'Streit' as a Design Method

"Streit" (conflict/dissent/dispute) is often perceived to be a threat, a destructive force that shouldn’t be unleashed. This workshop explores a different understanding of this term as we try to study its creative potential in graphic design. The goal is to generate visual languages, whose structure will be based on the core principles of "Streit".

Regarding the day-to-day business in professional design we tend to associate it with unpleasant clients and the consequential inability to realise a truely valuable, innovative design. In other cases the term „Streit“ reminds us of internal discord between co-workers which can lead to such a fundamental obstruction, that any economical or creative success of a professional collective is in danger. Either way: The common interpretation of „Streit“ is rather negative. Therefore we tend to see it as something, that should be avoided by any means.

This workshop, however, tries to explore a different side of „Streit“. Even though it is usually interpreted as the problem, we should rather realise, that the preceding conflict poses the real obstacle, whereas „Streit“ is nothing else than the attempt to overcome it. It is very similar to the relation between virus (conflict) and fever („Streit“) in the medical field. 

In this 5 days lasting workshop, we want to interpret „Streit“ as the latter and therefore as a productive force, a technique to solve problems. The goal is to study its creative potential by adapting the core principles of „Streit“ to the field of graphic design. Thinking of it as a passionate and intense design method will enable us to generate unexpected visual languages. 

Restraining ourselves to whatever concrete design method we deduce from „Streit“, the workshop provides full freedom in regards to the usage of any means of visual communication. As a valuable exercise in experimental design the participants benefit will be an enriched design methodology ready to apply to their own future work.

Participants should bring a laptop. 

Thomas Lehner is a graphic artist, author and lecturer. His focus lies on the poetry of graphic expression thus inventing new roles to challenge the discipline’s definition. While dedicating 10 years to applied communication design for art and culture (Thomas Lehner Studio, Berlin), he was teaching visual communication at the University of the Arts Berlin (basics-blog.de). Holding a MA of Arts in Iconic Research (HGK Basel FHNW, 2021), he now lives and works in CH-Fribourg and Berlin. Instagram: @maler.mueller

 

David Gobber (born in Feldkirch, Austria) is a Berlin based graphic designer. He is working mainly in the cultural field, focusing on identity, editorial and poster design, while often pursuing a strong typographic approach. Aside from his studies of visual communication in the graphic design class of Fons Hickmann at the University of the Arts Berlin he has been working for various design studios such as Thomas Lehner Studio or NODE Berlin Oslo.