Articles Week 1

For the Public by the Public

http://www.chris-clarke.co.uk/chrisclarkeframeset.html

Not an article, but one of the projects that inspired me to work with communities and gave me a good motive to start studying designers as more active members in the procedure of causing social interaction and build optimism among the members of communities.

Aesthetic Pollution and the Soul of Design

from http://www.adbusters.org

link : http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/83/aespollution.html

This may be a more radical perspective and apparently more subjective. I read Adbusters even though some of the opinions presented may be a little extreme but usually it is a truth told in an aggressive way. This article written in a form of manifesto presents some of the concerns about the future of design. I had similar concerns during my first years in the graphic design school : like Dada was at that time, Bauhaus and all the movements that really innovated at their time period. It feels like everything has been done. But I guess it will not have the same form nowadays.. There are still innovations to happen for sure.. The whole difference is maybe the fact that they are mostly related to technology but the will carry ethics, values and concept.

Johanna Brewer about ethnography and design

http://liftlab.com/think/nova/2009/05/12/johanna-brewer-about-ethnography-and-design/

from http://www.experientia.com/blog/

Ethnography, from my experience working for a Community based design project, can become a great source of inspiration. As mentioned by the author, the aim of this study was to "leverage ethnographic techniques to seek inspiration for new designs". My ethnographic focus was the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. The procedure of gathering this sort of information in order to consider them for a community project was pretty new to me and the community's culture was also new. After reading the article I realized that the steps I followed for my project match the techniques that the author presents : Traditional and Innovative methods both require physical presence and experience of the subject that is studied. I firmly believe that in order to solve a problem you first need to experience it in a way and as this article supports it :“when you go to a place and talk to people, you design sth that is relevant for them (and it also makes them appreciate what you do)“.
This article presents another perspective of creative thinking and supports the cooperation of design, technology and ethnography. With this new approach I have to say I am more encouraged in continuing with my Thesis project which combines this idea of experience design and social engagement to provide solutions. I think it is more challenging for a designer to work at a more inquiring level even if there are certain risks when somebody finally needs to become more practical to "create new engaging experiences, inspired by real-world social interaction."

Mobile phone experience sucks: stop innovating

Jeroen van Geel on January 20th, 2009

link : http://johnnyholland.org/magazine/2009/01/mobile-phone-experience-sucks-stop-innovating/ From Johnny Holland's website.

Even though the i-phone (for example), when it broke down and I needed to use my old classic Nokia cell, I was happy. Maybe it is personal, but I found myself being more happy to finally push the buttons to text somebody really fast and not struggling with the "touch screen" keyboard that sometimes would not cooperate at all. It is true that innovation should be encouraged but not in a way to reach a saturation . It is could to have to the choice. People who are more into having the very latest blackberry or i-phone or Nokia version they will research and buy what they want. There are still people though (older age groups or really young ones) that need the phone just to communicate (text and call)... I feel like going back to this point.
From various discussions with friends, I figured out most of them stick to one brand because of the familiarity with the interface. (Something that is obvious from the research in the article).
So I just feel that experience designers or marketing people shouldn't forget that these mobile devices are still adressed to humans that know how to adapt to different technologies but they can also get easily tired and overdosed by them.

Can Videoconferencing Replace Travel?

Use of new video meeting systems is already reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from planes, trains and automobiles

From Scientific American

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-videoconferencing-replace-travel

I can see the benefits mentioned and they seem to strongly support replacement of travel by videoconferencing . (financial and environmental advantages). It is remarkable how effective this can be in order to reduce costs for the companies and for the environment. Being from a foreign country (10 hours trip to get there) I have to say I am really happy being able to communicate with friends and family by using teleconferencing software (Skype, GMail new features) and I should mention that it is free. For grandparents this is unthinkable and I enjoy trying to explain them the way network works. In general I admire all this evolution of technology, especially when it seems to be beneficial from many perspectives.
My only general concern is to not reach a point where physical human interaction will be replaced from virtual human interaction. And the only reason I mention that is because I experience people getting lazy and obsessed with this Web New World and forgetting how it is to physically interact with people. Eventually this sort of communication that imitates reality is much easier. It is not pessimism or catastrophism, but there is a need to always examine the "other side" especially when it comes to new technologies.
This article is really specific about the purposes of replacing travel with teleconferencing : military, business, and maybe medical and law purposes. I just wonder how much of human control is permitted in order to make sure that it is safe (especially military and confidential purposes). Overall as far all this new wave of communication can really have a positive impact to an environmental and financial level, it should be encouraged.

Providing Psychotherapy for the Poor

Innovative counseling programs in developing countries are repairing the psyches of civil war survivors and depressed mothers alike

from Scientific American, link : http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=providing-psychotherapy-for-the-poor

Another part of my thesis is to examine how designers can act more like interventionists to present or even solve social (or directly human related) issues. During the research I was trying to figure out a specific problem, so I can find a way to address it or to find a way to "cooperate" with a specialist (in this case a psychotherapist for example) to have an outcome than can actually help instead of just inform. I quote a sentence from the article to point out a likely design project : "Accordingly, refugee therapists spent six weeks learning to help patients shape their lives into a coherent story, incorporating major traumas into the narrative." At this point I cannot make an exact proposal about how this could happen, but the "narrative" for example could be represented visually and if there was a designer involved, it could a more pleasant and easier procedure for the patient in order to "shape their lives into a coherent story". I understand that this would demand a great amount of time and money, but I also see the importance of realizing it.
Especially psychological issues (as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mentioned in the article) where visuals are usually encouraged (like the classic tests with the abstract shapes) may have a potential design project : it could be only visualizations or more complicate structural and organizational procedures to help the patients. (This could be a broader study in cooperation with specialists).


Building Happiness Architecture to make you smile



Pantopicon link : http://www.pantopicon.be/blog/2009/01/27/building-happiness/

"Changing society and people through changing the stuff they use." Well, when a designer needs to finally evaluate his design result, he should really aim in finally provoking happiness. When people find moments of happiness they will try to reach them again, and then a good relationship is built between customer and designer. Eventually the question is the one mentioned in the article : "where it can be found and whether we are capable of constructing it?"
This is how my thesis started. As mentioned in the Project Aims it is first important to get informed about how designers (and architects) can actually contribute to happiness. I think it is important that people who have the power to influence the everyday life study "the happiness issue" from a more practical perspective which at the same time becomes more realistic. What I understood during my thesis research is that you have to be as specific as you can. General/Broad may not end up to a practical solution. So I think somebody needs work with a sample in a micro scale and then I guess you will find the way to apply the process to a more general public. And also the intention matters as mentioned in the review about nature. Not everybody needs to intent to cause happiness even though that should be a standard for successful design (any kind of design).

Making commercials for the web

By Seth Godin, found at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/04/index.html

It is interesting that consumers appreciate and criticize ads, either they are on TV or Web. I enjoy all these forwarded emails from friends around the globe with online ads that they want to share. The examples used in the article Dove and Castrol both have a "catch" : Dove "reveals" a fashion/design/marketing secret about this relative beauty that is presented in the public and makes a statement about what real beauty is. Castrol used a more fascinating/verbal way to do it : "dipstick" is the word that sticks in your mind! Each ad serves successfully its purpose in a different way.. I have to say though that probably because of my background culture I am not used to ads like the one of Castrol and eventually I find them "meaningless" but on the other hand successful in terms of pulling the attention. I guess the Dove ad makes me feel more valuable as a consumer comparing to the Castrol's one and people like information provided with such a "documentary" character.
The direction,where " the most popular commercials will get done by little shops that have nothing to lose" will give space for more experimentation in creativity. This experimentation of course will have its costs... as there is still no control. "Once it spreads, it belongs to the community, not to you." The way I see it, it is good to experience this aspect of democracy with free media, and as designer I am happy because I can easily have an opportunity to expose my work but on the other hand (especially having in mind the youtube example) I wish there was a little more control on what I can randomly see. I am just not sure how positive this is, if we keep in mind that quality is not guaranteed online and that may compose a negative effect in terms of over-information and eventually less attention.
Even though my point of view is affected by the fact that I am designer, as a consumer I always appreciate high quality ads (in content or in visual) but on the web, where I can choose not to watch ads, I never do. Only when there is something really specific about my interests I may get interested in. (specific keywords that change through time can only pull my attention).

Greener By Design: Nature's Rights, Nutrients and Quality Design

Founded through core77.com, source : Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmInnovationAndDesign/idUS162531760120090519


Greener design, as mentioned in the article, requires a great amount of extra thinking and work. As McDonough says at the end, "The green design approach yields a higher quality product." As designers we can evaluate what this sentence means in addition to the fact that we need to make a commitment before even starting our creative thinking. What will our next product be?
"Sustainability" has become a fashionable word in our field, but it is yet away from reality. Even in school.. we discuss about it but we need to take action the moment we think about it. Reduce our print outs, find another way to reuse our own waste.. I guess this commitment to nature should be included as a step in the creative process. It is also a matter of possibilities from the part of graphic designers. I mean, we may not be able to create a garden on a rooftop but we can communicate how to do it, or for example we can reduce our own waste, having in mind that at least for now we are the "print" designers. Here we can also present alternatives advantages of technology. A digital file instead of a print out or less copies etc.. Apart from the education factor -which is probably the most important- it also requires a certain level of consciousness and intention from our part. It is difficult to think instantly and this is true. I may not think every second that my print out may "kill" another tree somewhere in Amazon but if there is a certain procedure and organization I follow since the beginning I automatically become more aware of the results. I am concerned as a designer of what effect (positive or negative) my profession may have in nature and I try to know as much as I can about it.