Weekly assignment 10

Postmodernism and Remix

Postmodernism and remix play an important role in the contemporary design. In an age of developed mass media such as television, computer and the internet, public in the mid-twentieth century were able to access countless number of images and information of different cultures and styles, from all over the world, as well as their own. This resulted in people creating their own art works in which they simply mixed the existing styles into their own techniques, creating something totally different while still retaining the traces of its original work. This new style provided designers not only with freedom, but also enabled them to push boundaries of what can once be seen as a stereotypical format of past designs. By having no restrictions, they were able to do what they desired and designs became more accessible to a broader range of different social classes.

 

The famous quote, ‘less is more’ by 'Ludwig Mies  van der Rohe', has always been considered as important in the history of design. (It was once what defined an idealistic modern style) However, the introduction of new style, post-modernism, allowed people see design in a different perspective. Simple and less have grown out to be rather boring and plain and people sought to see design as more into vibrant and ornamental.  Key characteristics of postmodernism are vibrant, ornamental eclecticism, kitsch, historical quotations, wit or irony and manipulations of scale.

The picture above Auditorio de Tenerife designed by architect Santiago Calatrava Valls. Its enormous scale manipulation of 23,000 m², appealing curved ornamentations and use of vibrant colours give it a name of postmodernist architecture that exists today.

Weekly assignment 9

Throughout history the important objectives of designs have been to adress the needs of societies. Over the years the needs of societies and objectives have differed a lot.

During our lectures and readings, we investigated design campaigns held in the mid-twentieth century which used design as a form of propaganda to spread american ideals. One particular example was the American National Exhibition held in 1959. It was here that Kitchen Debate  took place, a series of impromptu exchanges (through interpreters) between the U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita khrushchev. This exhibition was meant to prove each country’s industrial accomplishments. The exhibition displayed an American-style kitchen which was furnished with high tech appliances and innovative designs. Therefore, the kitchen debate can be simply noted as both countries trying to promote the ideologies, as well as showing the comfortable and convenient lifestyle of their people.

Many of today’s designs can be seen as having a lot of political and ideological messages that inform designs and brandings today. However, nowadays we look more towards the idea of being environmentally friendly and sustainable. The idea of consumerism and making a ‘better life’ still exists, but maintaining our planet and keeping it clean and healthy, has become a bigger issue. Global warming, also known as “Greenhouse effect”, is one of the major issues that is being critically discussed, not just politically but also in designs and brandings. 

http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=hybrid+vehicles&num=10&hl=en&biw=1600&bih=978&tbm=isch&tbnid=Yl2QXjb8SuWPGM:&imgrefurl=http://auto.701panduan.com/article-details.php%3Fid%3D230&docid=zVME0BjFWE6ICM&w=1300&h=867&ei=_hSMTpu0HoPImAWVpeiPBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=175&vpy=319&dur=31&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=156&ty=98&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=185&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0

Hybrid vehicles are one of the sustainable designs that exist today. Hybrid vehicles use two or more distinct power sources to power the vehicle. These consist of electric motors and fuels that help to reduce down the carbon admission. Although they are not very appealing, hybrid vehicles help to keep our planet clean and healthy. 


Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Debate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_vehicle

Weekly assignment 8

In this week’s reading, “The First Machine Age in Europe” by David Raizman, Hannes Meyer argued that ‘design is a product of “function x economic”’.

I disagree with Meyer’s idea as his idea narrows down the meaning of ‘Design’. To me design is something that embodies designers’ personality,style, and creativity while achieving its purpose and function. I believe that both aesthetics and function are important and should remain equal; Design cannot be determined as either art nor science, but a collaboration of both. However, Meyer's idea was based solely on the fact that design should only serve function, not aesthetics, and that they should only be built by the means of technology and science. I believe his idea marginalizes the value of fine art and separates art from design.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dysans+fans&hl=ko&sa=X&noj=1&biw=1366&bih=700&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=-53nmOuTgK92OM:&imgrefurl=http://inhabitat.com/dyson-aims-to-replace-air-conditioning-with-new-bladeless-fans/&docid=fwVS_1KUklbsOM&w=537&h=421&ei=DIp7TpeTA-HomAXB5bXOAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=2893&page=1&tbnh=156&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0&tx=20&ty=67

The above images are of Dyson fans and fan heaters. These are designed to have no blades or heating elements and are created using modern science and technology. Their modern and simple minimalistic designs attract many consumers, especially minimalist supporters. Dyson fans serve what other normal fans currently do, but go a step further by taking into consideration of thier users’ safety while still being aesthetically pleasing. 

Meyer is right where he pointed out that technologies should be applied to design. Technologies now-days have developed to the stage where they allow us achieve far more advanced and complex designs which handmade crafts cannot reach. However, I disagree with his point of function and economy over aesthetics, as it limits the potential of how far design can reach. Aesthetics take a major role in design and is important as function itself. To me, a good design should show how well function and aesthetics reflect one another and are collaborated together. 

 Reference

David Raizman (2003). Chapter 9: The "first Machine Age" in Europe. In History of Modern design (pp. 166-191). Laurence King Publishing.

Weekly Assignment 7 - Symbolic Universe

In recent days, “symbolic universe” is displayed in a variety of media. Particularly in movies, symbolic universe is used to show and display the lives of fantasy. The film, Avatar, is a great example of a film where symbolic universe is shown.

The symbolic universe in Avatar displays the harmony created between Navi and nature, and their respect towards it. This is quite a different concept of symbolic universe to what was displayed in the World’s fairs of the early 1900s. They presented symbolic universe and believed that the fantasy came from advancements in technology and science, and beliefs for a better life tomorrow. However,  the beliefs of Navi in symbolic universe are portrayed through nature where Eywa; their mother of nature, helps them to get through every day and provide them with a belief in times of sorrow. The film concludes by leaving a moral message suggesting men should not take control of nature. However, this contrasts with Buffalo World’s fair 1901, where man is seen to have gained power over nature through generating electricity from Nigara Falls. Not only that, the film also concludes by showing viewers with importance of cultural unity and harmony. Again contrasting with Buffalo World’s fair where colours were used in architectural plans to show cultural hierarchy.




Reference
The social Construction of Reality, Society as Subjective Reality. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Construction_of_Reality
Kihlstedt, F. T. (1986). Utopia Realized: The World’s Fairs of the 1930s. In Imagining Tomorrow: History Technology, and the American Future (pp. 97-119). Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America: MIT Press.

Weekly Assignment - 6

In “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by Benjamin Walters, he argues that “To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the authentic print makes no sense.”

What is Authenticity in photographs? I believe authenticities in photographs rely, not on the photographs themselves, but on the moment at which photographer takes the shot. The moment when the photograph was taken will remain an authentic image only to the photographers themselves as they hold the firsthand experience.

Therefore I agree to Walter’s argument and believe authenticity do take role in an age of digital design and manufacture. It does not matter which photograph is original or not, but personal connection and emotional meaning of their own work which remain in the image of individual’s mind are what defines the true meaning of authenticity.

Weekly Assignment 5 - Colour of the mind

For the past centuries in history, people have sought out to find the true meaning of colour.

The first person to study the colour optics was Isaac Newton, a physicist and mathematician in 17^th century. His belief of colour was that we perceive colour purely from the basis of scientific and mathematical background. Long after Newton’s belief, came an opposing believer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer and a poet. (Gage, J. (1993). Colours of the Mind in Colour and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction P.201) He believed that colour is something that human perceives internally, not externally; Newton belief. He believed that colour is perceived differently with different people, that there are psychological and emotional reasoning behind how we perceive colour. Whereas Newton, who trusted in sensation of eye, believed that colour is something that is depicted purely on the basis of how the human eye is formed (science).

Goethe’s belief in later period influenced artists such as Turner and Runge. Similar to Goethe, these artists believed that colour should have symbolical meaning in them. This resulted in impressionism, a style of art where often depiction of “real experience” was the main purpose. This created style of painting called optical mixing, where a lot of dots are being used to express how the eye perceives colors that abut or overlay each other to give out more vitality in paintings. Then came post-impressionism. Post-impressionists believed that art was lacking subjectivity and wanted to depict feeling rather than representation of a scene. Often symbolical meanings are used in post-impressionism paintings and abstract depictions in colours can be defined as most dominant sources.

Such impressionistic values are shown in “His vision of the cafe at Arles”, by Van Gogh. He used colours that clash to another to express the feeling of what he has experienced. These clashing of colours help to depict “terrible passions of humanity”;red, green and yellow appear rather disgusting. (Gage, J. (1993). Colours of the Mind in Colour and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction P.196)

Weekly assignment 4 - Ornament and Crime

In “Ornament and Crime”, 1908, Adolf Loos argues “The evolution in culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use”.

He believed that there were no need for ornaments in both functional and form wise, and that it would only affect economics to go down and labour to be wasted while trying to create something ornamental. Furthermore, he sees that it is more important for designers to focus more on showing their creativity rather than trying to create ornaments in their works. He believed by having high levels of architectural utilities, it helps to express more beauty more than having decorations on the architecture.

http://www.homedosh.com/search/minimalist+desk

Loos’ idea is the origin of the minimalistic styles we see today. I believe that our generation have carried Loos’ style too far, even to the stage of omitting out not only unnecessary ornaments but also necessary parts as well, as seen on the image above. Above image is a minimalistic desk, designed by Peter Petersen. This desk is sleek and fashionable, but functionally, it lacks from other desk designs that are not minimalistic style. This desk has three drawers and nothing else, even the handle knob of the drawers which are necessary. Therefore, I do not agree with Loos statement, that evolution in culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament. Even though he stated that ornaments do not serve any functions, ironically the style he has resulted in ignores the function-ability of the product in-order to achieve beauty. He stated that designers should focus more on trying to depict their creativity rather than to create ornaments; however, I believe that taking ornaments from design is like taking away a part of designers’ creativity and limiting it to a certain amount.

Weekly assignment 3 - Beauty + Utillity

In “The Grammar of Ornament” by Owen Jones, Jones states that “Constructions should be decorated, decoration should never purposely constructed”.  This refers and shows Jones belief to Pugin’s principle, A.W.N(1812~1852).

In the early and mid 19^th century, there was a great advancement in industry and mass production. Low cost of goods and mass productions helped to some of, which have been once considered as “low class” in society, to afford and to live more luxuriously and mimic the upper class through designs. This meant that hierarchy in society, in which the rich stood well above poor, has been now vanished and new style of design had to emerge solve to this problem. So came of design reformers such as Pugin and Jones.

The quote stated by Jones means that inappropriate decorations should not be considered before the function itself. Thus, meaning that rather than trying force a beauty into a structure, function of it should come first, and then beauty will occur naturally.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/madhouseof5/art/5618039-lichfield-cathedral

This belief is shown in the example of Lichfield Cathedral, England. Its complex ribbed and high vaulted bone subordinates support the weight of the stone columns and arches. No unnecessary ornaments are built separately but rather designed into its structure.

Personally, I agree with Jones with many aspects, in the points made that 'embellishment of structure should not overwhelm the initial intention of the function of design' –just that. However, I think that the idea of trying to set exact narrow rules in which all designs must abide is incorrect. Yes, expressions added to designs must not overwhelm its function but it also does not mean that unnecessary expressions in ornaments can never exist. I believe that Jones’ idea strictly limits the potential of how much design can evolve in the future and not only that, designers would not be able to push design boundaries in which to express themselves in their designs. On top of all, these set of rules are like taking away a designer’s creativity and taste.

Weekly assignment 2

Sensuous Impulse in design is a way to describe the extravagant focus in details that uses curvature and asymmetry. It is mostly  based on our aesthetical tastes, sometimes even sacrificing its functionality in order to achieve it. From this, I believe sensuous impulse is more of an art rather than design. 

In 17^th century, form over function took over the art world and the Rococo period came by. Function was not taken seriously as stability in economics and political peace meant no need for function. Soon after Rococo, Art Nouveau rose and introduced the importance of more function in designs which led to post-modernism in later period.

 

The above image is an example of modern design where sensual impulse manifested today. Wiggle chair, designed by Frank Gehry, shows the sinuous S-curve and asymmetry, stating the result of the history; sensuous impulse. It barely has function but more of an approach to aesthetics.

Do I believe this is a result of the “sensuous impulse”? My answer is yes. I believe that sensuous impulse will always exist. I believe the need for satisfying our aesthetical tastes are as important as the function in design. I think what defines it changes from time to time, of what trend, and of which place.

Weekly assignment 1

Paper pins were invented by Norwegian. J. Vaaler. Today, paper pins are known as one of the most successful mass producing designs in the history, or maybe it had even introduced the name “mass production” to design industry. Elastic and strong designs of the pins hold papers strong and effectively. Pin designs show even simple designs can be effective.

Open letter

Overall View

Detailed view

I have used similar technique used in my precedent image. In one of my precedent images, it used emphasis on words so the key points are easily picked out. So in my detailed view shot of letter, I have emphasized my key points in bold letters. I have also highlighted the suggestions I have given to nike to further emphasize the important points.

Final poster

Put into context

Final logo

In my final poster, I have used the tagline, "Nike, leading the world in sport's industry" as a Cliche.
Like to how the sports require group of people, third world country labour also requires group of people.
(Iam trying to say Nike is leading in both these facts).

I have chosen sport shop to locate my poster in. This is simply because my cliche is saying Nike leads in sport's industry. In the photograph, other sports brands are also added in, as iam targetting them as minors. However, I am targetting Nike as a major and this is why my poster is direted specifically at Nike.

Concept - posters

Concept 1

Concept 2

Concept 3

These are my quik concept drafts that I have made for my poster. I like the last concept as it gives more dramatic feel(poverty feeling?/feelings of how the sweatshop workers would feel?) to it. I will try various of different picture collaging combinations for the final poster and choose the one that looks the best.

Precedent images

These are my precedent images that I have found from typographicposters.com and google search.
For the first one, I liked how the collaging of alot pictures form a shape and this is similar to how I am going to design my poster. For the second poster, I like how the negative space(empty space) is built by cutting out the collage of photographs.For the third poster, I like how the use of more strong colours over weeker colours. For example, in the third poster, black dots have been layed over the yellow and blue dots. This gives more aesthetics and depth to the poster. For the fourth poster, I like the emphasis on words of what this poster is trying to communicate to the viewers. It is communicating similar idea of what I am trying to say in my poster. This technique of emphasis on words maybe helpful in my letter detailed view shots as well.

First shot



Second shot

My word is DECEPTION. My word originated from the idea of how the world sees nike as and how the nike has a hidden act behind it. (two opposing facts).
In my word instrallation, I have tried to depict these facts. Like to how the world see's nike as (leading sports manufacturing industry), the sewage gutter plate facing upwords/towards the world, has no word written on it. However, the otherside of the gutter plate, facing downwards/hidden from the world, has a word deception written on it. I have tried to metaphorically symbolise the face facing upwards as how the world sees nike(leading sports manufacturing industry) and the face facing downwards as how the nike has a hidden fact behind them (third world country labour)

I have inserted the photograph 1 as it relates to the IDEA what I am trying to say. However, I had trouble in depicting clear DECEPTION photoshot in the photograph 1 (with the gutter closed). So I have inserted another photograph (photograph 2) with the gutter plate not closed, to show the clear view of my WORD. 

Concept Brainstorm



Brainstorm 1.1



Brainstorm 1.2

Brainstorm 2

Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMC124dirXs

(group : andrew young, chris waite, mitch baker, daniel woo)

Group Work - Logo

(Group Chosen logo)

Andrew Young(groupmate)'s logo

Chris Waite(groupmate)'s logo

My first logo

My second logo created in angles

Mitch Baker(groupmate)'s logo

Project 3 - Poster

Final Clip - shortened and fixed

Shortened to 31 second to meet criteria. Also in the last upload, for somehow the letter 'N' has been cut off. It works on computer media player but does not somehow show up when uploaded. This also has been fixed

Final clip with music

(Music added) My quote is "people are the reason of all designs". This I think my clip is simple but also effective as it communicates my quote really well. The transaction from normal scene to the shoe designing scene makes me think as if the shoe has actually been designed. I still kept the simple angle shots (close up shots of feet) as feet is the main focus of the clip.
For the sound I have inserted the simple drum beat in the background to give simple foot-step rhythmical feeling. I have also inserted creative sound in the shoe designing scene to give more feeling to the scene.

Final clip with no music

I have still not inserted sound in this clip, and from this it feel vagues and has no liveness to it. 
I am going to use simple sound for the background music. This is because I believe some background music may loose focus to the idea and my quote. I am going to use something rhythmical for the walking scenes to give more alive feeling and something creative sound for the shoe designing scenes.

Second development

Shotting angles decided, but more effects to put in.

First Draft

First Draft. Taken with simple angle shots.

Storyboard

I have finalised my angle shots that I am going to take my clip at.

StoryIboard

Several ideas of storyboard for the clip

1. The first story board in the black storyboard is about a person sitting down on a chair and feeling uncomfortable. It then inserts in the picture of a person's spine. After that, the chair is to design following the form of the spine. The clip ends with a person sleeping nicely.(PEOPLE ARE THE REASON OF ALL DESIGNS) The second storyboard from black storyboard is about a feet walking, encountering some uncomfortable problems. The feet first walks with barefeeted. It finds it cold to walk so a sandle is designed. After that, a shoe is designed.(PEOPLE ARE THE REASON OF ALL DESIGNS) The third storyboard is about a person walking infront of a whiteboard. I got inspired by the whiteboard stillmotion, so some designs are drawn, at the back of a person, on white board. (PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF UNLIMITED IDEAS) The fourth storyboard is about a person writing on a piece of paper. The pen is designed badly, so it goes into scene of designing better pen form, by following the form of a person's finger.(PEOPLE ARE THE REASON OF ALL DESIGNS).      2. In the end, i have chosen a feet storyboard as i believe it communicates the quote, 'people are the reason of all designs' the best.

 

development

Reaching to final, shoe creation added

Project 2 - Third Scene

Project 2 - Second Scene

Project 2 - First Scene

Project 2 - intro part 1

101- assignment 1, resubmission - typography

Small case letters

Capital case letters

My quote I have chosen to use

This is my resubmission for my project 1. I have decided to resubmit my typography work as it needed some clearing and cleaning up to do. I have used photoshop and drew the letters again and from this, the letters were finished with more clean and high quality look.

Project 2 - 2sec minimum clip

Brainstorm (about industrial design and coming up with quotes)

Typography

My chosen Quote " Good Design Is A Simple Deisgn."

Axonometric

FINAL axonometric drawing

First axonometric draft/practice

Sketch

section

Section of a ballpoint pen

hatch

Hatching