Social Communication

Veterans of War: The Homeless of America

The homeless epidemic in America is at a slow decline with organizations attempting to give food and shelter to those in need.  Unfortunately there are still alarming figures of roughly more than 420,000 families who are homeless, a rough estimate of 924,000 of those who are homeless are children (2).  Amongst these families who are homeless are veterans of war.  According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimate that 23% of the homeless population are veterans of war, nearly half of them who served in Vietnam.  Over 3/4ths of homeless veterans suffer from alcoholism, other drug abuse, or mental health problems such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Although there are organizations and legislation taking place to prevent the homelessness of veterans there is still not enough being done.  It takes a year or more before a homeless person is recognized as a veteran of war, but that is not excuse for the lack of effort towards the homeless epidemic as a whole.  It is time for communities and individuals to take action and support those in need, especially those who risked their lives to protect our freedom. It is time we stop taking for granted our everyday luxuries and give back.

In every major city there needs to be more available housing for the homeless.  Most cities have bans that do not allow people to build camps, areas that prohibit loitering, and the begging of food and money.  Cities need to build communal 24-hr spaces or buildings that allow the homeless to come and go as they please, a place where food is made available more regularly and most importantly a warm and safe environment to sleep.  According to the National Homeless Organization over the past ten years there have been over 1000 reported violent attacks against the homeless which about one in three victims of violent attacks end up in death (6).

An idea to gain larger quantities of food is to have more fundraising and food drives.  Also everyday food businesses like Dunkin Donuts, Au Bon Pan, Panera Bread, and the average bagel shop throws away the left over’s of fresh baked goods from that day.   These can sometimes be multiple garbage bags full for still fresh edible food that goes to waste.  I propose drop boxes be erected and placed outside of these business.  There would be two types of drop boxes.  The first would be a lockable drop box for loose breads that would be collected at the end of each business day and brought to soup kitchens and shelters for the next day.  A second type would be in the style of a newspaper dispenser that would be for packaged/wrapped breads, these would be for those passing by in need of food who can reach a hand in to grab something to eat. 

Another idea would be to create a type of survival package in the form of a backpack.  This would contain a first aid kit, space blanket, poncho, hat and gloves (winter season), and any other necessary survival gear.  There would also be a map that shows where hospitals are, police station, soup kitchens and shelters, and other important land marks.  Another map would show what areas of the city are safe and not safe and marked with recorded "hobo symbols" which is apart of "hobo language" which lets others know where it is safe to go.

The homeless epidemic is easily overlooked because of the common misconception that those who are homeless became this way because a lack of work ethic and drug abuse.  Not everyone realizes that an alarming number of those homeless are veterans of war who had a hard time coping with the war and could not fully function within society.  We need to start a campaign making these statistics available to the masses.  Slogans like “Fight For Those Who Fought For Our Freedom” and a picture of everyday people (cops, teachers, doctors, moms, teens, etc…) raising an American flag in the style of Iwo Jima.  More posters and campaigns need to be made to raise awareness and to encourage the everyday person to become involved.  Not everyone one goes unfed everyday, so why should the homeless.

Whether or not we agree with war and our political views may differ, it is important to always support our troops.  Not everyone is for the war and some of those people choose to join the military and fight to protect our civil rights, freedoms, and luxuries. 

Dawn Danby

Dawn Danby is an Industrial Designer who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2000 and received her MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in 2007.  She originally went to school for art and became a designer, because of her interest in environmental issues.  She calls herself a cross-disciplinary designer for her many different talents, which she has applied to her work throughout the past few years.

In collaboration with WorldChanging (a non-profit organization of journalists, designers, and other environmentally conscious people who bring new ideas to consumers to inform the public and promote a green future) Danby co-authored WorldChanging: A User's Guide to the 21st Century (2006), which touched on issues of environmental sustainable designs, technology and art.  Her main purpose of the book is to inform people of the benefits of thinking green and building a green future. 

In 2007 Dawn Danby collaborated with Jyoti Stephens and Mary Rick to develop a solution to British Columbia's food importing to create local food distribution called the Beeline project.  Their goal is to make consumers aware of the benefits of supporting local farmers and buying locally grown food.  In collaboration they created a more simple transportation route starting from Vancouver to other cities, eventually making a full circle back to Vancouver.   The products would also be tracked by RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification Device) to track who is buying and selling, to bring farmers together to reach new markets, eliminate emissions and CO2, and to informer consumers. (pictures?)

Danby also manages Autodesk a computer software company that creates sustainable design programs.  Autodesk allows users to create 3D computer models of entire cities.  It enables users to design sustainable buildings while calculating data on how much energy will be used to construct the building and how much energy the building will use.  It also makes it possible to create models that are sustainable with clean energy and will give data on how much energy will be captured from the surrounding environment.  Autodesk offers eight different programs, four of which are CAD programs and the other four are programs for design, modeling new mechanical products, animation, and other 3D designs.  Autodesk promotes designers to create entire green sustainable cities and products with accurate data.

Danby puts a large emphasis on designing cities and products that are environmentally friendly.  She holds the idea of learning to design with and her goal to inform the public of pressing environmental issues.

Danby today is apart of The Green Corridor in Canada, which is to revamp city slumps across Canada, “the industrial rustbelt”, by bringing nature into urban environments.  The project will create a eco-friendly environment linking Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan.  Danby has also designed a pedestrian footbridge lined with trees and wind turbines.

Dawn Danby on her own time has designed sustainable furniture and other products.  She practices all forms of art giving her an interdisciplinary perspective.  He also gives lectures promoting sustainable design and operates her own website, Sustainable Design Portal (http://eco.barkingcrickets.org/) promoting sustainable designs, with links to websites, designers, architects, artists, books, and anything that promotes green technology and sustainable design.

Dawn Danby is an environmentally conscious designer who strives to work with the environment and believes we can learn from our surroundings.  She actively is working on current environmental issues and believes that designers should inform the public and give them the tools to build a more sustainable future.  Danby has learned to embrace technology by using the Internet to promote environmental issues and to inform the public.  She also actively uses computers to create accurate 3D computer models to predict future sustainable city designs.

http://dawndanby.com/

http://www.azuremagazine.com/newsviews/blog_content.php?id=1146           

http://eco.barkingcrickets.org/

http://greencorridor.ca/

http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20071005/sourcing-it-dawn-danby-of-aylanto-icff-2007

http://www.subtletechnologies.com/2005/symposium/dawn_danby.html

http://usa.autodesk.com/

Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight (2008)

-       Form and light

-       New York

-       SVA

-       To inform

-       Civil rights

The Milton Glaser documentary To Inform and Delight features Milton Glaser at 82 years of age discussing his role as a graphic designer and the importance of informing the public in modern times.  Glaser also explains his technique and style, while examining the range of works he has done independently, his fifty years of work for the School of Visual Arts, and other work for programs and businesses.

Glaser is a Jewish-American graphic designer who started drawing at an early age and later went to high school at LaGuardia Arts, which he redesigned the name to and a new logo.  He later went to Italy to study art. In the 60s Glaser and a group of friends started New York magazine, which featured current pressing issues and promoting New York getting the public involved.  As a way to boost morale amongst New Yorkers Glaser designed the “I Love New York” logo, which is seen everywhere today and has been adopted by others to express what else one might love.

Glaser also supported the Gay Rights Movement in the 1960s and 70s.  He has always been a humanitarian and activist of Civil Rights.  In the 60s he designed the upside-down pink triangle to represent Gay Rights.  He adopted it from Nazi Germany who previously used the pink triangle to “mark” who was gay.  His motive was to take this symbol of Gay individuals and turn it into something positive.

Today Glaser is still very active in Civil Rights and wants to inform the public of pressing issues.  With the School of Visual Arts he developed posters to promote awareness of the genocide currently taking place in Darfur, Africa.  His poster reads “We Are All African” which means we as citizens of the world all support Africa and have this common heritage.

Milton Glaser has also been associated with the School of Visual Arts for the past 50 years.  He has been designing posters for the school promoting SVA and other SVA affiliated programs.  Through SVA Glaser has also created posters like the Darfur poster to inform the public and raise awareness of important issues.

Today Glaser runs his own design firm out of New York, Milton Glaser.  There he and his staff create new designs for clients.  Glaser states in the film that he does all his work by hand drawing everything.  He does not own a computer or really supports technology.  The only computer work done is by his staff and he usually just watches and guides their computer work.

Milton on his personal time has created a children’s book with is wife Shirley.  Shirley Glaser is an author who wrote the book The Alphazeds and Milton did the illustrations.

Milton Glaser is one of the most important graphic designers of the past 50 years who has created many iconic posters and styles over his career.  At age 84 now he is still designing very thoughtful and elegant art.  As a designer Glaser recognizes his skill act communicating ideas to the public and realizes how important this skill is.  He calls himself designer-citizen, which to him means using design to inform people to work towards a better future.  It is important to him to be labeled as a citizen, because he believes all designers has a social responsibility to the world to be truth and to inform the public.

Modernism and Movies

Playtime (1967) – Jacques Tati

Jacques Tati’s Playtime is a commentary on modernism and the complications and confusions that come out of poor modern design.  Playtime follows Tati’s character Hulot an already goofy man who manages to get into numerous predicaments due to the confusion created by a monotone-bleak Paris, France.  As Hulot navigates through a city full of glass and drabbed in grey he and several other people are confused for being the same person.  It seems that in this modern world since everyone dresses the same there tends to be a lot of confusion, misdirection and an overall lack of communication.  This mainly comes from a poorly designed city with lots of frivolous material goods that have extra functions that are very redundant.  In the scene involving the restaurant the dining era begins to fall a part.  A woman walking by mentions, “this happens every night,” which implies that modern design or the modern world is constantly being rebuilt and tweaked.  Even though there are numerous amount of flaws and may fail at times, it can always be rebuilt to meet the demands of the consumer.  My only concern with the movie is that it seems slightly prejudice, which seems to be intended.  The first of this comes with the American tourists.  It seems that Europe or at least the French view Americans to be slightly dimwitted and somewhat destructive.  That Americans in the movie do not conform as easily as Europeans and have looser inhibitions?  The other prejudice takes place in restaurant lobby when a black man walks in and is immediately rejected.  The host pauses and then says, “you must be with the band,” the black gentleman then pauses and says a halfhearted yes and slowly walks into the restaurant.  This may be a social commentary of the state of civil rights in the 60s or is Tati saying modernism creates social classes and enforces class boundaries?

Monterey Pop: People In Motion - D.A. Pennebaker

Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop is a documentary of the Monterey Pop festival that influenced other historic music festivals such as Woodstock.  The documentary shows various young artists of the 60s and the diverse young crowd.  The festival attendees given it’s the 60s seem to be very free, most likely experimenting with sex and drugs, and most likely against corporate capitalism.  The idea of the Monterey festival and the era of 60s youth counter culture is the idea of being free and an individual.  A woman attending the festival states that “a new wave will come and a whole new set of rock and roll bands will follow, along with bullshit,” I believe what this woman is saying is that with the development of culture and societies there will always be new ideas.  The new ideas that are created will always spark the interest of others who will continue to be influenced to create new ideas, but eventually it will come to a point where these ideas will peak and fall.  This peak and decline will create only complications and limitations, until the next generation of new ideas.

When comparing Playtime to Monterey pop the differences are pretty noticeable.  Playtime modernism shows the fall of idea becoming a homogenized society, where people are confused for someone else, products have become full of frivolous functions, glass distorts perceptions, and everyone kind of conforms into this drab lifestyle.  Where as Monterey Pop features a counter culture youth against the rise of modernist conformity.  Monterey pop preaches individualism; the whole idea was to promote a new generation and a new form of music to transcend generations and cultures.  Tati’s Playtime was dubbed his masterpiece and was overall a financial blunder and not necessarily accepted by a wide audience.  It sort of failed like the modernist design and society he portrays.

Digital

Design Discussions: April Greiman on technology

Design discussions: April Greiman on trans-media  

April Greiman: The Way of The Mouse

Museum Piece: April Greiman - Todd Hays

-       Swiss style of design

o   Formal usage of typography (classical Swiss typography) – trademark

-       “Design” >“Visual Communication”

-       Hybrid Imagery

-       ‘Trans-media artist.’

-       Specialized generalist

-       Messy first then tidy, harder to start tidy then go messy

-       Design must seduce, shape, and evoke emotional response

April Greiman is one of the first graphic designers to incorporate computer technology to create graphic art.  She gained much success after her 1984 Olympics poster designs and after her Design Quarterly spread, which she completely changed the entire format by making fold out poster.  In Todd Hays article he explains Greiman’s ground breaking computer practices that propelled her into the design spotlight.  The article shows Greiman’s process of her collaged posters with unique use of typography and spatial elements.  Greiman’s process consists of scanning images to a computer or even creating images on software.   She carefully makes a layout of the main background and then moves to creating typography.  In the mid 1980s Greiman’s use of typography was unconventional, using typography to convey space and movement in her designs.

In a two-part interview by idsgn: A Design Blog, April Greiman discusses her views on technology and her place in the design world.  Greiman explains that she does not view herself as a graphic designer but as a “trans-media artist”.  She declares this title due to her use of different fields: photography, film, typography, drawing and many others.  As a “trans-media artist” she is free from the boundaries of so called “graphic artists”.  At the time when computers were rarely available and expensive to use, the technology was frowned upon.  Greiman saw computers as a tool to make her visions come to life and to avoid hours of cutting, pasting, photographing and repeating.  Although she exclusively uses computers and digital cameras for her work she exclaims how the designer software created for and used by designers was not made by “creative designers”.  She explains how the designers of programs such as Adobe are of people of technical backgrounds who are trying to solve different problems of the designers who actually use the programs.  Designers who use Adobe or other software are trying to communicate with an audience and only use a small percentage of the actual software.  Programs are designed to solve computer like problems, but those who design the software have no indication of how we as “graphic designers” or “trans-media artists” actually work or think.  The most interesting statement made by Greiman is to start messy then go tidy, because it’s harder to start tidy, then go messy.  This to me is eye opening, considering in art school you are taught to be as deliberately pristine as possible.  Greiman’s practices and use of technology is purposeful in creating work that might not be capable by hand.  Her methodology of combining different fields and testing the boundaries of typography bring graphic design into a new realm of possibilities.

Pixel Perfect: Pascal Dangin’s Virtual Reality (2008)

Lauren Collins

-       Pascal Dangin – the premier retoucher of fashion photographers

-       Dangin’s, Box Studios, 80 staff – 4 story warehouse in meatpacking district

-       A master printer, “digitally re-mastering” old negatives and producing fine-art prints for exhibition

-       Crossover between cameras and computers

-       Retouching looks natural

-       Creativity should lead technology, rather technology leading creativity

Like April Grieman who revolutionized the Graphic Design industry with computer technology, Pascal Dangin applies computer techniques with photograph to re-touch and re-shape images.  Unlike Grieman who faced scrutiny in her field for using computer technology, Collins explains how the re-touching and altering of images has been a practice since the mid-1800s.  Dangin who is the “premier re-toucher of fashin photgraphers” is known for his alterations, which lead to final products that look very natural (Collins 95).  Dangin believes in using creativity first and exploiting the technology that is available and that the use of technology should be deliberate and for a purpose.  He explains that some people overly alter images that create something too fake or too generic.  Dangin’s company, Box Studios, is known for enforcing each staff member to take classes in anatomy and figure drawing and each member must educated in art history.  The purpose of this is apart of Dangin’s practice of a painterly approach to his practice, he prides him self on “technical prowees to an aesthetic sensibility” (Collins 95).  I believe it is important for designers like Dangin and other artists to put their creativity before technology and only use technology if necessary.  Today there are too many designs or works of art that seem overly produced by computer programs.  The idea of taking a painterly approach with deliberate actions to make a work of art, photograph, or any design to be removed from the mark of hand is important when conveying and provoking emotions and thought.  The idea is to communicate with an audience with natural and aesthetically pleasing designs, overly worked computer imagery that looks too mechanical can often work against an idea or meaning a work of art, photograph, or design is trying to convey.

Design and Art Blog Response

But, is it Art? (2003) - Kees Dorst

Art’s Little Brother (2005) - Rick Poynor

Some Art is As Bad As Design and Some Design is As Good As Art

M/M Royal College of Art Discussion with David Blamey (2006)

-       Design – goals are determined by others, stakeholders

o   Design must fulfill some practical purpose

-       Artists – freedom to create, do not aim for any practical application

o   Strive to influence feeling or thinking

-       Design plays a bigger role in culture than ever

-       Designer must deal with matters of practicality and function while artists are free to do what they like in pursuit of their self-chosen goals

-       More you are a specialist in your field the closer you get to the essence of things

-       Designers were liberated from the weight of art history

-       Graphic design is situated at the crossroads between many different activities

Each article presents the roles of designers and artists today and how designers and artists collaborate with one another to achieve new creative goals. The argument is that designers have been excluded from the art world and get considerably less recognition than artists.  The belief is that artists attain such prestige, because of their creative freedom and ability to provoke feeling and thinking.  Designers get a bad wrap due to creative limits when working for hire.  The common belief is that designers when working on commission are limited due to investors who have a certain vision and often play it safe.  Although many designers argue that they have just as much freedom as artists, who have connotations and standards that must live up to the standards of art history.  Designers are still very influenced by the art world and are able to incorporate ideas from artists and works of art into their own work.  When working on commission designers still have some freedom with the work and can persuade investors with new ideas to make the final product more unique and original.  Also not ever designer’s work is based on commission, designers still produce work independently that allows them to try new things to explore his or her creative side.  The only major difference is that artists do not have the same responsibilities as designers.  As designers we have the responsibility to communicate ideas clearly to an audience.  This responsibility makes our works sometimes more rigid following guidelines that make our work more structured.  Artists do not necessarily have to worry about an audience fully understanding the portrayed meaning of a work of art.  The ability to be abstract gives artists an advantage and sometimes more prestigious because only the “educated” may sometimes understand a work of art.  I do not believe that designers should get a bad wrap for sometimes centering work based on commission.  I believe that as designers the more hired work and different opportunities allows designers to develop their skills more.  As stated in the M/M Royal College of Art Discussion many classical artists we praise today such as Michelangelo, were artists who worked primarily on commission, which allowed them to develop their skills.  I do not believe commission work means lack of creativity or artistic freedom.  Also it is important for artists, designers, and other creative people to collaborate with one another to reach certain goals that might be unachievable on their own.  Collaborate work gives artists and designers the opportunity to explore outside their own specific field and to incorporate new and innovate elements to create inspirational work.  The ability to grow from the influence of others is one thing, but the opportunity to work with other like-minded people and to grow into a more creative person is essential when working in art.  The amazing and significant element of art is the ability to grow as individuals with others.  There should not be set guidelines for designers and artists that deter the opportunities to work in each other fields.  In fact the art world and those who dictate what is right and wrong should actively promote collaboration with different creative persons and fields to achieve something great and universal.

Sustainability (EDITED)

Ten Ways to Use Paper Responsibly

1.     Every designer should recycle any unused paper properly

a.     They could use the paper as compost material

b.     Save scraps to use for sketching

2.     Designers have the ability to communicate with the public and should promote good design towards recycling.

a.     This can be accomplished by a smart design campaign for recycling, placing signs and more recycling ‘areas’ on public streets

3.     Designers with left over papers can pulp it and make new paper to get the full use out of any scraps.

4.     Everyone should consider different types of paper out there made from alternative materials.

a.     Recycled paper

b.     Bamboo

c.     Hemp

5.     Designers should consider alternative mediums for designs/ideas instead of relying only on paper

6.     Certain inks have an impact on paper that is recycled or in wastelands.  Choosing water-based or vegetable oil-based inks are more easily broken down and have a less effect on the environment.

7.     Designers should choose paper from environmentally sustainable companies or consider local venders to promote grassroots making of paper.

8.     Designers should be diligent when making test prints.  Should get sketches and drafts as close as possible to final product before making tests to make only a few numbers of prints to avoid wasting paper.

a.     Will cause designer to be more meticulous.

9.     Should consider technology as a means of production.  Instead of printing out tons of paper for posters or flyers, perhaps use LCD panels to display work.

10.   Sketch less on paper and consider using a stylus pad and pen to do sketches on computers using programs like Adobe Photoshop.

Design Proposal: Doors

This idea of using gears that spin or crank a generator to create sustainable energy would be ideal for 

doors, especially those in buildings in cities that are used by thousands of people daily. The idea is to 

redesign three kinds of doors: the standard door, swinging doors, and revolving doors.  

The 

standard door hinges would be replaced and the door would be set on a metal pole that would extend into the floor and upper door frame/wall. At each end of the pole would be a fixed gear that spins and cranks a generator when the door is opened or closed. This door would be ideal for every home or building allwoing people to save money by creating self-sustaining clean energy.

Swinging doors that are 

commonly found in bars and restaurants would have two doors, each set on 

poles that would 

crank the generator when swung open and closed.  What is unique about the 

swinging doors is that 

when it is swung open it will 

continue to swing back and forth for several 

seconds continuing to 

crank the generator.  Essentially 

there would be one generator per door. These 

doors would revolutionize the restaurant industry and other small business by saving them tons of 

money, while creating self-sustaining clean energy.

Revolving doors are the revolutionary door that could potentially power entire cities.  The revloving door is usually found in city buildings where mass 

crowds of people enter and exit on a daily basis.  

The revolving door is designed to keep a continuous 

flow of people entering while exiting.  The 

revolving door is genius because it continuously rotates several seconds after being used. 

A crank 

attached to both ends of the revolving door's center poll would crank two generators, one 

in the 

ground and one in the upper doorframe of the building. If these revolving doors were placed in 

busy buildings such as the New York Port Authority where thousands of people enter and exit all hours of the day and night, then energy would be continuously produced throughout the day.  All of the extra energy produced could potentially supply energy for a whole city block if not more.  If all major buildings were placed with this newly redesigned door then cities could potentially beome sefl-sustaining with clean energy.