Monday, 23 November 2015

Message & Meaning

This lecture was concerning the structure of communication- how we use it and arrange it, and in turn how we seek it and how it manifests itself. As graphic designers, attempting to convey and tailor how we communicate an idea or message, and how it might subsequently be interpreted, should be under constant review, in order to improve our craft. As Michael Rock stated- "difference between poetry and practical message is that the latter is only successful when we correctly infer the intention".  This means that communication is only successful when our intended audience reacts based on the message we have given them.

Therefore we were given a breakdown as to what message and meaning is:
  • Message: a short communication transmitted by words or other means from one person, or group to another.
  • Meaning: what the source or sender expresses, communicates, or conveys in their message to the observer or receiver, and what the receiver infers from the current context.
After we were clarified that a message is inferred from its meaning, we were introduced to how feedback is received between the sender (encoder) and the audience (receiver), and how each part is reliant on each other in order for the message to successfully received, as demonstrated in this graph.


Encode
We first start by translating information into a message in the form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts; a good way for the sender to improve encoding message is to mentally visualise communication from the receiver's point of view. The sender should ask themselves different questions, so they can select an appropriate channel:
  • is the message urgent?
  • is immediate feedback needed?
  • is documentation or a permanent record required?
  • is documentation being communicated to someone inside/outside?
  • is content complicated, controversial or private?
Channel
Once sender has answered all of these questions, they will be able to choose an effective channel (a medium in which they can produce their message). Each channel have strengths dependent on situational effectiveness, which is important to know depending what you're representing. Here are the various types of channel a designer may choose:


Also, signal of channel needs to be clear; more interruptions (noise) is less likely for the message to be received. Using all channels indiscriminately may dilute and distract from the key message.


Design Authorship
Next we were introduced to artists who conveyed messages within their pieces. Richard Linklater for example always asks questions of the meaning of life and presents it to the viewer from a comparative point of view, as shown in Waking Life.


Decoder
All interpretations by the receiver are influenced by their experiences, attitudes, knowledge, skills,
perceptions, and culture; it is similar to the sender’s relationship with encoding. Subsequently showcasing a design in a different culture may perceive the work completely different from the designer's original intention (due to cultural and societal differences).

Marshall McLuhan, who become a key figure in media studies and the effect of technology on people, was announced to us, introducing his key book The Medium is the Massage. The ‘massage’ or ‘mass-age’ started as a typographic mistake as it was meant to read ‘message’, but was kept when McLuhan approved of the unintentional correction and its relationship to the subject matter.


Within it, McLuhan explores how the development of technology, from print to the internet (referred to as the "Global Village"), is reshaping and restructuring patterns of social interdependence and every aspect of our personal life.

The Content + The Message = The Message

McLuhan described key points of change in how people have viewed the world and how those views have been affected and altered by the adoption of new media. Change and progress are an inevitable part of social life, those who choose not to change with their environment do so at the risk their own social survival:
"Survival  not possible of one approaches his environment, 'the social drama', with a fixed, unchangeable point of view- the witless repetitive response to the unperceived"   - Marshall McLuhan

From this lecture I have learnt to consider that symbols can mean one thing for a particular person and therefore have to be considerate when composing a design; for example a blade could mean war. but to someone else it could symbolise surgery. Without feedback, a sender cannot confirm that the receiver has interpreted the message correctly, which shows feedback from an outside source (in my case my tutors) can help improve work.


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Friday, 20 November 2015

Deciding studio proposals

After discussing my design proposals with Stephen, I selected the theme that I felt most attracted to (what makes a house a home), and discussed various approaches to finalise a final piece.

One approach we spoke about was, besides capturing my families rooms, extending Relander's compositions by capturing objects within a room, how they can create a sense of identity and place by characterising an individual without needing to reveal their face. In turn this can be developed further by styling the photograph as CCTV images, bringing to mind the government surveillance of "Big Brother" within George Orwell's novel 1984.

Through these different approaches- I will have a selection of designs I can choose and narrow down, perhaps presenting them in a book format. And discussing my studio proposals has allowed me to reflect and expand the style exhibited in my artists and create something abstract in the world of graphic design.
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Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Expanded Genealogy

Reviewing the work we started in September, we expanded our knowledge of genealogy further to help alongside our current project.

We were first introduced to genealogical method, where it was broken down for us: method is a way of going/doing the path you follow, and genealogy is study and knowledge of of family history; in this scenario, a genealogist examines the pre-conceived, and questions the phenomenon that "we tend to feel is without history". Having "no history" is without goodness, badness/evil, punishment, madness and sexuality, which all have impacted history at various times in different circumstances.

Genealogy is subjective, which means you are strongly present in the study; Michel Foucault coined the term "subjectification". This means that factors within society make us subjects and shape us into what we are, whether it is our sexuality, where we work or study. However, objectivity doesn't allow involvement for a researcher, depending on the situation. Foucault asks "what right have [historians] to impose their tastes and preferences when they seek to determine what actually occurred in the past?" This is a valid point, as personal preference can sway peoples views and knowledge of history- an example being the secret history of female artists.

It also links in the clip we were shown in class; many people are quick to jump to conclusions without knowing or wanting to find out the wider image of a scenario. From one angle the skinhead running towards the man may seem threatening, even more so due to the connotations associated with the skinhead culture. Though once you realise he was saving the older man's life , you learn the true events, which is what the Guardian is trying to say about their company; they will always uncover the truth amidst assumptions and lies.


Genealogy also claims no eternal truth; Foucault once again states that "purpose of history, guided by genealogy, is not to discover the roots of our identity, but to commit itself to its dissipation". This means that history should be recorded before it is lost to memory, and not clouded by judgment and misremembered facts.

For the next part- we were shown a series of clips and asked how they began, where is the setting, and what is the tone; in The Simpsons introduction, it establishes the town and main characters of the shows by showing them individually in their own environment, and in turn showcasing their personalities. The light hearted tone is achieved through the theme tune, colours and general direction of its subject matter.


The Star Wars opening crawl brings the audience up to speed with the establishing action of the first scene, without having to show the backstory of previous events. Its name and setting amongst the stars immediately lets the viewer know that this film is established in the future of space. Yet the establishing text of "In a galaxy far far away..." brings to mind a fairy tale, letting the viewer know that this film isn't placed within reality, but in a completely fictional setting. This is all reflected within the music as well; it brings a sense of adventure and fantasy, linking in with the tone of the general film. It is often said film is 60% sound, which can often dictate how an audience feels during a specific scene.


What I have learnt from this seminar is that a combination of features within film or TV help create tone and setting, allowing the audience to feel a certain way. This links in with design as well, where shape, colour, text and layout can illustrate tone as well; if I take this into consideration when conceiving a design, it will make the overall piece successful in what it is trying to express.


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Monday, 16 November 2015

Blog Percentage for Course

This seminar was to highlight how much the blog was worth in order to pass this course, as there was worry that we weren't up to speed with our blogs. 50% is how much our blogs amount to, with the minimum to pass being 40 out of 100; Stephen told us the majority of us were below that mark. Although I am more or less on track with documenting my blogs after being behind, it alerted me to regularly document during this degree.

We were also altered to the program Lynda, which allows users to become familiar with programs like InDesign and After Effects. This would be very useful for me, especially since I have never used the programs we use in this course, and would help me immensely.
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Influence & Behaviour

In this lecture we were given the distinction of influence and behaviour; influence is the capacity to have an effect on someones character, development or behaviour, which in turn is how a person behaves in response to a particular situation or stimulus.

Therefore we were asked what influences us, why people make certain decisions, and where do those influences come from; first we were introduced to propaganda and Edward Bernays, who was a pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda. Combining the ideas of crowd psychology by Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter, and the psychoanalytical ideas of his uncle Sigmund Freud, Bernays stated that manipulation was an important part of democracy: "the conscious and intelligent manipulation of organised habits and opinions of the masses... constitute an invisible government which is the true rule power of our country". Therefore, designers of propaganda manipulate viewers perhaps without their knowing.

"Gibson Girl" was our next subject, who was created by Charles Dana Gibson; it represented women's new found liberation due to the Suffragette movement happening at the time. In turn they aimed this illustration towards women, especially during WW1 when men were in short staff.


Another tactic aimed towards women was devised by Bernays himself, in which he tried to encourage women to smoke; before this it was seen was corrupt and inappropriate for women to smoke. By exploiting women's aspirations for a better life during the women's liberation movement in the United States, Bernays hired women to smoke during the Easter Sunday Parade of 1929, which was a significant moment for fighting social barriers for women smokers. This type of promotion towards women still happens today, in the name of independence.

Alerting the media prior to the event, women stroked their cigarettes in public, proclaiming their "torches in freedom" in the interests of promoting equality of the sexes

Next we were shown campaigns by design consultancies to promote either brands or events; for instance Wolff Olins designed the 2012 London Olympics logo; they said they wanted the aesthetic to be flexible, where past Olympic logos had been very rigid, which allowed other parties  to make the logo their own. Originally derided for its unclear concept,  it was designed in a way where, minus the logo and location, you could tell what the logo is based on its overall silhouette.



Whilst looking through the company's collection of work, its promotion of Little Sun caught my attention, due to its simple and eye catching design; besides helping people who were off the grid in less-developed countries, Wolff Olins' association made this a foreseeable business plan, resulting in the distribution of 165,000 lamps worldwide.

Widen+Kennedy created an alternative 2012 Olympic campaign for Nike, entitled Find Your Greatness, which demonstrated by illustrating anyone can be great, not simply Olympic athletes. To create this campaign they went around the world and searched for people with such talent. Though the message may seem quite saccharine, I like how the overall campaign is inspirational, showing triumph over adversity.


Linking back to propaganda, deception may be used in order to promote; an example is Red Bull, who some question whether it actually energises you or not. In addition, in 2015, accusations were leveled at Red Bull's marketing and labeling, claiming that the company violated 'express warranty and unjust enrichment’. Red Bull denied any wrong doing, but lost on appeal and had to pay $14 million in damages.

Whilst traversing through their other advertising campaigns, I had no idea that they were responsible for the famous Old Spice advert The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, which created a feeling of connection between the Old Spice Man and the audience; this is known as a para-social relationship, forming an important part of the success of the campaign. The adverts success is due to its style as it was unlike anything seen at that time: while reciting the monologue Isaiah Mustafa progresses through various activities, locations, and/or extraordinary situations, all in one uninterrupted take while maintaining constant eye-contact with the camera in a nonchalant demeanor.

What I learnt from this lecture though was how to connect to an audience, in particular the younger generation. More recently the transition between covert and overt methods of audience connection in marketing and advertising has begun to occur; younger, more digitally connected audiences respond differently to a product or brand. If you connect with someone, they expect you to connect back. If this cycle can be thoughtfully maintained then a brand can attempt to leverage loyalty with a viewer, according to the "give get model" by Wolff Odin. 


And as designers, we should be mindful where ‘touch points’ are likely to be found, as a good location will allow more viewers to come into contact with a product/idea/message, for instance a billboard or logos on products.

This lecture made me realise that, if done correctly, advertising can surreptitiously promote hidden meanings without the viewer's knowing; its that level of cleverness that intrigues me. However, manipulation and deception shouldn't be the intention when trying to convey a message, campaign or story; if you want to have longevity within business, you have to build a rapport and trust with your audience.


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Thursday, 12 November 2015

InDesign Double Page Spread

Within this workshop, we created posters with unique design features, and learnt the difference of colour models like RGB, CMYK, Grayscale and Bitmap.



This poster was created by using the Line Tool to establish the text line to the rat's tail. The Text Tool was then used, using placeholder text to fill the line. "Rat City" was constructed by highlighting each letter in the text box and moving them to their respective place.

The part I had difficulty with was creating the straight rat's tail, as it didn't look similar to the original. If given more time I may have re-done it by highlighting the tail, deleting it and extending it with the Direct Selection Tool.

To compare the colour modes in our next task, we chose a colourful image and uploaded it on Photoshop, changing the images colours through Image -> Mode -> RGB, CMYK, Grayscale and Bitmap respectively. After I did this, I individually converted the images to TIF files so that they could be used in InDesign (creating small boxes in InDesign to be placed in).


The first two boxes show the difference between RBG and CMYK; it may be difficult to see in this image but the colours in the second section were less vibrant in comparison to the first. The last two boxes were converted to Grayscale, the last one being changed to Bitmap with a diamond design. I then altered the tones of the black and white by showing overall tones of yellow and red.



Our final task was emulating an Alanis Morissette poster; this was down by creating a double spread, uploading our colour image the same way in our previous task, and added text in a similar vein to the poster.

After choosing a font similar to the original, applying the text was quite technical as it involved creating and enlarging each individual letter, as shown in "Alanis", and adding little details within the spread. The stretched L was created by selecting the top half of the stem and extending it with Direct Selection Tool (pressing Shift to make it straight). The text across L was made by laying a box in front of it, adding a text box and placing two thick lines with the Line Tool.

I very much enjoyed this lesson, as I am not as acquainted with InDesign; so the fact that the end products look quite good, especially compared to the double spread poster, makes me very proud of myself. Because of this, I now know how to use certain features to create a design similar to this one. Of course I could refine my reproduction by replicating the poster's style even further, for instance by altering the text size and colour.


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