Heskett 7-8

Chapter 7 discusses the use of symbols and trends to communicate from one culture to another and how they can also be used to fulfill an individuals identity and happiness. He talks about how advertisements influence individuals to alter their appearances, flags and currency can make a nation feel "cool" or independent. With all of these life and business styles comes disagreements between cultures which is natural. However I am interested in Gillette's approach to simplicity for the global market.
Chapter 8 made me think about my uncle who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. He now drives a car and lives on his own but over the years, teaching him and observing his learning and interpretation style and how some things could be made clearer, maybe not to normally functioning individuals but to others who are lacking in other developmental departments.

Designing for Accessibility

I really connected with the topic today concerning designing for the population with limited accessibility to the world. This connection was made because I was in a car accident that left my right leg in a cast from crotch to toe for about 4 months. The injuries I sustained made mobility impossible without a a friend and a wheelchair for about 6 months then transitioning to a walker or set of crutches. I did go out into the world throughout the entire experience so I really gained perspective on how a permanent handicap changes a life.

My dad used to take me to the movies every weekend but I always had to sit on the bottom row. It was uncomfortable on my neck and there wasn't adequate room for my casted leg. I also went to a theatre to see Carrot Top and I had to pull my wheelchair into a handicapped spot on the very end of the row we had tickets for, and luckily my friends and family were able to switch seats with the people at the end seats. I also noticed small details such as inclines in parking lots and sidewalks, where I could gain a lot of speed in a short amount of time, possibly becoming a hazard. Also, entrances off the beaten track can be an easy target for an attack of a person with limited mobility.

Watching the wheelchair video was pretty awesome because I had seen it before and kind of forgot about it. It was a great way to get minds thinking about how difficult it is for certain people to execute and enjoy the simplest of tasks. If I had that wheelchair, I could've gone into my room, and a plethora of other destinations during my experience in a wheelchair.

Nationally, a lot of effort has been made to accommodate for all kinds of handicaps but there are still a lot of things that can be tweaked to integrate all walks of life and help others better understand the rest of the population.

Face, Face, Face, Beauty Face

Part of a rafter system in a basement

 

Heskett 4-6

Personally, chapter 4 is the most interesting content thus far. I find that I learn through a little bit of each medium. But I really enjoy hands on learning above all. Having the opportunity to handle tangible objects while being able to examine them visually and use any other senses. Fashion is a huge aspect where multiple aesthetics are utilized and that also dictates the trends and cars for that instance, how you feel the seats, steering wheel, and curvature of the body. Also computers and furniture, just about anything in the market. And as chapter 4 concludes, making quality and innovative products that attract the population will lead to success, sometimes without much marketing.

Being a communications major, I am very familiar with the workings of typeface. I agree that typeface is just as important as the objects themselves. Many would look past objects if not for the signage around them. Digital workings have evolved the typeface market, giving designers unlimited options. Signs and text are equally important for public areas because without them the population would be lost.

It is interesting to compare different cultures and how they use their environments and design capabilities. This is reflected through homes, infrastructure, and marketplaces. Equally as interesting is the number of people who design themselves compared to those who hire others for insight and how they wish to utilize a space. When its all said and done, we all use aspects of eachothers' designs and ideas but execute them in a variety of ways.

IDEO

The systems used for evoking and completing the design process were very interesting to me. I had never been exposed to any kind of mechanic for design, but on the other hand I have for writing, which I use every time I prepare a paper.
Initially, I was unsure at first how beneficial the processes might be before we watched the video about IDEO. It was amazing to watch a group of people with so many ideas being able to use these systems and processes to organize all the thoughts and notes to produce very realistic, versatile, and unique designs.
I am looking forward to implementing and trying out the design process on some future projects I tackle or begin and how each one might work better for me as an individual or as part of a team.

Survey Results

This survey was conducted to find which seasons individuals prefer. I only surveyed individuals from Ohio. The participants' ages ranged from 20 to 50. Most chose seasons because they enjoy some sort of activity or sport during that season such as snowboarding, soccer, going to the beach, gardening, etc. 

Designer Investigation

Frank Shepard Fairey

If you don't know him by name, you will absolutely know him for his creations. Notably the red, white, and blue prints of a focused Barack Obama that appeared during the last Presidential campaign.

Frank Shepard Fairey, better known as Shepard Fairey, was born in early 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina. After attending a number of college preparatory schools, Shepard chose the Rhode Island School of Design to obtain a Bachelors in Illustration. It was there where Fairey's skill in silkscreen printing and design developed. He used stickers, stencils, and t-shirts to boost his first most popular campaign in 1989, Obey Giant, featuring wrestling great, Andre the Giant and slogans such as "this is your god", which became an underground street-art phenomena. He continued designing stickers, t-shirts, and skateboards and the like through Alternate Graphics, a business he launched in 1992.

Following the success of Obey Giant, a clothing line under the name Obey has been launched and produced by Fairey. He has also done work with PepsiCo, Red Bull, Saks Fifth Avenue, and created pieces featuring the Black Panther party, anti-Bush propaganda while displaying murals, sketches, and prints in galleries around the world. The Obama project Shepard created originally read "progress" under the portrait, but the campaign leaders and the Associated Press preferred "hope" or "change". Fairey also commented during his interview with Iggy Pop on his inspiration for the project saying, "This isn't about me augmenting my existing brand of pissed-off rebellion. This is about my daughters' future." However, the Obama poster has not only brought Fairey success but also a fair amount of problems. Individuals have criticized him for supporting Obama, creating a not-so-controversial political poster, copying Robert Rauschenberg's "Retroactive 1", and possibly committing copyright infringement. Fairey is fighting back, filing suit before the AP had a chance to react. He's claiming that the photo is fair use because the photographer, Mannie Gracia, was working freelance for the AP. Fairey does support ownership laws and can admit when he's wrong. Shepard just plead guilty in Boston on vandalism charges for slapping artwork on 35 legal and illegal building facades including City Hall. Nonetheless, I foresee Fairey continuing his passion and keeping society on its toes for many years to come.

Fairey posting Obey Giant propaganda

 Obey mural

Cartwright, Lisa, Stephen Mandiberg. "Obama and Shepard Fairey: The Copy and Political Iconography in the the Age of Demake." Journal of Visual Culture 8. 2 (2009): 172-176.

Fairey, Shepard. Interview with Iggy Pop. Interview Magazine. 

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/shepard-fairey/

Peter Arnell, The Man, The Legend

Peter Arnell

Arnell's vision for Tropicana

The Peapod

- Born and raised in Brooklyn

- Received a high school education

- Lost 250 pounds in 30 months

- Has a trademark style of wearing suits and Corbusier style glasses

- Has been called a phony and insane

- Swears a lot

- Eats a ton of oranges

- Asks the public for feedback

- Launched and owns the Arnell Group

- The mind behind the failed Tropicana campaign

- Uses a lot of photography/takes a lot of photos

- Worked for DKNY, PepsiCo, New York Fire Department, Samsung, Fontainebleau hotels

- Recently designed a car, known as the Peapod

- Incorporated his initials in the name; PEApod

- Known for hitting employees, forcing them to do push ups as punishment

- Has three children with wife Sara, who is the chief strategy officer at the Arnell Group

Lyons, Daniel. "Mad Man." March 2009. http://www.newsweek.com/2009/03/27/mad-man.html

Frank Lloyd Wright

Choosing Frank Lloyd Wright was a immediate decision because I visited the Guggenheim over winter break. I flipped through some books while visiting the gift shop and was delighted to learn Wright was the mastermind behind it. I have also always admired Falling Water, a home called "one of the greatest architectural triumphs of the 20th century, located in Bear Run, Pennsylvania. The home belonged to the Kaufmann family, owners of Kaufmann department stores in PIttsburgh. These are the two most recognized designs by Wright which enticed me to explore more of his life and work.

Frank Lloyd Wright is a Wisconsin native, born in 1867. He grew up to study civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin followed by a seven year career at Dankmar Adler and Louis H. Sullivan office in Chicago. 

Wright is known for his work designing residences. Frank also made a mark as an architect by developing the prairie style. This can described as displaying "low horizontal lines and strongly projecting eaves". Wright also embraced open, spacial floor plans and the use of concrete for more than a simple floor.

His creations have been erected in San Francisco, New York City, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Chicago, and Japan. Not only did Wright have a talent for architecture and design, he was also a published writer and lecturer. Among his text is an autobiography, released in 1977.

Frank Lloyd Wright is interesting to me because he looked outside of the box. He was more concerned how the structure would fit into nature than solely satisfaction from the client. He considered sustainability in his work and that is a concept I believe is very important. I simply enjoy his style of architecture and outlook on design.

  Falling Water

Guggenheim Museum 

Falling Water. 2011. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy .http://www.fallingwater.org

Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition 7/1/2010

Chapters One-Through-Three

Chapters 1-3 in Design: A Very Short Introduction reiterated my thoughts and deductions from the first course reflection. I have a lot to learn about design and its technicalities, purpose, and process. I'm really looking forward the course and text opening my eyes to how integral design is in everyday life. That is part of why I chose patterns that had been around me for awhile but I had never looked at much further than being a "thing". In the third chapter Heskett mentions how certain items are often transformed somehow to cater to a specific culture which caused my brain to rehash back to my international business course where we analyzed and compared different ads and words in different places and how they might affect another culture. Such as the American car, the Chevy Nova, but in the Latin market it wouldn't sell because it translates "no go". Very interesting.

History of Design

I wasn't physically present in class but I looked over the powerpoint for the day and thought about it. I especially liked the concept of art being motivated by oneself and design being motivated for others. I never really thought about art and design systematically, only simply the act of designing or creating art.
The Industrial Revolution is a very important era of design. Urbanization demands evolution of the environment to accommodate it's population. But now the population has extra cash and an evolving aesthetic, designers really got to go to the extreme and create toilets, chairs, trains, and telephones for others and on a larger scale due to machinery. Also the ability to manipulate natural materials like steel and glass more easily really put a new edge and appeal to design.

I'm Just Part of One Big Pattern

1.

This is a piece my roommate is working on. I really love it for the colors and the repetition of the moose. I also like how each new color sneaks through the previous. It is acrylic on canvas. It is in our art cave in the basement.

2.

MC Escher 

I have always been very intrigued by Escher's creations. I found this image online. I like the soft color usage in this piece and the beach theme. And as in every Escher piece, there is a multitude of ways to view it. I was watching Jeopardy and Escher was the answer to a question, so I figured I should include him in this project.

3.

This is the new Utrecht catalog that was delivered to my house! I was drawn to it because of the colors and overlapping. I also like the imperfection of torn edges and uneven watercolor finish.

4.

This masterpiece is in my living room. I was walking through the house and noticed how tacky they looked so I organized them. And now they are a pattern not only in repetition of the objects themselves but in they way they are positioned. I was drawn to them because I wanted to clean up my house.

 5.

This is the luggage I have been using to travel. I was still unpacking, thinking about the tasks I needed to work on. Upon closing the suitcase I noticed the pattern that makes me think of a middle aged mother, but I like it. 

 6.

This parasol came from my visit to San Francisco. I didn't choose this for it's pretty print on the top but for it's construction. The spindles are so precise in their positioning, creating a delicate yet sturdy tool. I also am drawn to this because of the unusual curvature of the edge.

 7.

I was rummaging through the closets in my house and stumbled upon this amazing quilt. I love the bold colors mingling with the pastel tones. I also love the geometric pattern and the illusion of multiple dimensions.

 8.

I was immediately attracted to this, even though it wasn't what i was looking for. I came across it on MorgueFile.com while I was looking for images to use for my internship. It reminds me of the patterns my grandma and i would use for making pillows. I like the dainty and traditional details. We both love florals and I love birds.

9.

I was in my mythology course, being all philosophical and such. I noticed a few patterns around the room but this one was the most captivating. There are so many pieces to the pattern. The doors, stairs, exit signs, lighting. I didn't capture it exactly how I would've liked but I still wanted to include it.

10.

Peter in a sweater! I bought this sweater for my IG/Min Pin mix, Pete. I love the rich colors and simple pattern. I also like the geometric quality. Also, if you look closely, the knitting itself creates a pattern of hooks and lines. This picture was taken in my kitchen, where he was too excited and enticed by food to stand still.  

Reflecting on Design & Emotion

Reading "The Power of Nostalgia in Advertising" was very interesting and thought provoking. It addresses the use of familiar music and imagery being used as a marketing tool. Dr. Bob Deutsch discusses how imagery and audio cues can be used to evoke positive emotions and memories, causing thoughts of youthfulness and what was. Dr. Deutsch makes an interesting point that many of these cues don't relate to the product at all. He mentioned how individuals who were 23 in 1964, when The Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, are now 70 years old and a prime target for this nostalgic marketing. I am curious to see how advertisers may use The Beatles in relation to products.
Humans react to multitudes of cues without any thought or realization. The mind is such a beautiful, complex machine which really fascinates me. While reading the article, I reacted to many of the words and topics I read and rehashed certain times of my life and remembered other cues, creating a spider web of thoughts and memories. This simply confirms the information discussed in the article. The article is also important to me because I am interested in advertising and I am a communications major.

http://www.design-emotion.com/2010/01/25/the-power-of-nostalgia-in-advertising/

Why am I here?

SO many reasons why I enrolled myself into Design 200! Firstly, I enjoy experiencing art and designs of all kinds including art, fashion, landscaping, and architecture. My interest in design definitely comes from a natural knack and appreciation for colors, shapes, and patterns. Design is my chosen minor and by taking these classes I will interpret and execute design in a different way; in a more professional and mathematical way. What excites me most about the course is the use of blogs for journaling and posting various media. The playing cards are also very intriguing. Overall, this is the course I'm most excited about this quarter. I have no reservations!

Who am I and what am I about? Heres a tiny glimpse.

I am Sarah Natalie Jerels. I'm from Mansfield, Ohio which is just about an hour north of Columbus. I'm an only child and my parents divorced when I was about a year old. My mom is adopted so I don't know very much about her heritage but my father is Apache and Swiss. I have the best family. I am the proud parent of a loving, adorable, four-legged boy named Pete Rock. He is half Italian Greyhound and half Min Pin. We frequent the parks around Columbus and we love the outdoors. If you're ever near Mansfield you should definitely visit Mohican State Park.
I've been living in Columbus since I graduated high school in 2007. I'm content here for the time being but I really feel the itch to move. I love traveling, even if its an unknown, unheard of destination. I have been to many of the states in the US but not enough. Over winter break I visited both Pittsburgh and New York City for the first time and loved it! I have also visited many of the Caribbean islands and a handful of European nations as well.
I have an associates of arts from Columbus State and I'm almost finished with my Bachelors in Communications with a minor in design. It took me a long time to decide this major. I simply want to do everything. I want to be an art therapist, engineer, sociologist, CEO, writer, scientist, translator, and the list goes on and on.
I'm a Sagittarius; a fire sign and lost constellation. I share my birthday (December 14th) with Nostradamus and Tycho Brahe. I like my martinis very dirty and shaken not stirred. I cook about 85% of what I consume. I LOVE working with pastels. I've been on a hot air balloon ride. I prefer vinyl music. And, as mentioned in class, I have no patella and a titanium rod and screw in my right leg. Anything else you may be curious about - please inquire!

Blog, blog, blog!

Writing my first entry in Derby Hall, listening to a class learn about blogging! Word of the day: BLOG!