VA: Birth Of A User and Graphic Authorship.

Loads of info for you, Nik.

Birth of a User
Birth of A User by Ellen Lupton
Same reading we had before. I think the most important part in it is the listing of common misconceptions about users (fast digital readers, etc).

Full list -50 best websites 2009
Has the list of websites. If you click on the link, it explains why they are so innovational, friendly, etc. I would go with the most famous one so that people can imagine what we're talking about.

10 websites that will matter in 2009
Not very known websites that compete with the giants of the industry like Hulu.com and just good info about new tendencies and user-oriented design.

A few links to user-friendly websites. Some tips repeat, but each article has valid and pretty clear information.
12 Useful Techniques For Good User Interface Design by Dmitry Fadeev
Good techniques + images to support them.

4 Characteristics of User-Friendly Websites
by Steven Snell
More tips on how to make your website more user-friendly.

User Friendly Website - Practical Tips
More tips.

Secrets of a Good User Interface by Joseph P. Ferrari
A bit tedious, but some information is pretty good and can be mentioned in the presentation.

Most Web 2.0 Users Are Really Just Couch Potatoes by Bruce Nussbaum.
Interesting info about Web 2.0 users. Statistics:
These YouTube and Flickr numbers are even worse than the 1% Rule—for every 100 users of social media, only ten actively participate, and only 1 actually creates something. Back in July, 2006, the ratio of creators to consumers on YouTube was 0.5%. Now it is 0.16%. Many more people are drawn to YouTube to watch than to create.

Graphic Authorship
Authorship in the Digital Age
You’re Not Just a Designer Anymore, or Are You?
This one is about the change of the authorship in the digital age. The first part seems to be the most useful, but I'm giving you the link, b/c it has examples of people in it.

Bruce Mau by Steven Heller
Article about a new type of designer that has a great interview about design authorship.

Here's his website.

What does it really mean to call for a graphic designer to be an author? by Michael Rock
Same reading that we did in class. I'm sure you have your own interpretation of it, but my favorite part is this: "The earliest definitions are not associated with writing per se, but rather denote 'the person who originates or gives existence to anything'. Other usages have authoritarian - even patriarchal - connotations: 'the father of all life', 'any inventor, constructor or founder', 'one who begets' and 'a director, commander, or ruler'.

Doors of Perception 8, Delhi by John Thackara
A post I found that talks about Hilary Cottam, winner of 2005 Design Museum Designer of the Year award. Short post, but good information.

Hillary's website.

The Orphan Works Bill explanation
A video about what it is as well as a short written description. You can see the actual Bill here.
The quote below is essentially what the bill is about in legal terms.
To qualify for this section, a user must (1) perform and document a good faith – but ultimately unsuccessful – search for the owner of the copyright in the work being used prior to such use; (2) provide attribution if the identity, but not location, of the owner is known; and (3) include with the use of the infringing work a symbol, indicating the author was not located, in a manner the Copyright Office will prescribe.

VA: Tibor Kalman.

Below are quotes from the AIGA medalists series. You can read the full article Tibor Kalman: Provocateur here.

By the late 1980s, become known as (or maybe he even dubbed himself) the “bad boy” of graphic design.

Tibor believed that award-winning design was not separate from the entire corporate ethic and argued that “many bad companies have great design.”

His own design firm, M&Co (named after his wife and co-creator, Maira), which started in 1979 selling conventional “design by the pound” to banks and department stores, was transformed in the mid-1980s into a soapbox for his social mission.

One Christmas he sent over 300 clients and colleagues a small cardboard box filled with the typical Spartan contents of a homeless-shelter meal (a sandwich, crackers, candy bar, etc.) and offered to match any donations that the recipients made to an agency for the homeless.

He savored the nuances of type and had a fetish for vernacular design — the untutored or quotidian signs, marquees, billboards, and packages that compose mass culture — but understood that being a master of good design meant nothing unless it supported a message that led to action.

When Tibor sold a “design” to a client, he did not hype a particular typeface or color, but rather how the end result would simultaneously advance both client and culture.

“Everyone can hire a good photographer, choose a tasteful typeface and produce a perfect mechanical,” Tibor once railed. “So what? That means ninety-five percent of the work exists on the same professional level, which for me is the same as being mediocre.”

While Tibor’s ire sometimes seemed inconsistent with his own practice, he rationalized M&Co’s use of vernacular as a symbol of protest — a means of undermining the cold conformity of the corporate International Style.

While editing pictures for the photographer Oliviero Toscani, who had created the pictorial advertising identity for Benetton, the Italian clothing manufacturer, Tibor helped produce a series of controversial advertisements focusing on AIDS, racism, refugees, violence, and warfare that carried the Benetton logo but eschewed the fashions it sold. For him, this was sublimely subversive.

Colors quickly became the primary outlet for Tibor’s most progressive ideas. And shortly after launching the magazine, he closed M&Co’s doors and moved to Rome.

Colors was “the first magazine for the global village,” Tibor announced, “aimed at an audience of flexible minds, young people between fourteen and twenty, or curious people of any age.” It was also the outlet for Tibor’s political activism.

“Race is not the real issue here,” Kalman noted. “Power and sex are the dominant forces in the world.”

With Colors the advertisements appeared as teasers for a magazine that critically addressed war and peace, love and hate, power and sex.

Of the two names that changed design in the ’80s and ’90s — Mac and Tibor — one changed the way we work, the other the way we think. The former is a tool, the latter was our conscience.

VA: Qualitative Research and Interviews.

Bullies seem to be present in everyone's childhood. There is always that older or meaner kid that makes your life living hell. Even though it seems like a natural part of growing up, it can have long-term, damaging effects on a child's self-esteem and personality. I interviewed a group of people in their early 20s for whom bullying is in the past. A lot of information I got is relevant for the kids these days and proves my previous research. Below is a chart I created on my Daytum account that proves that most people were bullied in their early years. You can see more information on my profile.

I also wanted to see the problem from a parent's perspective, so I interviewed Andrea Khan, academic advisor in the ARC. Andrea is a parent of three children, ages nine, six and three.

Here are some things that I thought were interesting.

Do you prepare your children for situations when someone will try to bully them? If so, what do you say?

-Remove yourself from the situation, get away from them.

-Tell a teacher.

-Identify who your friends are.

What would be your initial reaction to finding out that someone is bullying your children?

Depends on the situation. If it is happening at the school, the school should know. If it is outside, she will talk to the parent. Andrea also makes sure the children know what to do if bullying happens again.

Bullying is largely about intolerance. What do you do to teach your children to be accepting and kind to those who are different?

"Talk about people being different. Kids are naturally nicer, more curious and less judgmental," says Andrea. Andrea also explains her children that the person they encounter is perfectly fine the way he is, even if he acts or looks the way they've never seen before. She also says that exposure to cultural or societal differences helps to make children more tolerant. Andrea also made a good point by saying that we are sending children a mixed message. We are telling them to be accepting of everyone and friendly to everyone, but at the same time we warn them not to trust dangerous people that offer you candy or want to give you a ride. She also talks to her children about race and how the things changed, but there are still racial intolerance.

Do you know any parents who deal or dealt with the bullying problem? If so, what was the problem and their actions?

One of Andrea's friends has a granddaughter who went to school with a girl that was bullied by a stronger, meaner girl. Andrea's friend suggested that the two girls should be friends. The granddaughter befriended the bullied girl and the bullying stopped. "If you don't engage in the bully's game, they lose interest," says Andrea.

Do you have any other thoughts or ideas?

Self-esteem is key to anti-bullying. A parent threat also works: "My mom is so mean, you don't want to deal with her."

I am also planning to talk to Bambi Bugard, mother of two little girls, on Monday to get more information.

DS: Travel company. Initial research.

Collecting Data

-Market sizing

the company will target people 20-30 years old, who either just started their career, or are just beginning to get into it. They love traveling and active vacations are a big part of their lifestyle. This category wants to be able to use environmentally-friendly transportation on affordable prices and get reasonable deals for hotels, car rental and dining.

-Awareness

the company will be broadcasted through different types of media: environmental design, print and digital media as well as such resources as radio and online ads.

-Attitudes

people who are loyal to the company are also loyal to the idea of environmentalism and care about the effect they produce. The company also targets people who want to be environmentally friendly, but are just learning how.

-Recognition

the brand will be recognized by such organizations like Green Peace for its support and attempt to make travel a friendlier experience.

-Reputation

-Statistics

-Demographics

Design Systems (DS): Three Briefs.

1.TRANSPORTATION: Travel assistance company.
The company is going to focus on helping people find how to find affordable tickets, hotels, rentals and will also provide useful information for tourists. This company will focus on making travel and preparation for it easier and cheaper. Among the usual ways of travel, the company is going to promote environmentally-friendly modes of transportation, like cycling, carpooling and walking around. It will target people who want to travel and see the world, but need assistance with picking good deals. They are also thinking about the impact they make on the planet. The competitors will be mainly such companies as Bing, but it will be a lot more open.

2.PLACE: "Plant a tree" park.

The company is going to be a non-profit organization that will attempt to make a certain part of community green and friendly. This is not a park in its traditional understanding. People will contribute to the organization by planting trees and plants in the designated area. It will target environmentalists, people who want to make their community a prettier place and people with kids who want to teach their kids the basics of green lifestyle. The main competitors will be companies like Green Peace and others.

3.INFORMATION: Weather prediction.

This company will be a reliable source for weather prediction and trip planning. It will have detailed information, road condition and  other weather-related suggestions. It will also be a first-alert weather organization that will help you stay safe in dangerous weather. The company will also promote a healthier way of living, like using solar power and other types of alternative energy. It will target pretty much anyone who occasionally gets out of the house and wants to know what to expect. Environmentalists will also be welcome.  The main competitors will be Weather.com, except it will be more focused on actual weather conditions. 

VA: Research. Narrowing down.

I added some issues within issues to my previous post. I think I am most interested in cyber-bullying,  online stalking and forgery, child abuse and immigration help.

ME: Tattoo audience research.

My partner Kyle and I chose to do Body Modification for our group project one in Multimedia Experience. We think that this topic can provide a wide range of visual data  as well as help tattoo and piercing lovers communicate and share information with each other. KCAI also allows a lot of first-hand feedback on the subject. I even know a tattoo artist, Barrett Leary, whom I hope to contact during the project. Below is the assignment for Monday (you can see Kyle's part of the research on his school blog).

research and brainstorm basic community info, demographics, individual and community wants and needs, motivations, etc

Tattoos

Tattoos are a growing trend that is now accepted by the media and is no longer seen as something unusual or rebellious. The earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 2000 B.C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old. (Tattoos by Kate Lineberry).

According to VanishingTattoo.com 36% of people ages 18 to 25  have at least one tattoo. Esquire Magazine estimated in 2002 that one in eight Americans was tattooed.  People who get tattoos range from celebrities to prisoners and gang members and have various reasons for their decision. The national survey of adults shows these main statistics:

-Democrats are more likely to get tattoos (18%) than Republicans (14%) and Independents (12%).

- The highest percentage of people getting tattoos is in the west (20%).

-Females and males are pretty equal in getting tattoos (15 vs 16% respectively).

-Hispanics have the highest percentage of tattoos (18% vs 16% in the white population and 14% in black.)

Why do people get tattoos?

Tattoos are a method of self-expression and belonging to a specific culture or sub-culture. Many people find tattoos appealing because of the way they make them feel.

According to the previously mentioned national survey tattoos make people feel more:

Intelligent   5%

Sexy           34% (more women than men)

Spiritual     20%

Rebellious  29%

Attractive   26%

Athletic      3%

Healthy      4%

Strong        16%

The following interview with Mark Shwab explains how people choose tattoos and tips on how to choose a tattoo design. According to it, the most common designs are stars and flowers. Names translated in other languages, as well as names of family members and significant other are also common designs. Sometime the same tattoo is reproduced on more than one person as a symbol of friendship or connection.

According to the article Incredible Gang Tattoos and their Meaning, tattoos came to symbolize both the gory and the glory associated with gang life. Today it is not uncommon for gang members to tattoo their hands and arms, necks and even faces, as a demonstrated refusal to acclimate to social norms. Tattoos in gang culture represent a commitment that stays with the body even after life. Gang members are committed to the gang for life and shared tattoos are a way of unifying members of a gang.

Piercings

The demographic that makes body piercings is pretty similar to the one that get tattoos. Tattoos and body piercings in the United States: A national data set made a research used random digit dialing technology  to obtain a national probability sample of 253 women and 247 men who were 18 to 50 years of age.  24% had tattoos and 14% had body piercings. Tattooing was equally common in both sexes, but body piercing was more common among women. According to the research, tattooing and body piercing are associated with risk-taking activities. Body piercing has a high incidence of medical complications. The following information shows how dedicated people are to the idea of their own individuality, even if it will be painful.

Piercing Location	Average Healing Time
Ear lobe	6 to 8 weeks
Ear cartilage	4 months to 1 year
Eyebrow	6 to 8 weeks
Nostril	2 to 4 months
Nasal septum	6 to 8 months
Nasal bridge	8 to 10 weeks
Tongue	4 weeks
Lip	2 to 3 months
Nipple	3 to 6 months
Navel	4 months to 1 year
Female genitalia	4 to 10 weeks
Male genitalia	4 weeks to 6 months
Cheek	4 to 5 months

Gen Xers lead piercing and tattoo fad explains the main reasons why people get tattoos and piercings:

"The glamorization of tattoos and body piercings in the media has sparked an interest in this trend. Jared Isenberg, 24, a Reno tattoo artist, said rock stars and MTV are a big influence on his clients."

"Body piercings and tattoos are a means of personal empowerment for some Gen Xers who are typically searching for individualism and control of their lives. Tattoos and body piercings are their marks of individuality and control."

"Others get tattoos and piercings to be rebellious and spontaneous." 

My classmate Amy was very kind to share with me a website with amazing information about the history of various piercings. Check it out!

There is one significant difference between tattoos and piercings that can influence the decision of  the person choosing between the two: tattoos are permanent, piercings are not.

If you are patient enough to read this, you will find out what are the societal and psychological reasons for some women to get body piercings.

UE: Ziba Initial Research.

Introducing Mike and Jill.
Jill and Mike are graphic designers who rent a hip, modern apartment in NYC. They are both in their 20s and just started their career. They work for a famous advertising agency and have very little time. In her spare time Jill likes to look around in antique stores and Mike explores print shops. Jill and Mike usually hang out at a local bar that sells home-made beer and is known for its eco-friendly design. Jill and Mike recycle and are actively promoting a green lifestyle to their friends in family. Their close friends Anna and Tom, who are a little bit older, work in the marketing department and also enjoy environmentally-friendly design. Both couples like to listen to live music and love a picnic on a good summer day.

Suitable for all ages.
Both Jill and Mike love milk. They love flavored milk and usually drink it in the evening while relaxing by the tv. Jill likes Ziba because she can easily put it her purse and save it for later. When you have a lot of materials and a bottle of milk, NY subway can be stressful. That is why Ziba is perfect for her. Mike likes Ziba because it fits his image. It is not too girly and is compact and easy to carry around. It is the perfect size to carry from home to office. Mike actually thinks that milk is becoming fashionable. Jill also drinks her milk on the way to work right after she takes it out of the fridge to keep it cool. Ziba is small, so Jill and Mike have no trouble fitting a package of two in the office refrigerator. Ziba is also perfect for the times when Jill's niece comes over during the weekend. 8 year-old Annie loves the design that is not as big and chunky as most other milk containers.
Jill likes that Ziba does not leave a mess that milk cartons do sometimes. It has a cap so it is always sealed shut and never spills.

We're not the only ones out there.
Cravendale
Arla Jiggers
Milk Collection 1
Milk Collection 2
Shatto Milk
Arla Milk 1
Arla Milk 2
Milko
Milk Concept
Lait
Arla Milk - WWF Earth Hour
Milk carton by Raw-Edges Design Studio
Lacto Free
Mleko
Milk Jugs
Tuscan Milk
Fresh Coop Milk
Dairy Land
Straus Organic

UE: Ziba is Beautiful.

What is Zeba?
Ziba is a nature-friendly dairy product that comes in recyclable packages that are fun and friendly. In the good old days milk used to be sold in glass bottles that would be refilled by a milk man. Where are the milkmen, by the way? Ziba Milk is 100% natural and comes from happy cows that graze in the green meadows of _____. Ziba comes in three flavors: regular, chocolate and strawberry. The flavors are natural and are added according to a 200-year-old recipe that is passed on from father to son. Have you been trying to find that unforgettable taste that only comes from good, high-quality milk? Ziba preserves all the natural components of milk and it is as fresh as it would be if you just milked a cow.

Would you like Zeba?
Ziba is perfect for classy milk-lovers who want to drink milk for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but are tired of the chunky milk jugs. Ziba is compact, but it has your daily portion of calcium and vitamin A, B and B2. It is good for you and it tastes amazing! Ziba has a 3 in 1 package, as well as three flavors sold separately. Each package has a unique design. Don't care about the design? Get a complimentary milk glass with every 10 bottles you bring or a super-size package of 9 with every 30 bottles.

T4: Retro Modern.

Timeline

Type Conference Names:
Square Fluidity
Retro Geometry
Square but sensitive
Textured Modern
Retro Modern
Geometric Retro
Back to Square
Dare to Square
Square the Retro
(Retro)2
Illustrative Geometry

Final Name and Information
Retro Modern
Typographic Conference
May 20-23, 2009
______ Hall
Kansas City, MO 64111
www.retromodern09.com

Description
Remember that movie theater you used to go to in the good old 60's? Remember the glowing lights, curvy type and the happy memory of youth? The memory became all dusty and got that worn texture that is now so popular in typography. In the age of high-tech and data overflow more and more people are attracted to the laid-back hospitality of the past. Retro Modern '09 is going to explore the popular tendencies in modern graphic design that involve a retro, nostalgic feel. It is also going to look at the way modern shapes and technology are used to recreate the retro. The conference will also include a lecture by Scott Hansen as well as two demos and presentations.

Biography
Scott Hansen is a designer and musician from San Francisco, who has years of experience in freelance design. He is currently an independent designer, who created his own shop, clothing line and blog, that are encompassed on his website ISO50.
Scott divides his works in two categories: design and illustration. His experience of working for Adobe can be seen in some of his works. Many of Scott's designs are stylized and digitally refined.
Here's what he says about his influences: "Obviously I do a good deal of looking back when it comes to inspiration. I feel the design that blossomed from the Bauhaus movement and came of age in the 1960’s was the Zenith of an art form whose importance would fade away as Television, and later the Internet, took over the reigns of visual communication thus effectively transforming the medium."
Scott Hansen is lecturing on May 21st in _____at 9 pm. Join Scott for his lecture about geometric type and the grunge movement on May 20th 2009!

Concept
I'm thinking that my overall theme should be a mix of geometry and handmade-type. The geometric type could be used for posters and big catchy areas of type while small captions can be handwritten. I'm still not sure about the typeface choice... I see the colors being organic and faded, so that the geometry and high-tech feel could stand out more. Recycled materials seem to be a good option. Overall, I'm thinking a of a system that would not have a traditional laserjet printer aesthetic, but something more personal and textured. I want people to take the artifacts home and not throw them away as soon as they get to the first trash can.

Thought this was interesting and relevant.

T4: Conference. Brainstorming mindmap.

T4: Designer. Scott Hansen.

During the past couple of weeks I looked at a lot of design that makes use of texture, shape and color.
One of the most inspiring designers for me was Scott Hansen. Scott Hansen is a designer and musician from San Francisco, who has years of experience in freelance design. He is currently an independent designer, who created his own shop, clothing line and blog, that are encompassed on his website ISO50. There you can see his portfolio and read find out more about his influences.
Scott Hansen never got a degree in design, he never got professional training and everything he does was self-taught through practice and desire to do what he likes. Even though Scott has over ten year of experience in graphic design, he claims not to have high admiration of his work. I both agree and disagree, because it often seems to be a pose, when designers say things like "certainly [I am] not an intellectual when it comes to design".
Scott divides his works in two categories: design and illustration. His experience of working for Adobe can be seen in some of his works. Many of Scott's are stylized and refined digital designs. I am usually wary of designers who produce most of their work digitally, especially when the work they produce is highly dependent on texture. In Scott's case it doesn't bother me. His works are tasteful and refined. I believe that this has a lot to do with Scott's habit to collect things that inspire him and more importantly his developed preference for specific kinds of design. Here's what he says about his influences: "Obviously I do a good deal of looking back when it comes to inspiration. I feel the design that blossomed from the Bauhaus movement and came of age in the 1960’s was the Zenith of an art form whose importance would fade away as Television, and later the Internet, took over the reigns of visual communication thus effectively transforming the medium." This is one of the things I admire about Hansen's design and illustration. His appreciation of the past is obvious in his works. The faded textures combined with retro bright colors make his works nostalgic of the past and relevant in the present. This is a rare combination. I often see the works that try to mimic the faded appeal of the 60's design, but usually it's just a bad parody that doesn't arouse any questions. Looking at Scott's design and especially typography, I ask myself what makes them both retro and contemporary?
While I admire Hansen's work, I see certain things that I cannot relate to. The beauty of Scott's work is in combining successful imagery with well-developed typography, not in illustrations that look like and ad for Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately, I see a risk of Scott's work becoming more dependent on technology with the advancement of design programs. This is one of the reasons why I started to look more in geometric type that is based on it's shape and legibility (or lack thereof) and not color or texture. It also made me think about such things as the hierarchy of type and image and whether or not they can harmoniously coexist in the mixed world of design.

T4: Chosen movement. Paper.

The type styles I'm looking at are mostly Decorative and Display. They can be divided into categories that give a pretty clear idea of what these typefaces look like.
The first category is the Fat Faces. The original purpose of these typefaces is to grab attention in advertisements, which makes them quite useful in large formats. This style has characters that look thick and blocky, hence the name "Fat". Some of these typefaces have rounded edges and some are very geometric and look like they were cut out of blocks.
Fat faces were quite popular in the 80s and have a nostalgic retro feel to them. Fat typefaces are becoming a trend right now and are often used in youth-targeting advertisements, magazines and stores. These typefaces are simple and legible at the same time. This has a great appeal to me and creates a challenge at the same time. How can you make fat display faces both contemporary and elegant? You can find some examples here.
Art Deco typefaces are also becoming trendy. The Art Deco originated in Europe in the early 20th century and then spread to the United States, where it became popular. These typefaces are characterized by elegant stylized shapes that often include geometric forms. A double stroke was also used in some of these faces. Since the Art Deco connotes elegance and glamour, typefaces like Bernard Fashion are often used in high-end advertisements and magazines. I appreciate the elegance of the Art Deco typefaces and their connection to a specific era. You can learn more about these typefaces on this web page.
Grunge Typography is the most recent trend that originated from a musical movement. It combines curves, straight lines and texture. This movement seems to originate from the Bauhaus, but has different attitudes towards the relationship of type and image. Here's a what a grunge type designer Carlos Segura of T-26 says, "Typography is beyond letters. Some fonts are so decorative, they almost become 'visuals' and when put in text form, they tell a story beyond the words — a canvas is created by the personality of the collection of words on the page." (link) The designers who work in this style are Scott Hansen, Jonathan Haggard, Rafael Bessa, Kasper Soeholt, Joseph Wharton and others. Scott Hansen is my favorite. It is important to mention that the style of the 1968 Mexico olympics seems to have a big influence of some of the Grunge designers.
All of these styles have something to offer. I like the boldness of Fat Faces, the elegance of the Art Deco and the type, image and texture combination of Grunge. Most of these styles are contemporary, especially Grunge, and have not gained themselves a reputation. They have the boldness that is appropriate for the 21st century, but also radiate the elegance and nostalgic appeal of the past.

IA:Research about Brands. Collecting information.

I was surfing the web, trying to find information that would be relevant to the topic of branding and that would be interesting to work with. The "Emotional television" article talks about the things viewers have an emotional response to and how it is achieved. The article also touches upon the way people's decisions are often clouded by emotive advertisement.

The "Hipster" article from Adbusters presents an interesting perspective on the "street-cred". It talks about the way hipsters become a trend. Brands and publicity plays a big part in this. Here's an interesting quote from the article: "The American Apparel V-neck shirt, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Parliament cigarettes are symbols and icons of working or revolutionary classes that have been appropriated by hipsterdom and drained of meaning. Ten years ago, a man wearing a plain V-neck tee and drinking a Pabst would never be accused of being a trend-follower. But in 2008, such things have become shameless clichés of a class of individuals that seek to escape their own wealth and privilege by immersing themselves in the aesthetic of the working class."

I thought this article "What is a lifestyle brand?" was pretty funny, mostly because the amount of anger the person has

The "Cheap Beer?" is a good example of the way brands loose their historic roots. I thought that the example of the PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer) beer was rather informative.
Here's a quote: "That is to say, PBR’s blue-collar, honest-workingman, vaguely anticapitalist image-image attached to it by consumers-is a sham. You really couldn’t do much worse in picking a symbol of resistance to phony branding.”

Here is some basic information on the "Buy Nothing Day" campaign by Adbusters.

This Forbes article "World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands" presents some useful information about Gucci and why it is so valued by the consumers. It also tells you who buys Gucci. Surprisingly, only 7% of the polled North American shoppers buy Gucci.

Here's an article I found " Interbrand Launches Premiere Leading Luxury Brands Study" presents some facts about the business side of luxury brands.

I have a very interesting chapter from the book "Ways of Seeing". It makes a lot of good points that explain what is advertising and how it works. I also have a brand glossary with all the key terms of branding. Have some imagery too.

My opinion

I think that branding is a controversial topic because there are always two opinions about it. Some people think that the world would become dull without brands, some people think that they are the greatest vice of the modern era. Both are radical and I think that the subject has both positive and negative aspects, which is why I'm interested in researching this.

I think that the vast variety of brands is a positive thing. Brands create competition and as it was said in the Economist article, it benefits the consumer. Brands are valuable when there is choice. I watched a pretty interesting movie over break about a style movement in the 50's Soviet Union, called Stylyagi or "Stylish". During the times when people were raised to look and act and think the same, there were individuals that would try to express their individuality by listening to music that was outlawed, dressing into clothes that would make them stand out of the crowd and living a secret life that allowed them to be who they truly were. This was risky and involved a lot of personal courage and required a lot of investment. The Stylish had to purchase expensive clothes bought in Europe or the US and sold in the black market. This brings me back to the branding. Now the consumers have a choice and you can buy anything and dress into whatever you want, as well as live as you find suitable. It seems, however, that most people use this not to their advantage, but to conform. The only difference between the past is that people are trying to be the same, but it's their own choice. This supports the point that the world becomes homogeneous because of the brands. At the same time, I'd rather have a choice and decide whether i want to conform or not. Since the demand creates the offer, the consumer has more to choose from.
It was said in class that being relatively close to the industry, designers are not often fooled by the science behind branding. I agree with that. Brand essence and catchy slogans do not make me believe that my lifestyle will improve or change if I buy Addidas sneakers or regularly go to Starbucks. The quality of the product and the guarantee that i get when I purchase it from a well-known brand are usually the things that make me want to buy something. Brands are the "names" of the companies. As it was said in the article, brands help the consumer find out what the company sells.

Even though I don't think that brands are something that attribute to people becoming more superficial and materialistic, I am pro-branding. It is an aspect of our lives that is going to be there whether we want it or not and we should make peace with it while having a clear understanding of why and how the system works.
I have more thoughts on this, so I might have additional posts on the topic.

SM. Research.

1.I decided to make an intro piece because i see it as having potential in becoming something dynamic and interesting to include in the portfolio. I also think that a good opening is crucial to any show, so I'm interested in seeing how i can make a show about house renovating interesting.

2. PURPOSE: to teach people how to make simple things in painting (like making stencils or painting the wall). It help people like me who have never renovated their houses before easy tips that will really work. It will be mostly about painting (like what kind of paint to use, brushes, etc), but it will also have some simple tips on how to do small tasks like drill the wall, etc

CONTEXT: the show would be on a cable station that would show how to's in various spheres of daily life. The show would probably be on weekend mornings. The show itself will need a presenter and probably a voiceover.
AUDIENCE: family men that are not very knowledgeable in renovating things. They'll be watching it to learn how to do all the tasks they need to know to make their house look better.

3. I really like the best buy commercial by mk12. (sorry no link), the Hot Hot Heat video appeals to me too.
Opening of Home Improvement
the Finish Line advertising is combining video with vector animation. I think it's pretty cool.

VL. Artist Research.

Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (Russian: Александр Михайлович Родченко, 5 December [O.S. 23 November] 1891 – December 3, 1956) was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara Stepanova.
Rodchenko was one of the most versatile Constructivist and Productivist artists to emerge after the Russian Revolution. He worked as a painter and graphic designer before turning to photomontage and photography. His photography was socially engaged, formally innovative, and opposed to a painterly aesthetic. Concerned with the need for analytical-documentary photo series, he often shot his subjects from odd angle—usually high above or below—to shock the viewer and to postpone recognition. He wrote: "One has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again."
Rodchenko was born in St. Petersburg to a working class family. His family moved to Kazan in 1909, after the death of his father[1] at which point he studied at the Kazan School of Art under Nikolai Feshin and Georgii Medvedev, and at the Stroganov Institute in Moscow. He made his first abstract drawings, influenced by the Suprematism of Kazimir Malevich, in 1915. The following year, he participated in "The Store" exhibition organized by Vladimir Tatlin, who was another formative influence in his development as an artist.
In 1921 he became a member of the Productivist group, which advocated the incorporation of art into everyday life. He gave up painting in order to concentrate on graphic design for posters, books, and films. He was deeply influenced by the ideas and practice of the filmmaker Dziga Vertov, with whom he worked intensively in 1922.
From 1923 to 1928 Rodchenko collaborated closely with Mayakovsky (of whom he took several striking portraits) on the design and layout of LEF and Novy LEF, the publications of Constructivist artists. Many of his photographs appeared in or were used as covers for these journals. His images eliminated unnecessary detail, emphasized dynamic diagonal composition, and were concerned with the placement and movement of objects in space.
Much of 20th century graphic design stems from the work of Alexsander Rodchenko. His influence on modern graphic design is so pervasive that to pick out particular designers he has influenced would largely be a pointless endeavour.
His 1924 portrait of Lilya Brik has inspired a number of subsequent works, including the cover art for a number of music albums. Among them are influential Dutch punk band The Ex, which published a series of 7" vinyl albums, each with a variation on the Lilya Brik portrait theme, and the cover of the Franz Ferdinand album, You Could Have It So Much Better. The poster for One-Sixth Part of the World was the basis for the cover of "Take Me Out", also by Franz Ferdinand.
In 1921, Russian avant-garde artist Alexander Rodchenko executed what were arguably the first true monochromes (artworks of one color), and proclaimed "I reduced painting to its logical conclusion and exhibited three canvases: red, blue, and yellow. I affirmed: this is the end of painting." For artists of the Russian Revolution, Rodchenko's radical action was full of utopian possibility. It marked the end of easel painting – perhaps even the end of art – along with the end of bourgeois norms and practices. It cleared the way for the beginning of a new Russian life, a new mode of production, a new culture.

Below is the poster I am considering.The second line says "beer". The first line is the name of the beer.
So the poster says "Trehgornoe beer will get rid of prudes and moonshine". It is clearly an ad an I enjoy the colors and compostition.

Research.

A kerosene lamp is just one of the methods to produce light. Nowadays, most people have electricity and we see it as something belonging to our era. When you think of electricity, you think of physics, transmission, etc. Do you think of coal? Do you think of pollution that goes along with it?
"Just as a battery converts relatively small amounts of chemical energy into electricity for temporary or intermittent use, the FFPP converts the energy stored in fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas successively into thermal energy, mechanical energy, and finally electric energy for continuous use and distribution across a wide geographic area, " says one of my sources.

This link about coal presents numbers and facts of coal pollution. Burning coal is a leading cause of smog, acid rain and air toxics. The coal mines are not only harmful for the environment, but are also harmful to people who work there. This article talks about mining accidents that take away lives or make people handicapped for life. Some mining injuries affect eyes and hearing. This makes the victim unable to work and support his family.
One of the causes of such injuries is improper use of safety equipment, poorly-made safety equipment that miners take off because it's impossible to wear and carelessness.

Our dialogue with Meredith so far:
Me:Kerosene lamps are bad, they are dangerous for the environment.
Meredith: Kerosene lamps are not as bad as they seem. They have a magical essence to them.
Me: They do, but they still add up to the pollution.