Reflection – Dialogue with Time

1. Briefly share your experience going through Dialogue with Time. What were some of the feelings, thoughts, challenges, and insights gained while role-playing an elderly person?

It is hard to fully understand how the elders suffer from their poor hearing and vision. After experiencing the interactive exhibition I then am able to truly understand the level of difficulty is really challenging for the elders.

One of the most impactful stations was the medicine pills station. I had to put in 4 different types of pills into the respective boxes of the week including the different time period of the days.

Overall the exhibition is interesting and gave a new perspective to me regarding the problems their elderly faces. It really hurts when I really tried the trembling station, where we need to open the door with the key. It was vibrating very badly and the struggle to put the keys into the hole is really difficult.

 

2. Drawing on your experience, can you think and list some of the benefits inherent in the design research technique of role-playing?

Role-play, as a research method, allows us to assign people certain scenarios and roles. Through observing the improvised scenario-specific performances, we can capture insights on people’s emotional, physical and social experience which could inform the design or refinement of mobile solutions in international development.

https://www.ictworks.org/role-play-user-testing-methodology-mobile-applications/#.XjgNaRMzYWo

Making a similar exhibition that is interactive, allow the audience to step into the shoes of the elders this help to the audience to be able to think in their perspective.

Going down to the details of what typical elders will experience, and being able to translate or reenact the situation in order to make the experience feel as close to reality as possible.

The variety of experience is very creative and allow a range of different ways to understand the experience of an elderly.

Can you think of some contexts where role-playing can be useful to help discover and define design challenges or contribute to the development of design solutions?

Allowing each individual to be able to express themselves in their home language. It is easier for people to express themselves in their home language. Always be prepared with a professional translator if you know that your target audience is more comfortable in a language that you may be unfamiliar with.

Task 1A: Exploratory Research: What, Why, Who, and How

Issues and Challenges in the World Today

What are some of the current issues confronting our world today? Amongst them, what is of interest and a cause of concern to you?

Q: Why is the issue important? Who does it affect and how?

As a child born in the late 90s, I grew up in an environment where my parents were part of Gen X, who were brought up by Baby boomers. In a typical household, our parents are very strict and very conservative manner. For the majority, our parents are seen as a  disciplinary figure and were always taught to do the right thing, but we were never taught how to feel our emotions and how to act upon them.

We have always been taught to be rational, to get deep down to the root of the problem and resolve the issue. Over the years, it seems that we have grown up to only know that “I am angry, I am sad, I am happy” but we have never got to figure out why we are feeling in this way.

 

Based on research, The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), had three different reviews regarding the effects of applying social-emotional learning

Children who exhibit social and emotional difficulties tend to have trouble following directions and participating in learning activities.

Read the full article at  https://casel.org/impact/

Thus, children’s social and emotional health is just as important as their physical health and affects their capacity to develop and potential to lead a fulfilling life.

Children learn by observing other people, getting ideas about how new behaviours are formed, and using the ideas to guide their actions

Teachers can promote children’s social and emotional health in many ways, for example, by organizing a material-rich environment to stimulate social interactions among children. This article focuses on two of the most important practices: building trusting relationships and conducting intentional teaching.

 

Q: Who do you need to communicate to, and why? 
Targeted audiences:

My targeted audiences would be the generation of teenagers that are in transition growing up to be the generation of parents. The reason for splitting them into 3 different is because I felt that that for the emotional education to take off requires cooperation from the education of both the teenagers hand in hand with the upcoming parents.

Reasons for segregating the groups

If older adults emphasise emotion regulation in their everyday functioning, this should be reflected in age-related differences in self-regulating strategies.

At the age of 12-17, it is the introduction phase where events begin to take place and they start to feel more feelings than they are 4 years old. At the age of 18-22, I felt that it is a very personalised journey where everyone experiences a very different situation and react differently. This is the time they should slowly experiment and get to know themselves better and tricks to handle themselves. At the age of 23-20, this is the age where newlyweds start family, they need to be educated on the emotions they feel towards marriage, the change of lifestyle, how to cope with the new emotions that are presented infant of them. As well as how they can help, prepare themselves for their future children’s emotional education journey.

Q: How has Visual Communication contributed to address the cause?

Comics strips, artworks that depict a day to day relatable situation allowing the audiences/reader that felt the similar feeling or in a similar situation would be able to better understand how the author came to her balance and solving her emotion problem after she recognises and accepts the way she is a highly sensitive person.

Often then not, when an individual feels very emotional, what they usually need is a listening ear, someone that has empathy and being able to understand a tiny little bit of what they are feeling and understand that it is totally vert normal to feel that way.

Link to the artwork and article: https://www.thelily.com/learning-that-im-a-highly-sensitive-person-helped-explain-my-struggles-as-a-parent/

The mother is aware of her emotional needs helps her to be able to identify the issue behind her crankiness and then learns how to cope with what she is having through emotional education and awareness. Just simply being aware she is able to juggle her relationship with her daughter and knowing that is neither her or her child’s fault when she feels overstimulated.

Link to the artwork & article: https://www.thelily.com/i-often-say-i-am-doing-fine-when-i-am-not-heres-why-i-am-committing-to-being-honest-about-how-i-feel/

 

HISTORY OF DESIGN: LECTURE 4 REFLECTIONS

Final Reflection.

Groaning at another history module which my brain isn’t suited for memorizing modules agonizes me a little bit glad to discover that it wasn’t the case for all the history modules.  From learning about Boustrophedon to the Art Nouveau and following by the Bauhaus, I think it was a good knowledge gain and sets the base for my graphic design studies. It was interesting to have Desmond as our first lecture for the history of design. Somehow or rather the topics covered in my Visual Communication I class and Typography I class are sort of sync, where it was interesting to have the same concept but seeing how it was different as it applied to all 3 modules in their own ways. The weekly reflection also helps me to dive in deeper to the topics that I am interested to find out more, takin gout time to work on the reflection helps to summarise the lecture topic went through.

Even though I’m bad at test, having the quiz spread out amongst 4 weeks and into 2 test it did really help me to cope with the amount of information I am taking it in. Quizzes basically help to dive in deeper to learn more and find a keyword to associate (for example, a particular key piece of typeface, an art movement that shaped the way people create their art).

It has been an enjoyable and happy to say that not really stressful history of design for the past 4 weeks. Thank you !

Week 4 — To Bauhaus & Beyond

For week 4 of history of design lecture To Bauhaus & Beyond. As I was more interested in the typeface – I decided to focus my reflection of the Bifur typeface by A.M Cassandre.

Commissioned as to design a brochure for the Paris Type House of Deberny et Peignot from 1929, AM Cassandra created this series of the typeface which impacts the small world of publishing and printing.

Strokes from each letter are taken away, replaced by a shaded grey area which gives an illusion of a silhouette which completes the character/letter again.Image result for Bifur typeface, A. M. Cassandre,

The 16 pages in the brochure are rather minimalistic as there are big areas of white space used, which works well as each character have its own voice which would not work well if they are layout in lines and lines of paragraphs text. Till this day, the art of the Bifur typeface echos the art of decoration styling in the world.

Bauhaus Design Movement

Continuing to google to on “Bauhaus” and found one of the more modern designs that were affected by the design movement. Firstly because it has this distinct color palette, playing around with 3 to 4 colors. It is also the restriction of the number of colors enables the design to be able to harmonize well with each element overlay over one another. Personally I really enjoyed what this design movement created and change the way people design.

— Redefining the meaning of art – the point where minimalism and mass production meets.

Graphic Design: The Bauhaus Style In 2019

“BAU” – Definition (construction and the desire to provide methodologies for mass production)

FUNCTIONAL TYPOGRAPHY VS STAGED TYPOGRAPHY

Originated from the German art school — Staatliches Bauhaus. Founded by Walter Gropius, a German architect. The design philosophy of Bauhaus is essentially “forms follows function” This particular philosophy explains how the Bauhaus is based on a no gimmick advancement, rather they are often straight forward and not complicated. Having that they choose utility how it have to have some practicality over being just aesthetic looking to the eye.

Typography

Upon looking up the history of Bauhaus typography, I was kind of in awe because I didn’t realize many of the “descendants” of Bauhaus were my all-time favorite type family font that I often use for my design. A list of my favorite font that was Bauhaus’s descendants was as Futura, Pantra

Resembling a stencil, traced like style effect, the Bauhaus font made an appearance in 1969, where it has somewhat-thin & equal strokes throughout most of the characters.

Unique aspect of Bauhaus type family

  • Bold
  • Strong identify
  • Structured and geometric
  • Balanced, equal

It seems to definitely have a voice of its own, able to catch the audience’s attention despite the lack of decorative elements.

 “ Less is More ” 

Moving on, it also affected the design in the world of architecture. Another interesting discovery was how the design of the Bauhaus font was used in designing certain parts of an architecture, building.

 

References:

http://graphicnothing.blogspot.com/2011/04/adolphe-mouron-cassandre-bifur.html

-https://blog.pixlr.com/graphic-design-the-bauhaus-style-in-2019/

 

Art Nouveau – “Job Cigarette” by Alphonse Mucha

Art Nouveau – “Job Cigarette” by Alphonse Mucha

Alphonse Mucha

  • Born on 24 July 1860
  • Enrolled in the Academie Julian
  • Painter, illustration and graphic artist.
  • First design poster for Sarah Bernhardt, continue to design stage sets, outfits, and posters for 6 years.

Alphonse Mucha, papier à cigarette (Job), 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018.

Alphonse Mucha, papier à cigarette (Job), 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018. colour lithograph, 149.2 x 101, 1898
Design Style

At first glance, I was really taken in by how elegant the style of the poster made me feel.

Firstly the depiction of the female figure accompanied with flowy hair that encompasses around the figure gave her the look. The intricate design by the edges and the usages of the curves

lined strokes contributed to the stylization of this poster.

The choice of colors was essential that bring out the elegance vibes in this poster. The artist used muted colours they have mostly warmed tones with splashes of saturated light green. The slight gradient alternating from orange and yellow creates depth.

Only after several looks, I realized it was a poster that was promoting cigarettes. The swirling smoke that fades into the background, It was interesting to see the artist using portray smoking cigarettes in such a feminine way. The curves of her hair were the distinct and unique features of this poster became known as the “Mucha style”.

Other works

As he continues to design for Sarah Bernhardt, his most recognisable work portray an elegant female surrounded by decorative motifs, often utilize the long locks of hair and clothing to create movement in his poster.

Alphonse Mucha, Salon des Cent: exposition de l’oeuvre de Mucha, 1897. © Mucha Trust 2018. Alphonse Mucha, Salon des Cent: exposition de l’oeuvre de Mucha, 1897. © Mucha Trust 2018
Alphonse Mucha, Le Zodiaque, 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018. Alphonse Mucha, Le Zodiaque, 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018.

Mucha studied her performances and took note of her gesture while she performs her magic, in order to enhance her gesture in the performance. The flowing movements were then incorporated into his many later art works.

Alphonse Mucha, Gismonda, 1894. © Mucha Trust 2018.

Alphonse Mucha, Gismonda, 1894. © Mucha Trust 2018.
Alphonse Mucha,  Les Saisons: l’hiver , 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018. Alphonse Mucha, Les Saisons: l’hiver , 1896. © Mucha Trust 2018.

The focus of movement within the art and the decorative motifs. Mucha’ style became one of the most popular style that was associated with Art Nouveau.

References:

https://aphelis.net/alphonse-mucha-job-1898/

https://www.theartstory.org/movement/art-nouveau/

http://www.designishistory.com/1850/art-nouveau/

HISTORY OF DESIGN LECTURE 2 REFLECTION

Boustrophedon

One of the differences in writing method that stood out to me the most was the Boustrophedon which was a method of writing from right to left and from left to right in alternate lines. During the lecture, this particular phrase “Imagine an ox plowing a field” that is the way that Boustrophedon works.

Every time when I am doing a quick briefly reading of a finished assignment or a reading, I found my eyes often skipping a few lines when I shifted from the 1st sentence extreme right jumping to the 2nd sentence extreme left and thought what if writing was invented this way, it seems to be creating a smoother flow for our visual and made sense like how if an ox was plowing the field.

Latin expression in boustrophedon writing

Once popular with stone engravers in the 5th to 10th century

However, I realized it meant that we have to write backward. I tried it myself and it was very confusing when one has to spell backward.

Following closing, there is another older similar writing method named – Rongorongo script from Easter Island uses a reverse boustrophedon. Not only they wrote the letters backward they also have it up-side-down. Apparently it has been mastered by quite a few people back in the days. This was a shocking discovery of how they managed to learn and master this reversed method way of writing.

I guess I have my question answered as to why we end at the extreme right & starts at the extreme left.

As I end of this last sentence, I will once again attempt to try the Boustrophedon writing method. (It’s hard~)