The gift took the form of an interactive work, which included video interviews, photographic responses, text and image. This content originated from responses to a questionnaire written by the curators. Participants in the discussion included designers, cultural commentators, academics, educators and museum visitors. Topics raised include designer / audience engagement, learning methodologies in design, and future directions for the contemporary collections at the V&A.
The visual language of the piece was inspired by the diverse range of cataloguing methods employed by the museum throughout it's history. The interface references the microfiche systems still in use in the Prints & Drawings Library. A custom font designed for the project is based on a set of lettering conventions described in a collections management procedures manual used at the museum. The conventions were intended to ensure consistency and minimise the potential for confusion and illegibility when marking artefacts for cataloguing. The resulting font is also used for headlines on this website
This project was a collaboration with the designer Ben Stopher
