So it was my 22nd birthday at the weekend, or as I like to say 21 and a year! With it came a night to the theatre, a girlie night out on the town and a lovely meal with the family. Its fair to say I was a little spoilt this year, receiving nice presents from my family and friends. But today I got a surprise present, Sophie brought me in some homemade cakes (which are absolutely delicious!).
Now don't get me wrong I do like the odd expensive present but what I really liked about Sophie's gift (apart from the fact they are gooey and chocolatey) is that she took time out of her day to make them for me. I think it can be really easy to nip to the shop for a bottle of wine (which I wouldn't be disappointed with) but its nice to know that a time, effort and thought went into this homemade treat. Thanks again!
I will have to get improving my baking skills in time for Sophie's next birthday!
Last Friday I went to see the Sound of Music at Edinburgh Playhouse with my friend Gillian (I should really thank her mum for getting the good seats!). Even though I have seen the film version I didn't know what to expect from the play. However I really enjoyed it and even joined in with some of the songs (doe a deer, a female deer ...).
I don't often go to the theatre but I do like the experience. On entering the playhouse you are greeted with grand decoration and well mannered staff. The old red velvet chairs in the theatre as well as the dim lighting creates a very different feel to what you would get at your local cinema. I even like the fact you can purchase a tiny little pot of ice cream for a ridiculous price at the interval.
I think the theatre is often associated with an older audience, perhaps even considered a little posh. So it was good to see a wide range of age groups in the audience. Not just children being dragged along by their parents, but groups of young adults making it a social outing. I would definately go again, but next time I would maybe have to book the cheaper seats!
Friday's lecture was given by David Townson, who used to be the programme leader for Innovative Product Design at Dundee and now runs his own consultancy. He gave us an insight into his career, where he started and how he ended up with his own consultancy.
I got the impression that his job requires a lot of thinking, investigation and research. All this knowledge is combined to create services which meet the public's needs, and more importantly that they are effective in doing so. It was interesting to hear about some projects David had worked on including work for Orange, where an online community was set up so colleagues could discuss ideas with one and other. Another example was a community project whereby the public were encouraged to car share. Even though these projects differ they both required thorough investigation in order to develop the best solution.
For the follow up work to this lecture we were asked to think about the different types of 'services that we use.' The list is endless, most people will use everything from public transport, refuse collection to the cantina in DoJ. I suppose it is quite easy to forget that these services have to be designed. Before you even get on a bus you need to know where to go to get it as well as knowing what time it arrives. A ticket has to be purchased on entering the bus, u then take a seat, maybe even ring the bell before you get off. This was all designed with the public in mind.
In order for these services 'to keep you' they have to be effective. Would you continue going to the cantina if it provided a bad service? If the bus timetable wasn't easy to understand people would take other forms of public transport? Even though we need these services, the services need to be well designed or people wouldn't use them.
I think some of the considerations service designers will have to make can be applied to all areas of design. As designers we have to consider who the target audience is and what they need. A brief for a teenage boy would vary from one aimed at middle aged women. It is easy to forget what you want, and how you think a product should be designed. Sometimes we have to take a step back and see the bigger picture.
For one of this semesters projects we have been asked to think up a new app for the iPhone! This task proved just a little difficult as according to Apples website, there are over 100,000 apps already available. So needless to say every time I thought of a 'unique' idea I was disappointed to learn that it already exists. So after consulting my friends, and receiving some very weird ideas, some of which I don't think would be allowed to be produced, I got my thinking cap back on.
I finally came up with the idea to create a D.I.Y app .... for girls! Now for all of you that think I am making out that girls don't know how to do simple D.I.Y tasks then you are kind of right. I am not being sexist at all but when it comes down to unblocking the drain or hanging a picture it is usually the men in our lives that take on these tasks. So I thought why not design an application that is aimed at girls.
I have decided to base the design of my app on heat magazine, a common purchase for many girls. The reason I chose this magazine is because it has a very recognizable design; everything from its layout, use of typography and choice of colour. The idea is to incorporate the design of heat magazine into a manual outlining how to complete common D.I.Y tasks.
Even though this app isn't being created for real, I would like to know whether you think it would work effectively? Would a familiar/ fun layout make the task less scary and therefore easier to carry out? Do you think by using a similar layout, to heat magazine, it would engage the audience more than a standard manual?
I met up with Samantha today to discuss our findings, and was really surprised by how much she knew about me!
From one photograph of my room in halls she managed to tell a lot about me. She writes:
'Little clutter: suggests little material possessions/ goes home regularly, little need for a lot of things at uni? Maybe lives close to Dundee? Influenced by the tidy, little clutter look at home? Tidy: practical, organized - work books neatly laid out, neat, conscientious' ... 'themepark photo: likes theme parks, adventurous, fun,daring. Water bottles: healthy, goes to the gym? Refills them - environmentally conscious, recycles? CD Player/Radio: Likes listening to music, perhaps whilst working.'
Just to confirm how accurate Samantha is I go home every weekend because I only live 30 minutes away. My mum is a complete neat freak and it has rubbed off on me a little! I try to be as organized as possible and often write myself lists of things to do. I love going to theme parks and enjoy thrill seeking activities. The water bottles do get refilled, and I do go to the gym on a regular basis. And as I write this I am listening to the radio! So its fair to say I was a little freaked out by how much one photograph can say about me!
There was nothing that Samantha got completely wrong, some things were slightly inaccurate but on a whole she figured me out. To be honest I didn't expect her to figure out these things about me, so when I read her findings I was amazed. I didn't feel uncomfortable in anyway, but didn't realise that my possessions reflected my personality as much as they do.
So how did I do?
There were some things that I guessed right and others that I didn't expect to get wrong. For instance I had written that I thought Samantha was athletic, sporty and perhaps a member of a University club. She confirmed to me today that she does enjoy fitness and is part of the University hockey team.
In one of the photographs there was a piano, and I mentioned that I thought she may have learned to play an instrument when she was younger. And indeed she did! I got a few other things correct, like the fact her mum loved gardening, that her house is now more modern and that she does enjoy to read novels.
However there was one thing I got wrong, which surprised me. In a lot of the photographs Samantha is posing alongside her sister and they appear to be close. However over the years they have become a little more distant and no longer share a close bond.
The handbook asks 'how did you feel thinking about other people's private lives?' When I first started to look through the photos I didn't feel like I was invading any personal information. However as I started to build up a more detailed picture I started asking a lot of questions about my partner: What was her upbringing like? Does she get on with her family? Is she popular? It wasn't until I started looking at the bigger picture that I became more aware that I was studying someone's life/ personality and that, that person would be doing the exact same with my photographs.
I have actually enjoyed being a research subject. When I handed my photos across I was convinced that Samantha would get me all wrong, but she never. Had she uncovered something that I hadn't realised about myself I think I may have felt very differently. After looking up the Johari Window I think that I may know a lot about myself, but perhaps didn't realise how much other people know about me.
Finally the assignment asks students to think about 'what are the ethical considerations to design research?' I think in the case of this design research you have to take into consideration that you are taking a look into someone's private life. The conclusions made may not be accurate, and even if they were correct they won't apply to everyone. Some individuals may not want other people to know about the findings, therefore consideration and privacy are the two main issues, I think, which should be considered if undertaking this type of research.
For our Christmas assignment we had to collect photographs of ourselves growing up, or take pictures of our homes. I decided to collect a bit of both and put them on a disc to swap with my partner. I managed to swap with someone I have never spoken to before, therefore I knew nothing about her. Samantha provided me with a range of photographs that showed her though out her childhood as well as recent snap shots. I tried my best to identify Samantha's tastes, influences, possessions and environment.
My initial thoughts after viewing the photographs were:
- active lifestyle
- fitness
-sociable/ but not loud
-team player
-supportive
-close relationship with friends/ family
-likes to try new things
-competitive
-spent a lot of time with family/ trips
-seen places
-nice house/ middle class
-wore similar clothes to sister
-animal lover
-knows lots of people
-member of different groups/ clubs
-dependable
-developed own style/ accessories: scarf, belts, earrings, glasses
-holiday with girls
-enjoys nights out/having a drink/ dance
-relaxed
-not a show off
- self assured
-natural
-artistic
-rural
I then started looking at the photographs to gain more detail, here are my findings:
I think Samantha really likes outdoor and sporty activities. From the photographs I think she may be part of different groups or clubs, and may be part of a University team. I am not totally sure what kind of music she likes, but I think that she probably listens to music that is in the charts. One of the photos shows Samantha with a group of friends in a club, which suggests that she enjoys going out and dancing to current music. The fact that there was a piano in the home growing up could suggest she is quite musical or perhaps learned how to play an instrument when she was younger. This could also result in a broader taste in music. As for favourite authors, I have no idea, but I do think she will enjoy reading a good novel. I think she will also have favourite designers (relating to her subject) which she may own books on and look at for inspiration.
Influences
I think friends and family are a big influence. As a youngster Samantha was dressed in the same or similar clothes as her sister, and was often seen sporting Disney tops which must have been a passion at the time. Looking at recent photos she has developed her own style. Rather than wearing bold tops, or short skirts she shows her style through accessorising. This can be with a scarf, earrings, necklaces or belts. Small statement pieces rather than one bold overall look. Samantha’s friends tend to have similar tastes in clothes, and there is a tendency to wear smart/casual outfits rather than bum hugging dresses! Perhaps most of the clothes are bought from high street shops, rather than alternative clothing stores.
I think family is very important. Photographs suggest that Samantha spent a lot of time with her sister, whilst also enjoying regular outdoor activities with her parents. I think that the family will still be close and that they have a good relationship with one and other.
Possessions
Photographs of the family home suggest a middle class upbringing. The living room looks large and has several items of furniture which would have been expensive; piano and wall cabinet. The interior reflects the style popular at the time, and I suspect that the house has been updated to reflect the current styles and fashions. The choice of wallpaper/ sofa/ cushions were bright and bold. This would have been the parents’ choice but the unique style suggests her mum may have been quite arty. And her choices and styles may have been an influence.
There is evidence of toys in both the house and the garden, suggesting that as a youngster there was lots of fun and games. The large garden also has lots of plants and a picnic table as well as the toys. I think that a lot of time is spent outside, with the family. The outdoor photograph also suggests that the house is fairly rural, and that the love of the outdoors was developed from a young age. One photograph shows Samantha with a wheelbarrow. There is no guidance, therefore I think she knew what she was doing, and enjoyed helping out in the garden.
Environment
There was no pictures of Samantha’s bedroom so I am able to comment on how she has customised her room.
Other thoughts
Since Samantha looks like she is a member of clubs, or a large group of friends, I think she is friendly. I presume that she can make friends easily and is willing to form bonds/ find out about new people. Her interests vary from outdoor activities to going out clubbing therefore she may have lots of friends. I think that she will be approachable, and easy to talk to, making her a great friend to confide in.
Having a younger sister will probably mean that Samantha has had to share her possessions when she was younger. Therefore she may be considerate and cooperative. I also think she will be a team player, and may not show it but is secretly competitive.
Looking at the photographs I think that Samantha may not dye her hair and wears stylish glasses. Therefore I think she is very comfortable in her own skin, and doesn’t feel she has to conform to a particular look. Some people prefer not to wear glasses, and opt for contact lenses instead, showing that Samantha is confident in her appearance.
Considering that Samantha is at university I think she is passionate about her particular subject. She must have drive, ambition and future goals. It was also Samantha that came up to the Graphic department to look for someone to swap photographs with, which shows that she is assertive.
For Assignment 1A we were asked to read chapter 4 of The Culture of Design. This chapter covers the topic of the consumption of design, where the author makes references to several other key authors. If any of these authors raise interesting points it was suggested that we investigate them in more depth.
I have to be honest and say that I found parts of this chapter hard to read, but there were also theories which really interested me. One statement which grabbed my attention was 'no matter how much the designer tries, he or she cannot fully control the processes by which the public read, interpret or even straightforwardly use the objects, images and spaces they shape.'
I think this is true for all designers in all discipline and as a student of graphic design I can relate to this statement. For instance I may produce a poster which I think is hard hitting and gets a clear message across to the public, but it may only grab the attention of a certain age group. Some people may misinterpret it or others may not understand it at all. Packaging for an expensive gift could be designed as a keep sake in its own right, but does that mean that everyone will hold on to it? Some individuals (like myself!) love packaging and keep a hold of it long after its required whilst others throw it out straight away. By keeping it longer than is necessary am I using it the way the designer intended? Or have I misinterpreted its use?
Slater has investigated this subject further and has established the general character of consumer culture. He raised some interesting points: 'consumer culture includes the balance between a quest for achieving meaningful ways of life and the resources available to be able to do this' ...'access to goods is only limited by the ability to pay for them. It is open to anyone with money.'
So really its about balance. If we don't have the money to buy expensive goods then we have to shop for goods that we have the money to buy. In relation to graphic design, large companies will probably have larger budgets that graphic designers can work with. This therefore means that the end result can be more luxurious, in comparison with a small company who has a tight budget. However it can also be seen in everyday circumstances; if you can afford to get personalised wedding invitations then you can get a designer to make them, if you don't you may have to settle for a 'mass produced' variety. Julier highlights that 'many, if not most, acts of everyday consumption are highly rational. They are based on the stringent calculation of need and value for money.'
Another theory which got me thinking was presented by Haug. 'He argues that artefacts in the market have to promise a use-value once they are sold: they have to appear to be useful before they actually are.' I think this is very relevant in the case of graphic design. As designers we are producing goods for individuals but we don't know who they are, they are unknown consumers. In some projects it will be the job of the graphic designer to may a product look usable, if it doesn't look usable it won't sell. 'This is particularly the case in image-based goods such as CD-ROMS, video games or newspapers and magazines where the look of the thing is intimately bound up in the way they function.' Even though we do not know the consumer we have to know what they expect and produce a design which will grab their attention and meet their needs.
What did you take from this chapter? Was there other theories which you related to more?
