Post 4

Editorial design deals with the framework and presentation of a story that affects the way it is viewed, read and interpreted, and consists of the structure and treatment of the publication; it is also known as visual journalism.

Taking a look at the example of magazine covers on the left, one can see that each has its own individual look, feel, and tone that conveys the magazine's, or brand's, message.  Vogue simply needs a simple photo of a beautiful woman is all that is needed--there is no need for a fancy or busy design as there is already weight in the brand.  Time magazine is known for its intelligent and cultured discussion on American and global affairs--its brand is also quite well-known, usually being marketed with simple yet impactful pictures.  Heat magazine is, in contrast to the two above, less concerned of significant matters, but more on attracting a particular, younger audience--the cover features a busy design that inundates the viewer with juicy gossip and information.  Vanity Fair is an elegant and intelligent magazine that informs people of the current affairs of art, style, and pop culture through sophisticated content and design.

As these magazines demonstrate, editorial design aims to communicate an idea or story through the use of visuals and language in a way that brings life to it while functionally organizing the material to draw and maintain the readers' attention.  

Another element to consider in editorial design is magazine paper size--tabloids are generally 35.5centimeters by 30.5 centimeters; beliners are generally 47 by 31.5 centimeters; broadsheets are generally 56 by 43.2 centimeters.  There are a number of other sizes for newspapers and magazines that are used, but these dimensions make up the majority of paper sizes worldwide.

As editorial design is used to speak to, reflect, and influence culture and people, it allows us, by examining magazines and newspapers of different eras, to view the culture of the era in which it is produced--what was considered fashionable and stylish, what was celebrated, what was idealized, and other factors.

I find it so intriguing to consider how simple design affects what type of person will be attracted to it, the way readers feel when they pick up a magazine, and how they interpret it.  It's fascinating how it becomes necessary to really be in tune with popular culture (or at least a form of popular culture) in order to be able to market appropriately back to the desired culture.

Post 3

This week in class we discussed various concepts and definitions in design.  Visual Communication is the ability to evaluate, apply, and create conceptual visual representations.  By examining the history and trends in design across culture, we can gain an understanding of the meanings of images and objects, and their relation to lifestyle, product and consumption.  Semiotics is the study of meaning, beginning with language and branching toward symbols and what they symbolize in design.  Meaning can be direct, inferred, metaphorical, or carried by association.  This allows for meaning to be communicated through symbols, movements and images, such as gestures that signify an intention, logos that signify their respective corporations, accessories that indicate ones status, and clothing that signify the era.  In index symbols and trace indication, meaning is communicated through deeper inquisition, as in a shadow that signifies the object, streams of hair to signify wind, and coffee stains on documents to signify an office environment.  The Information Theory allows us to analyze the process of communicating information in more depth—the sender must discern the message and the channel and ascertain a means of encoding the message while considering the problem of noise, for the receiver to decode and interpret.  The Information Theory, however, may not be a sufficient model for all means of communication, as communication is often a simultaneous and dynamic process rather than a linear process.  Despite this, it is highly relevant, especially in visual communication, as an image or object is not animate and cannot change.  The Information Theory also highlights the importance of acknowledging and dealing with noise.  All information that is transmitted faces the noise in the environment, in the persons involved, and in other areas.  Naturally, people tend to interpret things through the mindsets and paradigms they have been raised with and accept.  Furthermore, the brain strives for order and predictability, avoiding cognitive dissonance—we may ignore information that is contrary to our beliefs or paradigms, yet connect very strongly with material that further affirms and proves them.  All this is necessary to examine and consider in visual communication.  Below are examples of symbols that rely heavily on semiotics and interpretation, intentionally employing techniques of cognitive dissonance (disrupting normal thinking patterns) and culture jamming (disrupting and challenging mainstream culture).

The camel from RJ Cigarettes is depicted in a state of chemotherapy, pointing a finger at what the industry and product really do.

The Starbucks Coffee logo is replaced with symbols for American currency to expose the lucrative business and mega corporation.

An ad for what seems to be a cologne called "Obsession" that has a muscular man staring down his pants, alluding to what men are obsessed about, and what products they buy to feed their obsessions.

Post 2

(MCA Sydney, 2012)

This week we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art (above) located in Sydney, NSW, AU.  Some of the pieces from the MCA that really caught my eye are featured below.

To the left is Ross Manning's Fixational Eye (2011).  It simply is a piece of rope attached to an electric ceiling fan.  The fan has some sort of reflective material similar to a CD-disc attached to it.  As the fan spins the reflective material, the rope attached to it also spins.  At the same time, a light projector that is placed directly underneath the structure shines upward.  The light from the projector reflects off the CD-ish material, creating an RGB effect that seperates the colors as the rope spins around.  What caught me about this is that despite the simplicity of the materials and design, the effect of it is incredibly intriguing and mesmerizing.  To the right is an untitled work by Stephen Birch.  It is of a misshapen figure of Spiderman staring at a worm-like figure of a man's face extruding from a human forearm.  The piece signifies the ideals and aspirations of man manifested in Spiderman, and the tension of these when faced with evils of society and culture.  For me, the piece is definitely a conceptual work, and may be interpreted many different ways.  Its design doubtlessly demands attention, drawing from a well-known figure in media. 

To the left is a picture of Kate Murphy's work, Prayers of a Mother (1999).  It is a video of Murphy's family--her mother is reading her personal prayers for her eight children.  There are five screens simultaneously playing; her mother's hands and prayer book are shown in the middle while the surrounding four screens rotate between the faces of family members, recording their silent reactions and emotions from listening to Murphy's mother.  I'd say this piece was perhaps spoke the most to me--it depicted the raw and sincere emotions of Murphy's family through a creative use of filmography.  The way silence is utilized adds more to the emotional impact. 

Post 1

This week's class meeting involved the discussion of design and redesign, considering key concepts of meaning, form, and function in design through such mediums as material, tactility, and haptics, as well as the interrelated impacts that sociocultural trends and aesthetic design have on each other.  In an effort to better understand these concepts, we researched leading designers and their work, including Kenya Hara, Hella Jongerius, and Li Edlekoort.

 Kenya Hara (right) is a Japanese designer, focusing on the interplay between emptiness and meaning and possibilities, and its impact on the spirit and emotion, utilizing visual and philosophical Japanese traditions in his design (Knowles et al. 2010).  

("Exit/Entry Stamps". Hara 2007). 

These exit/entry immigration stamps (left) commissioned by Kenya Hara and designed by Masahiko Sato were specifically meant to "warm people's hearts" (Andrea et al. 2012).  This design demonstrates the evocative potential of design.  Perhaps the recognizable form of the airplane may serve to excite and stir people for their upcoming journey, or welcome people with an appreciation of where they've come from and a celebration for their arrival, as opposed to cold and lifeless stamps of uninteresting form.  The design itself further functions very well in its context.

("Wall-clock".  Hara 2007)

This design (right), by Jasper Morrison, is of a simple wall-clock made from a product called "wavy-wavy," an extremely elastic and flexible paper material.  The material used to create the clock gives off the message that ones time should be treated with equal flexibility and elasticity.  The choice to leave off the numbers also adds to the idea that time should not be constricting or controlling.  The design also seems to reflect Hara's use of the concept of "emptiness," leaving room for interpretation and meaning.

 Hella Jongerius (left) is a Dutch designer, fusing cultures, influences, technology, and tradition to help form her design.  Her work ranges from carpentry, to furniture, to clothing, to pottery, among other areas (Design Museum, n.d.). 

("Gullspira," Jongerius 2009)

This wall-hanging (right) here was designed by Jongerius.  This design, created for IKEA Sweden, takes into account its target consumer culture, as it is based off of animals from Swedish fairy tales.  It is a prime example of the fusion of cultures Jongerius plays with, as well as of culture's influence on design, art, and creativity.  It also brings to light design's recipricol affect on life and culture--the wall-hangings were crafted by women in India, providing them with a living.

("Office Pets" Jongerius 2007)

The picture to the left is of Jongerius' whimsical Office Pets.  They are the results of the collision of the world of the office and the realm of fantasy.  For me, t is definitely pushing the edges on what can be considered "design."  Lacking any real function, its great contribution is its emphasis on freedom of imagination and conception.








Li Edlekoort is a world-renowned trend guru and forecaster, stating that "there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design a product cannot exist."  Li's success as a trend guru points to the essential contribution that consumer society and culture have on future design, as well as the potency of premeditated design and conception.