Play the System
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is a platform for parametric design in graphic design. It documents the work of students and teachers at the Department of Design at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), who are investigating the significance of the system as a conceptual model and design method under the title “Parametric Design in Graphic Design.”

Design is less about intuitive, even ingenious “strokes of genius” and more about a holistic and rule-based (systemic and systematic) process of gaining knowledge and shaping form. It is becoming increasingly important to be able to design dynamic systems that both guide and inspire the design process.

Parametric design refers to this design in and of systems—with rules, their modes of operation, and systematic manipulability. The research project, led by Prof. Heike Grebin, is an integral part of teaching and aims to raise awareness of design as a performative process.

Play the System brings together selected study projects in which the system plays an important role as a design method – whether analog or digital. The works are created in a fruitful symbiosis of theory, design, and technology. Socially relevant issues and positions from philosophy, art, and avant-garde design from around 1900 to the present day are repeatedly discussed.

Play the System is an invitation to become aware of the systemic competence of graphic design and to gain the maturity to use the tools of digital design critically.

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Play the System Projects /

p330 Stereo:Typo

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Typographical clichés, often unconsciously employed, can perpetuate harmful stereotypes by associating specific typefaces with certain ethnicities, thus misrepresenting entire cultures. For instance, the use of decorative or calligraphic fonts may inadvertently evoke cultural stereotypes, such as associating script fonts with Middle Eastern and Asian cultures or serif fonts with European cultures. These associations can lead to oversimplified and inaccurate portrayals, marginalizing and undermining the complexity and richness of diverse cultural identities and ultimately reinforcing stereotypes.

Hani Wibowo developed a project exploring ethnographic typography and stereotypes. This reader contains a curated selection of texts and visuals gathered from various websites and critically examines the role of typographic shortcuts in perpetuating stereotypes. Analyzing specific typefaces’ associations with ethnicities and cultures it raises awareness of biases in typographic representation. Ultimately, it prompts reflection on typography's power to shape cultural perceptions and aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cultural identities in design and daily life.