Interview with Identity Design MA – Insights into their book BUNTER HAUFEN

The students and staff of the MA Identity Design study programme at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences believe in the inspiring qualities of communities, their own as well as those anywhere on this planet. Moreover, it’s what they focus on. Their course provides a space for the in-depth study and critical discussion of collective identity in its various forms of expression and appearance. Students develop a deeper understanding of identity shaping processes in social, cultural and economic contexts. They are encouraged to combine methods derived from artistic and design practice with techniques from the social sciences to gain new insights into and create tools for identity driven communication. See what we’re up to on … instagram.com/ma_identity_design

 

Please present yourself: who are you? What do you do?

We are the 1st/3rd semester students and staff of the MA Identity Design study programme at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. It’s the only postgraduate course in Germany with a focus on the expression and appearance of collective identity. Looking at identity beyond branding, so to speak.

 

What exactly do you want to express with your work?

We want to make people aware of the fact that communities are shaped by people and people are influenced by communication. It makes a difference how you express what you’re about and which tone you chose to convey your ideas. You can be welcoming or exclusive and anything in-between. With BUNTER HAUFEN we wanted to show that collective identity and diversity can happily coexist.

 

How was the creative process?

The 17 students taking part in this project were divided into eight teams and were given the task to find groups of people made up of a wide range of individuals. The teams then had six double-page spreads to freely interpret the diversity within their chosen collective.

 

 

What unites all the works? Were there guidelines that everyone had to follow?

We worked within the confines of the 100for10 publication format. The size and number of pages were a given. So was the black and white colour restriction, which added a nice twist to a publication titled BUNTER HAUFEN. We also decided on a consistent typographic treatment of all accompanying texts.

 

Did you learn anything new within this project?

Yes and no. The wide range of approaches and groups featured proved the point. You don’t have to give up your individuality and beliefs in order to become part of a group. Or otherwise put, liberal communities don’t force their members to completely align themselves with a stated ideology.

 

 

What was it like to work on the book as a group? Was it important for you to be part of a creative community and to support each other or were there also disagreements in between?

We had a lot of fun working on this project and, of course, discussed concepts and ideas, but all in a very constructive manner. For the design of the front and back cover the participating students would put forward their ideas and we all decided together on the strongest one.

 
 

What is especially important to you when it comes to creative work?

Within the MA Identity Design we try to foster a culture where anything is possible, where thoughts and ideas are allowed to thrive and where we can inspire each other. When a fearless attitude, ingenuity, critical thinking, curiosity and excitement come together, creative work is bound to happen.

 
 

Do you have a motto or guiding principle that you follow?

Inspiring Communities.

Photos: Identity Design (M.A.)

 

Interview with artist Gabriela Neeb

Gabriela Neeb studied  at the Academy of Photography in Munich. Her main fields of interest are people and stories, so she specialized in portrait, reportage and theater photography. In her freelance work she is occupied with on-going projects. A recurring theme is the visual approach to music subculture and surrealistic moods.

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