A THEORETICAL STUDY OF A RECONNECTION
REPORT
GRAPHIC BRANDING & IDENTITY
Final Major Project by Carlota Santos University of the Arts of London London College of Communication MA Graphic Branding and Identity 2016 | 2017
TO MY FAMILY
CONTENTS
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
I N T R O D U C T I O N . 14 - 15
FIELD O F S T U DY C O N T E X T . 1 7 - 29
BR AND C ON T E X T . 31 - 33 T H E R E S E A R C H Q U E S T I O N . 3 5 - 49
A U D I E N C E E X P L O R A T I O N . 5 1 - 63 T H E B R A N D . 6 5 - 87
C R I T I C A L R E F L E C T I O N . 89 - 97 B I B L I O G R A P H Y . 9 8 - 1 01
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
“ We are bored in the city, we really have to strain still to discover mysteries in the side walk billboards, yet are discouraged from expressing this boredom by the city’s insistence that it is the most exciting place to be.� Ivan Chtcheglov 1953
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION In an era of globalisation, the deep-seated connections we have to our urban landscapes are at real risk of being lost. The abundance of information available throughout the urban place, - dictating where to go, what to do and who to meet, - mediates our relationship to the city, distancing us from its physical and, to a certain degree, phycological realities. The phenomenon of homogenisation resulted by the current global integration, presents the ability to standardise the urban place, generating a uniform visual landscape devoid of meaning and emotional attachment. Urban identity is fading and in this way, our sense of place is vanishing. Our postmodern culture is being developed on top of materialistic values where the urban place is defined by quantitive instead of qualitative resources. The level of connection that unifies the relationship between the individual and his surroundings is no longer a priority. We are daily exposed to a filtered vision of the city which is an indicator of the superficiality promoted.
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In this way, there is a necessity to encourage urbanites to pursue grounding and meaning in order to improve their connection to the surroundings. The brand model described throughout this report presents an alternative based on a reflective process, that aims to enable the individual to reevaluate his priorities. The fundamentals of the alternative created are based on a term of comparison that will result on the perception of two contrasting realities. Values such as authenticity and simplicity will emerge as the principles of life. As simples as that.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
“ We are bored in the city, we really have to strain still to discover mysteries in the side walk billboards, yet are discouraged from expressing this boredom by the city’s insistence that it is the most exciting place to be.” Ivan Chtcheglov 1953
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A world without frontiers is an ideal that has always appeared to the more sincerely humanist individual as a world from which all forms of exclusion have been abolished. And the contemporary world is often presented to us as a place where the old frontiers have been erased. The notion of frontiers itself marks the minimal and necessary distance that ought to exist between one city and another, stimulating a stronger relationship between the individual and each urban place.1 Understanding the essence of a city, what it expresses and how to feel connected to it, means establishing an elementary symbolic relation with the place, respecting its identity and joining it; crossing the frontier. A frontier is not a wall, but a threshold.1 It is not for nothing that in all the world’s cultures, cross roads and boundaries have been the focus of intense ritual activity. It is not for nothing that humans everywhere have given a complex symbolic expression to the idea that death is a frontier: one that can be crossed in either direction, maintaining a promise of communication from one side to the other. The current phenomenon of globalisation is encouraging homogenisation throughout the globe by abolishing these frontiers.2
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
T h e i mpact of Globalisation on society’s perceptions According to BBC2, globalisation consists in the process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of massively increased trade and cultural exchange. This global process has transformed the world cities into sites of transnational connections. Networks of connections flow across and between cities, linking places within the city to a range of locales both near and far.3 We currently communicate and share each other’s cultures through travel and trade, transporting products around the world in days,even hours. The current society lives in a huge global economy where something that happens in one area can have knock on effects worldwide. 2
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In this way, time and space are significantly important concepts of this subject. The way society perceives things and situations regarding temporal and spatial context has changed due to the facility and over connection we are surrounded by. This phenomenon has altered the way each individual understand the urban places so the meaning of city itself becomes crucial. Society used to think of urban places as dense concentrations of economical and social activities and people, set within clear urban boundaries*. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that the process of globalisation has transformed cities, creating flows that move across these boundaries.3
*According to Cambridge dictionary a boundary consists in a real or imagined line that marks the edge or limit of something; a synonym of frontier.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Photo credits : Geo 41
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Globalisation as the process of homogenisation of the urban pl aces An integral theme on the concept of globalisation is that contemporary social, economic, cultural, technological and other forces subsumed under that term are leading towards a homogenisation in every aspect of social life worldwide. These also include the built and spatial environments in which such social life occurs, on which it depends, and by which it is also influenced.4 Homogenisation is visible, first of all, in the concentration of new cultural and commercial development projects in city centres. High-rise, high-status, corporate office towers are intended to be symbols of economic modernisation, marking each’s city’s competitive position in a global race for financial investment. To make these sites more attractive to both tenants and affluent local residents, developers combine office space with expensive shops and leisure landscapes. Although cities like New York, London, and Tokyo have the largest concentrations of corporate headquarters and luxury stores, the expansion of financial credit for property development in recent years brought the same development in ideas, - and the same textual allusions and iconic corporate logos affixed to downtown architectural trophies,- to other cities across the globe. 5
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In this way, homogenisation is attendant to strategic vision of urban growth and shared by elites who have the economic and politic power to impose them on urban public spaces. The phenomenon results on a society that is attracted to cities that are nothing more than copies of each other. The main streets of urban locations present a visual homogenisation throughout the globe.1 Thus the fear emerges of losing the cultural references that define people and hence the conflicts and demands around local or regional identities.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Saint Tropez, France
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Barcelona, Spain
Porto, Portugal
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The impact of globalisation on the identity of the urban places Places are termed ‘places’ and not just ‘spaces’ when they are endowed with identity*.6 The mentioned identity is related to the urban structure and a series of morphological, natural, historical and cultural invariants. These invariants are closely interrelated to the features of the city and its inhabitants combined with the way they perceive that place. Also colours, smells and sounds compose an inseparable part of any location in the city, representing the emotional components of the urban image.6 The identity of a place manifests itself as an harmonious balance between variant and invariant components, people and urban events, which are intrinsically connected by a reciprocal relationship that makes a specific place distinctive and recognisable.7 Both globalisation and technological development have contributed to accelerate the process of change and consequently transform places in the contemporary city. This transformation phenomenon results in cities, places, itineraries and behavioural patterns that resemble one another, stimulating an urban identity crisis.8
*According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘identity’ consists in a group of qualities or features that differentiate something.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The phenomenon of globalisation and the creation of a global space through improved electronic communications resulted in a loss of meaning in what refers to physical places.4 The alteration of relationships between local* and global presents significant implications regarding what constitutes the meaning of a place. As stated by Manuel Castells4, globalisation has shaped a ‘mass’ culture, emerging from the processes of mass production and consumption, which homogenises and standardises culture and places, transcending, crowding out, even destroying local cultures. According to Mike Crang9, one of the biggest concerns regarding the meaning of place can be interpreted as fear that the local,- the supposedly authentic form of culture and a symbol of distinctiveness,is being displaced by mass produced commercial forms imposed on the locality.
*According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘local’ consists in something existing in, serving, or responsible for a small area, especially of a country.
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By reflecting on the phenomenon previously reported, I can conclude that the urban condition experienced nowadays presents a significant impact in what refers to the alteration of rhythms and exploitation of the city, modalities of living, working and moving around and, consequently, the lack of emotional attachment between the urbanite and his surroundings.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The distinction between Nature and Artifice
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The identity of a place presents a substantial impact in what refers to the relationship between the place itself and the individual.4 According to Baudrillard10, what has happened in postmodern culture is that our society has become so reliant on models* that we have lost all contact within the real world. Referring to postmodern simulation and simulacra10, the philosopher defends that it is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real. Baudrillard is not merely suggesting that postmodern culture is artificial, because the concept of artificiality still requires some sense of reality against which to recognise the artifice. His point, rather, is that we have lost all ability to make sense of the distinction between nature and artifice, between the authentic* and the superfluous.10 Baudrillard’s suggestion is due to the fact that the current homogenisation has encouraged the centre of community life to be a site devoted to mass consumption. Within this economic landscape, the majority of the world’s population is being developed on top of materialistic values*.11 Authenticity is no longer the basis of a daily life or of the city itself since the individual’s sense of place is vanishing.
*According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘model’ refers to something used as an example to follow or imitate. *According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘authentic’ refers to something of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine. *According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘materialistic values’ refers to the word ‘materialism’, a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
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In this way, it is visible that the distinction between the essential and the superficial has notably faded resulting in a significant lack of meaning in what to refers to the urban place, leading to a decrease of the level of connection* between the individual and its surroundings.11
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION
THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
how
can you reconnect to your own city ?
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Globalisation as the process of homogenisation of the urban pl aces The process of globalisation previously analysed indicates that we live in such a fast paced and consistently active culture that we have to find ways that enable us to consciously disconnect from the city to engage in a peaceful sensation and emotional attachment. It is about our overall wellbeing as humans. 12 But what if disconnecting is not the right solution to deal with the problem? Disconnection consists in the state of being isolated resulting from the act of detaching one thing from another.13 Referring to the relationship between the urban place and the dweller, the act of disconnecting would mean creating a pause moment that would consequently allow the individual to turn off and reflect. But would this escape be enough when the connection level is already negatively affected? Would this disconnection improve somehow the connection between the individual and the city?
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Metaphorical representation for the act of being disconnected.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
When generating the research question of my brand, I attempted to deeply analyse the meaning of the three words,- connect, disconnect and reconnect,- in order to achieve the most appropriate term. Taking into account the integral part of the issue initially analysed, - the lack of emotional connection visible between the urban place and the dweller, - I intended to discover a way of improving this connection. In other words, I intended to enable the individual to feel and understand something that he had stopped feeling or understanding somehow13, so to reconnect to the city.
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Improvement of the connection level - Reconnection Process
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
How can you truly connect to your own city? vs How can you reconnect to your own city?
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As I dived into my research, I understood that I had to be more clear in what refers to the mission of my brand. I was divided between the idea of truly connecting the urbanite to his surroundings or simply reconnect him. By ‘simply reconnecting’ I mean that the act of ‘truly connecting’ requires a factual and proofed basis once the term ‘truly’ consists in something that is made accurately, something assured.13 The brand is focused on providing an alternative to improve a connection that is low, enabling a reflection instead of dictating a solution. This alternative intends to challenge traditional norms and it is not meant to be seen as the one and only way of dealing with the issue.13 In this way, the term ‘reconnect’ was the one that better suited my brand mission and so, the one selected. But in which way could my brand provide a reconnection between the individual and the urban place?
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The Proxemics theory According to the theory of proxemics studied in the “Hidden Dimension”14 by Edward Hall, human perceptions of space, although derived from sensory devices shared by all humans, are shaped and patterned by culture. The scientist argued that the different cultural frameworks that define and organise a space and present themselves unconsciously embodied in each individual can lead to serious failures of communication and understanding of the cross-cultural settings. Hall’s study analyses both the personal space,- the one that the individual fictionally creates around his body -, and the macro-level sensibilities,the fundamentals that shape cultural expectations about how streets, neighbourhoods and cities should be properly organised. In agreement with his most famous investigation ,- an analysis of the definition of the personal and informal spaces that surround individuals -, I attempted to understand the impact of the human behaviour in what refers to the way the individual experiences his surroundings.
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There are three crucial spaces that required a detailed analysis: the intimate space, referring to the intimacy of the individual where only close friends and intimates are allowed to have contact; the social and consultive space, referring to the social routine interactions where the individual feels comfortable dealing with strangers and acquaintances; and finally, the public space, referring to the area of space beyond which the individual feels uncomfortable and perceives the interactions as impersonal and somehow anonymous.14 The theory of human spaces previously described indicates that the individual tends to avoid experiences that present themselves as uncomfortable or unknown, creating a fictional space perceived as a shelter*.
*According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘shelter’ refers to a place used as protection from danger, or attack.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
In agreement with adventure education literature15, the theory nominated as ‘comfort zone model’ is based on the belief that, when exposed to a stressful situation, the individual will respond by overcoming his fear and therefore, grow as a human being. The model is often presented to participants prior to activities with a highly perceived sense of challenge which arouses strong physical and emotional responses to novel tasks. In this way, students are encouraged to move outside their comfort zones, expanding their pre-conceived limits and by inference, improving their level of learning. The model provides three different zones as the fundamentals of human intellectual development: the comfort zone, referring to the space where the individual feels safe and living on a daily routine, not being exposed to any unusual situation; the growth and learning zone, referring to the exploration space where the individual challenges himself to be involved in unusual situations; and the panic zone, referring to the space where the individual attempts to be involved in something dangerous, far beyond his reach and control. Both comfort and panic zones discourage the individual to achieve any relevant progress, in opposite ways, since when feeling totally safe or totally in panic, the individual is not exposed to a challenging situation, being unable to learn. The learning zone, on the other side, presents itself as the most balanced and profound method of intellectual growth.15
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Panic Zone
Growth Zone Comfort Zone
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The analysis of both theories previously described reveals that the public space investigated by Edward Hall is significantly associated to the individual’s learning and growth zone, since the interactions perceived as impersonal might enable the individual to achieve any relevant progress. Nonetheless, the mentioned progress is only perceptible when exposed to a term of comparison. A comparison consists in a consideration of possible similarities or dissimilarities between two situations that, in this case, enable the individual to clearly evaluate the level of progress.13 To conclude and in consonance with the previous analysis, I attempted to apply the theories studied to my brand. The strategy requires the individual to compare two contrasting experiences,- one referring to his comfort zone and the other one referring to his learning zone,- in order to increase his level of emotional attachment to the urban place. The method intends to enable the individual to reconnect to the city in a contrasting way, out of his comfort zone, providing a reflection exercise based on a term of comparison.
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To allow the strategy to be more accurate, I dived into a new research in order to find a specific range of individuals that already presented a high level of connection in what refers to the urban location. But who were they and in which way were they connected?
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT
AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The I n f l u e n c e r s “I appreciate the quietness the canal gives me. It is a lifestyle that really makes you slowdown a little when central London can feel very fast paced. It truly forces you out of your comfort zone though.” Skye Corewijn
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The g i r l t h a t l i v e s i n a b o a t During a walk throughout the canals in East London I found a girl that was leaving in a boat. I started a spontaneous conversation in order to deeply understand this alternative lifestyle and the reason behind that made her embark on such a contrasting and challenging experience. This girl named Skye, aged twenty-four years old and natural from Cape Town in Africa was graduated in Art History. Our briefly chat that lasted for approximately half an hour enabled me to understand the high level of sensibility and perceptiveness that encouraged such a brave decision. Skye’s aim was to pursue meaning inside of the city and she believed this new concept of life could offer a range of possibilities to achieve it.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
According to the girl’s belief, an individual can become really familiar with his residential area and daily routine and rarely explore the core of the urban place. She considers this communal lifestyle challenging and completely out of her comfort zone which encouraged her to test her limits and experience something alternative. As stated by Skye, “living in a boat is certainly harder work than living in a conventional flat�. It is a lifestyle in constant transition since the boat is not allowed to stop in one canal for more than one month. In agreement with her experience, when living in a boat the individual starts to be more conscious in what refers to the quantity of energy and water waisted in a daily basis. New concerns and values gradually emerged during the experience. Skye confessed that during this process she had to change her perceptions and disconnect from material values. She considers the whole experience a daily challenge since anything is expectable. It was a turning point in her life that enabled her to find her own space in the city and achieve the authenticity of living.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Skye’s story inspired me to deeply explore alternative lifestyles throughout different urban places. As I dived into my investigation, I found real stories that influenced the foundation of the brand, as well the findings of the audience.
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The a c t o f s q u a t t i n g “ Squatters are the urban explorers.” The Guardian
As one of the research methodologies adopted, I was part of a peer review that enable my first contact in what refers to the squatting subject. The act of squatting usually refers to a person who is not the owner, taking possession of land or an empty house.13 After the World War II, squatting was a necessity for a big range of people that slept in all sorts of buildings. However, the next wave came in the 60’s and 70’s bringing together a new philosophy that presented the act of squatting as a cultural move towards an alternative style of living. Historically, squats have been places in which new cultural, political and technological ideas have flourished. Artistic movements and music bands emerged from this communal lifestyle.16
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Currently with the high housing prices and affordable option in short supply, squatting can seem an appealing option for some. What might commonly be perceived as a shelter for the homeless or poor is often a conscious choice. 17 Nonetheless, the lifestyle of a squatter demands the ability to change and adapt, constantly. It attracts those individuals seeking adventure, freedom and friendship. This alternative concept of living creates homes that extend far beyond a physical existence. Corinna Kern is a photographer that for a few months made her home alongside a group of squats, recording each single detail of this authentic experience. In consonance with the artist, when squatting the word “home� is not defined by property or possessions, but by the lives of those who share the communal space. Private spaces are rare in squats since several people usually share one room, which results in the creation of a strong family feeling. Values such as sharing, altruism and conviviality become the fundamentals of this lifestyle.18 These individuals have the ability to perceive life in a particular and authentic way, turning the minimum into the essential. They pursue simplicity which allows them an unfiltered view of the city.18
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Image credits : Corinna Kern
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
In relation to the findings of the primary and secondary research conducted, I discovered the range of individuals that presented a deeper and more authentic connection to the urban place. These people adopted communal lifestyles in order to pursue meaning and improve the emotional attachment to their surroundings. They simplify the act of living. In this way, they became the influencers of the main audience of the brand. The ones that will have the leading role in what to refers to inspire and affect the way this audience thinks and behaves. But who would be willing to leave their comfort zones and embark on such a contrasting experience?
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The m a i n a u d i e n c e p r o f i l e According to the findings of the interviews I collected, the audience of my brand consists in young individuals from several countries across the world, aged from 22 to 35 years old that have been living in a new urban place (different from the one of their origins) for more than three years. The brand does not refer to any particular gender since both male and female seemed to feel the same necessity of improving their level of connection to the surroundings. When exposed to numbers from 0 to 10 ( ten being the deepest) as an indicator of the level of connection being experienced until the date by each individual, 4 was the average number which revealed a level of connection that needed to be improved.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Nevertheless, in what to refers to the professional level, the individuals that presented a significantly higher need of challenge were associated to creative fields such as design, production, fashion, photography and cookery. This coincidence is due to the fact that individuals that work in the creative industry present a higher level of sensibility and so are more willing to be affected by the lack of identity present on the urban location.19 In agreement with the creativity coach Lisa Riley, creative individuals experience the world differently than the average individual. They are more susceptible to loose interest and achieve a deeper level of boredom and frustration than the majority of the individuals. Over-stimulation is one of the main features of this range of people which becomes an obstacle when coping with their daily routine.19 They pursue constant inspiration and meaning so challenging experiences are always seen as a possible improvement and somehow, an escape from the routine. Even if living on top of materialistic values as the majority of the common society, these individuals value simplicity and emotional connections and perceive them as the fundamentals of life. In consonance with the findings revealed from the interviews,they are conscious to the fact that materialism does not add any integral value to the human being.
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Referring to their beliefs, their comfort zone was crossed the moment they decided to move to a new city, leaving behind their intimates.This means that they consider themselves openminded individuals that are willing to embark on different challenges. These individuals envisaged the idea of a sporadic experience based on a contrasting concept as deeply advantageous, since it might enable them to perceive the city with a fresh vision. They believe that having a term of comparison might be crucial to add more value to details they previously used to ignore or perceived as guaranteed.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT CRITICAL REFLECTION
BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION
THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Brand Name The name CommonSphere emerged from the fundamentals of the communal lifestyles previously reported. The term itself results from the convergence of two singular words,common and sphere. Referring to the singularity of the meaning of each word according to the English grammar13, the term “common” consists in something that is meant to be shared by two or more individuals, while the term “sphere” refers to a place or an environment within an individual or thing exists. In this way, CommonSphere manifests itself as an opposite to something that is private, for the use of one particular individual or group of individuals.13 The name of the brand intends to promote a sense of conviviality and sharing, reflecting the values of the communal styles of living. The private space built on top of materialistic values becomes the common place fulfilled by diversity and meaning.6 CommonSphere portraits the simplest values of life.
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COM MON SPH ERE
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
B r a n d St r u c t u r e CommonSphere provides a reflective exercise based on a term of comparison between two contrasting realities that will enable our audience to reevaluate their principles as human beings and prioritise emotional values instead of materialistic ones. The brand mission is to encourage and inspire our audience to pursue meaning in order to improve their level of connection in what refers to the urban place. In other words, the brand intends to enable a reflection instead of dictating a solution that will result in a process of reconnection between the individual and his surroundings. CommonSphere plays a sociocultural role once it involves social and cultural aspects. Our brand believes in values such as authenticity and simplicity as the fundamentals to create emotional attachments.We consider that meaning represents the integral component to establish a strong connection which can only be achieved through a comparison exercise. CommonSphere intends to show to the audience that the process of reconnection is meant to be something gradual and profound. Our brand presents an authentic and challenging personality that aims to engage the audience thoughts and stimulate a deep reflection process regarding the whole subject of reconnection. Using the reflective character of the brand, we intend to provoke a change in the way our audience perceives and understands the city.
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CommonSphere differentiates itself from the remain competitors due to the fact that the brand intends to provide an escape from the daily routine that does not consist in a pause moment. Instead, it stimulates a reflective process based on contrasting experiences, as a way to improve a level of connection that was previously low. Contrary to the remain competition that provides solutions that enable the individual to slow down and disconnect from the fast paced city, our brand intends to encourage the audience to simply improve the level of emotional attachment, by pursuing meaning in contrasting realities.This experience will enable the individual to see and feel the city undressed of any filters.*
*According to Cambridge dictionary the term ‘filter’ refers to a tool used for selecting or removing a particular type of information.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Brand Expression CommonSphere provides a reflective process through a photographic series of books that visually transmit the essence of hidden lifestyles existent in several cities. Covering five real stories across Europe, each book narrative will allow our audience to explore opposite realities and discover homes that extend far beyond a physical existence.
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THE BOOK COLLECTION SET
COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
B O O K III
BOOK I
BOOK V
COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
BOOK II
BOOK IV
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The whole brand concept is based on values such as simplicity and authenticity as a way of featuring the principles of the alternative communities. In this way, the layout created throughout the collection presents a minimalistic character in order to enforce the essence of living with the minimum and the importance of disconnecting from the materialistic world. The minimalistic visual language adopted was expressed throughout the different designs, in what refers to colours, typographies and brand logo. The colour palette selected presents shades of greys and blues. Each narrative will present one main colour as the key element of the book design. As a collectable set, the different shades of the five books will create a gradient that will be expressed from the spines and metaphorically transmit the level of reconnection achieved by the individual. In this way, the first book will present the lightest shade of the collection and so, the lower level of reconnection. Each spine will have a connection symbol (based on the wireless symbol normally used) that will increase according to the number of the narrative, enforcing the fact that a reconnection consists in the improvement of a low level of connection. As the individual acquires the following book, his level of reconnection will increase until he reaches the top,- the fifth book. As previously mentioned, the process of reconnection is meant to be something gradual and profound.
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THE BOOK COLLECTION : VERTICAL SPINE VIEW Improvement of the level of connection, - Reconnection Process
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Based on the same concept, the covers of each book will present a level of contrast that will improve, once again, according to the number of the narrative. This contrast is provided through the colour of the word “common� presented in each cover. The gradient of contrast metaphorically transmits the process of adaptation of each individual in relation to each narrative and, more importantly, in relation to the whole concept of the communal lifestyle. It represents the gradual integration of one singular individual into a group of people, - a common sphere. In consonance, the brand logo is provided by the design of singular letters individually presented that, once again, represents the idea of integration and adaptation of one individual into a common space. The cut in a rectangular shape presented in each cover of the collection set, represents the idea of a window, - an opening that allows the individual to see the inside -, transmitting the sense of sharing and truth featured by a communal place. In order to engage with our audience and involve them throughout the narrative process, our brand attempted to use a reflective and conceptual tone of voice. In this way, each story is described in a poetic and informal way, enabling the individual to deeply connect to each book.
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Improvement of the level of connection, - Reconnection Process
COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
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COM MON SPH ERE
COM MON SPH ERE
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
Brand Resolu tion The integral part of the brand outcome is expressed through a book. This book represents the fifth narrative of the brand collectable set, named “A portrait of a girl that became a squatter�, which was inspired by a real story experienced by the photographer Corinna Kern.18 All the contents presented inside of the publication were generated by me. In consonance with the identity previously described, the design of the fifth book presents the same features. The colour palette presented includes shades of light grey and an intense dark blue as the key element.
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COM MON SPH ERE
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The book design provides a smaller range of layers built on top of each other which expresses the sense of diversity characteristic of a squat. This feature allows the individual to enjoy a pause moment during the narrative, in order to focus on the simplest details. The narrative is visualised by a series of photographies.The whole imagery was edited and presented in both black and white and colours, in order to provide a visual harmony that enforces the sense of familiarity and union portrayed during the story.
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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
The paper selected for the production of the book presents a range of textures and patterns that allow a more natural and realistic character to the visuals.
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The narrative process of the fifth book is deeply focused on simple artefacts that became the crucial part of the story. In agreement with the real experience of Corinna Kern, these common objects become essentials of the daily routine when squatting.18 In this way, I attempted to enforce the relevance of each artefact metaphorically describing their connotation meanings. Each metaphor was visualised through a photography and/or illustration that expresses the profound value of the minimum details when living in a communal place. The ability to transform the minimum into the essential was, more than once, evidenced throughout the narrative as a way of emphasising the authenticity of the place.
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Artefacts metaphorically portrayed throughout the narrative.
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As the second part of the outcome, I attempted to create a brand manifesto that expresses itself as a bookmark. Once again, the design fits the whole identity of the brand.The bookmark also provides a smaller layer on top of the text which transmits a sense of mystery to the audience, when reading the manifesto. The two layers are hold by a thin string of rope which is metaphorically portrayed as an emotional bond during the narrative. This element was created specifically for the fifth book as for the rest of the collection different bookmarks would be provided, according to each story.
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The third and final part of the brand resolution is expressed through a tote bag. Following the concept provided during the narrative of the fifth book, - the minimum as an essential,- I attempted to create a front and back designed tote bag that metaphorically transmits the relation of duality between two types of bag: ‘a bag’ which refers to any bag, the easily replaceable one that it is associated to the common society; and ‘the bag’ which refers to the one and only bag, the irreplaceable one that is associated to the communal society. In this way, the minimal concept provided was also applied in what refers to the material and methodologies adopted. The design was placed on a natural coloured cotton fabric, using the transfer printing technique. As simple as it could be.
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INTRODUCTION
FIELD OF STUDY CONTEXT
CRITICAL REFLECTION BRAND CONTEXT AUDIENCE EXPLORATION THE RESEARCH QUESTION THE BRAND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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“Designers do not actually solve problems. They work through them.” Marty Neumeier, Director of Transformation for Liquid Agency - California.
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Since research has become by now a well-known and crucial method within design, the proliferation of research approaches has led to a point where a distinction must be made between critical practices and practices limited to mediation of information. Throughout the academic year, all the efforts were made in order to achieve this critical practice. In this way, all the primary and secondary research conducted leaded me to a reflective process that resulted in the generation of a concept, the brand. CommonSphere resulted by a convergence of studies and critical analysis that became the fundamentals of new thoughts and beliefs.Through my brand expression,I attempted to enable an alternative that aimed to be a reflection to a problem. It did not meant to be a solution but, instead, a way of overcoming a problem without avoiding it, simply suggesting a fresh perspective to deal with it.
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The Brand Social Character As stated by Frank Chimero, formal designer based in Brooklyn, people ignore design that ignores people.20 In this way, when generating the concept of the brand, one of the main concerns was to focus on building a strong social character. I was conscious to the fact that creating a brand that aims to challenge the way an individual feels or perceives something presented a subject with a deep level of investigation and testing. According to “The Really Fundamental Attribution Error in Social Psychological Research� article21, the belief that people’s character is more important in explaining their behaviour than the context of their decision is far from the truth, even if it has been widespread. In consonance with the investigation, situational or contextual factors present themselves as more relevant than personality when determining behaviour. In this way, cultural and social aspects became the fundamentals of my investigation. Once the problem was found,- the current process of globalisation happening in the postmodern culture,- and the audience target defined, I attempted to find the most appropriate way of expressing the beliefs of the brand. Referring to the audience profile in what refers to age, professional field, cultural background and beliefs, I aimed to design several routes that better suited these contextual aspects.The main focus was to create an alternative to respond to the problem defined that better suited the audience necessities.
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The Audience Beliefs CommonSphere expresses itself through a collection of photographic books. But was this the best way to express the brand concept in order to achieve the target audience previously defined? According to my findings, the individuals that belong to the core audience of the brand manifested a high sense of adventure to discover the unknown. They revealed a high level of interest regarding the idea of pursuing a new perspective of the city, by living a new experience. In this way, I attempted to explore several possibilities of creating an experience. Does an experience need to be physical? or could I turn it into something conceptual and, somehow, reflective? I believe that our imagination can provide exceptional experiences and that we can fictionally travel through a book. Physically, we remain at the same place, but psychologically we can reach as many places as our imagination allows. Based on this principle the concept of providing a range of narratives emerged. But would my audience be interested in something fictional? Or would they be more attracted by real stories? By small conversations with individuals that were part of the core audience, I quickly understood that real stories should be the basis of each narrative. These individuals appreciate discovery, exploration and the feeling of comparison that only a strong real story could provide.
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The Resolution - Audience feelings and response “The engagement with this book enabled me to reevaluate my priorities and see the real city, the one I have been ignoring devoid of any superfluous values. It made me realise that meaning can be found in the minimum.�
Michael Wilson, 23 years old, Chef in London, element of the targeted audience
In order to test the brand concept, I created a prototype that enabled me to understand the audience response to the resolution. When exposed to the physical book, the individuals belonging to the core audience defined presented a high level of interest and engagement within the narrative. During the testing exercise, I noticed that for some of them the typology of the imagery created was a crucial element, in what refers to the level of interaction. While navigating through the book, the feeling of curiosity and discovery was notable. During an informal conversation after the exercise, I was able to understand how the brand outcome generated a reflective discussion about the communal lifestyles. I was deeply questioned in what refers to my background research and the real stories that inspired the whole concept.
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The Resolution - Personal Analysis As a strong point of my brand, I would mention the fact that is aimed to improve awareness in the targeted audience. Enabling people to pursue meaning instead of materialistic values is a challenging aim but, referring to my beliefs, it can also be perceived as a point of difference. The fact that the brand itself promotes the improvement of a connection that was previously low, becomes one of the fundamentals of the concept generated as well as a strength, since it encourages a specific range of individuals to deal with the problem in an innovative way, instead of avoiding it. I believe that the narrative concept based on the minimal lifestyle adopted by communal societies, can also be perceived as a distinctive point of the project. Transforming basic artefacts from the daily routine into essential elements with a metaphorical connotation enabled the brand to emphasise the authenticity of living, something that is daily filtered with superficial values.
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As stated by Paul Seawright at ‘Invisible Cities’ , “ We shaped the city, now it shapes us.”.22 It is our role as individuals to be able to feel and connect to the simplest details of the urban place. We are an integral part of its identity and so, its features are also a deep part of us.
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FOOTNOTES Footnote 1: _ AugĂŠ, M. (2008). Non-places. 1st ed. London:Verso.
Footnote 2 :
HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
_ Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC - GCSE Bitesize:What is globalisation?. [online] Available at: http://www. bbc.co.uk/schools/ gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev1.shtml [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
Footnote 3 :
_ Asu.edu. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http:// www.asu.edu/courses/aph294/totalreadings/mcguirk%20--%20connectionanddisconnection.pdf [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 4 :
_ Castells, M. (2000). Globalisation, identity and the state. Social Dynamics, 26(1), pp.5-17.
Footnote 5 :
_ King, A. (n.d.). Spaces of Global Cultures.
Footnote 6 :
_ Hague, C. and Jenkins, P. (2005). Place identity, planning and participation. London: Routledge.
Footnote 7 :
_ Lynch, K. (1990). The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass. [etc.]: MIT.
Footnote 8 :
_Bentley, I. (1999). Urban transformations. London: Routledge.
Footnote 9 :
_Crang, M. and Thrift, N. (2000). Thinking space. London: Routledge.
Footnote 10 :
_Baudrillard, J. (2015). Simulacra and simulation. 1st ed. Johanneshov: MTM.
Footnote 11 :
_Kasser, T. (2003). The high price of materialism. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT.
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Footnote 12: _ Warrington, R. (n.d.). Material girl, mystical world.
Footnote 13 :
_ Walter, E. (2012). Cambridge advanced learner’s dictionary. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press.
Footnote 14 :
_ Hall, E. (1969). The hidden dimension. New York: Doubleday Anchor Book.
Footnote 15 :
_ Wood, D. and Gillis, J. (1979). Adventure education. Washington: National Education Association.7.
Footnote 16 :
_ Vice. (2017). Amazing Photographs of London Squatters in the 70s and 80s. [online] Available at: https://www.vice. com/sv/article/zngggw/remembering-what-it- was-like-to-squat-in-london-129 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 17 :
_ the Guardian. (2017). Political squatting: an arresting art. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cultureprofessionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/ 2012/sep/28/squatting-art-brighton-photo-biennial [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 18 :
_ Maptia. (2017). Squatters: Hidden Lives in London. [online] Available at: https://maptia.com/corinnakern/stories/ squatters-hidden-lives-in-london [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 19 :
_Eby, S. (2017). Highly Sensitive Personality and Creativity | Highly Sensitive and Creative. [online] Highly Sensitive and Creative. Available at: http://highlysensitive.org/ 325/highly-sensitive-personality-and-creativity/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 20 :
__ Chimero, F. (2017). About. [online] Frank Chimero. Available at: https:// www.frankchimero.com/about/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].
Footnote 21 :
_ Sabini, J., Siepmann, M. and Stein, J. (2001). Target Article: “The Really Fundamental Attribution Error in Social Psychological Research.” Psychological Inquiry, 12(1), pp.1-15.
Footnote 22 :
_ Seawright, P. and Coppock, C. (2007). Invisible cities : Paul Seawright. Cardiff: Ffotogallery.
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I M A G ERY _ geo41.com. (2017). Homogenisation of Landscapes. [online] Available at: http://www.geo41.com/homogenisationof-landscapes/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. _ Routes North. (2017). Life after weed: visiting Christiania in Copenhagen – Routes North. [online] Available at: https://www.routesnorth.com/copenhagen/life-after-weed-visiting-christiania-in-copenhagen/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].
BIBLIOGRAPHY HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?
_ Augé, M. (2008). Non-places. 1st ed. London:Verso. _Asu.edu. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://www.asu.edu/courses/aph294/totalreadings/mcguirk%20--%20connectionanddisconnection.pdf [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017]. _ Baudrillard, J. (2015). Simulacra and simulation. 1st ed. Johanneshov: MTM. _ Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC - GCSE Bitesize:What is globalisation?. [online] Available at: http://www. bbc.co.uk/schools/ gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev1.shtml [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ Behance.net. (2017). Behance. [online] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/17506203/THE-RIGHT-ROUTE [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _Bentley, I. (1999). Urban transformations. London: Routledge. _ Calvino, I. (2009). Invisible cities. 1st ed. London:Vintage. _ Castells, M. (2000). Globalisation, identity and the state. Social Dynamics, 26(1), pp.5-17. _ Chimero, F. (2017). About. [online] Frank Chimero. Available at: https://www.frankchimero.com/about/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _ Coverley, M. (2012). Psychogeography. 1st ed. Harpenden: Pocket essentials. _Crang, M. and Thrift, N. (2000). Thinking space. London: Routledge. _ Debord, G. (2017). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://tbook.constantvzw.org/wp-content/ derivedebord.pdf [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _Eby, S. (2017). Highly Sensitive Personality and Creativity | Highly Sensitive and Creative. [online] Highly Sensitive and Creative. Available at: http://highlysensitive.org/325/highly-sensitive-personality-and-creativity/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _ Elkin, L. (2017).A tribute to female flâneurs: the women who reclaimed our city streets. [online] the Guardian.Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/29/female- flaneur-women-reclaim-streets [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ Freston,T. (2017).Tracking 40 Years of Christiania, Copenhagen’s 85-Acre “Free Zone” (and Cannabis Market). [online] The Hive. Available at: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/politics/2013/09/christiana-forty-years-copenhagen [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. 100
_ Freston,T. (2017).Tracking 40 Years of Christiania, Copenhagen’s 85-Acre “Free Zone” (and Cannabis Market). [online] The Hive. Available at: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/politics/2013/09/christiana-forty-years-copenhagen [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _Hague, C. and Jenkins, P. (2005). Place identity, planning and participation. London: Routledge. _ Hall, E. (1969). The hidden dimension. New York: Doubleday Anchor Book. _ Imaginarymuseum.org. (2017). Guy Debord 1957: Psychogeographic guide of Paris. [online] Available at: http:// imaginarymuseum.org/LPG/Mapsitu1.htm [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ Imaginarymuseum.org. (2017). Guy Debord 1957: Psychogeographic guide of Paris. [online] Available at: http:// imaginarymuseum.org/LPG/Mapsitu1.htm [Accessed 7 Jun. 2017]. _ Kasser, T. (2003). The high price of materialism. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT. _King, A. (n.d.). Spaces of Global Cultures. _Lynch, K. (1990). The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass. [etc.]: MIT. _ Maptia. (2017). Squatters: Hidden Lives in London. [online] Available at: https://maptia.com/corinnakern/stories/ squatters-hidden-lives-in-london [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _ Noble, I. and Bestley, R. (2016).Visual research. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury. _ Sabini, J., Siepmann, M. and Stein, J. (2001). Target Article: “The Really Fundamental Attribution Error in Social Psychological Research.” Psychological Inquiry, 12(1), pp.1-15. _ Seawright, P. and Coppock, C. (2007). Invisible cities : Paul Seawright. Cardiff: Ffotogallery. _ Simplypsychology.org. (2017). Observation Methods in Research | Simply Psychology.[online] Available at: https:// www.simplypsychology.org/observation.html [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ Tate.org.uk. (2017). Exam help – Journeys. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/ online-resources/examhelp/themes/journeys [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ the Guardian. (2017). Political squatting: an arresting art. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cultureprofessionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/sep/28/squatting-art-brighton-photo-biennial [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _ Travel Studies. (2017).The Dérive Vs.The Flâneur. [online] Available at: https://travelstudies.org/ the-derive-vs-theflaneur/ [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017]. _ Vice. (2017). Amazing Photographs of London Squatters in the 70s and 80s. [online] Available at: https://www.vice.com/ sv/article/zngggw/remembering-what-it-was-like-to-squat-in-london-129 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. _ Warrington, R. (n.d.). Material girl, mystical world._ Walter, E. (2012). Cambridge advanced learner’s dictionary. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. _ Wood, D. and Gillis, J. (1979). Adventure education. Washington: National Education Association.
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As simples as it is.