OUGD401
Study task 04
Summarising & Paragraphing
From the points in the last context of practice session I had to write a paragraph summarising the key points from Meredith Davis's Graphic design theory. The main basis of Graphic design theory is Meredith Davis's expressing her views on the advantages and disadvantages of the advancements of technology in the Graphic design sector. One point of view Davis puts across is 'The digital revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s distracted designers with more practical concerns about how they did their work. Computer technology collapsed the perviously separate activities of typesetting, design, photographic processing, retouching, and eventually, some printing under the responsibilities of the designer'. This is a key point as she's stating technology took away specialists jobs within Graphic design but also it made designers reliant on technology, before technology a lot of graphic design used to be print-based and hand rendered, so these processes were slowly becoming second nature to some Graphic designers at the time.
Davis voices her opinion on one matter saying 'it quickly became apparent that interactive media held the potential for bigger and better things', what I believe this point is getting across is about how print can used in numerous ways but the outcome is always the same unlike technology which is always evolving and offering new outcomes for designers across numerous disciplines. By Davis stating this,maybe she is more towards the technological advancements and she is open to change, throughout the book she puts her points across in a formal and intellectual way, she doesn't have a biased opinion but maybe on this point she opts for technology.
Sunday, 1 November 2015
OUGD401
Reading and understanding text
For this task we had to pick an appropriate text from the module resources and pick key points the text makes then back it up with quotes,also we had to note the authors position on the subject matter. I chose to read Graphic Design theory by Meredith Davis. Before all else I think Meredith Davis put her points across in a formal and intellectual way, she doesn't have a biased opinion as she discusses the advantages and disadvantages that technology has had on Graphic design, this topic is the main focus of the book.
To start with the first point,the impact of technology has effected practitioners roles in the industry, it has taken away certain jobs and left designers reliant on technology. Also instead of passing work onto a specialist,people have begun to take up design work themselves instead using a 'tradesman' designer. I gained this point from this certain quotation in the text.
'The digital revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s distracted designers with more practical concerns about how they did their work. Computer technology collapsed the perviously separate activities of typesetting, design, photographic processing, retouching, and eventually, some printing under the responsibilities of the designer'. This point is getting across that technology took away certain specialists jobs within graphic design and could also interpret that it made designers lazy and reliant on technology.
Print has become a way of mass communication, crowding the market in print to communicate a product or service. 'To these ends advertisers use the media of mass communication: commercial television and radio, the national and local press and magazine Originally advertising was used by newspaper owners as necessary, and manageable support cost. Today it suffuses the whole system of mass communication and some economist'
This quote tells us that mainly newspaper owners used print to advertise their businesses. Then in the media market more people used this method for selling a product and to advertise their services, such as providing consumer information to the public.
The digital age has enabled anyone to publish work online, Davis says 'no longer are capital, approval, and production time necessary to distribute content. Everyone is, in some sense a writer, designer and publisher' Before the digital age designers had to distribute work using print which is much harder than using the web, plus there is a much larger audience online. Online marketing makes it much easier to target specific audiences, whereas it is more difficult to target using printed publications. In this point Davis could be getting at that anyone can be a designer, writer or publisher but to distinguish a professional is now hard in the digital age.
Davis does voice her opinion on one matter saying 'it quickly became apparent that interactive media held the potential for bigger and better things' this point is about how print can used in numerous ways but the outcome is always the same unlike technology which is always evolving and offering new outcomes for designers across numerous disciplines. This is evident in certain publications which have decided to scrap magazines / journals etc to base a majority of the work online. Its easier for them to reach new audiences by sending stories through social media and apps.The internet is a place where billions of potential users can be reached in one place, simply and inexpensively.
Reading and understanding text
For this task we had to pick an appropriate text from the module resources and pick key points the text makes then back it up with quotes,also we had to note the authors position on the subject matter. I chose to read Graphic Design theory by Meredith Davis. Before all else I think Meredith Davis put her points across in a formal and intellectual way, she doesn't have a biased opinion as she discusses the advantages and disadvantages that technology has had on Graphic design, this topic is the main focus of the book.
To start with the first point,the impact of technology has effected practitioners roles in the industry, it has taken away certain jobs and left designers reliant on technology. Also instead of passing work onto a specialist,people have begun to take up design work themselves instead using a 'tradesman' designer. I gained this point from this certain quotation in the text.
'The digital revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s distracted designers with more practical concerns about how they did their work. Computer technology collapsed the perviously separate activities of typesetting, design, photographic processing, retouching, and eventually, some printing under the responsibilities of the designer'. This point is getting across that technology took away certain specialists jobs within graphic design and could also interpret that it made designers lazy and reliant on technology.
Print has become a way of mass communication, crowding the market in print to communicate a product or service. 'To these ends advertisers use the media of mass communication: commercial television and radio, the national and local press and magazine Originally advertising was used by newspaper owners as necessary, and manageable support cost. Today it suffuses the whole system of mass communication and some economist'
This quote tells us that mainly newspaper owners used print to advertise their businesses. Then in the media market more people used this method for selling a product and to advertise their services, such as providing consumer information to the public.
The digital age has enabled anyone to publish work online, Davis says 'no longer are capital, approval, and production time necessary to distribute content. Everyone is, in some sense a writer, designer and publisher' Before the digital age designers had to distribute work using print which is much harder than using the web, plus there is a much larger audience online. Online marketing makes it much easier to target specific audiences, whereas it is more difficult to target using printed publications. In this point Davis could be getting at that anyone can be a designer, writer or publisher but to distinguish a professional is now hard in the digital age.
Davis does voice her opinion on one matter saying 'it quickly became apparent that interactive media held the potential for bigger and better things' this point is about how print can used in numerous ways but the outcome is always the same unlike technology which is always evolving and offering new outcomes for designers across numerous disciplines. This is evident in certain publications which have decided to scrap magazines / journals etc to base a majority of the work online. Its easier for them to reach new audiences by sending stories through social media and apps.The internet is a place where billions of potential users can be reached in one place, simply and inexpensively.
Saturday, 17 October 2015
OUGD401
Finding research sources
The point was of this seminar was to enable us to realise the specific ways to find information using a number of sources for example books, blogs, journals and online sources. This seminar helped because the majority of the time I solely rely on the information I find online which isn't always true. The task in this seminar was to find four definitions of branding using the web, I had to note down the author and website to see how trustworthy the source is.
"Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company with what people actually think about your company. And vice-versa." Jay Baer - Convince & Convert
This source was from a consultancy firms website, the definition is a point of view of the founder Jay Baer who is a marketing pioneer and best selling author. The website is a reliable source but the definition itself could be argued as its a point of view, thats one thing I'm learning from context of practice, to question peoples points of view.
"A particular identity or image regarded as an asset" Oxford dictionaries
This is from the official Oxford dictionaries website who have been making dictionaries for over a hundred years so its a very trusted source. With it being a dictionary it means the definitions will be up to date as well.
"The first definition of 'brand' is the name given to a product or service from a specific source. Used in this sense, 'brand' is similar to the current meaning of the word 'trademark'" Forbes magazine
This source was taken from an article in Forbes magazine called 'what is a brand,anyway?' the articles main focus is about the customers perception of either a product or service. Forbes magazine is known for being one of Americas biggest magazine so its a trusty source to use.
"A marketing goal and methodology which involves elevating hype over substance; of imparting great value to the name whether or not the thing so named is worth anything at all." Urban Dictionary
This source is from Urban Dictionary, UD works like wikipedia in which anyone can make and change definitions so it isn't exactly a trustworthy source but the reason I've used it because its general point of view, not one of a 'best selling author' or 'pioneering designer' which you'd expect to see.
This task at times was hard as it was it tricky to decide upon a website was trustworthy or not, But purposely in this task I picked a untrustworthy source 'Urban Dictionary' to show that anyone can have a definition for a certain subject matter and one word can have numerous definitions.
Finding research sources
The point was of this seminar was to enable us to realise the specific ways to find information using a number of sources for example books, blogs, journals and online sources. This seminar helped because the majority of the time I solely rely on the information I find online which isn't always true. The task in this seminar was to find four definitions of branding using the web, I had to note down the author and website to see how trustworthy the source is.
"Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company with what people actually think about your company. And vice-versa." Jay Baer - Convince & Convert
This source was from a consultancy firms website, the definition is a point of view of the founder Jay Baer who is a marketing pioneer and best selling author. The website is a reliable source but the definition itself could be argued as its a point of view, thats one thing I'm learning from context of practice, to question peoples points of view.
"A particular identity or image regarded as an asset" Oxford dictionaries
This is from the official Oxford dictionaries website who have been making dictionaries for over a hundred years so its a very trusted source. With it being a dictionary it means the definitions will be up to date as well.
"The first definition of 'brand' is the name given to a product or service from a specific source. Used in this sense, 'brand' is similar to the current meaning of the word 'trademark'" Forbes magazine
This source was taken from an article in Forbes magazine called 'what is a brand,anyway?' the articles main focus is about the customers perception of either a product or service. Forbes magazine is known for being one of Americas biggest magazine so its a trusty source to use.
"A marketing goal and methodology which involves elevating hype over substance; of imparting great value to the name whether or not the thing so named is worth anything at all." Urban Dictionary
This source is from Urban Dictionary, UD works like wikipedia in which anyone can make and change definitions so it isn't exactly a trustworthy source but the reason I've used it because its general point of view, not one of a 'best selling author' or 'pioneering designer' which you'd expect to see.
This task at times was hard as it was it tricky to decide upon a website was trustworthy or not, But purposely in this task I picked a untrustworthy source 'Urban Dictionary' to show that anyone can have a definition for a certain subject matter and one word can have numerous definitions.
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
OUGD401
Visual Literacy Lecture
The lecture started with introducing us to the meaning of visual communication and visual literacy, before the lecture I assumed the two were rather similar but infact their not. Visual communication is a process of sending and receiving messages using type and images, its also a level of shared understanding of signs, symbols, gestures and objects. Visual communication can be affected by audience, context, media and method distribution. Then on the other hand you have visual literacy which is the ability to construct meaning from visual images and type. Through visual literacy you can interpret images of the present, past and a range of cultures. The main principle of visual literacy is that pictures can be read.
As the lecture went on a number of symbols were shown to us,such as a cross. A simple symbol that can represent a handful of things, such as a nations flag, religion, medication and certain aspects of maths. Being visually literate you can spot and create these symbols to represent something. I learnt that being visually literate requires an awareness of the relationship between visual syntax and visual semantics.
The syntax of an image refers to the pictorial structure and visual organisation of elements, it represents the basic building blocks of an image that affect the way we read it. Some of these elements are
- Framing
-Format
-Font
-Stroke
-Shape
-Motion
A good example of visual syntax in the lecture was three different images of a full english breakfast, the same meal but layout, texture, light and shape affected the way we read the image.Visual semantics of an image refers to the way an image fits into a cultural process of communication, it includes the reliationship between form and meaning and the way meaning is created through a few of these elements
-Social ideals
-Religious beliefs
-Individual experiences
-Social interaction
I found the semiotics part of the lecture the most interesting because it was broke into three sections. Symbols, Sign and Signifier. Which translates into logos identify brands.
Visual Literacy Lecture
The lecture started with introducing us to the meaning of visual communication and visual literacy, before the lecture I assumed the two were rather similar but infact their not. Visual communication is a process of sending and receiving messages using type and images, its also a level of shared understanding of signs, symbols, gestures and objects. Visual communication can be affected by audience, context, media and method distribution. Then on the other hand you have visual literacy which is the ability to construct meaning from visual images and type. Through visual literacy you can interpret images of the present, past and a range of cultures. The main principle of visual literacy is that pictures can be read.
As the lecture went on a number of symbols were shown to us,such as a cross. A simple symbol that can represent a handful of things, such as a nations flag, religion, medication and certain aspects of maths. Being visually literate you can spot and create these symbols to represent something. I learnt that being visually literate requires an awareness of the relationship between visual syntax and visual semantics.
The syntax of an image refers to the pictorial structure and visual organisation of elements, it represents the basic building blocks of an image that affect the way we read it. Some of these elements are
- Framing
-Format
-Font
-Stroke
-Shape
-Motion
A good example of visual syntax in the lecture was three different images of a full english breakfast, the same meal but layout, texture, light and shape affected the way we read the image.Visual semantics of an image refers to the way an image fits into a cultural process of communication, it includes the reliationship between form and meaning and the way meaning is created through a few of these elements
-Social ideals
-Religious beliefs
-Individual experiences
-Social interaction
I found the semiotics part of the lecture the most interesting because it was broke into three sections. Symbols, Sign and Signifier. Which translates into logos identify brands.
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
OUGD401
Task 1 Image Analysis Exercise
During this first Context of Practice task we had to anaylise two pictures, the first from 1876 'The Uncle Sam Range' and the second from 1930 'East African Transport Old Style and East African Transport New Style'
We compared and contrasted the two images to the following four questions
- The choice of and organisation of font and style of illustration?
- The purpose and meaning of the image?
- The target / potential audience of the image?
- The historical contexts relevant to the production of the image?
In this blog post I'm answering these questions and using these five factors in my analysis. Society, Culture, Technology, Politics and History.
The choice of and organisation of font and style of illustration?
To start with the font of The Uncle Sam Range posters font, its a serif font with strokes. Its a very American style font, typically found in pubications from the time of the poster Its a bold font but found crowded in the layout of the poster. When comparing it to the other poster, the East African Transport poster has a clearer font situtated at the bottom of the illustration, so its easier for the user to read.
The font used on the East African poster is more modern, well seen as their is a large time difference in the posters, The East African one has a more Art Deco style font which is most likely letterpress unlike the first poster which will be handwriting. So technology plays a part in contrasting these two as in 1876, most lettering would have been handwriting but in the 1930s more traditional techniques would have been made available for printmakers.
The illustration style of the two posters are rather similar but in The Uncle Sam Range poster its almost like a cartoon scene in my opinion. Hidden details are in the poster such as the clock, it illustrates the two hands, one pointing to the date '1776' the year independence was declared in America and the other date is '1876' the year the poster was published. So the poster refers back to history by mentioning the date '1776' maybe this has been used to note how far America came in them 100 years since independence from the British Empire.An example of this at the table in the illustrations,sits three figures. Two men,one from the West and one from Dixieland, these were the two oppositions in the civil war and now they are sat at the same table. The other figure is a female representing England so my guess it would be the Queen at the time 'Queen Victoria'.
The colours in the Uncle Sam poster are heavily influenced by the American flag, its very loud and over the top. In the exercise members of the class described the poster as 'typically american' I agree with that point but thats for a different topic in this blog. The colours in the East African poster are largely influenced by the african jungle colours, but these illustrations of East Africa would have been interesting for the viewer back in United Kingdom as it was the 1930s, these posters would have been the one of a few times they'd be able to see Africa. So whether or not the illustrations were biased or fact,it was the only insight into Africa.
The purpose and meaning of the image?
I think the purpose and meaning in the Uncle Sam poster is simple, america is aiding the world and its purpose is to show strength. The image shows five people at a table discussing and planning, it shows very few people control so many. A list of countries is unravlled across the table, small names on a list in a room painted in the colours of America, it speaks for itself. The purpose is to show power. A thought of mine is that the title 'The Uncle Sam Range' means Americas range, because Uncle Sam symbolises America. The title could mean that America has grip on the world and a wide range of countries to trade with. Ways in which the two posters can link is that the planning being held in that room could be the outcome of the slaves building the bridge in East Africa.
The Uncle Sam poster does lay claim to history but in many ways this is still happening today, America is the leading nation on this day, the small slave boy in the poster could represent a slave labourer working away in a factory in Singapore or Bangladesh. Could America be aiding the world for the benefit of itself in the poster? the list of trading between the nations could prove this.
The purpose and meaning in the East Africa poster isn't as simple, as I think it could mean a number of things. Such as showing the British people the progress the British Empire is having in East Africa, for example building bridges and roads. Its another example of maybe purposley showing power, the lone figure of a white man commands the image,The British Empire leading the way? In the old style poster it shows women and children walking through the jungle in traditional clothes but in the new style poster it shows men building transport routes in western styled clothes such as shorts. My point here is maybe the poster is trying to communicate the idea that the British Empire is providing a better life for these natives, the men are building new transport links to make it easier but then again this could mean progress for the British Empire not the Slaves/Natives.
The reason the purpose and meaning of the East Africa in my opinion isn't clear is because in the old style it represents freedom and the african culture, but in the new style it just shows slavery and the impact of western technology for instance the trucks crossing the bridge. So once more it shows the social values at the time and the power of the west.
The target / potential audience of the image?
This time I'd like to start with the East Africa poster as I find it the more interesting one in this case, the audience for the poster I believe is the British public to show them the progress they are achieving in Africa but also to show a whole new culture. The poster could be used for propaganda to reassure the British public that the British Empire still has a stamp on the globe and that it is improving Africa. The use of 'Old' and 'New' implicate that they are trying to improve Africa. Other potential audiences for this poster could be financial backers or potential backers to relieve and assure them.
When comparing the two posters, the similarities are to show power once again, but the difference in the Uncle Sam poster is that I think it is trying to show hierarchy to the audience. The slave boy appears to be cooking the food, the women is the serving food and the men at the table will be discussing politics, these were often the social structures at the time. Women didn't have many rights or say in matters so maybe the image of the woman serving food is to testify this social value at the time.
The historical contexts relevant to the production of the image?
Both of the posters have relavent claims to history and are apparent in the production of the posters. The Uncle Sam Range refers back to certain dates as I explained earlier in the blog but it also touches on the social system in 1876 America. East African Transport Old Style and East African Transport New Style doesn't have many factual relevance to history, it could entirely be a bias production but does give a good interpretation of what life could have been like during the British Empire rule.
Task 1 Image Analysis Exercise
During this first Context of Practice task we had to anaylise two pictures, the first from 1876 'The Uncle Sam Range' and the second from 1930 'East African Transport Old Style and East African Transport New Style'
We compared and contrasted the two images to the following four questions
- The choice of and organisation of font and style of illustration?
- The purpose and meaning of the image?
- The target / potential audience of the image?
- The historical contexts relevant to the production of the image?
In this blog post I'm answering these questions and using these five factors in my analysis. Society, Culture, Technology, Politics and History.
The choice of and organisation of font and style of illustration?
To start with the font of The Uncle Sam Range posters font, its a serif font with strokes. Its a very American style font, typically found in pubications from the time of the poster Its a bold font but found crowded in the layout of the poster. When comparing it to the other poster, the East African Transport poster has a clearer font situtated at the bottom of the illustration, so its easier for the user to read.
The font used on the East African poster is more modern, well seen as their is a large time difference in the posters, The East African one has a more Art Deco style font which is most likely letterpress unlike the first poster which will be handwriting. So technology plays a part in contrasting these two as in 1876, most lettering would have been handwriting but in the 1930s more traditional techniques would have been made available for printmakers.
The illustration style of the two posters are rather similar but in The Uncle Sam Range poster its almost like a cartoon scene in my opinion. Hidden details are in the poster such as the clock, it illustrates the two hands, one pointing to the date '1776' the year independence was declared in America and the other date is '1876' the year the poster was published. So the poster refers back to history by mentioning the date '1776' maybe this has been used to note how far America came in them 100 years since independence from the British Empire.An example of this at the table in the illustrations,sits three figures. Two men,one from the West and one from Dixieland, these were the two oppositions in the civil war and now they are sat at the same table. The other figure is a female representing England so my guess it would be the Queen at the time 'Queen Victoria'.
The colours in the Uncle Sam poster are heavily influenced by the American flag, its very loud and over the top. In the exercise members of the class described the poster as 'typically american' I agree with that point but thats for a different topic in this blog. The colours in the East African poster are largely influenced by the african jungle colours, but these illustrations of East Africa would have been interesting for the viewer back in United Kingdom as it was the 1930s, these posters would have been the one of a few times they'd be able to see Africa. So whether or not the illustrations were biased or fact,it was the only insight into Africa.
The purpose and meaning of the image?
I think the purpose and meaning in the Uncle Sam poster is simple, america is aiding the world and its purpose is to show strength. The image shows five people at a table discussing and planning, it shows very few people control so many. A list of countries is unravlled across the table, small names on a list in a room painted in the colours of America, it speaks for itself. The purpose is to show power. A thought of mine is that the title 'The Uncle Sam Range' means Americas range, because Uncle Sam symbolises America. The title could mean that America has grip on the world and a wide range of countries to trade with. Ways in which the two posters can link is that the planning being held in that room could be the outcome of the slaves building the bridge in East Africa.
The Uncle Sam poster does lay claim to history but in many ways this is still happening today, America is the leading nation on this day, the small slave boy in the poster could represent a slave labourer working away in a factory in Singapore or Bangladesh. Could America be aiding the world for the benefit of itself in the poster? the list of trading between the nations could prove this.
The purpose and meaning in the East Africa poster isn't as simple, as I think it could mean a number of things. Such as showing the British people the progress the British Empire is having in East Africa, for example building bridges and roads. Its another example of maybe purposley showing power, the lone figure of a white man commands the image,The British Empire leading the way? In the old style poster it shows women and children walking through the jungle in traditional clothes but in the new style poster it shows men building transport routes in western styled clothes such as shorts. My point here is maybe the poster is trying to communicate the idea that the British Empire is providing a better life for these natives, the men are building new transport links to make it easier but then again this could mean progress for the British Empire not the Slaves/Natives.
The reason the purpose and meaning of the East Africa in my opinion isn't clear is because in the old style it represents freedom and the african culture, but in the new style it just shows slavery and the impact of western technology for instance the trucks crossing the bridge. So once more it shows the social values at the time and the power of the west.
The target / potential audience of the image?
This time I'd like to start with the East Africa poster as I find it the more interesting one in this case, the audience for the poster I believe is the British public to show them the progress they are achieving in Africa but also to show a whole new culture. The poster could be used for propaganda to reassure the British public that the British Empire still has a stamp on the globe and that it is improving Africa. The use of 'Old' and 'New' implicate that they are trying to improve Africa. Other potential audiences for this poster could be financial backers or potential backers to relieve and assure them.
When comparing the two posters, the similarities are to show power once again, but the difference in the Uncle Sam poster is that I think it is trying to show hierarchy to the audience. The slave boy appears to be cooking the food, the women is the serving food and the men at the table will be discussing politics, these were often the social structures at the time. Women didn't have many rights or say in matters so maybe the image of the woman serving food is to testify this social value at the time.
The historical contexts relevant to the production of the image?
Both of the posters have relavent claims to history and are apparent in the production of the posters. The Uncle Sam Range refers back to certain dates as I explained earlier in the blog but it also touches on the social system in 1876 America. East African Transport Old Style and East African Transport New Style doesn't have many factual relevance to history, it could entirely be a bias production but does give a good interpretation of what life could have been like during the British Empire rule.
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