Design is practiced within the context of culture. It signifies aspects of a society’s belief and value systems.It constructs symbols that refer to things and ideas, and uses words that bring objects and concepts to mind, for the purpose of communication.
Context in design is a set of conditions and circumstances present at a given time, in a given place,
including the motives of makers and readers, the content of the message, the material aspects of the design artifact, and the particulars of presentation and delivery. Context is produced by converging (overlapping) systems – societal systems in which makers and readers exist, physical and technological systems that form and convey the design. A magazine is a good example of a message in context.
To understand the context of a message, a designer must ask six questions:
• WHO initiates the work? (Initiator and/or Sender - what is their Intention?)
• WHO are the readers? (Audience - what are their expectations?)
• WHAT is the artifact? (Design Object - sign, a magazine, a poster?)
• HOW is the artifact manifested? (Production/Fabrication - printed, projected, constructed?)
• WHERE does the delivery take place? (Place -in the living room, a car, the theatre?)
• WHEN does the delivery take place? (Span of Time - during a concert, an emergency?)
Also included within the context of a message is:
• PURPOSE (Meeting the objectives - wants / needs - of the initiator / sender)
• RESPONSE (Fulfilling the objectives - wants / needs - of the reader / audience)
Exercise - Magazine Message Analysis
Visit a bookstore and purchase a magazine of choice. Choose something that you are drawn to and are familiar with the content. Imagine the contexts of its production and distribution (including your experience with it). Describe in a short written essay (and visual form), the voice of the publication, who you thick the readers are, as well as the what / how / when / where of the magazine (design artifact). What design attributes – typography, composition, materials, etc, led you to your conclusions?
