Deconstruction - Becca Kang

Deconstruction, a term and concept determined by Derrida, a French philosopher, has become a revelation that can be applied to a variety of fields. It essentially is the breaking down of every element that creates a certain institution. Derrida was very specific about the tie between representation and reality. Deconstructing a known institution in our society can be somewhat shocking. A reality cannot be concluded until all aspects of representation have been analyzed and – well, deconstructed. In this quest for reality, our society have come to label extremes or opposites when describing certain concepts. For example, there is the mind that struggles against the body; writing is separate from speech. However, in Derrida’s quest for reality, he questions whether these institutions must be separate at all. In fact, he claims that a concept can also be defined with its opposition; the opposition is within the inner, broken-down parts of a concept.

Deconstruction is applicable to design as well. With the emergence of post-structuralism, the way design was approached and created changed. Structure wasn’t a necessity and structure could be tweaked, poked, and prodded into something entirely different. Typography also emerged as a series of lines and strokes, made perfect through structure and grids, and more about the visual representation rather than the meaning behind words. In this case, the tie between reality and representation veered away from each other. But this conclusion was made through the process of deconstruction. I would argue however that typography now ties itself to an emotional reaction. Certain phrases displayed in certain typefaces will draw specific reactions. All deconstruction asks of its interested followers is to question, analyze, and evaluate for one self. I believe the overall definition of deconstruction is curiosity and the search for answers.

I chose this image to emphasize the "emotional reaction" typography creates between type and people. Helvetica is the perfect example because it is used almost everywhere and is easily recognizable after so many years. A documentary was even created about this type. This image is also perfect when the word "Helvetica" is broken down into three main syllables which actually have no particular meaning until put together. However, they remain just random sounds, instead of being letters that add to the meaning of a word. The composition also adheres to the attitude of post-structuralism. They are aligned in a grid structure, yet with creativity and character.