Tomi Vollauschek (FL@33 / Stereohype) Workshop
ECV Bordeaux – Year 2 / BA 2 (Design)

WORKSHOP
Title: Personal Projects and the Power of Three
26 rue Raze in Bordeaux
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22–25 February 2025
Tuesday–Friday, 9:00–12:00 / 13:00–16:00
I would be happy to stay over the lunch break and again until 17:00 or longer on Tuesday, to make sure as many students as possible get to talk to me about their portfolio and get encouraging and personal pointers and workshop suggestions from me.

Feel free to browse the online archive to get an idea what other students have created in this workshop. flat33.com/edu

WORKSHOP EXHIBITION
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25 February 2025
Friday: Workshop Exhibition and Presentations

All projects will be showcased in a workshop exhibition, followed by presentations. The presentations will begin at approximately 10:00am for the morning group and 14:00 for the afternoon group. Each student will have a 3–4 minute presentation to share their project.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE — ON DEMAND ONLY:
PORTFOLIO SESSIONS / Q&A
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23 February 2025
Wednesday, 16:00–17:30

If you are interested, please inform Tomi by the day before, prior to 16:00. This will provide an opportunity to discuss your work and/or our studio work, as well as application advice and life after college. I have suggested offering you the chance to explore these topics. If you are interested, kindly organise as a group and prepare your questions and presentations accordingly.

WORKSHOP TITLE
Personal Projects and the Power of Three

AIM
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This evolving FL@33 workshop was developed to encourage experimentation, appreciation of process, but also to help students to embrace failure and provoke ’happy accidents’. The workshop aims to help students find a voice and add more personality and emotion to their work as graphic designers and visual communicators.
___ This 4-day experience encourages students to develop a sense of authorship and create – and most importantly continue to create – their own self-initiated projects, even after their graduation and into their professional lives.
___ The students can choose to take the opportunity to continue to develop ideas, work on footage and collections that they already started, or they can instead develop new starting points and ideas that are close to their heart. This can – in other words – be a big social issue that you are very passionate about (climate emergency, equal rights, AI, etc) or indeed a very personal observation or obsession that you would like to explore further this week and turn into the star of your project. Students will get help individually to get started and throughout the process. I will explain everything at the beginning. 

HEAD / HEART / HAND – WHAT IS THE ‘POWER OF THREE’?
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I studied at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. During my studies, I first heard my personal tutor Jon Wozencroft mention the Power of Three guideline in a private conversation before one of his Sound Seminars we used to have there every week. This Power of Three was to become – not a rule or a philosophy – but a guideline for how my design studio FL@33 has been trying since to operate and produce projects. The idea behind the Power of Three is that head, heart and hand – intellect, emotion and skills – are present in equal measures.
___ It was only years later that I learned that the original quote was by Professor Richard Guyatt (1914–2007) who was a British designer, academic and rector at the RCA between 1978 and 1981. Guyatt's timeless vision was that every graphic designer should have a balance of head, heart and hand in his/her work as thematic starting points.
___ If there is only one thing you take with you from this workshop, please let it be this guideline – it is amazing!

WORKSHOP BRIEFING (((BORDEAUX 2025 VERSION TO BE ADDED / EDITED SOON)))

BRIEF (Selected Medium and Documentation)
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Please create a combination of two components: a final piece and a “making-of” project documentation. The documentation should showcase your process, highlighting the journey that led to the final piece. Choose an appropriate medium for your final piece; it must be both intriguing and well-crafted. The final piece will be presented on the last day, Friday.
___ Master’s students usually have complete freedom of choice, but since you are at the Bachelor level, I am providing you with specific options. For the brave adventurers and explorers among you, I am also offering an optional free choice of medium. You will need to make your decision on Day 1 after my presentation.

— Postcard Set: A set of 8 (or more) postcards in DIN A6 format.

— DIN A5 Zine: Create a zine in DIN A5 size.

— Rotoscopic Animation: This option is also suitable for beginners. I can provide explanations and assistance. This kind of stop animation requires hard work but is always super fun and very satisfying!

 For the Daring and Brave:
— Medium of Your Choice: You can choose any medium you prefer.

The medium and technique for your final piece can include illustration, photography, typography, video, animation, interaction, 3D installation, sound, printing, mark-making, collage, data visualisation, and/or any combination of these.
___ The required “making-of” documentation must be presented in the form of a brochure/poster combination, which is always popular with students. I will also demonstrate how to cut and fold the poster to transform it into a brochure.
___ For your portfolio, please ensure that the printed documentation includes at least one photo or visualisation of the FINAL PIECE. This is particularly important if your final piece is a video or installation, as these are not inherently 2D formats.

Please come prepared.

Please thoroughly read the entire brief and reflect on it before the workshop. Prepare a concise portfolio presentation to share on the first day. Additionally, review the links provided at the end of this brief and explore the recommended books if possible.

Please prepare a 5-minute presentation about your life and/or work for the first day of the workshop. Keep in mind that there are many students, and time is limited. I want to speak with each of you on Day 1 to help you get started.
 
— What do you enjoy doing? 

— What challenge would you like to take on this week? 

— Who are you?

— What is your passion?

— Do you have any important unique experiences or personal key moments that would be great to explore for this workshop?

— Is there a big social issue that you are particularly passionate about, or will you more likely explore a big (or small) personal obsession or fascination instead?


DAY 1 ASSIGNMENT—Tomi Vollauschek WORKSHOP
THE POWER OF THREE: HEAD
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Concept generation using the Power of Three. Seek discomfort and document your process. Ask to be photographed while working.

THREE POSSIBLE STARTING POINTS
Select:

1 | A personal everyday observation

2 | A personal everyday object

3 | Something you collect or are passionate about (can but does not have to be a big social issue).

After your 5-minute portfolio presentation, we’ll develop your ideas and discuss appropriate mediums and documentation formats. I’ll bring paper folding examples for reference.
___ Consider combining these starting points creatively. Use wit, humour, and aesthetics. Challenge yourself, experiment, and let your personality shine through.


PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
— Avoid being boring or ‘playing it safe’

— Print or find an appropriate presentation method

— Only use screens if it’s the most suitable medium for your idea

— Be prepared to justify your choices

Refer to recommended movie clips, links, and books for inspiration.


DAY 2 ASSIGNMENT—Tomi Vollauschek WORKSHOP
THE POWER OF THREE: HEART
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Today’s focus is on infusing your project with emotion and personality.

Here are the key points to consider:
1. Embrace failure: Don’t be afraid to take risks and experiment with your ideas.

2. Add heart: Incorporate personal experiences and feelings into your work. This can make your art more relatable and powerful. 

3. Document your process: Continue recording your creative journey, including sketches, notes, and progress photos.

Embedding Emotion and Personality
— Draw inspiration from your own experiences and feelings related to your chosen subject.

— Consider using colour, line, and form to express emotions in your work.

— Experiment with different techniques to convey mood and atmosphere.

Moving to Production
Only begin the actual production phase when you feel confident in your concept and level of authorship. Before moving forward:

— Review your initial ideas and sketches.

— Ensure your concept aligns with your personal artistic vision.

— Consider how your chosen medium can best express your emotional intent.

Remember, the goal is to create a piece that resonates with both you and your audience on an emotional level. Don’t hesitate to revisit and refine your ideas as you progress.


DAY 3 ASSIGNMENT—Tomi Vollauschek WORKSHOP
THE POWER OF THREE: HAND
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Make, Create, and Experiment
— Begin experimenting and fine-tuning your vision while developing your piece

— Embrace failure and continue experimenting

— Document your process and progress thoroughly

— Remember that there’s still time for changes and adjustments


THE POWER OF THREE
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Finalising Your Project
— Focus on making your project a success for tomorrow’s exhibition

— Decide on the importance of your making-of documentation in the final presentation

— Ensure a balance between intellect, emotion, and skills (Power of Three)

— Adjust and modify as needed to achieve this balance

Prepare Your Presentation
Develop a 3-4 minute verbal presentation that covers:

— Your starting point

— Your process and how you challenged yourself

— Most frustrating and most satisfying aspects of your project

— Any ‘happy accidents’ that occurred

— Comments on the achieved balance of the Power of Three

Remember to document your entire process, as sometimes making-ofs become core elements of projects. Use this opportunity to showcase your workshop experience effectively through your final piece and presentation.


TOMBOLA / RAFFLE
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As always in Tomi’s workshops, a little prize draw. A tombola / raffle for a chance to win some of Tomi’s FL@33 books and publications and a few Stereohype button badges.


DAY 4 ASSIGNMENT—Tomi Vollauschek WORKSHOP
EXHIBITION AND FINAL CRITS
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We will try for all students to present for approx. 3–4 minutes – a chance for everybody else to see what the others came up with. Use walls and tables etc. for the exhibition.

I can’t wait...
Good luck and thank you!

Enjoy! 8)


PLEASE WATCH
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Learn From Failure by Tim Brown (CEO, IDEO), 1:39
(French auto-subtitles available)
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On the Fear of Failure by Milton Glaser, 7:26
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Seek Discomfort by Stefan Sagmeister, 1:03
exhibit from Sagmeister’s The Happy Show exhibition.
The exhibition forms part of the research for The Happy Film by Stefan Sagmeister (2016).
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How To Make Mistakes On Purpose by Laurie Rosenwald, 15:05
TEDxGöteborg
(French auto-subtitles available)

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS (I will bring my English and French reference copies)
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Parfaites imperfections (Failed It!) by Erik Kessels
(French translation edition available)
I will bring my English and French copies of the book with me.
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Amazon France
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Failed It! by Erik Kessels
(Original English version)
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Feck Perfuction by James Victore
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How To Make Mistakes On Purpose by Laurie Rosenwald
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Postcard / Cartes Postales by Tomi Vollauschek / FL@33


LINKS
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FL@33
https://flat33.com
A few of the many varyingly complex FL@33 examples of mundane observations and objects that turned into the stars of a project:
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Trans-form (many different observations of tower cranes)
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8min 20sec (observation), technique, set of rules that can be applied to different footage).
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Bzzzpeek.com The Flash-based website is now dead but a Vimeo screen recording is available) ((or use Firefox desktop browser with add-on Ruffle flash emulator plugin))
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Singing Pasta
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Stereohype Squirrel Sculpture
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Fedrigoni 365 2019
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Picture hook faces (more)
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Shadows
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Autobahn custom typeface
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Chinface animation
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RCA Secret 2018 / Tomi’s #loadingmuseum
...

Daniel Eatock
http://eatock.com
Examples (but please do check out his portfolio in more detail)
lens-touch
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camera-straps
no-photo
vandalized-trees-reoriented
closed-loops
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some of Daniel Eatock’s postcard-related projects:
postcard-back-formations
postcard-back-compositions
postcards
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Insightful manifesto:
manifesto
...

Russell Weekes
A similar way of thinking.
www.eek.es
Examples (but please do check out his portfolio in more detail)
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somesecondthoughts
naturespotting
protest
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...