Index Introduction - 1 Proposal 2 - 3
Mindmapping 4 - 5 Target 6-7 Research 8 HERITAGE 10 - 11 statement of intent 12 Etnography 13 - 14 Inspiration 18-39 Storyboard 40 - 41 Screenshots 42 - 43 Evaluation 44 - 45 Bibliography 46
Throughout the year of the Masters in Design the aim is to SHOW where the ideas come from, how they develop and importantly how your designs relate to your research and prevailing conditions. The attached workbook provides an example of the research process of a recent graduate that successfully utilised their research workbook to support the argument for their Major Project. For that process there are projects about heritage as an introductory, hetnography research, semiotic research and phenomenolofy research to finish.
YOUR RESEARCH INTO POTENTIAL DESIGN AREAS WILL REVEAL SITE-SPECIFIC OBJECT-SUBJECT RELATIONS
introduction - 1
Your Research into Potential Design Areas Will Reveal Site-Specific Object-Subject Relations
Leire M. de la Fuente
proposal - 2-3
I am a professional of the Visual Communication and Digital Media. My goal is to investigate Gender Neutral through questions like why companies have got the need of bringing up the other label as it is genders-neutral and what does it mean for the people, how it separates neutral from heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transsexual and others?. It needs to present the information with the three or more research methodologies exploring the subject area and also with visual fundamentals using all the knowledge already collected and apply the new knowledge which makes other people know about this fact through visual communication and new technologies like digital media.
My aim with the research and the subject of gender neutral is to help people who feel the hazard of walk out in their situation with the process of learning new programmes, methodologies and have as much as knowledge possible in the area of motion graphics to apply other knowledge as the fundaments of graphic design that is typography, colour, jerarquization, images, and much more, and put all together to create a visual and communicative work that make people react, think and act. For this project I had to meet people and carefully ask them questions, look into communities and get information from people going through a change in their lifes because of a desire and need, I had to study the places and the semiotics are related to this kind of people.
mindmapping 4 - 5
MIND MAPPING I am researching the subject of gender-neutral in graphics that is being polemical from years ago. It describes the idea of discrimination in language, politics, campaigns, target marketing, education and other social institutions. For that reason I had to develop a mind map to see and evaluate the information I am collecting what paths I am looking at to the end see what is needed. It is a system that let you observe the questions you have to answer as what is gender neutral?, what is about?, what culture is?, what ambigĂźity am I facing? what is unisex and transsexual?, what is complex in this subject?, Is there any stereotype?, How semiotics, ethnography, affects?, are they diveded in the city, suburbs,...?, what values design show us?, are colours, sexes, categories, values?, and so on. I have experienced that with the amount of time I have not been able to find out about some of these questions having other sources to look at.
“A co-operative society is a voluntary association started with the aim of service of its members. It is a form of business where individuals belonging to the same class join their hands for the promotion of their common goals. These are generally formed by the poor people or weaker section people in the society. It reflects the desire of the poor people to stand on their own legs or own merit. The philosophy of the formation of co-operative society is “all for each and each for all�.
target 6 - 7
The main target is erate and want to with the objective have the interest accordance with equality and tolcompeting against personal benefit with unfair treats dignity.
people who coophelp each other of well-being and of its members in respect, dignity, erance instead of each other for the and independence and no moral
Although, the tarbecause of the fact ing the idea of a concrete target time people who is transgender and al identity can think and the concerning through every day campaign.
get is ambiguous that I am persuadshow freedom to but in the same not tolerant about other ways of sexuabout the problem this people go just watching at the
The first project was an introductory task where we had to compare two typologies materials into the Royal Mile and analyse how they communicate and what they speak. So that, in the first assignment was presented Marketing and people reactions, although in the exposition I have lost the focus of the analysis and I did not know how to manage it to progress in the research.
The plan was about how business show up in the Royal Mile, for example: shop windows, pop-ups, shop bags, artists, tours, pubs, bars that are not in the Royal Mile but because it is one of the most touristic streets business have to advertise in there. Persons who are from the town and visitors are discovering a new place with some money to spend so the businesses have to be creative and catch up their eye before the fly off to their countries or their run out of it.
It was thought to recreate a map for children and another for adults and look for different sculptures and symbols along the Royal Mile. We did a map with illustrations and points and the map looking as a fish was borrowed from other students that already had the design of it and do not confuse the public.
research 10 - 11 HERITAGE
The second project it was about gaming and create sort of treasure map with the closes of the Royal Mile.
statement of intent 12
One day I decided to spend a day in Leith Walk. Leith Walk is an area near Princess street where you can find restaurants, cinema and pubs with a strategic target, homosexuality - transsexuality principally. Myself is not from Edinburgh, so to find out what was the area I had to go to ask different people and make them point it on the map for me. Once I got more or less the name of the pubs and the area, I went there in person and ask in the pubs and discos If there were the gay pubs I was looking for and If there are more spread in town. Basically, there are more places but the main “gay area” is Leith Walk in Edinburgh town.
STATEMENT OF INTENT I would like to develop an awareness campaign supporting the psychological side of the pansexual, cisgender, transgender and the labelling issue of the society. I have been doing research, speaking with people, looking to blogs and communities and I came across to different conclusions. In one hand we have got people who want to be part of the game of society and its labelling.
i.e. In this society, there are people that want to be men and women following the “normal” status, even though they are transgenders. In the other hand, we have got people that are confused with variable feeling between sexes identities. I mean that there are people that one day feels being more feminine than other days, one day they are more rebel and the other one they are nothing. Society is changing, since 2 years ago it has done a big change, and we can notice it in music divas with Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Madonna, in TV shows like Orange is the new Black and Transcendent, in performances
like Rock Horror and in news like the family who raised the child as a gender neutral or the argument with the WC in EEUU for example. Society is looking to do not be labelled but in the same time, transgenders want to get in the social role, of course, once they have change they want to be one more. However, it is impossible to try to change society so that I have come across that there is much ambiguity in the subject and with people. Someone, when I was explaining the project started laughing and told me that nowadays we have got that much of freedom that we do not know what we want, how to call the attention and it was a ridiculous idea. I was in forums, communities and online, and I have found people who do not want to be helped, I found my profile banned when I was asking for help to explain me and make me understand or just to speak. I can think of diverse reasons that make persons react like that, although the personal confusion of the whole situation and just ask to myself If I really want to do it after the rejection.
Luckily I came back with more strength and motivation. People do not want to feel horrible inside, alone, feeling quirky and unaccepted. It is fear and ignorance of the situation. To the end, I only want to help people to feel better and through media let them know that there is a part of the world that understand them, that we are here to help, they do not need to feel sad, frustrated in a body they do not feel comfy, we care about them and we want them as they feel they are without pushing themselves back because what people is gonna think about me?.
The principal gay area in Edinburgh is found in the north-west to the city close to Princess street one of the principal streets of the city. It is situated in an office, restaurant, pub area of high/medium-economic-class. GAY MEN IN FULL-TIME JOBS EARN ON AVERAGE £34,200 A YEAR, COMPARED WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR MEN OF £24,800. LESBIANS EARN £6,000 MORE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR WOMEN, TAKE TWO MORE HOLIDAYS A YEAR AND SPEND £400 A MONTH ON CREDIT CARDS, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY OF 1,118 READERS OF DIVA AND GAY TIMES BY THE MARKETING CONSULTANCY OUT NOW. By the Guardian
There are studies that demonstrate that gay people have more economic power and they spend more in enjoying themselves. It is a sign of upper-class, richness, and fancy lives wen it comes to terms of gay people.
The guards were selling the place as the cheapest one in the area, combined drinks for 2 quid.
CHALKY’S PUB
Going down the stairs you can find a glass door with a transexual person collecting the money of the entrance, 2/3 pounds before 00 am. The girl was stonishing hot and beautiful, smiling and very approachable. Ethnographic the place was with friendly people. The habits I could observe were people in groups trying to have fun, outgoing and always laughing. Some people seem to be straight dressing without extremely style, other people were dressing very provocative. It looked like they were trying to be the sexiest, beautiful and attractive looking to get the attention of the
others. Semiotically, you could see advertisement posters of Halloween with the theme. The posters have not a gay sign apart from the popular signs of a disco/pub advertisement. The only sign of gay it is the semantic sign of gay DJ’s for the parties. Questions I did to everyone wanted to help: 1. Do you know what gender means? 2. Do you think that society approves or disapproves gay, trans in some way? 3. Would you say that some people do not listen to campaign regarding awareness against homophobia?
4. Would you struggle when you knew you were gay? 5. Did you feel embarrassed telling your family & close friends your situation? 6. Do you think that by the time it would be helpful a psychologic help to go through all the changes you were experimenting? 7. If you could raise a campaign of awareness for gay people, what would you do? 8. Do you know what is the difference between understanding and empathy ; tolerance and acceptance?
Transgender interview
research 14 - 15 ETHNOGRAPHY&SEMIOTICS
The first place I went at night it was the Chalky’s, which is in an underground level and as long as I could know it is a chain and the pub is new.
The first interview, the person was not ready for the interview and we caught her by surprise. She answered the question about If people approves or disapproves gay people and she confirms that society is judgemental about gay people. About the awareness campaigns, she confirms that society has always been homophobic and against them. She struggles a lot with her past with the changing and the struggle of saying to others what she was feeling inside. About the psychological help, she is proud that she went trough everything by her own but confirms that with help the hill could be lighter and it should be more help available. She will raise a campaign of awareness against society to do not judge. She does not know about the terminology of understanding, empathy, tolerance and acceptance so that makes me think that they need more support to understand what is happening with themselves and outside in the society because misinformation can cause paranoia plus problems for themselves and for the others.
The dancing floor and bar had a red light all over the place that means desire, trouble, disorient, sex, prohibited with other secondary lights around looking as a brothel. The sofas are elegant and modern style giving to the place class, although there are not many places to sit obliging people to stand up, interact and dance. The bar area is long with all kind of sexual orientation staff and the boss we were told it was transgender. There was a second room with lots of fume impeding visibility, warm , confusion, glamour, and making it look like hell with lights reflecting all over the fumes and making a distortion with the loud music playing. We went by 20.30 - 21 h and the place was kind of empty but the people were in groups and a few one started to dance and laugh. The place usually it gets full around 23.30 and 1 is, with drunk people dancing and interacting with them dancing. There were a group of lesbians at that moment kissing in the first table. Very passionate. The next seating there were a group of three people laughing, drinking and waiting for more people as they were arriving, I guess waiting for the high moment of the night. And being of us it was a gay couple playing with them apart from the small group of people dancing in the floor dance. As long as I could see it is a pub that people know, were they can be themselves, were is party and the first thing a hunting place.
These posters are advertising musical events with different styles. The top one is called “The night kicks” with Christian crosses as a religious sign but in my point of view is ironic and also is transmitting and symbolising the music style, apart from the dark colours mixed with red. The middle poster there are iconic styles of transexual people and people who like the movement, the spectacle. The naming “ The rabbit hole” it has an ambiguous second meaning, up to the readers the interpretation. The saturate pink colour of the background playing with the yellow of the typo doing much contrast and marching with the main character, very girly, bold, extravagant and hazardous. The last poster “ Automatic” it is a noisy communicating through a white person, short dark head and orange outfit giving the idea of someone who is in the jail, with iconic colours red - danger - , purple - gay -, green - clean, fresh - . It gives the idea of revolutionary music. Every single poster is looking for a specific public with something common, their sexual orientation, sexual identity and is in a community that they have created through pubs.
The CC Blooms is a pub where you can find people of every kind. The time we went it was around 00 am and it was crowded with people everywhere, sitting in the bar, on the tables, dancing and because it was Halloween around 12.30 people was with outfits. When someone steps in the first image is a common pub but once you look around you can see the posters with the punctual target, same-sex kissing themselves and other people scanning you as a piece of meat. People go to the pub to have fun, meet new people and socialise as it was no person alone. The place has several floors but the principals ones are the main floor and the downstairs floor where is an other bar with the same style. There are similar symbols to DNA spread over the place that makes me think it gives different ideas. The idea of partying, the idea of humans, the idea of the science and maybe the science of the alcohol. Also, there are warm lights over the place most predominant the red and purple again and fluor lights creating words as the last pub.
I have found in the Habana Pub’s toilet a poster of the RDI TELEVISION that is doing a documentary about the gay community. The poster has the style of the old cards with pastel colours around and a cream background using the blue colour and warm colours again. The blue colour is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolises trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.
Chicago, C. of, theme and Bones, S. (2016) Index. Available at: http://chicago.github.io/annual-financial-analysis/indices/ (Accessed: 27 October 2016). Reserved, N.A.R. (2016) Diverse group of people holding a sign – isolated. Available at: http://www.nefuniversity.org/diverse-group-of-people-holding-a-sign-isolated-2/ (Accessed: 27 October 2016). *, N. (2014) Confessions of a Transgender. Available at: http://mccluresmagazine.com/_featured-2/confessions-transgender (Accessed: 27 October 2016). Curtis, P. (2006) Gay men earn £10k more than national average. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jan/23/money.gayrights (Accessed: 28 October 2016). Wilderness, K. (2016) ‘Kat wilderness’, Available at: http://www.katwilderness.com/ (Accessed: 28 October 2016).