Noise disclosure

Gabriela Baka Thesis

Noise Disclosure Analyzing the process of image creation to reveal the mechanisms of miscommunication used as a tool to influence people.

Design Academy Eindhoven Master Program Department of Information Design

Gabriela Baka Thesis

Noise Disclosure Analyzing the process of image creation to reveal the mechanisms of miscommunication used as a tool to influence people.

Design Academy Eindhoven Master Program Department of Information Design

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TABLE OF CONTENT Abstract Hypothesis Design Problem Aims of this project Study Case

Figure of Polish image advisor Piotr Tymochowicz

Indroducing movie ‘How it is done’

Analyzing movie by commenting on chosen snapshots

THEORY

1. Personal Image Creation

1.1. Self creation –design of self

1.2. Elements and steps of image creation

1.3. Social influences 2. Communication

2.1. Concept

2.2. Noise and barriers in communication

2.3. Non verbal communication Conclusion from research Design proposal

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

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ABSTRACT By miscommunication we create delusions and doubts.

I have a feeling that we tend to underestimate the miscommunication that occurs in our lives, and by doing so, we are neglecting its huge impact on our world and condition that we live in. We unconsciously allow chaos and confusion to shape our lives. Contamination occurs in images that are faster consumed and absorbed, faster than the content of the message. As we live in an image based world, where we can be easier deceived by tricks and seductive forms of images, problem with communication become more urgent.

As RenĂŠ Descartes already defined the present as a time of doubt, design should question the meaning of communication. Today rising awareness of this problem and stop the maintenance of confusion inside of us created by miscommunication.

Noise Disclosure is a research project about the construction of the interpersonal communication between people, focusing especially on the form of dialogue. For me, dialogue is one of the basic and more meaningful form. Specially, I am interested in dialogue with an influential purpose of communication created in hierarchical conditions.

Noise Disclosure looks at the miscommunication that occurs nowadays in relation to image creation tools that are frequently in use by many people presented by media like politics, business and musicians. Personal image appearance creation allows people to manipulate, influence or persuade others. This practice has become more and more popular these days and it leads to creating a hierarchical structure and barriers in communication, which increase the power of created noise.

Noise Disclosure studies examples of the communication between people in order to reveal the tools, mechanisms and techniques, which assists creation of noise and affect on the participants of dialogue.

While doing so, the project questions the role of design: can design help to improve communication between people, can design form a meaningful part in the process of building relationships? Can design bring awareness of the tools which are used to influence and manipulate people via communication?

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

The project examines the role and techniques of Piotr Tymochowicz, a Polish image advisor, who helped and worked on the creation of several Polish politicians. Besides that, he also created a three year experiment, where he took a risk to prove that by using social influences, he is able to create a member of parliament from a totally unknown person – let’s say, a person from the street. This experiment was recorded and compiled in a documentary called How it is made. For me, the figure of Tymochowicz shows in his work and his actions how important it is that people will start to question communication.

This project talks about all kinds of mechanisms of social influence as well as ethical, psychological and behavioural aspects in relation to communication. In my opinion, it is time to rethink and deconstruct interpersonal communication. We should stop the deception and stop putting our trust in populist phrases or get stuck on the surfaces of empty images. At a first glance, a superficial image shouldn’t be stronger than its essence. We need to learn to look beyond the image and its representation in order to understand the value of the content. Form should follow content and not the other way around.

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HYPOTHESIS “Designing is my job. My professional field is communications. This means I illustrate ‘circumstances’ or ‘conditions’ rather than making ‘things’.”

Kenya Hara ‘White’, 2010

For me, design is a practice-medium that could help individuals and society understand each other and shed light on the transformation and regulation of the world we live in. In this case, the designer is a translator of the world we live in. It is about translation of rules, conditions, circumstances and settings in order to create awareness between the people, but also to question and reveal the problems within these mechanisms.

Information design should engage more with culture and use it as a source of information that is closed to people and society. It should change its focus from form to a more original research practice with a more human side. The products of design can be used as a starting point for the further analysis of the social forces behind them.

I see my profession as a tool to:

1.

BRING DESIGN IN CONTEXT – talking about current problems – bringing awareness and encourage an inquiring mind;

2. QUESTION COMMUNICATION 3. CREATE FEELINGS WITH THE PUBLIC

and users by placing them in a certain condition;

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

1.

THE DESIGNER AS SOCIAL ENGINEER The designer as social engineer Every action that we take in life is based in a context, placed in time and space. This context allows us to see things differently, to interpret them and deconstruct the problems of today’s society. Working in a social context for designer is a must – being aware of the circumstances that shape society and, moreover, question the mechanisms at work. By understanding mechanisms and seeing problems that occurs in them designer can take active part in transformation of those systems or try to interpret them too explain it to people. In this way designers become a guide and steer social believes.

Could new potential for design be situated in the exploration of sociological influences on people?

2. THE DESIGNER AS COMMUNICATOR

Designers, during their school years, study communication on the basis of image creation. Our knowledge and design skills are often not enough to influence society. Its looks attractive but is poor on the communication aspect. Their slogans build identities that are not understandable; they are hermetic for people. Design as discipline needs reforming and it should definitively start a dialogue with other specialists.

It is important to be open to collaboration and creation of new positions in design. I see design as a meeting point for science and art. Design needs to take an experimental approach and learn from sciences like public relation, behaviour science or social psychology which, very effectively, stimulate the public opinion. Design needs to take inspiration from art and use its language to investigate and create new modes and media of communication.

Do people need new communication methods? Creative communication? Or, maybe by deconstructing and understanding communication tools that are currently in use, design could stop global miscommunication?

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3.

THE DESIGNER AS DIRECTOR Designers should use their skills to stage new social interventions. This will evoke feelings and refers to deeper and more complex thoughts of the user – just like art does. Building new future scenarios that could be absurd or exaggerated. ‘Taking the stage out of the exclusive theater and into everyday life.’ By doing so - creating new interventions and staging performances, happenings, and confront people with it - design, can stimulate imaginative thinking and spread creativity in people. Often something absurd as science fiction scenarios (for example Stanisław Lem’s book ‘Solaris’) can be more critical and engages us to use our imagination and question the reality. Thinking about future scenarios and maybe being surrealistic, creates the opportunity for viewers to reflect on society. In this way,it can have a powerful impact, recall memories and evoke certain experiences in the user and challenge their believes and stereotypical ways of thinking.

Referring to the emotional part of a human being, design could create stronger communication. Design should shift its focus from aesthetic forms of communication to the creation of something immaterial that will remain in people’s minds and influence their thinking and their future behaviour.

In order to be more effective, should design become more science fiction? And, by doing so, create new possibilities for the user to inquire the world he or she lives in?

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

With this project, I would like to propose an approach which will allow me – at this very moment in time but also in the future – to question circumstances of our life, to research social communication and issues related to it through my practice.

Personally, I see huge potential and great possibilities here. I think it is extremely important to merge design and social psychology, not only to help myself, but also be able to communicate better as a designer and as human. Moreover, it can help create better understanding and better communication amongst people – something immaterial, outcome which is more precious than fulfilling needs of material consumption.

Design is for people, for society and it should refer to and question the interaction between people and explore the relationships between them in order to teach us how we can understand ourselves and one another better. And by this, at the same time, also the world we live in.

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DESIGN PROBLEM I am Polish. I am a Polish designer. I want to state that I am, when speaking about society, I am speaking about Polish society. So, when I refer to people or users, I refer to people in Poland – even if some of the analysis and assumptions can be interpreted as globally valid.

My assumptions are backed up by things that I have read: opinions of Polish sociologists, journalists or specialists from social influences theories.

What is the role of communication in the world where people like Piotr Tymochowicz help politicians to gain a larger influence and present themselves better? A world where some people are aware how communication works and they can use it to manipulate, persuade or influence people?

In the world of marketing, communication and media there is an emerging figure: the image adviser, someone who is an expert, a coach for issues of image and appearance. His clients are politicians, businessmen, managers – mainly people who need to present themselves publicly and talk to a crowd.

It seems that image creation is useful and its practice only unites in our society. Why then it is so exclusive?

As I see it now, people don’t feel they are creators of the relationships; more often they feel bound by norms and strict behavioural patterns. They feel that world throws obstacles in their path. They do not understand or do not try to understand the world. They see image creation as a trick, which is used to manipulate them; they are against it and consider is as something unethical. Most of the people in Poland don’t see it as an opportunity to understand people and the world better by getting to know and start practicing new means of communication in effective ways. With such an attitude living in society, these tools – instead a contribution to better communication – have a destructive form and lead to a passive society created by miscommunication.

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

The importance of the profession of the media advisor in recent times is often questioned from an ethical standpoint. This is what happened when people do not understand the tools used. When they see only the outcomes, and if those outcomes have negative consequences, then that leads to social disapproval. This happens with image creation.

Polish society considers this profession unmoral and based on tricks in order to create a better appearance. This general opinion keeps flattening this process, making it more shallow.

In my conviction, this is a totally wrong belief and I will try in this essay to show the positive aspects of image creation, and moreover a few tools used in image creation should receive more attention in order to create better communication between people. I hope to achieve the avoidance of miscommunication and raise the awareness of Polish people.

Aside from moral doubt and ethical questions surrounding this profession and phenomena, media advisors have an enormous knowledge of image representation. By collaborating with other specialists, they gain power and possess the possibility to shape our reality.

They can promote and create everything.

It is definitively a challenging and creative process that I consider as a design. This process can have various outcomes, all determined by the coach, performer and the audience. By studying Tymochowicz’ techniques from a design point of view, I hope to gain insight in this process.I would like to compare image creation with communication design to see the differences between them. And to try and find an answer to the question which role the designer in this world, where other specialists have more power and can affect the society in a stronger way, has. Because it might appear that communication design runs far behind image creation.

In order to answer those questions, I need to analyze image creation used by Tymochowicz and investigate the tools that are used in order to find out what can be learned, gained or even taken from this practice for the benefit of communication design. Finally, I would like to question future perspectives for communication design.

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AIMS OF THIS PROJECT In the relation to Piotr Tymochowicz’ experiments and his work practice, I want to analyze personal image creation. I want to find out how these communication techniques touch upon human emotions and accelerate the process of building relationships and trust.

Analyzing and visualizing those tools will help to understand them. This understanding will give the designer knowledge and tools to devise a strategy to oppose those techniques. In my opinion, it is important to understand the roles of listeners and senders of information in communication. How we can stimulate the information exchange and build a more constructive conversation that can lead to a general consensus? How we can take full responsibility for what we say, think and how we behave? How can we become aware of the way others perceive us and find out if that image is consistent with the one that we have of ourselves?

I want to prove that communication is a dialogue between people, could be seen as a design medium where we can stage the outcomes. We can be aware about the tools we use, we can be constructive and stimulate new ways of communication, we can create relationships - or choose to stay trapped in our own ignorance and rely on fate.

As communication is a basic form of human interaction, we should take care of it and don’t allow it to be taken from us or be used against. Unfortunately, this is happening today and that torments us everyday: we are not understood. That is why I want to justify importance of the communication.

Prove that using and staging absurd scenarios or use the medium of performance as a way to reenact the present gives design new possibilities to speak up. It can question conditions that we live in by using new mediums.

I want to question role of the communication designer both now and in the future. I want to prove that one of the possibilities is to combine communication with social psychology, behavioural studies and the of tools used in the image creation process.

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

To stress that image creation isn't bad per se, on the contrary, it is the awareness of communication skills that average person lacks.

I hope to achieve understanding by readers and viewers.

And I hope to prove that by working within a social context, design can create a stronger connection with society. It can lead to the integration with society and the elimination of the alienation of design that is happening at the moment.

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STUDY CASE

Piotr Tymochwoicz, image and media advisor in the open pose;

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Study Case

FIGURE OF POLISH IMAGE ADVISOR PIOTR TYMOCHOWICZ

Piotr Tymochowicz is a Polish media and image advisor, a specialist of political marketing who helped many top politicians in Poland during their careers. He is the founder and director of the ICCE Greenpol, a company that since 1988 has been involved in training in the field of interpersonal relations. Before starting his own company he was helping people in getting out of sects.

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STUDY CASE

His beginning of work in the political field was with Stan Tyminski, who was an independent candidate for the first democratic election in Poland in 1990. A businessman from Canada with a Polish roots, who suddenly came back to his home country to start his campaign.

He was considered a black horse amongst the others candidates. He was a man with a black briefcase, in which he kept evidence discrediting the opposition, including evidence of cooperation Lech Walesa of SB (Security Service in Communism).

He published a book with his advice for life and political rules, which was given away for free to the people as a part of propaganda campaign.

As for Tymochowicz, he was young and inexperience at that time.

But, somehow he was allow to helped with organization of political happening for Tyminski, and it was his first success in the field of politics.

Another person that Tymochowicz worked with, was Andrzej Lepper.

On the pictures we can Lepper was a farmer who created a trade see Stan Tymiński during his viist in one mine in Poland. And his book, union called Samoobrona (‘Self-defense’ left wing party), which created a big prowith the rules for better life. test against the economical changes at the beginning of 1990's, which were considered a kind of shock therapy by former Minister of Economy. Due to those changes most farmers lost a lot of money. Later Samoobrona transformed in a political party, where Lepper stayed on in the position of the leader. During his political career, he became Deputy Prime Minister of Poland in 2006 and later Minister of Agriculture in 2007.

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During his career in politics (1991-2007) he was viewed upon as an actor on the political stage after he asked Tymochowicz for help in verifying his public image. The specialist used a lot of techniques that were already tried and tested in the United States of America, for example taking pictures with his family in order to show his human face.

Lepper needed more votes; this time not from the working class, his fellow farmers, but from the people in the small cities. That is why the media advisor used the effect of sinusoid, where his new image was based on the creation of distance to his previous behaviour and actions.

He wanted Lepper to go through the transformation from a simple farmer to statesman. This change didn’t aim at a complete separation from Lepper's old image, he still wanted farmers to vote for him.

Some of the changes seem trivial, sometimes almost like a joke, for example Leppers sunned face, which was almost burned. As we know, farmers work hard in the sun and in this way Leppers suntan was a symbol: ’I'm still a hard working farmer but now in a suit’. [1] In general, all the proposed changes were meeting the expectations of society and fitting his personality in an ideal way.

After working with Lepper, Tymochowicz became unpopular and people started to criticize his practice – they needed to blame someone. Society became afraid of Lepper because in a very short time, Lepper became a big fish in politics. His career was accompanied by scandals, even sex affairs and in 2011 he committed suicide. Now, after his death public opinion is divided. Some people say that Lepper had no content and his career was a one big political manipulation, but some people – including Tymochowicz – says that he had content, but just that content wasn’t appropriate for the elite, or so called intelligence class in Poland. He was a representative of the common people like farmers and he fought for them and for their rights. He was a man of action, not of words and he became a symbol for them. We maybe can compare him with Lech Wałesa who also was a simple electrician but contributed to end of socialism in Poland.

As things are never black and white, we need to know the circumstances and the context of actions in order to judge them. Media are doing it definitively too fast. In a country such as Poland, where people make their judgments really easy, it becomes too easy for the media to manipulate them quickly. Tymochowicz claims in one interview that [1]

online article, “W półapce Mediów”;

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STUDY CASE

Set of pictures that present Andrzej Lepper in action. On the street protests, talking to people both on the fields and in the studio.

His face on all pictures is full of expression and hand always active.

Lepper was also chosen to be a man of the year. Or, due to his political charisma and engagement or tabloid manipulation and media manipulation.

“Lepper was missing elasticity but he definitely was a natural political animal”. [2] And here again an example of the sinusoid technique.

The media advisor often stressed that he simply was doing his job. “Professionalism, whether we like it or not, in its establishment must be cold, cool, formal and cynical. This is at least my opinion.” [3] After with Andrzej Lepper, came Janusz Palikot, a new client of Tymochowicz. Palikot was a philosopher and chairman of the Palikot Movement. He is a controversial political instigator who always used to object during his speeches which created a new interesting visual layer to his messages. He became more visible and more recognizable as a politician.

As Tymochowicz states in the interview with Janina Paradowska: ”Nobody will listen to the philosopher, because he is a person who always has doubts. Who empathically understands his opponents. A good leader should have be confident and be convinced about his infallibility - only then he becomes a charismatic leader. It is a challenge to create from an intelligent person like Palikot a more narrow minded leader. And this Palikot needs

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to become. We were concentrating on talking. Especially to start talking simpler, in a more understandable language.” [4] The next cooperation between Tymochowicz and a politician, was Leszek Miller, who is a well known and experienced politician with a long carreer during his lifetime; he is currently 70 years old. As Tymochowicz admits in an interview: “It is too late to change such a person. If he would start changing his image now, he would lose everything”. [5] So Tymochowicz will start working with the people from his party SLD (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej – ‘Democratic Left Alliance Party in Poland’). The aim is to open up this party for young and valued people. Parties that are present on the political scene for a long time, have trouble attracting young people. They have to refresh their image in order to attract new members. Tymochowicz feels the urge to help them. It is important to search and notice intelligent people from the mass and to give them the possibility to break through. He already found one new candidate which he directly turned into a success.

As we follow the career of Tymoczhowicz, we notice that the tools he used are different in each case.

So there is no fixed recipe that he uses all the time and is his key to succes. It is a dialogue between the advisor and the politician in order to fulfill the specific goals. Each case is different and depends on the audience, the context and the persons involved in it. This proves that image creation and advising politicians is not based on tricks but is indeed a very broad discipline. We should not question it in terms of ethics but it terms of interconnections between subjects.

Those people really know what they do. They can analyze the situation and question problems and mechanisms. Later, they create solutions and even predict or manipulate the outcome.

[2] [3] [4], [5]

Janusz Palikot, during his speeches always use some extra visual methaphors.

On the first image we can see him with a head of a pig. He is threatening to all those political pigs around him.

Second picture shows, him responding to harassment and rape, which arose at the police station.

Third, after the death of President Lech Kaczynski, he is appears on the political happening, where he bring a cross on which hung’s a cans of beer of the same name as president name.

interview with Janina Paradowska, “Rozmowa Dnia”, 09.05.2013 quote from Piotr Tymochowicz blog; interview with Janina Paradowska, “Rozmowa dnia”, 09.05.2013

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STUDY CASE

During his working year, Tymochowicz has developed his own influential theory named IET which he used in his workshops. His technique and approach are rather controversial and experimental and are based on the following four things: efficiency, open communication, charisma and principle of mirror. [6] As Tymochowicz admits, he is also practicing his own method. Asked during an interview “how can you look yourself in the eye?” He answered: “this is some sort of theatre, which we all play.

Why do people cry when they view movies? They know the characters are actors and they just simply play their roles. They know, but they are still moved by what they see. Similarly, we are pretending to listen and to believe in the words of politicians when they are saying that the most important for them is the wellbeing of the country. This is a game in which we all take part. I do not regret any of my actions and I can easily look at myself in the mirror. Some of my actions were determinate by my exploration and fascination of social techniques of public relations.” [7] Tymochowicz wrote on his blog: “I made attempt to reveal and show you what is a political word. It is what it is – not because I made it like this, but because you make it possible to be like this – On the pictures, we see Leszek Miller in 05.2013. you have allowed it to happen, because you He forgot the text of the do not know mechanisms of social engineerspeech and his prompter ing.” [8] was standing behind him and telling him what to say. Of course Piotr Tymochowicz found that young prompter.

[6] [7] [8]

“Biblia Stutecznosci” Piotr Tymochowicz, 2007 Wrocław interview with Monika Jarózelska “Bez Maski”, 26.11.2011 quote from Piotr Tymochowicz blog;

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Janusz Palikot, holding in hand a mask of Prime Minister .

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STUDY CASE

Study Case

INDRODUCING MOVIE ‘HOW IT IS DONE’

We can observe Tymochowicz in action in the movie 'How it is done'. I will shortly describe this controversial movie, because further on in my essay, I will come back to it and analyze some chosen snapshots.

‘How it is done‘ (“Jak to sie to robi?”) is a Polish documentary (2006) which records a three year long experiment that was made by Tymochowicz. This experiment aimed to prove that unknown to anyone, an ideologically undefined person can become a viable, strong politician and get to the parliament. For sure, it is a mockery of the Polish democracy. As the film is 90 minutes long and the experiment lasted three years, this indicates that in this documentary we can see only the tip of the iceberg, but we are already paralyzed by this selection.

Tymochowicz, like the producers of the infamous TV program Big Brother, organizes a casting call and the dozen people who show up will – under his guidance – discover the secrets of the psychological impact on the ‘so-called mass’. For three years, he guides them through the twists and turns of Polish politics so that one of them can reach the summit of power. During this ambiguous game, the participants start to crumble one by one because they face more and more cynical and Machiavellian tasks. Organizing demonstrations and public events, debates with politicians, meetings and arrangements with politicians, rehearsals of their speeches, workshops of gesticulation or argumentations - these tasks are accompanied by a progressive degradation of values in the participants.

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I chose this movie as a study case for various reasons: – to show how effective tools to influence the crowd are.

Moreover, the film also exposes ourselves: our naivety and credulity as a society. We see constantly the reactions of the people that were tricked by the participants of the experiment. This eye-opener is painful to watch and makes us think.

– because it questions the way in which we communicate and how subjective our understanding of world, talking and listening to others, is. It shows how flat and empty it is. How passive and repulsive society is towards people that want to start a dialogue on the street. In this movie, Tymochwoicz often underlined a need for a creative revolution in communication.

– it presents a hierarchical structure in which we have a coach and his students; students which dance for him as puppets.

Tymochwoicz constantly tests them and their skills in order to crush them and their believes.

– it shows the ironic and terrifying portrait of young man, who without any education or ideological background, becomes the leader of Samoobrona youth party and has aspirations to get to the top of the political scene. The movie proves in a cynical way that if someone wants something and has a strong motivation to get there, there are nearly no obstacles. At the same time, we can ask the question: who is to be blamed for this?

– it perfectly shows the situation with many young people in Poland who are lost and without ideology but with hunger for power.

– the feeling of ‘Big Brother’.

– sentimental reasons; the movie is from the time I grew up. I was even listening to the radio station, that was shown in the one scene where Tymochwoicz and other participants of the experiment visited the radio station for an interview and to encourage listeners to join them.

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STUDY CASE

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Study Case

ANALYZING MOVIE

BY COMMENTING ON CHOSEN SNAPSHOTS

All the experiments happened between 2002-2006 in Warsaw. During that time, Piotr Tymochowicz had a bad public image, mainly due to his work with Andrzej Lepper. Incidentally, Lepper appears in the documentary. The ‘winner’ of the experiment, Dariusz Konopka, joined his party. In my opinio, the film ignores a lot things that have happened – mainly all the things Tymochowicz did to accomplish his goal.

Maybe this would have been more interesting to watch then to see those young people struggling. In the end they can be considered puppets in the hands of Tymochowicz. As I see it, this experiment only worked because it was in Tymochowicz’ best interest. He wanted to prove that he is right and that he is able to transform a nobody into a person in the parliament. Due to his connections, persuasion skills, planning and arrogance, he reached his goal and proved what he wanted. He criticized society and the political scene and at the same time, he cleared also his name.

The fact is that Darek Konopka (another candidate in the film who stayed until the end of experiment,) got to the parliament but couldnot stay there after the experiment ended. He wanted to return to politics one more time, but this attempt was based on fraud and he was caught.

I will bring up seven scenes from the documentary which give an insight into the plot. I consider these scenes important in terms of the story, but also in terms of deliberate actions of Tymochowicz.

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STUDY CASE

1. SPEECH

Building first impression of Tymochowicz.

The film starts with a preparation scene for the speech that will be recordered in Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw. In this very castle the casting will later take place. The speech has an encouraging tone, Tymochowicz talks with confidence and vitality in his voice. He staged everything. We see him talking to camera man and directing him where to place camera, and what image he wants to have in the background. He has chosen a throne to sit on for himself. If we didn’t know who Tymochowicz was before, we are getting a clear picture after this first few minutes. A person who definitely knows what he is doing and most of all, who understands how to look good and stress his image on TV. The recorded speech was broadcasted several times on national Polish TV. How he manipulate his image?

Firstly, during this speech he was sitting on the throne. Afterwards, he stood up in order to magnify the strength of the image and place some dynamics in it. He had an open posture (open posture involves keeping the torso of the body open and exposed. This type of posture indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness) and he used gesticulations like: • slapping one hand into another - symbolizing that something is finished and now something new is starting. In this context we can view it as a new era in Tymochowicz life is starting. Untill now he was working with politicians. Now there is time for you – he says that he stopped with politicians, now he will work with anyone and for free. This gesture accompanied with his

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words say that now is the time for this experiment.

• he is pointing to the camera - it means he is pointing on the viewer. Like our American uncle Sam, he wants you to join him and come to the casting. Basically everyone can join: people with passion and courage.

• rising both hands – acting as a charismatic leader who says to the nation ‘Rise Up’. It is a powerful gesture which glorifies the words that are spoken.

This multiplied images of Piotr are streeing and magnifying the strenght of the message.

Can it be complacent, of Piotr Tymochowicz?

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STUDY CASE

2. CASTING It is an important scene, because we can see what impact the speech had. We get to know what kind of people we will see further in the movie. We expect to see some criteria that will allow him to choose the best candidates. Around 300 people attended the casting, from which 30 were chosen to take part in the experiment.

Again we see Tymochowicz acting as a star. He is questioning people in a very fast, charismatic way. He checks if they are sharp or fast enough to answer his questions. He is checking their motivation and morality.

There are nearly no questions about politics. And if the respondent has some political opinion he is disqualified. But even then Tymochowicz acts ambiguous and says: “you haven’t passed but you also haven’t failed totally. Please leave us your personal details”. He is not justifying why someone failed or passed. He is very aware of the fact how to talk and how to not to upset or anger people and actually leave them without any explanation. He is not taking into account opinions of other members of jury. If he says yes, then that means that a person is accepted.

What kind of people are participating in?

The documentary shows seven conversations where people passed on to the second round. Those people will remain characters in the movie. Most of them are young male students. There were only three or four female applicants.

I have selected four sets of images that show four conversations. From those chosen snapshots and from their conversations, we can see what kind of people Tymochowicz has choosen.

They were mainly people who where confident and could talk about any kind of absurd topic, in a convincing way. Who believed that this experiment could give them new possibilities in life, contacts, money, fame or even get one of them into parliament. The casting already reveals that those people had problems with having values in life, they where confused and hoping for changes that would occur by means of participating in the experiment. They were open for everything.

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As I mentioned before, the questions weren’t especially political. But even though we notice that, these young people do not, They don’t have any political agenda, they just follow the general idea living in Polish society that politics are not honest and care only about themselves and not about Poland.

Each participant of the casting had different questions.

There where no rules. The results of the casting was the totally subjective selection made by Tymochowicz. From very beginning, it is a game with influencing, testing and checking the outcome and anything can happen. The strongest will win. Never mind the content, character is more important.

One of the participants of the casting even gives advise to other waiting people: ”Never mind what you say, you should just talk and be confident”. This is exactly what Tymochowicz will teach them throughout all the experiment.

This scene it is some sort of tribute to the stereotypical way of thinking of Polish people and their hate to administration and politics, pressure for power, money and success. Tymochowicz chose exactly those people who could be easily manipulated by him, who could be cynical and could cross their own borders of morality.

What I notice is that Tymochowicz has chosen exactly those representatives of the mass of people which he is constantly criticizing, both in the documentary and in the press interviews.

Here is the example of his critique: Tymochowicz: “Power of helplessness lies within the society, in the mentality of people. Often people demonize the influential party based on the assumption that political parties don’t have such a great power.

Paradowska: Because the media impose such a believe on us. I have this feeling that journalists are responsible for this.

Tymochowicz: Please note that people have problems with the ruling party because they do not live decently enough. That the state is not a welfare state. There is some sort of hostility.

The average Polish person has not bigger enemies than the administration of his own country.

Paradowska: Not unless the neighbors are richer.

Tymochowicz: We have permanent disrespect towards structures in the

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Tymochowicz: state. The average citizen disrespects the state, but at the same time, the state is not doing anything about it.

So there are no changes made in the structure in order to respect normal citizenship. A vicious circle is created.

The average citizen has the assumption that they should get a job from the government. There is no self-criticism. I believe that most people haven’t found themselves within the new system.

Paradowska: Or, their aspirations are disproportionately increased compared to that what they can really do.(...)” [9] [9]

interview with Janina Paradowska, “Rozmowa dnia”, 09.05.2013

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3. WORKSHOPS AND TEACHING An important part of the movies are the workshops and conversations between Tymochowicz and his pupils.During the experiment, Tymochowicz practices with the participants gestures and body language. They constantly work on the way how they talk. He sends them on the street to talk with people or to present or to fake some speeches or presentations. He points out their mistake and tells them what works better. Working in such groups is stimulating for participants. They are encouraged by others, perform more and more obscure tasks and fake even more. We are witnessing their metamorphosis. In front of our eyes they become more cynical. We see how their new actions and words contradict the things that they said or done before. They were criticizing politicians, but now they have become the same or even worse.

Would you walk over dead bodies to gain that power in the future?

Yes, I think i would.

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4. TAKING PART IN SOMEONE’S DEMONSTRATION At one time,Tymochowicz says that they need to test their skills and join a demonstration. There is no time to create their own, but in few day there will be an International Day for People with an Illness, so there will be a protest they can join. The participants are happy and start to prepare fake stories that they will be shouting and presenting to crowd on the demonstration. Some of them prepare symbols like flange stiffener for necks or a baby stroller with burning candles inside, instead of the baby. They will talk through a megaphone and carry banners with slogans.

The documentary shows their preparation for this event, the event itself and the talk afterwards. It is an important moment because it was the first happening where they could prove something: that they are able to steer the crowd, that they where listened to and people liked it. We see that they are happy, even if all this was staged and fake.

They were able to create true feelings in others. Tymochowicz was proud of them; the participant got more arrogant after this happening.

On the snapshots from the conversation after the demonstration, the participants conclude it is important to just talk, to have a rhythm in your voice and use symbols. Be direct in order to make people listen to you.

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5 ORGANIZING THEIR FIRST DEMONSTRATION

The next example in the movie is the creation and organization of a demonstration against the war in Iraq. This needs to be planned and of course Tymochowicz will help them.

Firstly, he sends some participants out on the street to start encouraging people to take part in their demonstration. This turns out to be a failure. People didn’t want to listen to them. This was manipulation on the part of Tymochowicz because he knew from the beginning that nobody would react on their speeches. He wanted to show them and convince them to loose all their believes in the society. He wants them to feel better than the common man on the street and to start using some other influential techniques. He did it deliberately.

On the pictures we can read his conversations and comments. “Being open, honest you’ll achieve nothing.” He doesn’t give them an option to choose the way they want to act, but Tymochowicz is already saying that there is not other way than his way. It is a manipulative move.

Later, they get permission from the city hall to organise the big demonstration. They found an Iraqi guy who helps them to create the image of the demonstration. They organize flags and banners, they have nice catchy slogans: “Hop, hop, war must stop!”. They were implying that Lech Wałesa (Polish Nobel price Winner, ex-president and leader of Solidarnosc movement) is supporting them. Also they recorded the telephone conversation with Andrezj Lepper who is also saying that the war is bad. All these moves turn out to be successful – there got a big response from the crowed which was very affected by the theatre that they put up. And all the time, Tymochwoicz is helping them, telling them what to do and in what order. He called Lepper so he can talk through the phone to the gathered crowd. This is his show. We can see the rules of manipulation of the crowd that Tymochowicz applies. Actually, he is manipulating his pupils in order to manipulate the crowd.

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6. SCENE IN THE RADIO

I want conclude with this one example, which is significant for me, also cause it contains an important question. It is a scene where Tymochowicz and the winner of the experiment went to the radio.

At that time of my life I was listening to that station a lot. This scene is important for several reasons. It proves the naivety of the listeners and states again that young people have this urge to act. It was a good move from Tymochowicz to go to that radio station, because it was new, alternative, popular and appealed to the kind of target group that is often not able to be reached by politicians. But since Darek Konopka didn’t have any political ideologies, it was easier.

They just raised the question: does Poland need creative revolution? A revolution in communication.

Or it should stay lethargic? This was enough incentive to reach all the people who are unhappy with the media manipulation.

People want to change things, they want to be understood. They put hope in people who say that they understand them, that they are one of them and now they can do something together. It is a social influence technique described by R. Caldini. I hope that being so general and vain cannot go on like this.

Answering the question, does Poland need a revolution in creative communication? I say yes. In this movie and through his practice, Tymochowicz constantly questions the techniques of everyday communication. He constantly shows how empty and shallow it is. I encourage you to watch this movie and to question the way how we communicate.

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THEORY — PERSONAL IMAGE CREATION

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1. PERSONAL IMAGE CREATION

In the introduction, I presented some examples of methods and techniques developed and used by Piotr Tymochowicz. In this chapter I would like to verify the meaning of image creation and prove that image creation is not only a concept shown in media and used in political marketing, but that it is a part of everyday life. I want to prove that image culture is way stronger than most of us can imagine.

Furthermore, I would like to present a categorization of tools and elements that are part of building an image. What media or tools can be borrowed from the image creation process into communication design?

I will start with a quote of Tymochowicz, an interview with journalist Monika Jaruzelska in the talkshow “Bez Maski”. [10] Tymochowicz: “Our world is a world of images and appearances. In addition to these images there is nothing. Of all aspects of our perception - smell, hearing - what is directed? It is after all not the content. All of our perception is focused on reception of the image, nothing more. In all of us, there is a longing, nostalgia for the different world. What does it really mean, the world of content? Is it a world of content – substance – matter – ideology – religion? (...) I have a simple basic rule, I'm teaching people useful stuff, no fairy tales. I teach people ways to live the best, that is, the best way to adapt to the world as it is, to the world of image.

Jaruzelska: You are saying that we live in a world where image is everything and this is obvious. We live in a world where the celebrity cultus and the power of the tabloids is used even more. We tend to believe that our own images are [10]

interview with Monika Jaruzelska, talkshow ‘Without a mask’, 26.11.2011

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not only the most important, but that they should become more and more powerful. Those incentives are escalating.

Tymochowicz: Exactly, reinforcement of the image. (...)�

What do they mean by image? A world of image and perception; where everybody has the possibility to create and moderate their own image. This becomes terrifying and people become narcissistic.

2 Snapshots from conversation.

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1.1. SELF CREATION – DESIGN OF SELF

Our personal image is at the core of our interaction with others, based on their perception of us. A person makes sense of the world and defines him or her ‘self’ through social interactions. One’s self is a significant object and like all social objects, it is defined through social interactions with others. People constantly look at other people, come across them in many different media. Bodies are the objects of our perception, we ultimately see people - other people - as objects, creating a hierarchical and reductive perception of relationships between people.

Reductive, because we are more and more focusing on those interactions in order not to lose track of our safe zone of just being. Our created image is our defense and our loss.

So our appearance and how we act creates an image of us and that image is the symbolic vehicle of communication, enhancing our notion of identity.

“Identity emerges as a kind of unsettled space, or an unresolved question in that space, between a number of intersecting discourses. ... [Until recently, we have incorrectly thought that identity is] a kind of fixed point of thought and being, a ground of action ... the logic of something like a ‘true self.’ ... [But] Identity is a process, identity is split. Identity is not a fixed point but an ambivalent point. Identity is also the relationship of the other to oneself” (Stuart Hall 1989). “(...) Instead I

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generalize identity to any source of action, any entity to which observers can attribute meaning not explicable from biophysical regularities. Those regularities are subsidiary to social context as environment, and persons will appear as bundles of identities”. [11] As the notion of identity is an ambivalent point, I would like to use ‘image of self’ or ‘self-image’ instead. I understand self-image as a consciously created image of ourselves which aims to show ourselves in a better light or as we want to be seen. Self-image covers most of those aspects of ourselves which form the basics of our self-esteem.

It does not fully depend on us, it is a impression that is created in the mind of our receivers / audience / persons we interact with. Self-image is an immaterial element which depends on the perception of others, from their ability to judge and percept and their sensibility to receive diverse impulses which all carry elements of our identity.

In a short summary, self-image is an opinion about us caused by our behaviour and our visual appearance.

“A person will appear as bundles of identities” as White describes. In a certain social context we take certain roles at school, work or at home. We follow the norms and rules of behaviour that we have learned and adapt by copying behaviour of others.

Our self-created image is made out of bits and pieces of other stuff. We create ourselves as a likeness of others and for that, we mainly follow the media. We want to be just like the people in the media: beautiful, successful and happy, even though we unconsciously know that these media images are exaggerated as well. They are exaggerated to influence us. ‘Influence by liking’ is one of the six ‘weapons of influence’ created by Robert Caldini.

So, as we create an image of our self, we are not only making this image but also ourselves – we can call it self-design. During this process, a transformation occurs from representation (image) to reality (person). The producer of the image becomes the image itself. We become like a mirror of our creator.

‘Fake it till you make it’ [12] explains the attitude and behaviour in copying and adapting other people’s techniques in behaviour.

In her TED talk, Amy Cuddy claims that faking is good for us. Based on her research she shows how “power posing” - standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident - can affect testosterone

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and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

Slavoj Žižek agrees on this fact. He claims that the images are the true reality today; we cannot simply discard the images and then see reality. If we discard the images nothing remains, just pure abstraction. [13] The more you focus on your self-image, on your ego and its representation, the more you focus on a self fetishist subjective illusion. When you take a look at reality, there is nothing - you see nothing.

“A man became a design thing, a kind of museum object by itself, a mummy that is publicly everyday exhibited”. [14] The world becomes a museum of walking zombies. The relation between people becomes instrumental. The ongoing evolution of the object, and accompanying object based thinking ultimately allows to perceive people as objects, creating hierarchical, reductive perception of relationships between people.

Following this thought, we can say now that the ultimate form of design becomes the design of the subject. The ultimate, the most popular (seen everyday in the media) and the most effective (having a big impact on society). So the new and ultimate design question in the process of self-image creation becomes: what is the form the subject wants to give to itself, and how does it want to be represented or in which way does it want to manifest itself to others? How do subjects want to be perceived by others?

[11] [12] [13]

[14]

Harrison White, ‘Identity and Control’ ,1992 TED talk, Amy Cuddy, ‘Your body language shapes who you are’, June 2012 ‘Living in the End Times According to Slavoj Zizek’, interview with VPRO international, 10.03.2010; p.31 Boris Groys, ‘Going Public’, 2010.

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1.2. ELEMENTS AND STEPS OF IMAGE CREATION

As I see it now, each of us is more or less is aware of his or her image and try to perform their best. We want to perceived as confident, smart or funny, often seen as a more social person then that we really are. We build our image to get the job, to get a boyfriend or to get into school. Politicians act the same, they want to have more electorate.

Their behaviour is more exaggerated, since they want to communicate with a lot of people all with a different educational background, knowledge or language.

I found eight steps which forms the process of personal image creation in the political context if you want to build up your image from scratch. [15] 1. Acceding formation, you should start with the evaluation of personal character and potential, motivations, goals. Because if a person really has nothing to offer then all the effort that would go in the creation of a totally superficial image will never be returned – it is simply a waste of time. You should firstly really know yourself.

2. Secondly, the examination of the expectations of the society. You have to ask yourselves, who is your target group? Who will listen and how will those people see you? What are their needs and expectations? How they will perceive you? So, after the previous stage you should be conscious about your beneficial features and now you need to think how those features can contribute in building satisfaction and happiness in others. Most of the time, the needs of the society are obvious and based in stereotypical ways of thinking, but more often, they can be mapped better by using marketing surveys and research programs made for specific target groups. The best images are built on relationships, they are bilateral agreements between an entity and its target group.

[15]

8 steps of personal image creation. based on Krzysztof Bakalarski “Public relations, a kształtowanie wizerunku menedzera,” Scientific Publishing Group, Gdansk, 2004

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The most important is the dialogue with the surroundings - and if one will forget about it, then it is impossible to create a positive appearance / image in society.

This kind of relationship should be interactive, when both sides effect each other equally in positive ways. The convergence of the image of the expected guarantees maximum and enduring popularity.

3. The next step is to create your own biography. Information about a person to the public always follows different paths and therefore we should prepare to share which things are important for us and how you want it to be delivered to others.

4. The unveiling of private life should help with the creation of a lively image of a public person. Relationships between the partners, interaction with children – it can all have a positive or negative effect on the perception of the public person.

5. Physical appearance: up to 80% of information comes from our eyes. So, while talking about physical appearance, we actually deal with non-verbal communication. The first impression is really important in the interpersonal relations. (As a Polish saying goes: as they see you, they write about you). A first impression cannot be repeated.

That is why it is so important to prepare for it. During a presentation or a conversation body language, like gestures that we make or face expressions, is important. Our open and friendly posture can make our communication stronger. The American image creation specialist Dany Witzer said: “the candidate should be handsome, dynamic, look like a winner and trigger sympathy in people. He should be self-confident and tough because a person is important, not his words. We forget words way faster than the impression that this person made on us.” [16] 6. Language is a verbal medium used in image creation.

Here you can distinguish a difference between what to say and how something is said - so content, rhetoric and tone of voice. Important is to create the impression that you know what you are talking about. This is achievable by using short sentences, to avoid repetitions, to keep a tempo and rhythm while talking and try to pay attention to the voice

[16] [17]

[18]

[19]

school group essay “Kreacja Wizerunku Osoby”, 2007, Poznañ Hanna Bednarek, “Sztuka budowania wizerunku w mediach: podrecznik menedera, polityka i trenera public relations”, Wydawnictwo Wyszej Szkoły Kupieckiej, Łódz, 2005.

Frost, Nixon, 2008 movie, directed by Ron Howard; those words was said after seeing Nixon admitting to the Watergate scandal; interview with Janina Paradowska, “Rozmowa dnia”, 09.05.2013

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modulation.

7. Maintenance of created image. It is important when you create you image, that you are able to maintain it – especially in a world like ours where the needs of people are changing really fast. Creating an image should correspond with the expectations of society.

2 Snapshots 8. Working with the media. The media show from conversation of Piotr our created image. Hanna Bednarek gives an even bigger Tymochowicz and Janina role to media and claims “that media are a tool to build an Pradowska. Piotr always image”. [17] She later states that often media decide if you hold his hand. are perceived positive or negative. You should learn how to create the dramaturgy of your character in media. What kind of information should be said or shown but – more important – how is will be said or showed.

So, it is important to start thinking what goal you want to reach, ask yourself which media to use and when the fit is good, most people will be able to realize it. It is important not to forget to contact the media, never refuse an interview. It is good to prepare such an interview and start with the rule: most important things go first. It is like having good title for a press release and preparing a good summary. With regards to TV, we should be aware of the reductive power of the close-up in TV. “The first and greatest sin of TV is deception. It simplifies, diminishes great complex ideas or trenches of time, even whole carreers are reduced to a single snapshot.”. It is like the last snapshot of Nixon who admits to have taken part in and knowing about Watergate - quote from Frost, Nixon 2008 movie. [18] I see a parallel between those steps of the image creation process and this brief advice of Tymochowicz in one of the interviews with him. [19] During her show Janina Paradowska asked him: “would you like to form a political party? If yes, then how?” He shortly created a plan for her: Tymochowicz: “Firstly you should have some speciality, something that would be a core of the party. Content – so knowing yourself, your public and media. And then you should concentrate on it and form it in way that will be attractive in media. A creative idea is needed. You could focus on peo-

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ple that fall outside of the political world. All those people who feel discriminated by the administrations offices, or structures in the country. All those people need to unite now and they have a clear goals. They talk about things that they really feel. Things which are close to them. By doing so, others will follow and internalize these believes within them. These are people who talk ‘real’.

Paradowska: What would be the next step?

Tymochowicz: Focussing on topics that are actual. This means we open a map of the country and search for inflammatory events – that means events which are currently really important.

And a leader of a new party should have a group of people, animators, that are going to the chosen locations and have something to say. To comment on the events in such a way that it will help to create an image of the new party and get into the media. Something that will be well liked and appreciated by the electorate.

Thirdly there are marketing tricks that can be used that could be spotted by the media; it could be a political happening. All those three stages should be served in an aesthetic way – it is responsible political marketing.(...)”

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1.3 SOCIAL INFLUENCES Somehow, people are not aware how influenced they really are. Is it denial? And when they do realize that they are unconsciously manipulated by politics, culture and media, they become anxious – anxious of becoming a subject of this manipulation. They feel tricked and fearful of themselves.

We often hear laments that politics today is only concerned with the superficial image and that so-called content loses its relevance in the process. This is thought to be the fundamental anxiety of politics today. More and more, there are calls to turn away from political design and image making and return to the content. Such laments ignore the fact that under the regime of modern design, it is precisely the visual positioning of politicians in the field of the mass media that makes the crucial statement concerning their politics – or even constitutes their politics. Content, by contrast, is completely irrelevant because it changes constantly. Hence, the general public is by no means wrong to judge its politicians according to their appearance – that is, to their aesthetics and political creed, and not according to arbitrarily changing programs and contents that they support or formulate.

Social influence occurs when one's emotions, opinions, or behaviours are affected by others. It can take many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales and marketing.

Depending on the level of agreement and adaptation someone else’s believes as your own, we can distinguish three broad varieties of social influence and that is: compliance, identification and lastly, internalization. This allows us see the difference between public conformity (behaviour) from private acceptance (personal belief).

One of the most common values in daily life is compliance. It happens when people appear to agree with others, but actually keep their dissenting opinions private. This means that they can change behaviour due to mere obedience or by otherwise opting to withhold one’s private thoughts due to social pressures. Identification occurs when people change their attitudes or behaviour due to the influence of someone who is liked and respected. The identifier relates to the behav-

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iour or attitude change as the ‘reward’. Internalization is a result of the total acceptance of a belief both publicly and privately.

Social appearance can be considered as unethical; it occurs when people aim to change the perception or behaviour of others through underhand, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. Then we consider it as a manipulation or persuasion.

Robert Caldini in his book Influence, Science and Practice, Fifth Eddition (2014) defines six ’weapons of influence’ that can contribute to an individual's propensity to be influenced by a persuader.

Reciprocity (produces a sense of obligation), commitment and consistency (provides a valuable shortcut through the complicated nature of modern existence), social proof (we want to be doing what everyone else is doing), authority (tendency to believe that if an expert says something, then it must be true), liking (saying “yes” to people that they like) and scarcity(generate demand, when something has limited availability, people assign it more value).

We are talking about image creation in the context of social influence. What we today understand as self-design, is in fact what the mass proposes to us. A temporary passive consumption where we follow the trends. That process mainly happens unconsciously as we are unconsciously influenced by things, input and controlled by media.

Consequently, once people got a right to see /create himself or herself the way they wanted, this right turns into an obligation. It becomes a must of self creation, not just a possibility. In its very core this idea is good, but in reality it failed. Because people mostly create empty images of themselves, based on their hedonistic approach towards life and consumption. Where as in fact this process should be based on a smart selection of knowledge that could formulate in human thoughts and position.

Today, in a time where everyone is subjected to evaluation by others, I would like to stimulate people to consider a wise form of self-awareness. The emphasis should lie on the question: how I should design myself or, rather, how should I deal with the way in which the world designs me, not how I design outside world. Furthermore, how should you edit yourself, separately from the mass, and the things that are really relevant for us? Everyone is required to take responsibility for their self-design. And that notion should become a mass culture practice.

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2. COMMUNICATION The Polish public and political debate is currently at a level that offends both participants and observers. They are often shouting and insulting the interviewees and listeners.

Wojciech Eichelberger in his book ”Zycie w Micie” spots a problem that Polish people have with communication: “What can force us to a real conversation, to seek arguments, to listen in comprehension, a language moderated by emotions and not conversation that only antagonizes? These are basic principles of constructive communication.

They conduct to solve conflicts and the search for creative solutions. But we do not want it, because it is trouble and too big an effort for us. We prefer to shout an insult to our opponent instead of really talking – this is happening both in the political scene as well as in everyday life. We are scared that our conversation also may reveal some uncomfortable things, inducing us to change them or our believes. Being lazy, tired or wishful we made a habit out of our thinking – we stay in our fixed position and we do not want to confront it. By not making use of a reliable substantive discussion, we allow for the creation of negative emotions. Most often those emotions are repressed and can be seen as form of uncontrolled outbursts of anger, contempt and hatred encompassing society, nations and individuals. For any dialogue it it too late.” [21] “The lack of skills to effectively communicate and resolve conflicts in person may negatively affect behavior and impair the ability to develop and maintain relationships.” [22] Some days ago, I heard a sad and true story from my friend. I want to tell it here briefly. The father of my friend is not really a communicative person, his personality is more harsh and absent. He has trouble with having good relationships with others. He is sarcastic and pushing people away. Both of her parents don’t speak any languages besides their own. When my friend came back home with a new boyfriend with the same nationality as her – earlier she had a foreign one – her mum was happy that she was able to talk to him. But her father said that it was worse, that is was better before. Before he could just smile and pretend all is fine. He didn't have to make any effort. And now he will be [21] [22]

Wojciech Eichelberger, ‘Living in the Myth’, 2013 from wikipedia, interpersonal communication, John G Russell, 2012

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forced to talk and communicate with her new boyfriend. That proves that some people just want to slip on the surface of being polite and not to reveal the truth about themselves. This example shows that people have problems with communication. Some of them don’t need to confront, they prefer to be left alone.

2.1. CONCEPT We talk - we communicate?

Or we talk and we miscommunicate?

As communication is the basic form of human interaction and it shapes the relation and connection between individuals and society, there are a lot of theories exploring various parts of this process.

For most of people communication means talking - if we talk we communicate. This is not exactly true. Because we can talk, we can also miscommunicate. I see talking as a part of the communication process - it is an element but we cannot put a sign of equality between them. In our daily life relationships are various and in each of them, we often use different communication techniques. It is not possible to act the same while playing with children or operating on a person.

Communication is the activity which occurs in certain context, which conveys information. It can be a meaningful exchange of information between sender and receiver, if all the conditions are fulfilled. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, it may involve conventional or unconventional signals, it may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms and it may occur through verbal or non verbal methods.

The context refers here to the conditions that precede or surround that communication. It consists of present or even past events from which the meaning of the messages is derived.

Communicating with others involves mainly three primary steps: thought – encoding – decoding. Firstly, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, an idea, information or a feeling. Next, a message is sent to the receiver in words or other symbols.

Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information that a person can understand.

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Even such simple structure can only be succesfull under certain conditions. And those conditions concern mainly silent factors as: the physical and situational milieu, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of both the sender and the receiver of the information. Basically both partners should be equally skilled in communication - which is impossible.

Does this mean that we mainly miscommunicate?

2.2. NOISE AND BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION Let us look closer on the conditions, which when they are not fulfilled during interpersonal communication, can evoke miscommunication noise. I found terms such as barriers and noise, which in my opinion are perfect names for what they represent; that is anything that interferes in the communication process between a speaker and an audience. They can distort the message and the intention of the message.

These include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, gender differences and political correctness.

We can distinguish barrier like: mechanical, environmental, language (semantic noise, syntactical noise), structural and organisation , psychological, cultural, life experiences.

I find it really interesting and challenging to visualise it those barrier. To test how their work, to see and hear the noise. To disclose it. I want to use some of those barriers in my design proposal as a criteria for the analysis.

2.3 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Not knowing non verbal communication can also lead to miscommunication. When gestures or body movements doesn’t fit to the content of our talk, then we can send misleading signals to the viewer.

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It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as body language (kinesics), but non verbal communication encompasses much more, such as use of voice (paralanguage), touch (haptics), distance (proxemics), and physical environments / appearance.

Besides postures, gestures and facial expressions, non verbal communication consist also of unspoken understanding and presuppositions and cultural and environmental conditions that may affect any encounter between people. Typically overlooked in nonverbal communication are proxemics, or the informal space around the body and the use of time. So not only the position of the body is communicating but also its in relation in space – the environment – and in relation to our speaker.

Body signals comprise physical features, conscious or unconscious gestures and signals, in the mediation of personal space. In the word of image, non verbal communication becomes more and more important. The purpose of non verbal communication is to express emotions and attitudes – that it is sometimes better to show it. This makes it more real. To accompany a speech while managing the cues of interaction between speakers and listeners. It helps in self-presentation of one’s personality to others. And it is helpful to keep rituals (like greetings) understandable.

I think there is no need to learn all non verbal communication, but look through it in order to verify if we do something wrong.

What should we avoid, and what could help us to raising awareness? For me especially interesting is proxemics, and postures. I want to use them in my design proposal as one of the criteria for the analysis.

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CONCLUSION I hope that this research showed a bit of Polish reality. Of course it is focusing on two aspects of Polish society: communication and image creation in a political context. One of the aims of this essay was to prove that there is problem with the interpersonal communication. I feel that it is my duty to talk about it and raise awareness and understanding for this problem.

I have entered into the large and – for me – unknown field of personal image creation. This field emerged from other disciplines and that makes it even harder to understand or start applying its techniques. Indisputable is the fact that the tools and techniques of communication used by personal image creation are important to understand - both for me as a part of this society as well as a designer wanting to communicate better. I will continue my research on this topic and try to combine communication with social psychology in my design practice.

By starting to explore the image creation process by looking at Piotr Tymochowicz as a creator and exploring his role and position in this process. I haven't focused so much on the tools itself, but on the complexity of the process and understating it.

After all the contradictory information that I have found about Tymochowicz, I have mixed feelings about him, his attitude and his methods of work. It would make an interesting study in the future to gather other examples of image creators and compare their techniques.

Or even work with one.

On the one hand, I respect Tymochowicz and consider him an intelligent person who is helping people to expose and present both themselves and their content, their real values. On the other hand I see him as a big manipulator, who works from his own needs. He is a person who promotes being superficial and purposely evokes miscommunication.

Without a doubt, he talks in a really charismatic, interesting way. He portrays a big container of knowledge. By joining thoughts and facts in a ironic way, he gathers even more attention of people.

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I claim that he himself is his own greatest achievement.

He is the best creation of his own person. In all the situations that I have seen him in, he presents quality of being, which evokes feelings in his viewers. People want to follow and agree with him. The book that he wrote (bible of effectiveness) enchants you. Even if you sometimes feel that he is tricking people, in some way you forgive him that.

Even if he is denying that he is using PR on himself, it doesn't matter. He is the first person who is using his own techniques.

He is testing them on himself. And later he is using those techniques to influence his clients, interviewers and so on. Tymochwowicz is selectively exposing his knowledge and in order to teach others to communicate better.

For me Tymochowicz is a perfect example of the influential person who understands all communication processes really good.

One gets the feeling they get hypnotized by him and he knows ways to extract secret information. Since he obtained the label of a specialist from image creation, people are very respectful towards him. He, by his position or fame, creates a hierarchical structure when speaking or interviewing him – he is constantly criticizing others and placing himself in better light.

Can we compare image creator with a communication designer?

As we look at the analysis, the main differences are: 1). Image creation deals with people, when communication design deals with the medium.

2). Image creation uses social psychology, when communication design barely uses it. 3). By using human body as the medium, image creation can communicate easier and more direct compared to communication design. By using the human body as a message, that message can be layered. 4). Communication design can create new channels to transfer the message, when image creation can not do that. 5). When image creation uses dialogue, communication design mainly uses a monologue, one line of information.

The problem of design is that most of the society, especially in Poland, things are created for their aesthetic form, for the surface. They do not perceive design as a form of creation where also you can shape function and production techniques. A designer is a

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person from the field of aesthetics where as an engineer is a real constructor, a real creator. Polish society has a tendency to flatten things, to simplify it in order to understand it. As Robert Caldini writes, it is a normal occurrence. Society needs certain shortcuts and the devision between disciplines. This is happening both in communication design and image creation. In both of these processes people tend to narrow it down to visual appearance, forgetting or do not knowing that there are marketing scenarios or social psychology involved.

What should a communication designer take from image creation?

1. attitude 2. usage of performative arts 3. creating relationships 4. create new channels for better communication 5. be more influential, 6.taking in consideration social psychology 7. thinking about new ways of communication 8. reframing information 9. create a dialogue between sender and receiver 10. go beyond the visual channel If I come back to the list of my aims that I stated in the beginning, I can definitely say that I'm closer to them than I was. But aims cannot be proven just by research. The real conclusion for the design process comes from doing. As I'm a maker, I need to do things and experience it in order to understand them. I kept tracking my design process, conclude and present it.

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DESIGN PROPOSAL In the Kartian sense of terms “images that manifest conditions� - this I will try to do in the dialogues - examine conditions that affect miscommunication.

I would like to create a series of staged experiments, based on public dialog showen in media.

Firstly, I will analyze chosen dialog and for this purpose, I will create a set of rules that will allow me to search and selected particular things. I will present this analysis with a set of rules. Based on this, I will try to make a scenario for the reenacted dialogues. Reenactment can have both an educative and entertaining profile.

I will use reenactment in order to get a perspective on the interpersonal communication based on chosen dialogue. Particularly to see how this dialogue is done and how this affected people.

The reenacted staged dialogue will be performed by two persons. I will stage four or six short dialogues where on the very same content I will place filters. By filters I mean body postures, used gestures, tone of voice so all verbal and non verbal senders of information. By selecting and making those parts visible, I will try to deconstruct communication between those people. Using filters will reveal the communication noise in relation to the tools that are used in the image creation. Each dialogue will have the same time and the same setting. I will record those experiments and I will create short movies out of them, where each dialogue will represent one filter. I will merge those dialogues into one story, where each dialogue displayed will be considered as a chapter in a story.

Next to these dialogues, I will create a small glossary of all techniques and tools used by Tymochowicz that I have found and some of them will be presented in those staged dialogues. That glossary will form a small compendium that can inspire people to reach for more information about image creation, to understand it better and hopefully to see that those tools should be used in daily life. And by practicing them, it can contribute to creating more meaningful and deeper conversations with people around us and engage with society.

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Choosing the medium: Since media form such an important part in our daily life, and we are very used to see the moving image, I think this is a good medium for me which will allow me reach my goals and communicate in the best way. It can represent dynamics between the people that still image cannot. But also it is a medium that consumes time - you need time to understand it, contemplating other people’s behaviour which will create an experience in you. You have to see beyond the form of the dialogue; see the cause and consequences of the noise created in the dialogues or even feel the miscommunication of the participant in the dialogue.

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ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF IMAGE CREATION TO REVEAL THE MECHANISMS OF MISCOMMUNICATION USED AS A TOOL TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE

BIBLIOGRAPHY A_______ WEB

B_______FILM & ViDEO

1.Wikipedia & Dictionary.com

1. ‘Frost/Nixon’, 2008 directed by Ron Howard http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt0870111/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

2. Blog of Piotr Tymochowicz http://piotrtymochowicz.blogspot. nl/2008/10/jak-to-si-robi-komentarz-do-filmu.html 3.Polisg service about movies: “Stopklatka” http://stopklatka.pl/wiadomosci//7231312,jak-latwo-zrobic-z-siebie-stado-baranow-jak-to-sie-robiwkracza-do-kin 4. Website of Piotr Tymochowicz. http://www.piotrtymochowicz.pl/ 5. Polish, online news. http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/ kat,29674,wid,8235199,wiadomosc.html?ticaid=112b22&_ ticrsn=3 6. Polish News about Andrzej Lepper http://wyborcza.pl/dlaczego/Andrzej_Lepper 7. Meanings of nonverbal communictaion http://www.sciaga.pl/tekst/79111-80-rozumienie_zachowan_niewerbalnych/strona/1

2. ‘How it is done’ , 2006

by Marcel Łoziñski http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt0926302/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_4 3. ‘Living in the End Times According to Slavoj Zizek’, interview with VPRO international, 10.03.2010; https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Gw8LPn4irao 4. TED talk, Amy Cuddy, ‘Your body language shapes who you are’, June 2012 http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_ who_you_are 5. interview of Piotr Tymochowicz Monika Jaruzelska, talkshow ‘Without a mask’, 26.11.201 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yS19eehrYRY 6. interview with Janina Paradowska, “Rozmowa dnia”, 09.05.2013 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EffwUtqCRNs

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C_______BOOK 1. Wojciech Eichelberger, ‘Living in the Myth’, 2013 2. Harrison White, ‘Identity and Control’, 1992 3. essay “Kreacja Wizerunku Osoby” 2007, Poznañ 4. Hanna Bednarek, “Sztuka budowania wizerunku w mediach: podrecznik menedera, polityka i trenera public relations”, Wydawnictwo Wyszej Szkoły Kupieckiej, Łódz, 2005.

5. Krzysztof Bakalarski, “Public relations, a kształtowanie wizerunku menedzera”, Gdansk, 2004 6. Boris Groys, ‘Going Public’, e-flux journal by Stenrberg Press, 2010.

7. “Biblia Stutecznosci” Piotr Tymochowicz, 2007 Wrocław 8. ‘What is Identity (As we now use the word)?’ James D. Fearon, 1999 9. Kenya Hara, ‘White’, Lars Muller Publishers, 2010

10. Robert Caldini, ‘Influence, Science and Practice, Fifth Eddition’ (2014) 11. essay on image of A. Lepper “Wizerunek medialny Andrzeja Leppera”, vol X, 2003, Lublin 12. Adolf Loos, ‘Excerpts from Ornament and Crime’, (1908).

THANK YOU, FOR SUPPORT, INSPIRATION AND TALK: ŁUKASZ, JANTINE, PAWEŁ, TERESA, ALDO & LODO THANK YOU, MY MENTORS FOR MOTIVATING ME: FRANS BEVERS, SIMON DAVIES, NIKKI GONNISSEN, JOOST GROOTENS & ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN.

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