OUGD601 - Metahaven: White Night Before a Manifesto

In the first section of my essay, I explore the notion of surface, outlining its transformation throughout the timeline of graphic design. A surface is the locus for the application of various sign systems and visual elements. Without the surface, graphic design would cease the exist.

Since the advent of the internet, the notion of surface has expanded beyond all recognition. Graphic design was conventionally found on physical surfaces such as paper, glass, metal or wood. The internet in the words of Metahaven is an 'anorexic, hyper-thin architecture' in which graphic design is readily applied.

In 2008, Metahaven produced their 'White Night Before a Manifesto' document, which focuses heavily on the theme of surface. I decided to give it a read in order to contextualise this theme and gather some useful quotes for my essay:

'We are designing surface. Surface multiplies, beyond any measure of necessity, beyond the laws of demand and supply, beyond reason. The multiplication of surface, formerly called information overload, is the new reality of design. Its unit of measurement is virtual.'

'Surface is not territory. Territory, which is actual and geographical (for that reason limited in supply), can be contested and may become the site of an actual conflict, a physical confrontation. This cannot happen on, or to, a surface. Surface is to territory what speculative capital is to gold. Surface may be multiplied without encountering the physical limitations imposed by someone else’s terrain, opinion, presence or personality. If surface is a kind of place, or site, the designer is its geographer.'

'Surface is folded out in order to produce value, while it is folded in to secure it. The production of surface is design’s equivalent to the production of space; surface in the generic sense means flat space to display. Surface is anorexic, hyper-thin architecture.'

'Surface, representing no particular meaning or message, is the precondition for virtual capital, projected revenue and speculative value. Advertising surface in public space initially is merely an add-on to the already existing historical structure of a city. Gradually, surface replaces the primacy of historical structure and its territoriality. The city becomes the profit base of a virtual spin: the multiplication of surface accounts for the exponential growth of value extracted from its public space. By our being in public, by simple existence, we already automatically affirm the exposure which grants the surface infrastructure its right to the city. The inhabitants of cities are, through this m mechanism, directly inscribed into the means of value production.'

Whole text available at: http://frontdeskapparatus.com/files/015.pdf