoso, the Grand Old Master of Psychedelic Art.” DUKEPOPE, 21 June 2013, https://dukepope.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/victor-moscoso-the-grand-old-master-of-psychedelic-rock-posters/.

“Victor Moscoso Master of Psychedelic Posters & Comix.” Victor Moscoso >> Neon Rose Series, http://www.victormoscoso.com/gallery1.htm.

“Victor Moscoso.” Art Blart, https://artblart.com/tag/victor-moscoso/.