Form and Content: Objectified

How form and content work together to create the film “Objectified”?

The form it takes which have gave examples of different designer think of the design concept through different type of object. Visually support the viewer keep watch the film, background music is an important form which can’t leave without. It has connected an ending part to other new topic. Let the audience know the film is going to talk about other concept. Also from the title “Objectified”, we surely know it is about the design of any kind of objects.

The content of the film that analyzes designers thought, the concept and idea of what design really is. From everyday when we wake up, almost everything that we used, are all have been designed.

Andrew Blauvelt, who is a design curator, he talked about the concept evolution of design through the Japanese toothpick. A simple toothpick exists over thousand years, but the one in his hand was already improved, if you break off the top part which signified that was used, also create a tiny rest of toothpick in an aesthetics way. As Henry Ford said “Every object tells a story.” The style of the tiny toothpick created mostly because of the unique cultural content. Even through American people might use the toothpick in different ways, but the engage part of the toothpick is it expresses Japanese mind and behavior.

From the other designer Dieter Rams, he bought up a question why designer have to design? He point out good design should be innovative, useful and aesthetic design. Good design will make a product understandable, which also honest, unobtrusive and long-lived. Good design has to consist in every detail. Good design is environmentally friendly and as little design as possible.

Jonathan Lve, who is a designer in Apple Company, said when you look at something constantly. A question flow out in your mind why it is like that not like this. And that is the motive to help designing.

Design in different Terms

As we are designing, something we should think of before we get started.

First, what is the idea and impulses for create you works? What is the purpose and content that you want to bring to the audience? It is the main step in the whole design process, because design is able to bring message to the viewer. 

After that, you should think about the form, which is the best way to reveal the works. Knowing each term has their advantage, suitable term can help the viewer more understanding the design concept.

Next step is idiom, what is your style, gestures and subject matter. As creating a coffee cup, it can be so many different styles. 

Then we should think of the structure, how to put things together, what it needs and what isn't necessary have. As designing a poster, we don't want to include too much things. We just want to show the important information, which are benefit for the works. Mostly, it's better to summaries the main points and keep it neat and clear, since simple is beauty. 

After that is craft your work, applying the skill and practical knowledge. It's the time to find out the problems and solve them, getting the works done.

Last step is surface, which is the production values. Concluding all the process, can the work express the message to viewers.

A good designer has to have follow those steps, in order to create good works!

Comparison and Contrast

As doing this comparison and contrast, I did some research on the internet about different company's logo design. Here is the website include information about different famous logo. http://www.logoblog.org/logo-design-gallery/ 

I find big changers for the logo reform company was UPS (United Parcel Service), which is a famous postal delivery company in the world. 

UPS has changed its logo four times until now. The first logo was created in 1919 by designer Jim Casey. It showed an eagle carrying a package in its talon, mixing with two colors blown and yellow. It is an iconic that easy to understand what kind of company it is. As we discussed in class design is a conversation. That is exactly an example of what it means, through the icon bring out the message. 

Second Logo was created in 1937, the reason they redesigned because they changed the company name to United Parcel Service. Before that that, it's called American Messenger Company. This icon is different than the first one, which including letters in the shield with the word on the top" The delivery of merchandise for multiple retail department stores." The colors are the same, and the advantage of this since it can make the logo more stand out. Also it directly tells us the company name.

Third logo was established in 1961 by the brand designer Paul Rand.He did make a lot of changers and he did the way is totally different style. First is the color, he just did it with black and white. Simple shape with letters, but it also included the meaning of delivery. 

Lastly, the newest logo was designed in 2003 by Future Brand. The difference between this and the third logo is removed the bow on the top, to make it simple. Even though, I think it is also symbolize the image of the company, because the letters and the symbolic blown already told us what the company is. 

Differences between Art and Design

own works

Even though people think Art and Design are the same terms about creation, they are entirely different.

Design is a method of action, which is a plan that create works, showing how works to be made and how it works and looks. Design does not necessary to have to be creating new things, but it has to have a purpose for that. For example, designers try to motivate consumers to buy their products. Designer always has to communicate with their clients, knowing what they want and what they need. Design depends largely on constraint. Usually designers have to rearrange their works over times, for the sake of creating a suitable design for their clients.

Art is a skill that has a special ability, which is also personal and is self-expression. Purpose of art is a way for artists to express their feelings. Successful artists have to have a good imagination and proficient skills in order to create good works. But artists do not need to have a purpose to create their works, they can just do it according to their feelings or emotions.

own works

From both creators’ abilities, they do need to have skill, which is techniques to help for creating their works. But the most important thing for being a good artist does need to have innate talent, because that is essential for an artist to succeed. On the other hand designer don't necessary to have talent, they just need to achieve the objectives of design.

Design is an expression of the purpose and art is a way of expressing emotion. As interviewing Charles Eames about the topic “What is Design?” Charles said a good design can be judged as an art, which means a work achieves esthetics. As the Apple's computer, people buying them not only because it is functional, it also because it has a good out look. That's the reason why Apple can be successful. Although there are many gray areas between Art and Design, they are totally different discipline.

Design as Conversation

Conversation is a skill to express feeling and convey message to others.

Nowadays in the society, it is important to have good conversation skills, in order to communicate with other people and get involve to the society. Also it will help to become a successful person. Normally, people will think of linguistic is a part of the conversation. But beside then that, design is one of the bridges to communicate. Moreover, in some cases design is a stronger way than just using language to communicate and bring message to audiences. Lady Gaga is a good example.  In her VMA Awards show presented by MTV, she wore a meat dress which was full of controversy. But the reason that she was doing this because she want to bring out the message through an act, (which was bring out the message by the dress design) instead of just saying by mouth.

Design a poster for advertisement is an example of conversation; it is not only a paper work. Its purpose is to bring a message to the audience. Therefore, material conducted in the medium of drawing is required for design. As the famous artist Yoko Ono, she said that everyone is unique and different. Even though people think she did something shocking to make her special. But what she thinks is the problem isn’t come from how to become different and unique, is her way that how to share an experience and how to communicate through her works.

She made a chess set which is called “Play It by Trust” in 1966. The concept that she wants to bring to the audience is get chances to repeat the games over and over in a different ways. But how she made her chess set to stand out from different designs? Which is comes from her idea; she wants to make it simple rather than decorative. She uses this chess to represent human life. Normally, Chess is black and white, but life is not only black and white. Therefore, she choose the monotone white to create her chess, meaning is you will not recognize what is yours or what is theirs. So in this chess game, it is a way for you to convince other people who you are. Also it is a way to communicate through her design.

Where's my inspiration of Design?

A good designer need to have lot of inspiration, in order them to create good works. As I mention on my last blog about  how different designer get them inspiration from. And in this blog I would like to share with you about my own experience.

My interest is love to take pictures and printing. In the past few years, I thought of to be an artist or a photographer, which can work with something that I am good at. However, as I grow up started to get in touch with Design, I knew my career will be change. Because I feel design is more challenging to me, and I can create things with my own style also need to achieve the client's want. Moreover, I think Design can help people to solve problems and make their life to be easier. That's what picture and printing couldn't make it. 

But how do I get my inspiration from? Which is basic on my interest. Where I took pictures, I will discover something around me but I never paid attention for, also it's reminds me how beautiful the world is. On the other hand, painting can help me to express my feeling completely. I think the powerful of a paint is when you look at it, you feel something. For me, I think Design, painting and photography are all related. Those are the ways that I find my inspiration and increase my knowledge. 


Design is a not an end story, never and ever write the ending yourself!

Design from without...Inspiration

As a designer, we usually find our inspiration from the things around us. For example, the activity Stone Soup, that we did on the last tuesday, we were tried to use the materials surrounding us. And in class we have watched a short movie about a woman named Lisa Hoke, she was using the Plastic cups to create an Art for the gallery decoration, that's what she has her inspiration from things surround her life. And Jackson Pollock, who is an artist also a designer. He use to find his inspiration from his printing. As the photo took by Beaton named The New Soft Look, which is completely  an example to explain Jackson's personality and what his design style is. 

Other then that, I saw a blog on the internet, from http://jolie1118.spaces.live.com Which is a blog by Jolie, from China, who is a professional photographer. She loves to travel alone and take pictures, on her blog you can see tons of picture took by herself, which are really amazing. Even you just look at the picture, you can feel what message she wants to bring out. So that she likes to travel all around the world to help her takes good picture.

http://jolie1118.spaces.live.com

Therefore, I think inspiration is comes from the way what we have seen and what we have felt, which is relate to our life everyday. Even it's only a little things that we not use to pay attention for, such as plastic cups, plastic bag or towel papers. But once we start to think how to use those normal things to create other works, it will turn a simple to a high fashion.

Stone Soup...Yummy!!

On tuesday October 5, we have a activity in class which called Stone Soup. At first, I really don't know what are we going to do about that. The only thing that I know was bring a camera and something can work with. So that day I bought a little yellow duck which is a phone hanger and few color pens. 

At the beginning of class, Mr.Housefield told us a story about Stone Soup. Firstly the soup only have stone with the boil water, but then people started to bring food with them and throw it into the big bowl. Soon, the soup become more and more tasty. 

After the story, I believed what is the purpose of this activities for. It taught me that when more object put together, it can be many possible results. But if I only got one things with me, I couldn't even change anything. As the story stone soup, only have water with the stones. 

So we had our work started by sketching on the paper, and each of us got a different idea. Therefore, we tried to group them together. At first, we seems like a bit lost and don't know what to do. But then, after some parts were created, we kind of had the power to keep working on. As the food first put into the water without taste, but it needs to take time for cooking, so it become good. 

I really enjoy to do things like this, and I learned what design can be. Image design is like a box, but how can we tear the box to explode our idea. That's what we learn what design is. Overall in this activities, all of us really have fun with that, even the class was end, we still excited to tear it into a part. 

First Memories of Design

IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd) is my first memories of knowing what design is. It is the largest and most famous furniture chain store in the world. What really caught my eye is the stylish design of any furniture. They all look fashionable and useful, as well as they are easy to install and separate. IKEA is a very successful company because most of the furniture has designed by many steps: from choosing the color, the function of the object, the object structure, and the way for packing and delivering. IKEA has thought of the best way to satisfy the needs of customers. When they design a room for the children, they would prefer to use more colorful elements and to incorporate some cartoon designs. Or when they design a working space for the adults, it is better to be simple and neat.

Design is a way to represent the life style and to express the personality, since everyone has their own taste and preference. For example: classical design, modern design, fashionable design, baroque design, continental design and simple design. Each look already represented people’s fond of style. Also they will develop a variety of skills and learn to be a better person from designing. It was because people will gradually discover the beauty of the world. Designers learned to be more confident through presentations and art exhibitions and they learned to be more conscious and attentive about the surroundings. Designing developed a better personality because people learn to appreciate others.

Design is Noun or Verb?

I think design can be either a verb or a noun. Designer creates designs. But before than that, people have been called them the designer; it was because they designed various kinds of things. And people won’t be called a designer if they did not take a process to design. Therefore, I think the verb and noun are both essential, although it needs to take the process first. This question makes me think of the scientific question, whether the eggs are existed before the chick is born or the chick is existed before it produces the egg first. Design is kind of an unknown answer to me, because it can be defined as everything.

Most of the people think Design and Art are the same things. But what I feel is totally different. The big differences between them are Art is more focusing on create things by their own mind, they paint or they do what they want to, so we called it is an art work. But Design are the opposite way of creation, people design object mostly listen by the user. They will think of the best way to create object. For example: How to make a chair look special and feel convenience? Even just a chair, there are many different type of chair design, base on what they are using for. Therefore, I like Design more than Art, because Design can help people to make their life to be easier and convenience. Also it’s more challenging.

What is Design

As we have discussed a big question in class, “what is Design?” It seems to be an easy question but it is hard to answer. There are different types of design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and exhibition design, those are surrounding us. What you see in your eyes, those are all designed. We create various kinds of objects though the process of designing. For example: how to construct a comfortable chair with a variety of functions, and how to make an appealing picture with different uses of medium. It is an important motion and an act of creation. 

In my opinion, people who know how to design or appreciate design also know how to enjoy their lives differently, because design can make their life to be easier and convenience. And they have a distinctive sense of beauty and higher expectation of living.

As the bus life system, operators will use it to assist those who are incapacity and using wheelchair passengers easily get on off from the vehicle. Although it might be a small design can’t catch everyone’s attention, it is a useful design and can help people make life easier.

People must have already thought of the function’s advantage and disadvantage, before the object is designed. For instance, is it possible that camera should be boxed-like? If I am the designer, I would like to change it look likes an egg. I think design is really broad and unique, it can create anything. And each step of transition can improve the object to become better.