Shadow dancing
The Drop Shadows / In the graphic design world, one of the most loathed elements is the drop shadow, often employed by novices enthralled with the fairly simple effect. The Drop Shadows, a collective of young, forward-thinking artists based in Honolulu, take the concept and flip it. “We make it pop,” jokes founding member Joseph Paahana, who designed the cover of this year’s Fall Arts issue on behalf of the collective.
Speaking of pop–about three years ago, Paahana, along with Maurice Radke and Eric Rulona, worked together at a graphic design firm and chose The Drop Shadows as a name for a prospective boy band they planned to form. The idea was to sing about graphic design. But after deciding to leave the firm in pursuit of projects that spoke more to the interests and aspirations of the young designers, The Drop Shadows name stuck.
Pushing the envelope in design for album covers, streetwear and skatewear, the collective has since welcomed the membership of Aaron Yoshino and Landon Iwamura, strengthening the group’s design capabilities with specialties in photography and other niches. Yoshino describes the collective as one that “designs patterns and textures that translate into street.”
The collective isn’t an exclusive club and The Drop Shadows are seeking a couple of artists to join them. When they meet, sometimes it’s not about a project, but just to discuss color trending, emerging design themes and other relevant issues in their world. Paahana shares that The Drop Shadows strives to “compete on an international level while staying true to the look and feel of Hawaii as a place.” Looking at local tattoo design, Paahana said he thinks a transpacific theme has achieved a true Hawaii aesthetic and looks forward to something similar emerging in Hawaii design soon. He cites the example of Hawaii designers “mimicking textures of a metropolis that don’t really exist here…but finding design elements true to Hawaii is a learning process. You mimick what you aspire to be.”
Having put together projection sequences, fliers and other visual work for clubs and budding clothing lines, Paahana says he would like to see the collective take on more full-spectrum marketing campaigns and original product design. The Maui-born, self-taught graphic designer shares that some of the collective’s more challenging projects are ones that have urgency, but must work within the constraints of a low budget. Still, it’s the kind of challenge the collective is always up for.
“Sometimes, implementing low-cost, creative ways in making something memorable can be the most fun,” Paahana says.
Doing more projects where all five members are involved, as opposed to one or just a couple, is another goal for The Drop Shadows. And they promise, you’ll never see a dark shape hugging the edge of the letters or objects in their design.
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