Rationale

The aims/objectives of this project were to:

• Broaden cultural experience/understanding
• Be inspired and influenced by others work/achievements
• Become informed about cultural/political/social/economic issues
• Develop a professional approach/attitude
• Support research for Dissertation/Final project

This blog has provided me with an opportunity to investigate a wide variety of cultural topics. During the past four months I have managed to fulfill the objectives of the brief by broadening my experience and cultural understanding through design, architecture, books, exhibits, art pieces and websites. I have gained a significant amount of inspiration in the process, which should benefit me with research for my dissertation and independent project.

In this project I have discovered a number of new interests including modern architecture. I began my blog by questioning architecture and was critical about the judgement of recent architecture. I critically analysed public perception and questioned form and function (the fundamental elements in architecture). I was inspired by the Brutalist movement and by the sensitivity to people’s opinions many architects such as Renzo Piano consider when creating their designs.

Through my blog I repeatedly came across issues that are prevalent in society. Most of the films I watched, and the books I read dealt with ethics and morality. This fulfilled my objective of becoming more informed about cultural and social issues. I critical analysed the book White Teeth that explored sub-cultural issues in 20^th century Britain and I questioned whether they were still relevant today. Similarly the film ‘The Hours’ looked at feminism throughout different decades and provided me with an insight into a topic that I was unfamiliar with previously.

I have analysed a number of different films from different perspectives. I looked at the cinematography associated with ‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ and ‘Pans Labyrinth’ and the art direction of the producers. In addition I have provided analysis to the films ‘Being John Malkovich’ and ‘Rabbit’ which contained interesting views on modern society; dealing with issues of greed and questions concerning modern society.

Developing social awareness was not the only aim of this project. I was deeply inspired and influenced by the work of other designers. I recently looked at the work of Vince Frost and looked at his process of design, which often involves looking at the essence of a brand, or creating a brand for something. Since starting this project I have become interested in ambient media and the use of viral marketing. As a result I have also analysed the effectiveness of this use of media, and concluded that if the concept is successful the approach and media used can further this success.

I spent the beginning of the summer in America, as the result of taking part in a study abroad. This provided me with an opportunity to broaden my horizons in regards to a different culture. Whilst I was there, I visited the cities of Chicago and Milwaukee, which are rich in culture and design. The Milwaukee Art Museum provided an interesting insight into architecture and modern American art. In Chicago I witnessed a wide variety of modern architecture, art and design. This allowed me to see things from an American perspective, which was my primary reason for the visit. I learnt about the consideration that is put into general design and what responses it intends to evoke from the audience.

The summer project also provided me with the opportunity to study an area that I have had a previous interest in: the World Wide Web. Each website that I featured in my blog was driven by a primary concept. I was particularly interested and inspired by the websites that had promoted some sort of ethical message and utilised the technology with an interesting concept. The driver safety banner and the sexually transmitted disease viral emails had both been incredibly successful in their respective countries, and demonstrated how modern technology could be utilised to drive a design concept.

Museums and exhibits became another area that I became more familiar with during this project. The museums and exhibits I visited were hugely varied in content, ranging from Russian art to Victorian medical collections. Although it may appear to some to be an unfocused approach, I think it helped me fulfill the criteria for the brief. I have become more informed about cultural, political, social and economic issues as a result.

In reflection of the past four months, I have been able to look at a wide variety of sources and media and evaluate how significant and informative they are in regards to providing an insight into cultural trends. It may be argued by some that books provide the greatest source of information in regards to modern culture. Through this project I have definitely found the information I read to have great significance, however I think every medium I have explored has provided me with a new insight from a different perspective. In a world of new technologies and communication, I think it is fair to say the way we source and critique information has changed.

In my blog I previously discussed the issues that were consistent in each source. The most prevalent of issues appeared to be roles in society and stereotypes. These issues commonly arose in the books I read and the films I saw, however they were also apparent in architectural styles and art pieces (e.g. the later futurist stance which became associated with oppression). These issues are ones that are common when considering a design brief and are important to consider in day-to-day life. Through the sources I have read and viewed, I have developed a deeper understanding of common perceptions, cultural trends and social issues.

To evaluate, I have been highly stimulated by the knowledge I have gained over the summer, as a result I intend to further my knowledge on the topics I have discussed previously, as a result this should have an impact in my future solutions to design problems. By applying the knowledge and experience I have gained over the summer and I intend to gain in the future my approach to design should become more professional and more creative.

Expo Leeds

Whilst walking through Millennium Square in the centre of Leeds today I noticed the usual BBC screen was no longer displaying the usual news and weather. Instead, on display was an image showing a reflection of Millennium Square. As I walked past I could see myself with circles and shapes surrounding me, in addition ambient noises were playing simultaneously.

According to the Leeds Expo Festival website, it is the UK’s largest Free festival of sound art and experimental music.

The installation that I experienced in Millennium Square was commissioned to artist Tom Betts and was called ‘Untitled Application’. More about the installation can be found here.

Interactive installations are often enjoyed by the public, having an element in a piece that people can play with is always an added benefit and something to consider, especially when designing ambient media.

Vince Frost

Frost is a British graphic designer based in Australia and the UK. He has won a number of awards including a gold D&AD. He is famous for working with large clients and his creativity and originality is an inspiration.

In an interview with Computer Arts magazine (click here), Frost states “Nike and Apple are design companies. In terms of identity we all have a brand, a unique point of difference.” When you look at the work of Vince Frost it can be said that it has an essence of his client and Frost himself.

This was a piece he designed for the Sydney Dance Company, which cleverly merged ‘Sydney’ and ‘Dance’ in type.

Frost is consistent when promoting his own identity. He uses the same type when promoting himself and sometimes plays with words (e.g. one of his shows was titled frost bite*).

Viral email text effects

Designers have to constantly adapt to changes and innovations in technology, but sometimes designers also have to adapt to limitations in technology.

The creative agency G2 direct & Digital recently won an award for a safe sex campaign. The campaign was conducted through email. The only problem with this medium was that a lot of email programs did not accept HTML (although this is becoming a minority). As a result the agency designed a piece that could be viewed with a clever text effect (see below).

See the email for yourself:

-Men interested in women click here.

-Women interested in men click here.

-Men interested in men click here.

What I found interesting about this campaign was its ability to use a media within its limitations and still create an element of surprise.

White Teeth

I was initially attracted to reading this book because it was written about life in the area I grew up in (although in a different decade).

The book follows the life of two war veterans whose lives and eventual families are intertwined. The book explores issues associated with multiculturalism and the identity problems experienced by second-generation people.

I think this book is very relevant in 21^st century Britain. It provides a great insight into the social issues experienced across race, sex, culture and religion. The book is somewhat autobiographical of Zadie Smith’s life in Willesden, North-West London.

Looking at the book critically, it may be said that the issues raised by the book were more prevalent in the 1970s (when the story was set), however I think the issues in the book have more prevalence in 21^st century Britain where multiculturalism versus unity are being questioned.

Although not a design book, I think it is relevant for designers because we come across a similar range of sensitive issues that we must be aware of.

The Tube Map

There is no doubt that the tube map is a design classic. This week it was redesigned (partly) and the river Thames was omitted from the design to huge public and political outcry. The river-less map can be found here.

When the map was initially designed, Harry Beck removed all superfluous information including geography. The 1908 map (at the bottom of the post) was the first tube map and took geography into consideration. Beck designed the first diagrammatic map in 1931, it was said to be inspired by electric circuit diagrams.

Despite lacking nearly all geographical features, the tube map has always maintained London's river. So when TfL (Transport for London) decided to omit the river there was a backlash. Note the following articles:

-BBC- Mayor orders Thames back on maps.

-The London Paper.

-The Guardian- Where has my beloved Thames gone?

This reminds us that people appreciate clarity and information laid out clearly, however they also have sentimental connections, which is an important thing to note in design.

The 1908 London Underground map. The first tube map that took geography into consideration.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a recent black comedy with an unexpected plot.

The film follows a group of orphaned children who are sent to live with their evil relative Count Olaf. The plot of the film is continually unexpected, but not nonsensical.

I chose to feature this film on this blog not because of its plot, but because of its cinematography. I was impressed with a number of elements in the film.

One thing that has been ignored by many filmmakers is the DVD selection menu. In this film it is not overlooked. It becomes part of the film and has a slight essence of the style of Saul Bass.

The visual effects and the set design are also unique. The locations have a surreal feel to them. Time period and location have been deemed irrelevant giving the film a universal appeal.

The style of cinematography in this film has inspired me and made me consider the background elements in design. Everything from the way someone speaks to the architectural style of a building can have an effect on the essence of a design piece. This is something I will continually put consideration into.

Driver safety web banner

'Distracted Drivers are Dangerous’ was an online campaign put together by an interactive online agency in New Zealand highlighting the dangers of texting and driving simultaneously.

The campaign was made from a simple online banner. It became so widespread that it gained national attention and made the government re-think existing road safety laws. This is an inspirational piece and a perfect example of how online virals and clever web campaigns can have a large impact on their audiences.

Try the banner for yourself here.

Watch the making of the campaign here.

A book with a difference

This is the first book I have featured on this blog that contains little or no words. Despite this, this is one of the most fantastic book promotions I have seen. The Tate recently commissioned a short viral film promoting Peter Blake’s ABC and 600 Black Spots. The only difference is, it was made into a pop-up book by David Carter (see the video below).

This is a clever piece of marketing by Tate and displays the creativity that can be achieved with craft.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – James Joyce

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a novel written by the Irish author James Joyce. The book is partially autobiographical with the main character in the novel having similarities with the author.

The novel tells the story of the life of a character named Stephen Dedalus. Stephen grew up in a large Irish Catholic family that was affected by poverty. His family saves up enough money to send him to boarding school where he excels with religious study. As Stephen gets older he begins to question Irish society and Catholicism and all the social expectations associated with it.

In regards to the brief for this project, I think this book is very relevant in broadening understanding of cultural and social issues. It explores the dynamics of religion and the conflicts it may have in a person’s life. James Joyce moved to Paris to develop his artistic writing skills but he kept his connections with his family in Ireland. I have found his work inspirational in the way it questions morality, culture and society.

Rabbit

Rabbit is a short film by Run Wrake. It is an art-house animation that explores issues of greed and its consequences. What is striking about the film is its use of imagery. It uses stickers from 1950s educational books. This theme is kept consistent in the animation with each object being labeled.

The combination of childhood imagery with dark themes is thought provoking and something that may be relevant to other area of design.

The film can be watched here.

Shooting an Elephant

This book contains a collection of short stories/essays written by George Orwell.

Some of the essays are autobiographical describing Orwell's experience, observations and thoughts about being a police officer in imperial Burma. Orwell is forthright with his observations. It can also be said that his opinions were progressive for the time. Working for the British empire in a place where it was unpopular would have been a difficult task. Orwell describes his disgruntlement to the regime, and sensitivity to the locals.

Looking at the book critically, the series of novels provides a great insight into the mind of the famed author Orwell. It also demonstrates the feelings of people working for a dominant regime and indeed the people it affects. The book continues to add to my interest about George Orwell and his thought processes and is well worth a read.

David LaChapelle

David LaChapelle is a photographer and director most noteworthy for his photography pieces including celebrities.

His style is unique and surreal, with most of his pieces notoriously provocative in appearance. Despite this his photography is world-renowned and he is highly regarded in fashion photography.

Recently LaChapelle was reported to have been inspired by artists of the past including Baroque. His piece Deluge (below) certainly has qualities of paintings from this time period.

David LaChapelle’s Deluge

You can find an interview with LaChapelle discussing his inspirations here.

Looking at LaChapelle from a critical point of view it may be said that his pieces play on the ‘sex sales’ claim and celebrity culture. I would agree with this comment, however it must be noted that LaChapelle pioneered this style of photography and it is still effective.

LaChapelle pushes boundaries and is an inspirational artist, more of his work can be found on his website here.

Craig Holden Feinberg

Craig Holden Feinberg is an internationally recognised and award winning graphic designer from America.

He worked on many campaigns for the communications research and development company Fabrica. (See the bottom image which puts emphasis on competition.)

Feinburg's work is very provocative in its approach and certainly grabs the attention of the viewer. It could be said that their is an abundance of designs currently which try and grab the attention of the viewer in the same way, however Feinburg's work is not superficial with meaning and is creative in its approach.

You can find more of his work here.

Daniel Eatock - Thank You Pictures Website

Daniel Eatock is an award winning U.K based graphic designer. I recently came across one of his website projects which members of the public and/or designers could contribute a photographic piece.

Lightning Car: Rudin Swagerman

Siamese Cats: Hoagy Houghton

The contributers use titles that change the context and/or meaning of the photo often in a humourous way. After looking through a selection I thought some were better than others, but the concept overall is pretty interesting and reminds me of the book 'The Art of Looking Sideways' by Alan Fletcher in the method of changing perspectives of things around you by applying a different meaning.

You can find more of the selection on Daniel Eatock website here.

Trainspotting - The Novel

Before seeing the film that has become a cult classic, I decided to read the book. I read a synopsis of the novel and it was apparent that the novel had caused just as much controversy and partial outrage when it was released in the early 90’s.

The novel (which was written by Irvine Walsh) follows the life of heroin addicts in Edinburgh. The issues experienced by the characters in the book are both gripping and shocking.

The book gives an insight into a world that is not often seen by everyday people and provides accounts on a personal level. Looking at the book critically it may be difficult to grasp an essence of the 90’s Scottish drug sub-culture, but this book does conjure up negative images. The novel may have caused controversy, but I think it is important to discuss and acknowledge current and past sub-cultures and issues that we are usually do not think of on a daily basis.

Skyscrapping

I have always been amazed by huge buildings that force your head upwards in astonishment, but building high and tall has been a controversial issue, especially in the U.K.

This is the Renzo Piano's design for London Bridge Tower (dubbed by the press as 'The Shard') which is currently being constructed.

There does seem to be a culturally different attitude to tall buildings. In the U.S. the skyscrappers of Manhattan are home to the rich and famous with aspirations of owning a penthouse in the sky. Whereas in the U.K. the general norm seems to oppose building upwards, in addition tower blocks are often synonymous with poverty and poor social housing.

Renzo Piano came up against many critics when designing London Bridge Tower, but managed to create a design which was inspired by church spires and gently merging into the sky. When the design was nicknamed 'The Shard', it was reversed to became more endearing term; reflecting London's scenery.

Scottish Parliament Buiding

I recently visited the city of Edinburgh. During this visit I took an excursion to the Scottish Parliament building. I was interested in the design of the building, because it was so different from the norm. It is also famous for its ‘eco-friendly’ sustainable architectural approach.

When the building opened first, it received a mixture of responses about the design. The building is probably the most abstract design of a parliament building in the world, with inspiration being taken from many sources including historic paintings.

When I viewed this building it made me think back to my previous post about the Brutalist movement (click here to view) and questioning what is right and wrong in design. Good design evokes a response, and this building certainly does that. Critically another view may-be that good design is democratic, a possible topic to debate.

The Wellcome Collection

I received this flyer whilst out and about in London. I kept hold of it because I liked the use of old type and illustration for medicine. I decided to visit the exhibition (an example of effective advertising). Although the exhibition did not delve into the dynamics of typography in medicine, it did show the importance of design for medicine in the past.

The current exhibition displays anatomical wax works from the 19^th century, which were of great interest to people at the time, and a necessary part of medicine.

Although some of the exhibition was somewhat gruesome (even for today’s standards), it was informative about how science and design were combined to educate.

This is an early-twentiuth century poster from the exhibition educating Spaniards about tuberculosis. It would be interesting to compare this to a modern day swine flu poster. (Collection Family Coolen, Antwerp/Museum Dr Guislain, Ghent, Belgium)

Find out more by visiting the Wellcome Collection website here.

Designing For Climate Change

Designing For Climate is an Australian website that aims to tackle climate change in Australia by encouraging intelligent design.

The website was designed by the design agency ‘Tango’ and was nominated for a Webby award.

In comparison to other ethical websites, the site is quite unique. Its use of interactive visuals and crisp images make the design appealing and easy to use. Conceptually it is strong and consistent with imagery relating to architectural design.

You can view the site by clicking here.

Colgate - Don't Forget!

Here is another extremely effective and clever use of ambient media. Every year Colgate holds events for ‘Oral Health Month’ and hands out free samples. This year instead of handing out free samples of toothpaste and brushes it decided to hand out chocolate ice cream and sweets. Why? You may ask. Well after you finish eating the confectionary a message reminding you not to forget to brush your teeth is revealed.

This message instantly resonates in the mind of the person reminding them of why they brush their teeth. It reminds us that in design it is always the simple messages that are the most effective.

This particular campaign was conducted by the creative agency Y&R in Thailand.

The Hours

‘The Hours’ is a film that follows the life of three women. Each character is connected by the novel ‘Mrs Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf (who is featured as one of the characters).

The film is set over three-time periods (the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries), as a result I thought the film would provide a good insight into understanding whether past issues, trends and culture still apply now.

Suppression, mental health and suicide are just a few of the dark issues covered by the film. It becomes evident that all are concerning issues in current society, but were also throughout history. Most problems caused by social expectations, especially amongst women.

As a man it is difficult for me to understand the suppression felt by women, however I feel this film gives a great insight into the struggle felt by women throughout the past few centuries.

North Kingdom - Coke Zero

The internet is no longer the static environment it used to be. Viral, video and interactive websites have been dominating advertising campaigns. North Kingdom is a design agency based in Sweden, it focuses on digital media and has won a D&AD black pencil for its work.

This website / interactive flash game was a promotion made for Coke Zero. The website brought together the brand values and essence of Coke Zero; aimed at young men. Campaigns like this are effective in drawing users back. Users also tend to email sites like this to friends creating further brand awareness.
You can try out the website by clicking here.

Ambient Advertising – Yellow Pages

In a world where you are bombarded daily with visual stimuli, it has become an increasingly difficult task for advertisers to get their message out to the public. One effective way to make your message stand out from the rest is the use of ambient media.

This particular campaign by Yellow Pages in Canada caught my eye. It was conducted by the agency Cossette Media and was very successful for Yellow Pages; with website hits up 18% and retailers contacting Yellow Pages requesting darts.

It is not the first time ambient media has been used, however I found it fascinating how they effectively merged a concept of pinpointing something on the internet and visually represented it in a non-virtual way.