'JARGON: The Economy of Optics'

This editorial design is called ‘Jargon: The Economy of Optics’.  It is my solution to a project titled ‘Mark My Words’.  The task was to identify an example of language, be it a word, phrase or type of language and to look at where it came from and how it evolved.  For my solution I chose corporate jargon.  I was interested in the endurance of this type of language because from my own experience, it’s a way of communicating that nobody seems to like yet it never goes away.  A constant target of ridicule, this language can seem fun and meaningless but it has very practical and sometimes sinister uses.

This project identifies jargon as the language of selling and looks at its connection with the rampant consumerism of modern life.  A verbal sleight of hand used to deceive or to sell something. This conclusion is framed throughout the book using the word ‘Optics’.  A great example of a buzzword that illustrates perfectly how jargon is a deceptive use of language that has a sinister edge.  The juxtaposition of its two meanings in this case is what drew me to using it as the framework for the book.  The original meaning of ‘Optics’ is the science of light and it conveys ideas of transparency and vision.  Its contemporary jargonese meaning is about how a situation, action or event is perceived by people. How does it look, rather than, what is the truth?  It puts value on style over substance.  For this reason the ‘jargon’ in the book is framed using optic visuals in relation to its original meaning of light. For example, the sections are separated using typographic treatments that incorporate the refraction of white light through various lenses. Each chapter tells a different story about jargon’s affect on consumerism with each section starting similarly and then the theme unfolds through the use of various expressive type treatments.