VOCAB
Trends - a general direction which something is developing or changing.
Trend Forecaster - concept of collecting information and attempting to spot a pattern, or trend, in the information. eg Li Edelkoort
Sustainability - is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.
Propaganda - Information, esp. of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view
Rhetorical - The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, esp. the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques
Dissonance - A tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements
Critique - Evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way
Mainstream - The ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional; the dominant trend in opinion, fashion, or the arts
Minimalism - A trend in sculpture and painting that arose in the 1950s and used simple, typically massive, forms
Ephemeral - Lasting for a very short time
Disarray - Throw (someone or something) into a state of disorganization or untidiness
Poignant - Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
Nostalgia - A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations
Idealism - The practice of forming or pursuing ideals, esp. unrealistically
Theorists - A person concerned with the theoretical aspects of a subject; a theoretician
Contradicts - Deny the truth of (a statement), esp. by asserting the opposite
Cognitive Dissonance - We don't willingly 'read' a message that contradicts our strongly held beliefs.
Attribution theory - do we attribute the cause of certain events to internal or external influences.
Rhetoric theory - a theory that supports the idea that we construct our reality with communication 'this is how it us'.
Social cognitive theory - social learning, narrative intended to teach. For example, discouraging teen smoking.
Substructure - includes non-economic factors such as religion, politics, art and literature.
Dehumanisation - Deprive of positive human qualities
Meta theory - the underlying beliefs about reality, knowledge and values that structure and guide scholarship.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Week 1
"Writing about design is understanding design"
_____ Kenya Hara
(born 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer and curator. Hara is art director of Muji since 2001 and desgined the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Hara
Form and Meaning
-------------------------------------- Semiotics
is the study of cultural sign processes (semiosis), analogy, metaphor, signification and communication, signs and symbols. Closely related to the study of the structure and meaning of language.
-------------------------------------- Connotation and Denotation
are often described in terms of levels of representation or levels of meaning. Denotation refers to what is literal, while connotation refers to the meaning behind what id described in denotation. Normative is how we describe what is "normal" for our culture.
Li announces the concepts, colours and materials which will be in fashion two or more years in advance because,
Travelling, shopping and searching the world over, Li Edelkoort is constantly gathering information and emotions, studying the fabric of society, picking up materials, words, figures and flowers like a global beachcomber.
Li's work has evolved into the realms of education at the Design Academy Eindhoven, humanitarianism within the Heartwear foundation and ATA Europe, and curatorship as she delves into the art and design domain illuminating museums around the world, such as ARMOUR in the Netherlands (2003), Skin Tight: the sensibility of flesh at Chicago's MCA (2004),North meets South at Centre Culturel Suédois, Paris (2005) and Stockholm's Nordiska Museet (2006)." –– http://www.edelkoort.com/lidewij_edelkoort
Li studied fashion and design, she first realised her talent in forecasting when she started at a leading Dutch department store, De Bijenkorf after graduation from theSchool of Fine Arts Arnhem
_____ Kenya Hara
(born 1958) is a Japanese graphic designer and curator. Hara is art director of Muji since 2001 and desgined the opening and closing ceremony programs of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Hara
Form and Meaning
-------------------------------------- Semiotics
is the study of cultural sign processes (semiosis), analogy, metaphor, signification and communication, signs and symbols. Closely related to the study of the structure and meaning of language.
-------------------------------------- Connotation and Denotation
are often described in terms of levels of representation or levels of meaning. Denotation refers to what is literal, while connotation refers to the meaning behind what id described in denotation. Normative is how we describe what is "normal" for our culture.
DENOTATION- NORMATIVE-CONNOTATION
__________________________________________________________________
Lidewij Edelkoort
is a Dutch trend forecaster, recognised as one of the worlds best.
"Her work has pioneered trend forecasting as a profession; from the creation of innovative trend books and audiovisuals since the 1980s to long-ranging lifestyle analysis and research for the world's leading brands today.Li announces the concepts, colours and materials which will be in fashion two or more years in advance because,
"there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design, a product cannot exist."
In this way, she and her closely-knit teams orientate professionals in interpreting the evolution of society and the foreshadowing signals of consumer tastes to come, without forgetting economic reality.Travelling, shopping and searching the world over, Li Edelkoort is constantly gathering information and emotions, studying the fabric of society, picking up materials, words, figures and flowers like a global beachcomber.
Li's work has evolved into the realms of education at the Design Academy Eindhoven, humanitarianism within the Heartwear foundation and ATA Europe, and curatorship as she delves into the art and design domain illuminating museums around the world, such as ARMOUR in the Netherlands (2003), Skin Tight: the sensibility of flesh at Chicago's MCA (2004),North meets South at Centre Culturel Suédois, Paris (2005) and Stockholm's Nordiska Museet (2006)." –– http://www.edelkoort.com/lidewij_edelkoort
Li studied fashion and design, she first realised her talent in forecasting when she started at a leading Dutch department store, De Bijenkorf after graduation from the
Week 2
POWERHOUSE MUSEUM EXCURSION – LOVE LACE EXHIBITION
Basically this exhibition showcased many artists works incorporating their love for lace. The traditional concept of lace is challenged in many of the works, all done in a lively and creative way. The exhibition had an inventive edge, lace was seen in almost any avenue you could thing of. Fashion, sculpture, video, jewellery, lightning, vehicles. The precise detail to the knitted works of tea sets, threaded faces and large scale installations of metal fences, are possibly the most intriguing and intricate works I have seen.
Marraine’s Memories
Jane Theau
Definitely my favourite of the exhibition, focused on the brain and how memories change overtime. Memory fades as we age, the threads and the shadows depict the lifelong weaving of memories and the consequential unravelling in old age, and memory loss.
Steeped in Memory
Linda Galbraith
This magnificent piece was made to encourage the onlooker to be captured by memories they have that involve a cup of tea. Linda aimed to create a nostalgic vision of an afternoon tea filled with reminiscences. Almost like the tea set is drenched in memories as the tea stains on the cloth represent the discussion, laughter and secrets shared over a cup of tea. The simplisity of the set together with the intricate nature of the lace allow for the reminiscent feel to radiate. I loved all the intricate pieces on exhibit, but this one reminded me of my grandma and that is what i believe it was meant to convey.Lace offers the mystery of concealment and the subtle interplay of space, light and shadows. Its layering can enhance the human body and create alluring effects in interior design and architecture. Though lace is usually associated with textiles, curator Lindie Ward broadened the definition of lace to include any ‘openwork structure whose pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas’.
_____________________http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/lovelace/index.php/exhibition-overview
Couldn't say it any better, really.
Week 4
Design Writing
_______ Misfit by Hella Jongerius
Jongerius revives the idealism of the Arts and Crafts movement which followed the industrial revolutiom. She believes in the dignity of the crafts person and tries to introduce a personal element to the industrially manufactured object. Her strong opinions (like Li Edelkoort) influence designers today. She likes to work with firms who have a handcrafted elements to their production process. This is her reaction to the current perception of "commodity fetishism". The value of handicrafts lies primarily in the impossibility of producing perfect products. The function of design, for Jongerius is not just about use. The function of design lies mainly in it's communicative strength, in the story that goes beyond basic functionality and is at times at odds with it.
An example is the "Soft Urn" by Jongerius. Alot of her work juxtaposes the old and new, craft and industry, high tech and low tech. The "Soft Urn" has a function of being an urn but the typical perception of an urn is challenged when people touch this item, the urn is made of a soft rubber and is smooth and soft to the touch, not the traditional hard and rough surface we associate with them. The communicative strength goes beyond the functionality of the item, almost at odds with it.
________________________________________________________________
Jenny Holzer
an american conceptual artist, known for her large scale public displays, that is her billboards, projections on buildings as well as illuminated electronic displays at exhibitions. Her works often speak of issues in society that are not spoke of as much as they should because of the weight of the subject. Things such as violence, oppression, sexuality, feminism, power, war and death. "Holzer's strives to enlighten the public, bringing forth a thought in silence that was meant to remain hidden". - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Holzer
________________________________________
Adbusters
http://www.adbusters.org/
Is a not-for-profit, anti-consumerist organisation founded in 1989 in Canada. The Foundation describes itself as, "a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age." The magazine is seen all over the world, challenging consumerism with striking and shocking covers and material. It is one of the best known activist magazine and the foundry have launched many campaigns. Including 'Buy Nothing Day' and 'TV Turnoff Week', they are also well-known for their "subvertisements" that are scattered through advertisements.
The magazine brings into light issues that almost always concerns everyone in society, they confront the reader with hard honest truths and challenge the readers outlook on the issues.
http://www.adbusters.org/
http://www.realfuture.org/wordpress/?p=372
http://kc-hardingham1013-cts.blogspot.com/
Is a not-for-profit, anti-consumerist organisation founded in 1989 in Canada. The Foundation describes itself as, "a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age." The magazine is seen all over the world, challenging consumerism with striking and shocking covers and material. It is one of the best known activist magazine and the foundry have launched many campaigns. Including 'Buy Nothing Day' and 'TV Turnoff Week', they are also well-known for their "subvertisements" that are scattered through advertisements.
The magazine brings into light issues that almost always concerns everyone in society, they confront the reader with hard honest truths and challenge the readers outlook on the issues.
Week 5
Communication Theories and Social Theories
Proposition: We construct our reality in our communicating.
The simplest communication model is the "Transmission Model" based on early telegraph technology. I.e. The sending and receiving messages or transferring information from one mind to another.
NARRATIVE THEORY
Humans are storytelling people. Storytelling is the most basic of human activities. The narrative is a paradigm for human communication. It is an organising framework for communication and analysis. It works as a way of explaining how people symbolically transact who they are. Stories insulate our lives as we grow up, as a child we are told 'fairytales' that contain morals and lessons about the dominant paradigm. As children are very influential the tales that they are told shape their reality. Good VS Evil, almost everyone expects good to rival over evil but further tales in history bring us to the reality, that it's not like the 'fairytales' we know so well or we live naively.
CASE STUDY
"A Century in Pictures". Subtitles 100years of people and events who shaped Australia.
Photography i a huge part of history, a huge part in telling the details of the stories, capturing it in a still image.
Proposition: We construct our reality in our communicating.
The simplest communication model is the "Transmission Model" based on early telegraph technology. I.e. The sending and receiving messages or transferring information from one mind to another.
NARRATIVE THEORY
http://n21nunez.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/do-fairy-tales-come-true/
Humans are storytelling people. Storytelling is the most basic of human activities. The narrative is a paradigm for human communication. It is an organising framework for communication and analysis. It works as a way of explaining how people symbolically transact who they are. Stories insulate our lives as we grow up, as a child we are told 'fairytales' that contain morals and lessons about the dominant paradigm. As children are very influential the tales that they are told shape their reality. Good VS Evil, almost everyone expects good to rival over evil but further tales in history bring us to the reality, that it's not like the 'fairytales' we know so well or we live naively.
CASE STUDY
"A Century in Pictures". Subtitles 100years of people and events who shaped Australia.
http://www.tower.com/a-century-in-pictures-news-gazette-hardcover/wapi/107261661
Photography i a huge part of history, a huge part in telling the details of the stories, capturing it in a still image.
A photograph tells a thousand words, it can capture a moment in time and explain in detail what was going on in that moment. During the first world wars Australia was able to experience the war like none other, photographers brought home images of the conflict and revealed to the public the huge scale of war that was going on. The photograph has developed along with technology, originally taking months to receive an image from overseas, now it is practically instant with satellite phones, etc.
The ANZACS fought a brutal war in 1914 the cameramen tagged along on the journey and captured history. The reason it is so raw and real is because he became almost invisible to the men, he caught an important historical report through images. (Charles Bean worked for the Telegraph at the time) Ever since a camera has been taken along on these dangerous pursuits to capture the events of the men, their bravery and perseverance. The Iraq war (2003) bought back coloured images of the cold atmosphere in torture houses of Sudam Husayan. Kate, the photographer found it very important to capture the reality over there to show to Australian public and make them aware.
Within Australian history there are a lot of natural disasters, fires and droughts and floods, continuously tearing are environment up, the epic images of these events bring a reality to many citizens that anything can happen in almost the blink of an eye. The 'dingo ate my baby' story was developed into a narrative that had the best entertainment value, the public took the rumours and believed them because that was how they were told. Narratives told my word or image is hard for us as humans to ignore as a type of truth regardless of the absurdity.
There are many Communication theories. Some of them are
1) Cognitive dissonance theory - we don't willingly 'read' a message that contradicts out strongly held beliefs (eg. turning the radio off when a talk back topic conflicts with our morals, etc)
2) Attribution theory - do we attribute the cause of certain events to internal of external influences (e.g. wondering if a bf/gf hasn't called because they are just busy or with another lover)
3) Rhetoric theory - a theory that supports the idea that we construct our reality with communication (e.g. assertive voices saying things like, "this is how it is" in newspapers etc)
4) Social cognitive theory - social learning, narrative intended to teach (e.g. discouraging teen smoking with an ad campaign)
Social Theory
Karl Marx and William Morris
http://africasacountry.com/2011/03/16/the-prophet-karl-marx/osho-on-karl-marx/
Socailist = industrial revolution
Society was divided (happy and unhappy) the bourgoise (people that owns/controls the means of production) and proletariat (the people that are engaged in production for wages).
Society has a substructure (economic/modes of production) economic conditions underpins the society such as capitalism or communism. It is also underpinned by the class structure.
The substructure includes non economic factors such as religion, politics, art and literature.
Marx - prevention of humans full potential, dehumanisation. Industrial/technical alienation of society groups. There is an imbalance of the external world and the individual. Needed critical thinking of society to make sure things don't get out of hand, relentless criticism.
http://www.marxists.org/subject/frankfurt-school/
The Frankfurt School
1923 the school grew out of Marxist ideology, committed to the critical analysis of societies current state as well as to the development of alternatives which might enable humans to transcend their unhappy situation through critical thought and action (as apposed to blind following the rules). Political theory should be protected from the contemnations of commercial culture. More a moral force working towards human emancipation. (Hitler ruined Frankfurts schools progress).
Week 6
Meta Design
"Designing Design"
Paolo Antonelli says designers will be the intellectuals of the future.
http://www.alvaraalto.fi/designseminar/choices/lecturers.htm
In contemporary society, designers are the ones thinking of new ways to fix issues, such as social issues, environmental problems, etc. Instead of philosophers like Marx did in the 90's, both are helping make things easier in life. It seems Antonelli may be correct, everything we interact with has been designed, from a knife handle to a car, all manufactured with for everyone, considering every factor that is impacted by its construction.
MOVIE : OBJECTIFIED
A documentary film by Gary Hustwit
http://logoblink.com/objectified-logo/
We give an object a meaning as soon as we see it. The goal of graphic design has always been mass production (industrial design), people don't realise those things were ever designed at one point, for example, the Japanese toothpick. The toothpick within it's country is understood for it's function but the design brought to the western world is not understood unless explained. The little bit on the end of the toothpick is meant to be snapped off after someone has used it (Japanese are very concerned with hygiene) it then acts as a rest for the pick. The concept is very smart but not necessarily conveyed into other cultures. Henry Ford cleverly stated that, "every object tells a story if you know how to read it." Understanding people and their needs involves understanding a narrative.
http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/the-glorious-toothpick
To design a product for a range of people one must cater to the extremes within the range, and that way the middle people are taken care of. Products no one thinks have been designed actually require a lot of consideration and experimentation. The veggie peeler for an example used to be a major strain on all people, especially older people suffering from arthritis, there was a lot of alterations to get something so simple. Catering for the elderly with arthritis (the extreme) allows the product to meet everyone's needs.
All to design a better experience, make it easier to use without making the change obvious. The design can be clever but it also needs to be clear, aesthetic, honest, innovative and understandable. There are a lot of unnecessary objects out in the world.
http://bestlaptops02.blogspot.com/2011/08/apple-macbook-pro-2011.html
Apple products have a very defined personality within their product range. The form developed in relation to how the designers wanted it to look and how the look would help people interact with it. The Apple MacBook changed what was known as eight different parts to assemble the key board bottom into one shell, the one part providing so much functionality and still being as un-obvious as it's predecessors. To get a design that is practically flawless, you have to determine what is important and what is not important. For example the MacBooks battery indicator is not needed to be a bulky indicator but a simply almost undetected sensor light.
A lot of products these days that have advanced because of technology, bare no relation to the function, for example the iPhone. It is basically a form of communication, the ways to communicate on it though have change epically from the original telephone. If an alien was to come to our planet and pick it up they would have very little if any knowledge as how to use the device.
Design is the search for form - what works best - looks best - easiest for consumer to use.
http://tarabernerd.com/Blog/?p=2207
Marc Newson is a successful industrial designer who works in a range of design fields and incorporates a style that is known as biomorphism. This style tends to have an absence of sharp edges.
http://www.ivarhagendoorn.com/blog/2004/12/26/mark-newson-design-museum-london
Newson designs from a future state of mind. He looks at whats going to happen not what has happened, the designs have to stand the test of time, or at least put up a good fight against it. Somethings that well designed should cost less in Newson's eyes, but sadly for the consumer it adds value and hence costs more. Anything that is very now or very next will not last long in this society.
The trick to designing something new or improving upon existing designs, is not to look at the form but to look at the function. When the toothbrush was needed to be redesigned the designers looked at redesigning oral care rather than redesigning toothbrush. Looking at the publics needs to guarantee that the product is actually improved.
http://www.ideo.com/people/jane-fulton-suri
Jane Fulton Suri, a partner at IDEO believes that designers are becoming the bridge between people and products that are hard to understand. We have to be interested in mass communication not mass production anymore.
Good design feels undesigned, so intuitive that we are not aware of it. Another concern other than making sure the public can use the object is to consider it's sustainability, the cradle to cradle scheme is talked about. This is where the object whole life is taken into consideration. That means the manufacturing, the usage and the disposal of the object is thought through.
Digital products have now become so bightous we now refer to a chair as analogue. There is an increasing 'democratisation' of design, why does 'designer objects' mean that it is out of reach to some people.
By studying the narrative (the way people behave) makes the product have the best function.
http://grainedit.com/2009/03/05/objectified-film-poster-designed-by-build/
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