Thursday 24 January 2013

Lecture Twelve - Globalisation, Sustainability and the Media.

Definitions of globalisation
  • Socialist - The process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. It can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and function together. This process is a combination of economic, technological, sociocultural and political forces.
  • Capitalist - The elimination of state-enforced restrictions on exchanges across borders and the increasingly integrated and complex global system of production and exchange that has emerged as a result
  • markets become more powerful in influencing decisions
  • multi-national become the most powerful
  • all the people of the world were meant to share everything together
  • now there are restrictions on goods and borders, a relegated system
  • western market has spread across almost all of the developed world
  • 'the pursuit of classical liberal policies in the world economy'
  • americanisation of the world
  • telecommunication systems have expanded us, making us more globalised

McDonaldisation
  • ‘American sociologist George Ritzer coined the term “McDonaldization” to describe the wide- ranging sociocultural processes by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world’
  • Principles of rigid hierarchy, parts of a machine
  • these ideas being passed to other countries

Marshall McLuhan
  • one of the first people to focus on the effects of the mass media
  • radio, television and phone lines
  • ‘Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned’
  • rapidity of communication echoes the senses
  • experience instantly the effects of our actions on a global scale

Global Village Thesis 
  • should make us more aware of our responsibilities
  • ‘As electrically contracted, the globe is no more than a village. Electric speed at bringing all social and political functions together in a sudden implosion has heightened human awareness of responsibility to an intense degree’
  • right and wrong
  • new technology has expanded our senses
  • hasn't brought us together but a greater accountability for people in power

Centripetal and Centrifugal forces
  • centripetal - bringing the world together in uniform global society
  • centrifugal - tearing the world apart in tribal wars
  • big corporations have swallowed up the rest

Problems with globalisation
  • sovereignty - challenges to the idea of the nation state
  • accountability - transnational forces and organisations. Who controls them?
  • identity - nation, group. Who are we?

Cultural imperialism
  • if the global village id run with a certain set of values then it would not be so much an integrated community as an assimilated one
  • key thinkers - Schiller and Chomsky

Rigging the 'free market'
  • illusion people have is that mass culture is just a giant free market, some are popular and some are not
  • music, film, tv, newspapers etc are controlled by 4 or 5 giant multinational corporations
  • the control of all of those goes back to one
  • media conglomerates operate ad oligopolies
  • anything you are interested in will be controlled by one of these organisations

News corporations
  • news corporations divide the world into territories of descending market importance
  • hierarchy of market importance
  • concentrate efforts on areas of the globe that will give them the most money
  • focussing and hyping up american culture because that there is where the most money is
  • hierarchy
    • North America
    • Western Europe, Japan and Australasia
    • Developing economies and regional producers
    • The rest of the world
  • The news people get fed in the third world is the ideas of the west
  • because of this bombardment it changes these people into thinking similarly
  • US media power can be thought of as a new form of imperialism
  • local cultures destroyed in this process and new forms of cultural dependency shaped, mirroring old school colonialism.
  • create a product in the west, slightly repackage it and sell it everywhere else

Manufacturing Consent
  • propaganda model
  • 5 basic filters
    • ownership
    • funding
    • sourcing
      • only as objective as it's aloud to be
      • what you're aloud to report is controlled by the rich and powerful
    • flak
      • companies set up to feed the stories in their interests
      • characterised by concerting snd intentional efforts to manage public information
    • anti ideology
      • painting something different as you to be bad
      • was communism
      • now anti-islam
  • news systems operate as a giant system of propaganda
  • news is thought to be true but it is more fabricated stories
  • not an objective reporting of fact but a tissue of lies in the benefit of the rich

Sustainability

  • ‘sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
  • needs (particularly of the worlds poor)
  • limitations of technology

Sunday 20 January 2013

Batiste Interview.

J: Hello Batiste! As you know, I’m a huge fan of Batiste for everyday living and have incorporated it in to an everyday beauty regime because of its ease of use and instant results. For me, the ultimate time to make use of it though is at festivals and I think your product is the crème de la crème of dry shampoos available on the market. First question! Why do you think your product is an essential for the festival season?

Batiste is an essential for the festival season as it is a quick and easy way to refresh ‘tent hair’ without needing access to water or a shower! It is convenient to carry around in a handbag and even comes in a miniature 50ml can (£1.55) which is even more suited to fitting into a smaller bag or pocket!  

J: The mini cans are so cute, too. Which fragrance or style would you pick as the ultimate festival fragrance? Is it all about the scent, or the glitter?

We think it is all about the scent – our favourites for summer 2012 are Batiste Cherry & Batiste Wild. The fruity Cherry fragrance will keep your hair smelling lush, or for those who prefer to live on the wilder side, try the Wild with a more daring oriental aroma. That’s not to say we wouldn’t pack our Batiste Shimmer for later when the party gets started.

J: I love the Cherry fragrance, definitely my new favourite. It will no doubt be in my rucksack some summer! Here at Phestival, we just spotted a picture of your Batiste Boho van that you took to V festival – have you any tips (beauty or not!) for any festival-goers?

Wellies are a MUST! Don’t get caught out – there’s nothing worst that having soggy trainers all weekend. Plus a rain mac is always pretty handy too to protect those lush locks from the rain; we’re realistic after all this is the UK! Always carry a little mirror compact so you can refresh your hair with Batiste whilst on the move. Finally, arrange a meeting point with your friends so when on day 2 or 3 when batteries on phones evidently start to run out, you won’t be left Billy no-mates!

J: Waterproofs are definitely befitting of British weather! Have you any plans to take a Batiste salon to any festivals this year?

We won’t be taking a Batiste salon to the festivals, however we are hoping to have a presence at some of the major festivals but we can’t say too much at the moment as it’s still a bit hush hush.

J: Sneaky! Can’t wait to find out more. We’re all about promoting the festival experience and providing festival-goers with as many tips and tricks as possible to make sure they have the best time – have you any festival memories that you hold dearly?

When we did V festival a few years ago, we may have swapped a few Batiste cans for cold beers at a certain ‘warm can for cold beer can exchange’ tent. Naming no names!

J: Hilarious, that is definitely cheeky but I suppose if they don’t specify the type of can, then anything is fair game! Hypothetical situation: If Phestival and Batiste were to combine to create a new Batiste product, what would it be like? For me, I’d opt for a summery floral fragrance with a slight shimmer perhaps – for a witty name I’d call it Phreshtival, what do you reckon?

OMG we love the name Phreshtival! Think we’d definitely go with that name! Like the sound of the floral with a special festival shimmer. Or perhaps some more earthy fragrances, to stay true to the festival idea?

Batiste Trend Research.

One aspect that Batiste stated to be important was the need for the new bottles to be on trend with current fashions. So I have researched online to see what styles are booming at the moment.

Patternbank

Stylised Blooms



I really like the delicate look of this style personally but I feel on a bottle it could cause the product to get lost within the competition.


Optical Geometrics


This style has a lot more impact and I like the bright, vibrant colours.


Check Floral Mix


The combination of these two prints is really interesting and seems pretty unique.


Graphics Illustrated


This is another interesting look, but I wonder if it is to detailed to fit with Batistes current style.


Single Blooms


The bold florals would look great on a can, but batiste already have a floral scent so therefore a repeat wouldn't be very original.


Snakeskin Mix


http://patternbank.com/

This is a very quirky pattern style but I am struggling to think of scents that it could represent.


HGTV

The New Florals


"I'm seeing more and more florals inspired by historic botanical books, especially in cotton prints and wallpapers. It's like chintz in a new way. This isn't Grandma's floral wallpaper: Think large-scale patterns, vibrant blooms and big, bold hues."


Bring on the Prep


"This summer's bright, modern twists on classic preppy patterns are still hot. Bring the trend into the cooler months by using a lattice print alongside some of the season's hottest shades: black, white, inky indigo and gold."


Greek Key




"Greek key prints feature a continuous line that folds back onto itself, creating a repeating geometric shape. This eye-popping pattern can be found on Egyptian tombs, as well as archaic Peruvian weavings, but the trendy motif will look equally good in small or large doses in your home. Try a more subtle version for big spaces like walls or headboards, or try a bolder one for pillows or wall art."


Houndstooth



"Originally used for woven wool cloth in the Scottish lowlands, this menswear classic is making its way into home furnishings. Black-and-white houndstooth is traditional, but try a version that pairs a bright hue with white to really make this bold pattern pop in your home."


Chevron Prints



"This simple pattern can be traced to rock carvings and pottery from as far back as 1800 B.C., but the bold geometric pattern is equally en vogue today. Refresh a pair of chairs with the inverted V-shaped motif, or use a bold chevron pillow alongside a softer floral or ikat throw."



Trend Council


"With a distinctive late-sixties / early seventies vibe we uncover a palette of pumped up sorbet mid-tones that form a beautiful bouquet and are at the same time stong key item fashion colors on their own. From acid green to wisteria, have a look at the must have color for the S/S 2014 women's ready-to-wear market."

I feel that these colours are on trend and also fit well with batistes current palette.


Batiste Initial Research.

To help myself become more familiar with the batiste brand I have started some research into the current products and design style as I would like my own work to fit seamlessly into their own collection.

The Collection


Here is a variety of the current batiste product range. From this it is clear to see that all the designs use a variety of bright colours that link with the scent they're representing. A pattern design is also applied to every single variety.


New Fragrances



I have also looked at some of their newer fragrances and how the advertise them. I like the designs of each of the bottles and feel the represent their scent very well. Although, I feel the banner designs themselves are slightly over crowded, there are lots of pieces of written information all in contrasting typefaces and the continuation of the patterns detracts from the bottle itself.


Specialist Bottles



Here is a simler variation that has been designed, it gives the bottle a very classic look which is very dissimilar to their current style. Although I do like the very much limited colour palette and matte mirror effect. 

Thursday 17 January 2013

ISTD Type Research.

Because I was struggling with the placement of type and image for my postcards I have decided to research into it.

Rosco Flevo




I really like the bright colours used in these examples. I also like how shape has been used to alter the colour of the image underneath.


Josef Heigl


http://www.behance.net/

This is a more subtle effect and I like how the opacity has been used and how the colour of the type has been altered when it overlaps the image. The varying options of stock also add some variety to the set.


Joana Pestana



The colours used here are very vibrant and have a huge contrast to the white. With the example on the left I like how the letterforms have been placed separately on a grid format that gives an organised appearance. With the poster on the right I like how it seems the letters have been dragged downwards leaving a path behind it, I think this is an interesting effect.


Matt Market



I like how the type here covers the whole composition and I really like how the red overlaps the image as I think it really enhances it.


Superscript



I really like the duotone effect that has been used on this photograph and I think using complimentary colours as it has here is very eye-catching.


Matchbox Studio


http://matchboxstudio.com

I really like this screen printed look and how the image is visible underneath the type. Even though the colour has been changed the image still remains clear.

Lecture Eleven - Censorship and 'Truth'.

  • notions of censorship and truth
  • the indexical qualities of photography in rendering truth
  • photographic manipulation and the documentation of truth
  • censorship in advertising
  • censorship in art and photography

The camera never lies
  • Ansel Adams - iconic, quality or common
    • Moon over half dome, 1960
    • Aspens - manipulation in dark room alters what the print shows
  • Documentary photography
    • rendering of real life events
    • propaganda 
    • notion that the photograph renders the truth
    • individuals being removed from photographs
    • Robert Capa - not real name or real image. Staging an image, was a soldier dying but not in the context it was said to be
    • ‘At that time [World War II], I fervently believed just about everything I was exposed to in school and in the media. For example, I knew that all Germans were evil and that all Japanese were sneaky and treacherous, while all white Americans were clean-cut, honest, fair-minded, and trusting’
  • Digital photography
    • morals and ethics of advertising
    • digital technology can change the context of the original image
    • frivolous aspect
    • digitally enhanced images, more appealing to the audience
    • is it fair game to do this?
    • is what is presented in a photograph true?
    • does it matter?

Abstraction
  • ‘Abstraction today is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or relativity: a hyperreal. The territory no longer precedes the map, nor survives it. Henceforth it is the map that precedes the territory – precession of simulacra’
  • 'Whereas representation tries to absorb simulation by interpreting it as false representation, simulation envelops the whole edifice of representation as itself a simulacrum. These would be the succesive phases of the image:
    • It is the reflection of a basic reality.
    • It masks and perverts a basic reality.
    • It masks the absence of a basic reality. 
    • It bears no relation to any reality whatever : it is its own pure simulacrum.’

Gruesome images in the media
  • is that what you want to be seeing?
  • documentary imagery gone to far?
  • different levels of newspaper will show different things
  • making art out of conflict

Censorship
  • A person authorised to examine films, letters, or publications, in order to ban or cut anything considered obscene or objectionable
  • To ban or cut portions of (a film, letter or publication)

Morals
  • Principles of behaviour in accordance with standards of right and wrong

Ethics
  • A code of behaviour, especially of a particular group, profession or individual
  • The moral fitness of a decision, course of action etc
  • The study of the moral value of human conduct

Advertising
  • sexual aspects of advertising
  • placing suggesting in peoples heads
  • does it say more about the individual than the advert?
  • banned within advertising but celebrated within fin art
  • 'The requirement that protected artworks have a 'serious artistic value' is the very thing contemporary art and post modernism itself attempt to defy'

Obscenity Law
  • to protect art whilst prohibiting trash
  • the dividing line between speech and non-speech
  • the dividing line between prison and freedom

Final thoughts
  • Just how much should we believe the ‘truth’ represented in the media?
  • And should we be protected from it?
  • Is the manipulation of the truth fair game in a Capitalist, consumer society?
  • Should art sit outside of censorship laws exercised in other disciplines?
  • Who should be protected, artist, viewer, or subject?

Monday 14 January 2013

ISTD Travel Pack Research.

Mellisa Tafoya



I really like the design of this luggage label! I think the brown stock it is printed on works well with the travel aesthetic and I think the brown string works successfully as well. I like how all the pieces have been secured within a pack and I think I will do something similar with mine.


Un.titled



This example has a very clean cut appearance with the block colour and contrasting white. I like how the tag has been folded in half to keep the information that is written on it slightly more private. The other items that have been created are also things that I could consider including in my pack.


Ashley Lueci



This is a slightly different theme to what I was initially thinking of but I think it could still work well and even if I use slightly different content I think how it has been constructed is successful. I like how the booklet format has been designed in a suitcase style as it is an immediate link with the topic that the audience will relate to.


J. Burr



Again this isn't what i was initially considering but I liked techniques that have been used to make it. I think the folding aspect is interesting and also the tracing paper stock.

ISTD Travel Website Research.

Natural High Safari's 



I think this website is really successful. I like the use of photography and as this is something I have been focussing more on during this brief I could see my designs working in a similar way. I think the navigation is quite clear and easy to use for the audience, for example the list of countries going down the left-hand side.


Tim Miley



I like how the top half of this website is interchangeable with different photographs and I prefer this part of the design a lot more than the rest as I think it is a more cluttered. The app aspect is also a handy idea and will be very relevant to my target audience of young adults.


Oliver Strom



The clean lines of this design have a great aesthetic look and I like the simplicity. I also like the contrast of the bright colour gradient with the grey background. The information included is simple and not distracting.


Jenna Fucci

 


I like the colour theme of this website design and I think the supporting images look great. Again I like the simplicity, so I think this is the way forward.


Area Daily



This site includes similar information to what I think I would, but I don't think the design of it is very strong. The navigation is easy to use and I like the images that have been included. But the layout after you click on the link goes downhill.