Thursday 27 December 2012

OUGD504 // Design for print and web // Newspaper inspiration

For the newspaper there will be a info graphic section, for this i have started to look at layouts of infographics and general layouts that i could use within the newspaper too. 

I like the simple round donut info graphic. This is split up by using different colours. The colours are all of the same colour scheme and ones which work together well. The information coming from the info graphic explain what it means and how it displays it.


The above 2 images are from the same publication. You can see the the green colour is consistent across the publication, but not just in the info graphs but used throughout the articles and normal pages too. I like the use of colour and the different tints too. The info graphics are very simple but work well in this context, especially along side the body copy. 







The above 4 images are all form the same publication, but you can tell this by the design style and colours that are repeated throughout the document. The info graphics are very bold and placed well amongst the article itself. I like the bright yellow used throughout the document and this contrasts agains the black. It is very bold as a publication and would defiantly stand out from the rest.

I like how the type and information is taking up the whole half of the DPS and the second half sort of backs up the first fact with more information. The colour and layout of the DPS is good too. 

Bright colours and simple layout make this design work at its best.

This shows a good mix of body copy along with the info graphic. I like the layout and the use of the white illustrations to separate the area where the info graphics are.

I like the contrast of the vibrant red against the more dull grey. The page is laid out well for the amount of information that is shown. 

Using a symbol / image of something from the actual subject works well in this case - Using the leaf as the basis of the info graphic. I also like the colours and stock this is printed on, the format of it is interesting too. 


I love the front cover of this design. It works both as a info graphic as the round sections of the image create the different percentages or amounts of the information. But it also works as a design and image too. 

OUGD504 // Design for print and web // News Stories

When i was looking for research on stress related incidents and ways to overcome this, i came across a couple of news stories about ways to combat this in short length time.

BBC NEWS story on how 3 minutes of exercise a week or day can help keeping you healthy and fit..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17177251
This fits in well with my project and idea and proves that 3 minutes can help.

Another article on the effects of sitting day down all day.
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think

Work related stress story:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/rise-in-hospital-admissions-for-stress-is-blamed-on-the-recession-8126151.html

OUGD504 // Design for print and web // Things to do in 3 minutes

1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy.
If you're on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better...

2. Take a walk outside. 
Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.

3. Reach out. 
Send an e-mail to a friend you haven't seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you'll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. 
Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.

5. Create a more serene environment. 
Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.

6. Do a good deed. 
Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also...

7. Save someone's life. 
Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!

8. Act happy. 
Fake it 'til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you're smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

9. Learn something new. 
Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you "should" or "need to" learn about.

2. turn on upbeat music
3. wipe crumbs off the table
4. take something to another room where it goes
5. reply to an email (one email, don’t get lost in your email inbox)
6. water a plant
7. file a paper
8. empty a trash can
9. check the toilet paper supply
10. wipe spots off a mirror
11. bring empty glasses back to the kitchen
12. put your plate in the dishwasher
13. start the dishwasher
14. cut a loose string off your clothing
15. swish a brush around the toilet bowl
16. hang the towels up off the floor
17. shake out the welcome mat
18. sweep the entryway to your home
19. check your calendar
20. toss the junk mail
21. put your bag by the door so it’s ready to go
22. toss old vegetables from the fridge
23. stack magazines and remove the old ones
24. throw dirty clothes in the laundry basket
25. rinse off the soap dish
26. add a couple things to your grocery list
27. plug in your cell phone to charge it
28. take receipts out of your wallet
29. close drawers and cabinet doors
30. put your shoes away
31. give someone a hug

-make ramen noodles
-boil water
-make toast
-play a song
-listen to a song
-fight someone/something
-brush your dog
-run to your friends house
-swim…for 3 minutes
-say a prayer
-cut down a small tree
-run a mile…really fast
-restring a guitar string
-hold your breath
-have a water drinking contest
-try to eat a handful of cinnamon
-brush your teeth
-make a pot of tea
-put gas in your car
-fold a load of laundry
-sweep the floor
-eat a sandwich
-fill up water balloons
-drink a 2 liter bottle of soda


1. Get a glass of water.
2. Give yourself an eye socket massage.
3. Take a deep breath.
4. Twist again.
5. Smell a flower, orange peel or herb.
6. Pound your thymus.
7. Turn off your computer.


1. Make your bed – This three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness. Trust me it just is!

2. Bring every room back to “ready.” I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to “ready” before you depart it. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

3. Display sentimental items around your home. One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

4. Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal. Before bed, simply jot down one happy memory from that day. (If you have kids, you can ask them, “What was the best part of today?”) Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude. (An added bonus: Later, when your memory is defunct, you will already have all of your meaningful adventures recorded!) If you have trouble getting started with journaling, consider buying a book to guide you. Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is a great one.

5. If you can’t get out of it, get into it. This tip comes from The Happiness Project. I love the message: The dishes are not going to clean themselves, so you will do it, and you will like it! (Unless, of course, you can outsource this job, in which case I say: Nice work!) Otherwise, get into doing the dishes. Feel the soothing warm water on your hands. Enjoy the tickle of the tiny bubbles. Crank your favorite album at an unusually loud volume, do a couple fist-pumps while shouting “Can I get a hell yeah for the dishes? Hell! Yeah!” and pretend you love it.

6. Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day. In The Art of Happiness, the Dali Lama says “”Every day, think as you wake up: today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Wow. What a wise man. I tend to wake up with a strong visceral reaction that says, “Attention human beings: Be afraid of me before coffee. Be very afraid!” Setting a daily intent makes a huge difference. Your daily intent could be something like “be productive” or “enjoy today’s delicious moments” or it could be something more specific like “say thank you to my loved ones today.” But it should not be another “to do” item on your list.

7. Do small favours for your housemates, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!). (That’s right, I said it: nothing!) Mow the lawn for your husband, but don’t expect him to pat you on the back. Make the bed for your wife, but don’t try to get bonus points for it. Take the rubbish out for your roommate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. (No! It’s YOUR turn to clean up the dog poop!) It’s a well-known fact: When you do good, you feel good.

8. Call at least one friend or family member a day. You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk the dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

9. Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home. Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night — something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer barbeque, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don’t forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

10. Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself. Whatever your spiritual beliefs — or non-beliefs — may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realize that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on your annoyance with the those-are-definitely-not-mine-and-they-are-abso-fricking-lutely-repulsive socks under the coffee table. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book… are you feeling better yet?)



-Count to 180.
-Listen to some songs.
-Hand write 93 words. (Average person hand writes 31 words per minute)
-Have an advanced typist type 360 words. (Advanced level is considered at 120 words per minute)
-Download a 21.6 MB file at an average 120k speed.
-Flee from a burning building.
-Find Waldo.
-Boot up a laptop/desktop computer.
-Read and solve a 30-second mystery short story.
-Complete the movement phase in a 1500pt or below game.
-Crop and resize a photo for upload to the sprue database.
-Clip all the parts of a single finecast mini out of its sprues.
-Remove all mold lines on said finecast mini (maybe).
-Watch a YouTube clip (most anyway).
-Listen to a song.
-Ring up and pay for your purchase at a shop.
-Fill a water bottle from a fountain.
-Bait a fishing hook.
-Write a check.
-Dial a phone number and leave a voicemail.
-Floss your teeth.
-Gargle with mouthwash.
-Brush your teeth.


Get the mail.
Drink a beer.
Watch a clock for 3 minutes.
Microwave a burrito.
Eat said burrito.
Get dressed.
Get undressed.
Win a game of tic-tac-toe.
Send a text message.
Urinate.
Brush my teeth.
Install an air filter in your average car or truck.
Read a menu and make up my mind on what I will order.
Fold a paper airplane and fly it.
Tie my shoes.
Peal an orange.
Shave.
Lose interest in a conversation.
Put a basecoat on a Word Bearer
Put a wash on a Word Bearer
Plant a plant
Tie my shoelaces
Read a double page
Switch on the lights
Pet the cat.
Draw a circle.
Read a comic.



Wednesday 26 December 2012

OUGD504 // Design for print and web // Beating anxiety


General
Try these simple things to ease your anxiety.
  1. Exercise. Few things can help relax you more quickly than a bit of vigorous exercise. Whether you kickbox, jog or play a game of tennis, getting your body moving will help reduce endorphins, improving your mood and making you feel better about anything you're worried about.
  2. Meditate. When you feel yourself being overwhelmed with anxiety, try taking a few minutes out of your day to clear your mind of your worries and meditate. If you have trouble doing it alone, try using a guided tape or music designed especially for meditation.
  3. Breathe deeply. Sometimes just concentrating on your breathing can have a calming effect on your state of mind. Count your breaths and concentrate on breathing in and out deeply.
  4. Focus on something else. Fight your anxiety by temporarily shifting your attention to something else unrelated to what you're upset about. You may find that once you're done you feel much better about the situation and are much more relaxed.
  5. Talk to others. Connecting with a friend or family member and sharing your anxieties can be a great way to get insight, advice and to alleviate some of your stress by getting support and understanding.
  6. Clear your mind. When you are feeling stressed out you can have so much going through your mind that it simply seems overwhelming, only adding to you anxiety. Take a few moments to step back and clear your mind of all of it before starting anything else.
  7. Slow down. Give yourself a break and just slow down if you're feeling stressed out. Getting yourself worked up to rush around won't help, so slow down, take a break and let yourself relax.
  8. Don't work yourself up. When you're worried about something it's easy to focus on it and get yourself super worked up so that you just want to break down. Stop yourself if you feel that you're getting yourself riled up, and force yourself to calm down and look at things rationally.
  9. Let the past go. If you're feeling bad about things that have already happened, take a moment to realize that there's nothing you can do to change these things now. Take steps to begin letting the past go and making positive choices for the future.
  10. Count to ten. Sometimes anxiety can take over and make you feel out of control. Take back control by counting to ten, breathing deeply and concentrating on calming down.
  11. Be optimistic. No matter what you're feeling anxious about, you can help make yourself feel better by taking an optimistic view of things rather than focusing on all the things that could go wrong.
  12. Learn to let go of control. Even the most carefully planned events in life can take unexpected turns. Sometimes the only cure for anxiety caused by these things is to simply give up control and let someone else take over.
  13. Look at the big picture. Sometimes things that don't really matter in the long run can get you all worked up in the present. Remind yourself of how your worries will fit into the larger picture of things and it may give you some perspective.
  14. Face it head on. If nothing else works, just try facing your worries head on. Many times, things will be easier, better or simpler than you had anticipated and your worries will have been unfounded.
Diet and Supplements
These tips can help you make some changes or additions to your diet to minimize your anxiety.
  1. Limit your intake of caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and can add to any existing anxiety and make you feel worse than you would otherwise. If you're stressed, avoid drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages.
  2. Try lavender oil. Some people believe that the smell of lavender has a calming effect. Try lighting a candle or putting some lavender oil on your skin or in a bath to help you relax.
  3. Make a cup of tea. Tea, especially green and black teas, contain theanine which is purported to have a calming effect on the mind and body. So boil some water and make yourself some tea to relax.
  4. Cook yourself a meal. Getting involved in the process of preparing, cooking, and eating a meal can be a great distractions from a number of stresses. If you're really feeling down, try making your favorite meals or comfort foods.
  5. Have a snack. Some studies have suggested that low blood sugar can be a major contributor to anxiety. Make sure your body is running on a full tank by having a healthy snack.
  6. Consider herbal supplements.If you're into natural remedies you may want to consider taking some herbal supplements like valerian root, L-theanine, and passion flower.
  7. Have some milk. The age old remedy of having a warm glass of milk to relax may actually work. Milk contains tryptophan which can help settle you down and make you sleepy.
  8. Enjoy pesto for dinner. Basil has shown to be a very calming herb, so what better way to get your fill of basil than by making a pesto?
  9. Indulge in chocolate. Eating a small amount of high quality dark chocolate may help you to relax and will help indulge your chocolate cravings as well.
  10. Chew on mints. Mint can help with lowering feelings of anger and nervousness, so have a mint or add fresh herbs to dinner to feel better and smell fresher.
At Home
For stresses at home, give these suggestions a try.
  1. Light a scented candle. Certain scents can have a calming effect on your state of mind. Try a candle scented with lavender or a another smell like chocolate or baking cookies that may help you relax.
  2. Indulge yourself. Whether you enjoy a glass of fine wine or soaking in a long bubble bath, take time to indulge in some simple pleasures to soothe your anxieties.
  3. Take a shower or bath. The hot water and relaxing sensation of a shower or bath can help wash away your anxieties and help you feel better.
  4. Get a massage. Seek out a professional or get your spouse to give you a massage. It can help relieve some of the physical and mental symptoms of stress.
  5. Do something you enjoy. If you love to browse bookstores or take long walks in the park, take some time out of your day to do these things. You'll have fun and spend some time away from your worries.
  6. Work at some simple chores. Doing some work around the house like sweeping, washing the dishes or gardening in the yard can be a great way to relieve stress, get things done and ease your mind.
  7. Lay down. One way to get your anxiety under control is to take a short nap. Sleep will relax you and give you a chance to take your mind off of things.
  8. Watch a funny movie or comedy routine. Laughter really can be the best medicine sometimes, especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Pop your favorite movie into the DVD player or turn on Comedy Central to have a few laughs and forget your troubles.
  9. Write in a journal. If you can't find someone to talk to or just want to privately vent, try writing in a journal. It can be a great way to organize your thoughts and get your bottled up emotions out.
  10. Do some yoga. Yoga can help both your mind and body by helping you stretch your muscles and concentrating on your breathing.
  11. Go for a jog. Jogging can help you get some exercise which will relax you and will get you outside in the sunlight and fresh air.
  12. Research your problems. If you just can't get your mind off of your troubles, trying researching how you can work around them, overcome them or deal with them through books, the internet and chatting with others.
  13. Read a book. Try picking up a book to help you escape to another place and concentrate on a fictional character's problems rather than your own.
  14. Spend time with a pet. Playing with, walking or just enjoying the company of a pet can be a great way to relax. The love and affection pets provide can be a great stress reliever, and you'll get to spend time with something you love.
At Work
Work can be a stressful environment, but you don't have to suffer from constant anxiety with these suggestions.
  1. Take a break. While it may seem counterintuitive when you're stressed out at work, taking a break can have a beneficial effect on your mental state. Take a few minutes to get away from your desk and the source of your stress.
  2. Go outside. Sunlight is a natural mood booster, so getting outside and away from your desk can be a great way to lift your spirits.
  3. Take a walk. Getting a little exercise and even getting outside of your cubicle can really help alleviate stressful situations. Walk around your office, take a trip to get a drink or anything else that will give you space and room to think.
  4. Create a plan of attack. When you're faced with an overwhelming and anxiety-inducing situation, you can help yourself by working to create a way to deal with the situation. Sit down and write out how you plan to get through it, step by step.
  5. Avoid coworkers who may make it worse. Some people just love to feed the flames of stressful situations. If you have a coworker like this, make sure you steer clear of them until you've had a chance to calm down.
  6. Put on some relaxing music. If you're sitting at your desk, put on some headphones and let yourself be relaxed by your favorite tunes.
  7. Step back. Sometimes situations seem impossible to deal with at first. Give yourself some time and space to step back from the situation to view it objectively so you can figure out how to deal with it and calm down to think clearly.
  8. Don't rush. Even if you have a million things to do at work that are stressing you out, rushing won't help: it can actually make you even more stressed. Slow down and do your work right the first time so you won't have to go back and fix errors you made from rushing.
  9. Ask for help. If you really just have too much on your plate at work don't be afraid to ask your coworkers for help. Projects have to get done one way or another and it can help to get things done as a team rather than having all the stress just on you.
  10. Read something funny. Take a break from your work to have a laugh. Laughter can help alleviate all the stress that's causing your anxiety.
  11. Talk to your coworkers. Getting your feelings out to someone you work with may help you find new ways to cope, create solutions or just help you relax.
  12. Talk yourself through a situation. Believe in yourself and know that you can get through a situation, and you're likely to be much less stressed. Give yourself a pep talk and talk your way through anything you need to do to help reduce your anxiety.

OUGD504 // Design for print and web // Newspaper club

As the one of the products i am going to be creating is a newspaper, i have looked into using the newspaper club to print this element.
Looking through the website gave me measurements and pricing for what i wanted to create. I also have found out the latest i can order it for it to come in time for the final crit. Which I think is important, so i can show it to get feedback on.



Thursday 13 December 2012

OUGD501 // Lecture 9 // Identity

Summary

To introduce historical conceptions of identity
To introduce Foucault’s ‘discourse’ methodology 
To place and critique contemporary practice within these frameworks, and to consider their validity
To consider ‘postmodern’ theories of identity as ‘fluid’ and ‘constructed’ (in particular Zygmunt Bauman)
To consider identity today, especially in the digital domain

Theories of identity

ESSENTIALISM (traditional approach)
Our biological make up makes us who we are. 
We all have an inner essence that makes us who we are.
POST MODERN THEORISTS DISAGREE
Post-Modern theorists are ANTI-ESSENTIALIST (more of this later …)



born a certain way - makes us who we are - stereotypes are made from this. 
identity can be fluid and constructive


Phrenology - fact science. idea that it is an ideal make up. essentialist view point - perfect ratio of brain make up - right make up will have a well balanced identity.  
Criminal tendencies can be made from having one element more than another.

Physiognomy - intelligence according to the angle of your face. 

anglo teutonic is superior. 

Superman - Nazi german ideas of the perfect man being blue eyed with blonde hair.

Hieronymous Bosch (1450 - 1516) 
Christ carrying the Cross, Oil on panel, c. 1515



Facial characteristics - legitimates anti Semiticsm.

His version of the Holy Virgin Mary - Using logical ideas. Giving Mary blck features as Jesus was not a perfect blonde and blue eyed human.
Image was withdrawn from New York galleries as hey believed it was wrong to show Mary as not a European woman. 


Histroical Phases of identity

Douglas Kellner – Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and 
Politics between the Modern and the Postmodern, 1992

pre modern identity – personal identity is stable – defined by long standing roles
Modern identity – modern societies begin to offer a wider range of social roles. Possibility to start ‘choosing’ your identity, rather than simply being born into it. People start to ‘worry’ about who they are
Post-modern identity – accepts a ‘fragmented ‘self’. Identity is constructed

Pre modern Identity

Institutions determined identity

Marriage, The Church, monarchy, 
Government, the State, Work



‘Secure’ identities
Farm-worker - landed gentry
The Soldier  -The state    
The Factory Worker - Industrial capitalism
The Housewife - patriarchy
The Gentleman - patriarchy 
Husband-Wife (family) - Marriage/church



Modern identity
19th and early 20th centuries

Charles Baudelaire – The Painter of Modern Life (1863)

Thorstein Veblen – Theory of the Leisure Class (1899)

Georg Simmel – The Metropolis and Mental Life (1903




Baudelaire – introduces 
concept of the ‘flaneur’ 
(gentleman-stroller)

Veblen – ‘Conspicuous 
consumption of valuable 
goods is a means of 
reputability to the 
gentleman of leisure’




Lower classes aspire to move up social class and start to wear clothing which mimics that of the upper class. The upper class always looks for new things to wear to stop the bridges of the gap.



 ‘The feeling of isolation is rarely as decisive and intense when one actually finds oneself physically alone, as when one is a stranger without relations, among many physically close persons, at a party, on the train, or in the traffic of a large city’ 

Makes the point that showing off is actually an alienating way of life...

Simmel suggests that:
because of the speed and mutability of 
modernity, individuals withdraw into 
themselves to find peace 

He describes this as 
‘the separation of the subjective from the 
objective life’


Post Modern Identity


‘… a set of recurring statements that define a particular cultural ‘object’ (e.g., madness, criminality, sexuality) and provide concepts and terms through which such an object can be studied and discussed.’ Cavallaro, (2001)

Possible discourses

Age
Class
Gender
Nationality
Race/ethnicity
Sexual orientation
Education
Income
Etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.,

Discourses to be considered:
Class
Nationality
Race/ethnicity
Gender and sexuality

Race and Gender are often being known as "the otherness"  



Class
To identify other peoples identity you need to be aware of your own


Looking how "the other half' live.
Typical representation of what a nothern pub might look like if your a southerner.

Making a loaded statement that the people up north may be cultured bu no one goes to the theaters to see the culture.  

Showing what his perception of identity is.




“Society” …reminds one of a particularly shrewd, 
cunning and pokerfaced player in the game of life, 
cheating if given a chance, flouting rules whenever 
possible

Are these people at the ascot actually high society ? Is it making a social comment about class ?



Nationality 







You can have New york, Paris etc. 73% of Americans don't have passports.


‘I didn’t like Europe as much as I liked Disney World.  At 
Disney World all the countries are much closer together, and 
they just show you the best of each country.  Europe is more 
boring.  People talk strange languages and things are dirty. 
Sometimes you don’t see anything interesting in Europe for 
days, but at Disney World something different happens all the 
time, and people are happy.  It’s much more fun.  It’s well 
designed!’

Do you need a national or cultural identity if you can put it all in one place?




Race / Ethnicity 

Chris Ofili
An artist that bases his work on his ethnicity and race.

Draws using raster colours and references Bob Marley 

Uses elephant dung to display his work. Possibly trying to show how a white person sees a black person.

Captain Shit - what he believes a black person superhero would be called in a marvel comic.



 Is this making a statement about black people ?
Does he use symbols which show power between black and white.



Emily Bates, Textile Designer/Artist

Talks about how she spent her teenage years getting called 'ginger'




‘Hair has been a big issue throughout my life… It often felt that I was 
nothing more than my hair in other peoples’ eyes’


Gender & Sexuality


The idea that male fashion designers are homosexuals.



Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Stills, 1977 - 80

Poses her self like film stills.
The idea of Masquerade and how you can hide away behind fashion.

Artists tend to be men and if you are a woman you are named a 'woman artist" which draws attention to the difference.



Tracey Emin, Everyone I have ever slept with
Contains grandparents and siblings not only people she has had sex with.




Germain Gereir writes about Sam Taylor-wood  saying that women need to do deal with their own sexuality to become a female artist.

Wonderbra

Is the advertisement making a point that women with large breats are stupid and can not cook?



Post modern theory
Identity is constructed through our social experience.
Erving Goffman The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959)
Goffman saw life as ‘theatre’, made up of ‘encounters’ and ‘performances’ 
For Goffman the self is a series of facades 

Zygmunt Bauman

‘Yes, indeed, “identity” is revealed to us only as something to be invented rather than discovered; as a target of an effort, “an objective”

Argues that it is something you can strive for now. It doesn't matter where you were born or how you were born.  





Gillian Wearing, from Signs that say what you want them to say
and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say, 1992 - 3

‘We use art, architecture, literature, and the rest, and advertising as well, to 
shield ourselves, in advance of experience, from the stark and plain reality in 
which we are fated to live’.




Rene Descartes 
(1596 – 1650), 
Enlightenment 
Philosopher:
‘I think therefore I am’ (Discourse on Method, 1637)






“The typical cultural spectator of
postmodernity is viewed as a largely home
centred and increasingly solitary player who,
via various forms of ‘telemediation’ (stereos,
game consoles, videos and televisions),
revels in a domesticated (i.e. private and
tamed) ‘world at a distance’”



“If I put up a flattering picture of myself with a list of my
favourite things, I can construct an artificial representation
of who I am in order to get sex or approval.  (‘I like
Facebook,’ said another friend.  ‘I got a shag out of it’)”

Tom Hodgkinson (2008), ‘With friends like these …’, Guardian, 14/01/08


“The notion ‘you are who you pretend to be’ has a mythic
resonance.  The Pygmalion story endures because it
speaks to a powerful fantasy: that we are not limited by our
histories, that we can be recreated or can recreate
ourselves... Virtual worlds provide environments for 
experiences that may be hard to come by in the real”

Sherry Turkle (1994), Constructions and Reconstructions of the Self in Virtual Reality

‘In the brave new world of fleeting chances and frail 
securities, the old-style stiff and non-negotiable identities 
simply won’t do’

Bauman (2004), Identity, page 27





Two people who married after second life and he married someone else while on the game

BBC2 documentary - online adultery and cyber space love.

People look nothing like they perceive online, so it always end up being a tragic relationship.  






Sunday 9 December 2012

OUGD503 // Fedrigoni // GFSmith - Colorplan

After GFSmith did a visit and talk to the studio on Friday, i have looked into them more. They showed some of the products they have to promote their papers within the talk. The colorplan playbook stood out to me a lot. Not only did i think about this brief which it generates great ideas for, but in general i loved the idea and how it put together with the use of the papers. It really does show of the papers to a great standard and the publication is very good. The binding method used is very innovative and works with whole idea of the publication. 



The bind here ties both publications together, you can only get either of the publication when the opposite side in fully opened, it is a really clever idea and works well in this instance. Also the reduction of any binding method is good for a high number job run. 








The die cut shapes work well on these pages within the publication, being able to see the stock below on the same pages bring the interactivity back into the publication and makes it more fun. I think if i was to include something like this into my own publication i want to show more than just the stock below it, maybe cut each page different to show it through the shape. 

This publication is my favourite, the idea of cutting the pages at an angle works with being able to see the pages within the publication, this works in a way to show the different stock and colour within the publication and showing how they can interact with each other. This shape of the pages is very striking and gives the publication a strong visible aesthetic. I think using this idea within my own publication would be great, but i would want to use a different shape for different sections and ranges of paper.