Migration Brief Initial Ideas & Research

Migration
Brief
You are asked to design a typographic work celebrating the theme of ‘migration’. We expect you to investigate the widest interpretation of the theme from, natural, historical, cultural and global perspectives. We envisage lots of opportunities to draw upon references to different interpretations, eras, societies, social groups, generations, statistics etc. You may wish to create a broad spectrum compendium that tells multiple stories about migration,
or you may wish to focus on one group or even and individual person’s story. It might be the case that you, or your family, have personal experience of migration to relate.It might equally be the case that you have a different interpretation or migration story to tell altogether. If so convince us through your research and narrative development.

Human migration - Arabs in Britain, Syrian Refugees

Focusing on the idea of "celebrating migration" would create something reflecting the positive and powerful influences Arabs have had in Britain - social culture, food, shop, arts, politics, music.

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/why-arabs-love-london-1.451629

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03068376508731902?journalCode=raaf19

Natural migration - Golden Jellyfish, Arctic Terns, Fruit Bats, Red-sided garter snakes

Looking at really interesting and somewhat strange migrations that animals do as a way of exploring how migration in the natural world can seem intrusive (especially the Fruit Bats and garter snakes) but is necessary - reflective of real world issues.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/natural-worlds-great-migrations

Migrant Journal

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/migrant-journal-publication-graphic-design-100619
"In recent times, the word “migration” itself has become increasingly ubiquitous and, at the same time, increasingly polarising. Today our understanding of it is inextricably linked to the mass movement of human beings, particularly since 2015 and the aftermath of the refugee crisis. And yet, it’s something that has always defined humanity and our uniqueness as a species. We could not and would not exist without migration.
Migrant Journal is a six-issue publication that aims to reveal this truth by challenging more mainstream narratives. Its pages explore the circulation of goods, information, flora and fauna, and, of course, people around the world. As a collection, Migrant Journal attempts to truly understand migration in all its forms and provide an antidote to the polemic discourse it is unfortunately associated with in contemporary culture."

Relates directly to the brief as it challenges the negative views on migration by conveying facts, statistics and the importance of migration - celebrating it.

Design publication Journal Safar tackles the lack of documentation of creativity in the Middle East

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/journal-safar-publication-020819

“There is a significant lack of documentation on graphic design in this region and, more widely, a lack of documentation on creativity in general in the Middle East,” co-founder Maya Moumne tells It’s Nice That. “This is because of a history of denying the region agency, and creativity is one of the most basic forms of agency. So Journal Safar exists to assert the relevance and strength of this
creativity."

St8 of Agency - Rosie Lee Wilson
A book about families - includes references to moving, migrating. Like the idea of using print, collages, personal stories to make it more engaging.

Idea
Publication focusing on the strong and positive history of EU trade with Syria to deflect from the negative views surrounding Syrian refugees and migrants.

https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/7/55df0e556/unhcr-viewpoint-refugee-migrant-right.html

• "Before the war, the EU was Syria's largest trading partner with €3.6 billion worth of EU goods exports to Syria and €3.5 billion of Syrian exports to the EU. Total trade was worth €7.18 billion in 2010 and the EU is Syria's largest trading partner with 22.5% of its trade (Syria is the EU's 50th)." https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/syria/
• These were majorly crude oil, petroleum products, dual-use goods, key equipment and technology for the oil and gas industry, as well as certain telecom equipment and luxury goods (gold, silver, jewels etc.)
• The top exports of Syria are Spice Seeds ($92.2M), Pure Olive Oil ($56.6M), Apples and Pears ($44.2M), Other Nuts ($39M) and Non-Retail Pure Cotton Yarn ($25.8M), using the 1992 revision of the HS (Harmonized System) classification. Its top imports are Raw Sugar ($172M), Seed Oils ($120M), Cars ($97.4M), Rolled Tobacco ($89.6M) and Wheat Flours ($80.4M). https://oec.world/en/profile/country/syr/

 EU still gains from Syria

Trade relationships between EU and Syria go back to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled a majority of Syria, including the capital. 

The empire played a significant role in the history of Europe: it ruled large parts of eastern and southern Europe; it was an important antagonist or ally of all the European powers; and it was a major trading partner for European societies. 

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/students/modules/ottoman/

2017 statistics

http://syrianrefugees.eu
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/30/we-cant-go-back-syrias-refugees-fear-for-their-future-after-war
https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/emergency-response/refugee-children-crisis/refugee-stories
https://refugeesmigrants.un.org

Or Contrasting this history of trade with the negative notions - actually including these in the publication.

Brief: " You need to define a context, identify a target audience and build a strategy that underpins the development of appropriate outcomes. "

Audience would be a younger one, students, university students etc. People who don't engage as much with the news, statistics. Targets to be misled.
Publication would be engaging to this audience by being more playful - collages, different print methods, images.

contrasting images

Collab Idea: cotton and fabric pieces included in publication from textiles students or L6 graphic design student or viscom student collabing on layout and collages.