Readings 09.21.11

He Might Be Giant: Shepard Fairey:
"The world is full of contradictions." I loved this article. It showed how much design can last if it talks to the public. I thought that writing about art that already exist is extremely helpful and just the way it was written was captivating. I loved reading about the company Black Market Inc. They are doing something different in the advertising world and really changing what the word "advertising" means. They do "guerrilla marketing on a corporate scale," which in itself is awesome. It really changes how I feel going about my own guerrilla idea. The article talked a lot about a striking graphic with just one word. Can I send my message with just an image and no words? That was something I thought about during presentation day last week. That's something I can work on. Another thing I loved was that mass communication can be outside of technology and still work and move a community. Something else I should work more into my idea.

Guerrilla Street Postering:
So much guerrilla readings! On top of my own guerrilla thinking idea. Guerrilla street postering is the most direct, unmediated form of public expression. I love the idea of doing something wrong with the chance of being caught. It might not be lawfully right but it can change so much if people just start noticing. Which is something I've noticed about most guerrilla ads, people need to notice them first to really start changing, which is unfortunate. I also like the idea that they talked about with making art with the intention of changing people's minds about issues. They said it in the context that it is hard to change people's mind but I don't think it's impossible. You might not catch everyone's attention but you will catch SOMEONE's attention, which is a start. Our design solutions in Ivanhoe might not reach the entire community but we could start with just a few people.

Adbuster Interview:
This was a good read to sum up everything. Not sure if I read it in the right order but it was still good. Kalle Lasn talked about designing with the code of true-cost design. This idea means that when we start designing, we should consider the ecological and psychological consequences of what our product will do. There's also two kinds of products. One that sits on the table and one where people interact with everyday like phones, toothbrushes, cars, and so forth. There's a ton of possibilities as soon as we break out of the box. I liked that he thought of our own set of codes to go by, especially with the green movement. It's really up to us to define what "green" means. We shouldn't just make a label but REALLY make our products eco friendly and REALLY define what being green is.