Football: designing the beautiful game

The Design Museum in London brought together sports, design, and culture in the exhibition Football: Designing the Beautiful Game. From April to August 2022, the exhibit offered visitors a fresh perspective on football, uncovering how design influences every aspect of the sport, from stadium architecture to the evolution of equipment, branding, and even social movements. Through a collection of artifacts, multimedia displays, and interactive installations, the exhibition illuminated how design shapes the world's most popular sport.

The evolution of football equipment

One of the exhibition's most intriguing sections was dedicated to the design evolution of football equipment. Footballs, for example, have transformed from the traditional stitched leather balls of the early 1900s to today’s water-resistant, ultra-light designs. Visitors could see the progression of these designs, understanding how the change in materials has made the game faster and more precise.

Football boots, too, were given their due. The exhibition explored how modern football footwear has moved beyond basic leather cleats to lightweight, high-tech models made with synthetic materials, each engineered for speed, traction, and comfort. This focus on equipment highlighted the collaborative work between designers and athletes, demonstrating how innovative materials and form contribute to performance on the pitch.

Stadiums: architectural icons and cultural landmarks

Stadiums are icons of football culture. The exhibition’s section on stadium architecture presented some of the world’s most famous structures, from the Maracanã in Brazil to London’s own Wembley. Blueprints, models, and photographs illustrated how these stadiums have evolved, integrating modern technology, environmental sustainability, and enhanced accessibility to improve both functionality and fan experience.

Key stadiums designed by notable architects, such as the Allianz Arena by Herzog & de Meuron and the Estádio Olímpico by Santiago Calatrava, were displayed as case studies. The exhibition highlighted how stadium design plays an integral role in creating the charged atmosphere that fans and players cherish.

Branding football: logos, jerseys, and visual identity

Another fascinating part of the exhibition was the exploration of how design establishes the identities of football clubs. From iconic club logos to ever-evolving jerseys, each element of visual branding is a powerful unifier for fans. Displays featured club logos from around the world, showing how visual language in football branding combines local identity with global recognition.

The commercialization of club branding was also covered. High-profile partnerships with fashion brands like PSG’s collaboration with Jordan showcased how football teams have crossed into lifestyle branding. These partnerships reflect how football clubs have transcended their traditional roles to become influential in fashion and pop culture, leveraging design to create both on-field and off-field appeal.

Social change and representation through design

Football has always served as a platform for social change, and the exhibition examined this by highlighting design’s role in promoting inclusivity, equality, and representation. On display were jerseys, banners, and advertisements created to support causes such as gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice. These artifacts underscored the power of football clubs and leagues to broadcast positive social messages and to create campaigns that resonate with millions of people worldwide.

Football as a shared cultural identity

Fan culture was another focal point of the exhibition, emphasizing how football thrives on the passion of its supporters. This section included a mix of fan-made banners, scarves, and murals that reflect grassroots creativity, from homemade paraphernalia to street art dedicated to beloved clubs and players. Through these displays, the exhibition celebrated the ways in which fans contribute to the sport’s visual language and identity.

Interactive installations allowed visitors to create their own virtual fan art or customize their own kit designs. This highlighted that fans are not passive consumers; they are active contributors to the game’s atmosphere and legacy.

Football as a designed experience

Football: Designing the Beautiful Game offered an enlightening look into how design is integral to football’s global appeal. By showcasing everything from equipment innovations and stadium designs to club branding and social change campaigns, the exhibition underscored that football is far more than a game; it’s a cultural phenomenon shaped by creative minds both on and off the pitch.

Through an exploration of football’s design journey, the exhibition illustrated how designers, architects, and fans come together to make football what it is today—a unifying language spoken in stadiums, on streets, and across screens worldwide.

The legacy of Saul Bass: pioneering typography in film title sequences

Few designers have left as lasting a legacy on the world of cinema as Saul Bass. Known for his revolutionary approach to title sequences, Bass transformed a previously overlooked part of filmmaking into an art form all its own. Through his innovative use of typography, Bass communicated the themes, tones, and moods of films long before the first scene played out. His work not only elevated title sequences to a narrative device but also set a new standard for how graphic design could function in the film industry.

A new visual language for cinema

Saul Bass began his career in advertising and graphic design before he was approached by director Otto Preminger to create the title sequence for Carmen Jones (1954). However, it was his work on Preminger’s The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) that truly marked the beginning of his influence. Instead of simply listing names, Bass used a combination of abstract imagery, stark lines, and bold typography to reflect the film's darker themes, such as addiction.

Bass’ minimalist yet powerful approach was radically different from the overly elaborate, theatrical title designs of the era. His use of typography was as much about function as it was form. In Psycho (1960), his fragmented text mirrored the film’s fractured psychological state, while in Vertigo (1958), the swirling spirals of the typography echoed the movie’s themes of obsession and confusion.

Typography as storytelling

What made Saul Bass’ work so impactful was his ability to tell a story through typography. His designs weren't just decorative; they were deeply intertwined with the films' narratives. In Vertigo, the disorienting type physically moved in spirals, visually representing the psychological unraveling of the protagonist. Similarly, in North by Northwest (1959), the clean, linear typography reflected the themes of confusion and mistaken identity central to the film's plot.

Typography, in Bass's hands, became a character of its own. His work was visually stunning, but it also served a practical purpose: setting the tone before a single line of dialogue was spoken. For Bass, every stroke of a letter and every choice of font was intentional, designed to evoke emotions and build anticipation.

A lasting influence on modern design

Saul Bass' legacy extends far beyond the films he worked on. His influence on contemporary title design is undeniable, inspiring generations of designers to follow in his footsteps. His use of bold typography, combined with abstract shapes and motion, continues to be echoed in modern title sequences.

One recent example is the work of designer Kyle Cooper, known for the titles of Se7en (1995) and American Horror Story. Cooper’s gritty, fragmented typography owes much to the groundwork laid by Bass. Similarly, minimalist type sequences in films like Drive (2011) and Moonlight (2016) show how the bold, expressive use of type has become a key tool in visual storytelling.

Saul Bass did more than just change title sequences; he forever altered the relationship between typography and cinema, ensuring that words on the screen could be just as evocative as the images that followed.

The Associative Theory - an obvious but underappreciated law

 

To better understand the Associative Theory I’ll start by creating a scenario: a kid is riding her bicycle refusing to wear a helmet. She then falls and hits her head on the grass, gets hurt, and starts crying. Naturally, her parents aid her and reinforce the importance of wearing a helmet. By associating getting hurt with not having the helmet she will then understand and form her concept of safety.

Breaking this into bite-sized information we can say Associationism connects learning to basic principles that were taught to us in our lifetime. According to the researchers of the University of Standford: “(…) associationists have sought to use the history of an organism’s experience as the main sculptor of cognitive architecture. In its most basic form, associationism has claimed that pairs of thoughts become associated based on the organism’s past experience.” This seems obvious to understand but there’s more to understanding the importance of this mechanism, this is the reason why we make associations with colours and emotions, shapes and sounds, and other different things.

This theory also allows us to form concepts, like stated before; getting hurt, being happy, crying, or being disgusted by something. As a theory of learning, associationism reflects how we form associative structures that later form our “har-wired” behaviours and reactions. As a designer, this power we have applying this theory gives us the ability to convey the different concepts formed into perceptible shapes and objects. Design drinks a lot from this way of learning, utilizes it, and passes it on to others.

All of this explains that, as humans, we have the mental capacity to associate things, and just like culture, the association is subjective. As easy as associating a car accident with death, we can associate different things; for example, I can associate the winter and the grey weather with something cosy and warm, and other people can associate it with sadness, cold, and the flu. The associative behaviours of linking the cold weather with being cosy and warm inside the bed or with being sad and sick are both legitimate and they vary because each person is different and our brains process information differently. This is also why this theory is associated with Hume’s Empiricist Theory. Citing the University Of Stanford on Associationism by Eric Mandelbaum; ”Hume’s associationism was, first and foremost, a theory connecting how perceptions (“Impressions”) determined trains of thought (successions of “Ideas”). Hume’s empiricism, as enshrined in the Copy Principle, demanded that there were no Ideas in the mind that were not first given in experience. For Hume, the principles of association constrained the functional role of Ideas once they were copied from Impressions: if Impressions IM1 and IM2 were associated in perception, then their corresponding Ideas, ID1 and ID2 would also become associated. In other words, the ordering of Ideas was determined by the ordering of the Impressions that caused the Ideas to arise.”

With this in mind, we can affirm that Associationism can be recognized as a theory of learning. Locke for example formulated the Idea that the mind is a blank page being filled with notes through time. David Hartley and James Mill also contributed significantly to this framework by linking associationism to psychological processes like emotions and behaviour. While classical associationism has evolved, its core ideas influenced early psychology, especially in areas like behaviourism and learning theories. Modern cognitive science still examines associative mechanisms in understanding memory, learning, and perception. Over time, critics argued that associationism is too simplistic to explain all mental phenomena. For example, complex mental functions like creativity and problem-solving seem to require more than just associations between ideas. All of these philosophers added crucial conclusions to this theory and in consequence, Associationism has played a foundational role in the development of psychology and continues to influence contemporary theories of learning and memory.

What does it mean to be a Bio Artist?

 

Dasha Plesen aka Daria Fedorova a “multidisciplinary artist, developing a unique methodology of artistic cultivation of microorganisms.Using different supplements she combines microbiological practice with art phenomena. Grotesque, bizarre, romantic, ironic, hyperbolic, extraordinaire - just a few to describe what her works are.”

Abstract art comes in many shapes, colors, patterns, and sizes but it is not so ordinary to create art in a petri dish. Daria Fedorova is an example of what we now call a bio artist. She’s a Moscow-based multidisciplinary artist who creates macro photography, prints, and even logos exploring microbiology for the sake of art. Dasha Plesen (her artistic name) combines a series of different microorganisms with which we come in contact daily cultivating and incubating them thus bringing to the visible human eye what usually seems invisible. Dasha’s process works with “seeding” as her creations involve the performance of her collecting microorganisms present in the air, in everyday objects, and in her own body. These organisms are then put in an environment with a nutrient canvas base and as they grow in their period of incubation they begin to form different colors, textures, interesting patterns, and overlayers that give this type of art personality and uniqueness. We could say the artist is the mediator between the arts’ visibility and existence. She feeds her art as the microbiome also needs nutrients to grow. In this way, Dasha fills the bottom of a petri dish with a nutrient-filled solution made in her kitchen that can also be shaped by a mould if she wants to. To enhance the visual outcome and feed the microbiome she then adds more “ingredients” ranging from actual food to introducing yeasts, spices, or biofilms also adding occasionally some ink or paint to make colors more vibrant and contrasting. Then, samples are collected from her assortment of organisms or taken directly from the skin using swabs. These swabs are then applied to a growth medium, where they are left to develop for a period ranging from two to six weeks. Maintaining a controlled environment is crucial for promoting ideal growth. It’s essential to replicate the same temperature conditions that the organisms would experience in their natural habitat. For instance, if the swabs are from the skin, the temperature must match that of the human body. Since the organisms are given minimal interference during their growth, the outcomes can differ depending on their interactions with each other, their responses to the environment, and the presence of any contamination.

Using living microscopical organisms to create art allows the spectator to think of the art we produce as a part of ourselves. We could say Dasha’s artworks are part of herself helplessly. This complexity between the microbiome and human symbiosis highlights the importance of protecting ourselves and the planet from dysbiosis (imbalance). We are biosystems and so is her art, it is even possible to say that Dasha Plesen works by showing us the art of being alive.

The History of Human Emotions - a TED Talk by the historian Tiffany Smith

Tiffany Smith - Ted Talk - The history of human emotions 

As human beings, we have the power to communicate using words that make up languages created by us to describe countless things, including emotions. Our history and the history of linguistics are deeply intertwined and influenced by our emotions, even though many of us can't precisely describe what an emotion is. Tiffany Smith, a cultural historian and writer of The Book of Human Emotions, brings up in her TED Talk several aspects of our emotional history and background that are essential to understanding the development of linguistics and, in parallel, our cultural growth and identity.

First and foremost, emotions weren't even a concept before around 1830. This consciousness of the word "emotion," as the author describes in her book, turns out to be fairly recent. In her TED Talk, Tiffany starts by pinpointing that emotions, as much as they seem vague or volatile, are hard to describe and understand, enhancing the difficulty of developing emotional intelligence.

As the human race evolved, we stretched our languages to create new words describing specific feelings often related to cultural experiences or specific events. For example, the Papua New Guinean word Awumbuk describes the feeling of relief after a house guest leaves. These concepts, created around very specific emotions, had power in cultural practices. Following the example given earlier, the New Guineans would fill a bowl with water after guests left and perform a ritual the next morning, throwing the water out to dispose of the emotional residue caused by that person.

In a way, we can admit that culturally, we have the power to name and categorize emotions and ritually end them. This suggests that our range of emotions is very wide and complex. However, some scientists simplify our emotional existence by following the 2000-year-old idea that there is a handful of basic human emotions (measured by comparing reactions to some emotions and taking them as universal) like happiness, sadness, fear, excitement, disgust, and anger, which form our emotional persona's building blocks. This concept was demystified by the neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, who states in her book How Emotions are Made, in the section "The Search for Emotion's Fingerprints," that "variation is the norm" and "emotion fingerprints are a myth".

Specific words embody sensations like Amae - a Japanese word to describe the relief of passing your life's responsibilities to someone else. Tiffany clarifies that emotions are a cognitive phenomenon rather than reflexes coming from our experience; emotions, therefore, are as cultural as the words invented to describe them. As Tiffany said, "there's a historicity in emotions," and to understand them, we should move forward into unveiling how these words came about and why they were created.

Retelling the story this author told the audience, the word Nostalgia (nostos - home and Algia - longing/pain) now describes a feeling of missing a time rather than a place. However, it was originally defined in 1688 as the name of a disease describing a severe pathological case of homesickness, in this case, considered lethal. Of course, nowadays, no one considers this a serious issue. The historian's explanation makes sense: as time changes, our mentality evolves, as well as technology, medicine, art, and culture, frequently upgrading or downgrading several emotions as they no longer affect us as they did in the past. Today we celebrate happiness, but in the 16th century, sadness was cultivated as a skill to make people more resilient. In modern times, we have all sorts of motivational support and a whole system designed to help us reach our goals.

With this information in mind, we can conclude that emotion is becoming even more complex, and simple words like "anger" no longer describe all sorts of emotions. As Barrett states in the same book mentioned before - "If we want to truly understand emotions, we must start taking that variation seriously. We must consider that an emotion word, like 'anger,' does not refer to a specific response with a unique physical fingerprint but to a group of highly variable instances that are tied to specific situations." This opens new doors to more cultural emotion-related word variations. Just as the technological revolution possibly reduced our suffering from nostalgia, it will also allow us to feel different things and name them according to the predicament at the time.

An example of this is the word "Boredom," first created by the Victorians in response to a feeling of weariness and disgust. Citing Tiffany in her book: "When the new emotional category of 'boredom' – from the French bourrer (to stuff or satiate; literally, to be fed up) – first appeared in the English language in 1853, it was a consequence of a rapidly changing relationship to time. Pre-industrial societies had not distinguished between work and domestic drudgery, but the rapid expansion of factories and offices in cities from the late eighteenth century produced a new way of dividing up the day, inaugurating the concept of 'leisure time'." "In this context, finding oneself at a loose end or trapped in dreary company, or feeling unable to be interested, attentive or useful, was a mark of inadequacy. Doctors debated boredom's unsavoury health implications (alcoholism, onanism, excessive sleeping). Politicians vilified it as a social ill and blamed the poor and unemployed for allowing it to fester. Feminist campaigners and novelists pointed out the emotion's corrosive effects on middle- and upper-class women."

In conclusion, knowledge of emotions and their intriguing, exotic words is a valuable commodity to understand generations, centuries, and even grasp history throughout time. Emotions tell us about the world around us, contribute to bringing significance into real-life predicaments, present themselves as important clues for everything happening in our time, and, last but not least, allow language to evolve, enriching cultural significances. Tiffany Smith's TED talk highlights the importance of this emotional literacy, reminding us that our understanding of emotions is not static but continually evolving with our culture and language.