OUGD501 // Study Task 02: Triangulation

Triangulation: three or more sources are used when studying something, to make the investigation well-rounded with different perspectives.

Our group task: Look at both the 1964 & 2000 version of 'First Things First', the manifesto based on graphic design. The manifesto tries to convey the message that thoughtful designers should aspire to a greater purpose than designing in the world of consumerism and capitalism. However its easy to say stay away from consumerism when you can afford to, which a lot of the designers who signed the manifesto in both cases can.

Differences

• The original was published in The Guardian, which is very mainstream in the media, whereas the second was mostly published by design magazines. It probably had more impact the first time round.
• The people who the manifesto is aimed at are changed from 'graphic designers, photographers and students' to 'graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators', which is a lot more broad
• the 2000 manifesto is more extreme in its examples of seemingly unnecessary or insignificant products that are to be designed for, eg "designer coffee, diamonds, cigarettes, butt toners", whereas in the first version the items are much less materialistic such as "striped toothpaste, aftershave lotion, slimming diets" which cost a lot less and are more common.
• Consumerism was new in the 1960s, so we are a lot more accustomed to it now, so we are more likely to accept it, which is reflected in the 2000 version: "inessential at best" - seems more casual.
• '64 reflects idealism whereas 2000 aims to contest consumerism.

First things First (revisited)

• corporate work is never apolitical
• naive?
• conformist?
• democratic resistance
• the designer has twice the responsibility
• influential
• socialist view of consumerism
• K Garland - activist

PangPang Brewery

Packaging of a summer beer series for Sweden’s #1 micro breweryIntro: By the age of 23, oddball Fredrik Tunedal tattooed PangPang on his knuckles to celebrate that he had founded PangPang Brewery - Sweden’s #1 microbrewery. The brewery has a passion for hand brewed beers and in the summer of 2014 he wanted to release a summer beer series.
Solution: We helped PangPang Brewery with the packaging design. We built the concept around tiki and named the beers Cocojambo, Pelekane, Bamboleo, Libertango, Playa del Drevviken, Waikiki, Flamingo-GO, and Tiki Tango. We aim to help PangPang outbeat its competitors through the use of smart branding and gorgeous design. Our client-agency journey has just started, but stick around - the story continues!

https://www.behance.net/gallery/19551929/PangPang-Brewery

This piece of graphic design I have decided to look at is branding for a microbrewery in Sweden called PangPang. It is a small company producing a hugely popular product, which creates the question of, is it part of the consumer selling movement that the manifesto 'First Things First' is strongly against? Also, is the alternative style of the design something that excuses it from this movement? In the 1964 manifesto, it is stated that "the high pitched scream of consumer selling is no more than sheer noise".

Personally I think that microbreweries are in a very different league than big greedy brands such as Budweiser, as they are trying their luck at something very dominated by consumerism. They are a more down-to-earth alternative for beer drinkers. Independent products/companies seem like a moral alternative, but "light beer" is referenced in the 2000 manifesto as something "inessential" that designers waste their "skill and imagination" on. I disagree with this, as when I look at the work above I view it as branding that is creative and fulfilling for all involved. To say that the product above is "changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact" (2000 manifesto) would be an exaggeration, but maybe that is only because it is not yet an internationally famous product.

The colours used in the bottle designs make them clearly stand out from other beer products on the shelves, to appeal to a different kind of consumer. Popular beers normally have a colour palette of red, brown, green and blue; all being quite bold and brash. They are blatant in their desperation to be masculine and appeal to males everywhere. PangPang is challenging this with a more fluid colour palette of pastel colours, that in the heavy consumer world would be classed as soft and feminine. This in itself is a useful way of reaping a designers talent as they are, on a small scale, changing perceptions and stereotypes of beer drinkers and what colour stands for. In doing this the "wider needs and problems of society" (Revisited manifesto, Rick Poynor) that consumer design does not stand for are in some ways taken into account more than just selling a product. However, it is not completely clear whether this was the microbrewery or designers intention.

Pangpang is a small company which actually decreases the amount of consumerism by giving alternatives to the products we are sick of seeing on the shelves. The fact that it is an 'unnecessary' product does not, in my opinion, mean it is a waste of talent on the designers behalf.

OUGD501 // Study Task 01: Context of Practice Seminar: Symbolic Interactionist Theories of Identity

Summary of Sheldon Stryker's identity theory
People's interactions with others in social situations stem from their conceptions of themselves. We as a society have expectations of one another, which mostly depend on the hierarchy of identity. Somebody's identity within a social context depends on their stance compared to the people around them, for example a manager of a business and their customer; the way they interact will adhere to their position of power.
People can change their identities according to the situation; most people have multiple identities. However, some interactions will be free of structural constraints which gives individuals more freedom and choice with their identity. An example of this would be around close family members.

Summary of George J. McCall and J. L. Simmons' Theory of Identity
This theory is similar to Stryker's, but with some differences. Role performances are improvised in social situations. They reflect plans and goals of the individual, because legitimating one's identity is always a driving force of human behaviour.
Altercasting is something that commonly happens, which is when an identity is forced on someone in a social situation to benefit the persuader. Both the social role and ego are targeted and can be positive or negative.
Validation is obtained of one's ideal self if their role is successful, and it is more important than any other validation.

Each theory explains how individuals' identities are formed by social interactions, however Stryker seems to focus more so on the hierarchy of identity and the different levels of social situations. McCall and Simmons are more about how the identity is for a person's own gain and their own validation of their internal self image.