Original essay in Thai was written by Anuthin Wongsunkakon for “Yes I am not” An art exhibition by Santi Lawrachawee. Edited by Jermsiri Luangsupporn, Translated by Poom Rattavisit
➜ The transfer of data is something we all are familiar with. Data is valuable only to the extent that it is delivered properly. When there is no receiver, it will lose its worth (sometimes, however, it is the opposite, and such data becomes invaluable) or will just remain as a record of the creator.
A new data is formed by assembling and organizing pieces of data from different sources. As you can see, it is the nature of data to be transform and transmit. Even if it remains ‘hidden’, it cannot hide from this fact.
Every form of design conveys some kind of message. That message or data is transferred artistically, or rather abstractly, through colors, shapes, and other elements. It extends beyond spoken and written words; therefore, it is important that designers are able to speak and write competently since they need to communicate on a visual level.
Even today, designers still couldn’t speak or write well. It may be the root of all problems in the current design community. Designers often forget that it is their job to communicate, possibly because of incorrect interpretation through ambiguous messages, making the line between right and wrong unclear. Moreover, the renowned phrase, “There is no right or wrong in design,” keeps designers in a whirlpool of uncertainty. We hear and use it too frequently, so often that its meanings and implications become distorted.
If data is a product, it needs an appropriate packaging before it could be delivered. The process of creating such packaging is design. No matter if it is a cover design, a layout of a page, an arrangement of a bulletin board by a high school student, or a well-crafted piece of design by a professional designer, they are all based on the same principle. The difference may only be in the skill and proficiency of the person responsible.
Nevertheless, design is not just a decoration of the exterior. In order to create an appropriate package, the designer must study the product inside and out. Only when the designer fully understand it, can he/she justifies his/her work. Thus it is essential that the designer is able to organize the data intelligently. In reality, however, many design schools still ignore this simple idea.
When data is organized inefficiently, some pieces of data become lost. Lost, in this sense, does not mean trimming out the excessive parts – those that are insignificant and make the message unnecessarily long. More than 90% of the data that has been lost is caused by the designer who is unable to organize it intelligently. Sometimes, narrow-minded clients can accentuate the problem. In addition, if there is a representative, whether on the designer’s or the client’s part, chances are that data will be lost on the way to the intended receiver. As a result, the process of design will be affected unintentionally and if the designer does not know how to sort it out, it will be a catastrophe.
Think of the game, ‘Whisper Down the Lane’, it is an excellent example of data loss. Each player has to depend on a source that is second-hand, third-hand, or even forth-hand, and sometimes the original source itself is inaccurate. At the end of the game, there is usually a loss of data caused by someone mishearing the message. The same applies to the business world. If everything went smoothly, one well-organized meeting may be enough, and of course, it is better than having too many.
When designer receives the data, he/she must be able to separate the necessary from the unnecessary; therefore it is important that he/she is considerably knowledgeable in areas such as marketing, public relations, communication, and other related fields but still on the basis of aesthetics. Designing without proper understanding is no different than answering a question without thinking. When one answers without thinking, the answer becomes insignificant. It might be the main reason why this country does not see the importance of professional designers.
A basic process of communication can be illustrated in the following way: A message is spoken to a listener. The listener jots it down using his writing skills. The reader then uses his reading skills to analyze and comprehend the written data. In order to preserve the original data under these circumstances, language skills are obviously indispensable.
Looking at it carefully, humans are the flaw of data transmission. Whatever we do, whether if it is speaking, listening, or writing, there is always a possibility of data loss. We cannot argue with the fact that every person is on a different level of literacy. Moreover, personal opinions and viewpoints will certainly bias the original message. An obvious example would be a news reporter speaking his/her voice while reporting to the public. When the receiver is incapable of capturing the essence of the message, he/she unintentionally welcomes a spin. The way designers and advertisers extract and present only the benefits of a product can also be considered a type of spin.
To minimize data loss, humans need to make back up copies. Photocopy machines and USB flash drive both operate on this basis (only that one is an analog system while the other, a digital). Magazines and newspapers also work with this idea, however, there are still chances that the data could be intentionally or unintentionally modified prior to the back up process. In the end, it is up to the receiver to organized the final data.
The good thing about backing up digitally is that every copy is exactly the same since what is recorded are merely numbers. It is widely used nowadays, wide enough to make us forget that we might one day unable to retrieve the stored data. Digital back up is simple and economical while at the same time can be effortlessly cracked and modified. It comes easily and goes easily as well. A disc cannot outlive a carved stone.
In the age of information technology, the world becomes smaller and data moves faster and more freely. This phenomenon is clearly evident in weblogs where anyone can publicize almost anything they want. Even Times Magazine honored every reader who contribute to the internet to be man of the year. Email is another great example, we could see that the number of users constantly increases for the past ten years.
The faster data is fed, the more difficult it is for the reader to digest. Since there is a shorter time frame between the creation of the data and its publication, the extraction process becomes rougher. Decades ago, it took days before something could be printed and publicized. Now, if takes only a single click. Our ability to receive information should develop in parallel to technology, but sadly, it does not. We remain more or less static. Many misunderstandings in society today is a result of this condition.
In the beginning, humans created language for the purpose of communication which led to the formation of a community. Everyday we are driven by data. It is the way the world moves. If we look at it carefully, technology, business, art, music, design etc. are all languages in disguise. They are made to communicate one way or another.
One could say that the movement of data is communication. Humans cause this movement and this is the nature of society. We know that if there is a flaw in communication, it is in us, humans. No matter how far the medium in which data travel develops, we cannot use it efficiently until we solve our own problems.
When we create a piece of data, we need to know where our receiver stands. Not everyone is smart or foolish enough to grasp any message. Whether if it is a written or graphic language, they should both sympathize with the receiver’s educational level.
Any society that has difficulties with the flow of communication should improve their education in all areas. Design is one perfect judge in this situation. It needs to work on the same level as the receiver, otherwise the intended message will not be delivered properly.
When the level of education is low, it pulls everything down with it. Many designers wish to contribute something to the flow of communication, to make it better. They are, however, confined within the boundaries of a conservative society. Stepping out of those sensitive bounds may lead to a failure in communication.