Back Office 4: Graphic Design and Digital Practices

The fourth issue of French design journal Back Office is devoted to the idea of movement in digital practices. The movement progressively becomes an obligatory step for graphic designers, both for its efficiency and as a bit of a trending fad. “Going with the flow” thus becomes a paradoxical directive. Breaking with tradition means one runs the risk of being out of step with clients and prevailing tastes and habits, but excessive compliance results in stereotypical productions. Is it reductive to consider that graphic design might be intrinsically and positively “augmented” by this movement? What effect would this animation paradigm have on form? Could animation be perceived in a manner other than as a mere adaptation or adjunct? The ubiquity of screens, in both private (tablets, smartphones, etc.) and public (advertising or informational displays) spaces, means that graphic designers need to diversify their approaches, thus making it necessary to conceive design spaces that are variable and translatable. Back Office is an annual review, encompassing graphic design and digital activities. It explores the creative processes at work in the diverse fields of contemporary media and digital practices. By dealing with themes such as the code/form relation, the challenges of creative tools, and the permeable nature of media, it is a unique French-speaking space for reflection and a worldwide vehicle of visibility for the French-speaking community. Back Office is entirely bilingual and is designed as an interface for the reception of the overwhelmingly English-speaking digital culture, through commissioned articles by authors and original translations. Contents: "Cathodic Irruptions: Televisual Formats in France, 1961–1992," by Fleur Chevalier; "Motion Over Matter," an interview with Mitch Paone; "After Effects, or Velvet Revolution" by Lev Manovich; "Telling GIFs From Animated JPEGs," by Olia Lialina; "Lost in Translation: What’s Next for Flash?" by Christian Porri; "Typographical Diversions: From Character Proofs to Animated Specimens," by Michel Wlassikoff and Anthony Masure; "Coding as Sketching," Interview with Zach Lieberman. Designed by E+K (Élise Gay & Kévin Donnot) Published by Éditions B42 and Fork Éditions, 2021 Bilingual, in French and English 144 pages, color and b&w images, 7.75 × 11 inches ISBN: 978-2-49-007751-9