R. A. Masri

Class of 2010

2010-03-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

We were asked to brand the senior show in groups or individually this year, a radical break from that past that added a much needed emphasis on how we present ourselves to the world. This process generated a wide range of very viable options that really harness the spirit of the quality of the education we receive at this institution, what it means to graduate, and how this transition means a new creative life for each of us.
However, due to the fragmented way we approached the branding process from the beginning, we all have ownership of our own specific vision for how we believe it should unfold. In my opinion, that makes voicing dissent with present circumstance a fragile situation. It’s easy for our peers to think “Oh, they’re critiquing the show because they wanted their concept to win.” However, that isn’t what’s happening in this short treatise. The senior show is something we have to collaboratively work on and get excited about individually (every one of us).

Before I begin to voice my concerns, I’ll explain my attraction to the initial concept. At first, I didn’t get it. But after the presentation, I saw myself buying into it for a few reasons. I admired the flexibility, but also the statement that it made. It represents changing the way we understand the world. As designers, we’ve been trained to do this. To examine existing paradigms, to shift our idea of what they mean, and through process and careful experimentation, provide meaningful design solutions that have the potential to affect society in meaningful ways.

But moving forward with the selected show is difficult for me, and several of my peers for several (I feel) valid reasons.

Reason #1: The Mom Test

With my work, I always do what I call the Mom Test. It’s pretty simple. I’ll call my mom, explain what I’m doing, and see if she gets it. If she doesn’t, I keep working. This show didn’t pass the Mom Test. Im not saying that Mrs. Masri should choose the show concept -- but -- I think its important to remember that as students of KCAI, we live in a pretty thickly-padded bubble. What may seem brilliant to us, may not float outside of our little world. To people outside, un-think is esoteric. It needs explanation to be appreciated. Without this explanation, its pretty easy to not get behind, or be attracted to. As designers, our audience is the people. I’m uninterested in design masturbation. Im uninterested in preaching to the choir. Our audience as designers is the masses. It bothers me that this show title won’t appeal to this audience. Limiting our audience to creative professionals (I believe) loses sight of our true purpose and audience. Why can’t we get the public in this building? Why can’t we affect them in the same way we hope to affect the design community? It’s not all about getting hired, but about sharing what we’ve done with our fellow students in other departments, and the community.

I think a good way to move forward would be to do some audience testing on people from other majors, people outside the art community, and creative professionals.

Reason #2: Stereotypes

Our school is commonly critiqued for its unabashed emphasis on concept, and lack of formal sophistication. This stereotype is common amongst both design professionals in the community, as well as other schools. This concept does nothing else but affirm that stereotype. Can’t we let our audience make the conclusion that unthink so boldly proposes without spelling it out for them?

Reason #3: The Work

One thing that was difficult in branding the show was making sure to always keep in mind that the emphasis of this event is a focus on the work. While I understand the aesthetic of this show can change, I feel like it doesn’t reflect the work that will be in the show. While I appreciate its “un-designed” quality (and personally find it appealing), I don’t think that its an accurate reflection of what visitors of the show will experience while they’re here. Perhaps conceptually it is, but I believe that the statement is something our audience should come to a conclusion about on their own.
While it’s important to make sure that the brand doesn’t overshadow the work, I think that the way the show is handled will dictate this. For example: the Nelson’s interior is neutral and allows the work to stand out. But do they send out gray postcards? The whole argument about the brand not being too flashy is moot concept. This show’s gonna be a spectacle! And we have to visually express that in the way we advertise it.

---

So I hope that this isn’t read with the opinion that I’m an asshole. I only hope that this show is as best as it can be, and the above concerns articulate my critique of the intended direction. As I said in my Ampersand article -- we shouldn’t be afraid to critique anything or voice concern. It’s about making the best show possible -- together. This critique comes not from anger, but from a passion to make sure we’re presented as best as possible to the community. Excuse this disclaimer, but I felt it was necessary in preventing any kind of divisive arguments or thoughts.

Feel free to use the comments section of this post to talk about what you think. My thought is we could use this section as a record of how to move forward on Monday.

Midsemester Degree Project Summation

2010-03-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

My degree project has evolved significantly since its inception and initial proposal. Originally, I was interested in exploring how the creation of domestic spaces that embody the cultural language of various ethnicities might begin to shape others. In other words, my job as a graphic designer was to take an environmental and multi-disciplinary approach to what a "package" can mean: in this case, a carefully curated room with a didactic purpose. I had planned to infuse various objects (both traditional and non-traditional to the field of graphic design) with informative subtexts about other cultures. To quote my initial research question:

"Through an investigation in spatial design and packaging, how can a holistic, interdisciplinary experience be created for an ignorant majority, that encourages a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in Kansas City?"

However... experimentation early in the project changed my planned route. I was instructed to make a list of small experiments that could inform my project, and pursue a few of them. One of my questions reads as follows:
If a map was made more entertaining / visually interesting, would it encourage a better understanding of geography?

This question led me in a lot of different and unexpected directions. I made map placemats, map blankets, map furniture, most of them were pretty stupid. At the time I felt confident about them, though! The experiment that I made as a joke actually ended up being the course that this project ended up taking.

I had an extra silhouette of Iraq, that I drew a beak, legs, and tail-feathers onto. At the time I saw it as process-filler, but after meeting with Jamie, was able to see the potential in it.

Animals carry with them all kinds of semiotic baggage & connotations. By making a country into an animal, the country then absorbs those connotations; which [in terms of rhetoric] makes a kind of metaphor through personification.

So I continued my exploration by creating a full gamut of 'country animals,' (pictured below).

But how could these anthropomorphic studies be applied in some way? For this question, I returned to my list of experiment questions:
Will telling the story of an ethnic refugee in a meaningful way yield empathy?

To help me tell this story I met with Farah Abdi, a Somalian immigrant who runs an organization in town aimed at helping the Kansas City Somali community. He told me all about the Somali civil war, through this starbucks napkin:

He broke down the territories for me, and explained how European imperialism was the cause of the civil war, and the following Somali diaspora, which moved millions of Somalis to this country after 1992.

So I applied my anthropomorphic studies to this subject, intending to create a book that illustrates the story of the Somali civil war, in a playful, imaginative way.

So I developed a cast of characters (pictured below) that embodied the attitudes and history of each territory, as described by Farah, and started to tell the story in book form.

But how could my original idea see new light? Could these characters start to live outside of this book?

In the same way that Disney creates a spectacle around their movies (in terms of merchandise), I hope to apply these characters to various forms that will enhance their meaning, and encourage interactivity.

Moving forward, I plan to design a myriad of things that these characters can live on, while also looking at how I can create awareness towards a broader audience. The poster I designed (pictured below) helps to spread this awareness through a bold, illustrative means.

Perhaps it would be helpful to re-write my research question, clarifying my direction for after the break:

How can the complexity of the Somali Civil War be clarified, and its story retold to a youthful audience in a playful, multi-disciplinary way, that creates a spectacle around the narrative?

KC Auto Show

2010-03-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

The Practical, The Persuasive, The Poetic. All available at the 2010 Kansas City Auto Show: (Images are in order)

#1. The Practical:

Pretty obvious. But necessary! This sign instructs visitors of the Auto Show not to climb on displays.

#2. The Persuasive:

As part of the Scion kiosk, this display shows visitors all the benefits that come with Scion vehicles.

#3 The Poetic:

This Hyundai kiosk suggests a poetic comparison: That driving a Hyundai is as smooth as a curling wave, or suggests speed.

DP: Experiments

2010-01-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

I was told to dig little holes, not one big one.
Here's a list of some proposed holes:

If I designed a game with an educational subtext, would the participants come away with a new-found knowledge of that culture?

 Could an ethnic dining experience be enriched with an informative subtext?

Will telling the story of an ethnic refugee in a meaningful way yield empathy?

Will recreating traditional rituals bring about a new appreciation and understanding for minorities?

What if traditional artifacts and objects were updated / modernized?

Could oral history be objectified in an interesting way? IE: Book, visual storytelling

If a map was made more entertaining / visually interesting, would it encourage a better understanding of geography?

If an outsider was brought into a traditionally furnished space, and spent time in it, would they come to a better understanding of that culture?

If a traditional, ethnic doll was given to a child who played an active imaginative role in its naming and activities, would that child understand more about the origins of the doll? IE: Russian nesting dolls, Kachina dolls, etc.

If an historical, ethnic musical experience was constructed for a listener (IE: a mix CD, playlist), would the listener gain an interest in that culture?

If ancient ethnic traditions of art and design were infused with an informative subtext, would they encourage further exploration? IE: Persian rugs, Native American Blankets, etc.

Would wearing traditional garb from a certain ethnicity provide a greater understanding of that ethnicity?

DP: Researchable Question [ Revised ]

2010-01-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

Original Question:

Through an investigation in spatial design and packaging, how can a holistic, interdisciplinary experience be created for an ignorant majority, that encourages a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in Kansas City?

Revised Question:

How can a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in Kansas City be encouraged through the creation of an immersive experience, exploring collaborative practices, and various design disciplines?

Revised Revised Question:

How can a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in Kansas City be encouraged through the creation of an immersive experience, exploring collaborative practices, and multi-disciplinary design; including but not limited to: spatial design, packaging, and interior design?

Revised Revised Revised Question:

How can a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach yield a new open-mindedness and appreciation of ethnic minorities in Kansas City, through the creation of an immersive system exploring facets of spatial design, packaging, and interior design?

Another Question:

Which one???? :-/

DP: Dream Design Job

2010-01-26T16:22:00.001-08:00

What a question!

For the first time in my life, I don't have a plan, or many reservations as far what I won't do. But there are a few things I'm interested in:

Editorial design: Working for a magazine in NY whose philosophy aligns with mine.
Exhibit design: Working at a fine arts museum like the Guggenheim.
Fashion: Designing patterns & prints for clothing.
Nonprofit: Working for an organization whose philosophy aligns with mine.

Any combination of the above would be ideal :).

I think more than anything, being able to support myself and create work that satisfies my artistic inclinations & vision (work that also betters society in some way) while living in New York, or some other large city, is my dream.

Help!

DP: Researchable Question

2010-01-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to be in a group of three, so I received two responses to my lengthy, and probably boring explanation of my degree project. They are as follows:

How can the majority be given an experience through an interactive exhibit that encourages ethnic discovery of the local minority groups through an educational space full of culture and traditional artifacts?

Kyle Huber

Through experiential and exhibit design, how can I communicate a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in KC for the majority?

Laura Berglund

So, maybe it would be useful to recap how I introduced my degree project to them, before I attempt to combine the two into a question that will haunt me for the rest of the semester.

I introduced my degree project at my senior presentation as "packaging cultural language". People say you go to college to find yourself, and through my college experience I've discovered a passion for anthropology, human rights, race, art history, and politics. This has manifested in my work in the past few semesters through the lens of my own personal experience: being in a mixed race family, half white, half Arabic. Using my own ethnicity as a diving board for these issues, I've come to the conclusion last semester that helping only one culture through 'design thinking' is in some ways just as bad as discrimination itself, as it creates a kind of "zoo" atmosphere around that ethnicity. In my degree project, I'm hoping to broaden my horizons anthropologically and culturally by working with local Kansas City minorities, to recount the story of the beauty of their traditions through design. In my research, I've found the following minorities that have a high contingency in the Kansas City metro:

Hispanic (largest population is Mexican)
Restaurants: Pancho’s, El Rancho, Cancun
Vietnamese
Restaurant: Vietnam Cafe (39th)
Various Asian markets
Ethiopian
Organization: Kansas City Ethiopian Connection Group’s (ECG)
Restaurant: Blue Nile (River Market & Various Locations)
Somalian (Bantu)
Numbers around 6,000
Specific neighborhood (Northeast Kansas City)
Less apt to integrate, because they live in specific communities
Widespread poverty, ethnic refugees due to civil war
Native American
Heart of America Native American Society
Large population in surrounding region (Topeka)
Bosnian
(Influx during 1990’s due to civil war)
Indian
(Numbers around 4,000)
Restaurants: Korma Sutra
Middle Eastern
Organization: ISGKC
Restaurants: Aladdin’s, Jerusalem (Various Locations), Sinbad’s Hookah

I hope to choose a few of these ethnicities (from 3-6) and use my design skill-set to act as a middle-ground between the conservative majority, and the unrepresented minority. I'm highly interested in context, and considering a more interdisciplinary approach to how this can be translated. Through my initial research I've found that the reason many people don't identify with another culture is because of a lack of a concrete personal relationship with a representative of that culture. But what would this relationship entail?

Generally, modern friendships involve the most primitive or banal of human activities: the first and most obvious:

Spending time with the other person.
Through what kinds of activites? Eating, drinking, entertainment, general leisure, etc.
And in what environments does this naturally happen? Or maybe more specifically, what environments facilitate this kind of interaction?
Cafe's, Domestic spaces, "comfy" places, etc.
The common denominator is informal, comfortable, intimate.

The problem with most attempts to encourage ethnic appreciation is the tone that they take. Museums, books, magazines generally create some kind of formal atmosphere through which they "introduce" the culture. The focus of this project will be the opposite: to introduce them in a comfortable, intuitive, and entertaining way that encourages interaction and discovery.

But what is design's role in all of this? Design shapes spaces, and in turn, shapes people. The purposeful arrangement of elements in buildings, furniture, music, games, even food shapes more subconscious human behavior. To some designers, so-called "good design" is invisible. And this concept itself is interesting: for something to look as if it simply exists, that it wasn't "created" but simply "is." I believe that design has so many more possibilities for affecting the human subconscious in socially positive ways, and in short, that is what I hope my degree project will accomplish. I hope to design a holistic experience for my audience through the purposeful arrangement of spaces, objects, and yes, two-dimensional graphics. With all the pieces working in tandem, I hope to facilitate a new open-mindedness when it comes to ethnicity.

Hm. Long-winded? Yikes. Maybe its time to distill all this down and unveil the question:

*drumroll*

Through an investigation in spatial design and packaging, how can a holistic, interdisciplinary experience be created for an ignorant majority, that encourages a new open-mindedness and appreciation for ethnic minorities in Kansas City?

CARROT, CARROT

2010-01-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

This break has been a good chance to do some work completely for fun. I spent a bit of time in Lincoln, Nebraska visiting my friend Dave; a fantastic musician. His new side-project is called CARROT, CARROT, and it's certainly worth a listen. This gig poster is inspired by the drone of his music, and the Scandinavian sense of musical space, and simplicity.

MX: Project II Final

2009-12-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

In figuring out to how present my work online, my goal was to make the navigation, and the site itself invisible. The emphasis should be on the work, not the vehicle that presents it. Because of this desire to make the site invisible, the navigation and interaction style is incredibly minimal. Full screen images dominate the user's experience, and if they choose to seek more information, it is available through an icon. Navigating with the arrow keys makes the experience more comfortable, and gets the users hand off the mouse & click model, which just like ffffound's 'j' and 'k' functionality, makes the site easier for the user to navigate.

Through this process, I learned that I hate action script. Well, really I learned how little of it I know, and how much more I need to learn. I'm uninterested in pursuing interactive design, but knowing actionscript will make me a more competitive designer, and allow me more creative opportunities. I also learned a lot about the web in general through the readings, and am now able to place it in the context of western art history, specifically through the evolution of the picture to the screen. This kind of critical thinking really informed my process, and was intellectually stimulating.

I'm most proud of the functionality, and the end product. I struggled the most with making the site work, and dealing with actionscript. Lots of help from Ian, who should be given a medal for his helping EVERYONE with their sites. Maybe a golden taco medal?

MX: Reading Response III: The Screen

2009-12-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

Considering the history an ubiquitous presence of the screen in contemporary society is helpful in establishing a lens through which we can view this project. The society of the screen is a bizarre phenomena: that somehow our physical reality isn't enough, that we constantly need a representation of this alternate reality in order to be content. This sentiment is palpable in daily life, considering the amount of time we spend in front of rectangular lenses into other worlds. As I was reading the passage I had this weird moment of thinking, I'm looking at a screen as I read this thing about screens, and how omnipresent they are in our culture. Messed up!
In contrast to cinema, the computer screen offers the functionality of visual multi-tasking. I have 7 tabs open in this browser, and 4 windows open in the background. This eclecticism is a distinct advantage of the computer screen, and could perhaps be capitalized on in our interface design. How can different screens be used to establish hierarchy, or separate information?
Furthermore, the idea that since this screen doesn't even exist (since its constantly in a state of flux) carries its own set of implications. Should we be concerned in mirroring reality, when the medium we're designing for doesn't exist? It makes a lot more sense to envision a virtual reality that is free from the limitations of earth-reality.
The idea of interacting with this non-reality through the limitations of our input devices (keyboard, mouse) is another interesting implication of this reading. Ian is devising a system that takes advantage of the camera and sound input options. While I consider this idea revolutionary and understand that it makes sense for his work (since he wants to go into interactive design) the supposed traditionalism of my idea is based more in a desire to have my website be invisible. I think the interaction model I want to design for my user is one that calls as little attention to itself as possible. How can I make the screen invisible? In the same way that the cinema uses a pitch-black room to encourage immersion, I hope that my site exists as a neutral transmitter of my work, being as subtle and invisible as possible, like a very spartan and modest frame. If the frame is too ornate it makes me question the artwork. Unless of course you're a frame designer and an artist, in which case both of your talents should be showcased.
I hope though that my desire for invisibility isn't misconstrued as being uninterested in interaction and technology. To an extent, I'm disenchanted with flash, with web-design. I've been grappling with this for some time, because obviously it is the future of graphic design. As physical designed objects begin to phase out and exist solely on the internet, will this jeopardize my ability to embrace my own time period? When industrialization happened, those who embraced were the ones who were remembered -- because they were pioneers, bravely exploring a new technology that lends its own advantages. Designers like William Morriss opposed these changes, but ended failing in his ambitions from not succumbing to the inevitability of industrial society. I don't want to end up like Morriss! At the same time, pursuing something that makes me want to pull my hair out is not in my interest at all. Dilemmas.
In any case, my site design is not invisible because I hate web-design. This stems from my philosophy about presenting work in general. While the presentation of it should be elegant and expressive of your distinct formal sensibility, I think that glorifying the vehicle too much is concerning, maybe it's like wrapping a piece of shit in gold wrapping paper. It's compensation, and when the function of the thing is to show your work, its kind of like the function is being informed by something totally different than it's purpose. Form and function should be married! Duh. Which, I dno... I don't intend to criticize this project, but I think if the website was about presenting something else, or had a different function, the implications for interaction design could have been more exciting. Because a portfolio site's function is to show the work, being innovative about the way this happens is very limiting. I'm not interested in creating hypothetical things, I want my work to have real-world implications. I want to be able to use this site for my portfolio site, not throw this aside as an exercise and redesign it when I create my real site. Hmm. Things to think about.

Thanksgiving in Canada

2009-11-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

No turkey, but celebrated Eid, Arabic thanksgiving. Did some personal work as well:

MX: Reading Response II: Cinema

2009-11-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

The language of cinema is inherently embedded in the language of the interface. Even comparing the two raises many important considerations for web designers, and how they should think about the worlds that they're giving life to. Thinking about a website in terms of cinematic space made me realize in a more concrete way (that now, thanks to the reading, I can articulate), that websites are constructed realities, that they are "windows" (as the reading purports) into worlds that we've constructed for our audiences, in the same way that movie sets and the language of cinematography serve as structural and narrative elements. Considering this, web designers should then ask themselves "What kind of experience am I creating for my user?" "What environment do I want them to feel as though they're suspended in?" and specifically for the design of portfolio sites: "What cinematic backdrop do I want to create for my work? How do I want users to interact with my work, what environment is best suited to the interpretation of my work?" On a more subjective level, this reading synced really nicely with my Constructivism and the Bauhaus class, referencing many Constructivist artists, and specifically Vertov's Kinoeye, a fantastic exploration of the semantics and expressive possibilities of the semiotic language of cinema and perception.

In any case, these are all important questions that I'm working to solve. In my interaction model, Im encouraging a kind of quilt of imagery that users are navigating through in the same way one would navigate a more dynamic slide-projector. To me, the website is transparent. The interface, hopefully is transparent. The work is the emphasis. However, in doing so I'm now wondering what the grid has to do with my work in general. I'm also wondering how the connotations of the quilt will affect the perception of my work. Is this interaction congruous with my design? In some ways yes. I'm enchanted with simplicity, logic, rationality, and order. The grid is an obvious component of this. What I'm wondering more about, perhaps, is the transition from one piece of the grid to the next. Is the space divided between the two frames? Does it merely wipe? Or is there a more poetic or appropriate way of transitioning? In the language of cinema, I'm simply moving a fixed-perspective camera through a checkerboard, flat environment. Is dimension appropriate? Is perspective important? Is grounding it in a more physical reality more important? Or is this abstraction pertinent to my work?

So this reading did for me what any good class related reading should do. It raised more questions than I'm comfortable with.
Back to the drawing board!

MX: Reading Response

2009-11-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

Thinking about the web in the context of the history of media and the transmission of ideas was important in establishing its purpose, as well as its implications. The realization that anything created on the web (and perhaps this is true for anything created, period) carries inherent vestiges of the past was more or less an invitation and an encouragement to think about the ways that the web could potentially break through the nature of its origins and find a way to exist or be structured that is more in line with the its actuality, and not its traditions. Even down to the rotating hourglass of the original Mac OS, or the icons used in standard OS systems (which are generally metaphors for their use, that mirror real-world objects EX: trash can / recycling bin), it is easy to see how prevalent these traditions exist. However, it is perhaps impossible to create something without these vestiges, as tradition has to be used in order to create something understandable to our modern semiotic vocabulary. A website then can exist as a mirror of the physical world we live in (mimicking or referencing a real-world object that has its own modes of functionality), or it can invent its own, that are inspired by the unique advantages of the internet, and of the screen. I hope to accomplish this with my website, creating an environment that is decidedly virtual, not a metaphor or vestige of the past, but something that is inherent to the internet. However, as the function of the website is to clearly and beautifully present my work (as a VEHICLE for content), I don't want to trip out this car too much. If it is too experimental, gimmicky, or web-designer-masturbationey, then it has failed what it has set out to do. However, these things are important to think about, and perhaps harness subtly, without attempting to break the mold completely.

The abstraction of the page is another concept that I hope to explore more in my project. The Language of New Media details how the structuring of information has evolved from the stone tablet to the codex, to the internet, and how the internet in specific has rearranged traditional informational hierarchies in new ways. Also, the Language of New Media did a good job of explaining how the information conventions of the past (table of contents, paragraphs, etc) can now be combined and recombined in ways that have been media-specific in the past. These essentially exist as palettes that web designers can abstract in their creation of a 'new reality', or webspace. This notion of the web as other-reality was something that captured my attention in the reading as well. The book, cinema, and the internet all present to us an abstraction of the physical world, and to an extent, they are escapist. They are outlets to a constructed reality that we've created for ourselves. Weird, right? But what's interesting about these outlets is their inability to escape the way that they mirror reality, no matter how unrealistic or bizarre they get. Again, this stems from the fact that they wouldn't be able to be understood without utilizing the perceptual symbols that currently exist, but had the internet been around since the codex, I can only imagine how its evolution might have created a new reality, one based around the language and possibilities of the internet, instead of a mirror of literal reality.

VA: Degree Project Thoughts [ again ]

2009-11-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've had some feedback, some more time to think about this, and I feel a bit more confused now.

I chose graphic design because I want to make art that relates to everyday people. Things that are functional, that solve problems, that educate, inform, inspire. I chose not to exclusively be a fine artist because I wasn't interested in the esoteric gallery setting, in making work that one had to have an education to understand, or relate to, in aesthetic masturbation.
And I believe that, to an extent, the way that I've phrased my potential degree project so far is in that context.

I feel like I should clarify my motivations a little bit. I don't believe in the line between art and design. I think good artists dabble in design, and good designers dabble in art. I'm really not even sure why they're divided in the first place. Both serve the same function: to "make special". To take the ordinary and make it transcendental, to transform the mundane everydayness into sublime experiences. So called "good" art and "good" design both serve this function. The only difference is design's utility.

In my work I'm interested in the gray spaces between different movements, arts, and disciplines. The tension. I think that nomenclature is a harmful activity that oversimplifies the world, and categorizes it into easy to understand chunks of information, that I believe never come close to fully explaining the nature of what is actually named. In other words, the name for "art" or "design" oversimplifies the fields. Yes, it makes them tangible. Yes, it makes them manageable, and people can categorize things neatly into neat piles for each, but what purpose does that serve? Work that lives in-between hard-defined terms has a life of its own, due to the way it borrows from many things.

I know I talk about Modernism and Primitivism a lot, but perhaps I haven't detailed why I'm interested in both, why the tension between the two informs my degree project, and why I think they exist in the same vein. It may even seem hypocritical to talk about these movements in a divisive way, but how else am I to explain myself? Ah! The other side of the argument.

In any case, Modernism can be defined as the tradition of design that looks to rationality, abstraction, and 'cleanliness'. Primitivism can be defined as a movement in art that looks to so-called "primitive" cultures for their unique aesthetic expressions, and their inherent "humanity". The underlying similarity between the two movements is their use of the "transcendental". The purpose of art and design to primitive cultures was to transcend normality, and scratch at the notion of the other-worldly. Obviously, things like abstraction lent themselves to this kind of aesthetic motivation. African masks are a great example of how abstraction was used to create a transformative exoskeleton for performers in ceremonies whose purpose was to channel a higher spirit, or evoke a sense of wonder or amazement. To go beyond everyday life, and create a more spiritual, transcendental environment.

Modernism's purpose is the same, but for different reasons. It was born out of a want for unity, for universalism, and for common understanding. But I think that Modernism is much more rooted in rationality, reason, simplicity, logic, and order. Ironically, in creating a formal language that could universally communicate, anything that exists outside of this rigid paradigm, including the aesthetic musings of less advanced cultures, is discounted as savage. Modernism has this undeserved arrogant air to it, that it is obviously the most evolved art movement. For example, most Modernist designers never step outside their rigid modes of expression. And in that lies this strange conservatism, this dogmatic approach to ways that people can express themselves, the 'appropriate' manner for them to create. For example, Massimo Vignelli went as far as designing a book for the average non-designer to create objects of design according to the tenets of Modernism.
[ I know I'm name-dropping a lot but it has a purpose, trust me :-/ I'm not trying to be elitist ]
Despite Modernism's idyllic perception of itself as allowing all people to come together and understand each-other, it is arguably cold, rational, and rigid. Even though it attempts to be human, it is so un-human that it becomes unattractive, esoteric, and doesn't relate to everyday people. Why would anyone want to live in a Mies van der Rohe building?
[I promise this is going somewhere. Stay focused!]
Geometry is simultaneously human and inhuman. It is democratic in the way that it can be understood. It is pure, rational, clean. It is also other-worldly, perfect, transcendental, mathematical. The universe is arranged in complex geometric patterns. From the leaves on trees, to fractals, to the microscopic molecules that are arranged to create our bodies, everything is neatly arranged into complex mathematical geometric patterns. God isn't a man in the sky. God is math. In Pocahontas' words, God is in everything. And as horribly kitschy and cheesy as that sounds, it's true. The order and reason of the universe is mind-numbingly sublime.
Perhaps this is why Geometry is the common denominator between these two movements. Modernism's focus on rational, clean communication relies on geometry for its cleanliness and ease of expression, while Primitivism channels its universality. The common ground is the use of the three most basic shapes: the circle, the square, and the triangle to conjure a new reality.
[ I understand the connotations the above remarks may have, and vouch for my sobriety ]

OKAY.
So now that I've loosely outlined my thinking, I'll get into why this is relevant to my work and to my degree project, whatever form that might take.

I've explained how Modernism and Primitivism exist as two polarities on a pendulum, swinging between order / human messiness and forward-looking / backward-looking. The common formal language between these movements is a tool, I believe, to show everyday people, even people who don't understand or appreciate art, that (again, as cheesy as it sounds) we're all brothers. That difference is beautiful. That people are people, and even though we collectively exist as diverse permutations of the species HUMAN, we are all in this together. ( cheese cheese cheese cheese. but true )

How? Because our chemical makeup is the same. We experience the same earth, we share the same emotions, we all want the same things. And, somewhere back in history we all arose from one common origin. Be it an ape that stood up, or the garden of Eden, it doesn't really matter -- believe what you want. The truth of the matter is that we all share the same past, and the same future.

I'm incredibly interested in ancient means of expression because of their honesty. They served a real purpose to their creators. Otherwise, why would these art-objects be made? The prehistoric man, the ancient Egyptian, the ancient Babylonian didn't have the luxuries of modernity. Their time was spent creating things that would better themselves and society. I know this is a generalization, but my point is simply that to ancient societies, art had to have a function, because their main concern was survival and procreation, things that were much more dire at that time than now.

In that lies an interesting distinction. Are these created artifacts art or design? They are created with a function. Canopic jars were designed to hold the organs of a person that had been mummified, but we consider them art today. Were they considered art back then? My intuition tells me that ancient societies didn't have the same definitive pretentions that modern-man does.

The Mayan calendar served the function of telling time, as did many ancient pieces of art. The cave paintings at Lascaux were perhaps didactic, or religious, the Venus of Willendorf was a fertility amulet. The pyramids were objects of propoganda, and massive tombs. FUNCTION! REASON!

These pieces of "art" exist in the same way that Modernism attempts to divine reason from chaos. They all collectively strive for the betterment of man. They attempt to apply control over the natural world. The process of mummification stemmed from a belief that man could have some level of control over the afterlife. This mode of thinking bred the kind of art-experience that is mummification, and all the art-objects that comprise its practice. Today we see them as art. In ancient times, people used them as transcendental tools. Even language, a collection of abstract symbols, is an example of this kind of thinking -- of taking the natural world and harnessing, even domesticating it, so that it can be easily understood. Is language art, or design? Or both?

But should the world be domesticated? Should it be systematized? Should it be named?

Alright. I'm rambling perhaps? Back on track.
The modes of thinking of ancient times lend themselves to this distinction between art and design, but in their universal use of abstraction, show the interconnectedness of the human race. It's no coincidence that the pyramids are a triangular prism. The Egyptians were interested in durability, in eternity, and chose the pyramid form for its absolute strength. The Parthenon uses the golden mean in its construction, and is primarily created from rectangles and squares. Arabic geometry uses the three pure geometric forms to create complex and inter-connected patterns that transcend reality, and connote the divine. This use of geometry underlies everything and everyone, and I hope to explore why in-depth.

_________

I'm not sure how this will be translated and what function it will have. I am interested in writing, in books, but also in print design. I'm not out to create a website. I'm not interested in motion. I don't want the things that I'm not interested in to limit my thinking, but at the same time, I want to graduate with a degree project that articulates my strengths, and demonstrates the kind of work I want to do in the future.

I do want whatever I do to serve a real purpose to people, and for them to confused as to what it is, in terms of the division between art and design. Although my work is very formal-centric [makin' up words!] , I am not interested in experimenting in form for the sake of it. I want to create some kind of transcendental experience for my audience. I want to educate them. I want for my work to serve a real purpose in their lives that betters them in some way. This stems from a philosophy I have about design's purpose: that it is the art of improving. I also want it to use space and materials responsibly, to not be wasteful, and hopefully to not be esoteric, because that's why I divorced fine-art.

So! I know I'm being vague at this point as far as what the end product will be. But I think being too specific is dangerous. This is a large problem I'm trying to tackle, and I think I will need to research it much more before making any serious decisions.

End.

VA: Degree Project Thoughts

2009-11-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Adolf Loos' 1908 essay, Ornament and Crime discusses the origins of ornament as being of a primitive nature, framing it in a 'backward thinking' context. Drawing connections between tattooing skin and the desire to ornament, Loos purports: "The Papuan tattoos his skin, his boat, his oar, in

short, everything that is within his reach. He is no criminal. The modern man who tattoos himself is a criminal or a degenerate." finally coming to the conclusion: "The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from objects of daily use." However, Loos seems to blindly dismiss ornament as being backward-thinking without thinking of the historical context through which his beloved Modernism developed.

A good case study for looking at the development of abstraction, and Modernism as we know it today, is the petri-dish of formalism in Russia during the early years of the twentieth century. Russian artists, attempting to mirror the developments happening in western europe at the time emulated the experiments of Braque and Piccaso, but also looked back to the medieval, ancient Orthodox religious Icon paintings, which used abstraction as a means of signifying the divine, as something other-worldly. These paintings held to strict canons in terms of proportions, and the way in which religious icons were depicted. Looking back, these "radical historicists" appropriated this thinking and merged it with the Euro-centric new interest in Primitivism. Primitivism was of interest to Picasso, Braque, and many other artists for its "pure human expression," and ironic use of geometric, "modern" forms to delineate space and form. African tribal masks are a good example of this sense of abstraction, but for a very different purpose.

So, inarguably, there is a chicken-and-egg relationship between Modernism and Primitivism. But how can this be, given the fact that these modes of thinking are diametrically opposed? Modernism is all about universalism, about an attempt to divine a universal formal language to replace colloquial expressions and individuality. However, Primitivism is the very embodiment of this individuality and colloquialism.

So what is the common denominator? There must be a link between these movements in the way they use abstraction as a means of "pure human expression." To quote Kazimir Malevich's famous essay, the New Realism in Painting: "The square is not a subconscious form. It is the creation of intuitive reason.

It is the face of the new art.

The square is a living, royal infant.

It is the first step of pure creation in art. Before it, there were naive deformities and

copies of nature."

Yet even Malevich views primitive abstraction as a backward looking naive art, done so simply because primitive people had no other way creating. That sticks and rocks and the tools of nature themselves lent themselves to this mode of thinking. He also draws this line between abstraction being a higher mode of perception beyond literal reality, and as Trotsky so wonderfully articulates, that art's purpose should be that of a hammer, not a mirror, shaping culture and moving it forward as opposed to reflecting the reality of its time.

How does this translate into a degree project, with a sociopolitical purpose? Discrimination and prejudice are subjects that have always interested me. I understand that these ways of thinking are dogmatic, that they are to an extent inherently embedded in people from an early age, and that in order to fix these social injustices, there must be a larger solution than a piece of design collateral. However, I firmly believe that design thinking can be applied to large social problems as a way of solving them. I also believe that art can inspire people to think beyond their own realities, to inspire a sense of ex-statis.

In finding the common denominator between Modernism and Primitivism, I think I can use Anthropology and Art History as a means of researching distinct cultures from across the world. I'm interested in performing ethnographies on many disparate cultures, and creating a formal language based heavily in their ancient, pre-modernist modes of expression. In doing so, I hope to show people that we're really a lot more alike than different, that pure human expression and universalism do not have to be as oppressive and dogmatic as Modernism, that discrimination or prejudice based on culture is as worthless as Loos' interpretation of Ornament.

BROWN III

2009-10-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

I am jumping all over the place with this brand!

VA: Design Ignites Change

2009-10-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

A Book by its Cover:
Reading Stereotypes

In an effort to foster contact between children of different ethnicities and eradicate stereotypes before they form, this social experiment uses storytelling as a vehicle for cultural understanding. Two very different schools, same format: Books designed to comfortably address race and prejudice are read to 9-10 year olds, ending with each child creating a book expressing their experience with prejudice. The books are then swapped between the schools. The ethnicity of each child’s “book-pal” is finally revealed in the form of a small gift, introducing themselves. Lesson of this story: We’re more alike than different.

BROWN II

2009-10-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

BROWN

2009-10-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

A brand created for Arab Americans.

Laika

2009-10-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Introducing Laika, A dynamic typeface that responds to stimuli. Woah!

via quipsologies

Moxie Sozo : Visual Advocates

2009-10-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

It took me a good 30 minutes to discover why Moxie Sozo is relevant to the issues we've been discussing in class. However, I think that this is what makes the company so great. After pouring through their site I finally discovered this hidden fact:

"We are also dedicated to ethical business practices and being responsible stewards of the earth. We are the first certified Zero Waste, 100% carbon neutral, 100% renewable-energy powered, design and advertising agency in the world. Is this something we promote? No, we simply believe that it is the little things each of us do as humans that can make a cumulative difference."

In the WORLD! Wikipedia confirmed. Moxie Sozo is famous for its Green Initiatives, and pioneering force in sustainable advertising - or the drive to address the carbon footprint of advertising materials in terms controlling the sourcing of paper, petroleum based inks, solvents, plastics, and adhesives used - even thinking about fossil fuels used during the production and distribution of a product.

This alone could be more than enough, but Moxie is also famous for its Hurricane Poster Project, which challenged designers from all over the world to create limited edition posters that would be sold in order to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Despite our Governments lack of interest in solving this huge catastrophe, it is encouraging to see designers taking a stand in helping to address these problems. Moxie raised more than $50,000 for the American Red Cross, a huge accomplishment.

In looking through their portfolio, initially I thought of this firm as a cute, small 'boutique' studio, with strong formal inclinations. However, once I learned about their green initiatives, I discovered some projects that addressed their belief system:

Wilde & Greene is a start-up business dedicated to providing eco-friendly products.
eConscious Market is an online eco-friendly marketplace that Moxie dedicated their time to producing. A margin of the profits generated from this site are donated to charity.

Because of their vast contributions to sustainable advertising, as well as their charity work, Moxie Sozo is a keen example of how a corporate design studio can hold on to their belief system while still surviving economically. Their "commitment to bettering the world through design" is incredibly applaudable. Other design agencies take note!

AIGA Costume Party & Dance

2009-10-18T14:51:00.001-07:00

Be there or beskware!

Ancient Futurism Construction 03

2009-10-07T23:27:00.001-07:00

Ancient Futurism Construction 02

2009-10-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Look forward, look back.

Ancient Futurism

2009-10-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

VA: Research & Process

2009-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

This project hits me close to home, which is perhaps why I'm so passionate about it. I've felt the repercussions of my 'problem' first-hand, since an early age. However, as I work within the framework of my own experience, I've found that my own understanding of the problem has evolved. Working with outside resources has helped me to gain an understanding of the realities of prejudice and stereotypes, and finding the 'problem behind the problem.' Even within my own family, I had no concept of the gravity surrounding my father's experience when moving to America, and the hardships he faced from a conservative audience. Through the guise of this project, I was able to delve into his personal experience, as an alien of both countries (not quite Arabic, not quite American). I was stunned by some of what he said. I'll repost some of it here. I hope not to go off on too much of a tangent, but rather show the validity of a lot of what he said:

Hi Ramzy.

That sounds like an interesting topic. Not sure you can change human tendency to want to colas with own kind. I can't imagine how you could ever have a discrimination free world. People discriminate for many reasons. Not all of them are bad:

1- To keep bloodlines in a familiar way or to protect a way of life. Any deviation in bloodlines can constitute a pariya outcome. What a community can not assimilate, it will destroy or ostracize. This type of discrimination can be honest and innocent as well outright evil. The differences can be based on appearance, way of dress, religion and political affiliation...etc. Whatever that difference might be, its almost always used by people in power throughout the ages to practice divide and conquer because hate can be blind and is the easiest emotion to manipulate.

2- For fear of what they don't know or what they can't understand. This is part of the reason why the USA setup concentration camps for Japanese (and almost everyone of oriental decent) during WW2 while not touching the German or Italian population. This type of discrimination can best describe the masses reaction to anyone of Arabic or Islamic decent.

3- For fear of losing something or having to share what you already have. The irrational hostility toward people of Mexican decent. They are here to take our jobs. They are here as a burden on the economy......

4- Human's lust or thirst for power. Slavery, multi-caste system in India and other parts of the world, futile ruling systems, and even deity cultures. Its all based on one group having some sort of divine or celestial position while others don't. Human history is full of such systems with the need to create them out of thin air. What is more interesting about this form of discrimination, within a closed systems are accepted and nurtured. It becomes a problem when two closed systems collide (Egypt, Rome, Maya, Aztec,...) with others.

5. Attribute based discrimination. Tall/short, fat/thin, blond/redhead, black/white/yellow/brown, young/old, man/woman.....are few examples. This one is very subtle and complex because it potentially touches all 4 elements of discrimination above.

But discrimination is one of these words that creates a life of its own. The word seems to inspire controversy by itself. As humans, we live our lives every minute by discriminating our actions and decisions. We could not survive life without it. So discrimination is not a bad thing. Prejudice is.

While living in America, have you or anyone you know experienced discrimination or intolerance? If so, how?
Yes and almost every day. I see the subtle type of "he is not from around here" in the way people treat you, to the polite "tiptoe because they don't know what to say as if I came from the moon, all the way through having stuff thrown at me from moving vehicles in the early eighties" I never had a violent situation, but always made sure to avoid being in such position. The problem with discrimination, you don't have to be attacked to feel bad. Its often the unconscious choices by others that makes you feel all alone. Repeated many times it can have a devastating effect on person's paranoia & psyche.

In a lot of ways, he's been an immense help on this project because he's easily reachable to bounce ideas off of, and based on his experience, can give a pretty complete picture of the scope of the issue. Some may think it's a cop-out to just talk to my dad about this stuff, but I've seen him as a constant source of inspiration.

I also spoke with a few other family members, friends, and complete strangers. I was actually very surprised how willing most people were to recommend people for me to speak with. Maria Buszek recommended an alum who performed a social experiment by wearing the hijab for a month, and recording how it changed people's perceptions of her. Her account of this change is chilling in its authenticity, and ability to articulate the problem from both points of view: both as an American, and as a perceived Arab (this student is not of Arabic descent). Also, through polling students and asking them to a) draw a stereotypical arab, and b) draw a map of the middle east and identify Iraq, I was able to gather some good empirical data to support my claim that most Americans know very little about the Arabic world. It's responses like this that make that undeniably true:

Even though I asked them to draw a stereotype of Arabs, the purpose was not to show how unintelligent the participants were, but rather to gather some data on what a common stereotype of Arabs is.
So through these various sources, as well as my own experience, I was able to glean a rich sense of the problem. But to a certain extent, the problem is apparent. The solution is the elusive part.
The train of thought that led me to my proposed solution began with this video that Morgan showed me of Anthony Bourdain going to Saudi Arabia and meeting other Arabs. She said that this video made her realize how similar we are as people, regardless of race or customs. It was this type of thinking that really led me to my conclusions in terms of being able to make tangible connections between disparate cultural groups.
So how can I phrase the immensity of this problem in a concise and coherent way?

And who do I want to affect?

I love the above image for its absolute stereotypical character. I think it underscores the problem with stereotypes as being representative of an entire people. Do you know anyone like this? Is this representative of America? Then how are terrorists representative of the Middle East?

It's quite Utopian to believe that design has the power to reverse this problem, but I firmly believe it at least deserves an attempt. But how can this change be measured?

MX: Poster Process

2009-09-16T06:48:00.001-07:00

Click Here for Process

This post represents weeks worth of qualitative and quantitive work. These posters show an in-depth analysis of the bird-watching community. This process shows the stages of refinement that our posters went through to make them clear and understandable, as well as visually engaging. Gun fire: parap-pap-pap-pap!

TOPSHOP

2009-09-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

My socks are now available for sale at Topshop.com!

Buy some.

DS / BRAND BRIEF

2009-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

/ VISION

A world that is hate and discrimination free. A world that appreciates, not segregates, every culture for their differences & idiosyncracies: that learns from each-other, instead of exiles & outcasts.

/ MISSION

Marhaba’s mission is to create a voice for Arabs living in America, a voice to strive for equal rights, to end discrimination and vilification, and to educate to American public about the accomplishments and cultural worth of a race that has traditionally been wrongly criminalized.

/ ESSENCE

A sense of modernity, while reflecting on Arabic culture’s rich history of abstraction and geometry. Marhaba in Arabic means ‘Hello!’ The brand should say the same.

/ ATTRIBUTES

Modern, Clean, Traditional, Arabic, Colorful, Friendly, Welcoming, Cultural

/ VALUE PROPOSITION

Marhaba is a friendly reminder to respect your fellow Arab.

/ GUIDING PRINCIPLES

We believe that racism is learned and reversible. We believe that tolerance can be taught through education, and that correct information and smart ways of engaging with it has the capacity to create hope for a new generation, as well as others who may not have known otherwise. We believe in the cultural value and worth of an oppressed culture, and the importance of protecting it’s reputation.

/ AUDIENCE

Joel - 34, Catholic, married with 2 children, ages 4 and 9 (Dakota and Molly). Lives in Mobile, Alabama and served in the Iraq war. His only contact with Arabs has been in the line of battle, and because of the Bush administration’s misappropriation of information, believes that Arabs as a culture are responsible for the acts of 9/11, instead of a few extremists that happened to be Arabic. This, in fact, is the reason why he enlisted - to exact revenge. His uncle was killed in the south tower of the World Trade Center, and since that day, he’s had a brewing hatred for Arabs.

Maria - 23, Feminist, atheist, single. Lives in San Francisco, CA. Maria has a problem with Arabic culture because she is strongly against the hijab, because she believes it is a symbol of oppression, that women are forced into wearing it, and sees it is a way of men continuing to dominate and objectify women. Because of her understanding of the rules in Islamic households, she believes many Muslim women are held against their will at home, not able to leave without the approval of their husbands. She thinks muslims are barbaric in the way they treat women, and hates them for it.

Tabatha - 10, Jewish, 4th grader, lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tabby has grown up in very traditionally Jewish family with parents who are unfortunately hate Arabs and Muslims, because of the conflict in the Middle East. They moved to America when they were 18, and eloped in order to escape suicide bombings and danger for their children. Because of this intolerance, Tabby has been imbued with her parents intolerant dogma, and constantly picks on Ahmad, another student in her 4th grade class. Ahmad is from Aaman, Jordan and his family has just moved to the United States. Tabby calls him racial names, bullies him, and blames him for the death of her people.

/ KEY MARKETS

The South, New York City, -- anywhere.

Visual Advocacy

2009-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Problem Finding:

Middle Eastern vilification & discrimination has been rampant since 9/11. Kansas City serves a good case example due to our largely conservative suburbia and rural areas. My aim through this project is to educate Kansas City about Arabs and Islam, to dispel any misconceptions, and help to foster positive self-esteem for Arab-Americans.

In order to understand issues revolving around Arab Americans in Kansas City, I've compiled a list of cultural resources within the city:

Islamic Center of Greater Kansas City (ISGKC)
Islamic Center of Jackson County
International Cultural Board of Kansas City
Citizens for Justice in the Middle East
International Union of Muslim Women
Universal Academy Islamic School (UAIS)
Islamic School of Kansas City
Arabisto Media
Mosques: Masjid Ahmed, Inshirah, & Omar

In addition, I've spoken to Andrea Kahn, who serves on the board of the International Cultural Board of Kansas City.

While discrimination and vilification are problems that are hard to reverse, there is at least hope for the youngest generation. A large part of my campaign will be to target young children and educate them in order to dispel rumors or misconceptions. My audience is not limited to children though, but to everyone who I can affect.

MX : Community Model

2009-09-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

see the real community model here

WHAT IS BIRD WATCHING?

The observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. To members it is often referred to as birding. Birding often involves an auditory component in addition to the optical, because much of birding is identifying both the sound and physical characteristics of a bird.

PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES:

The small size of these countries make quickly traveling to prime bird watching areas much easier, and it is this ease that is one reason for birding being so prevalent in these areas.

EQUIPMENT NEEDS:

binoculars, spotting scope, tripod, notepad, field guides, hides (observation towers), cameras, video cameras,

DEMOGRAPHICS:

countries with populations that are interested in birding include but are not limited to:

the United Kingdom

the Netherlands

Denmark

Ireland

Finland

Sweden

90% of American bird watchers are caucasian with only a few African Americans.

Birders tend to be made up of people with above average means given the relatively high cost of the activity.

INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY WANTS & NEEDS:

there are growing concerns in bird watching communities about the environmental impact.

-phishing is becoming a problem in causing stress to birds

-flash photography is also causing stress among bird populations

-people need to remember to maintain a respectful distance away from the nesting grounds of these birds, as not to disturb their habits.

SYMBOLS (uniforms, tools, markers of activity’s community):

twitcher–one who travels long distances to see a rare bird that would be “ticked” off of a list.

some birders engage in competitions to see who can accumulate the longest list of bird species spotted.

twitchable–a rare bird that stays put long enough for people to see.

binoculars–birders tend to have extreme interest in binoculars and understand that there are definite advantages to a $900 pair as opposed to a $100 pair.

dipped out–when a twitcher fails to see a rare bird that has been marked as twitchable.

supression–concealing news of a rare bird from other twitchers.

phishing–an automated bird call, usually indicating alarm

MOTIVATIONS:

Nikolaas Tinbergen–birding is an expression of the male hunting instinct.

Simon Baron-Cohen–links birding with the male tendency toward systematizing

New York birding study–males were interested in sharing knowledge while females found it intellectual and challenging.

CONTRIBUTIONS:

The activity of birders inherently helps to document migratory patterns of bird species as well as the success or failures of govt. ecological initiatives to foster grow of at risk or endangered species of birds.

Ampersand Documentation

2009-02-06T07:21:00.001-08:00

Huge thanks to Laura Berglund for the photography

TV Opener Feedback

2008-12-03T09:22:00.001-08:00

VL: System Postcard: Research & Iterations

2008-11-13T23:44:00.001-08:00

Yo.

Cassie.

Don't spoil it.

(Stop Reading.)

While Cassie's response was cute, and made something harmless out of something sinister, I also identified it also something that really nicely encapsulated this tension between the natural and the industrial, this strange symbol for man's destruction and ingenuity, for how despite our efforts to use industry to improve the life of man, it has wreaked havoc on the earth. I decided to push this as far as it could go, repurposing the fan blade butterfly and using it as a bittersweet symbol for pollution, and for this tension between industry and the earth. I know this is a contrived issue, but it's relevance and consequences are unavoidable.

A lot of the research I did was on global warming and emissions. According to the EPA, from 1990 to 2004, emissions went up 20%. The projections are slim --- we are on the verge of a drastic, perhaps cataclysmic climate change that is the result of our habitual pollution since the industrial age. A vast majority of scientists believe that this change is because of an increased amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, which are a direct result of CO2 emissions from automobiles, factories, and garbage. While the current effects on human health are small, the EPA estimates that because of how integral our connection with the earth is, agricultural systems, the water cycle, quality of air, and the strength of existing ecosystems are all close to deterioration. Because our economy is also tied with these existing systems, if the global climate changes, our gross domestic product will be reduced by 1%. Despite the seeming minutia of the previous statement, 1% of our gross domestic product is an immense amount of money, that during an economic crisis, cannot be excusable. On top of all of this, An Inconvenient Truth's website makes the following predictions:

	The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.²
	Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.³
	The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.⁴
	At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.⁵

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.

	Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.⁶
	Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.⁷
	Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
	Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
	The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.⁸
	More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.⁹

While I do see climate change as something that everyone can help to prevent or progress, I believe that for most industrialized societies, these changes are superficial and do not affect the real problem. Our socio-economic system is so intimately married to industrialism that breaking free from its smog-ridden clutches will require massive overhauls in the design of existing logistic and energy-based institutions. It will require huge, mandatory change.

Using the butterfly as an industrial nuclear apocalyptic mutant robot, I sought to express this tension between the earth and the reality man has created for himself through the means of industrialization. Placing the butterfly in the context of an abandoned factory filled with industrial waste, I create a dismal picture of the current state of equilibrium between and nature, encouraging man to continue his habits through the mantra, POLLUTE.

Take that, Cassie! :)

______________________________________________

Sources:

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/index.html#proj

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/

¹ According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), this era of global warming "is unlikely to be entirely natural in origin" and "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence of the global climate."
² Emanuel, K. 2005. Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years. Nature 436: 686-688.
³ World Health Organization
⁴ Krabill, W., E. Hanna, P. Huybrechts, W. Abdalati, J. Cappelen, B. Csatho, E. Frefick, S. Manizade, C. Martin, J, Sonntag, R. Swift, R. Thomas and J. Yungel. 2004. Greenland Ice Sheet: Increased coastal thinning. Geophysical Research Letters 31.
⁵ Nature.
⁶ World Health Organization
⁷ Washington Post, "Debate on Climate Shifts to Issue of Irreparable Change," Juliet Eilperin, January 29, 2006, Page A1.
⁸ Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Also quoted in Time Magazine, Vicious Cycles, Missy Adams, March 26, 2006.

⁹ Time Magazine, Feeling the Heat, David Bjerklie, March 26, 2006.

______________________________________________

Iterations:

VL: Final Postcard

2008-11-12T06:08:00.001-08:00

SM: Opener

2008-11-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

The TV show opener appeals a lot more to me because of it's "fun" potential. Despite the fact that I admire design for being able to break down complicated information and re-present it in a clear, rational way... I feel like I've already explored this capability for design. Also, there isn't a lot of interesting data on letter-writing, which makes the other option difficult to pursue. Despite my disdain for television, I see this project as an opportunity to create something captivating, and well ... fun. I want a piece like this in my portfolio because a lot of my work is serious. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten is never take yourself too seriously, so in hopes to diversify my body of work, I want to try something different. I've done infographics, I've done magazine spreads, I've structured data. A good portfolio is one that shows breadth and quality. I'd hope I have quality, but breadth is something I lack.

purpose / context / audience

A TV opener is meant to embody the mood or vision of the program it starts. It sets a tone for the rest of the show and introduces key characters and credits while creating a dynamic and visually pleasing tidbit of the show's general atmosphere. It should grab people, it should make them want to see the show. In terms of letter writing -- I hope to move more in the direction of an advice show, having viewers write in asking for help from a "know-it-all" TV host, or psychologist. I envision this show being on a lifestyle or culture/music channel, like MTV, or VH1. Depending on the channel, the context of the show opener would depend upon the surrounding programming and the types of advertisements marketed towards the audience. It cannot be standalone, as it supports upcoming programming. Perhaps a really great show opener could standalone, but overall as its function is to introduce, it is part of a larger TV program. My audience would be those who would be asking for advice, or interested in the problems of others. I imagine they would be all ages, but primarily between late teens and late to middle aged people.

Research

Ask Dr. Ruth

A really 80's intro to Dr. Ruth's "sex advice" show.

Ask a Ninja

Wonderfully DIY and Lo... Lo-Fi.

SPACE: 1999

Kitschy, kitschy, horrible goodness. A prediction into the past future.

Apparently, the best tv intro ever

Wonderfully campy and 80's

That 70's Show

Despite its tackiness, this opener takes advantage of a song to create excitement around the show. It also introduces the characters in a really informal, fun way.

Grey's Anatomy

I really like the way this opener uses music and a keen compositional style to set a tone for the show.

I Love the 80's

Formally, as well as in terms of animation quality, this intro is really nice.

MASH

My mom always used to hum this song. Must be good, right?

I Dream of Genie

I love this one. This song has been stuck in my head for the past 2 weeks.

Bewitched

In the same vein, and just as wonderful

The Avengers

I really like the stop frame, photographic quality of this piece

The Avengers (1962)

Damn, what is with The Avengers and awesome intros?

Oh... The Flintstones

Maybe its just nostalgia....?

VL: Output Postcard: Process & Iterations

2008-11-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

-- CASSIE - Don't read this! --

So I understood Cassie's postcard as being negative about the sinister fatality of time. I wanted to further this idea through including imagery that reinforced this concept. I wanted to make the clock seem even more sinister by pairing it with the imagery of the skull and of the elderly woman. I found the most successful compositions were ones where the clock and the other imagery began to interact in a more direct way, like in the tintypes, how the texture of the photograph bleeds into the clock, or on the old woman, how color helps to unify the composition.

Process: Non Linear Story

2008-11-09T19:54:00.001-08:00

It began with sketches, as does everything here. My initial idea was to have the user be in a voyeuristic setting, looking around someone's desk and messing with their things. Some of my initial concepts were far too out of reach given my actionscript knowledge, but my final animation still retains a few of the same ideas and concepts. Overall, I learned that it's important to "dream big" so that the final product ends up being more dynamic than something that simply satisfies the constraints of the assignment.

My first iteration explored this idea of voyeurism, but in a very static and somewhat confusing way. The cursor is a pencil, and as it mouses over various parts of the environment, the respective videos play. On mouseout, these videos stop, so that the animation is at once static and dynamic - stills and moving image, depending on the user and how they interact with the piece. This fragments the story, and turns it into a series of images that transition on mouseover -- I think, adding to the stop-frame aesthetic of the initial animation. It was bizarre the way I added sounds, however. The idea was that as I moused-over more and more, the drawing sound with build, so that the amount of cursor play with the piece controlled how intense the sound got. Users don't understand how this works though, as I wasn't explaining to them where the sounds were coming from, or how they were being activated. This made it problematic and frustrating, as when most people played with it, it got to the "crazy" state with sounds getting extremely intense, and most just wanted to close it to shut it up. I thought this acoustic experimentation was interesting, but perhaps not right for the assignment. I also added a rough version of a drawing function in actionscript that allowed the user to add their own commentary or images on top of the existing narrative. I didn't give users a way to erase this though, so it obscured videos they wanted to watch, and they had no way of ridding the screen of it. Also, there were some bugs in the interface, like how the cursor connected from where the last line was made to where a new one was being made, and also, how the lines appeared always in the top right first, not where the cursor was pointed.

So for my final, I tried to resolve these functionality issues, so that the sounds had more of a concrete basis for existing. The record serves as the controller for my music, and the pencil serves as the controller for my "drawing" sound effect. The eraser now allows the user to clear the canvas once they've filled it with drawings, and the envelope contains the videos, so the user can toggle them on and off. Overall, the goal was to make the environment more dynamic and more manageable for the user, so that they wont get frustrated as quickly. Hopefully it's working better!

Final Postcard

2008-11-07T00:41:00.001-08:00

Postcard Iterations

2008-11-07T00:39:00.001-08:00

Statement

2008-10-15T02:54:00.001-07:00

My goal through these posters was to encourage Arab Americans to continue their high voter turnout, and to inform Americans about some of the common misconceptions surrounding arabic culture. In doing so, each of my posters address a different audience: the first, a primarily American audience, the second, an Arabic audience, and the third, both audiences. Overall, formally I was influenced by traditional islamic patterning and abstraction, and tried to retain this sense of sparsity in my work, coupled with this underlying idea of intricacy and detail, found in my appropriated patterns.

In my first poster, I wanted to clear up any misconceptions surrounding the hijab, or the traditional muslim attire. Even though many Americans see the hijab as a symbol of oppression, it is in reality a symbol of a woman’s piety, or her devotion to God and of the respect towards herself and her own body. The anchoring text then, is ironic in the sense that it both affirms and denies this modesty - in relation to life and to the voting booth.

My second poster is much more esoteric in the sense that only a person who understands what the Dome of the Rock is would get the meaning. The building in red is a very sacred Mosque in Jerusalem, and serves to many Muslims as an allegory for their religion, and ethnic culture. It is also a symbol of the struggle in the middle east for land that two very different religions feel is rightfully theirs. In using it as an allegory for these issues I’ve anchored it with the text “Your Ballot. Their Blood.” to further drive home to an arab who recognizes this image, the power that they have to change the situation as members of a representative government.

My third poster is intended for both audiences, because it explores this issue in contemporary culture of racial discrimination based on the supposed ethnicity of those who caused September 11th. To most americans at first glance, one would think that a woman in a hijab is far from a patriot, but the exact antithesis, a terrorist. Upon close inspection, though, one realizes that she’s wearing an “I voted” sticker. This contrasting image / text relationship, I hope, makes many close minded Americans feel guilty for their initial reaction to the image.

Overall, I’ve realized through this project the power that tropes can instill in my work. I’ve also learned how appropriately design fits into the political spectrum, and how interested I am in using design to tackle larger social and political issues.

Junior / Senior Crit

2008-10-15T02:21:00.000-07:00

My crit with Kristi and Nick helped immensely. I was struggling with the type for my third concept, and Kristi, being from an islamic family, helped me to think of more powerful statements. Also, they suggested minor formal revisions, like changing the head scarf in "Patriot" to be more patriotic, in order to tie in the color but also to make it a stronger image.

Process Documentation

2008-10-15T02:16:00.001-07:00

Final Posters

2008-10-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

video

2008-10-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

SM: Process Documentation: Storyboards

2008-09-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

SM: Process Documentation

2008-09-23T20:15:00.001-07:00

Initial Word List:

Write:

Sharpen:

Erase:

VL: Audience

2008-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

For my demographic I've chosen Arab Americans. "Not quite white," they are a forgotten demographic that actually packs a pretty strong political punch. According to previous years, Arab Americans have a higher voter turnout than all other demographics, including whites. My goal through these posters will be to remind society, as well as arabs themselves, of the strength they have as a demographic, and reminding them to continue voting.

1. what are some predominately shared values of this group? (broadly in life, not politics)

Arab Americans have a very strong sense of family values. They also place a very strong emphasis on education. On average, they have a higher percentage of bachelors degrees than other minorities. Portrayed often as violent, conservative, and fanaticist, Arabs in general are a peaceful people. Given the historic vilification of arabs in society, most just want to reverse this stereotype, and want to lead the same kinds of lives as other Americans. The concept of honor is also very important to Arabs. According to their culture, everything you do reflects upon your family name. So, for example, if you are shamed in any way, your entire family is shamed in society. According to Arab Americans, you carry the cumulative accomplishments and failures of your family with you in life. Your reputation, then, is what distinguishes or vilifies you to other members of the society. Religion is also very important to Arabs. Most Arabs are Islamic, a religion that in many ways is quite similar to Christianity. Within the religion of Islam there are two sects: The Shi' ites, who believe that the leaders of the Islamic church must be of a direct blood relative to Muhammad, and Sunni's, those who believe that the rulers who are most fit for the job should be elected. Of the two, the Sunni's are the most prevalent, while the Shi'ites are the extremist, conservative minority, following closely all the tenants of the Qura'n. (The Islamic Bible) Consider the differences between the two offshoots of Islam in terms of Catholics vs. Protestants. Preserving the tenants of the Qura'n and leading a religious life are important to most Islamic Arabs.

2. what political policies/issues are particularly important to this demographic in this election? why?

Obviously, the issue of the War in Iraq is a huge concern to Arab Americans. Most feel that the situation in Iraq is a prime example that imperialism has not died, and that the raping and pillaging of their homeland has happened and will continue to happen. They also care deeply about the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East. Given the historical lack of trust Arabs have had with the West, securing justice and equality in the Middle East is of the highest importance. Most feel like America has sided with the Israelis, but question why. Historically, the region has always been an Arabic stronghold, and helping the Israelis, most Arab Americans feel, is like planting a cancer in the Middle East. It has little to do with anti-semitism, but rather much more to do with the same issues America was founded upon: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Given the Western consumption of their homelands, they have a certain uneasiness about the Western world. Arabs are also concerned with their own vilification in Western culture. The fact that Arabs appear only as terrorists and oil sheiks in the American media perfectly illustrates the misconceptions about this oftentimes misunderstood and overlooked demographic. Freedom is of the utmost importance to Arab Americans, because of the historical context surrounding Arabic discrimination worldwide. Arabs have had to fight for their own freedom constantly, from the crusades onward. Most Arab Americans flock to America because of the inherent promise that the constitution guarantees: freedom. Logically, the preservation of this tenant is hugely important to them. Because of this, policies like the Patriot Act, and much of the Bush foreign policy have turned off many Arab Americans to Republican politics. Arabs are also deeply interested in immigration, as well as the availability of civic institutions like generalized healthcare and education.

3. are there any cultural references your demographic identifies with? what?

Sadly, cultural references in America of Arabs are mostly derogatory. Most Arab Americans do not identify with any of the pre-conceived notions that Americans impose upon them. There are remnants of the Middle Eastern culture that exist in American society, however. Their food has become largely popular as being marketed as "Greek Food." A high percentage of "Greek" Restaurants in the United States are in reality, Arabic owned. Even calling a restaurant "Arabic" comes with it negative connotations. This is why most are referred to as "Greek" or "Mediterranean", or "Aladdin's". Recently, the popularity of the hookah in America is another cultural institution in Arabic countries. The hijab, or the traditional muslim women's attire, is an indicator is Islamic culture. It is also the decision of the women to wear the garments, and is not forced upon them, as many Americans believe. It is a proud part of their society, one concerned with modesty and purity. Beards are also a traditional tenant of Islam for men, and are grown as an indication of their faith, but also of their age. It is not, despite the American perception, forced upon Islamic men. Belly dancing has also become Anglicized, but has traditionally been an Arabic art form, highly praising female dexterity and muscular control. The Arabic language is a huge part of their culture, as it is what defines a person as "Arabic". The language, derived from Aramaic (at the opposite end of the linguistic spectrum from English) is still based upon the Phoenician alphabet and linguistic system, but interpreted in a very different way. The idiosyncrasy of the Arabic script is also a highly praised cultural institution, recognized for its right to left orientation, as well as its completely unique calligraphic beauty. Generally, however, Arabs tend to hide their differences from the rest of society and attempt to blend in as much as possible, to "naturalize" or "Americanize" themselves, so as to avoid vilification or discrimination. To advertise their culture openly oftentimes brings the types of attitudes towards them that Americans have more or less been trained to develop: greedy, terrorist, extremist, anti-feminist, oppressive, totalitarian, authoritarian, fascist, dangerous. While there are some Arabs that have these traits, it is most certainly not true of all Arabs. They represent Arabic culture just as much as Timothy McVey represents American culture. A perfect example would be the assumption that after the Oklahoma City bombing, that those responsible must have been Arabic.

4. what does their graphic landscape look like? (this is sometimes called a "visual audit") put another way, assemble a range of designed artifacts that are targeted toward this group - packages, posters, companies, logos, publications, etc.

Because of the Arab American transparency, there is a rather sparse visual landscape, although because of the Islamic iconoclast, there is a rich tradition of geometric design, and arabic calligraphy.

5. including the aiga document and other sources, what are the issues cited for this group not voting?

The biggest issue with Arab Americans not voting is their inability to identify with the candidates. Because of how different Arabic culture is from American culture, and how American politicians rarely even try to appeal to Arabs, there is a bit of a disconnect. Surprisingly though, Arabs turn out in the highest numbers of all voters, at above 60%. This is perhaps because Arabs do not take for granted their liberties, as they've seen the other side of hunger. In other words, they have not traditionally had these liberties, and instill in their children an appreciation for such civil rights.

Sources:

wikipedia.com

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/comparison_charts/islamic_sects.htm.org

aaiusa.org

Interview with Maher H. Masri (my father)

Visual Language: Applications

2008-09-17T00:36:00.001-07:00

Visual Language: Iterations

2008-09-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Visual Language: Matrix

2008-09-09T22:42:00.001-07:00

Documentation: Storyboards, Revised Books & Final Books

2008-09-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

For a full set of photos, visit my flickr page.

Visual Language: Semiotics: Matrices

2008-09-04T10:11:00.001-07:00

Visual Language: Semiotics Images

2008-09-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

see my flickr account for the images.

Sound + Motion : Documentation

2008-09-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

visual language: semiotics: object

2008-08-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

General Electric Desk Fan. Circa 1950.

General Description: Worn, slightly rusty - yet still functional. Creates a one speed breeze, rather strong - to the point where I can't have it pointed directly at me if placed on my desk.

Audience: People in warm climates before the dawn of central air conditioning. Because it is a "desk" fan, perhaps placed in professional environments, or in areas of work within a domestic setting. Provides relief from summer temperatures. An object used out of necessity, not leisure - but an important one, and perhaps at one time a luxury. This object may conjure up memories of oppressively hot summer days, more so towards an older generation. Despite its utilitarian function, some of us may remember as children using fans as vocal distortion tools, manipulating our words to sound robotic or darth-vader-esque. Though fans may have connotations of domesticity, their high speeds and sharp blades may also have sinister possibilities.

Motion Capture Subject

2008-08-27T21:34:00.001-07:00

My theme for the motion capture assignment is letter writing. Below is an image of my mind map.

Final Review Statement

2008-05-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Last semester I concluded my presentation by saying that one major lesson I learned, was how much more I had to learn.
I don’t think I realized it would be this much, this quick.

Over the course of this semester, I’ve developed a new perspective on graphic design, and I feel like I’ve solidified my definition of the profession.
I understand design to be the art of clear visual communication. I see this as a recurrent theme from last semester, and through projects like my icon system and the seven deadly sins project I learned that design digresses into art if it’s not easily understandable.

I’ve also learned the power of design as a system. Over the evolution of my semiotic scrapbook to icons to infographic, and finally to placards, I learned how to build a cohesive semiotic identity that is visually and conceptually intertwined, and represented in a variety of ways.

Through the scrapbook project, I gained a valuable understanding of semiotics, the study of signs, and the construction of meaning. In understanding each icon’s denotations and connotations, I was able to establish a rich visual language that acted as a style guide for the rest of the semester.
Though I’ve learned a lot, I feel like there’s so much more to work on. My biggest weakness, I think, is my tendency to focus on the aesthetic of the project without deeply considering the meaning. Though I feel like I’ve improved from last semester, I understand now the power of design as a carefully constructed and planned set of ideas, and that the visual aspects of the work are much like letters – only abstract symbols until fit together in a calculated way to create meaning.

So, in closing, I can only hope that next year is as enlightening as this one was. Thanks to my professors for your patience, your guidance, and your passion for design.

Final Placards

2008-05-05T09:32:00.001-07:00

Progress! / Final Placards?

2008-05-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Progress since Monday's Class

2008-04-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

Attached are the three digital frames I'm thinking of going with. I've changed minor things, like taking into account image pacing, orientation, rhythm, and color.

Statement

2008-04-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

The visualization of complex information can be a daunting task. Through the course of this project, I’ve learned that despite how complicated the information may be, through the use of simple hierarchical strategies the designer can present a clear, perceptible system for readers to discern.

My spreads are all about the idea of covering up – of elements covering each other, just as the stale technologies my icons represented have been covered up over time. This idea of layering is apparent in both the infographic and the spreads, however the physical integration of the two proved difficult because overlapping the graphic with the body copy proved illegible and unapproachable. However, leaving the graphic to its own space made it feel quite isolated from the integration that the previous spreads exhibited.

Another challenge was developing a consistent graphic language to help the reader understand bits of information within the infographic. For example, the red “murderers” of each icon, the speech bubbles, and the starburst shape announcing the years. I found that through consistent employment of these devices, I could establish a system for viewers to understand.

Overall, I found this project to be a helpful lesson in consistency, in systems, and conveying information. I’ve learned that the designer has an important responsibility to make the labyrinthian accessible, and that through clarity and consideration, the visualization of this information can be quite beautiful.

Progress

2008-04-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

MURDER!

2008-04-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

More progress on the infographic - changed the title / fonts, added the "murderer" of each icon, and used a starburst graphic element to call attention to the year each icon peaked. I also added a page from my old magazines having to do with "modernizing at a low cost."

Too busy?

2008-04-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

this is my progress so far on the digital phase of my infographic

Revisions

2008-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Friday's Crit, Moving Forward

2008-04-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

We discussed several revisions for my infographic, among them - legibility, hierarchy, and additional information. I intended for the reader to perceive that the higher up the icon, the longer it was on the market; however, Ian suggested a vertical axis with a scale indicator (in terms of years) to show exactly how long they were on the market. Also, to help distinguish each icon from another, I used an increasing number of lines to represent each icon. Ian and Cassie found this difficult to understand, especially at the bottom where it was quite busy, and suggested using color instead to differentiate. We discussed abbreviating the time span displayed, however Cassie argued that the span from 1850 - 2010 was nice because it gave more of a macro view.

More Visual Artifacts

2008-03-30T22:54:00.001-07:00

Through further researching my theme, I realized that most of my objects were designed under the larger umbrella of modernism. These images further serve as visualizations of my connotations list.

Research Document

2008-03-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to narrow down one theme due to my indecisiveness, so I extrapolated all of my research lists so I could go any direction based on feedback.

Mindmap

2008-03-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Visual Artifacts

2008-03-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

The following videos are visualizations of my connotations list, and embody my theme either directly or tangentially.

Sign Painting

Vintage Polaroid Commercial

The Polaroid SX70 (with some wonderful old graphics on the science of optics within the camera)

When telephone service moved away from operators to an automated service, this PSA was used to explain how the new system works.

Steve Jobs introduces the Macintosh, using a floppy drive to boot it.

This mega-nerd figured out how to rig a floppy disk to create the star wars theme song as it is being read by a floppy drive.

An example of the quality of information stored on a floppy disk.

An Atari commercial, showing the style of graphics.

A commercial for cassette tapes from 1981

Fondue cam can't quite do it correctly.

Tina Terni shows us how to fondue correctly. Don't mind the "Old Rock & Roll" loop at the beginning + comic sans.

Jerry Lewis does the typewriter bit.

Recently featured in the Darjeeling Limited, Typewriter, tip tip tip tip is a really bizarre video

more to come

Inspiration

2008-03-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

I probably should have posted this earlier, but this work was some of my inspiration beginning this project.

Naming Icon Set

2008-03-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ideas for icon name set:

Brainstorming, Prewriting

Palette of words:

antiquated, vintage, appliance, utilitarian, esoteric, forgotten, nostalgia, americana, aged, retro, dimensional, detailed, passe, yesteryear, artifacts, reminiscent, archaic, classic, ancient, distant, relic, heirloom, ruins, vestige (ial), antique, era, prehistoric, senile, geriatric, fossil, decrepit, obsolete, primeval, primordial, oldfangled, age-old, cast-off, anachronistic, stale, dinosaur, extinct, musty, technology, paraphernalia, gear, regalia

Possible combinations:

Fossils of Yesteryear

Dinosaurs of Technology

Vintage Relics

Stale Technology

Geriatric Gear

Ruins of Yesteryear

Antiquated Apparatuses

Prehistoric Paraphernalia

Musty Materials

Obsolete Objects

Skeletons of Technology

Retro Regalia

Artifacts of Yesteryear

Oldfangled Gear

Other Ideas:

My Grandma's Basement

Thrift Store Stock

Retrophilia

Ancient History

Color Studies, Progress ...

2008-03-14T08:30:00.001-07:00

experimenting with how color can allude to dimension, and the connotative power of hue / saturation.

Final Icons 4"

2008-03-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Final Icons 1"

2008-03-09T14:32:00.001-07:00

Cover Colors

2008-03-09T12:29:00.001-07:00

Color Application

2008-03-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Icon System

2008-03-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

Connotative list:

vintage, esoteric, americana, aged, retro, commercial, detailed, dimensional, angular, sharp, heavy, inverted, outlined

2008-02-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

I then pulled inspiration from found magazines from the 40's and 70's for a second idea. The idea was to use the existing magazine as my material, utilizing it for everything from imagery, to paper, cover, back, and spine. Posted are a few examples of several pages I pulled out to use certain elements from.

After looking over both ideas and convening with teachers, I chose to go with the magazine, as I felt it more accurately portrayed all of my objects and wasn't as limiting as the cassette tape. I learned to design "from the inside out" considering content first, and then worrying about form.

The finished pro

duct was printed on pages from the magazine that represent the theme of each object. Sometimes the connection is literal, for example on the typewriter spread the background image is simply a collection of

typewriters. However, due to the limitation

s of my medium some connections are more abstract and have to do with function. For example - the floppy disk spread is printed on advertisements for storage systems.

Semiotic Scrapbook

2008-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

After fully documenting and classifying our objects, the next step of the assignment was to create a scrapbook to index all of them, and display our research as well as form making abilities. The learning objectives were as follows:

"1. Compiling a good set of visual reference materials that will be used when developing your icon system (project 2)

2. Learn about and apply your knowledge of semiotic classifications

3. Exhibit creative form-making skills (the formal presentation of the above objectives"

Pulling inspiration from one of my objects, a cassette tape I made a mock-up of one proposal for my solution.

Documenting the Objects

2008-02-14T13:09:00.001-08:00

Here is an abbreviated synopsis of the images I took of the objects.

Semiotic Classifications

2008-02-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

After the mindmap, the next task was to fully research our objects, collect, photograph, document, and classify their semiotic associations. Semiotics, or the study of signs, was the driving force behind the work. It involves several classifications:

Icons are the direct representation of the object. An icon for a polaroid camera, for example, could be a image of it.

Indexes are indicators of the object. An index of the camera could be a polaroid photo itself.

Symbols are abstracted and must be learned. A symbol of the camera could be the Polaroid logo.

Connotation and Denotation also play an important role in the study of signs.

The denotation of an object is the dictionary definition of it. For example: A polaroid camera is a machine used to generate instant photographs.

The connotation of an object is its emotional associations. For example: A polaroid camera can be connotative of the 1940's to the 1970's, of instant gratification, of travel, tourism, leisure, and primitivity.

Our task was to illustrate our understanding of these concepts through our objects. Below is an image of my classifications for each object, as well as some early brainstorming for the next step of the assignment.

2008-02-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

The first project of the sophomore studio: Visual Communication began with a mindmap.

The objective was to select a theme from a list provided (very broad, general terms) and flesh out the idea down to a very specific idea, and finally into a list of 10 objects which related to that idea.

From the theme "Traditional" I mindmapped the idea of Nostalgia - objects that are now obselete that are symbols of a time past. My ten objects are as follows: Polaroid Camera, Atari, Rotary Phone, Baseball Cards, Vinyl Record, 8 Track, Cassette, Typewriter, Floppy Disk, Fondue Pot.