Joris Kritis and I did a three day workshop with 35 graphic design students at Sint Lukas, the art academy in Ghent. A hand full of students from Otis, L.A. who were visiting Belgium, joined the workshop also. We started out dividing the group into five smaller groups. Each group had the name of an, until then at least, unknown person: Andrew, Brian, John, Allison and Claire. Right after, we watched John Hughes' The Breakfast Club and asked the students to pay close attention to the character the naming of each group was based upon. After the movie, we explained the assignment and what we had planned for the next two and a half days to come. 

Here you can read about the workshop, the assignment and the book that eventually was made.

The Breakfast Club (day 1)
To quote another Eighties classic, “no one puts Baby in the corner.” For a few days now, we’d like to do just that.
When you read this, you’ve already been divided into five groups and watched John Hughes’ eighties classic The Breakfast Club. In the next two days you’ll be the writers, editors & designers of an A4 (210mm w x 297mm), b&w book inspired by the character and stereotype it represents you’ve been assigned with. By Wednesday 14:00 pm each group hands in 40 pages. Each groups’ pages will be bound together into one volume which will be the outcome of the workshop and which will be sold at the San Serriffe bookshop during Bold Italic.
Research the differences & similarities between you and your character. How do these stereotypes relate to your everyday life? What do they look like today – or do they simply not exist anymore? How do you interpret these and how can you make them your own? Allow yourself to become your assigned character. How does being this character influence your usual working process?
We’ll provide each group with a handful of assignments during the workshop. You do the rest!
The Breakfast Club (day 2)
JOHN
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write an intimidating message to a member from team Brian.
— What’s your top ten of girls.
— Design a lumberjack shirt pattern.
— Design a poster for a rock concert.
— Write a verse to the theme song of “the bridge over the river kwai”.
— Write the longest curse word you can think of.
ANDREW
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write an encouraging cheer.
— Draw someone after he/she scored a goal.
— Make a top ten of guys.
— Make a top ten of babes.
— Design a logo for your varsity sports team.
— Each person in the team depicts his or her’s childhood home,
— including parents, siblings and pets.
— Invent 6 different ways of bullying a nerd.
BRIAN
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write a review of a recently purchased or much desired gadget.
— Draw a robot.
— Give a useful tip.
— Write a 1000 word essay about the workshop.
— Make a tribute to a famous nerd.
— Write the number Pi.
— Design the logo of your future information technology company.
— Write a love letter (to a member from team Claire).
ALLISON
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Make a top ten of heroes and heroines in fiction literature/film/etc.
— Write your name (each group member) with your feet.
— Use different ways to make an entirely black page.
— One person in the team depicts his or her’s childhood home. Including him or herself, parents, siblings and pets.
— Perform a therapy session with an associative word-chain exercise and document it.
— Make a series of Rorschach-stains and test them on team Claire.
— Write a recipe for a weird sandwich or draw it.
CLAIRE
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write a love letter (to a member from team Andrew).
— Draw a poster you had as a kid.
— Make a top ten of guys.
— Choose somebody from team Allison to do a make-over on, and document it.
— Design an Oscar dress.
— Give a fashion tip.
— Make a short list of this year’s Ins and Outs.
— Write down a rumor about someone in team John.
The Breakfast Club (day 1)

To quote another Eighties classic, “no one puts Baby in the corner.” For a few days now, we’d like to do just that.
When you read this, you’ve already been divided into five groups and watched John Hughes’ eighties classic The Breakfast Club. In the next two days you’ll be the writers, editors & designers of an A4 (210mm w x 297mm), b&w book inspired by the character and stereotype it represents you’ve been assigned with. By Wednesday 14:00 pm each group hands in 40 pages. Each groups’ pages will be bound together into one volume which will be the outcome of the workshop and which will be sold at the San Serriffe bookshop during Bold Italic.
Research the differences & similarities between you and your character. How do these stereotypes relate to your everyday life? What do they look like today – or do they simply not exist anymore? How do you interpret these and how can you make them your own? Allow yourself to become your assigned character. How does being this character influence your usual working process?
We’ll provide each group with a handful of assignments during the workshop. You do the rest!







The Breakfast Club (day 2)

JOHN
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write an intimidating message to a member from team Brian.
— What’s your top ten of girls.
— Design a lumberjack shirt pattern.
— Design a poster for a rock concert.
— Write a verse to the theme song of “the bridge over the river kwai”.
— Write the longest curse word you can think of.

ANDREW
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write an encouraging cheer.
— Draw someone after he/she scored a goal.
— Make a top ten of guys.
— Make a top ten of babes.
— Design a logo for your varsity sports team.
— Each person in the team depicts his or her’s childhood home,
— including parents, siblings and pets.
— Invent 6 different ways of bullying a nerd.

BRIAN
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write a review of a recently purchased or much desired gadget.
— Draw a robot.
— Give a useful tip.
— Write a 1000 word essay about the workshop.
— Make a tribute to a famous nerd.
— Write the number Pi.
— Design the logo of your future information technology company.
— Write a love letter (to a member from team Claire).

ALLISON
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Make a top ten of heroes and heroines in fiction literature/film/etc.
— Write your name (each group member) with your feet.
— Use different ways to make an entirely black page.
— One person in the team depicts his or her’s childhood home. Including him or herself, parents, siblings and pets.
— Perform a therapy session with an associative word-chain exercise and document it.
— Make a series of Rorschach-stains and test them on team Claire.
— Write a recipe for a weird sandwich or draw it.

CLAIRE
— What’s the strangest/interesting/crazy/boring etc. thing you ever did that got you in detention? (keep it short)(each group member).
— Write a love letter (to a member from team Andrew).
— Draw a poster you had as a kid.
— Make a top ten of guys.
— Choose somebody from team Allison to do a make-over on, and document it.
— Design an Oscar dress.
— Give a fashion tip.
— Make a short list of this year’s Ins and Outs.
— Write down a rumor about someone in team John.