Week 3 – The hunter gatherer brain

Lecture by Professor Alan Whitfield, National Institute of Design Research.

One of the best lectures i have seen. Based on the evolution of the human brain, and how it has survived the primitive ages to the present day. In many ways, our brains haven’t really changed all that much, we still think generally the same as we did back in Savanaah – the ancestral homeland. “Can i eat it, will it eat me, can i mate with it  

 As humans, we analysis things in particular ways, some of which is done before we can act, the brain already acts for us. This part of the brain is called the “Amygdala”. The brain has faster reacting speed to a threat than to pleasure, to quickly label an object as something “good” or something “bad”.

 In terms of our instinctual memories:

We have:

 • Poor taste memory

• Poor smell memory

• Poor feel memory

• Good Visual memory’s

It also seems to work to this very day that our instinctual way of surviving, is to from social groups. If you by your self as an individual, you were more likely to be targeted as prey, and be eaten. Today, although there Isn’t such threats that we have to worry about, we still form social groups. Groups which may all follow particular trends, or social patterns.

One question I have to ask is: Why do these social groups of ours have to follow trends?

Is it something instinctual that we must have the latest things, and highest quality products?

And how does branding and marketing tap into these instincts?

(AND CHECK HOW AWSOME THESE DRAWINGS ARE!!!!!, I JUST HAD TO WHIP OUT THE OLD MARKER PENS!!!) 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2 – Ethos: A new voice in design

Ethos: A new Voice in Design

 Is Sustainability an OXYMORON?

 Design has always seemed to improve our lives, whether it’s the way we live, or what’s within our lives to make them easier, to only find out later, that these once useful things, have cornered us into a position where using them becomes a hazard. Hazards perhaps not in short term, but in long term, such as by the way we consume, the waste it produces, and the effects poor management.

 This goes with the spread of living, the land it takes up, where supplies have to come from, the effect off transport, ease of transport, what environmental costs of the transport, etc. Such living spaces are either moving outwards into a vast spread, or condensing into more population dense areas, such as city apartments. Which is better? 

 

 

Group Post”a” submission

The Poster My group had submitted, which visually describes our research, from Historical reference, to Onomatopoeia, body language and semiotics. Through its presentation of columns, links have been drawn as attempts to connect the images that may relate to one another in terms of their meaning and communication.    

Poster Visual Research and Analysis

As apart of my visual research into Onomatopoeia, i have also briefly looked into other fields, such as symbolism and semiotics. Although onomatopoeia only seems relevant in terms of the relevance to the mimicking of a sounds and it’s relative object, it’s a from of sound symbolism that is used in many languages. If such visual descriptions or even the sound were repeated in another language, perhaps the idea or partial meaning can still be intact once translated.

In this way, the use of Onomatopoeia may contain attributes that can be understood universally. Even through the use of Symbols, although the reading and understanding of symbols may be something that us learnt within your cultural origins, sub-consciously, meaning can be withdrawn and at least partially understood.

The examples of semiotics that I have looked at “under my current impressions, as its still a new topic to research”, the use of words with the attachments of a visual impression, creates a dynamic that may change the “interpretation” of the word, or visually spoken voice. Much like the previous examples of Onomatopoeia, the written form of the sound with a visual impression attached to it, creates the dynamic to form a “mental sound” by the interpreter.

As for the “go to hell” baby, I thought this was an interesting combination of visuals and text as one element has an effect to change the other, in terms of the idea that’s formed when viewing the two aspects. Seeing that phrase on a “bikies” jacket for instance would create an appropriate message. Seeing a baby by itself create certain emotions and ideas, where the addition of the phrase changes the message altogether.

Perhaps, when one form has been taken out of its original context and then placed into a different environment, the message can easily be manipulated.  

  

 

 

Research Summery

Sound Symbolism summery

 

Sound Symbolism:

 

Sound symbolism or phonosemantics is a branch of linguistics which refers to the idea that vocal sounds have meaning. In particular, sound symbolism is the idea that written representations of sounds carry meaning in and of themselves. (1)

One example of this is “Onomatopoeia” using words such as “WHAM, BANG, WHOOSH” to enhance the description of an action. As used in many languages “Onomatopoeic words can seem to have a tenuous relationship with the object they describe” (2), but perhaps only understood by the native speaker of the language as variations of the same sound may differ juristically in others when translated.

An example of this can be given in the sound a dog makes:

(2)

Bow wow – English

Wau Wau – German

Uau Uau – Interlingua

Vov viv – Danish

 

There are also theory’s behind the use of “sound words”  that could relate back to primitive humanist communication as from where our first spoken words had come from.

“This hypothesis places the origin of human language in onomatopoeia: the various imitative sounds that humans make to mimic the sounds of the world around them” (3)As well as the idea that, humans may have also learnt to speak from mimicking the sounds of other animals”(3)

‘”Size” is the immediate meaning projected by the pitch of voice but the ultimate meanings, by association, are undoubtedly much wider. Low pitch probably means not only “large” but also aggressive, assertive, self-confident, dominant, self-sufficient, etc. The meaning of high pitch in addition to small is non threatening, submissive, subordinate, in need of the receiver’s cooperation and good will’ (4) – Ohala cites many languages to support his position. Furthermore, he argues that animals also use pitch variations in the same way that humans do (4) 

However, there is more to the meaning of sounds and relationships to their physical partners then just the plain mimicry of them.

Although many linguists have said that sound and meaning are arbitrary

“Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) “the sign is arbitrary, the words that we use to indicate things and concepts could be any words – they are essentially just a consensus agreed upon by the speakers of a language and have no discernible pattern or relationship to the thing. Thus, the sounds themselves have no linguistic meaning.” (5)

Adjacent to this view is the use of “Phonosemantics” which describes positive relationships between sound and “ideas” or in particularly “the link between letters and ideas” (5)

Ie: In words such as “trembling, rugged, strike, crush, bruise, break, crumble and whirl” all depict the notion of movement by using the letter “R” (6)

Iconism also calls upon similar concepts, but through grouping words with similar meanings such as “stamp, stomp, tamp, tromp, tramp, step”. The (m) makes an action more forceful when placed before (p) – to compare stamp with step. The (r) then sets the word in motion – as tamp is standing still, whilst tramp is descriptive of movement (5)

This idea can also apply to the analogy of images and word associations. Certain sounds may evoke shapes and colours, and idea’s as to how a sound could be represented and vice-versa. For instance, if seeing a pointy/sharp shape, it could relate to words with hard consonants, where a round shape will evoke soft consonants. (7)

Evidence of this is shown through research and testing of names in multiple languages to fit with animals or objects with specific characteristics (7). For instance, in the language of South American, a “mezaha” is a large slow moving animal, where a “kuzikuzi” is small, fast animal.

“ah” and “ee” sounds in each of the words create the feel for slower and faster sounding things. (7)

Other testing of this can also be found in “Brand names”, where the name given to a product attaches certain attributes to it, hence creating an underlying message for the product and its attractiveness to consumers.

“Obstruents are perceived as harder and more masculine, sonorants as softer and more feminine. Consider the two name brands Clorox, a hard-working laundry product, and Chanel, a perfume”(8)

 

Some examples using non-sense names

 

* Voiceless stops (p, t, k) carry a greater connotation of

  speed than do voiced stops (b, d, g). E.g., Pavil sounds faster

  than Bavil.

 

* Voiceless stops (p, k) connote smallness better than voiced

  stops (b, g). E.g., Kortan seems smaller than Gortan.

 

* Fricatives (v, f, z, s) connote speed better than stops (b, p,

  d, t). E.g., Sarrant seems faster than Tarrant.

 

* z connotes smallness better than s. E.g., Zyndron seems more

  compact than Syndron.

 

* Voiced fricatives (v and z) connote speed better than voiceless

  fricatives (f and s). E.g., Valdon seems faster than Faldon.

 

* Dentals (d and t) connote speed better than labials (b and p).

  E.g., Taza seems faster than Paza.

 

* Stops (b, p, d) connote dependability better than fricatives (v,

  f, z, s). E.g., Bazia seems relatively more dependable than

  Vazia.

 

* d seems relatively dependable, while g seems relatively

  undependable. E.g., Damza seems more dependable than Gamza.

(8)

 

Bibliography:

 

(1)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism#Phenomimes_and_psychomimes

(2)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia

(03)

http://forum.quoteland.com/1/OpenTopic?a=tpc&f=8951976686&m=300104935&r=300104935

(4)

Ohala, John J. 1983. ‘Cross-language use of pitch: an ethological view’, Phonetica, Vol. 40: 1-18.

Sound symbolic and grammatical frameworks: A typology of ideophones in Asian and African languages.

(5)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism#Phenomimes_and_psychomimes

(6)

Plato and Cratylus Dialogue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism#Phenomimes_and_psychomimes

(7)

What’s in a name? Sound symbolism… By: C.M., Science News, 00368423, 04/12/97, Vol. 151, Issue 15(8)

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=9&sid=5992ae3a-4d73-465b-85e8-e32dc6a53684%40sessionmgr104

Sound that name. By: Cohen, Bob, Across the Board, 01471554, Nov/Dec95, Vol. 32, Issue 10

 

 

 

Egg and the Tree: Illustration

From the previous story, and bleakly humored self portrait of myself, although it may seem silly, i find that it defines my path to how i have evolved to what i am at present and to what i am going to become. This post includes a rough visual interpretation of the story, as to how i may appear as the egg and the tree.     

Egg and the Tree (ie:shaun)

Self portrait

 

I once was an egg.

Now I am an egg.

Now I am an egg, being sat on.

Now I am an egg, all cared for and loved.

Now I am an egg, with life within it.

The egg is about to hatch.

The egg has now hatched

The egg is going to witness, a larger egg.

The larger egg has now told the hatchling that he will speak to the world through his beak.

The beak will make noise and music.

The beak will also make things that look like what hatchling sees.

The Hatchling will Design.

And maybe later…

Make an egg of his own.

 

As strange as it is, this is the way I see myself, as an egg. (but I don’t actually think I look like an egg). I see myself as something growing, something not quite hatched, but yet, curious of the world that is outside. I am not quite aware of what is actually out there, as I have been nurtured for so long that I have now only come to realise that there is much more then the insides of my shell, but the idea of outside also frightens me.

Everything I hear of the outside world seems to be something that will be hard to come to terms with, that once I am out, I will be forced to reconcile with a bright and forceful light that will blind me and overwhelm me. But the moment I hatch, I just know, that I will instinctively know what to do.

As an emerging Graphic designer, I once thought it would be about nothing more then expressing my own creativity through visual form, but as of now in completing my honours year of design, I know now that it will be much more then that. It will be to use my creative ways to contribute in the making of a better future.

But I am still yet to hatch In the ways of knowing how to, to spread my branches into the open fields and discover what has not yet been discovered. This growing process will then continue for the rest of my design life, the branches will never stop expanding, and the roots can only dig deeper into the soil of knowing. The ever changing world will continually bring new challenged to face, by either myself as the individual, or with my fellow outbranching designers.

By the time my branches actually do reach out to contribute to the world that continually needs to be pushed into a further positive  direction, I just hope it wont be too late (as I will be most likely toilet paper scraps, for the survivors of a terrible disaster).

SOOOOOOOO positive aren’t I?

Shaun “the egg” Bryndzia  

 

Lecture 1 – sketches

My way of thinking sometimes may be strange, but this what i got from the last lecture. Can we rely on technology to fix things – (i doubt we can) . The sustainability machine We use the Media in the wrong ways. The Media  We have disappointed our Mother. Mother Earth

Week 1 – Visuals, 25-02-08

As apart of Honours year design course, i am attending lectures which are presented by design academics, about design sustainability. 

It seems that due to way our society has worked other the last few decades, it has left us only to look at what we have done in terms of the damage made on the earth, and the resources that we have consumed. I remember a past lecture last year stated that something like 35% of the worlds population is consuming 60-80% of the worlds resources.

That really made me start thinking about what must be done in order to save our selves from the inevitable. Or is it that we should stop thinking about saving ourselves (being our own backsides) and start thinking globally. That’s how most of this has happened, through wealth a greed, and we still think only in terms of our selves. WHAT? we want and WHAT? we need, but this has driven us to the starvation that we are heading for.

The last lecture based its ideas around this topic of consummation and public knowledge of these issues presented by Ken Friedman from the US. From here on, you will see my visual thoughts from these lectures.   

A frog in hot water

Hello again, This unit involves engaging with social infromation, where the practice of our design depends on the users of it. Our design shapes society, to also shape us ourselves, so it is crucial to know our tools, and influence we have, with our visual voices. Also here will be an analysis of myself, creating a visual and textual outline, or “portrait” of myself in two perspectives (NOW & LATER). It will create and understanding of my thoughts and how i think i am now, what thoughts and feelings that i have and how they may change in the future, in terms of the issues we will be facing.