Dissertation Proposal Planning

Group Storming... Again

Following on from our last discussion and our Wikipedia entries Rachel, Charles and I met up once again to discuss further our topics;

Rachel- Crime & Design
Charles- Environmental Sustainability & Design
Ross- Education & Design


So this time it was decided we would have a Scottish meal! Haggis, Neaps and Tatties washed down by a nice cold class of Irn Bru! After reminiscing of home it was time to get down to work.

It was definitely beneficial to discuss our topics again as each of us add developed our own ideas of our topics and it was often easy to forget about the bigger picture. Something that I found interesting in particular was that each of us had in a way made a decision on which route we would take each other’s topic if it were our own. For me communication was a big part of Charles' topic and service was a major part of Rachel’s' so it will be interesting to see which route each of us take. As for me I am not entirely sure. I think a wee trip to Slovenia is in order and then after the break hopefully things will become clearer.

 

Education & Design

Education is the method by which society passes on a collected database of knowledge, skills, values and social interactions from generation to generation. Commonly, this method takes the form of educational institutions where qualified teachers educate students. Teachers have a direct link with students and pass on the knowledge they have gained along with a predetermined syllabus produced by the government and education authorities. The education system in Scotland is continually developing as it aims to offer more opportunities to obtain an education at different levels. The Scottish Governments pledge towards education is The Government wants to ensure that everybody has access to learning opportunities that can help them achieve their full potential - giving children and young people the best possible start in life as they move from school to university and college or into the workforce, providing employability and adaptability throughout life.


Education has existed since the beginning of humanity. Humans passed on methods of survival, giving each other the means to hunt, make shelter and fire. Each generation learnt and passed on the knowledge of plant and animal life, they could recognise and warn others of potential dangers. This Education was taught by the methods of observation and imitation and also orally in pre-literate tribes and societies. As time progressed humans began to specialise in certain areas of education. Hunting, construction and stonework, agriculture, food preparation, weapon making and military skills would have been taught by an experienced person who could capably pass on skill sets and customs.


The development of various writing systems began in 3500BC approx used by the ancient civilizations. Following on from these primitive systems the use of hieroglyphics and symbol based text were a tool which aided communication and education. Examples of hieroglyphics can still be seen on some stonework’s and papyruses. The natural development of writing throughout the world meant that everyone had a different technique; Chinese script was different to Greek script as the Russian text was different to the Arabic text.


In the late 19th Century most of the west believed that education played an important role, politically and also for public order. Primary education was made compulsory and government funded for all in many countries and,as primary school leavers left school, it was noted that the majority of students continuing into Secondary education were only from affluent families. By the beginning of World War 1, free Secondry education was available for all throughout the United Kingdom. Apprenticeships allowed school leavers to continue their education using a more practical ,hands on approach, along with Universities and colleges this meant that the number of students continuing into further education was increasing. In 2007 the Scottish Government brought into effect the abolition of the Graduate Endowment Fee, this meant that Scottish students who decided to study in Scotland could do so at no cost to themselves.


The space and environments in which education is provided varies depending on the specific requirements needed from a particular institution. We are aware that there are now different learning goals and expectations and consequently a need for different learning environments (Bransford et al., 1999) Design and Designers are beneficial for the education sector as there are several different approaches in which design can assist in improving education for everybody working or studying within the education sector.


Education and Design are often used in conjunction with each other and may fall under different categories or headings; Design For Education, Design with Education, Design by Education and Education by Design, amongst others. Often the various forms of design and education may be characterised under different headings, however, below is a brief description for each of the aforementioned topics;


          Design for Education: Design which is aimed at developing and improving varying aspects of education e.g. marketing for schools, comfort for pupils to aid concentration rates or products which can aid learning capabilities.


          Design with Education: Designers working alongside members of the education authorities, parents and pupils to create an improved learning environment. Groups working together to develop innovative and interactive ways of learning and teaching.


          Design by Education: Designs which reflect and understand particular aspects of education, this occurs when designing particular learning environments where consideration has to be given to pupils who may require more assistance or a different approach to learning is adopted i.e. Autism.


          Education by Design: Design which aids the learning process such as interactive programmes and learning platforms. These designs are often considered as services and enable education to be transportable, interactive and efficient.


Understanding and managing the formal spaces in which people learn is an important element to educational design. It has been well documented that it is not only the teaching itself that develops student knowledge, but that the space in which students learn can either stimulate or dampen the progress made by individuals. It is noted that the educational space matters as it has implications for how the educational process is undertaken, through group orientation and through goal, reward, role and resource interdependence (Petress, 2004: 587–8; Colbeck et al., 2000: 81).


Often there are particular requirements needed to aid the progress a student or group of students that live with disabilities, e.g. individuals with certain types of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), these students may benefit from learning in a surrounding which stimulates their concentration and focus. The Scottish Society for Autism (SSA) has released an informative presentation which covers some of the areas in which design in particular may help individuals with ASD. The SSA notes that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) audit and review teams expect to see:


• Space that ensures freedom and clarity of movement
• Adjustable lighting and heating
• Good acoustics
• Adequate furniture and storage that is fit for purpose
• Furnishings and colour that both stimulate learning and promote a calm atmosphere
(The Scottish Society for Autism, 2008)

Design takes into account the different learning styles of children and students with ASD, including: Sensory and Perceptual distortion, Social Interaction difficulties and Central coherence and function difficulties. The SSA highlights that Individuals with ASD should be given the opportunity to evolve a lifestyle which is positive and leads to independence.


Bibliography


Bransford, J.D. , Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.R., 1999 The Design of Learning Environments, National Academy of Sciences.

Concentrate, http://www.concentrate.org.uk/ (last accessed October 2010)

Design for Schools, http://www.designforschools.co.uk/?gclid=CI_E97SWzqQCFYiB3godc0Ro9g (last accessed October 2010)

Montgomery, T, 2008, Space matters: Experiences of managing static formal learning spaces, SAGE


Sorrel, F. Sorrell, J., 2005. Joined Up Design for Schools, Hugh Merrell


The Scottish Government, http://www.scoltand.gov.uk/Topics/Education (last accessed October 2010)

Group Storming

After a nice big helping of mince & tatties cooked by Charles (not as good as my mums though), it was time to get down to work. We discussed each of the topics:

Rachel - Crime & Design
Charles- Environmental Sustainability & Design
Ross- Education & Design

It was interesting to get different ideas from each other and also to not the similarities that each of our topics shares. This discussion lead to my creating of a mind map to try and investigate and research further into my topic.

Assignment 5(b)

Over the past semester I have learnt various different types of research techniques that I had never used. It was intriguing to learn that observing people can lead you to developing your design ideas, interviews can also tell us so much about people and how they think. These research methods along with others will prove vital not only throughout my studies but also my whole future career as an Interior Designer. How can these research methods be used in a practical sense, would they work with a project that I have previously completed and how could these methods have helped my design?

Interior Design is about so much more than just what a building looks like on the inside, it is not simply about cushions and throws and in the main it is not all about Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen. Not that he is a discredit to Interior design but when explaining my degree to people they instantly think of ‘Changing Rooms’. Interior Design is much more about developing spaces that people experiences and understanding how people respond when they walk into a space. There are many different factors that can contribute to this experience such as sight, smell and sound, each of these can be designed to improve the experience of the space.

A recent studio group project gave me the opportunity to design a space and in turn create an experience. The brief was to design an interactive exhibition space on the theme of Juteopolis. Juteopolis otherwise known as Dundee was the jute capital of the world and was seen as an important industrial town. The Verdant Works in Dundee is an exhibition space and tribute to the Jute industry and the people that worked in the mills. The main part of the exhibition is the working machines that give visitors an insight into the processes that the Jute went through before being turned into sacking and carpet backing.

As a group we initially researched in to the industry and in were particularly interested in how people lived at the time. It became apparent that numerous people would live in the one house often sleeping eight to a room, fondly our group became known as ‘8 in a bed’. Although we were able to find lots of initial research on the Jute industry we struggled to understand the concept of exhibition design. This was an area that neither of us was particularly familiar with, however, we knew that we wanted the exhibition to be suitable for everyone and we did not want endless writing as we got the impression from talking to classmates that people generally do not read it. After developing my research methods this semester I can now reflect on areas of research that I would perhaps have done differently.

Observing people and how they react to a space would be an essential part of the research into exhibition design. Observing various exhibition spaces would allow me to monitor the positive and negative responses from the people visiting the exhibition.  As people move throughout spaces their behavioural patterns can become quite apparent, such as if they are comfortable or not and also whether they are enjoying themselves. Results that would come from analysing how people experience an exhibition would highlight areas of the exhibition that are of particular interest it may also indicate what type of exhibit people respond well too. Exhibits that are mainly text may evoke a different reaction to one that may encourage a more physical interaction. The use of computers and various interactive technologies throughout the exhibition space may exclude certain people that cannot use them or struggle to understand them. All of these problems and many more would be highlighted during observations, in turn, this would enable the design to take develop as ‘negative’ aspects of exhibits could be dropped and ‘positive’ areas may be adopted and manipulated into the Juteopolis design.

Along with observations it may be advantageous to conduct research by interviews. Interviewing is a successful way of getting a direct response however it is often important to ask questions that will evoke conversation. Simply asking “What did you like in the exhibition?”  would only prompt answers directly associated with the exhibition that the person being interviewed has just experienced. Instead questions such as “By which method would you get the latest news? “this question would perhaps give an indication as to whether someone prefers to read the news (paper), hear and see it (TV) or interact with it (Internet). This would also suggest whether that same person would rather interact with and exhibition, watch something about it, or read about it. Although interviewing can be a successful method of research, the interviewer must take into consideration the interviewee’s age, sex, social background and upbringing. These factors along with others could influence a person response to a question.

Whilst these methods of research would have helped the design of 8 in the bed, I would also find it important as a designer to experience a number of exhibitions to get a personal understanding of previous designs. Visiting a number of successful and unsuccessful exhibits would highlight the differences between them. I also feel that it is important to not let your personal opinions of the topic influence your design as it is not always the case that we are presented with a topic that we are passionate about.  Whist I would continue to research the theme of Juteopolis through reading and analysing the current exhibition at The Verdant Works, I would also interview certain members of the public that may have worked or lived at that time.

Particularly the method of observing people would uncover the most useful results as this would give me a true indication as to how and what people respond to. As this project evolved and once the exhibiton was opened I would find it essential to do a post develpomet analysis. This would enable me to analyse the design as it is used and if required further improvements may be made.

‘The key to successful exhibition design lies in selecting a range of techniques and technologies and applying them appropriately  so that the widest  possible audience can gain access to the objects and the stories behind them.’ Redman Design.

Bibliography

Redman Design, The Key to Successful Interpretation [Online]
Available at: http://www.redman-design.com/#/services/ [Accessed 09 April 2010].

With Thanks:

Verdant Works - http://www.rrsdiscovery.com/index.php?pageID=130

Rachel Laing - http://www.rachellaing.blogspot.com/

Fiona Sichi - http://www.fionasichi.blogspot.com/

Assignment 5(a)

Understanding educational spaces and how students learn in these spaces is vital to the overall improvement of the Education sector. Requirements for those with disabilities or learning difficulties are also now an important factor into how schools or educational environments are designed. In Dundee the Education Department of Dundee City Council along with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) have enabled the council to build six new primary schools and two new secondary schools whilst also redeveloping others throughout the city. These schools have been carefully designed to give students a more comfortable and enjoyable learning experience than they were used to. Is there any way in which more improvements can be made in this area, in particular for people with a learning difficulty such as Autism? What previous research would benefit this topic and what new research can help to develop a better understanding of what is required to improve the standard of educational spaces?

For any Designer, one of the most important issues to consider when designing is how the design is experienced. Whether it is a piece of Jewellery, a new piece of technology or an interior space, how people experience and interpret these design are of great relevance. Reviewing my earlier work, Design in Education: Understanding space and students, I can further analyse the positive and negative aspects of the research found at that time. This in turn would also enable me to introduce other research methods that may benefit my research.

Observing people in situ helps in understanding how people interact and behave within a space. It would allow the observation of positive and negative behaviour, not only socially but also positive and negative interactions with space. How people manipulate and use furniture or possessions can be analysed and used along with other forms of research to develop an enhanced learning space. Observing how students physically respond to a space would be advantageous to my research as it would give me a direct understanding of how people move, work and use the space. As an observer it is important to realise that the undertaken observation is for the purpose of determining a singular child or student’s behaviour. Observation of groups would be slightly different in such a way that people interact differently both socially and physically, depending on who is present. I would suggest not only observing once but rather over a series of different times and dates as to gain a better appreciation of a behaviour.

The interviewing process would give varied responses and results, depending on who was interviewed. Rather than purely interviewing the child or student I would find it essential to also interview the teacher or tutor and if possible someone such as a parent or guardian who looks after the child at home. Information from each of these people could prove valuable as each would help in piecing together an overall picture of the student’s development. A teacher or tutor whilst educating also observes each child carefully and monitors any areas in which they feel a child may need particular help in. Teachers may also know how to adapt lessons and tuition to cater for individuals. They may know what help either directly or indirectly is needed to aid in the improvement of a child’s education. For children with Autism or others with learning difficulties, teachers may know what is best to give these students an improved learning experience. Parents or Guardians will give an account based on how their child behaves and interacts at home. Although I am looking primarily at educational spaces there may be crossovers from the classroom into the home. There may also be instances where a child responds well to something at home and that could be worth trying in the classroom. Parents will also be able to inform me of how they see their child progressing, along with being able to talk about their child and how they feel he/she responds to certain school activities and spaces. Although a child’s answers to being interviewed would probably be quite honest, they could also be tarnished with a dislike for school or affected by their overall feelings on the day of interviewing. I would still think it would be important to interview the student as they may be able to instruct me as to things that the feel positively or negatively towards. In particular when dealing with children with specific needs I would find it highly important to interview teachers, parents and others that are in direct contact with the student.

There are various other research methods that could be used in aiding my research such as Visual Image based research, this research includes interpreting the response an individual has to particular images. These responses, as I have tested myself, can be slightly tweaked to manipulate the viewers’ response. In turn it is may be noted that different people may begin to “see” the same message. This is also a method commonly chosen by the retail and advertising industry to promote products and article for sale. Although this research is interesting, I firmly believe that this topic would benefit more from direct observation and communication. Visual based research could prove problematic as children in particular are exceptionally imaginative and therefore the results from these tests may not be of much relevance. 

John and Frances Sorrell’s approach of their project joinedupdesignforschools is about giving pupils the opportunity to design, improve and influence what their educational space becomes.  I feel that this approach in itself is successful, as the pupils become more involved and inspired, it also gives them motivation and a sense of belonging. All of these attributes can only be a positive thing for the educational environments.

Using and analysing all of the advantageous research such as observation, interviewing and the initial reading of past research and studies would enable a thorough understanding of the educational sector. It is important when conducting this research to consider; current environment, age of pupils, social influences, educational support and also be aware of the developments that can or cannot be made. Although this research would allow development into the spaces that are provided for education, it is important to note that continual development and research is essential. Education is always developing therefore research from one source and time may not be relevant a couple of years later. Also post development analysis would highlight areas that still need improvement and also developments that are successful.

Bibliography

Montgomery, T, 2008, Space Matters: Experiences of managing static formal leaarning spaces, SAGE

Pellegrini, A, 1996, Observing Children in Their Natural Worlds: A Methodological Primer, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Sorrell, F. Sorrell, J,. 2005, Joinedupdesignforschools, Hugh Merrell

How Do Magazines Influence People?

After my recent research in London where I observed how people interact in the London Underground my next step was to then learn to research through the process of interviews. To try and get a full response to the questions that I asked I found I had to be less direct with my questioning. Rather than directly asking people if they think magazines directly influence them, I had to develop questions that people would answer more freely. From these answers hopefully I would be able to analyse whether or not people were influenced by what they see and read in magazines.

At first I felt quite uncomfortable asking people questions as it felt really false; however after the first person I interviewed I felt more relaxed. Questions that I asked were quite general and could be answered:  “How many magazines a week and which do you read?”, “If you were sitting in a waiting room what magazine would you most likely pick up?” , “What celebrities do you associate with products?”  , these questions along with others would hopefully give me an indication as to how much magazines influence people. I interviewed a varied selection of people such as students, grandparents, a nurse, a dancer and one thing that I did notice was that advertisements always seemed to be a reoccurring theme throughout my conversations with them.

During my interviews it was apparent that the ‘type’ of magazine would be slightly different depending on the age and profession of the person. Whilst the majority of female students preferred to read ‘Gossip’ magazines such as Heat, Now, and Ok! , people such as my grandparents tended to not deliberately buy a magazine but would read the one that would be a supplement to their Sunday newspapers. Students enjoyed reading magazines that were current rather than magazines feature magazines. I noticed that whilst the people enjoyed reading the ‘gossip’ mags, they tended to read them to keep up to date with what was going on in the celebrity world. I could imagine this being something that would be discussed in class or as they were socialising with friend, it suggests that some of these people would read these magazines so that they can be involved in conversations. It was as though if you had not read the latest new on a big celeb then you would miss out on a conversation and it could make people feel quite insecure. This negative response to magazines would suggest that some people only read them because their friends do; therefore it suggests people are concerned of what others think of them.

Advertisements continued to be discussed throughout the interviews, I asked people to discuss products and what or who they associate them with. This particular area got the longest discussion, people managed to tell me the ‘product faces’ for products or brands such as; L’Oreal, Gillette, Nike, M&S, Sainsbury’s and many more. People were openly aware of how advertisements are aimed directly at the readers they noted that different magazines have different advert within them. One person said “you would never find an advert for Gillette in a women’s magazine, the same as you wouldn’t see a make-up ad in FHM” other said that they would buy try a product if they liked the celebrity that was promoting it. People were aware that there was a fakery to these adverts however it often did not stop them from trying the product on sale. A noticeable fakery was a female celebrity promoting a hair product when in fact she used hair extensions, so no matter how much a person used that product their hair could never look the same.

One person I interviewed told me how they subscribed to Time magazine but they never opened it out of the cellophane as they found it an intensive read. After suggesting that they cancel the subscription I was informed that it was often harder to leave a subscription than to join it. This would suggest that often magazines lure readers in with discounted membership and then the readers often feel they are being shot changed. It was also suggested that the front covers of magazines can be deceiving an example was of a men’s magazine where the cover of a female celebrity suggested that she was nude inside, however on further reading this turned out to be just the cover image and the images inside were fully clothed and respectful. Often the stories on the cover of the magazine, particularly gossip magazines, are aimed at getting people to buy the magazine. Readers also suggested that they enjoyed reading about celebrities’ lifestyles and fashion; often readers suggested that they would look for inspiration from what the celebrities wear and then hoped to get a bargain and look like them. Again this gives the impression of insecurities and people almost being ‘spoon fed’ as too what is or is not the right thing to wear, say, or use.

Overall it is noticeable that magazines are very good at influencing what think and what people like or buy. The people that I interviewed were all aware of how magazines are designed to influence our decisions when buying something and most of them confessed to having bought something after seeing it in a magazine. This links back to my earlier post about advertisements and how they are designed to give a certain message to viewers. If I were to use this method again I would hope to gain a wider range of responses as I was aware that a lot of the results were similar. However if I used this method to research something for a design project, I would hope to discuss my questions beforehand with classmates. This would hopefully give me the opportunity to alter any question that perhaps to not give me the answers that I am looking for.

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!

The London underground can be a daunting place to be. To anybody experiencing this for the first time it can be particularly scary. There are so many things to do and nobody ever tells you what exactly you are supposed to do. Where do you get your ticket and how do you know what zones you need? Why do some people have a swipe card? How long will my journey take?

On a recent trip to London I observed in general how people act, react and move through and around the Underground. There was a large group of twenty of us in London for a conference and we used the ‘Tube’ regularly, whether it was the twenty of us at once or in smaller groups, however there were noticeable differences between us and the others using this service.

On entering the underground straight away there appears to be a lot of confusion. There are booths with people standing queued in front of it, above the small booth window a little sign reading ‘Tickets & Advice’. This suggests that this would be the best place to stand and wait for tickets; however along the sides of one wall not too far from the booths people appear to also be flocking to these large black ticket machines. These machines are probably the quickest way of getting a ticket. I noticed that some people were taking forever at these machines, some would have to select the different language option and even then it appeared to not fully explain the options. At the machines it is easy to tell the difference between those people who do not regularly use the tube and those that use it for commuting every day. Normally those who are new users are a bit like a rabbit in headlights, wide open eyes, trying to be aware of everything and not give away the fact that they are panicking and uncertain what they are to do. There are choruses of “Where are we going?”, “What zone are we needing?” , “What ticket do we need?”, all the while as the people behind are becoming more and more impatient and tutting at the length of time they are having to wait at the ‘express’ queue.  Sometimes it can be note that some people just jump in front it is although all manners are forgotten and those people who are in a rush or know what to do feel it a necessity to queue jump. Those people with oyster card are some of the worst as their thoughts appear to go along the lines of “I only need to swipe my card and put money on it”; it is this attitude by some people that adds to the new user’s initial shock and fear of the tube.

Next thing after the ticket machines we have the ticket barriers, although these are a helpful device (they are in place to make sure every person on the tube has paid, thus reducing crime etc), some people treat these as a hindrance. People remarkably turn into prehistoric beings and animal instincts start to show through. There is pushing and blatant queue jumping, apparently most people who use the tube are deaf and cannot speak. Very rarely do you hear an apology and even rarer an “excuse me”. Unfortunately a friend’s ticket would not allow her to pass through the barrier, as a new user of the tube she was confused and tried to insert the ticket in numerous different ways. This process must have taken thirty seconds but to the man behind her he acted like she had been holding the queue up for hours. He shouted “Get out of the way! Buy a ticket!” Now had he taken a couple of seconds to ask her if she was okay he then could have helped her by suggesting she speaks to the man looking after the barriers who would in turn look at the date on the ticket and allow her to pass through. I understand that to people who live or work in London this is an everyday solution to getting home or to work but they treat everyone as though they should not exist, the tube should be tourist free. Perhaps I am exaggerating but the amount of traffic and the rush at which people push and barge their way through is overwhelming.

Observing people getting onto the tube or waiting on the platform can be quite amusing, different people approach it in various ways. I note some people hold back and when hearing the train is approaching push forward to get to a better place, others attempt to guess where the doors will be when the train has stopped; others are certain of where they want to stand and are not going to move for anyone. It is funny to see all of these people at once as the train approaches, it descends into chaos and it is like some kind of animal dance. There are the people who wait lurching forward, the people who know exactly where they want to stand resisting and pushing backwards, then we have the guessers who run back and forward to get to the door, trying to judge speed distance and time, all whilst looking like a demented hungry hyena. Without going in depth too much about the warning signals, the sounds of “Mind the gap please!”, “Stay behind the yellow line”, “Please let customers off first” appear to be ignored as people throw themselves onto the tube. Once on the tube those that are seated are lucky enough to be so. Most times people tend to squash themselves up in front of the doors. The experience reminds me of a tin of sardines all squashed together with no room to move. People appear to want to keep themselves to themselves whether they try to read a book really close to their nose, sometimes it even bangs off of their face as there is really no space to move. Other people read the newspapers, listen to music, and use their iPhone or laptop, basically anything they can to not speak to each other. This leads to an eerie experience as there is hardly a noise on the tube apart from those people who are not used to the tube and find it a novelty.

On entering the train there is once again a battle to try and get a seat or the best possible standing place, there is not really any regard for the elderly, pregnant or those with lots of luggage. In fact those with luggage are treated worse than anybody else, as though they are stupid for bringing suitcases into the underground. Whilst on the train it would appear essential not to make eye contact and it is noticeable that people are looking each other up and down but as soon as the eye line is reciprocated they look away really quickly as though they were looking at a fly or something else. People do not speak to each other even when getting off the tube, sometimes if somebody does speak it comes as a shock and everybody else’s body language becomes quite defensive. Most of people’s gaze tends to be on the line map above the seats in the carriage, it is noticeable that they are counting the stops until the need to get off. On exiting the tube once again the platform is chaotic “Where do we go now?”, “How do we get out?” the confusion of people trying to figure this out is almost amusing eventually you can “see” the click in people’s brains as they realise they should just follow everyone else. Again this is an animal trait, like sheep, if lost the best thing to do is follow everyone else. Back up to the ticket barrier there is once again the rigmarole of barging and pushing. All of this pushing can save an impressive five minutes or so off of a journey. As some first time “tubers” noted- “Why do people rush so much? If they miss this one then there is another one in two minutes.”

The Underground system is truly an amazing one, the design, mechanics and thought process that has gone into this is massive. To a degree it is highly successful, however if the attitudes of the users changed it could be a much more enjoyable experience for all.  The title of a musical that sums the experience for me is “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”

Understanding Images and Results of the Theory

Roland Barthes- Rhetoric of the Image.

I have to confess on first reading Rhetoric of the Image, I couldn’t but feel overwhelmed. It was as though Barthes was speaking a different language, so many complicated and confusing words. However I believe the purpose of this text is to challenge us to think more about images and the linguistic nature.  The text goes on to discuss three types of messages; linguistic message, coded iconic message and non-coded iconic message.

Firstly Barthes looks at an advertisement for Panzani Pasta and other ingredients. He suggests that on looking at the image we will be able to receive a message straight away. The gist of the message is linguistic, meaning that because of the text in the image were are able to draw some conclusions of what the advertisement is for. Barthes suggests that both the caption for the advert along with the product label can further help decipher the image. The language that the caption is written in and also some of the text on the label is French. This is known as a denotational linguistic message. The name of the brand, Panzani, is Italian and this portrays the product as also being Italian. This is known as a connotational linguistic message. Taking away the linguistics of the advertisement we are simply left with the image. Again the image immediately provides the viewer with signs and ideas of the product. The idea of the overflowing shopping bag suggests the produce is fresh and ready to be eaten; also the colours that are use refer back to the ‘Italianicity’ of the product. However the designer of the advertisement when making decisions about text and image needed to decide if he/she wanted the image to reinforce the text or if they wanted the image to also give more messages. The functions of the linguistic message regarding the iconic message appear to be ‘anchorage’ and ‘relay’.

‘Anchorage’ appears to be the most common function found in the linguistic message usually in press photos and adverts. Anchorage is in place to help the viewer relate to and understand the image. The text and image ‘directs the reader through the signifieds of the image causing him to avoid some and receive others’. Thus it would suggest that the designer can put in place specific messages that he/she wants the viewer to understand.

‘Relay’ can most commonly found in cartoons, this is where there are only a small number of images and without the text the images are hard for the reader to understand. Therefore by inserting the text into the cartoon the reader can quickly decipher what is happening in the story.

Barthes suggests that advertisements although may appear to be natural in placement are in fact structured in such a way as to convey particular messages. This is known as the coded iconic message. In reference to the ‘Panzani’ image the colours the designer has chosen in their ‘still life’ represent the culture and the Italianicity of the product. This coded message along with others affirms the solidity of the produce. A non-coded iconic message is more simply about the image itself it is purely a visual thing that does not contain any hidden symbols or messages.

It is also suggested by Barthes that drawings cannot be decoded as no matter who draws there is always going to be a personal style influencing the viewer. A photograph however is impartial as no matter who takes the photograph the image will remain the same. ‘... the photograph is never experienced as illusion ....it’s reality that of the having-been-there’ this is similar to the saying ‘a camera never lies’ This means that although a photograph may be staged to convey particular messages, the viewer may take many different meanings away from it. It also enables us to understand that text aids readers to understand the image that they are looking at.

My results working with Barthes Theory

Although the concepts that Barthes suggests are quite difficult to understand I found the idea of underlying hidden messages quite interesting, as I am intruiged to know how people try to manipulate others. However with the images that I chose for my assignments below I discoverd that sometimes people can still have completely different ideas about what they see, no matter how much information is given. I tried to get people to take away the idea that the innocent gorilla has been caged up and it really would like to escape to paradise. Although most people eventually ‘saw’ this story, others still chose to leave elements of the story out altogether or add in new elements that were not apparent in any of the images. I feel that perhaps the images I chose or possibly the words that I added were maybe too difficult to understand or maybe did not convey the message well enough. I found these assignments particularly interesting and this is something I would like to investigate further.

Say what you see! Part 4

Although the insertion in part 3 of the word INNOCENT into my images has got people thinking the same way about one aspect of the story, people still appear to be having some difficulty relating to one of the other images. For this reason I have chosen to insert a second word, this time the word is ESCAPE.

Images sources from: www.sxc.hu 

Caroline

20

Student

1 Brother, 1 Sister

Like many animals in the world, there was a gorilla which was held in captivity in a zoo. It longed to break free and escape so it could live in paradise like it is supposed to.

Charles
20
Student
1 Brother, 1 Sister

The innocent gorilla escapes and travels across a beach where he meets a family of gorillas. They all escape together and travel to the beautiful side of the island.

Craig
28
Project Manager
2 Brothers

The gorilla represents all of the innocent animals that are locked in captivity, they should be freed so that they can live in the wild where the belong.

Jonathan
19
Student
1 Brother

When escaping abroad to a tropical island the last thing you expect to see is an innocent monkey caged up for view.

Lee
51
Postgraduate Office
2 Sisters

The innocent gorilla does not know why it is held in captivity, it dreams of escaping to its own personal paradise.

Meghan
18
Student
1 Sister

The innocent gorilla tried to escape to paradise.

It would appear that most people have managed to get the ideas of the gorilla being an innocent animal and also that it does not want to be there, it would prefer to be somewhere else. If I was to continue the research further I would possibly try adding different words or extra photographs. I found this a challenging but interesting assignment and as discussed above I am particularly interested in hidden messages.

Say what you see! Part 3

Unfortunately part 2 did not really help in trying to get people closer to seeing the same story as each other. I decided to take away the fourth image of the angel and chose instead to add a word to one of my previous images. Hopefully this will start to get people thinking along the same lines. The three images below have remained the same and once again I have asked people to say what they see. The added word is: INNOCENT

Images sourced from: www.sxc.hu

Emma

19
Student
1 Sister

The innocent monkey was found caged up and stranded on a desert island, by holiday makers.

Iain
23
Sound & AV Technician
2 Brothers

The innocent gorilla is trapped in a cage where it does not belong. It should be in the forest where it originates.

Jenn
22
Student/Nurse
1 Brother, 1 Sister

The innocent monkey that was caged up has escaped back into the wild.

Karen
21
Student
2 Brothers, 2 Sisters

On holiday in Jamaica I spent a lot of time on the sandy beaches. One of the beaches had a zoo nearby where I saw many animals. My favourite was the apes, although I would much rather see them in the open.

Pip
22
Shop Supervisor
1 Sister

Innocent animals are being caged in and should be free in the wild.

Tam
74
Retired
2 Brothers

People thought the gorilla was dangerous and had damaged their beautiful island so they caged it up even thought it was innocent.

Lin
20
Student
Only child

A long time ago, the world had beautiful scenery and environments, however more and more people polluted the earth. This means more and more animals can’t live in their natural homes. It is such a beautiful place to have left because of pollution.

Say what you see! Part 2

After looking at the stories from part 1 below I decided to add a fourth image, this was to see if this fourth image would influence people into thinking or seeing the same stories as others have seen. Again I asked people to give me a story of what they see. So sticking with my 3 previous images I added the image below.

Image sourced from: www.sxc.hu

Charlotte

19

Student

1 Sister

An angelic gorilla went abroad to go to the seaside.

Helen

20

Student

1 Sister

The gorilla was trapped. Everyone thought he was dangerous, but inside he was innocent and angelic. He just wanted to escape and return back to his home, where it was warm and beautiful, instead of being stuck where the only similar thing was the water and beach.

Jane

22 ¼

Optical Assistant

1 Brother

A gorilla is looked after by a guardian angel and the angel leads the gorilla to escape to a better land.

Kat

19

Student

1 Brother, 1 Sister

Man is trapped and wants to escape in a spiritual and religious sense in order to find peace and tranquillity.

Maria

23

Beauty Therapist

2 Sisters

A nice gorilla escapes to a better place where he is not trapped, just like before he was captured.

Mike

45

Music Teacher

1 Brother, 1 Sister

The angelic statue looks so forlorn, like the animals that are caged up feel so lost and alone. They want to escape to a better place. Maybe animals and humans really want the same things.

Paula

51

Nurse

3 Brothers, 2 Sisters

On a trip to Florence we went round the museums then to the zoo where the gorillas were kept in cages. There was a group trying to help release the gorillas back into the natural habitat.

Unfortunately this image did not do as I had intended. I had hoped people would look at the sculpted angel and take a mannerism from it. Instead some people have managed to add in a religious element to the story. This is perhaps something I should have preempted beforehand, however this just goes to prove that people see things differently.

Say what you see!

The idea of this experiment was to try and understand how people interpret images and also if there is anyway in which you can influence people so they all "see" the same thing. First I chose 3 images at random and gave them to people to interpret, I asked there asge occupation, if they have any siblings and asked them to make up a story or say what they see. Below are the images I chose and also some of the stories I got back.

All images sourced from : www.sxc.hu

Emilie

19 ¼

Student

1 Sister

Gorilla/Human. Human dreams of getting away to a beautiful beach. It is a dream of a rainbow coloured, empty beach where he can be alone and in peace.

Fiona

19

Student

1 Brother, 1 Sister

There is a feeling of being trapped with a need to escape to paradise away from destruction.

Joanna

22

Musical Theatre Tutor

1 Brother

A gorilla escapes to a better land, just like King Kong!

Kirsty

19

Student

1 Sister

We were on holiday abroad- it was summer and really hot. We went to the zoo and saw the gorillas. The zoo was on the top of a mountain and we looked down and saw the beach with the beautiful blue water. We decided to go down towards it but unfortunately it wasn’t as nice as we thought.

Mike

50

Engineer

3 Brothers

On arriving on the North Beach I thought it looked like an ex-prison, but then I saw some caged gorillas left in what looked like a disaster area. I realised something must have happened recently. I sailed around to the next cove which looked Idyllic.

Rachel

19

Student

1 Brother

The story is about breaking free to a more exotic place. It is like being trapped and wanting to escape to paradise.

Sarah

20

Student

1 Brother, 1 Sister

A gorilla escapes from his cage and damages everything to get to a faraway place. A nicer place that he remembers.

Reactions

After analysing photographs of Ross’ house (see post below) we discussed our findings with each other to assess whether or not we actually could tell things about each other without knowing each other.

Ross’ reactions to my analysis.

It was quite a strange experience sitting there telling someone else who you think they are. However with Ross it appears I was quite close to being spot on e.g. things such as Ross having strong family values and opinions. I asked Ross if his CD’s were ordered somehow and he informed me they were, Alphabetically by artist and then year of release. This confirmed my understanding that Ross was well organised and like to proud of his belongings. As I mentioned that I pictured Ross’ room to always be clean he told me that it goes in cycles, sometimes it is spotless and then gradually becomes untidy until it is unbearable, then tidy again. This surprised me as the generally I got the impression that the whole family were keen to keep everything really clean.

I thought the reason Ross’ room was red reflected his strong opinions and values and this was something that he had not really thought about. Ross said that he chose to paint his room red because it was different to the blue that was underneath, but he did agree that perhaps there were some underlying reasons such as those I put across. It was interesting to note that Ross was a big collector of all things Star Wars when he was younger, obviously as there is only one obvious piece of memorabilia it was quite hard to interpret. It turns out the framed clips were a gift from his girlfriend, who knew that he liked Star Wars as a child.

I told Ross that I thought his family liked to welcome people into their house and that first impressions were important to them, he confirmed this to be true and told me that first impressions generally reflect what people think of the rest of the house. The biggest difference was the plates in the entranceway, I suggested that these were military and had some connection to the past. However it turns out to be a collection of John Wayne memorabilia plates that his family have collected over the years. I asked if there was a reason for this and Ross informed me that they were important as they were a reminder of his late Grandfather, who had a passion for John Wayne films.

My reactions to Ross’ analysis.

At first I was apprehensive as to what I was going to hear. Would I be told some underlying issue that I had never thought of? Overall Ross analysis of me was also very close to the truth. Ross’ could tell that my family were close not only with the immediate family but also with the extended family. I was slightly taken aback when Ross told me that my parents tended to spend money on me and my two brothers rather than themselves or the house. This is almost identical to what my parents say “we spent all of our money on you three and we just made do for us and the house.” It was a bit spooky when Ross asked if my Dad, an Engineer, was some kind of tradesman or worked with his hand. Ross told me that he thought my Dad was quite well built and that was the indication of working in a trade. Characteristics of me that Ross managed to pick up on from my photos were that as a child I was slightly clumsy, outgoing and quite funny. He could tell that I was comfortable being with adults from a young age, something I had never really thought about, and that my family and I like spending time in the outdoors.

It was peculiar listening to somebody else tell you about yourself, however I did enjoy it as it reminded me of the fun times my family and I used to have when were all together camping or on holiday. Unfortunately this is something that never really happens that often as we have all grown up and some moved away from home I think we are all a bit more used to the creature comforts ad the heat of a holiday in Greece rather that a camping trip to Pitlochry.

This process was quite hard to get a grasp of but as I got into it I found it a more enjoyable experience. As I looked into the Johari Window, I discovered that some of what is mentioned in that is reflected into the analysis that Ross and I did of each other. There was not much that either of us did not really know about ourselves but small things such as the underlying reasons for Ross choosing red or my relationship with adults. Other than those couple of this generally we were telling each other things that we both knew and could relate with. Overall the exercise was challenging as I felt there was a need to be very careful of how you put your findings across to the other person. I was very cautious of offending Ross, or said something that he found inappropriate. It is difficult analysing someone when you do not know as you are wary of mentioning things such as family in case the family home has been separated or someone has passed away. In that way I fell we maybe hold back on saying things exactly as we see it. Perhaps this is true with lots of research, in the time that we live in everyone is particularly careful to not upset or offend others. Therfore I can only assume that not all research is completely honest.

Analysing Ross

At first on analysing photographs of someone I have never really spoken to I felt a little awkward, the thought of getting something wrong or even offending the other person was a daunting prospect.


I swapped photographs with Ross D, (same name just a coincidence), a graphics student.

Throughout all of the photos of Ross’ house that I analysed there were noticeable similarities between rooms however each room has a purpose.

In the bedroom generally everything appears to be excruciatingly organised, although there are some things lying out on the desk all else appears to have a place. It is as thought these things left on the desk are simply waiting there to be put away, they are no permanent artefact's. The desk in the room is in the main uncluttered but there are a couple of things such as a Sporran, sketchbook, tissues, sweets and a couple of DVD’s lying on the top. A Sporran would suggest that Ross has been wearing a kilt to a dressy occasion such as a wedding, party, or more informally to a football match? Whichever it is this represents pride in one’s heritage, he is proud to be Scottish and happy to show this pride by dressing in kilt and all the regalia that goes with it. The couple of DVD’s that are not in the correct place would suggest that they have been left out deliberately for some reason or that they are waiting to be put away. It is noticeable that the CD’s and DVD’s have a specific place; I find it unusual that Ross would deliberately leave these out. Perhaps a family member has put them in the room and rather than disturb the space just left them on the table.


The furniture in the bedroom all matches, the desk, CD holder, shelf and even the CD player blends in with most things in the room. This would suggest that Ross is an organised person who pays attention to detail. I would imagine that this room would have been decorated with Ross input, also the furniture would probably have been bought as a rather than over a period of time. The bold red colour chosen for the main wall in the bedroom suggests that Ross is headstrong and sure of his views and opinions. I would suggest that the red is dramatic and possibly overbearing perhaps this is not a Room that he spends a lot of time in. The two main pieces of furniture in the room are a bed and desk, this suggests that the room is really only used for sleeping and study.

There does not appear to be a lot in the way of personal decorations on the walls, perhaps this is an indication that this is someplace that Ross does not feel settled or a place where he does not use often. The Star Wars framed film clips on the wall next to the bed is almost out of place in this setting as it does not really tier in with the rest of the room. It was perhaps given as a gift from a relative or friend who once heard that Ross liked Star Wars. It may be hung on the wall more out of politeness rather than genuine appeal. Along the top of the headboard we have the pink, fluffy fairy lights, this tells me that there is a female influence in Ross’ life and I do not think they belong to him but are more likely to belong to a girlfriend. This suggests that Ross is comfortable sharing his space with someone he cares for.

There are a lot of CD’s on the wall which suggests, Ross enjoys listening to Music, the fact that they are on show would indicate that he does not mind other people seeing what kind of music he likes. I wonder if the CD’s are ordered in some way, alphabetical perhaps. Like the rest of the room the CD’s are arranged neatly and organised a trait which appears throughout the whole room. I suggest that although the room is very organised and ordered that this may not necessarily reflect true to life, perhaps Ross does not use this room often and that is why it remains orderly.

Looking at what I think may be the entrance to the family house I notice that there is a small doll’s house at the entrance; this is quite a quaint possession to have at the front door. Although inviting you to have a look inside, it is also fun which indicates that this family like to have fun and very much see themselves as a family. I am not sure if this would also suggest living in a “wee world” of their own? At the other end of the entrance way the small teddy bear lying on the floor is quite comical, this may also represent the families humour but it could also act as a conversation point for new visitors or old friends and family. I can imagine that this was maybe a childhood toy from a parent or even grandparent or was perhaps a souvenir from a holiday.

The military plates that decorate the walls are suggest there is a military background to the family, whether Army, Naval or Air force. Like Ross’ room the plates are a collectable thing and I think are on display because they mean a lot to the family. The clean bright colour of the entrance way suggests that the family like people to feel welcome when they enter the house, again the plates appear ordered and the space is not cluttered allowing people to breath and relax. As the entrance way is the first and last place people will enter I think it is deliberately arranged to give people a good impression.

The living area is really the family area in the house. On the wall there are a number of photos of the children at school and other family members, this would suggest that they are a close family unit. In the display cabinet there is the family silver and glassware suggesting a pride in their belongings. The glassware may have been passed down from generation or gifted to the family on special occasions but great importance is put on this as it takes pride of place in the room. There is a jigsaw on the floor of the room implying that somebody uses this room as a hobby room when it is not being used by the family. This could also perhaps be something that members of the family like to do together.

Overall I get the feeling that family is of most importance to Ross. Everything in the photos is clean tidy, orderly and personal to the family; this is because the family are proud of what they have. It is evident that the Ross has been brought up with strong family values and he wants to make his family proud of him.