♥
GDRM4
Development of Ideas and Concepts Written Proposal
_________________________________________
Title
The title of the project is Pictograms – Bringing fairy tales into the 21st century.
Synopsis
The main purpose of the project is to create a series of pictograms that will depict the characters and narratives of an array of fairy tales. The aim is to create an extensive series of the characters, props and scenery involved, which will help convey past tales in a 21st century context. As fairy tales are associated with the past which people have possibly lost interest in. The final series of designed pictograms will help to involve children more with the tales and encourage them become more intrigued and excited about the prospect of reading, ‘In 2002, the basic skills agency reported that 66 per cent of primary school heads believe that only half of all children entering school have the communication skills they need for learning’. (allaboutfairytales.com) Therefore this project will attempt to make reading the tales more accessible to those who might not normally pick up a book. It will also help people to begin to understand, that not all fairy tales need to be depicted in the Disney manner, which do no necessarily remain true to the nature of the original narratives from which they are derived in films. They are classic tales that everyone should have a chance to experience growing up as they show children that life can be full of hazards and teach them to build strong inner qualities such as courage and belief. Plus the happy endings help give children belief in their own futures later on in life.
Research Methodology
Focusing on pictograms, this lead onto looking into universal symbol systems such as Blissymbolics, through which respective icons work with each other to be able to create and make a language, which is intended to be understood by people of all ages and cultures. The Olympic pictograms were another aspect of research as they have been around since 1968 Mexico games and are understood by all the nationalities of people who take place and also spectate the sports, they have become a language that is well know and easily absorbed. As the research developed the history of how these pictograms first originated was considered ranging from hieroglyphics through to Chinese and Hebrew language systems. This established a sense of how pictograms have been developed from such languages. An aspect of primary research consisted of venturing to places where pictograms are used such as train stations, eateries and tourist attractions.
Secondary Research
Continuing with the secondary research, designers who consider aspects of graphic reduction in their work was, considered, including Noma Bar and Viktor Hertz, who proved inspirational. Notions of how people retain information and process including images and text, and whether including the imagery improved retention of information. Once there was enough research regarding pictograms, the general themes were established in the form of fairy tale narratives. Short summaries of each tale, prompted ideas regarding how they could be represented, through graphic symbolic forms. Consideration of the history of the tales suggested they were far more dark and disturbing then the bright and future orientated ones, which are read to children. As the narratives of certain original ‘fairy tales are against materialism and against unearned celebrity. They can help children to be inspired by the more worthwhile professions. Fairy tale heroes are compassionate and courteous. They never forget to use the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and are never spiteful, malicious or vindictive.’ (allaboutfairytales.com) Reading and educational views were then considered as the tales are part of growing up and being able to read with ones child instils values and views that they may not naturally pick up from daily life. The research has then continued to focus on the fairy tales themselves and what makes up each narrative.
Literature Review
A Designer’s Research Manual by Jenn & Ken Viscoky O’Grady has helped to plan and shape the research in the sketchbook in a clear, concise way that is simple for people to digest. As the focus then became pictograms reference to the Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols by Henry Dreyfuss was a relevant resource as it provided knowledge of the pictograms used in different countries and contexts. From basic travelling pictograms to warning and danger symbols, the book encourages recognition of the respective differences around the world and how these might provide inspiration, through the pictograms designed, which could potentially function on a more universal level in comparison with more conventional language systems. Left to Right by David Crow provided an understanding of semiotics issues and how technological change has influenced society, in the way society communicates, it explains how history, religion and gender relations have a contributing factor to the alphabetic literacy reading and writing. Visible Signs by David Crow was an aid in helping to gain knowledge on semiotics and explain how the terms and theories relating to visual language help to understand how visual communication works. Symbol by Angus Hyland & Steven Bateman was a relevant resource as it demonstrates how popular brands have designed their symbols for their companies and how the symbols have developed as each company has grown and expanded. This also helped to gain a concept of how the pictograms that will be created will go on a journey and how they will change and grow as the weeks go on.
Potential exploration after proposal hand in
The next steps of the project would be to begin developing and planning out small pictorial roughs for each individual fairy tale and to begin thinking about how it will all be pieced together once the props and scenery have also been designed and roughed out.
- Begin to focus on all of the elements that make up each fairy tale.
- Sketch out ideas of how the pictograms will begin to take form.
- Concentrate on the element of making sure that each individual pictogram, will be the same size and they are all in proportion with each other.
- Look into the scientific and mathematical elements that go into creating a pictogram.
- Test prototype designs with a representative focus group.
Conclusion
The project will benefit children who would not nessecarily pick up a book to read and design a concept that will engage people with fairy tales due to people sometimes finding them dull and uninteresting as they can just watch a dvd instead of reading a book, which looses the magic of the fairy tales.
_______________________________________________________________________________
♥
GDTM5
Thesis Written Proposal
______________________
Title
The title of the thesis is Information Design: Do Pictures Speak Louder than Words?
Synopsis
The main purpose of the thesis is to show the differences between pictures and words and how they both work equally well together a swell as separately, it will give a in depth explanation of how the technological developments through history have helped bring the two together. To begin the thesis there will be a brief introduction explaining how London has become a multicultural society, and this is why the search for a universal language has become more prominent. From this point the introduction will then lead into how ‘Isotype’ created by Otto Neurath was one of the original picture based languages that was recognised worldwide and how this also furthered on peoples search for a universal language. The introduction will then lead onto talking briefly about the Olympic pictograms and how this is an event that brings unity and celebration across the world with one of the main points being that everyone from all walks of life understand what all of the Olympic pictograms mean and it is a sporting event that makes people forget the conflicts of ones daily lives in each community. It will look into the definitions of both words and pictures and how they both work on a individual level and will explain how both words and pictures have developed through history. Furthermore the thesis will also show how since the beginning of time there has been a search for a universal language as people feel that this is something that will untie the world, one of this people being Otto Neurath with his pictorial based language ‘Isotype’. Although it will also look at how these pictorial based languages have succeeded but how they have also failed in the case of ‘Esperanto’. It will also show how there are differences in languages between cultures and will look into Ferdinand de Saussure and how his views on how languages were originated and how the signifier will change when translated into different languages and will also explain how languages begun by small commented coming together in an agreement that one thing will stand for another. Brain retention and recognition will also be researched in depth to show how pictures have an effect on words and how the can help aid to engage people more. This will then be concluded at the end with a look into all the research collected and will give a balanced opinion of the question set in the title.
Research Methodology
There was no primary research conducted for the thesis, and the research was entirely of the information that was sourced from secondary research and came in the form of books and internet sources.
Literature Review
Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills by Nancy Frey and Doug B.Fisher which one used to find an essay by Lynell Burmark called ‘What You Get Is What You See’, this informed about the retention and recognition levels people have and the type of things that can be added to help people engage with words more and that also explains that by adding images this can benefit words. Left to Right by David Crow provided an understanding of semiotics issues and how technological change has influenced society, in the way society communicates, it explains how history, religion and gender relations have a contributing factor to the alphabetic literacy reading and writing. Visible Signs by David Crow was an aid in helping to gain knowledge on semiotics and explain how the terms and theories relating to visual language, and to help understand how the process of visual communication works. More Than Words: An Introduction to Communication by Richard Dimbleby and Graeme Burton, this explained the essential elements of communication, involving individuals and groups. It helped to explain the central concepts in communication studies and showed how mass media and new technologies have helped the improvement of communication. World Without Words by Michael Evamy, showed an argument that the world is beginning to rely less on words and more on images and graphic devices. Signs, Symbols and Icons by Gaur and Sassoon, show how iconic communication has developed through history and is continuing to do so through the technological age, it also looks into the future of symbols and signs and how the effects of the computer with help with icons and symbol systems. This Means This, This Means That: A User’s Guide to Semiotics by Sean hall, explains the concept of semiotics and how reading signs is now a part of everyday life from simple directions to warning signs. Design Discourse: History, Theory, Criticism by Victor Margolin aided the use of an essay by Ellen Lupton called ‘Reading Isotype’, this gave an in depth look in Otto Neurath, his life and how Isotype has changed the world for better and worst. What is a Picture?: Depiction, Realism, Abstraction by Dr Michael Newall gave an insight into what a picture is, it helps to refine ideas and to develop a new theory of what pictures truly are.
aimeejoyjones 