"What kinds of political or ideological messages inform design or the branding of design today? "

In 1948, the “Marshall plan” was introduced by George Marshall, an American, after the cold war to assist Europe through economic downfall. This plan was placed in all advertising, to contain communism through consumerism.  How it worked was by funding certain compliant businesses in Europe and using their advertisement to encourage Ideology + design=”the good life”.  Consumerism: fashion, wealth and mobility equals freedom, happiness.

In design/brands today this type of marketing, which holds ideological messages in their advertisements, are limited as the number one priority is the sales and competition between other companies/brands.

As we are in the twentieth century, with no world wars present there is no need to publically fund other countries for communism. Therefore the type of advertising today is marketed at the consumer, us, instead. Here they use such things like 2^nd person narrative to aim the advertising directly to the consumer, and using famous actors and sports players to catch our eye and compare ourselves and lives to theirs. ‘Having this product gets us that much closer to them.’

Here is an example of a famous actor/musician Jared Leto, promoting a well-known brand ‘Hugo Boss’. This is marketed towards men of all ages and professions. He is seen as the ideal superior towards the ordinary consumer. The punch line, which is to sell the brand quotes, “It’s your turn” aims itself at the consumer by using pronouns plus providing the consumer an almost utopia effect of how we need this product to become superior like Leto.

Bibliography

Wikimedia foundation. (2011, September29 29). Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved september 29, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

Do you agree or disagree with the position that design is a result of “function x economy”? Do you think design today an ‘art’ or a ‘science’? should it be one or the other, or can it be both?

Marcel Breuer, B32 for Thonet, Dessau, 1928

I believe that design is a blend of both science and art. Without one or the other, the design becomes more on the principles of science, where it is more form and user interactions. Whereas on the principles of design, is based on the interface of the object not the overall use and user purpose. “A balance between the universal and the individual”¹

I also disagree with Meyer and his argument of design being a product of ‘function x economy’ aligning design with scientific model driven by new technologies and manufacturing potential. My thoughts about this subject is that they may include these factors but don’t rely the basis of these alone, or at all. To neglect one from the other could end in drastic designs which have failed throughout these centuries. For example I believe design today is a large part

 usage of science and technologies, this is portrayed through the development and modern designs of chairs in the industrial industry over the centuries.

Chairs have a function and a use for user interaction, which needs scientific reasoning, such as physical strength for the weight, and orthopaedic physicality’s. Also is the construction of the chairs design itself.

¹Raizman, D. (2004). The First Machine Age in Europe, in History of Modern Design (pp. 166-191) New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.

image: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Marcel+Breuer,+B32+for+Thonet,+Dessau,+1928&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&tbs=isz:m&tbm=isch&tbnid=0DVrkaS_gjOcKM:&imgrefurl=http://www.historiasztuki.com.pl/HISTORIA-MEBLARSTWO-15-MODERNIZM.html&docid=BaVCCOejc0zSQM&w=479&h=550&ei=1u5-TtVNh4SZBdGs1aIF&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1116&vpy=104&dur=4&hovh=241&hovw=209&tx=152&ty=161&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=117&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1366&bih=625

Can you identify the creation of any “symbolic universe” today (or in recent years)? How might media and design be implicated in the construction of these social universes today?

The ‘Symbolic Universe’ theory, described by Peter Berger and T. Luckman, was a term generated to label a perfect society, such to the paradise world of ‘Utopia’ based on the principle of perfection. Berger and Luckman were to say “the symbolic universe links men with their successors in a meaningful totality, serving to transcend the finitude of individual existence and bestowing meaning upon the individual’s death. All members of society can now conceive of themselves as belonging to a meaningful universe, which was there before they were born and will be there after they die.”¹

Through these realties we as a society form our own symbolic universe.

Throughout this new century there have been many catastrophic natural disasters spread out over the world including New Zealand.  Christchurch has been reported internationally for the recent tragedy which has destroyed the town, hopes and most of all lives.  Here the most important problem they are facing is to rebuild the township and its momentary buildings, such as the Cathedral, or to demolish the city and start over.

Using the architecture and landscape design this construction of which the people of New Zealand  are in an optimistic insight of the 'symbolic universe’ where they still have high hope of what will become of Christchurch and the town center.

With the economic depression this has caused, humanity has been struggling to find hope in this crisis. So therefore geographers, architectures of many range fro over the world have come and helped us through this disastrous time and become a more of a positive attitude throughout the city and country.

Bibliography

¹Seidman, S. (2007). Contested knowledge: social theory today. Wiley-Blackwell.

http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Kd2bP4x3gScC&pg=PA84&dq=utopia+berger+luckmann&hl=en&ei=56d2TsfPOsnhmAW4m63fDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

chcheqjournal.com. (2011, April). Retrieved September 14, 2011, from Christchurch Earth Quake journal- Community Journal: http://www.chcheqjournal.com/2011/faster-demolition-rebuild-wanted-christchurch/

“To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the authentic print makes no sense.”

This, quoted by Walter Benjamin, argues the fact of authenticity of such designs which are made to be reproduced throughout the world continuously 

I would have to disagree with Benjamin's thoughts towards this subject, as my belief of this such 'art' that is reproduced is not art anymore, but a common piece of artefact which is but a 'visual noise'., beautiful but worthless and insignificant.

 Art works, which have a limited number of original copies, is seen more as authentic as opposed to designs which are reproduced indefinite, making them of less value and it can be obtained by everyone.  Although these are my thoughts I still believe that digital design and manufacture still can have a place in authenticity role. Since the first sketch work was reproduced for have still been many handcrafted objects, including paintings and labour worked furniture, which have had an authentic quality and more greatly appreciated. For example the artwork of Scott Campbell, who created the series “Make it Rain” which has been made of American dollar bills using a laser printer to create this model it has been manufactured through a computer designed program yet still is of authenticity. This is art that is designed not to be reproduced.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Foundation, I. (last modified 2011, Septemeber 13). Wikipedia. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise#Visual_noise

101 Media Lab Limited. (2011). Hypebeast. Retrieved Septmeber 8, 2011, from Hypebeast.com: http://hypebeast.com/2009/04/scott-campbell-“make-it-rain”-exhibition-recap/