Design That Makes a Difference : Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

Sheila is an American graphic designer, artist and educator. Her work incorporates and reflects her views of feminist principles, and she values communal art and user participation in graphic design. Sheila started the first communication design program at the Otis College of Art and Design, and was the first woman to receive tenure at the Yale University School of Art.  I really enjoyed hearing Sheila speak about her history with art and feminism, and the various projects she has worked on in her life.

Here is a necklace that she designed of an eyebolt on a chain, meant to represent “strength without a fist.” It has been noted as being “a symbol for the work already done but also as an encouragement for the work that is not yet completed” by the feminist art group Sisters of Jam.

A really profound phrase that she printed on a design handbook reflects her desire for communal art and design that makes a difference: 

"If the designer is to make a deliberate contribution to society, he must be able to integrate all he can learn about behavior and resources, ecology and human needs;

taste and style just aren’t enough."

What particularly stood out to me was when an audience member asked Sheila this: “How do you know when your piece of art is complete or finished? When to put down the tools, the paintbrush, to completely  let the piece go?” to which she gave an interesting answer. Sheila detailed how in college, she would be frustrated with her typography assignments and would sometimes not finish the assignments in an attempt to do well on certain parts of it. 

Her frustration and the procedure with which she designs reflects the answer to this question. Sheila expanded on this and stated that during the design process, in all truth, one usually ends up feeling hate toward their art piece for a long time, at which point they feel the need to constantly change it and edit it more. This inner hate is more of a reflection of our lack of self-satisfaction with our work and how it meets our high standards in aesthetic pleasure. She continued, stating that you never really know when a piece of art is done, but then again, can art ever be done? 

That rather the finite nature of art is measured in the eye of the creator, and this may differ greatly from the eye of the viewer, that at some point, you as a creator will just innately feel that your work resounds completion, and that at that point you can stop changing it. In summary, she claims that you never really know when your piece is done, but as long as it is situated in a context and that you understand the design process will not be without hateful or disappointed inner emotions toward your own work, it shouldn’t be impossible to make great work.