Design Artefact 1 & 2 (Process)

Introduction

Through primary research, I discovered that Singaporeans are aware of the issue of hypermasculinity with 52.9% of respondents stating that it may be a problem. The aim of The Purple Cloud Project is to, therefore, educate and inform target audiences on the existence and impact of hypermasculinity and eradicate hypermasculine discrimination and behavior in today’s society. The secondary aim of this project is to redefine what it means to be masculine.

I hope to highlight hypermasculinity as a problem by engaging in open conversations with participants, allowing them to gain perspectives from each other and form a community of voices.

Design Artefact 1:

I started my thought process for my logo by doing some quick sketches. I wanted there to be an obvious cloud form but also integrate something personal like hands, a heart or even the male sex symbol.

Clouds are something that has been used in logo forms and corporate branding so there was a challenge in creating something fresh. I also decided to incorporate a speech bubble in my form because it suggested the idea of a conversation which was in line with the objectives of my campaign.

Visualising a muscular arm as a cloud but this seemed to perpetuate the existing stereotype of what masculinity is about. Also the use of arrows to suggest restarting or reviewing the concept of masculinity.

Hands forming a cloud. The cloud didn’t look like one so I scrapped this idea.

The final three iterations using the cloud to also form a heart which I felt perfectly tied into the reason for running this campaign – a matter of the heart. After multiple consultations, I finally simplified the logo’s form paying close attention to detail and how it looked when up or downscaled.

Moving on to the application of the logo. I wanted to place it on something that would be taken around and used in public so awareness would be raised. I went through options like mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, and pins but decided on creating a mobile phone case. Conversation nowadays is done a lot on the phone. Texting, calling and even social media and as such, I felt the phone would be a perfect form to place my logo on. It would incite solidarity and also be a visual reminder to be conscious of the hypermasculine things we may say.

CLICK HERE for the final outcome.

 


 

Design Artefact 2:

Moving forward, I wanted to think of a strategy to create awareness for the Purple Cloud Project. This would be the first step towards spreading the message and since it would be the campaign’s debut, it had to be impactful.

It all began with a sketch. I wanted to invite the idea of how one cannot understand masculinity nor define himself as a unique individual if we continue bombarding media and men all around us with stereotypes and ideal versions of masculinity.

A mirror is something that reflects our image and I wanted to disrupt it by filling it up with ideas of what masculinity is currently portrayed as. These definitions were as honest and raw as possible, as gathered from the survey I conducted. I also decided to fill one cubicle with hypermasculine slurs on stickers and also flood it with purple light to suggest that this personal space was now the ‘purple cloud’ inviting you to think about this matter and join the conversation.

Setting up the space was a challenging task as I wanted to transfer text on the mirror. This took a lot of time and patience. I also decided to create a mirror decal to tie in with the Purple Cloud’s branding.

CLICK HERE for the final outcome.

 


Reflections

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed VC2 and how the projects were a build-up relating to each other. I also felt it was a good idea that we were allowed to pick a cause we resonated with as this really made me push myself to think of the best solution the problem I highlighted. I am also glad Michael guided me in a good direction with regards to Artefact 2  and made me think of how I could approach it in a different method as opposed to something very corporate or over-done. I also appreciated the idea of how playing with scale could make a huge difference in how the message is perceived. In a nutshell, LESS IS MORE! Looking forward to see what the next VC mod has in store!

 

Assignment 1A: Exploratory Research

Introduction 

With a population of over 7.5 billion inhabiting our planet, the world we live in today is a melting pot of various political, economical, socio-cultural and technological backgrounds. With it comes many issues that are a cause of concern in order to maintain a harmonious balance within society. In this report, I will list four current issues confronting the world today as well as highlight one that I am tremendously passionate about.

The first issue critiques the state of the Singapore education system and sees the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all method of teaching and learning. In an article by the South China Morning Post, “there were a reported 27 suicides among 10 to 19-year-olds in Singapore (in 2015), double that of the previous year and the highest for more than a decade,” (Jelita 2017). Employing a standardised curriculum and examination criteria, perhaps the schools in Singapore are stifling alternative talents amongst the next generation that have yet to blossom. Pressures from a fast-paced system coupled with high expectations from parents are therefore a recipe for disaster.

The next issue close to my heart lies with the under-representation of plus-sized males in the “body positivity” movement. In recent years, plus-sized females have been included in the fashion world, which is a great thing. Men on the other hand don’t have it as easy. “Part of the reason why there are no plus-size male models is that there are no politics behind it. It’s not a controversial issue in the same way that it is for women. Men are objectified all the time in the media, but it’s not called ‘objectification’. There’s no male equivalent of feminist ideology,” (Simpson 2015). An inspection on what today’s standards were built on would probably give us a solution on how to move away from the stereotypical idealised male body type and promote inclusivity in body-positivity movement.

The third issue that builds on the topic of inclusion in today’s society is the lack of diversity, with regards to colour, age, gender and size in the beauty and makeup industry. Superstar Rihanna made a bold statement last year with the release of Fenty Beauty, a makeup line boasting an inclusive range of foundation that came in 40 shades. By doing so, she was able to tap into a market of darker-skinned woman that had been forgotten and under-represented in the beauty industry for years (Muller 2017). Gender and the introduction of men in makeup and creating products other than anti-ageing and wrinkle serums for older demographics are just some of the many ways the beauty industry needs to evolve and grow in order to remain relevant.

The final issue that resonates the most with me is gender oppression in men as an effect of hypermasculinity. “Hypermasculinity is the belief that in order to be a man you must in no way resemble a woman” (Michael 2016). This notion is something ingrained from birth and as such, males are exposed to the view that they are not allowed to display emotions synonymous with women are instead expected to be “strong”. Anger and rage, dominance and other masculine traits are celebrated and these could perhaps result in oppression and an inability to form identity (in more severe cases, rape crimes and domestic violence).

Gender Oppression in Men as an Effect of Hypermasculinity

The Britannica Encyclopedia describes hypermasulinity as a “sociological term denoting exaggerated forms of masculinity, virility, and physicality”. As Horowitz notes, toys for girls and boys are clearly demarcated and parents have the power to enforce this onto their children at a young age (2013). Coupled with media violence that young boys are especially susceptible to, Oppliger additionally notes that “if boys are exposed to exaggerated masculine models repeatedly rewarded and glamorised in the media, the boys are likely to adopt hypermasculine traits (2004).

Early exposure to hypermasculinity and traditional masculine culture has therefore given rise to many social problems. From an emotional standpoint, males are taught to strip off any traits that are associated with being feminine and are given the permission and power to display traits associated with what’s masculine. This rejects values like sympathy, empathy and vulnerability and empowers strength, anger and rage and dominance leading to larger problems such as rape culture, violence and abuse. Hypermasculinity, in a sense, desensitises males from rational thinking.

Based on a report by Samaritans of Singapore, there were a total of 409 suicides in Singapore in 2015, of which 271 were male. It would be fair to question how many of these males chose to end their life due to a lack of being able to express themselves and the gender oppression inculcated through hypermasculinity. Moreover, having a first-hand experience of the slurs that promote hypermasculinity proves that it is something relevant in the Singaporean society. Colloquial phrases like “chill bro,” or “you got balls or not?” and “don’t so gay leh!” seem harmless on the surface but have the power to do damage to the male psyche.

A desired target audience that would need to consider this message would be Singaporean males and females between the ages of 18 to 25. These audiences would become parents one day and still be maturing and growing. As such an important message like this would benefit them. A localised message would most likely bring across a greater sense of familiarity and resonance amongst audiences. Highlighting hypermasculinity as a problem and creating a movement that aims to eradicate such behavior and language would be key to creating a safe space for both genders to express how they feel and form an inclusive society.

While doing a search on artwork and media coverage on an issue similar to mine, it was almost impossible to find one similar to mine. I instead to look at advertisements and campaigns that propagated the masculine image.

As with hard-selling advertising, these ads use bold and large fonts to emphasize their headlines that support masculine stereotypes. The puns and phrases therefore seek to highlight and emphasize an idealised “real man” in real situations. Perhaps this would be a good start to creating art that goes against this archetype and stereotype.

 


 

Bibliography

Jelita, Angela . “Singapore’s price for education success: streaming, stress and suicides.” South China Morning Post. September 21, 2017. Accessed January 21, 2018. http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/2111822/downsides-singapores-education-system-streaming-stress-and.

 

Markovinovic, Monika. “Plus-Size Male Models: Why Are These Men Missing From The Runways?” HuffPost Canada. October 22, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2018. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/21/plus-size-male-models_n_8347490.html.

 

Muller, Marissa G. “How Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Is Ushering in a New Era of Inclusivity in the Beauty Industry.” W Magazine. September 19, 2017. Accessed January 21, 2018. https://www.wmagazine.com/story/how-rihanna-fenty-beauty-changing-beauty-industry.

 

Michael, Louis. “Hypermasculinity Is A Plague On The Modern Man.” HuffPost UK. November 29, 2017. Accessed January 21, 2018. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/louis-michael/hyper-masculinity-man_b_13280034.html.

 

Horowitz, Roger. Boys and their Toys Masculinity, Class and Technology in America. Florence: Taylor and Francis, 2013.

 

Oppliger, Patrice A. Wrestling and hypermasculinity. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2004.