Environmental Graphics with Dinesh Abiram Sir

Class 01

We started off by stating assumptions about graphic design. Some assumptions were: relating it to art, making digital work only, developing logos only, approachable & visually aesthetic designs only, it’s easy & thus okay to pay less, it’s about software.

We moved to talking about how pursuing design means doing fashion designing in our society (Society as in the community we live in). To me, this states how unwelcoming people are, how they can coach you into taking engineering but wont know a grain about designing and its broad fields.

We, as a class, bonded over the statement client usually says, “If I had illustrator I would do this myself”

Important tip: Divide rent & food by 30 and that's your daily fee. This is how you know that you are not exploited.

Generally we think text, subtitles, textures, visual elements comes under graphic design & thus, gives out information. Directly implying that if there’s no graphic element there’s no information. Well, it’s open to everyone’s interpretation.

Does painting not come under graphic design? I believe its more of a personal thing than public. There are some things which you do for sanity of mind and not money-making/ people-pleasing. Graphic is more of a responsible, serving some purpose kind of a thing.

Where is text absolutely necessary? contracts, prescriptions, chemical labs. I feel we cant live without text and its necessary even in the smallest of places. Everyone has different interpretation of visual things and thus it can create chaos and be misleading.

Text can be graphic if the person doesn’t know the language.

We learn/assume things by looking at its environment, I will justify this with an example. We all know the “cookie box-turning into-sewing kit” story. If not, it goes as this, usually in an Indian household after a cookie steel box with graphics of delicious cookie gets empty, it gets reused as to keep sewing kit items. Not everyone knows that cookie box does not contain cookie and opens it with hoping to eat, only to disappoint themselves.

Coming back to the point I am trying to make, because the box has food graphics and is kept in an environment where that box is justifiable, it leads a person to think the obvious and assume things. Thus, the environment matters.

School buses and army trucks are made to be distinguished for morality and respect. There’s demarcation in the environment and we as designers should keep them in mind to make better & logical designs.

Aspect to aspiration & things that exist within the society which creates separation through visuals and identification, which leads us to aspire same identification & recognition.

Class 02

In this class, we talked about Window merchandising & how it becomes an identifier of type of place. Rural areas generally have visual elements as B-class movie posters & poster stuck on house walls. And Urban areas don’t have that kind of visual pollution, there’s more road nos. & wayfinding rather than un-related stuff.

We don't explicitly separate the regions but subconsciously we tend to recognize the same kind area and categorize into one. For me, even if a restaurant has cluttered visual, I will relate it to my experiences with same scenarios be it and way off comparison and would come to conclusion of not going into that restaurant. I would relate it to unhygienic and un-sanitized. No one taught me this separation but this is something I learnt by observing areas and environment around it. (Not saying that this discrimination is a good thing.)

We also talked about propaganda in movie posters. Through this activity, I learnt how the posters are stereotypical and states the obvious. How in Titanic, it displays that poor guy falls in love with rich girl and how we don't even what the guy does for a living and only portrays his love and obsession towards the girl. Every rom-com movie has same freaking plot!

In relation to politics & patriotism, I observed that in biopics, they even glorifies the crimes & combats. Posters would usually have a white guy with the country's flag all over. And has a very vintage-y filter to it. We talked about Padman, American Sniper, MSG, Uri.

National movies & biopics uses propaganda colors, flag color to generate a feeling of patriotism.

Skill can be taught but the critical thinking is what has to be developed. That is what makes us different from other creators/designers.

Class 03

“The medium is the message” is a word coined via way of means of the Canadian communique theorist Marshall McLuhan and the call of the primary bankruptcy in his Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, posted in 1964. McLuhan proposes that a communique medium itself, now no longer the messages it carries, need to be the number one consciousness of study. He confirmed that artifacts as media have an effect on any society via way of means of their traits or content. In his book and the quick segment that I read, it’s far simply understood and communicated, with examples of how, the medium of the message, the surroundings of the picture are as crucial because the picture itself. The heard fact allowed for simultaneous understanding.

The upward thrust of phonetic alphabets gave electricity to the eye, time have become understood as linear, phrases understood one at a time.

It additionally gave upward thrust to individualism, with my mind, my phrases, my contributions. Language is confirmed to steer how humans understand time, gender as well. We see an instance of this in famous culture- Arrival (2016). When the hold close on such crucial ideas is motivated thru the medium, a big bite of interest need to receive to what mediums we pick out to speak in. A lot of mediums have arisen because the time the book became written. The Television set had already made an appearance. We have Social media now. A lot of facts coming in, with a restricted potential to technique it.

Haven’t we come to be the dumping grounds for all the world’s mind and feelings, that too willingly? The factor of the problem is how I join this with environmental graphics- searching at today’s scenario, cognitive load is skilled via way of means of everyone, “one greater picture here, one greater picture there. Oh no! some other across the corner! Why technique, we’ll simply forget about it!”

Catching the eye of an audience, with interest spans turning into shorter, has come to be a task. The medium has made it so. With all of this comes the more question, is that this picture actually necessary.

Is it going to feature that means to humans' lives?

Le voyage dans la lune became some other factor of discussion. Its stunning imagery and the manner it set the tone for brand new ideas, imagination, and movies to come.

Class 04

This class, I was introduced to new videos,

“La Sape” is a unique movement grounded in Congo that unites fashion conscious men who are ready to splurge absurdly, they don’t really have on developer clothes. Dressing in stark discrepancy with their surroundings, these elegant air-makers come true original celebrities, but this fame comes at a price.

The Republic of the Congo in Central Africa can’t boast of high norms of living. Yet, there are men then who are set to spend a fortune on developer suits. They call themselves “ sapeurs” — members of the “ La Sape” movement. “La Sape” derives from French and stands for “ The Society of Air-Makers and Elegant People”. For its votaries, it’s all about style and fineness, the right combination of colors and textures, brand- names and the loftiest quality accoutrements. They decide true joy from showing off their vesture on the thoroughfares of Brazzaville — the country’s capital and the center of the “ La Sape” movement. Walking down fine thoroughfares lined with complexion houses, they turn heads and feel like lords. And there’s no price they are unwilling to pay for this.

In fact, behind the image of success these gallants design, there are frequently stories of significant fiscal troubles caused by their extravagant hobbyhorse.

To go the price label of their developer clothes, “ sapeurs” have to save, adopt and indeed steal plutocrat, occasionally bringing ruin to their families.

But indeed the grim consequences of their indulgent dressing habits frequently don’t stop “ sapeurs” from spending plutocrat they don’t really have. They’re in constant competition with each other and investing in their image is more important to them than perfecting their living conditions. Dressing dashingly becomes a true dependence that’s veritably hard to conquer.

Still, some “ sapeurs” do strive to find a balance between looking sharp and being reasonable with their spending.

They contend that the “La Sape” movement isn’t about developer suits but rather developing impeccable taste. They teach how to make an emphasis on learning to dress well but within one’s means. This way, style and fineness will demand smaller offerings from their addicts and will be accessible to more sophisticated men.

This really gets me thinking how I feel comfortable in daily wear which most of the time are t-shirts which are ruined in some way or other. And when talking about dressing up for fancy things I am ready to sacrifice my comfort.

So, is comfort really above all? I don't think so.

Sapeurs met on Sundays to show off and see who wore expensive labels. But as the labels are hidden, they can easily fake it. But in this, they are true to their roots. They would buy Weston shoes over a plot of land.

That's just utter stupidity, I think myself of a practical person and to me this is absolute nonsense. For me, the priority always will be sustenance over showing off.

Knowing my classmates’ perspectives was also fun. We talked about how there was no women who dressed so extravagantly and how in the documentary the women only talked about their love story and not how they are managing to live & keep household running. Someone also mentioned how the documentaries are always showing poverty, hunger, and struggles. So, seeing something like this where amidst all the poverty, there's a certain absurdity going on, it was quite a refreshing feeling.

Robert Frank: The Americans

The Americans is a photographic book through Robert Frank which become quite influential in post-battle American photography. It become first posted in France in 1958, and the subsequent 12 months within side the United States. The snap shots had been superb for his or her distanced view of each excessive and occasional strata of American society. The book as an entire created a complex portrait of the duration that become regarded as skeptical of cutting-edge values and evocative of ubiquitous loneliness.

Frank determined a tension within side the gloss of American way of life and wealth over race and sophistication differences, which gave his images a clean evaluation to the ones of maximum current American photojournalists. As did his use of uncommon focus, low lights and cropping that deviated from normal photographic techniques.

The book initially received sharp criticism in the United States, where the tone of the book was perceived as derogatory to national ideals. Much of the criticism Frank faced also referred to his style of photojournalism, in which the immediacy of the hand-held camera introduced technical imperfections and, thanks to its inspiration from later artists. The Americans became a work that was made for the American Fundamental photography and art was history and the work with which Frank identified most clearly.

Google Glass

Amidst the lightning rollout of fashionable, utilitarian merchandise, we expect some products emerge out of the ether into our hands within the blink of an eye fixed. This is often no deception — it is a quite magic. Experimentation is required for any successful product deployment. All an equivalent, evolution is usually out of reach or hidden behind the scenes.
Google became trapped within the storm of its own making when it marketed Glass. The corporate wanted to maximize the hype, hope, and potential of the merchandise rather than selling the truth. Instead of promoting the merchandise as a prototype technology from the longer term as initially intended, the hype-building marketing campaign and therefore the high sticker price of Glass gave it the allure of a super-premium product.
Google originally advertised glass terms of experience augmentation. The 2012 demo reel featured skydiving, biking, also as wall scaling. Eventually, the videos showed user-friendly information instantaneously appearing on-screen during everyday activities.

Google’s aspirations were lofty: The technology required lengthy battery life, improved image-recognition capabilities, and tons of knowledge .

Rather than augment reality, Glass simply supplemented it. The three- to five-hour battery life enabled users to see messages, view photos, and search the web. Glass was competing with other devices that boasted superior cameras, larger capacities, and faster processors.

With Glass’s uncertain value came many questions. Would users be comfortable wearing a camera around their faces every day? Others were less comfortable being on the opposite side of Glass. Some bars and restaurants barred wearers from entry; several simply banned the device altogether.

Class 05

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is a 2011 product placement, marketing, and advertising documentary film directed by Morgan Spurlock. The premise behind the production is that the documentary itself would be paid for entirely by the sponsors, thus being a form of metaphilia.

The film’s slogan is “It’s not selling, it’s buying”.

I got to know the notion of goal which is self-referential work. In this case, the film is a documentary on cinema, in particular on Marketing, PR and advertising aspects. All graphics are sponsored by brands to promote a particular view of themselves, which makes people trust and want to buy the product.
Which brings us to the next question: Where can I display my brand? Here is the link with the environmental graphics. In the movies, the environment is everywhere. Elevators, cups, towels, planes, gas stations, toilets, coffeemakers, hangers, movies, jackets, bathrooms and much more.

Another documentary by this guy is wherever on earth is Osama bin Laden.

He says heaps of funny things like these are future terrorists (basically attempting to be the everyday white male) He himself became a whole within the film. He was a living promotion in the movie once we are discussing atmosphere we glance for things we already understand once you say environment typically it might be deceptive as a result of it the majority the time means that “a giant space or an area that is extremely nice to be such a lot of social activity” sort of a mall is associate atmosphere however you are an environment also.

Thing you do is an extension of that environment

Emnim design is an intervention of types you’re going and you realize it’s not from this space it is forcefully created (it is not an accident it is an intentional made artwork) something in any environment will 2 things either redolent or provocation. Evocation could be a positive factor Education distinguishing one thing of the past or longing is a superb feeling.

Provocation will either happen or it’s a story.

Tryptic of the urn Ai WeiWei created an announcement by breaking The Han urn which was this will have a historical worth however once somebody buys it he/she will do what ever with it. Through dropping this culturally important historical urn he commented socially and politically mocking communist worth since modernizing China and rising international economy fueled by consumerism or oppose it to what Communist information promoted. But before diving into the serious subject material Ai WeiWei has to grab the viewers attention he will this through beauty he frames the topic matter within the center that makes the composition visually pleasing

Why are the primary Nike T-shirt of some value to human beings?

The primary Nike T-shirt is nothing however a story it’s value as a result of it carries a story the story within the sense here is who created it, who was the designer, who was it made for 1st the fabric is “our stuff was purported to with stand time and this is often the proof of it and it’s a T-shirt it’s manufactured from cotton not metal”. The T-shirt are valuable as a result of the story it carries. Supreme took aesthetics of Barbara Kruger and made one thing else out of it.

Barbara Kruger was fighting the capitalist economy by creating questioning the work however wherever else you explore supreme they simply took her aesthetics and fully defeated her purpose. Therefore Ai weiwei breaking a hun phratry urn is breaking a story the story that was told it had been your ancestor’s action currently I should purchase it and break it and also the proof of the story disappears. Whenever a replacement government comes in power very first thing they are doing is wipe out any narrative that doesn’t suit them.

Barbara Kruger's work is not telling you a story she is asking you a matter which provocation during a far more than the amount of your time becomes a story. Therefore Barbara Kruger is asking queries from such a lot of years regarding capitalist economy and here comes a whole supreme that is totally on the alternative finish of the spectrum stealing Barbara Kruger's aesthetics and is full capitalism.

The message becomes the atmosphere.

The reality are a few things solely individuals doing the activity can understand and also the narrative is about the others what they saw or what they assume you cannot management the narrative, narrative is for others and also the truth is for you.

Class 06

In this lesson, we looked at the connections, evolution and meaning of environmental graphics. The transfer of objects from one environment to another creates networks and extensions. It affects the way people perceive and understand these objects / graphics.

For example, Banksy is an artist who creates works of art for political and social commentary on public walls. His works have become so famous that people are willing to spend money to own them. So a piece of the wall that Banksy had worked on was auctioned off to the highest bidder. Therefore, the job has changed because the environment has changed, from packaging (from public to private). Understanding the environment relies on conditioning.

We took a look at the @ememem.flacking Instagram handle, which fills in holes and cracks on public sidewalks by filling them with ceramic tile creating pattern and sometimes text. It is a premeditated action which will become a geographic indicator.

Lane is exhibited at the artwork in the environment.

He invokes some feelings inside them is positive or negative, so that any graphics we put is an intervention that causes before and with the time evokes. The idea of ​​coping and appropriation gives value to the object within a particular structure of the context.

Class 07

A plausible setting: an environment becomes believable once there’s enough info for the audience to interpret and make their own assumptions. Graphics in an environment represent the fundamental quantity of the environment. they will persuade, inform or confuse the audience.

A visit to the moon- shows the science vs faith debate.

It depicts its time period with the black and white stills, fashion, technological advancement. The environment of phantasy films in Republic of India is extremely sanitized. there’s not enough information gift to create a believable narrative. Sir broadcasted a game known as Detroit: become human that shows the setting of the future (the 2030s- 40s).

Class 08

Takashi Yasumura-Domestic Scandals this work aims to specific doubts regarding the standard of “everyday life”. Ordinary scenes, love acquainted places within the house, and also the surroundings that we tend to sometimes don’t concentrate to, aren’t any longer familiar sights once given in photographs. Associate object in its atmosphere when seen through a special medium, brings another layer of understanding, or unravels the layer that were antecedently ignored.

Torches of freedom- Edward Barneys- Father of PR and Propaganda. Advertising!

Okay, Bye!