GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC.

GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC.

Design: Hungjen Wu

Visual Identity, Graphic Design

2024

GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC. is a three-part design workshop organized by the Institute of Art and Design, University of Tsukuba. Centered around the practice of graphic design, the workshop explores the progression from thought to action in the design process. Punctuation marks serve as the conceptual framework of the program—question mark (?), exclamation point (!), and period (.)—each symbolizing a different phase in the designer’s psychological journey: inquiry, creative excitement, and grounded execution.

The workshop is structured around three thematic sessions:

GRAPHIC? "Should we employ qualifications when working in visual design?" This phase begins with inquiry, focusing on the relationship between professional design practice and qualification systems. Participants will explore the relative value of credentials versus hands-on experience in the field of visual design. The question mark represents the structural questions and issues of self-positioning that designers often face before entering the industry.

GRAPHIC! "Visual for Valentine’s Day!" This is the most energized and emotionally charged phase. Participants are invited to engage in concept development and visual production around the theme of Valentine’s Day, using graphic design techniques. The exclamation point represents the moment of inspiration and creative momentum, reflecting the joy of making, experimentation, and discovery inherent in the design process.

GRAPHIC. "Designing icons for local services" The final phase brings the process back to grounded application. Participants will design clear, practical icon systems for local public services. The period symbolizes the calm and organic consolidation of ideas into execution, marking the critical step where design is translated from concept into reality.

With GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC. as its central visual and thematic title, the workshop articulates the rhythm and tension of the design journey—thinking → acting → constructing. Through punctuation as both visual and semantic markers, this program invites participants to reconsider graphic design not merely as an accumulation of forms and techniques, but as a way of questioning the world, responding to context, and taking responsibility through creation.

GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC. 是一場由筑波大學藝術與設計系策劃的三階段設計工作坊，聚焦於平面設計實踐中思維與行動的遞進關係。活動以符號為主題軸線，將問號（？）、驚嘆號（！）與句號（。）作為每個階段的象徵，形塑設計者從提問到創作、再至執行的心理歷程。

本工作坊分為三個主題單元（session）：

GRAPHIC?
「Should we employ qualifications when working in visual design?」此階段以探問為出發，聚焦於設計專業與資格制度之間的關係，討論視覺設計領域中「證照」與「實作經驗」的相對價值。問號象徵設計者在進入產業前所面對的結構性問題與自我定位的提問。

GRAPHIC!
「Visual for Valentine’s Day!」在設計熱情最為高漲的階段，參與者將運用平面設計手法，針對情人節主題進行創意發想與視覺製作。驚嘆號象徵靈感湧現的瞬間，也反映出設計行為中的投入、實驗與發掘樂趣。

GRAPHIC.
「Designing icons for local services」最後一階段回歸設計的應用與落地，參與者將為在地公共服務設計實用且清晰的圖像系統。句號代表冷靜、有機的整合與執行，亦是設計從想法轉為現實的關鍵環節。

整體以 GRAPHIC? GRAPHIC! GRAPHIC. 為視覺標題，呈現設計歷程中「思考 → 行動 → 建構」的節奏與張力。透過標點符號轉化為視覺與語意的軸線，本工作坊邀請參與者重新思考「平面設計」不僅是形式與技術的堆疊，更是一種對世界發問、回應與承擔的方式。