User:Marlon/Graduate Research Seminar/thesis/draft

Template

Liberating the Physical Template of the New Human

Message from Archangel Michael

Channeled by Meredith Murphy

Telepathic Transmission - 1/2 May 2012

Subject

Template Culture

Introduction

A templates is the "pattern or gauge for shaping a piece of work", the 'modelvorm' that guarantees two pieces of work (a brick, an image, a letter) are identical, they're created from the same mold. And if they're not completely similar in looks, they are at least based on the same structure or framework.

In 2014, the first thing that comes to mind (and appears in a Google search) is the web template, maybe for Wordpress or Blogspot, that arranges elements of a website into a layout. Insert your content and a layout is generated.

But the template exists everywhere: IKEA furniture, phone apps that promise to be tools that help you 'design your life', the white walls of a gallery space, etc. I'm especially interested in templates that are prominent in (graphic) design, web, lifestyle and advertisement: from design tools to photo-sharing websites. And from decorative 'sjablonen' to Instagram filters.

We're surrounded with templates because:

a. They follow the same pattern, we're familiar and used to them

b. They require little work or coding knowledge, make the decisions for you, because of their limitations

c. They are for everyone! Easy to understand, quick to generate

d. You can customise them to your liking!

Key questions

Are templates presets that generate not just similar design, but also similar content?

Do they liberate or limit their users?

Do these templates signify a graphic design crisis?

Topics

Tumblr

Tumblr will be used as a main example. Not only does it use templates, but it has repetitive content, promotes a new visual language and there's the community aspect.

Popular micro-blogging service Tumblr, is quick and easy to use. Offers its users (free and pay-to-play) themes for the layout of their blogs. Its use is quite varied: from making friends and maintaining personal blogs and fansites to professional design portfolios. There is a lot of repetitive –symbolised by the never-ending scrolling layout– content, partly due to its 'reblogging' feature. Blogs are often dedicated to one topic, phenomena or filetype (see: "selfies at funerals"). Multiple blogs with the same purpose, name, style ("fuckyeah1990s", "fuckyeahdykes", "fuckyeahmiyazaki", etc).

Template framework

Templates and themes in a web environment: what are they, why do they exist, how do they work?

Customisable! Templates are restricting because they have to be. This is how they limit designers.
Content and form, the interplay, the boundaries.

Repetitive content

A template is easy to use, but its limitations guarantee a similarity in content. We enjoy this, because it requires us to think less.

Following (imitating) the norm.
Repetition, memes.

Experience design

Experience and lifestyle design: promoting yourself, designing your life, painting your existence more beautiful.
Advertisement and promotion, trends, aesthetics.

Graphic design

Not everyone is a (graphic) designer, but everyone can at least have the experience. Thanks to the templates, downloadable designs, mockups and apps, everyone can pretend to be one. Design performing."

Downloadable and open design and its relation to free software.
User and producer future? Designing not the work, but the tools, the templates, "the user-friendly environment".
Mode of production, ownership.