Studio Workshop
We were split into pairs, and given the categories of "Politics, Society, Culture & History".
First Task: List 10 words relating to each of the categories.
Second Task: List 10 positives and 10 negatives of each group in one word.
Second Task: List 5 positives about each of the topics.
Summary: Designers should be motivated by at least one of categories. If a strong viewpoint is taken in a particular category, this is often conveyed and executed well within the design.
There were often points where I either clashed with my partner with viewpoints, or held a much stronger or weaker opinion about a certain topic. This shows that despite a similar upbringing within a similar culture, opinions can still vary hugely.
----------------------My Position On Each Topic as a Designer----------------------
To see my manifestos on each, skip this section to the below highlighted section.
I have chosen to write out my rants on each topic, in order to create a summary of a total outlook.
To see my manifestos on each, skip this section to the below highlighted section.
I have chosen to write out my rants on each topic, in order to create a summary of a total outlook.
Rant on Politics
This is any area which I know almost nothing about, and feel bad for it. For this reason I hold a fairly neutral viewpoint on Politics. Of course I have my opinions on how the country is run, but know very little about which party would be best to vote for, in order to aid what I have a problem with.
For this reason, I am going to explain positives and negatives I have observed within the UK:
- The NHS. I think a free national health service is fantastic. I love that the country I have born in and been brought up in is lucky enough to offer life as a gift. I would hate if I had a potentially life threatening disease, and no money, and have to face the fact that I would have to die. Why should only the rich have the right to live?
In contrast, I feel that it has been abused. People who are morbidly obese, drug and alcohol abusers, smokers (including myself), have brought their problems onto their selves. However, you could argue that as the tax payer, they should be entitled to it. This makes perfect sense, if they are employed (or recently employed , then they should be entitled to service.
What I really cannot stand is the idea of somebody using the National Health Service, without giving anything back to the country that has brought them up or that is supporting them. We often complain that we have to pay all this tax, but I see it as a form of insurance that will be there when we need it. Everyone is ill at some point, even if it is on your deathbed. People complain about tax, but if you were told that you were close to death, you would pay any money to save yourself, or to just have a few more hours to live.
Just like insurance, you should be entitled to this service if you give towards it. It's illegal to drive a car without road tax, because the tax is put towards maintaining the roads that you drive on.
The NHS should run on a similar but more generous system. If the patient is employed and paying tax, then sure, they are entitled to health care. What really grinds my gears is when people who do not give toward the country, expect to receive something back.
There should be a system in which the patient is judged on their earnings whether they are entitled or not. This should be done on percentage, and not money, so that lower earners are not discriminated. Obviously, children and students do not pay tax, so the system for them should stay the same as it is now. There should also be a system with Jobseekers where it is made apparent if they are actually looking for jobs or claiming benefits. This brings me onto my next topic
Jobseekers: A fantastic concept for a system in my eyes. If someone can prove that they are looking for a job, then of course cash in hand or a direct debit will motivate. However, it does have it's MAJOR issues.
When I had finished my A Levels, I spent the beginning of the summer looking for jobs. After applying for roughly 30 or 40, I gave up, but found out I was entitled to Job Seekers. This was because at the time, I technically wasn't studying anywhere. This is a serious loophole within the system, because I definitely did not need it.
I was told that I was entitled to 65 pounds a week for proving that I had been applying for jobs. I was given a leaflet to fill in, which had sections explaining where I had applied. I went home, and filled in all the slots with places I had previously been looking for jobs in, which took me 5 minutes and no effort at all. It is so easy to blatantly lie. It's obvious why people live off JobSeekers allowance, because it's so easy. Essentially, you're being payed £65 for 5 minutes of lying.
My suggestion would be a system which relies on proof. Places of work should be supplied with some form of stamp, or something of similar effect, but harder to forge. This should be used as proof that the possible employer who is on Job Seekers has applied and actually made an effort.
Application to Design: As made obvious, I do have my opinions about areas of Politics, so it is an area I would be prepared to work with eg. a political campaign. But I feel that I would have to believe in the same things as the party, and research into them, before agreeing to work for them. If a political party asked me to aid perceiving them as something eg "equal" and they weren't, I would not want to be involved.
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Rant on Society/ Culture
I have chosen to group these together, as I see them as having plenty of crossovers.
Stereotypical Brit: We have lived with a stereotype of being rude, common and without manners for, I would say, 60 + years. I have faced this many times when abroad, when people have been scared of me for being a Brit, or judged me. This shouldn't happen. There is no other nationality that I consider to be as rude as we are.
Obviously a persons characteristics are reflected with their parents, but I think manners should be taught and emphasised in school.
One issue I have with Brit's are their general respect for others. I think after having a job which involved being out in public late at night, I have realised how disrespectful people can be.
An example of this can be found when I was out a few nights ago with my friends. We were in a McDonalds in the centre of Leeds, late at night. Surprisingly, there was a bouncer working in the restaurant. Some customers who were being loud were told to leave by him, all for the right reasons. However, they argued back, and hurled abuse at him.
The man explained to me he works every night from 9pm to 5 am. He hated his job, and told me he hated the people that he met. His job was not an annoying one. If the people who were hurling abuse at him were being attacked, they would beg him for help.
In my eyes, anyone doing their job should be seen as doing a favour. They are legally fuelling the economy and fitting in well within our society.
It's a cliche, but manners do go a long way. When working and I have a bad customer, it can ruin your day, and inversely, someone nice can brighten up your day.
Drinking/ Drug Culture: Despite drinking alcohol myself, I see it as a drug. If it was first produced now, it would definitely be illegal. There are over 8000 deaths a year from alcohol. Smoking is obviously much more, but this is now seen as an anti - social, disgusting habit. So why is drinking different? Why should destroying your liver and poisoning your blood be seen as funny and almost something to reach for?
It is also a much more English thing, which is almost always the fuel for embarrassment abroad.
Violence/ Weapons: I hate how violence is shown in the media. The more we see it, the less we react. Constantly on the News we are shown death and violence, the same with Films and Games. Films and Games also always attempt to push boundaries trying to be more and more gruesome and not be banned. Songs promote violence, with rappers almost boasting.
The gun culture in the US is disgusting. The head of the National Rifle Association blamed recent killings on what I had said above, not on the gun itself. He even suggested that teachers should be given guns to protect themselves. How does using guns stop guns? I know the right to bear arms is embedded within the constitution, but I think that law should be kept as history. Society has changed, so why can't the law?
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Rant on History
A difficult matter to have an opinion on, due to it's great expanse.
WW2: The most horrific era in Western Culture. I come from a Jewish background, with many of my relatives being from Frankfurt in Germany. Some of them saw their family and friends being dragged away by the Nazi's to camps, and others fled to England to then fight against the Nazi's who took their family.
For this reason, I now hold a strong viewpoint that everyone should be treated equally, and racism and discrimination in any way is out of line.
I always hold extreme frustration when people ask "how can you be both German and Jewish". The ignorance that some people hold really doe get repetitive. I think it is a common perception in England that all Germans were (and apparently some still are Nazi's). This form of discrimination is ironically ignorant, like the viewpoint of the people that they hate.
Application to Design: Apart from the above, I cannot think of a viewpoint I hold of something in history. I think due to the issues not being current, a dated viewpoint is often seen as post modern irony, such as sexist viewpoints. A lot of the time where someone stands on something historic is not really considered, unless it relates to something now, such as race. Some areas in history I have no view on, eg, the Battle of Hastings, simply because it was roughly a 1000 years ago, so I have no opinion on it. I would be happy to work on most things relating to history, and I like the idea of researching into them.
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Manifestos
Definition: A public declaration of a intentions, motives or views of a an individual.
Despite my pessimistic outlook on most things, below are my composed manifestos for each topic:
Politics is never right.
Whatever viewpoint you hold, there is always a contrast. Unless you are working for a political party, or work relating to ethics, your viewpoint should remain neutral in order to please a mass audience.
Society will always hold divides and exclusion; you can't please everyone.
You should identify your audience, and stick to solving a solution for them. An attempt to please all can result in dissatisfaction due to ambiguity and uncertainty.
Culture is ever changing.
Taking a contemporary approach is often the safest option. Using an approach that hasn't existed before is often far too risky. However, on rare occasions, can be best. You should identify current trends and manipulate them.
History is the backbone of design.
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Manifestos
Definition: A public declaration of a intentions, motives or views of a an individual.
Despite my pessimistic outlook on most things, below are my composed manifestos for each topic:
Politics is never right.
Whatever viewpoint you hold, there is always a contrast. Unless you are working for a political party, or work relating to ethics, your viewpoint should remain neutral in order to please a mass audience.
Society will always hold divides and exclusion; you can't please everyone.
You should identify your audience, and stick to solving a solution for them. An attempt to please all can result in dissatisfaction due to ambiguity and uncertainty.
Culture is ever changing.
Taking a contemporary approach is often the safest option. Using an approach that hasn't existed before is often far too risky. However, on rare occasions, can be best. You should identify current trends and manipulate them.
History is the backbone of design.
By appreciating and studying past mistakes and successes, you can chose an appropriate approach to be influenced by, and work with to your advantage.