Monday, November 29, 2010

Dangerous Designs

Propoganda is a form of design which served as a communication that is aimed at the attitute of the community toward some cause and position. It is a dangerous designs because propoganda influences the human's mind, create unrealistic figures and image in order for the creator to gain the viewer's support for their either right or wrong cause. This has been used for political warfare for centuries due to the manipulative power espeicially during WWI and WW II periods. Propoganda is generally appeal to emotion, not intellect; thus encourage the viewer to response to their impulsive emotion rather than rational reasonings. This method was used by the Nazi to recruit and provoke young people to become Nazi. This designs were create to crop an unrealistic image of power, conquer, fear, and destruction in viewer's mind; and since it can portrait pretty much any type of image, it has great influnces of one's opinion in religious, political and moral's view.
In modern day, propoganda is used for more neutral purpose such as public health recommandations, encouraging message to fight against crime...etc.

Design to improve Society

Park was first invented only for royalty and aristocratics, specifically their deer hunting sport. It usually surrounded with tall and thick wall to keep the game in and people out. In modern time, park has transformed into the public property where everyone can come and enjoy it. The design often included a vast landscape which consists flowers, rock, soil, water, plants and wild animals. Some was constructed specifically for protecting wildlife animals, especially the endanger species such as elephant, gorrillas...etc. Hence, park became an essential element in any big city, citizens could come to the park and enjoy the leisure times here. It detached away from the noisy, busy streets, encouraged the visitors to bond with nature and their inner self.

Colors in Designs

Since ancient time, colors painting were used to decorated the plain cave habitat. In present day, colors have became essential to the modern design. In the movie which was shown in class, illustrate the different perspectives of sky color through the sky project. Each person project different colors into the sky; thus, as the matter of fact, the sky has no colors the illusion was caused by the sunlight hit the atmosphere and create and effect to human's eyes.  This explains Albert's theory of colors can be deceiveful; since our perspection of colors changes with different people and the influence of the environment.  With the modern technology, we were able to produce new colors under the precise measurement of mixture of different colors; thus, our confusing perception of colors enhanced

Colors are not only essential in evaluate one design's works and mind, but also define the culture influences and emotion expression of ones. Color effects works both way, we define and gave names to colors and colors help design our mood and emotions. Designers takes advantage of color to bring out our emotions which influence our decision. Mc Donald logo can be the evidence of this scheme; designers applied bright red and yellow to stimulate our hunger and inspire the customers to make quick decisions in buying the products.

The website belowed allowed us to experience the color illusion with the combination of primary, complimentary and secondary colors. We also learned the relationship of each colors with culture, religions and emotions. In the movie options, we were be able to learn the different emotions which colors inspire. This is a useful site for beginner designers as we learn the basic affects of the essential element of design, colors.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Art & Design works as political tool!!!

Recently, I have done a research paper upon the Colosseum of Rome, a great, terrific large scale architectural structure which were built purely for political purpose. During my research, I found out that the Colosseum was not only the symbol for the strong empire, but it works as the good will and generosity  from the new emperor to the citizens of Rome. This was illustrated through the location of the Colosseum which situated above the ruin of the palace of the Nero emperor. This good will image gained the new emperor the trust of the citizens. The Colosseum also is the place for the emperor to meet with his subjects.

 We can see many other rulers used similar method. King of France, Louis the Fourteen used extravagant fashion designs and architectural to keep the economic of France running. By having an extravagant lifestyle, Kind Louis were able to provide jobs for large number of artisans and musicians. This way he can spread the currency to all the citizens, to avoid the ceased of the flow in currency with the traders and merchants. This way he can bring back the power to the noblelists and minimize the control of the country by the merchants.
Thus, designs are powerful and has great influence on the subjects which or whom created.

Roman Architectural


Roman architecture has a great influence on modern architecture because we can see many designs in the Colosseum reappearing in our buildings today. For example, many basketball court and stadium designs are based upon the arena structure. They also use the barrel vault shape for its entrances. One great invention the Romans used in the Colosseum was concrete. This durable material is now still being used widely in architectural design. Even with their limited technology, Roman architecture still leaves us speechless today. These achievements have left a great impression upon its decendants. Its influence has been widely incorporated into many modern buildings, such as the Oakland Coliseum. Through the design of the Colosseum, we understand more of the culture and social context of the Roman civilization, and how it impacts our lives today.

My SPECIALTY!!

As a design student, I have come to understand that the design world is always up to date. The idea which I have today which may already develop by another designers. Through out the history of design, we can see the repetion or return of the old style/design, though none are completely alike. It is common for similar idea being develop by two different designers. For example, Palladio architects designed his vacation home, called "villas", followed Greece/Roman architecture style. Although, it is a repricate design, but it was magnificent and unique on its own. The design took on the name of the perfect building. Palladio was able to revive the lost culture and also added his own unique design which brought more to this significant style. The emotion and feelings which the designer put into their design can't be replace or repricate.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Simpler The Better

I remember when I was younger, too young to know how to read, I would read my older sister's comic book without any help from the adult. Recently, Pixar entertainment introduced a new animated movie called "UP". It was my favorite animate movie of the year. It has a very inspiring, in-depth plot about life, love and reality. I was curious as the movie was labeled as PG-13, because I think a little boy or a little girl would not enjoy and understand the story line; but as I looked around movie theatre, their little eyes flickered and glued to the screen. I suddenly realize how powerful the image is to be able to tell a story.
The best way to communicate universally is not through word but image. Artists and Designers are the translators; they create and collaborate images to make people understand each other without verbal conversation.
We, human, use Visual Communication all the time without realizing it; from billboards, digital images to media, images help to express ideas\thoughts that word cannot. The commercial, film industry depend on this special brain interaction to image to create a entertain stimulation in the viewers.

Color

We depend on color, shape and texture of an object in order to identify and to label it. Color also influence our mood and impression of an object, for example: red is alert, green is envy or yellow is happiness... As result, the commercial industry used this method to catch the attention of the customers to purchase their products. For example, Mc Donald's restaurants is decorated in red to trigger the hunger and encourage the customers to eat more hamburgers. This also explains the changes of color trend in fashion design due to weathers. By studying the color differences, and the interaction of human's brain toward color can help us have a better understanding at the role of color in design.
Color is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, yellow, blue and others. The study of color has been going for a long time ago.The birth of new colors open the horizon of designing. The birth of machine has heavily influences to the modern design, this did not only influence the shape and the texture of object and material; it creates a variety of color option. New color was create by new technology; with the help of the machine, human was able to create new color with precise amount between mixture of primary colors or secondary colors.

Objectified

Objectified is a documentary directed by Gary Hustwit. The movie focused on complex relationship between manufactured objects the people who design them. It evaluates the creativity at work behind many objects that we take for granted every day.  From toothbrushes to tech gadgets, designer re-examined old products and re-invent these manufactured project to fit our daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.
Through many footages in the movie, we discovered the creative processes of the some of the world’s influential product designers. These designers also follow the important steps of Design Process:
1.     Field Research
2.     Understand the problem
3.     Ideas
4.     Prototype
5.     Feedback
6.     Repeat the steps

And, we saw the example of how designer redesign the tree trimmer. As they discovered the problem of the handle which required more forced and less efficiency, designers came up with a curve handle which require less force put out. As the creative processes of manufactured objects influence  by the consumers’ needs, we can learn about who we are, and who we want to be from the objects with which we surrounds ourselves.