A Visual Study of a Reconnection by Carlota dos Santos

A VISUAL STUDY OF A RECONNECTION

VISUAL SUMMARY

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

CONTENTS

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

T H E J O U R N E Y . 10 - 5 2

D I S C O N N E C T I O N . 5 4 - 55

C O N N E C T I O N . 5 6 - 59 R E C O N N E C T I O N . 5 8 - 63

A U D I E N C E E X P L O R A T I O N . 6 4 - 91 D E S I G N R O U T E S . 9 2 - 93

T H E B R A N D . 9 5 - 12 7 T H E O U T C O M E . 12 9 - 15 9

B I B L I O G R A P H Y . 16 4 - 167

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

“ We shaped the city, now it shapes us .” Paul Seawright at “Invisible Cities”

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.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE JOURNEY The research conducted during the exploration of my field of study leaded me to the the urban place as a subject. In this way, the urban place itself,- its meaning, its identity, its sense,- dictated the journey of my investigation. Having as a starting point the way an individual perceive a city,- as a tourist and as a dweller-, I attempted to evaluate each finding in order to dive into the topic. The identity of the urban place and the emotional attachment generated by its relationship with the urbanite dictated the path of the project, leading it towards the final topic of study, - city reconnection.1

reconnection

urban emotional attachments

urban homogenisation city perception

urban familiarity

urban landscapes uniformity city exploration

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

How do we perceive an unfamiliar city?

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VENICE

UNKNOWN AREA

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

VENICE This visual experiment aimed to look at the way I perceived a city that was completely unfamiliar to me - Venice, in Italy. My journey started by collecting three maps of the town, one for each day, allowing me to record the total of areas explored per day. Having the same starting point during the whole trip, I decided to represent the areas explored in white, leaving the black as a representation of the areas unexplored, as a metaphor for the unknown.

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DAY 1

areas explored by me

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DAY 2

areas explored by me

VENICE By reflecting about the previous days, on the third day I challenged myself to drift around the city. I attempted to be a walker someone who gets to know the city by wandering its streets, investigating its dark corners, peering behind faรงades, penetrating into secret courtyards. At the end, by drifting around the city I realized that I explored an higher quantity of places than on the previous days while following the guide. I must say that the feeling was absolutely different from the one I had before. Instead of being conducted by a map, I was actually conducting the map, dictating my own experience after three days of exploration.

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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

DAY 3

areas explored by me

But was this experience generating any emotional attachment between me and Venice?

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TOTAL OF AREAS EXPLORED

VENICE During my geographical exploration around the urban place, I realised that the structure of the city presented a significant uniformity in what refers to its visual landscape. The little streets throughout the city presented the same typology of shops and restaurants which affected my perceptions.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

VENICE Following a city-guide of Venice, I attempted to explore the touristic locations of the urban place on the first and second days. This experimentation proved that the touristic places are actually the busiest ones in the city, mainly during day time. By observation, I discovered that the majority of the people across the streets were tourists, carrying maps and city-guides during their journeys. Some of them were simply following the crowd. This factor indicates that Venice is a touristic city. The centre of the city,- also named as the touristic zone of Venice -, was covered by chains of fast food and fast fashion that resulted in a visual homogenisation of the place.

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TOURISTIC POINTS

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THE HOMOGENISED VENICE The San Marco plaza manifested itself as the most touristic area of the urban place. The location was covered by individuals from all ages and countries. The same range of cafes, restaurants and fashion stores covered the place with a sense of familiarity. There was a feeling of universality throughout the city that made me question if knew the city even before I have been there physically. The visual experiment presented attempts to express the lack of identity felt in the urban place. The overlap of different layers expresses the abundance of people and information across the city which generates a place empty of meaning, - blurry.

Piazza San Marco, most touristic point of the city 25

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

VENICE FROM SEVER AL PERSPECTIVES When we are in a place that is perceived as completely unfamiliar, the first thing we attempt to do is try to identify even the tiniest details. In order to find a more authentic essence of the city, I attempted to explore different methods of geographic exploration. Zooming in and out, looking at the place in diverse perspectives and identify textures and proportions became the fundamentals of the experimentation. But would a mere alteration of perspectives improve my emotional attachment to the urban place? Would it enable me to identify things that I previously ignored?

ZOOMING IN

Proximity enable us to understand a place according to its particular features. It might allow us to identify a point of difference.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

ZOOMING OUT

Distance might enable us to identify the most relevant features of a place.

LOOKING FROM SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES

Perspective allows us to explore different view points and reflect on details previously ignored.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

But what if changing perpectives is not enough to find meaning in the city? What if we need to dive deeper in order to enable an alteration that start from us as individuals?

INVERTING PERSPECTIVES

Would a contrasting perspective affect the way we feel the urban place?

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

OPORTO This psychogeographic exercise aimed to look at four different trajectories and compare them in terms of coincidence points and familiarity. Having the same starting point, in this case the Trindade tube station in Oporto, I asked three totally unknown tourists to signalize their trajectories and meet me back at the same place after four hours. Each of us was carrying a city-guide and a map. Referring to this visual experiment I attempted to understand the changing of perceptions when perceiving my hometown as a tourist. Would anything relevant happen? Would it enable me to perceive the urban location differently?

How can I be a tourist in my hometown ?

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UNEXPLORED AREA

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Previous to the exercise

OPORTO Each individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trajectory was signalized by a different line stroke. As a first analysis, I represented each trajectory individually, covering the areas explored by the specific line stroke. Having each journey graphically represented, I attempted to layer them, in order to identify coincidence points. By looking at this experiment, I concluded that the three tourists and me had surprisingly similar trajectories, even if anything was previously planned. There were seven points where at least two of the trajectories coincided and all the interactions happened to be the touristic points of the urban location.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

Area explored by me

Area explored by tourist 1

Area explored by tourist 2

Area explored by tourist 3

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Total of areas explored by me and the three tourists after four hours

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OPORTO By analyzing the interaction between the three trajectories, I started exploring how long something remains unfamiliar. According to the overlap of the line strokes, the touristic points were considered as the most explored and thus the most familiar ones, after a certain period of exploration. Once again, the whole experience was being conducted from a touristic point of view where the homogenised high streets and chains across the centre of the city were perceived as the safest place to be.

OPORTO Coincidence points = Most touristic places

Trindade - tube station

Town Hall

Livraria Lelo - Bookshop Majestic Cafe ClĂŠrigos Tower S. Bento station

Ribeira

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But are the touristic points the most effective way of connecting to the urban place? This visual experiment aimed to show how the touristic area of a city is homogenised by chains of fast food and fast fashion. The most touristic places of the urban place, - the ones that are supposed to present cultural and local features -, are surrounded by a visual homogenised landscape devoid of local identity. Is this a method of attracting tourists by transmitting a sense of familiarity? Can we consider tourism a relevant factor for the loss of identity in the urban place?

THE HOMOGENISED OPORTO

Trindade - tube station

Town Hall McDonalds

Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius

Livraria Lelo - Bookshop Pizza Hut

Hard Rock

Majestic Cafe ClĂŠrigos Tower Venue Shops

S. Bento station

Cereal Killer Cafe

Ribeira

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“ Big cities are defined firstly by their capacity to import and export people, products, images and messages. Spatially, their importance can be measured by the quality and scale of the highway and rail networks linking them with their airports. Their relation with the exterior is being written into the landscape at the very moment that so-called ‘historic’ centres are becoming increasingly attractive to tourists from all over the world. ” Marc Augé at “Non-Places”

In an era of globalisation, the deep-seated connections we have to our urban landscapes are at real risk of being lost. 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. Does this phenomenon affect the urban dwellers? What changes when I experience my hometown as a local?

THE DUAL OPORTO Areas normally used by me as a local

Area explored by me as a tourist

The experiment presented enabled me to analyse the two different levels of exploration I experienced in what refers to my hometown.The seven stripes shape a rectangle as an unit, that metaphorically represents Oporto. After experiencing the city as a tourist, I realised that the touristic area, - and so, centre area -, simply represents a seventh of the total area of the urban place. Referring to my experience and interviews collected from local people from Oporto, dwellers try to avoid the touristic areas as much as they can, using different trajectories around the centre. This choice enables them to save time avoiding traffic and long queues. But is the homogenisation of the urban place only perceptible on the touristic areas?

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE FAMILIARITY OF THE URBAN PLACE According to the research previously presented, the touristic points are the more explored area when perceiving an unfamiliar city. As I dived into the analysis of the visual experiments exposed, I realised that the exploration process is something that happens gradually, which means that the more we pass through something the more familiar it becomes. But what happens if we pass through the same scenario across several urban places? Is the homogenisation phenomenon an indicator of excess of the sense of familiarity? And is this sense of familiarity created with the aim of connecting different people and places globally?

THE URBAN EXPLORATION PROCESS

Unfamiliar urban place

Process of identification

Familiar urban place - after exploration

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE CLONE CITIES Homogenisation of urban landscapes refers to the increasing similarities between towns and cities regardless of their geographical location.2 The structures of the urban places are based on the same model across the globe resulting in a sense of visual uniformity.

Photo credits : Geo 41

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE CLONE CITIES Places are termed ‘places’ and not just ‘spaces’ when they are endowed with identity.3 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.3 The images presented evidence the similarities between two different urban places , - Los Angeles and London. Despite the physical distance between both of the cities, the visual elements are evident. Is this factor an indicator of a possible loss of identity in the urban place?

Photo credits : Geo 41

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

W H A T C I T Y I S IT ? Referring to the images presented that were taken by me during several trips, it is notable the similarities between the four cities. The european urban places present the same structure in what refers to the streets and the architecture provided. When we look at the imagery as a whole, there is not an indicator of local identity in any of the pictures. They present the same features and the same elements, - the cities present a visual homogenisation. In this way, the distinction between the copy and the original has faded. The phenomenon results on a society that is attracted to cities that are nothing more than copies of each other and, thus, the fear emerges of losing the cultural references that define people and hence the conflicts and demands around local or regional identities. But how can you improve your emotional attachment to a urban place devoid of identity and meaning?

Saint Tropez, France

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Barcelona, Spain

Porto, Portugal

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Urban identity is fading and in this way, our sense of place is vanishing.

how

can you reconnect to your own city ?

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

DISCONNECTION According to Cambridge dictionary4,, disconnection consists in the act of detaching one thing from another. In other words, something disconnected presents itself as detached or being isolated from another part. But are the urbanites disconnected from the urban place?

Metaphorical representation for the act of being disconnected.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

CONNECTION According to Cambridge dictionary4,, connection consists in the act of joining or being joined to something else, or the part of process that makes this possible. In other words, something connected presents itself as joined or being joined in some way. But are the urbanites somehow connected to the urban place? Referring to the interviews conducted, 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. The findings of the interviews collected enabled me to understand that the urbanites present a low level of emotional attachment to the urban place due to the lack of challenge of their experiences. They usually connect to the surroundings in a non effective way once having the same experiences in a daily or weekly basis do not allow fresh perspectives.

Metaphorical representation for the act of being connected in one way.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

Metaphorical representation for the act of being connected in another way, - same perspective.

Referring to the low level of connection to the urban place manifested by the interviewed individuals, in which way can we improve this emotional attachment ?

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

RECONNECTION According to Cambridge dictionary4,, reconnection consists in the act of joining or be joined with something else after becoming separated. In other words, reconnection manifests itself as the process of improving a relationship that has become less good, in order to enable the individual to feel and understand something that he had previously stopped feeling or understanding. But how can this relationship be improved?

Metaphorical representation for the act of being connected with a different perspective, in order to improve one attachment - act of reconnecting.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

Metaphorical representation for the act of being connected with a different perspective, in order to reenforce the improvement of one attachment previously started - act of reconnecting.

Improvement of the connection level

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

COMFORT ZONE MODEL The comfort zone 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; _the panic zone referring to the space where the individual attempts to be involved in something dangerous, far beyond his reach and control. In this way, referring to the model analysed, I attempted to find the individuals that presented a strong and more authentic connection to the urban place, in order to explore a possible learning experience.

Panic Zone

Growth Zone Comfort Zone

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

NOMADIC COMMUNITY GARDEN What was once a derelict space, bar a sofa and some rubble, a group of dedicated volunteers have transformed into a modern secret garden. The new Nomadic gardens located in Brick Lane are home to 100 Allotment spaces, sculptures, artwork, bees and bee keepers alike and most importantly, a community of people that have collided from all walks of life. In order to improve my knowledge regarding the communal lifestyle, I conducted some primary research throughout the place. This experience allowed me to understand some parallelisms between the nomadic and the common societies.

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Nomadic Community Garden

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COMMUNAL SOCIETY 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 think and behave, enabling them a term of comparison.

Term of comparison between two parallel realities

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

PARALLEL LINES Parallel lines are lines that never cross each other, keeping the same distance apart from each other. No matter how far these lines are extended, parallel lines will never meet, they are opposites from each other. But do parallel lines share any common point in some way?

TOn parallel lines, alternate angles are equal.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

This visual experiment attempted to On parallel lines, corresponding angles are equal.

PARALLELISM After analysing the parallelism in lines, I tried to apply the same method between the common and communal society. These communities, even if living based on opposite (parallel) concepts and beliefs, they share one significantly relevant point: They both use the minimum, the essential, as the basis of a daily life. However, the ability of using and perceiving this minimum in a different way is what makes them parallel realities.

COMMON SOCIETY

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

Conventional Lifestyle

Minimum becomes devalued

Materialistic values become the focus of the lifestyle

COMMUNAL SOCIETY

Alternative Lifestyle

Minimum becomes the essential

Emotional values become the focus of the lifestyle

The parallelism between both of realities enable a reflective exercise based on a term of comparison.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

TRIANGLES Referring to Cambridge Dictionary, a triangle consists in a plane figure with three straight sides and three angles. The polygon is one of the basic shapes in geometry and its three angles vary according to the length of the sides. In order to dive deeper into the concept of parallelism and term of comparison, I attempted to apply the triangles theory and find my audience profile. As triangles, individuals use different angles in their daily lives.

EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE

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The Equilateral triangle shown above has three equal sides and three equal angles.

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EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE In a metaphorical way of thinking, we can say our perceptions in life come from the perspectives we take. From the equilateral triangle theory, we see things from three different perspectives but yet from the same angles. No matter how we turn the equilateral triangle, the angles will always remain the same. According to the investigation previously analysed, I can say that the equilateral point of view is metaphorically associated to our comfort zone. We attempt to alter our perspectives but they will always remain as comfortable and safe experiences. In consonance with the findings of the interviews conducted in order to investigate the audience profile, I found out that the individuals that showed less interest in experiencing a contrasting challenge are the ones that never left their comfort zone. They still live in the city of their origins, the majority of them still lives with their parents and they appreciate a lifestyle based on materialistic things such as physical comfort and monetary power.

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ISOSCELES TRIANGLE The Isosceles triangle shown on the right has two equal sides and two equal angles. From the Isosceles triangle theory, we also see things from three different perspectives but, in this case, one of them has a new angle. Thus, once again referring to metaphorical thinking, we can consider that the individuals that adopt this way of experiencing life attempted to experience a new challenge but the basis of their daily concepts is still comfortable. According to the findings of the interviews conducted, I found out that the individuals that would be more willing to live a contrasting experience were that ones that are currently living in a city that is not the one from their origins, which means they left their comfort zone the time they left home. However, being away from their countries, they still experience a lifestyle based on the same principles which allows them a sense of safety and comfort.

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SCALENE TRIANGLE The Isosceles triangle shown on the right has no congruent sides. In other words, each side must have a different length. From the Scalene triangle theory, we perceive things according to three totally different angles Thus, once again referring to metaphorical thinking, we can consider that the individuals that adopt this way of experiencing life aim to achieve something that only a contrasting and challenging experience is able to provide and so, they are always expanding their learning zone. According to the findings of the interviews conducted, I found out that the individuals that experience life in a more challenging and contrasting experience are the ones that adopted alternative lifestyles as a way to achieve meaning and emotional attachment to their surroundings. These people confessed that they have created their own way to reconnect to the urban place.

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LEARNING ZONE

COMMON SOCIETY

COMMUNAL SOCIETY

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COMFORT ZONE

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Metaphorical thinking

TERM OF COMPARISON

Main audience

Audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influencers

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Improvement of the level of connection - Reconnection

But in what was the best way to provide this experience to the previously defined audience?

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE INDIVIDUAL AS AN ACTOR

Experiential Route

Reflective exercise provided by a physical experience

The individual physically experiences a contrasting challenge that will enable him to do a reflective exercise based on a term of comparison, in order to improve his emotional attachment to the urban place. In this way, he presents a role in the action of the experience.

THE INDIVIDUAL AS AN OBSERVER

Conceptual Route

Reflective exercise provided by a narrative

The narrative portrays real stories

The individual fictionally lives a contrasting challenge that will enable him to do a reflective exercise based on a term of comparison, in order to improve his emotional attachment to the urban place. In this way, the individual is a mere observer and does not take any action in the experience.

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE BRAND

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

CommonSphere provides a reflective process through a series of books that visually transmit the essence of hidden lifestyles existent in several cities.

The brand reflects its concept through

a collection of five bookmarks

a tote bag

a collection of five books

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THE BRAND LOGO CommonSphere emerged from the fundamentals of the communal lifestyles. The name of the brand intends to promote a sense of conviviality and sharing. The private space built on top of materialistic values becomes the common place fulfilled by diversity and meaning. CommonSphere portraits the simplest values of life. In this way, the brand logo is provided by the design of singular letters individually presented that represents the idea of integration and adaptation of one individual into a common space. Each person, as an individual, plays a particular role in what refers to the shape of this common environment. The letters are arranged in little columns in order to enforce the idea of conviviality.

C Colour used : C=14,M=10,Y=12,K=3

COM MON SPH ERE E Font used : Knockout junior - Fly weight

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THE BRAND COLOURS The minimalistic visual language adopted to the brand 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.

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C=45,M=30,Y=24,K=50

C=34,M=22,Y=22,K=34

C=34,M=22,Y=24,K=0

C=16,M=11,Y=14,K=0

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THE BOOKS COLLECTION - SPINES 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.

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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?

THE BOOKS COLLECTION : HORIZONTAL SPINE VIEW

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THE BOOKS COLLECTION - SPINES Each spine will have a connection symbol 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. This concept works both vertically and horizontally.

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HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

THE BOOKS COLLECTION - COVERS 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.

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Improvement of the level of connection, - Reconnection Process

COM MON SPH ERE

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COM MON SPH ERE

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THE BOOKS COLLECTION - COVERS 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.

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THE BOOK COLLECTION SET

COM MON SPH ERE

B O O K III

BOOK I

BOOK V

COM MON SPH ERE

BOOK II

BOOK IV

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THE BOOKS COLLECTION - STORIES Covering five real stories across Europe, each book narrative will allow the individual to explore opposite realities and discover homes that extend far beyond a physical existence.

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. . . . . .

BOOK I

A portrait of a girl that lives in a boat BOOK II

A portrait of a boy that moved into a van BOOK III

A portrait of a man that achieved freedom BOOK IV

A portrait of a boy that belongs to the world BOOK V

A portrait of a girl that became a squatter

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A portrait of a girl that lives in a boat

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“ 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

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. 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. 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. New concerns and values gradually emerged during the experience. Skye’s experience inspired the creation of the first narrative of the collection.

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A portrait of a boy that moved into a van

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COM MON SPH ERE

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“ I was saying at the weekend that if I ever had to go back to working in a conventional

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

job and live in a conventional flat, that would break me. I would really hate it and I would not know what to do. I have only been here for eight months but it definitely seems the right decision. I can feel that I have achieved true happiness. ” Charlie Thacker, featured on “The Right Route” Interview, Behance

Referring to the interview conducted by Francesca Fanshawe6, for Thacker deciding not to enter the expensive rental market was an easy choice to make. On a low weekly wage, he decided to move from the friend’s sofa to a van, parked on the land where he is currently working as an apprentice market gardener. The vacant van was available to live in, and after haggling the price down to twentyfive pounds a week,Thacker moved the van to the land where he works, close to Bristol. It was a very low-cost and more sustainable way of living. This lifestyle presented a lower level of danger to the environment since there was no electricity in the van, apart from the old generator. Thacker confessed to the journalist that the majority of the people living a conventional lifestyle does not understand and, very often, accept the alternative lifestyles. They perceive it as a way of avoiding the social obligation of paying the taxes. However his choice was not about depending on the state to rescue him, but rather about making it possible to achieve career goals and live in a way that suits him. For Charlie Thacker true happiness could be achieved in the simplest details and the emotional attachment created since he adopted a new lifestyle was worth it. He inspired the story of the second book of our brand.

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Photo credits : Robert Fanshawe

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A portrait of a man that achieved freedom

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COM MON SPH ERE

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The third narrative of the CommonSphere collection was inspired on the concept adopted by Christiania, a Copenhagen’s semi-autonomous free town. Christiania is the 84-acre anarchic enclave founded in 1971 when a brigade of young squatters and artists took over an abandoned military base on the edge of town and proclaimed it a “free zone” beyond the reach of Danish law. The free community is still swing with about 900 residents, some of them third generation, and it is perhaps the largest and longest commune in History. To enter the free town there is a sign that reads “You are now leaving the European Union.”.The people of the community fly their own flag and use their own currency. It is a symbol of independence.7 In this way, the third story is inspired on a man that achieved freedom adopting a lifestyle within the community. Surrounded by determined individuals, artists, feminists, hippies and anarchists, this man found his own way of connecting to the city, devoid of any materialistic values. In consonance with the community philosophy, the possession of private property was thought to be immoral.

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Photo credits : Routes North

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A portrait of a boy that belongs to the world

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COM MON SPH ERE

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Please note that the photographies presented are only a visual representation of the story itself and not the real record of the person interviewed since the individual wanted to remain anonymous. The interview was conducted via Skype and the name of the person was altered in order to respect the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request. Marc Wallace is a twenty-two years old guy that since earlier started questioning the conventional lifestyle we are educated in. According to his beliefs, as human beings we do not need any material stuff, apart from the essential. The authenticity of life comes from spiritual and emotional values and living without any materialistic values will enable each individual to grow as human beings and reach true happiness. He considers that our post modern culture is developed on top of values that promote selfishness and materialism. In this way, he decided to quit university and embark on a personal challenge, traveling around European cities only carrying the minimum: one pair of jeans, one t-shirt, a warm jumper and a pair of trainers. He did not have any money for food or transportation since it was part of the challenge. Marc confessed that there were hard times, harder than what he expected them to be. But he did not give up. The experience itself meant a personal achievement. It was not only about the physical experience, but the spiritualism of it. He wanted to experience the singularity of the human existence. He believed that once freedom was reached in its maximum level, he could find a term of comparison and maybe the necessity to return to his origins. From his journey, he portrayed the diverse families that became part of his life. Conventional families and alternative families, the ones built from the emotional bonds of life. His experience became the main inspiration of the fourth story of CommonSphere collection.

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Image credits : “ Into the wild” movie

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THE OUTCOME

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A portrait of a girl that became a squatter

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THE OUTCOME - STORY The integral part of the brand outcome is expressed through a book. This book represents the fifth narrative of the brand collectable set, which was inspired by a real story experienced by the photographer Corinna Kern. By becoming part of the squatting community, Corinna Kern embarked on a personal journey through which she discovered a new sense of home.The artist’s documentary project reflects the authenticity of the atmosphere in the communal space, resulted from an accumulation of the people who live there and their lifestyles.8 In this way, Kern’s photographies became the main inspiration for the shooting presented throughout the book. When creating the shoots, I attempted to transmit the atmosphere represented on the artist’s work through the styling and typology of the production. All the contents presented on the book, - writing, imagery, layout design, - were generated by me.

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Image credits : Corinna Kern

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Image credits : Corinna Kern

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Image credits : Corinna Kern

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THE SHOOTING - COLOURS In consonance with Corinnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s documentary, I attempted to take advantages from the colours of the building in order to transmit the positive vibes and harmonious atmosphere experienced in a squat. In this way, to enforce the red features throughout the building, I opted to use shades of blue to create a smooth contrast.

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THE SHOOTING - SCENARIO I aimed to create a collection of images that communicates the sense of conviviality and union between individuals. In this way, with the support of some peers, I created the whole scenario requested for the narrative. In order to capture more natural and realistic moments, the whole shooting was mainly leaded by instincts and a series of unplanned episodes. Spontaneity played the main role during the production.

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THE SHOOTING - BLACK & WHITE Some of the photographies were edited and combined in black and white in order to represent the truth and unfiltered vision provided when squatting. In this way, the contrast between coloured and black and white images aimed to express a place covered by true bonds emerged from diversity.

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THE NARRATIVE As a narrative, the story provided a temporal and spacial context.The experience lasted from Autumn 2012 to Summer 2013 and took place in East London, more precisely, at the heart of Brick Lane. In this way, the contextual facts aimed to be provided through minimalistic illustrations, where the main lines were the basis of the shape.

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The location was represented through a minimal map based on simple lines that shape a path

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Bacon St

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Nomadic Community Garden

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FLAT 1-6 165 BRICK LANE LONDON E2 7EE

The door represents the starting point of the whole narrative, being one of the key elements of the experience described.

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51.5212Â°N.0.0718Â°W

165 Brick Lane, E2 7EE

This is the design of the page five of the book. It is provided in a small sized layer that will allow the reader a sense of curiosity, opening the layer and engaging the narrative, as he was entering the building and engaging the community.

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THE ARTEFACTS 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.8 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 illustration that expresses the profound value of the minimum details when living in a communal place. The artefacts were portrayed being hold by a rope to enforce the meaning of union and emotional bonds throughout the community. 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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According to Cambridge Dictionary, “a” consists in an indefinite article that is used to refer to non-specific or non-particular things.4 In this way, in consonance with the brand concept, “a” means any object, the easily replaceable one that is normally associated to the common society. The abundance of information and material goods enables the individuals to have a significant range of choices, resulting in objects that are devoid of any meaning, apart from its physical features.

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THE

According to Cambridge Dictionary, “the” consists in a definite article that is used to refer to specific or particular things.4 In this way, throughout the narrative, the article “the” means the object, the special and irreplaceable one that is normally associated to the communal society. These individuals value each minimal artefact. They personalise and turn them into life essentials. The combination between the grammar articles and the artefacts enable me to reinforce the term of comparison between both societies and in this way, improve the reflective process of the reader.

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THE DESIGN - INSIDE LAYERS 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. I attempted to use the design of each smaller layer to symbolise the idea of authenticity and value, simplifying the shapes of each artefact and transforming them into simple lines. As simple as it can get.

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THE PROTOTYPE In order to test the design concept, I created a prototype that allowed me to understand how the layers worked together. The test was printed in ordinary paper in black and white and it enabled me to adjust some layout elements. In order to improve the whole concept, I took some notes throughout the pages.

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THE PAPER In order to obtain the most appropriate finishing, I tested the printing in different ranges of paper. 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 OUTCOME - BOOKMARK 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. 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 OUTCOME - TOTE BAG 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.

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AS SIMPLE AS THIS

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

A special thanks to Daniel Neto Daniella Tecchio Filipa Sousa Gustavo Tavares InĂŞs Santos for their performance in the shooting of the outcome.

FOOTNOTES Footnote 1: _ Castells, M. (2000). Globalisation, identity and the state. Social Dynamics, 26(1), pp.5-17.

Footnote 2 :

HOW CAN YOU RECONNECT TO YOUR OWN CITY?

_ Lynch, K. (1990). The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass. [etc.]: MIT.

Footnote 3 :

_ Hague, C. and Jenkins, P. (2005). Place identity, planning and participation. London: Routledge.

Footnote 4 :

_ Walter, E. (2012). Cambridge advanced learnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dictionary. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Footnote 5 :

_ Underground-england.co.uk. (2017). WHERE: The Nomadic Community Gardens of Brick Lane |. [online] Available at: http://www.underground-england.co.uk/news/where-the-nomadic-community-gardens-of-brick-lane/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Footnote 6 :

_ Behance.net. (2017). Behance. [online] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/17506203/THE-RIGHT-ROUTE [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Footnote 7 :

_ Cathcart-Keays, A. (2017). Paradise lost: does Copenhagenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christiania commune still have a future?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/23/copenhagen-christiania-drugs-commune-future [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Footnote 8 :

_ Maptia. (2017). Squatters: Hidden Lives in London. [online] Available at: https://maptia.com/corinnakern/stories/ squatters-hidden-lives-in-london [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

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IMAGERY _ geo41.com. (2017). Homogenisation of Landscapes. [online] Available at: http://www.geo41.com/homogenisationof-landscapes/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. _ Behance.net. (2017). Behance. [online] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/17506203/THE-RIGHTROUTE [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. _ Routes North. (2017). Life after weed: visiting Christiania in Copenhagen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Routes North. [online] Available at: https://www.routesnorth.com/copenhagen/life-after-weed-visiting-christiania-in-copenhagen/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017]. _ Into the Wild. (2007). [DVD] United States: Sean Penn.

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_ 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.