During the technology workshop, all students were tasked with discussing the required reading by David Reinfurt, specifically his text ‘I-N-T-E-R-F-A-C-E’ from the book ‘A New Program for Graphic Design’ published in 2019. Reinfurt’s work delves into the concept of interfaces within the realm of graphic design. It investigates how interfaces act as mediators between humans and machines, thoroughly examining their roles in contemporary design and their evolution in the digital age.

In the workshop, we were provided with discussion points to guide our conversation, such as identifying various elements around us – in the room, in our bags, on the table – that could be construed as interfaces, whether technologically mediated or not. We contemplated the designer’s role in shaping these interfaces, explored the responsibilities inherent to interface design, and pondered the assumptions these interfaces make about their users.

Throughout our discussion, the central theme revolved around the idea of creating accessible design through interface design. We collectively concluded that while it might be challenging to design interfaces that are entirely accessible, it should remain the ultimate goal to include as many users as possible.

Following the discussion and a lecture by Abbie Vickress, a PhD student and Senior Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, we engaged in a coding exercise. Our task was to modify the code of an existing p5.js digital clock to create a new visual interpretation of time. We were provided with three different templates to adapt with our own ideas. Initially, I spent some time analyzing and making minimal changes to the code. As someone with limited coding experience, I was initially intimidated to learn a coding language. However, as I began to unravel the details of the code, I decided to experiment more boldly with it.

I have attached below the digital clock that I ultimately designed, showcasing the transformation from the original template. This exercise proved to be highly beneficial in helping me grasp the coding language, making it more accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the workshop and was inspired by the innovative work created by my classmates. It’s always fascinating to witness how people, operating within the same framework and rules, can produce a multitude of diverse outputs. This experience reminded me of the book ‘Conditional Design Workshop’ by graphic designers Luna Maurer, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters, and the artist Edo Paulus, as listed in our reading materials.

https://editor.p5js.org/avickress/sketches/kpgDK8GJg

The clock template how it looked before:

And this is how it looked after I edited the code:

Bibliography

Reinfurt, D. (2019). ‘I-N-T-E-R-F-A-C-E’. In A New Program for Graphic Design. Inventory Press. Los Angeles. pp. 170–253.

Blauvelt, A., Maurer, L., Paulus, E., Puckey, J., & Wouters, R. (2013). Conditional Design Workbook. Valiz. Amsterdam. Excerpt pp. ii–xiv.