Scale 04

SCALE San francisco state university Graduate Journal of Design / Issue 4

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FOREWORD

As this issue of Scale goes to print, history is being made. Not on the battlefields, not in the halls of justice, not by putting a person on the moon; history is being made as we take shelter in our own homes, hiding from a spiky glycoprotein called the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. The word scale necessarily takes on a whole new meaning as we consider how this microscopic molecule (~120 nanometers in diameter) has temporarily brought the world (12.74 million meters in diameter) to its knees.

Massive, existential events like the coronavirus pandemic have a way of eclipsing other things, rendering them insignificant. How important is a graduate journal when deathly microbes seem to be lurking at every corner? Certainly, public health and human lives are critical and should take precedence over our individual liberties. Notwithstanding our collective global responsibility to slow the spread of a deadly disease, I would argue that the small things are perhaps more important than ever. It is precisely the daily choices, little rituals, acts of care, and gestures of kindness that will help us get through this trial.

Yesterday, my older parents received a surprise delivery; 12 bags of fresh produce and groceries from a friend, who didn’t want them to risk going to the supermarket. It was a delivery of care, even more so than food. In Going Solo, Roald Dahl observed that “a life is made up of a great amount of small incidents and a small amount of great ones.” As we combat this “great incident,” let us also acknowledge the small ones.

Hsiao-Yun Chu Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator

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FEATURE | closing the loop

CLOSING THE LOOP

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT LOOP’S Circular shopping Platform

by Samantha Sias

THE PACKAGING PROBLEM Roughly 4.9 billion tons of plastic waste has been generated on Earth since 1950, with an estimated 8 million tons entering our oceans every year (Woodring, Richardson, & Cassel, 2018). The United Nations dubbed this waste accumulation a planetary crisis in 2017, attributing much of it to single-use, throwaway products and packaging (Hogenboom, 2017). From shampoo to soda bottles, consumers are accustomed to the convenience of the “take-make-waste” model—buying a product when we need it and disposing of the packaging once empty—and neither consumers nor the companies producing these products are held accountable for the waste this process creates. While recycling has been the primary method for managing this waste cycle, the existing U.S. recycling model is broken. Currently, over 85% of the plastic placed in recycling bins ends up in landfills, in the water supply, or is incinerated (“Sustainability,” n.d.). With waste at an all time high and resources becoming increasingly scarce, it has become evident that our existing consumer habits are not sustainable for businesses, people, or the environment. In response, companies and consumers have exhibited increased interest in sustainable packaging and practices. Circular design is one method that businesses are exploring to lessen their environmental footprint. Built on this model, Loop is an online shopping platform that aims to rid the planet of single-use packaging, taking circular design further than ever before. While innovative and inspiring, Loop is still in its infancy and has some limitations. In order to impact

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consumer behavior at a meaningful scale, Loop’s model needs to be further refined to prioritize user convenience and enhance consumer benefits.

CIRCULAR DESIGN AS A SOLUTION

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end of their service life, can be reused or repurposed to create others—in order to close loops in industrial ecosystems (Stahel, 2016). The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, established in 2010 to boost awareness and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, laid out the three central pillars of the circular model:

The linear economic model of takemake-waste is largely responsible for the environmental crisis the world currently faces. This model, established during the Industrial Revolution with the introduction of the steam engine and mass production, is fundamental to the market economy. Over three hundred years later, we’re continuing to extract resources from our planet to keep up with production demands; yet without replenishing or reusing materials, resources are wearing thin while waste is becoming increasingly unmanageable.

As Stanislaus states in National, State Policy Drivers Drive Circular Economy, “The extraction of raw materials grew from 22 billion tons per year in 1970 to 70 billion tons per year in 2010. If this trend continues, raw materials would be required to increase by as much as three times by 2050. At the same time, over half of the yearly material inputs into industrial economies become waste within a year, with a $4.5 trillion annual loss of value by 2030” (Stanislaus, 2018). This linear economic model is simply unsustainable in the long term.

1. Eliminating waste and pollution.

According to the Foundation, waste and pollution are “the consequences of decisions made at the design stage, where around 80% of environmental impacts are determined.” If we can shift the way we think about waste—from a reality of production to a design flaw— we can eliminate it altogether.

Confronted with this reality, some see a shift to a circular economic model as a possible solution. Rather than the take-make-waste pattern, the circular economy is based on the concept of keeping products and materials in continuous use and eliminating waste altogether (Korhonen et al., 2018). The idea centers around designing products that are regenerative—goods that, at the

While the linear economy has been problematic for decades, the coursecorrecting model of circular design is by no means new. Rather, the circular economy concept has deep roots dating back to the Industrial Revolution, though it cannot be attributed to any single author (Korhonen et al., 2018). Since the 1970s, circular design has gained momentum; academics and businesses

2. Keeping products and materials in use. This requires a shift from designing products and materials as disposal, to designing them for regeneration. This concept is particularly notable in innovations seen in the last decade, for example using refillable packaging and products made entirely from repurposed materials.

3. Regenerating natural system.

Rather than endlessly extracting from our planet, the idea is to improve it by returning valuable nutrients to the ecosystem through processes such as composting (“What is the Circular,” n.d.).

who identified the inherent problem with the linear model have led the effort in making industry-wide change (“Circular Economy Schools Of Thought,” n.d.). In recent years, we’ve seen further investment globally as Stahel outlines in Nature, “In the past decade, South Korea, China and the United States have started research programmes to foster circular economies by boosting remanufacturing and reuse. Europe is taking baby steps. The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) and the EU Horizon 2020 programme published their first call for circular-economy proposals in 2014” (Stahel, 2016).

THE SHIFT TO CIRCULAR In recent years, there has been a surge in companies experimenting with circular business models (Peters, 2019). According to a 2019 survey of 300 executives conducted by ING Wholesale Banking, 62% of American companies now plan to move toward circularity, while another 16% already use circular economy principles. Additionally, nearly twice as many U.S. companies say that they are embedding sustainability in strategic decision-making in 2019 compared to 2018.

According to the ING survey results, common drivers of circular initiatives in the production cycle were found to be cost savings (46%) and enhancing sustainability credentials (39%) (ING WB, n.d.).

62% of american compaNies now plan to move toward circularity. 16% already use circular economy principles Companies are taking different approaches to embracing circular, from product-as-service models to designing for product-life extension and recovery. The product-as-service models are exemplified by businesses like Signify, which offers users “lighting as a service.” As Fast Company outlined, rather than buying light bulbs, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport elected to contract lighting through Signify for a recent terminal remodel. Signify owns the physical lights, meaning they are incentivized to ensure their products last as long as possible and can be easily repaired (Peters, 2019). The as-service models are not going anywhere anytime soon according to Anne van Riel, Head of Sustainable Finance Americas at ING. She explains, “Just as changing consumer pressures are driving companies to think differently about things like packaging, changing customer preferences—particularly

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among Millennials—towards accessing rather than owning products will spur companies to rethink their business models” (ING WB, n.d.).

The other avenue companies are taking towards circular design is through packaging and product redesign with focus on life-extension and recovery. William McDonough, founder of McDonough Innovation and a leader in sustainable design, explains: “The business imperative of dealing with urgent issues such as the problems created by packaging could be a good way [for companies] to start understanding the circular economy. I think packaging is front and center now in framing the circular economy need. Plastics in the ocean have exploded the consciousness of people around the world.” The rise in circular products and packaging—designed for reuse and regeneration— is notable in many industries, such as apparel, automotive, cosmetics, food/agriculture, and many others (ING MB, n.d.). In the apparel industry, for example, Stella McCartney has made progress towards a fully recyclable shoe concept, with the design for a sneaker sole that can be unclipped from the top portion of the shoe so that it can be recycled.

Rothys is also making moves in this direction with shoes made entirely from recycled water bottles. They’ve also instituted a recycling initiative, offering consumers free shipping to send back used shoes to be remade into yoga mats or new shoes (Peters, 2019).

In the cosmetic industry, recycling programs have taken off as well. The Back to MAC program invites consumers to return empty MAC packaging in exchange for a free product. The old packaging is sterilized and reused as new packaging material for MAC and other brands. Reportedly, this program reduced carbon usage by 30%, in part due to mixing shipments of empty packaging with new goods (“Beauty’s Eco-ethical Future,” 2017). According to Nancy Mahon, Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability Senior VP, Estée Lauder Companies, programs like Back to MAC work well for millennials, who are consistently looking for less packaging or refillable concepts (“Beauty’s Eco-ethical Future,” 2017). While natural beauty brand Aveda has been using the refillable model for decades, the refillable product trend has picked up in recent years, particularly among luxury brands. Companies such as Hourglass Cosmetics and Dior now offer elegant lipstick packaging designed to be a keepsake with refills available at lower price points (McIntyre, 2019). Companies that sell liquid products are also experimenting with refillable design options. Cleaning product brand, Method, and natural beauty brand, L’Occitane, now offer select products, such as shampoos and soaps in glass keepsake bottles with refillable pouches available for purchase (McIntyre, 2019). L’Occitane is also in early stages of testing in-store product refill stations, though their success is still unclear (Pompe-Moore, 2019).

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Photo courtesy of Fashionista

CLOSING THE LOOP WITH LOOP While individual companies are experimenting with circular products and packaging innovations, circular shopping platform Loop is attempting to push the envelope on a larger scale. Created by Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, Loop is perhaps the biggest push toward circular retailing yet. Much like online shopping platform Instacart, Loop allows users to order food, household cleaning, and personal-care products by trusted brands to be delivered to their door. Orders are delivered via UPS in a reusable container called the “Loop tote” and the products themselves come in reusable packages, such as stainless steel pints for ice cream, glass jars for dry pasta, and aluminium bottles for hand soap. Once the products are used, the user places empty packaging back in the delivery tote and schedules a free pickup for Loop to collect and clean the packaging for reuse (“How it Works,” n.d.). The goal of this initiative is to allow users to shop and consume without generating waste. In Plastics Engineering, Grace refers to this system as “the milkman model, a nod to the old days when milk was delivered to your doorstep in glass bottles, which were later collected, cleaned, and reused” (Grace, 2019).

Since many people won’t go through shampoo and ice cream at the same rate, users can schedule a pick up for just some of the packages from their order, or all of them. As an added convenience, Loop offers the option to have products automatically refilled, meaning when Loop receives an empty container, it automatically triggers a reorder. As it

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can take a few days for refills to arrive at the user’s doorstep, Loop recommends ordering two at a time for products that users can’t be without (“How it works.”n.d.).

Currently, Loop is working with notable partners including Unilever, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, Procter & Gamble, and UPS. As Szaky describes it, “Loop is an engine for CPGs [consumer packaged goods companies] to shift from disposable products that consumers own to durable ones they borrow” (Grace, 2019). In the Loop system, the brand partners maintain ownership of their packages which incentivizes them to design and produce attractive and durable containers.

This model also provides the brands with an opportunity to elevate their packaging experience. For example, Häagen-Dazs, one of the brands available through Loop, reimagined their paperboard ice cream pint as an elegant, double-walled stainless steel container. In addition to a premium look-and-feel, the steel container offers added functionality by keeping the product cold while still allowing the user to hold it comfortably (Grace, 2019). Loop product packages are typically made from stainless steel, aluminum, glass, and BPA-free plastics, though the company doesn’t have strict constraints, allowing packaging designers to innovate and experiment with new materials (“Our Brand Partners,” n.d.).

Still quite green, Loop launched in 2019 in Paris, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware with plans to expand across the United States as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Japan in 2020 (“Our Brand Partners,” n.d.). Eventually, Szaky envisions shifting from the Photo courtesy of Terracycle

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e-commerce model into physical stores by partnering with existing retailers to designate “package-free aisles” (Grace, 2019).

While Loop eliminates a staggering amount of single-use material from its system, it is not entirely waste free. All products are sent with a plastic seal around the lid of the reusable packaging. While including plastic with the packaging seems counterintuitive, it’s a quality control measure to ensure items are not tampered with during shipping. With the empty packaging, the seals are meant to be returned to Loop for recycling by Terracycle, which specializes in small, hard-to-recycle items such as the seals (Bratskeir, 2019).

To better evaluate their full environmental impact, Loop worked with an external consulting agency to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results showed that “when compared to traditional retailer models, Loop’s model has significant environmental savings due to the significant decrease in single-use packaging production and the complete elimination of incineration and landfill.” The LCA showed that Loop breaks even with traditional supply chains in as few as 3 uses of their packaging. By 10 use cycles, Loop demonstrated nearly 35% lower environmental impacts than regular eCommerce and nearly 20% lower environmental impacts than regular Retail. The main takeaway: the more the Loop packaging is reused, the better the reduction in environmental impacts (“Our Brand Partners,” n.d.).

LOOP IS NOT WITHOUT LIMITATIONS While Loop was designed to prioritize user experience and aims to match the ease of disposing of waste, the platform, as it exists today, has some serious limitations, like spatial requirements, limited offerings, and high price points. Despite the conveniences that Loop offers, these limitations could keep users from adopting it on a larger scale.

Spatial Requirements & Delivery Logistics While home delivery and pick up is convenient for some, the Loop system demands physical space that users—particularly those in urban areas or shared dwellings—may not have. The delivery tote, though durable and designed to eliminate cardboard from the shipping process, is bulky and heavy, measuring at 19 inches by 16.5 inches by 16 inches (Case, 2019). The tote can be folded down once unpacked, but it comes with internal packaging materials, such as reusable styrofoam-like partitions and ice packs, that can be large and difficult to stow away (Case, 2019).

Additionally, as products are emptied, the tote needs to be reassembled and filled with the empty packaging. As not all products will run out at the same time, this may mean the large tote takes up valuable kitchen space for several days or weeks. Loop tries to address this inconvenience by providing the option to have the tote picked up while only partially full; this means the user must schedule multiple pickups

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and deal with a replacement tote. Ultimately, users either need to have space for the assembled tote to gather empty product containers, or they need alternative space to store the collapsed tote, internal materials, and empty containers until they are ready to schedule a pickup. While space is not an issue for some, it could be an inconvenience, even a deterrent, for those with limited square footage.

The pickup/delivery process itself could also be a hindrance for users who can’t be home to receive the hefty tote and don’t have a secure place for large packages to be left. In terms of timing, Loop is doing its best to match the shipping standards that many consumers are accustomed to, with new orders placed Monday through Friday guaranteed for next-day delivery. However, automatic refills take a minimum of two days to arrive, depending on user location and desired product (“Support & FAQ,” n.d.). This wait may cause some users to visit their nearest store instead. Loop’s proposed workaround for this issue is to encourage users to order multiples of products they can’t be without; this is a habit and a monetary investment that’s not desirable or even manageable for some users.

Limited Offerings & At What Cost?

Perhaps the biggest hurdle that consumers have to overcome to adopt Loop is the high cost. While there is no subscription fee, Loop products tend to be more costly and more limited than those offered at a traditional retailer, such as Safeway. With Loop, the user pays for the cost of each product, plus a refundable deposit for every package they order, and a $15 shipping fee for orders under $100. Though the deposits are refunded once the empty packaging is returned, this is a costly barrier for entry which will prevent some users from considering the service.

As an exercise in understanding the pricing implications of Loop, the following cost comparison chart shows Loop products versus Safeway products, as observed in February 2020. Excluding the Loop package deposits, this study shows that on average Loop products are $0.04/ unit more expensive than the exact same product at Safeway. While this amount may seem minimal, buying the products outlined in the chart at Loop would tally to $52.97, plus an additional $28 in refundable deposits, equalling a total upfront spend of $80.97 before the $15 shipping charge.

The same order at Safeway (products in comparable units) would cost $46.10—just over half the cost of the Loop order with deposits.

The chart only compares seven items because most of the products offered on the Loop platform are exclusive to Loop, making direct comparisons difficult. Unlike the local grocery store, Loop offers only 163 products, supplied by 45 brand names as of February 2020.

This means users see a stark lack of variety when shopping on the platform. With limited variety in brands comes limited price points as well. While Safeway offers over seven different pasta brands at a range of price points, Loop only offers pasta by in-house brand

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Loop

Safeway

Loop/ Safeway Price per Unit

Product

Product Price

HäagenDazs Strawberry Ice Cream (14oz)

$6.49 + $5 deposit

$0.46

$4.99

$0.36

+$0.10

Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin Seed Granola

$5.99 + $3 deposit (10.6 oz)

$0.57

$4.59

$0.40

+$0.17

Cascade Platinum ActionPacs

$14 + $3 deposit (30 count)

$.047

$0.38

+$0.09

Pantene Moisture Renewal Shampoo (12.6 oz)

$5.50 + $2 deposit

$0.44

$4.49

$0.36

+$0.08

$0.09 $5.49 + Clorox Disinfecting $10 deposit (60 count) Wipes

$4.59

$0.13

-$0.04

Price per unit

Product Price

Price per unit

(11.5 oz)

$10.19 (27 count)

(35 count)

Tide Detergent (50 oz)

$10.50 + $3 deposit

$0.21

$5.99

$0.12

+$0.09

Febreze Fabric & Air Mist Bamboo (10.1 oz)

$5.00 + $2 deposit

$0.71

$7.19

$0.71

-$0.21

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difficulty recovering materials for recycling remains the biggest barrier to adoption of the circular economy model Puretto—each pasta type is available in one volume and at one price point. For example, the only white rice available on Loop is Puretto’s long grain 35 oz tin, which costs $5 plus a deposit of $3 (“Pasta & Grains”, n.d.). An equivalent 32 oz bag of rice at Safeway is offered at $2.69 (“Rice,” n.d.). Similarly, Loop’s only peanut butter offering is all-natural Reinberger Nut Butter, listed at $9 plus a $2 deposit (“Condiments,” n.d.). Safeway offers a comparable natural peanut butter at $4.49, with less expensive options from brands like Skippy (“Jam, Spreads & Condiments,” n.d.). While Safeway offers other brands of rice and peanut butter that are more costly than those offered on Loop, Loop’s lack of variety in brand and price point takes the choice away from the consumer, a sacrifice that some can’t justify.

In addition to the limited selection itself, some consumers may take issue with the fact that many of Loop’s partner companies have dismal environmental records. In fact, nine of the ten companies mentioned on a Greenpeace list of worst plastics polluters are currently Loop partners, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, Mondelez International, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Mars Incorporated, and Colgate-Palmolive. Including these infamous companies was part of Szaky’s initial strategy for getting Loop off the ground. As reported in CNN Business, Szaky intentionally targeted these

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companies precisely because of their poor reputations. He felt that companies facing this type of public relations crisis would have the incentive and capital to invest in his initiative (Wiener-Bronner, 2019). While recruiting these problematic companies is admirable, the ethicallyminded consumers that are drawn to the Loop model may reject the platform entirely, seeing only product offerings from troublesome brands.

SUCCESS REQUIRES FURTHER SHIFTS Loop is an undeniably inspiring initiative aiming to make real change through its circular model and company partnerships, but the question remains: Will consumers be willing to change their habits for the greater good? If Loop fails to enhance the user experience and cost benefit for consumers, the platform will likely fail.

In the current model, consumers have to overlook the inconveniences—spatial demands, delivery complications, limited offerings—and the significant monetary investment in order to buy into the Loop system. The payoff for this is a sense of personal satisfaction for being a good citizen by reducing waste. It’s idealistic, perhaps even naive, to think this is enough of a motivator to change consumer habits. For companies that have

been experimenting with refillable and recycling initiatives, like MAC and Rothys, shifting consumer habits remains a primary obstacle.

ING WB’s survey found that while consumers are increasingly demanding circular practices, “difficulty recovering materials for recycling” remains the biggest barrier to adoption of the circular economy model (ING WB, n.d.). This suggests that there needs to be more of a payoff and incentive for consumers to change their behavior particularly over the long term.

For Loop, bringing down the cost of their services would be the first critical step to building their user base. If changing the price structure for products and deposits isn’t feasible, creating government incentives for companies that partner with Loop and consumers who use the platform would be a valuable step forward. As Stanislaus explains in National, State Policy Drivers Drive Circular Economy, tax incentives have been proven to inspire action: “In December 2015, Congress passed into law a permanent charitable giving tax incentive for donating food and extended it to pass-through entities. The tax credit has been cited by food manufacturers as a critical factor to overcome concerns regarding the cost of food donation and liability risks. It has resulted in a substantial increase in food diverted from waste” (Stanislaus, 2018).

From this, one can assume that if the government gave tax credits for partnering or purchasing from Loop—or similar circular companies—the platform’s audience would grow. An alternative approach would be

Photo courtesy of Nestlé

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taxing single-use plastic packaging on a larger scale. This concept has been introduced in the U.S., with California becoming the first state to enact legislation banning single-use plastic bags at large retail stores.

Since then, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont have followed, with other states introducing heavy taxes for plastic bag use (“State Plastic and Paper Bag Legislation,” 2020).

Instituting further taxation on the use of single-use plastic would drive the cost of use up, ultimately incentivizing companies and consumers to explore alternative product and packaging models, such as Loop.

Coupled with cost improvements, Loop will need to broaden product offerings and expand the platform’s accessibility through alternatives to their existing delivery/pick-up model. Extending the online platform to physical store locations would be a great step towards broadening Loop’s reach. This is something that Szaky hopes to do in the future (Grace, 2019). In-store accessibility would give users more flexibility for managing and returning empty packages. Strauss Family Creamery is an example of a company that has used this packaging return model with great success. Customers can rinse their milk bottles—made with up to 30% recycled glass—and return them to the store where they purchased them for a $2.00 refund. As outlined on FoodTank, “Strauss then takes the bottles back to their facilities to reuse the bottles an average of five times before recycling them. The company has an 80% return rate on bottles, keeping about 500,000 pounds of milk containers and plastic out of landfills each year” (“16 Companies Rethinking Packaging”, 2019). Certainly not all companies have this success rate with returning reusable packaging, however, Strauss has demonstrated that the model works for some users. While convenient for some, Loop’s home delivery and storage requirements are a barrier to entry for others. Having the option to handle package returns at a brick and mortar store would make the platform manageable for more users. Rather than storing empty packaging, scheduling a pickup, and waiting for a refill delivery, having physical Loop stores (or partnerships with other stores) would give consumers the option of bringing their empty product packages in to exchange for a new, full product at their convenience.

While the Loop system needs further refinement, it’s a promising, idealistic initiative and it’s success would be a momentous step towards shifting away from single-use packaging to better our planet for future generations.

Hopefully by acknowledging and addressing its existing problem areas, Szaky can raise the bar with Loop and set a new standard for circular design and consumer accountability.

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REFERENCES Beauty’s Eco-ethical Future. (2017). Global Cosmetic Industry, 185(9), 46.

Bratskeir, K. (2019, October). Loop Review: A Waste-Free Packaging Service For Returning Containers. Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ loop-review-plastic-free-delivery_n_5db35e42e4b006d4916e7f79 Case, S. (2019, June). Return To Sender: An Early Loop Customer Weighs In. GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/ return-sender-early-loop-customer-weighs Condiments. (n.d.). TerraCycle. Retrieved February 26, 2020 from https:// loopstore.com/categories/grocery/condiments Ellen MacArthur Foundation. What Is The Circular Economy?. (n.d.).

Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation. org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Circular Economy Schools Of Thought. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/ concept/schools-of-thought Ellen MacArthur Foundation. CASE STUDY: Miwa Rethinking Grocery Shopping With An App. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www. ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/circular-design Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-story/mission Grace, R. (2019, April). In The Crosshairs: Single‐Use, Disposable Packaging.

Plastics Engineering, 75(4), 18-23.

Hogenboom, M. (2017, December 13). Future - The Intriguing World Of ‘Circular Design’. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/ gallery/20171212-the-intriguing-world-of-circular-design How it works. (n.d.). TerraCycle. Retrieved February 14, 2020 from https:// loopstore.com/how-it-works ING WB. How Circular Thinking Could Change Us Business Models. (n.d.).

Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www.ingwb.com/themes/ americas-here-i-come-articles/how-circular-thinking-couldchange-us-business-models ING WB. Opportunity and disruption: How Circular Thinking Could Change Us Business Models 2. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2020 from https://www. ingwb.com/media/2692501/ing_us-circular-economy-survey-05-02-2019.pdf Korhonen, J., Honkasalo, A., & Seppälä, J. (2018). Circular Economy: The Concept And Its Limitations. Ecological Economics, 143, 37-46.

McIntyre, Megan. (2019, Jan 8). Refillable Packaging Is The Trend Quietly Taking Over Luxury. Fashionista. https://fashionista.com/2019/01/ refillable-luxury-beauty-products-trend Our Brand Partners. (n.d.). TerraCylce. Retrieved February 14, 2020 from https://loopstore.com/brand-partners

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Pasta & Grains. (n.d.). TerraCycle. Retrieved February 26 2020, from https:// loopstore.com/categories/grocery/pasta-and-grains Peters, A. (2019, Feb 5). Most U.s. Companies Say They Are Planning To Transition To A Circular Economy. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/ Pompe-Moore, G. (2019, May 23). Beauty Brands Are Embracing Sustainable Packaging. Raconteur: Future of Packaging 2019. https://www.raconteur.net/ sustainability/beauty-sustainable-packaging Safeway. Rice. n.d. Retrieved February 26, 2020 from https://www.safeway. com/shop/aisles/grains-pasta-sides/rice.3132.html?page=1&sort=salesRank Safeway. Jam, Spreads & Condiments. n.d. Retrieved February 26, 2020 from https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.104100002.html 16 Companies Rethinking Packaging. FoodTank. (2019, June). https://foodtank.com/news/2019/06/16-companies-rethinking-packaging Stahel, W. (2016). The Circular Economy. Nature, 531(7595), 435-438.

Stanislaus, M. (2018, January). National, State Policy Drivers Drive Circular Economy. Corporate Eco Forum. https://www.corporateecoforum.com/ national-state-policy-drivers-drive-circular-economy State Plastic And Paper Bag Legislation. (2020, January). National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-andnatural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx Support & FAQ. (n.d.). TerraCycle. Retrieved February 14, 2020 from https:// loopstore.com/support-and-faq Sustainability. (n.d.). TerraCycle. Retrieved February 14, 2020 from https:// loopstore.com/sustainability Wiener-Bronner, D. (2019, January). How To Solve The World’s Plastics Problem: Bring Back The Milk Man. CNN Business. https://www.cnn.com/ interactive/2019/01/business/loop-reusable-packaging-mission-ahead/index. html Woodring D., Richardson R., & Cassel S. (2018, August 28). ‘Clean Tax Cuts’ and The Global Free Market For Plastic Solutions. GreenBiz. https://www. greenbiz.com/article/clean-tax-cuts-and-global-free-market-plastic-solutions

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Photo courtesy of Glossier

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FEATURE | Glossier

GLOSSIER An analysis of a thriving cosmetics company

by Denise Oyama

With the advent of smart devices and online marketplaces, almost everything from food, to cars, to clothing, can be purchased straight from a connected device in many areas of the world. Technology has impacted almost every sector in the retail space, including the way cosmetics are marketed and sold. The cosmetics brand Glossier is an exceptional example of a 21st-century cosmetic company that has leveraged technology, specifically social media, to create a successful brand strategy that has helped to drive sales, multiple rounds of funding, and a billion-dollar valuation.

Cosmetics have been around for thousands of years, but the last century has seen major changes. Until the early 20th century, there was little mass production of cosmetics. However, the invention of the metal lipstick tube in 1915 and the patented swivel-up tube in 1923 changed how consumers transported lipstick, applied it, and increased the frequency of use (Bellis, 2020). This, in combination with the greater acceptance of cosmetics by the general public, caused a major explosion of consumption in this area. Over the decades, other forms of makeup and skincare were packaged and sold in major retailers, most notably in the Sears Roebuck catalog (Bellis, 2020). Mass production and consumerism caused exponential growth over the next several decades and have made the cosmetics industry a massive one. Fast forward to 2019, where the U.S. cosmetics industry generated

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$93.5 billion USD in revenue (Cvetkovska, 2019). How does a cosmetics company stick out amongst the rest while being in such a competitive market? The simple answer is that cosmetic companies will need to do more than simply sell their products in traditional retail stores as they have been since the early 20th century. Technology has been both a motivator for change and an enabler that has altered the consumer environment. Over the last three decades, the industry has been impacted by the emergence of the internet and smart devices. It is no surprise then that companies must have an online presence, know how to communicate effectively to their target market, delight their customers, and create lasting impressions.

Glossier, which entered the cosmetics industry in 2014, appears to have decoded how to operate in this new era of cosmetic sales. From unconventional beginnings, Glossier has demonstrated the ways in which they approached their business through the web and social media, and have shown that it is possible to be a very successful brand while only having four permanent locations worldwide. Their early beginnings and the launch of their cosmetics brand are both important in understanding the development of their brand values and brand development decisions.

We will explore these areas in greater detail later in this article.

Early Beginnings Glossier started as a beauty blog named Into The Gloss in 2010. At the time, Styling Assistant Emily Weiss worked at Vogue (Meltzer, 2016).

She made a bold move and decided to make a full commitment to developing her blossoming blog, which was and still is a place where readers share their favorite products, exchange information, and develop a community around those who love cosmetics. It quickly became a sensation “generating around 10 million page views a month with 60% of readers checking the site daily, according to Forbes�

(Gross, 2019, para. 1).

The launch of a new cosmetics brand The success of her beauty site encouraged Emily to push herself into unknown territory and develop a line of skincare, beauty, and fragrance.

The concept from the beginning was to keep the customer at the center of everything she did. She believed consulting beauty experts and scientists to determine the product line would potentially push away the Millennials she was looking to reach. Instead, she crowdsourced suggestions and created products that people wish existed. From there, she developed a small line of fun, inviting, and effortless products that enhanced her customer’s natural beauty. The launch of Phase I included a face mist, priming moisturizer, lip balm/salve, and a skin tint. In just six weeks after her launch, she landed her first round of funding (Feneberger, 2016). It did not stop there. Her initial success

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Authenticity is achieved when the brand promise and the brand experience overlap spurred a series of funding that “raised a total of $186.4M in funding over 5 rounds” (Crunchbase.com, n.d.). This allowed her to continue developing more products that delighted her customers, which sent viral waves through the beauty industry.

Brand Analysis Glossier’s initial and continuing success is not by accident, rather it is a culmination of very strategic decisions that had to be made to develop their brand from the beginning. Everything from determining their brand values to defining their visual language was a critical decision in how Glossier would present and communicate itself to the world. A brand can tell the story of what the company values, what personality it holds, what it wants the customers to feel—and that is powerful. All of these things can help the brand stand out in a sea of competitors, drive consistent user experience, and either solidify or break a user’s loyalty to a brand (deBara, 2019). Below is a detailed evaluation of Glossier’s DNA:

can be found throughout their website, packaging, social media, and products (Metzer, 2016). Their beauty promise is also a critical part of defining the brand and is outlined in a two-part promise: Skin first.

Our skincare essentials are designed to make you look and feel your glowy, dewy, best before you even think about makeup.

Makeup second.

Products that give you options but never cover you up, turn you into someone else, or over-complicate your routine. Because beauty should make you feel good (Glossier, n.d.).

These promises and their values are the standard for customers; from interacting with the website and Instagram profile, to making a purchase, to the experience of trying a product, their customers feel like the brand values and brand promise are matching their expectations which is a recipe for success.

Brand Promise and Values

Visual Language—Color

Authenticity is achieved when the brand promise and the brand experience overlap (Tomaszewicz, 2018). Glossier has built the trust of its fast-growing and loyal customer base because they have been able to define their brand promise and brand values, and deliver on these through all avenues of their business.

Their values of inclusivity, innovation, cleverness, fun, and thoughtfulness

With a simple and distinctive color palette, Glossier’s brand is recognizable, playful, and feminine—white and a very specific hue of pink. “There’s actually no distinct Pantone for it—it’s a 70 percent saturation of PMS 705” (Glossier, n.d.). This color duo is a very prominent aspect of their website, Instagram page, packaging, and products—providing a visual language that ties all aspects of

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their business together. The combination of this, with their logo and products, enables almost instant recognition of their brand.

Visual Language—Logo & Wordmark Glossier’s logo is represented in two distinctively opposite but complementary ways. A bold and unique G logo was developed at the launch of the cosmetics brand. It is highly stylized in Blackletter which provides visual interest in a relatively simple online space, but also provides a logo that customers can easily recognize (Santos, 2019).

In contrast, the second Glossier wordmark is simply the name of the brand, with a period at the end. The font is Aperçu, a san serif typeface that has a much more contemporary feel from their single-letter logo.

The uniform stroke weight of the font helps drive the clean, simplistic style of the brand. In addition, the use of punctuation is a statement that Glossier is a brand that believes simple is better.

Visual Language—Photography The style of video and photography used throughout their website and social media profile are thoughtfully curated and intend to tell a story to provoke feelings for their followers. Images of young, hip, and ethnically diverse women are intertwined with pink-hued shapes/art/ nature/architecture, cute animals, and Glossier products. The imagery is suggestive of the brand values and personality, and inspires their audience to engage with the brand, try new products, and to be a brand ambassador.

Visual Language—Product & Shipping Packaging The materials, design, and shape of product and shipping packaging are all visual representations of the story that a brand wants to tell. Glossier’s product packaging is simple, yet playful and fun. Most of their packaging falls into three basic forms—tube, cylindrical bottle, or shallow jar—and has either clean, simple labeling or a fun colorful twist. For example, their Cloud Paint blushes are packaged in what resembles paint tubes you would buy at an art store with a bright label and a colored cap.

What all of these details represent is Glossier’s focus on the quality of the product as well as its goal to keep its brand fun and inviting.

The product experience for those who cannot make it to one of their four locations is a pleasant and refreshing experience. Products are first placed in what has become an iconic aspect of Glossier packaging: the pink bubble wrap pouch. Used as a way to protect the products, it also functions as a piece of reusable packaging for storing cosmetics or other toiletries. All shipped boxes come with a set of Glossier stickers and an exterior packaging box made out of white cardboard. It is a delightful surprise when you cut the Glossier branded packaging tape to find a pink interior with their motto, “Skin first, makeup second.” The combination of these playful elements provide a unique, fun, and memorable experience

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Photo courtesy of Glossier

that solidifies the customer experience. In fact, the packaging became so popular, they now sell the pink bubble wrap pouch for $12 USD on their website (Glossier, n.d.).

Marketing Strategy through Technology A digital presence is an important aspect of Glossier’s marketing strategy. Their website serves as a comprehensive list of available products and serves as the portal for direct-to-consumer sales; the blog provides a sense of inspiration and information; and their Instagram presence, which may be the most critical avenue, inspires, informs, drives sales, and solidifies brand loyalty. Through visual storytelling, Glossier creates a fun, feminine, natural, and likable personality. The imagery inspires and encourages its 2.7 million Instagram followers to follow suit. Although their products are featured through regular posts, it feels subtle and pleasant. In between product posts and inspirational images, their skincare and makeup products are featured on everyday-women which is relatable and gives users a sense of trust in the brand. Glossier’s Instagram account is a place that can be accessed by nearly anyone, allowing them to be explored and discovered by a large population. “Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users and more than 500 million of them

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use the platform daily” (Mohsin, 2019). The growing exposure and the likeability for the brand mean that Instagram is an opportunity to tell the world about their brand and values, and engage and earn new customers to the growing list of Glossier product lovers.

Physical Presence Glossier began as a digitally-native company and have viewed their physical locations as a secondary component to enhancing the Glossier experience.

The permanent locations and pop-up experiences announced through Instagram and on the Glossier website, have elevated exclusivity of the brand and have provided a platform for transforming their customers into brand ambassadors. Whether they’re a stand-alone store or a collaboration with another retailer, they’re creating opportunities in reaching their customers and creating spaces that inspire and reinforce the customer relationship. “We look at offline experiences as opportunities for learning and experimentation” (Salpini, 2019).

Glossier’s four locations— New York, Los Angeles, London, and Atlanta—bring their brand to life in an experience that is undeniably memorable Since launching into a line of skincare and cosmetics, Glossier has only opened a total of four permanent stores worldwide: New York, Los Angeles, London and the fourth location in Atlanta that launched on February 19th, 2020. These stores bring their brand to life in an experience that is undeniably memorable. Before you walk into one of their stores, you’ll notice you’ve arrived before you even walk in.

You’ll see the Glossier logo, a beautiful pink facade, or the long lines to get in. Once in, you’re transported to a different place. The space is simple and clean, yet fun, inviting, and naturally beautiful—it’s almost as if their Instagram feed has come to life. The staff, called “editors,” sport matching Glossier pink jumpsuits and white sneakers, and are there to provide product knowledge and guidance (Schneier, 2018).

The environment was designed for customers to play and experiment with the products, with areas throughout the space to test a product, view, wash off, and try other products. Throughout the entire experience from arrival to departure, Glossier has attempted to make every aspect an

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Photo courtesy of Glossier

“Instagram-able” one. Strategically placed throughout the store, you’ll find beautiful backdrops, mirrors perfect for selfies, and feel-good quotes such as “you look good.”

Searching the tag #glossier results in half a million posts where everyday people are interacting with the brand. This is a prime example of how their Instagram presence heightens the in-store experience and the in-store experience drives social engagement: a perfect dynamic.

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Conclusion Glossier has quickly become a recognized and valued brand within the industry with a loyal customer base. Glossier, however, took a bold approach in the branding, storytelling, and retailing. They have an unequivocal style, set of values, and personality that speak to their target customers, and these values are central to everything they do. Glossier’s online presence is essential to its success, extending the presence of their relatable, cool, authentic brand. Glossier is a case study for cosmetics brands that have leveraged technology and design to be amazingly successful in a short amount of time.

REFERENCES Bellis, M. (2020, January 29). The Colorful History of Lipstick. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-lipstick-1992082 Cvetkovska, L. (2019, January 8). 45 Beauty Industry Statistics That Will Impress You. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://loudcloudhealth.com/beauty-industry-statistics/ deBara, D. (2019, June). What Is Branding? Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://99designs.com/blog/logo-branding/what-is-branding/ Feneberger, M. (2016, May 14). A Brief History of Glossier. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from http://www.highvoltagemag.com/a-brief-history-of-glossier/ Glossier. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2020, from https://www.crunchbase.com/ organization/glossier#section-funding-rounds Gross, E. L. (2019, March 19). Glossier Raises $100M And Now Has A Billion-Dollar Valuation.

Retrieved February 10, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2019/03/19/ glossier-raises-100m-and-now-has-a-billion-dollar-valuation/#2aa989a1720d Meltzer, M. (2016, September 28). The Beauty Upstart With a Radical New Way of Talking to You. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://www.wired.com/2016/09/emily-weiss-glossier/ Mohsin, M. (2019, November 29). 10 Instagram Statistics Everyone Should Know in 2020 [Infographic]. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://www.oberlo.com/blog/ instagram-stats-every-marketer-should-know Salpini, C. (2019, December 4). Glossier Pops Up In 7 Nordstrom Locations. Retrieved March 11, 2020, from https://www.retaildive.com/news/ glossier-pops-up-in-7-nordstrom-locations/568436/ Santos, M. (2019, March 23). Design Inspiration: Glossier. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://thoughtbot.com/blog/design-inspiration-glossier Schneier, M. (2018, November 7). Glossier Will See You Now. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/style/glossier-new-store-new-york.html Tomaszewicz, M. (2018, September 6). The Magic Moment When Brand Promise Meets Brand Experience. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://uxdesign.cc/ the-magic-moment-when-brand-promise-meets-brand-experience-decc14dfa513

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Photo courtesy of Glossier

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Photo courtesy of Dance Mission Theatre

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FEATURE | Dance & Design

DANCE& DESIGN how Design helps dance execute its vision

by Renée Bacchini

With the advent of smart devices and online marketplaces, innovative Bay Area dance companies have been using set and costume design to further the narrative of their dance performances. In this article, I will discuss several examples in which dance and design combine to create a synergistic effect. The combination of dance with set and costumes is particularly effective as, together, they seem to embrace and embody complex political and cultural themes.

Dance is a powerful tool to express what people collectively experience, both local communities and national politics. The narratives in a dance piece can expose critical ideas that give an audience alternative ways to think. “The arts have always been integral to Bay Area political and cultural movements, and sometimes [they are] drivers. As the tech field consumes the region, it’s not surprising that artists are pioneering innovative solutions to the impacts of Silicon Valley on the vibrant, diverse, and cultural ecosystem of the Bay Area.

Artists are the storytellers of what was, what is, and what can be, through the varied mediums of creative and cultural expression. [They act] as forms of civic engagement and accountability tools,” said Tyese Wortham, Director of Community Engagement at Community Arts Stabilization Trust (Wortham, 2020). Set and costume design are essential and integral parts of almost every dance’s storyline. Even when a dance performance incorporates spoken word or dialogue from video clips, the set and costumes should reflect the time, place, or message of the piece as part of the overall story.

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Artists are the storytellers of what was, what is, and what can be, through the varied mediums of creative and cultural expression Nick Brentley, a seasoned performing artist, clothing designer/stylist, lighting and sound tech, and producer states, “Everything counts when telling the story, if there isn’t enough information introduced, the audience can get confused. Casting is important; bodies are political, they say things even when we don’t want them to.

The costumes help the audience identify the role that the dancer is playing. If the costume is overpowering or doesn’t function properly, it can raise questions for the audience and distract from the dance.

The theater itself, even when set in the street, can inform all sorts of things. There is a relationship between the stage and the audience, and the set and costume designers need to consider everything in the choreography and the environment when making design decisions” (Brentley, 2020). Over the last decade, Brentley has worked with over twenty choreographers performing across genres, including many that have created pieces to incite social change through dance, music, and spoken word.

One such performance was with the Embodiment Project, a street dance theater company that illuminates stories of those that speak up about societal inequities, usually focusing on economic inequalities, but also address racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and global warming. The project is designed to start critical conversations and to give a voice to those suffering in silence. “All of our

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work was cultivated from the performers’ narratives as vehicles for social change” (Brentley, 2020). For example, in 2015, after George Zimmerman was acquitted of Treyvon Martin’s murder and awareness of police killings of Black men and women was on the rise, Brentley got involved with a performance piece called Chalk Outlines. “The dancers were all men of color. They wore only black pants, and the theater had rows flowing on to the stage.

The stage itself had chalk outlines of men and women killed by unwarranted police violence. The music powerfully expressed the storyline, and the piece left an impact on the audience” (Brentley, 2020).

Another dance company that works exclusively with political and cultural themes is Dance Brigade in San Francisco. Krissy Keefer founded Dance Brigade in 1984 and established her studio, Dance Mission, in 1988. Her intention was to create space for women and girls to come together and participate. She says, “Fight or flight is a male concept; women gather and find the children and come together to collectively coalesce and support each other” (Keefer, K., 2020). She believes that coming together and everyone feeling like they are part of a team, will get communities through bad times.

Butterfly Effect, Dance Brigade’s most recent work, pays tribute to the devastatingly large number of climate change activists who have been brutally silenced

after advocating for basic human rights. Embedded in the company’s ethos is the belief that small changes can have a big effect. Krissy Keefer, Dance Brigade’s Artistic Director, has been creating dance works for 40 years about political issues, whether it be the climate crisis, the Vietnam War, or women’s rights. She has watched it evolve since the 1970s, and doesn’t believe we will survive the climate crisis if we stay on our current path. She feels we are on the edge of an apocalypse, and we are all in denial and complacent. The intention behind her work as she states is to “strive for people to coalesce intellectually and emotionally around one of the themes. Yes, we’re all in this together, and we can try to figure out how to stay closely bonded to change the world” (Rotter, 2020).

This idea of community is played out with the audience as the show winds through three studios at Dance Mission. By having scenes in multiple rooms, they were able to create entirely different worlds with each act. In a dance concert, the audience usually enters and sits facing the stage without interacting with one another. As the audience moved from room to room, they experienced walking through it together, sharing a collective experience was an intentional part of the set design.

“Each studio provided a different world, like a motion picture of a live performance,” said Fredricka Keefer, Principal Dancer for Dance Brigade. “The eight of us dancers who performed the piece were a multi-generation, diverse group of women. There were the fresh-faced youth and the wisdom of dancers in their 50s. The dance politically was in its time” (Keefer, F., 2020).

The main stage had a very ancient, other-worldly feeling, incorporating natural fabrics, branches that came down from the ceiling, and visually Photo courtesy of KQED

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impressive Taiko drums. The lighting was positioned so that the dancers cast shadows in an array of deep blue hues. Their costumes were made from a flowy, silk material, organically shaped with soft colors. As the dance began, one of the dancers recited a poem that juxtaposed a boardroom scene unfolding on the center floor. The dancers, dressed in men’s suits, acted aggressively around a table, giving orders at what looked like servers. One interpretation of this is that we alienate ourselves from the natural world through our current wants and desires.

This piece, like much of Keefer’s other work, is inspired by art and this one, in particular, a Black lesbian climate change poet.

The narrator asked the audience to move to the next room together, as pleasantly dressed servers passed out the champagne and sparkling water. The audience got a chance to bond and discuss what they had just witnessed. The next scene began in a room that was long and narrow.

There was a 360-degree video with butterflies and social commentary audio, such as Greta Thunberg speaking to the United Nations. The scene of the set was a fashion show runway. Krissy Keefer said she intended to show how women are often left out of the conversation and are merely portrayed as beautiful butterflies. Fredricka Keefer added, “We buy into a standard of beauty and the consumption it takes to support that standard. The manufacturing of the products adds to the earth’s degradation” (Keefer, F., 2020). At first, the dancers went down the runway beautifully dressed in full power. As the piece went on, you could see conditions were deteriorating; the dancers hobbled down the runway on the tips of their toes, shoeless in elegant gowns.

Eventually, it started to rain, and all but one dancer left the room. The remaining dancer, wrapped in a red cape on the floor, was exposed and positioned for the audience to walk around to get to the next studio.

For the following scene, the audience walked into a room that was filled with biodegradable packing peanuts, a powerful image of pollution.

The dancers appeared wearing black and white, and their agitation was palpable. The combination of the set, costumes, dance, and music felt like a dystopian world before the apocalypse. Keefer developed this piece in 2016 with the story of Edward Snowden in mind. The final scene took place where the dance began. There was fog in the air, and the drummers were on the riser’s seats. Dancers were looking lost as they danced in the center area of the room with the audience in the round.

It was after the nuclear winter, and the atmosphere had the emptiness of a completely silent cave, the artistic director stated, “It was not unlike people sitting on the savannas with lack of support and sustenance” (Keefer, K., 2020). This work was initially inspired by an ancient Sami poem, titled Voluspa. In this poem, the indigenous people of Finland tell a story of how the earth sank into the sea, but there was ultimately rebirth and renewal. The women that survived gathered the surviving children, and through their shared memories, they came together to carry on. Just as dance and the arts can express a collective experience, it can also show there is hope, and perhaps even a way forward.

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Photo courtesy of SFGATE

SambaFunk! Carnaval Explosion, established in 2010, is an Oakland based Samba and Afro-Brazilian dance company that embodies various cultural and political themes. Theo Aytchan Williams, nicknamed King Theo after being named King of San Francisco Carnaval in 2001, founded the company in the spirit of his master teacher and mentor Carlos Aceituna, after he passed away in 2006. SambaFunk! has performed in the Oakland and San Francisco Carnaval Festivals, and also participated in many cultural and community events in Los Angeles and San Diego.

They have a professional performance group that enlists a renowned artist-inresidence annually from Bahia, Brazil. She teaches dance techniques and spreads her gift of many talents, as she hails from a family of renowned samba and capoeira educators in Bahia. Members of SambaFunk! often travel to Brazil to participate in special workshops and soak in the Bahiana culture.

SambaFunk! embraces Carnaval, a worldwide festival that celebrates life and brings joy and love to many. It is not just feathers, thongs, and dance; there is a rich history, culture, and intention behind the festival. SambaFunk! dances to honor the people who were kidnapped, enslaved, and taken from Africa. The stories of the Orishas, the gods and deities of CandomblĂŠ, inspire the dances. This is the religion of the first Africans enslaved in Brazil, developed from their collective spiritual and religious beliefs from their various regions of origin in Africa, pre-slavery.

Although his training with Carlos was primarily from Brazilian dance and capoeira, King Theo expanded the repertoire to include all dance from the African diaspora. The Carnaval performances of the samba school, numbering as many as one hundred and fifty dancers and musicians, often include five or six rhythms and choreographies. Some

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of the past Carnaval performances included dances such as Colombian, New Orleans Second Line, Harlem Jazz, Dancehall from Jamaica and Panama, and, of course, Oakland Funk. The most substantial influence of all is West African, the core of all the movements.

In creating the production for all the dances, costumes, and sets, King Theo draws inspiration from Afrofuturism. In particular Sun Ra, an avant-garde jazz composer, keyboardist, and all-around cultural force (Faberman, 2020).

Afrofuturism refers to a flourishing contemporary movement of African American, African, and Black diasporic writers, artists, musicians, and theorists. Afrofuturism comprises cultural production and scholarly thought—literature, visual art, photography, film, multimedia art, performance art, music, and theory—that imagine greater justice and a more free expression of black subjectivity in the future or in alternative places, times, or realities. It also offers speculation about a world wherein black people are normative (English, 2017).

Photo courtesy of Ezra Bristow

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For King Theo, Afrofuturism shows the possibility of a future that is positive and does not include the racism of today. He finds Afrofuturism less political and more a creative reality, and it is the approach he uses as he creates the story and design of his performances. “If we are going to create something new, we have to envision it,” he said (Aytchan Williams, 2020). He leads the creation and then includes a team of illustrators, costume designers, musicians, and dancers that help carry his vision to execution.

Andre Preston, Theo’s lifelong friend, and successful illustrator, writer, creator, musician, producer, publisher, and teacher collaborated with the company since it was created. “Theo brings the story and the vision, and I help him flesh it out. I draw visual representations of his thoughts. Around the world, events and our relationship to those events, remind me of the reason why SambaFunk! exists in the first place; it’s to offer healing for the community. Our existence has a deeper theme, something much bigger than all of us. We are working on solving our human problem. It is honoring and drawing on our ancestors’ lessons, going back to the birthplace of humanity, Mother Africa” (Preston, 2020).

“The storyline dictates the type of design we are going after, I build everything around the story: the choreographies, music, costumes, and sets” (Aytchan Williams, 2020). Carole Van Straatum is a costume designer that brings some of those stories to life, with colorful, imaginative, detailed costumes. “Theo will bring me the story and the material, and I will design prototypes,” she says. “It is a process of iteration. In addition to meeting Theo’s intention, the costume needs to function with the dancer’s body and the choreography” (Van Straatum, 2020). She needs to make sure it can function well when a dancer puts it on and rehearses the dance. She creates several costumes per dancer, depending on the storyline and the theme.

Since SambaFunk! is a multi-generational group of dancers, she designs three levels of modesty so everyone can feel comfortable.

The sambístas, a select group of seasoned samba dancers, will have feathers with their costumes, and the rest of the costumes reflect the Afrofuturistic vision.

There is often a mobile set design as well. The company has a batería (Brazilian drum corp) and the drummers carry their instruments as they play along the parade route. SambaFunk! also has an in-house band, Funktyme Players, that produces original pieces for the choreography. There is usually a huge, open-bed truck that carries the band members and the amplification that is decorated along the theme as well. Often there is a float or another decorated truck carrying some of the dancers, so the audience can see them up high. This mobility also works well for children that get tired during the parade, or for dancers that get injured.

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A tremendous effort goes into the production of Carnaval. Once all the design elements are worked out, and the leaders given their tasks, the production begins. Everyone in the company contributes time, talent, and resources to build the costumes. The dancers and drummers meet at a volunteer’s house or rented space to work on costumes, floats, and mobile set decorations. It is a time to get to know one another, share non-dance related skills and talents, and to meet each other’s families. In addition to building the costumes, each dancer is encouraged to add bling, jewels, glitter, and all things sparkly to their own costumes. It seems that everyone does what they can to outdo one another, with a friendly, supportive, and competitive spirit. A few of the costumes to go along with the theme of Roots Intentional, the costumes are made with raffia, branches, shells, and crystals to reflect the African roots of Carnaval. Other themes include a stricter Afrofuturistic storyline and aesthetic; the costumes have the color theme for the year with shiny fabrics, capes, belts, and headdresses, yet with material that alludes to traditional African patterns, jewels, and glitter added in abundance.

It was amazing to see how happy we made people as we brought our art, passion, love, dance, and music to the street The genuine result cannot be felt until Carnaval morning, when all the dancers, musicians, and behind-the-scenes helpers gather. It is electric and joyfully contagious. As a dancer myself, I have had the privilege of dancing with SambaFunk! since 2013, and have fond memories of Carnaval in Oakland, California. We dressed in our costumes from the day before and met at Mosswood Park. It was just SambaFunk! and two other groups that year, and we were all exhausted, but so happy to see each other as we bonded into a family. King Theo led us in a parade that started and ended at the park. It was probably about a mile and a half or two.

We took over the street with our brilliant costumes, floats, dance, and music. It was amazing to see how happy we made people as we brought our art, passion, love, dance, and music to the street. Throughout the parade, people stopped to smile, laugh with joy, and take pictures. We went by both a fire station and California Highway Patrol station, and they waved at us, smiling. Even houseless residents of the park came up to us to thank us for bringing joy to Oakland.

SambaFunk! is set to host the 2020 Oakland Carnaval in Mosswood Park on June 6, under King Theo’s passionate vision and fortitude. Working with many others, the event will be produced with grant money and will be officially permitted by the city. The event is family-friendly and hosts several African diasporic groups. All are welcome to enjoy the festivities, honor their ancestors, and celebrate life for no other reason but the joy of being alive.

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The skillful and sensitive design of sets and costumes can amplify the messages written into a dance performance. Several Bay Area dance companies are presenting essential and uplifting work that raises the voices of the silenced, and they work to show the inequities that divide our society. Through narratives and design, dance has the capability to build empathy in those who have not personally gone through hard times, and it has the power to help those who have. The arts make us aware of our culture, sometimes preserving it and sometimes confronting it. Design helps dance execute its vision, as can be seen in the dance companies discussed in this article.

References Atchyan Williams, T. (2020, February 6). [Personal interview by the author].

Brentley, N. (2020, February 14). [Personal interview by the author].

English, D. K. (2017, July 26). Afrofuturism. Retrieved March 24, 2020, from https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780190221911/ obo-9780190221911-0004.xml Farberman, B. (2018, June 25). Why Is Late Avant-Jazz Visionary Sun Ra Suddenly Having His Moment? Retrieved March 24, 2020, from https://www.rollingstone. com/music/music-features/why-is-sun-ra-suddenly-having-his-moment-197156/ Keefer, F. (2020, February 20). [Personal interview by the author].

Keefer, K. (2020, February 16). [Personal interview by the author].

Rotter, J. (n.d.). With ‘Butterfly Effect’ choreographer Krissy Keefer caps decades of eco-activism. 48 Hills Independent San Francisco News and Culture. Retrieved from 48hills.com Van Straatum, C. (2020, February 14). (Personal interview by the author].

Wortham, T. (2020, February 16). [Personal interview by the author].

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Rogue One (2016) Courtesy of Polina Tankilevitch

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FEATURE | colors in cinema

COLORS IN CINEMA

Breaking down the color palettes of three leading directors

by Priya Thaker

Last night I was in the Kingdom of Shadows. If only you could imagine the strangeness of the grave. Everything there is earth, water, trees, people everything is monotonous grey. Sunshine in the grey sky, grey eyes, and a grey face. Leaves on trees as grey as ash.

This is not life but the shadows of life. The moving image lacks one attribute. An attribute that would have given it true realism. ‘Color’ —Maxime Gorky, 1896

A BRIEF HISTORY Color has the power to tell a story. The colors that we see in films today are a result of technological evolution and each color in a movie depicts a deeper meaning. Since we were able to put sound in films, we have been obsessed with colors. Films have always been about visuals, so filmmakers were willing to go to great lengths to capture the wonders of colors in their lenses. In Erich von Stroheim’s film, Greed, a man’s wife wins the lottery. In the film, money is the only object depicted in yellow.

By the end, as the man’s possessiveness grows, the entire screen is in yellow, symbolizing the man’s complete consumption in greed. Cinema gained a new way of metaphoric storytelling (Chriswell, 2015). Since the very beginning, colors have been used to set the tone and mood. One good example is the film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari by Robert Wiene,

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where the tone is cold, hopeless, and dangerous, the color blue served the purpose. There is no specific set of rules on how to use colors. For example, red can be used to show danger and alertness, on the other hand, it can be used to show love and compassion. Sometimes a filmmaker deliberately shoots in black and white to give the effect of tension and a sense of realism. Every color in the frame of a movie has been planned by the director, cinematographer, and art director.

How can a color tell a story?

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Elicit psychological reactions with the audience Draw focus to significant details Set the tone of the movie Represent a character trait Show changes or arcs in a story

According to Rollins, color can be used for more than just creating a feeling, it can also be used as a highlight, to guide the audience to see what is important.

In Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, Schindler’s List, the entire film is shot in tones of black and white. There are only four images in the entire three hours and fifteen-minute film. One of these colored images belongs to the little girl in the striking red coat. The audience can’t help but notice her. In a sea of destruction, mutilation, and mass murder, it is easy to lose sight of humanity, but the image of the little girl in the red coat recalls individuality. She stands out. We can be sure she is a person, not just another faceless casualty. One little flash of red represents the importance and individuality of each of the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust.

The first film ever was released in 1896 by the Lumiere Brothers, Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière. The films were in black and white and recorded everyday life of

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the people such as the arrival of a train, a game of cards, a toiling blacksmith, the feeding of a baby, soldiers marching, and the activity of a city street. They also shot some comedy shorts (Bauer, 2019). With time and technological advancement, films started to use Technicolor for their films.

There were times when the directors used to hire people to color their black-andwhite films frame by frame. People colored over photographs with various dyes and paints where the image to be colored was no larger than 35mm. Each print of these films became a work of art. Filmmakers set up a workshop where the workers used to perfect the art of coloring the film print at a very low cost. Previously the filmmakers used the exposure of lights and dramatic effects in shadows as a way of storytelling. Kinemacolor was the first successful process for seeing two colors, red and green. In order to project Kinemacolor, the film had to be projected through red and green filters in order to trick the eye into blending the images together. This had to be done fast. Although this was a great first attempt at using color, many people from the audience complained about getting a headache due to color flickering caused by fast-moving objects not overlaying in the same position (Ryan, 2018). As of 1905, the mechanical coloring process replaced the traditional hand-coloring process which was expensive and time-consuming.

Stencil coloring allowed us to produce numerous prints with consistent coloring.

Workshops collected as many possible prints as there were colors. Experts used to scale and worked frame by frame to cut out the areas which were to be dyed a specific color. Colors were applied through the openings in the stencils. The operation was repeated for each color to be applied (Lang, 2004). The bright era of Technicolor came right after it. It was a huge success as people were now able to see stunning bright colors in the films which gave a satisfying movie experience and shaped

the look of 21st-century films. It, however, was quite expensive to make a movie with Technicolor technology. The director had to rent the entire package; the camera, the camera crew, color consultants, and the sounds crew. In addition, the camera weighed over 200 pounds and made a loud noise while recording. The set had to be lit brightly enough to capture the colors, hence making people lose their eyesight or faint due to heat (Ryan, 2018)!

We have come a long way in terms of colors in films. Today filmmakers try to master the art of color for their films. Now after having a glimpse in the world of colors, the next most important thing is to understand the perspective of directors and how they implemented colors in their movies. In this article, I will discuss the work of three of my favorite directors: Guillermo del Toro Gómez, Ridley Scott, and David Fincher.

They use similar color palettes to narrate their stories, and I have studied the work of writer Matt Vasiliauskas in order to gather in-depth information on their processes.

With over ten years of professional experience, Vasiliauskas has produced interviews, reviews, and essays. Also, he holds a master’s degree in creative writing from Columbia University, and his work has appeared in publications such as Conjunctions and The Pennsylvania Review.

Guillermo Del Toro Gómez Guillermo del Toro Gomez is a Mexican filmmaker, author, actor, and former special effects makeup artist. When it comes to creating fantasy worlds, Guillermo del Toro stands out from the rest of the directors. The list of films he has created includes A trip to the Moon, Georges Méliès

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Hell Boy, Blade II, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water. In 2008, he won 4 Oscars for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Music, and Best Production Design.

Associative Colors Associative colors in the film mean that the writer, director, or artist associates a color with a character, emotion, or theme. You can also use color as a transition in the storyline. Del Toro is known for using bright, intense colors. He’s particularly fond of the primary colors, and very few of Guillermo del Toro movies can be found without his signature reds, blues, and yellows. He uses color to represent places such as the titular Crimson Peak. They can also represent characters such as in Hellboy: The Golden Army. Hellboy’s influence at any time bright red appears on the screen. Yellow often stands in for light and hope in Guillermo del Toro movies. In the movie Crimson Peak, he uses the associative color yellow with Edith’s dress to reflect who she is: kind, good, and wealthy. As the movie progresses, she becomes more and more surrounded by ghosts and evil spirits, making her depressed and sad. Her dress changes from yellow to pale white depicting the transformation of her character.

Balanced Complementary Colors Guillermo Del Toro’s movies often have fights between two worlds and he beautifully associates them with complementary colors. Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green.

These opposite colors create maximum contrast and stability. Fights between two worlds seem monotonous until colors start to tell a story.

Hellboy: The Golden Army (2008)

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) is the romance between the elven Princess Nuala and the telepathic merman Abe Sapiens. He is majorly associated with the color blue in the film. His walkie-talkie code name is Blue, and the tank he spends most of his time in is a deep blue.

Nuala, on the other hand, is associated with a golden shade of yellow.

Nuala is even wearing a blue dress under her golden shawl, while Abe has yellow-gold accents on his breathing apparatus. These subtle representations of colors in both the characters depict a connection between them (Vasiliauskas, 2019).

Triadic Colors A triadic color scheme consists of three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. The two most basic triadic palettes are the primary colors red, blue, and yellow and the secondary hues orange, purple, and green.

Guillermo del Toro movies utilize a rarely used color scheme known as “Triadic� to create these impossible worlds. Pacific Rim (2013) is known for its massive, jaw-dropping fights. This is a relatively sedate scene between Dr. Newton Gieszler and Hannibal Chau. The colors display an alien-inhabited planet.

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott is an English filmmaker. His commercial breakthrough came in 1979 with the science fiction horror film, Alien. Subsequent works include the film, Blade Runner (the road adventure film), Thelma & Louise (the historical drama), Gladiator (which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), and the science fiction film, The Martian.

Scott’s work is known for its atmospheric, highly concentrated visual Pacific Rim (2013)

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The Martian (2015)

style and does a wonderful job at depicting life in different eras. His film ranges throughout the evolution timeline. Gladiator is set in 2nd century Rome, while Robin Hood was set in Medieval England. In futuristic movies such as Blade Runner, Prometheus is set on a completely different planet. Scott has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Directing (for Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down). In 1995, both Ridley and his brother Tony received a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Scott’s culminating works earned him a knighthood in 2003 for his “services to the British film industry” (“Ridley Scott,” n.d).

Monochromatic Colors According to Vasiliauskas, monochromatic colors create a strong sense of the visual whole (Vasiliauskas, 2017). Using varying shades of a single color, the harmony of a scene can create a very calming effect.

In the movie The Martian ( 2015), Scott uses orange, often associated with warmth, ambition, and a new perspective on life. It is a source of energy meant to shelter characters from moments of grief and disappointment. Although the astronaut is stuck on the barren planet of Mars, the orange color tends to give the sense of warmth, optimism, and positivity to both the character and the audience.

Associative Colors In Ridley Scott movies, colors are often used as associative colors to intensify symbolism in a story. According to Vasiliauskas, a recurring color scheme can represent a person, place, or idea (Vasiliauskas, 2017). This can elicit a visceral reaction when viewers see the color on the screen. In the case of Black Hawk Down (2001), Scott uses muddy

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Prometheus (2013)

brown and olive tones to establish the desolate and bleak landscape that is war-torn Mogadishu. Green is often used to symbolize growth and positivity, it can also relate to greed, jealousy, and sickness. Ridley Scott uses brown to signify health, which conflicts with green that represents moral and emotional sickness. The battle between these colors reflects Scott’s desire to showcase psychological turmoil, as well as the physical adversity between U.S. forces and the Somali militia.

Discordant Colors According to Vasiliauskas, color discordance is a deliberate decision by a filmmaker to deviate from a balanced color scheme (Vasiliauskas, 2017).

Discordant colors help a character or detail stand out and become more thematically impactful in the moment. Ridley Scott uses this color palette to create an environment of tension and suspense in his alien world, in the movie Prometheus (2012). David’s presence raises questions about his intentions: Is he simply curious about these sleeping passengers, or is there something more sinister afoot? It is the color dissonance that intensifies an audience’s sense of unease and anxiousness.

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American director and producer. His first movie was Alien (1992) and later directed movies such as The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Zodiac (2007), The Social Network (2010), and The Girl with Dragon Tattoo (2011). For The Social Network, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and BAFTA Award for Best Direction. His greatest commercial successes have been The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Gone Girl (2014), both

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grossing more than $300 million worldwide, and the former earning him thirteen nominations at the Academy Awards, and eleven at the British Academy Film Awards.

Complementary color palette David Fincher likes to show conflict in the environment along with the internal conflicts of the character in his films. He is often called “the man who sees the world in two colors palette,� warm orange and cold blue. In the film Fight Club (1999), Jack and Marla stand side-by-side bathed in blue light. The sudden explosions of orange not only show the danger of the moment, but the uncertainty of their shared future.

Film color palette choices like these represent conflict existing both in the minds of characters and the environment they are in.

Monochromatic color palette The setting or the environment that the story takes place in is key in David Fincher films. It’s used not only to anchor the action but to provide the audience with a better idea of the past and current state of the characters. Fincher wants the audience to feel the same way the characters do. This is achieved not only through Fight Club (1999)

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the performances, but through a movie color palette that intensifies the emotional weight of the scenes. In the movie The Social Network (2010), when the character Zuckerberg says, “I do not want friends,” the dark monochromatic setting of the chaotic bar depicts his feelings of insecurity and isolation. It’s the monochromatic color palette that conveys anger and confusion between these troubled characters.

Discordant color palette Discordant colors are those almost opposite one another on the color wheel. Discordant colors may not be as soothing as analogous colors or as vibrant as complementary colors, but they are stimulating and exciting. In the movie Seven (1995), the orange of John Doe’s uniform and the dark tones of the detectives’ jackets add to the jarring and unnerving nature of the scene. With a discordant film color palette, Fincher draws attention to out-of-place elements in order to keep anticipation at its most exciting intensity.

Fight Club (1999)

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Truly, colors have the power to tell a story. These three directors and their distinctively different sets of color palettes have created marvels in the field of cinema and beyond. With technological advancements and an upcoming generations of new directors, color palettes may evolve and explore new possibilities, play with audience perception, and continue to tell more stories.

Seven (1995)

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References Baker, L. (2016, September 13). Manipulating the Audience’s Emotions With Color. Retrieved from https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/ manipulate-emotions-with-color-in-film/ Bartosch, K. S. (n.d.). Decorating with a Triadic Color Scheme in the Bedroom. Retrieved from https://www.thespruce.com/ triadic-color-schemes-for-bedrooms-350603 Bituon, R. (2015, April 21). A History of Color: The Difficult Transition from Black and White Cinematography. Retrieved from https://the-artifice.com/ history-of-color-film/ Ellis, E. G. (2017, July 14). Watch the Dreamy History-and Lurid Future of Film Color. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/ the-evolution-of-color-in-film/ Film Riot. (2008, May 4). Directing Colors. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lyFuEv-xfxM Fusco, J. (2019, March 27). The Psychology of Color in Film (with examples).

Retrieved from https://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/watch-psychology-color-film Gaddis, L. (2019, September 5). The Filmmaker’s Guide to Understanding Color Theory... Retrieved from https://gaddisvisuals.com/colorguide/ May, K. T. (2017, April 6). How Color Helps a Movie Tell Its Story. Retrieved from https://ideas.ted.com/how-color-helps-a-movie-tell-its-story/ Muncatchy, M. (2018, November 26). The Psychology of Color. Retrieved from https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/the-psychology-of-color/ Risk, M. (2019, November 3). How to Use Color in Film: 50 Examples of Movie Color Palettes. Retrieved from https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes/ Sampson, R., & Sampson, R. (2017, August 1). The Power Of Color In Film: Storytelling Through Chromatics. Retrieved from https://www.filminquiry.com/ power-color-storytelling/ Vasiliauskas, M. (2017, December 18). How to Create A Movie Color Palette Like Vasiliauskas, M. (2019, August 8). How Guillermo del Toro Uses Color to Set Tone. Retrieved from https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ mastering-film-color-palette-del-toro/ Ridley Scott. (n.d.) [FREE LUT Pack]. Retrieved from https://www.studiobinder. com/blog/movie-color-palette-ridley-scott/

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Photo courtesy of the ELIA Idea

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FEATUREFEATURE | Braille | article & Typography title

BRAILLE & TYPOGRAPHY

by Chalermpol Jittagasem

Typography plays a significant role in graphic design, which far exceeds just choosing nice-looking fonts. There are five significant factors that graphic designers should consider when it comes to using fonts, including choice of typeface, color palette, point size, line length, and design integration (Graphic Institute, 2016).

Another aspect of typography that designers should take into account is legibility and readability, in order to create unobstructed access to the content.

According to Kathryn Coates and Andy Ellison, the legibility of a typeface relates to letterforms and how easily it is distinguished from one individual character to another when reading. Readability, on the other hand, relates to typeforms and how the type is arranged or logically placed within a composition (Coates & Ellison, 2014).

Legibility and readability are essential in typography, as they convey messages to the reader. Designers should be aware of their user’s needs, particularly when their user has color blindness, low vision, or no vision. Designers should understand blindness and other types of visual impairments, and use different design approaches to ensure that the messages that they want to communicate will be legible and readable. People with vision impairments, such as partial sight in one

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or both eyes, poor acuity, blurry vision, or clouded vision might require more careful use of typography (Fulton, 2017). For example, designers might need to adjust text spacing, use larger fonts, or emphasize different typographic elements for such readers.

For colorblind people (people who have trouble distinguishing reds from greens, or seeing color altogether), the design should not rely solely on colors, but use symbols, text, textures, patterns, or experiment with monochromatic color schemes (Klawitter, 2017).

Typography for visually-impaired people relies on a specific reading and writing system called braille, which is a tactile system for blind and visually-impaired people. The system uses raised dots that are arranged in two vertical columns of three dots each to represent letters, punctuation marks, numbers, and symbols. Braille was developed in France in the early 1800s by Louis Braille, who injured one of his eyes with an awl, and he became completely blind when he was five years old. Although braille was invented centuries ago, according to the National Federation of the Blind, fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind in the United States are braille readers.

There are multiple recommendations to improve blind literacy, such as advancing the use of braille in emerging technologies, researching new methodologies of teaching and learning braille, and making braille resources more available for visually-impaired and sighted people (“National Federation of the Blind,” 2009).

What is the relationship between the braille system and typography today? Christina Hartmann, author of The Power of Tactical Typography, explains that braille is not a language, it is a typeface that represents a system of writing using a pattern of raised dots (Hartmann, 2018).

Designers should consider the fundamentals and standards of the braille system when creating braille typography or braille-inspired designs. Innovative typographic design for people with low or no vision should remain accessible to the people for whom braille was originally designed.

Braille Typography 101 The vertical embossed dots of the braille system are called a cell. Six dots (2 columns of 3 dots each) allow for 63 possible different characters to be formed, which includes letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. According to the Braille Authority of North America, or BANA, the standards for the size and spacing of braille embossed on paper is as follows: • • •

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The nominal height of braille dots should be 0.48 mm and should be uniform within any given transcription.

The nominal base diameter of braille dots should be 1.44 mm.

Cell spacing of dots should conform to the following: • The nominal distance from center to center of adjacent

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dots (horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally) in the same cell should be 2.340 mm.

• The nominal distance from center to center of corresponding dots in adjacent cells should be 6.2 mm.

The nominal line spacing of braille cells from center to center of nearest corresponding dots in adjacent lines should be 1 cm.

These standards are as crucial as kerning, spacing, tracking, and leading in the typography system, which impacts readability and legibility. According to Christina Hartmann’s article, if the distance between braille cells is too small, too close, or different from the standard size, readers may not be able to read them properly.

braille is not a language, it is a typeface that represents a system of writing using a pattern of raised dots Braille and Typographic Emphasis Typographic emphasis is considered a beneficial approach to effectively relay graphic messages. According to Ilene Strizver, there are many different ways to emphasize elements and call attention to (and from) a reader, such as capitalized text, italics or obliques, underlined text, bold or weight contrast, type size, type style, and color (Strizver, n.d.).

Capitalization in typography can be visually seen in different ways depending on a designer’s intention, such as using titles to emphasize words or convey subtext, helping readers to understand the beginning of the sentence, highlighting important words, and using capitalization for acronyms. Italics, bold, and underline serve the same purpose in typographic emphasis, but with different intentions and meanings.

Italics create a subtle emphasis that allows texts to blend in with each other, boldface creates a stronger element of emphasis, and underline attracts the attention of the audience and communicates the message through words and whole sentences.

However, for visually-impaired people, font styles and set types do not exist in braille, which emphasizes text differently. BANA uses “typeform indicators” as a term for braille typographic emphasis because it does not draw visually-impaired people’s attention to the material, though

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it helps to indicate to the reader a situation in which emphasis is used in print. It also gives them a precise translation of print text when the type of print is emphasized. For example, capitalizing in braille is indicated by “dot 6.” If dot 6 is placed in front of any letters, words, or passages, it indicates that the following text will be emphasized in capital forms, similar to the use of italics, bold, and underline (“Size and Spacing of Braille Characters,” 2013).

The Future of Braille Type designers have been challenged to create inclusive typefaces and make them accessible for both visually-impaired and sighted people. There are two possible approaches to designing an inclusive, tactile typographic system. One approach is to develop the ideas and build them on the braille standard. To prevent readers from confusion, braille can only be read if it is measured correctly to fit under a reader’s fingertips. Since the font size cannot be changed, several designers, like Kosuke Takahashi and Greg Bland, have used the braille standard as a guideline and incorporated their knowledge of type design with letterforms to create unique typefaces (Sayej, 2016). Their designs provide the ease of learning a new typeface for both visually-impaired and sighted people.

Kosuke Takahashi, a Japanese designer, created a braille typeface called Braille Neue in 2016, which he intended to make accessible for both visually-impaired and sighted people. His design came from a simple question, “Can I make a character if I connect the dots?”

Takahashi connected the dots, and combined traditional braille with an existing typeface, Helvetica Neue (Wilson, 2018). He overlaid letterform strokes onto the standard measurement of the braille grid. He intended that his design would be used for communication between sighted and visually-impaired people. It has been four years since he started creating this typeface, and the project is still in progress. He is making additional improvements before releasing the final version.

Greg Bland, an English designer, created “Kobi-serif” in 2014, which is a typeface based on Kobigraphs—a typographic bridge between braille and the alphabet that aims to increase braille literacy. He intended to refine and develop the Kobigraphs for both visually-impaired and blind people to be able to read with ease. He also aimed for sighted people to understand his braille hybrid design (Patil, 2016). Bland says that Kobi-serif can be read by everyone, and that it embodies the same cell structure as braille, but the dots are connected with a calligraphic script, much like Korean symbols (Sayej, 2016). He drew the entire alphabet by joining braille dots with a single line for each sign, and the result was an accessible, easy-to-follow system that follows the braille standard (Fontyou, 2016).

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According to NBC News, the reason that there are a low number of blind readers is that braille is considered by many to be a very difficult and outdated system (“Fewer Blind Americans,� 2009). In that regard, many type designers are trying to create a new tactile system to replace traditional braille. There is no doubt that advanced technologies would increase braille literacy, but the innovation must complement the original system, otherwise, it might lead to confusion.

ELIA Frames is a good example of this braille reinvention. ELIA Frames is a typeface that has a visual relationship between raised letterforms and the shape of the Latin alphabet, which includes circles, squares, lines, and dots. Andrew Chepaitis, the founder of ELIA Frames, has been developing the font for 17 years. User testing on a group of 175,000 participants showed that readers can learn ELIA Frames at a basic level in about 3 hours, compared to mastering braille which can take up to 10 months (Riechers, 2017). Chris Danielson, the director of public relations at the National Federation of the Blind, points out that the main problem with this typeface is that it is slower to read Photo courtesy of Kosuke

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Photo courtesy of the ELIA Idea

and it takes up a lot more space than the original braille dots (Miller, 2017). According to Thomas Reid, someone who lost his sight in 2003, ELIA Frames is easier to read than traditional braille because he is familiar with the Latin alphabet. He also thinks that it is really helpful for people who want to label things in their house, but is too bulky to ever be used in a book, especially as visually-impaired people are moving toward the digital book trend.

In 2016, type designer and braille expert Jonathan Fabreguettes designed a new braille font called Confettis. The typeface provides 12 fonts in 4 variations, and 3 slightly different weights. The 4 variations are braille 6, braille 8, braille 6 dots, and braille 8 dots. The weights include 3 different base diameters of braille dots, and he plays with different sizes and spacing. Unfortunately, since Confettis uses different weights within its system, the font can be confusing and take longer to read when multiple variations of the font are used in the same text (Carty, 2018). Another limitation for this typeface, Ksenya Samarskaya says is, “It doesn’t balk at or reconsider the existing ways of setting type, restricting braille typesetting to those who are already familiar with the workarounds required� (Samarskaya, 2017).

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How Inclusive is Inclusive?

Inclusive design as a methodology enables and draws on the full range of human diversity. Most importantly, this means learning from people with a range of perspectives. When it comes to design inclusively, it does not mean making one thing for everybody, but we should focus on creating a sense of belonging for every user. We should focus on creating many ways for people to participate in and receive the same experience (“Inclusive Design,� n.d.). Designers should understand the fundamentals of inclusive design, especially when they design for a specific group of people. More importantly, they should consider the essentials of the design subject, such as the braille rules and standards.

Designers need to strictly follow these standards, to make sure that their designs are broadly used by everyone, but remain accessible to blind and visually-impaired people.

Braille is widely used today as the only sufficient reading and writing system for blind and visually-impaired people. It is not likely to be replaced unless something better is designed (Fontyou, 2016). In order to create a new and inclusive typographic design for blind people, designers should focus on empathy, the first step of the design methodology. Empathy will allow designers to be able to understand the feelings and problems that the end-users have, and help to create a design solution that improves user experiences. When it comes to braille type design, creativity should follow the specific standards as much as possible, because the ultimate purpose of braille is to achieve and enhance literacy for blind and visually-impaired people.

Combining the standards of braille with great typography principles can be a fascinating creative challenge for designers that are interested in inclusive design.

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References Alhajri, S. A. (2017). Investigating Creativity in Graphic Design Education from Psychological Perspectives. Journal of Arts & Humanities, 06(01), 69.

Carty, B. (2018). Seeing by Creativity: A Creative Execution Designed to Bridge the Gap for the Visually Impaired, Masters Theses. 509. Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/509 Coates, K., & Ellison, A. (2014). Introduction to information design. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com Fewer Blind Americans Learning to Use Braille. (2009, March 26). Retrieved from NBC News website: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29882719/ns/ us_news-life/t/fewer-blind-americans-learning-use-braille/#.Xm8nypNKhPM Fontyou. (2015, June 29). Braille and Typography – Past, Present and Future. Retrieved from The Next Web website: https://thenextweb.com/ dd/2015/06/29/braille-and-typography-past-present-and-future/ Fulton, G. (2017, December 3). Accessibility Basics: Designing for Visual Impairment. Retrieved from Envato Tuts+ website: https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/ accessibility-basics-designing-for-visual-impairment--cms-27634 Hartmann, C. (2018, September 28). The Power of Tactile Typography. Retrieved from Medium website: https://modus.medium.com/ amp/p/36e918304b11 Inclusive Design. (n.d.). Retrieved from Microsoft website: https://www. microsoft.com/design/inclusive/ Klawitter, A. (2017, June 15). Designing for the Visually Impaired.

Retrieved from CATMEDIA website:https://blog.catmedia.com/ designing-visually-impaired Miller, M. (2017, September 28). The Complicated Quest To Redesign Braille. Retrieved from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany. com/90136975/the-complicated-quest-to-redesign-braille Overview of Changes From Current Literary Braille to UEB. (2013, March).

Retrieved from http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb/overview_changes_ebae_ ueb.html/ Patil, P. (2016, February). Touch, Feel and Read it! Innovations in Tactile Type for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from Typography Day website: http:// www.typoday.in/2016/spk_papers/Priyanka_Patil_TypographyDay-2016.pdf Riechers, A. (2018, May 17). Beyond Braille: A Look at 3 New Typographic Systems for Blind People. Retrieved from AIGA Eye on Design website: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/ beyond-braille-a-look-at-new-typographic-systems-for-the-blind/ Samarskaya, K. (2017, August 19). Type Review: Confettis Braille.

Retrieved from Medium website: https://medium.com/samarskaya/ type-review-confettis-braille-3844c6f45701 Sayej, N. (2016, September 13). Building Braille: The History & Future of Designing Text for the Blind. Retrieved from Printmag website: https://www. printmag.com/typography/design-history-of-braille-design/

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Size and Spacing of Braille Characters. (n.d.). Retrieved from Braille Authority of North America. website: http://www.brailleauthority.org/ sizespacingofbraille/ Strizver, I. (n.d.). Typographic Emphasis in Digital Media. Retrieved from Fonts.com website:https://www.fonts.com/content/learning/fontology/ level-2/web-typography/typographic-emphasis-in-digital-media The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. (2009, March 26). Retrieved from The National Federation of the Blind website: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/ documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf Warne, V. (2018). Braille in Contemporary Visual Culture. Disability Studies Quarterly, 38 (3).

Why Typography is an Important Part for a Graphic Designer?

(2016, December 6). Retrieved from Graphic Design Institute website: https://www.graphic-design-institute.com/blogs/ why-typography-important-part-graphic-designer Wilson, M. (2018, April 3). This New Typeface Merges Braille You Can Touch With Letters You Can See. Retrieved from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany.com/90166173/ this-new-typeface-merges-braille-you-can-touch-with-letters-you-can-see

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FEATURE FEATURE| |ACROSS article THE title POND

ACROSS THE POND

Comparing the Rebranding Strategies of YMCA of the USA and YMCA of England and Wales

by Audrey Graves

A brand is a mix of the factual and emotional connections the public makes about a company and its services (McLaughlin, 2011). A brand is how the public perceives the image, promise, and services a company provides. Rebranding is the process of changing a company’s brand and public appearance to better represent how that company wants the public to perceive them. The YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) and the YMCA of England and Wales (YMCA UK) rebranded in 2010 and 2014, respectively. This was the first rebrand for both organizations since 1967. The rebranding consisted of a logo redesign and updating of brand values, all of which were reflected in the visual presentation of the brands via print, web, and other marketing platforms. The Y-USA rebranding campaign was more successful because it better captured company values, executed high-quality logo aesthetics, reduced brandfragmentation, and maintained overall brand recognition.

OVERVIEW OF THE YMCA WORLDWIDE The YMCA is a nonprofit organization that was founded by George Williams in 1844 in London, England. According to the World YMCA website, the YMCA has established itself in 120 countries. All YMCAs are part of a global federation, which allows each national YMCA and their associations to serve local communities. As a result of this system, YMCAs across the world have adapted their services

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and brand to appeal to their local communities. Internationally, the YMCA’s brand is fragmented, with each national YMCA maintaining their own image to distinguish them in their country.

each created a different logo for their own national organizations. These two logos directly preceded the YMCA’s current rebranded logos.

PRE-1967 YMCA LOGOS

Y-USAs in 1967 depicted a geometric “Y” with the outline of a red triangle on top of the black “Y” stem. The proximity of the two shapes creates the illusion of a unified Y shape. However, the triangle’s lowest corner and its alignment with the Y’s stem draws the Y down and stalls the overall movement of the logo. The black and red colors conveyed a sense of dependability while also appearing severe. The red-triangle outline tied the logo to the original organization and maintains brand equity through its similarity to the previous logos. Unlike its counterpart across the Atlantic, Y-USA’s logo did not display the “YMCA” acronym.

The first YMCA logo used in England in 1881 emphasized the YMCA’s global reach and outlook by detailing each country within the YMCA alliance at the time (Seibert, n.d.). In 1891, the logo became the familiar red triangle that now influences the YMCA’s modern logos. In this iteration, the triangle directly represented the YMCA’s mission to help the mind, body, and spirit. After combining with the original logo in 1895 and 1896, the triangle was simplified and displayed the “YMCA” acronym for the first time.

Finally in 1967, both the Y-USA and the YMCA UK deviated from the old logos and World Map Icon courtesy of Adam Wilson

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YMCA UK & Y-USA 1967 LOGOS

The YMCA UK’s 1967 logo maintained its brand equity with the previous YMCA logo by expanding on the YMCA acronym and using the outline of the red triangle like Y-USA had. The logo shows the name written in a sans serif typeface with an even and consistent stroke. The red triangle outline rests on top of the Y between the two arms of the letter, making the Y look more like a V. Overall the logo looks stretched horizontally.

MOTIVATIONS FOR THE REBRAND The Y-USA rebranded in 2010 and four years later YMCA UK announced its new look. Both entities indicated that their brands were not communicating well to their audiences. In discussing Y-USA’s rebrand, Kate Coleman said, “We are simplifying how we describe the programs we offer so that it is immediately apparent that everything we do is designed to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve health and well-being and support our neighbors and the larger community.” In a blog post announcing YMCA UK’s rebrand, Alan Fraser, YMCA UK’s CEO during the rebrand, wrote, “For the first time, YMCA will be communicating a clear message about what YMCA is and what it is we do, not just on a local level, but as a national federation” (“The Big Y,” 2014).

Both YMCAs had a significant problem with brand fragmentation.

Seigal+Gale detailed one of their issues when discussing the work they did for the Y-USA’s rebranding, “As the organization and its offerings expanded over nearly two centuries, it developed a bewildering set of identities, obscuring any core meaning behind the brand” (“The Y: Reconnecting to Community,” n.d.). In a slide report discussing the rebrand, Y-USA showed over 50 different pre-rebrand logos associated with their organization, and in her interview, Kate Coleman mentioned there were “hundreds” of different logos and messages before the rebrand in 2010 (Coleman, 2015).

Likewise, ArthurSteenHorneAdamson (ASHA), the designers for the YMCA UK rebrand, mentioned how the YMCA’s vast services could become confusing, stating “... we identified that YMCA is a prolific deliverer of

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there were “hundreds” of different logos and messages before the rebrand in 2010 body text

services into the community, caters to a wide range of age groups and audiences and operates with real local emphasis – all of which was creating confusion—both externally and internally” (“YMCA,” n.d.).

Due to its federation status, and the loose guidelines around the organization’s services, Y-USA and YMCA UK’s brands had become heavily fragmented.

Additionally, each YMCA wanted to create a brand that would better represent their current services and appeal to their audience. The YMCA’s audience has expanded beyond young, Christian men, and they wanted to visually represent that. In her interview, Coleman noted, “We actually looked at that old logo and said this logo doesn’t represent what we want people to feel or we hope people will feel about us” (Coleman, 2015).

Finally, both YMCAs wanted to bring more awareness to their organizations. Before the rebrand, Y-USA was underperforming against its competitors with regards to time and money donated (Coleman, 2015).

YMCA UK “...ranked highly in terms of brand recognition, it was in the bottom 10 percent of UK charities in terms of awareness” (Steven, 2014).

The history of the YMCA also illustrates the necessity for change and rebranding. While both the Y-USA and YMCA UK have remained nonprofits, their purposes have changed from their strict Christian and masculine roots that provided Bible studies and programs to young men.

Overall, both YMCA wanted to restructure how they communicated their services, reduce brand fragmentation, and increase brand awareness.

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YMCA HISTORY & Services Y-USA In its initial presence in the USA, the YMCA provided lodging, gyms, wartime volunteer services, health and fitness programs, camp and childcare, and outreach to its community. These services maintain roots in Y-USA’s history.

The YMCA in the U.S. was founded by Thomas Valentine Sullivan on December 29, 1851 in Boston. He had heard of the YMCA in England and wanted to create a “home away from home” for sailors and merchants (ymca.net, Our History). The YMCA movement spread throughout the growing United States. In the second half of the 1800s, the YMCA volunteered to provide medical and religious aid to soldiers in the Civil War, and Farwell Hall, the first YMCA lodging, was built to provide affordable housing (ymca.net, Our History). Many YMCAs also began to apply fitness facilities for the community.

In one of these facilities, Robert J. Robert offered “body building” exercises in 1881 (“Our History,” n.d.).

The YMCA continued to serve the community by offering childcare services starting in the late 1880s. The first known summer camp in the US, Camp Dudley, was founded by the YMCA in 1885. “...

[I]ts aim was to provide children with a positive developmental experience through making new friends, building confidence and growing in self-reliance.”

The YMCA camps are still composed of some version of these values today.

Not long after childcare services were introduced, the YMCA began to teach group swim lessons. Throughout the 1900s, the YMCA continued to expand its services for families in America, establishing the “Y-Indian Guides,” YBA

(Youth Basketball Association), and Healthy Kids Day Day (“Our History,” n.d.).

During World War I, the YMCA brought together roughly 5,000 female volunteers to provide “welfare services” to soldiers at war. The YMCA would continue to help provide aid during World War II and join the United Services Organizations.

In the early 2000s, the YMCA rallied again to fundraise and provide aid for disasters such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the earthquake in Haiti.

In addition to rebranding themselves in 2010, the YMCA also launched its Diabetes Prevention Program.

Currently, the Y-USA provides gym facilities, daycare, and swim lessons with scholarship opportunities. Many associations also offer services for street outreach. In contrast with the YMCA UK, the Y-USA current organization emphasizes its dedication to all people, not just young people. On the Y-USA website, the organization summarizes its mission by saying, “The YMCA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.” In their larger values statement, it does mention “empowering young people,” but that sentiment doesn’t appear to be the focus of its overall mission. Many Y’s in the U.S. also offer LIVESTRONG (a free program to assist cancer survivors), Active Older Adult exercise classes and programs, daycare, and summer camps for families and children.

While the Y-USA has a long history of providing community fitness centers, the YMCA in the U.S. also developed programs for children and community service. When Y-USA began to rebrand, it had to take these services into account.

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YMCA UK According to the YMCA UK website, YMCA UK played a more significant role in the 20th century, particularly during the first and second World Wars. Before World War I, YMCA UK established its first scout troop in 1908 and opened its first hostels in 1912 (“YMCA Throughout the Years,” n.d.).

During World War I, the YMCA UK dedicated its resources to helping soldiers.

They helped establish the Women’s Auxiliary to help the men going to war.

This Auxiliary was responsible for creating “huts” that would provide soldiers some comfort including games, a library, showers, and refreshments (“Meet the Unsung Heroines,” 2015). By 1916, the Auxiliary had established over 1,500 huts, and by 1918 their numbers had grown to 40,000 women volunteers.

After the war, the YMCA helped 38,000 veterans find new jobs.

At the start of World War II, the YMCA began to mobilize their huts, and used vehicles to take refreshments and services to the soldiers. “YMCA’s world fellowship came into its own as the war progressed: tea cars, cinema vans, and mobile libraries bearing the red triangle of YMCA were a common sight. The first British YMCA mobile canteen landed on the Normandy beaches on 29 July 1944” (“YMCA and WWII,” n.d.). The YMCA also expanded its services to refugees and prisoners of war, establishing job training and education for primary school teaching.

Post-war, the YMCA continued to provide services for youth. In 1959, it expanded its services to provide clubs for British teens. During the 1970s, the YMCA also focused on alleviating youth homelessness and unemployment by creating The Training for Life Program, a program that supports over 1,000,000

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people today. In 1894, the YMCA UK and Ireland launched Y Care, a project that “supports projects for vulnerable young people in over 20 countries worldwide” (“YMCA Throughout the Years,” n.d.).

Currently, YMCA UK continues to assist young people in its organization. Unlike the Y-USA, YMCA UK provides accommodations for the homeless and focuses its efforts on advising programs for young adults. Like Y-USA, it provides daycare and afterschool services for children and some gym facilities. However, it clearly details the organization’s emphasis on helping young people in their values.

“Inspired by and faithful to our Christian values, we create supportive, inclusive and energising communities, where young people can truly belong, contribute and thrive” (“Our Vision and Values,” n.d.).

COMPARING THE REBRANDS In order to measure the success of the rebrands, both Y-USA and YMCA UK were evaluated on how well their logos expressed each unique set of company values, the aesthetics and overall execution of the visual branding, how well they reduced brand fragmentation, and if they were able to maintain overall brand recognition.

COMMUNICATING COMPANY VALUES While the YMCAs in England and the US share a similar name, their services and history vary in significant ways. Before rebranding, it was important for both organizations to thoroughly review their services over the years. According to DK Holland, “The brand goes beyond tangible design elements to something more abstract and far-reaching. As an expression of ‘you’re the core values of your organization,’ your brand creates

expectations and makes promises to your audiences… If executed well, a brand strategy delivers on those promises in a clear, understandable way that satisfies a need” (Holland, 2006).

The Y-USA analyzed all of their programs and categorized them into “youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility” (Coleman, 2015). Likewise, after reviewing YMCA UK’s programs, ASHA rebranded the organization’s core values into support and advice, accommodation, family work, health and wellbeing, and training and education (Steven, 2014).

Both organizations integrated these values into the aesthetics of the brand. Y-USA created a lockup with their logo, creating the areas of focus for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

A lockup uses proximity to create a logo from two separate objects. In this case, the Y-USA uses the areas of focus and the Y image to create that logo. On every piece of marketing, the Y logo must be featured with all three areas of focus. Depending on the marketing, one line out of the three can be bolded (for example: a daycare flyer will have “for youth development” bolded). On the other hand, YMCA UK used colors to delineate their core values. For example, flyers about gym services could only use the green and blue colors, not any other color combination.

By always including the areas of focus with the YMCA logo, the Y-USA guarantees that their values are always visible. Additionally, “for youth development, for healthy living, for social responsibility” is written in parallel structure, making the values easier to remember. YMCA UK, however, only expresses their values in colors, requiring individuals to have prior knowledge of what that color combination represents.

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Logo aesthetics When comparing the YMCA UK and Y-USA logos, it’s clear that Y-USA’s logo exercised greater attention to logo aesthetics. While the Y-USA does not completely follow alignment, it does maintain enough alignment and proximity between the triangle and the chevron to create the illusion of a united shape. The chevron has been criticized by some for its unoriginality. Armin, in Underconsideration stated “...[I]n its final form it just looks like dozens of other chevron-based logos, leaving the triangle far too independent. Meaning, that in the old logo if you took away the red triangle you would have a weird black shape, whereas the new one if you took the rounded triangle out you are left with an arrow, so it’s not intrinsic to the mark anymore” (Armin, 2010). However, Armin doesn’t recognize or take into consideration the forward momentum the arrow has given the new logo. While the “the” lines up with its areas of focus, it still appears tacked on with the “YMCA” and the registration symbol on the main logo. In my opinion, the triangle on top of the chevron still fits smoothly, as a diagonal and at the top of the shape, something that the YMCA UK didn’t express in their logo. The rounded corners on the Y-USA shape also convey a sense of welcome and warmth, something the YMCA wanted to convey in this rebranding.

The YMCA UK logo uses a triangular grid system based on their previous logo’s triangle. However, despite using this grid system, the YMCA UK logo still places the triangle on the A outside of that system, throwing off whatever alignment it had established. Additionally, none of the letters really align as one would expect in a logo. The diagonals in the Y do not line up with the diagonals that make the vertex of the M. The angles and diagonals, despite the curious appearance, don’t guide the eye.

There’s no consistency in the letter-width, so the M, the biggest letter of the four, sticks out in the logo. Overall, despite ASHA’s intentions, the aesthetics of this logo are too youthful and does not speak as a logo that would appeal to an older audience, and instead continues to reinforce a YMCA dedicated to youth. In his analysis, Armin said, “The result is, other than very triangle-y… not very pleasant. The letterforms appear uncomfortable and heavy and almost as if they weren’t fully resolved” (Armin, 2014).

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Logo art courtesy of ArthurSteenHorneAdamson

BRAND FRAGMENTATION Overall, both YMCAs created brand guidelines that helped unify the YMCAs in their national association. In addition to this, the way the brand assets are stored and organized helps to maintain continuity across the regional organizations. The Y-USA has provided a database of images and recently began to use Lucidpress, a marketing template database, to keep their Ys brand compliant. Likewise, YMCA UK now uses a WordPress website template to keep the YMCAs in the UK consistent with one another. The YMCA UK also created a library and marketing collateral for their branches to use.

While there is no statistical way to measure the level of fragmentation each YMCA has, you can analyze it in a more qualitative way. In a review of Y-USA’s websites, there was virtually no YMCA that used an inappropriate logo on their website.

YMCA UK however, had three different logo variations that were connected to the national brand.

After Y-USA announced they would change their name to The Y, the Guardian

criticized the choice and said it would cause confusion due to a lack of brand recognition in the name (Pilkington, 2010).

However, Y-USA managed to maintain brand recognition by only adjusting the aesthetics of the previous logo and changing the colors. While the Y stem is a chevron, and the corners are rounded, the new logo maintains some resemblance to the 1967 logo. It maintains the similar weight and proportions to the previous logo and continues to sport the famous, century-old triangle on the chevron.

On the other hand, YMCA UK reduced the old triangle to a small white triangle on the “A” and a grid system that’s only partially adhered to to (“Welcome to the YMCA,” n.d.). While they include the triangle significantly in their marketing materials, it still has no significant resemblance to the red triangle. The YMCA UK logo alone holds little to no similarities to its previous iteration. The typeface of the old logo (while it hosted its own set of problems) is thin and even, while the new logo is bolder and sharper in its appearance.

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CONCLUSION Overall, the Y-USA has been more successful in its rebranding due to the organization’s high-quality logo aesthetics, ability to communicate the company values effectively, create stronger brand recognition after their rebrand, and reduced brand fragmentation. While other factors are involved, this may explain some part of the Y-USA’s relative success compared with YMCA UK. In a branding report, the Y-USA reports its brand value is now over $8 billion, on par with Colgate and Netflix, outperforming its nonprofit competitors in all of its areas of focus (Washington, 2020). Forbes reported the Y-USA as one of the top ten charities in its 2019 ranking (“The 100 Largest U.S. Charities,” 2019).

There is little financial information on the YMCA UK, but anecdotal information seems to indicate it may not have generated as much brand awareness as they’d hoped. While the YMCA UK’s brand was a finalist in the Third Sector Awards, in practicality it still struggles with revenue and recognition. The YMCA UK’s annual reports indicate the YMCA made £6 million less in 2017/18 than they did 2015/16. On charity listings, YMCA UK is not even in the top 100 (Savanta, 2018; Rojers, 2012). Even when the YMCA is listed on a site, the site only names an individual YMCA, not the organization as a whole. While these factors do not directly indicate a failure in rebranding, it is clear that the Y-USA has, since its rebranding, achieved some of its goals whereas the YMCA UK did not. Overall, it is clear that when compared to their European counterpart, the Y-USA was more successful in their rebranding.

REFERENCES Annual Report and Accounts. (2018). YMCA of England and Wales. p. 26.

Armin. (2010, July 13). My Name is Y… the Y. Retrieved from https://www. underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/my_name_is_y_the_y.php Armin. (2014, November 25). What’s the Point?. Retrieved from https://www. underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/my_name_is_y_the_y.php The Big Y: Rebranding and the YMCA. (2014, November 21). Transform Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.transformmagazine.net/articles/2014/ the-big-y-rebranding-and-the-ymca/ Brand Graphics Guide. (n.d.). YMCA of the USA. Retrieved from https:// theybrand.org/wordpress/brand-graphics-guide A Brand New Day: The YMCA Unveils New Brand Strategy to Further Community Impact. (2010, July 18). YMCA of USA. Retrieved from https://www. prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-brand-new-day-the-ymca-unveils-newbrand-strategy-to-further-community-impact-98234289.html Coleman, K. (Interviewee). (2015, December 8). The Impact of Rebranding on the YMCA. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://castbox.fm/ episode/DP-082%3A-The-Impact-of-Rebranding-on-the-YMCA-with-KateColeman-id9079-id944530?country=us

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Holland, D. K. (2006). Branding for Nonprofits: Developing Identity with Integrity. New York: Allworth Press.

The 100 Largest U.S. Charities. (n.d.). Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/ top-charities/list/#tab:rank Meet the Unsung Heroines of World War I. (2015). The Stylist. Retrieved from https://www. stylist.co.uk/people/meet-the-unsung-heroines-of-world-war-i/20339 McLaughlin, J. (2012, January 9). What is a Brand, Anyway?. Retrieved from https://www. forbes.com/sites/jerrymclaughlin/2011/12/21/what-is-a-brand-anyway/#8aff7522a1b1 Our History. (n.d.). YMCA. Retrieved from https://www.ymca.net/history Our Vision and Values. (n.d.). YMCA UK. Retrieved from https://www.ymca.org.uk/about/ vision-values Pilkington, E. (2010, July 12). YMCA Rebrands Itself as The Y. Retrieved from https://www. theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/12/ymca-changes-name-to-the-y Rogers, S. (2012, April 24). Britain’s Top 1,000 Charities Ranked by Donations. Who Raises the Most Money?. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/apr/24/ top-1000-charities-donations-britain Savanta. (2018). The 100 Most Valuable Charities. Retrieved from https://19y8ym3146jw1o1fjj2kdb9k-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ Savanta_100-Most-Valuable-Charity-Brands.pdf Seibert, C. (n.d.). The History and Meaning of the YMCA LOGO. Retrieved from https:// s3.amazonaws.com/YMCAMission/HistoryMeaningJohn1721Logo.pdf Steven, R. (2014, November 17). Rebranding the YMCA. Retrieved from https://www. creativereview.co.uk/rebranding-the-ymca/ Washington, K. (2020). Leveraging the Power of Our Brand.

Welcome to the YMCA. (n.d.). YMCA. Retrieved from https://www.ymca.net/welcome The Y: Reconnecting to Community.(n.d.). Siegel Gale. Retrieved from https://www. siegelgale.com/case-study/the-y/ YMCA and WWI. (n.d.). YMCA of England and Wales. Retrieved from https://www.ymca.org. uk/about/history-heritage/ymca-and-ww1 YMCA and WWII. (n.d.). YMCA. Retrieved from https://www.ymca.org.uk/about/ history-heritage/ymca-and-ww2 YMCA. (n.d.). ArthurSteenHorneAdamson. Retrieved from https://www.agencyasha.com/ work/by-client/ymca/ YMCA Through the Years. (n.d.). YMCA of England and Wales. Retrieved from https://www. ymca.org.uk/about/history-heritage/timeline

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FEATURE FEATURE| |Future article of title Design

FUTURE OF DESIGN

Through the Lens of Volumetric Displays

by Maryam Liaghatjoo

Dead Musicians Are Touring Again, As Holograms was the bold title of an ABC News article on December 28, 2018. It described how new technology revived Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston by projecting their hologram onto the stage. Today, three-dimensional visualization technology has found its way into various industries, including military, training, entertainment, medicine, communication, and virtual/augmented reality (Lee, 2013). Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) visualization has been an integral part of the design process for architects and industrial designers, and has helped them develop, present, and finalize imaginative ideas. This article touches on historical developments in 3D visualization, and presents potential future applications of this technology in the design industry.

Three-Dimensional Visualization Traditional display devices, such as cathode-ray tubes (CRT), lightemitting diodes (LED), and liquid crystal displays (LCD), project flat 2D images in the x-y plane and omit the depth that 3D offers. 3D visualization refers to a set of technologies used to record and project images maintaining information of all three dimensions of an object’s

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length, width, and height. 2D display technologies have undergone rapid and rather revolutionary growth in the last few decades, CRT to LED technologies (“What’s the difference,” 2018). However, our experiences with 3D visual experiences are typically limited to the technology used in movie theaters.

Three-Dimensional Visualization Technologies The 3D technology used in movie theaters consists of a two-color goggle that helps the human mind to perceive the relative position of objects in in-plane direction. In other words, the technology adds depth to a 2D image, so humans perceive the image similar to an object in the real world (Edirisinghe and Jiang, 2000). This technology is categorized under stereoscopic displays, which include any technology that visualizes 3D images requiring headgear and glasses to be perceivable by the human eye. Generally, devices under this category (namely binocular stereoscopic displays), provide two images from different angles: the right-eye image and the left-eye image. Glasses have been built with the purpose of each eye receiving the correct image (Geng, 2013).

In the last decade, however, scientists and engineers have dedicated a significant effort to developing technologies that project the image in 3D that require no special eyewear. Any type of method for visualizing 3D images that does not need headgear or glasses (and is visible to the naked human eye) falls under the autostereoscopic 3D display category (Hong et al., 2011).

The following section describes two types of autostereoscopic 3D displays. These two types of technologies have been investigated in depth, due to their potential to create an environment conforming to a natural viewing condition (Son, 2017).

Volumetric 3D Display

The most current technology for 3D visualization is volumetric 3D displays. This technology happens in a real 3D space, which means each voxel (a pixel in a 3D world) is located in the right spatial position to reflect light in all directions, in order to behave like a physical object would under those circumstances. It is different from displays that show pictures/movies in a planar screen, which fakes depth with deceiving visual effects. Volumetric 3D displays accommodate both physiological and psychological aspects of human spatial perception that increase their desirability and preferability in comparison with planar displays with 3D effects that only account for psychological elements (Geng, 2013).

Holographic Display

The roots of holographic technology can be found in the illusion technique Pepper’s Ghost, which was used in Victorian theatres in the 1860s to create a realistic ghost on the stage. The director of a play would attempt to impress an audience using this illusion

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technique that used a series of optical projections, including a huge 45-degree angle glass sheet and special lighting (Lee, 2013). Later, in 1947 Dennis Gabor invented holography which is “a 3D display technique that allows the light wavefronts scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed, so that an imaging system (a camera, or an eye) can see a 3D image of the object even when the object is no longer present.” In 1971, Gabor won the Nobel Prize in physics, as his hologram technology was capable of recording and reproducing all characteristics of light (wavelength, phase, and amplitude). In fact, that holographic technology reproduces all the characteristics of an original scene, making such visualization much more realistic (Geng, 2013).

Applications of 3D Visualization Technologies in Industries “With the three-dimensional movie craze of the early 1950s and the wonder of holography in the 1960s, the excitement about the feeling of depth and reality grew exponentially, leading research teams around the world to explore the possibilities of making free viewing, ultimate three-dimensional experience systems” (Edirisinghe & Jiang, 2000).

Entertainment industries, and particularly the film industry, were the first to express interest in 3D visualization technologies. Today, different forms of 3D visualization, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), are being used in telecommunications, medicine, defense, and education.

Verizon and Korean Telecom (KT) have successfully tested the first version of a holographic international call using their trial 5G networks (“The World’s First,” 2020). In this test, a live image of a Verizon employee from Verizon’s headquarters in New Jersey was reconstructed in the form of a live hologram in KT’s office in Seoul. It is noteworthy to mention that the reconstructed image was on a monitor, not a mid-air 3D image like the projected holograms in sci-fi movies. But as Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said, “It’s an exciting development that suggests holographic calls are not too far away” (“The World’s First,” 2020).

In medicine and biology, 3D imaging and visualization technologies are used to visualize objects of different scales, from molecules and cells, to organs and body parts. 3D imaging can replace traditional educational techniques, such as dissection, and provides a more realistic experience for the student compared to 2D visualization. As described by Richard Robb, “The practice of medicine and the study of biology have always relied upon visualizations to study the relationship of anatomic structure to biologic function, and to detect and treat disease and trauma which disturb or threaten normal life processes.” He further explains that any potential revolutionary innovation in medicine depends on real-time 3D visualization of medical procedures (Robb, n.d.).

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Importance of Three-Dimensional Visualization Tools for Designers Visual Thinking from a Designer’s Perspective A substantial part of a designer’s tasks involves human visual cognition, from aesthetical aspects of a product to a computer application user experience. A designer needs to be ahead of fabrication by visualizing how the ultimate product may look. Also, designers should utilize visualization tools that help them convert an abstract/conceptual idea to a real visible concept in order to enhance a raw idea or share the abstract concept.

Tovey says, “Seeing involves receiving visual information and interpreting it according to certain codes, conventions, and stereotypes. Imagining is an internalized version of seeing, using similar codes and conventions. Drawing is an externalized equivalent of imagining and seeing. The three activities work together, complementing each other and encouraging purposeful and productive visual thinking.” Drawing, sketching, and 3D modeling are the tools that designers use to communicate their mental images to the real world. Drawing and 3D modeling, in conjunction with the designer’s judgment and creativity, work together as a cycle. The cycle begins with conceptualizing an abstract image. After the concept is completed in the designer’s mind, they will progress to visualizing that concept, getting feedback from others, critically editing that concept, and then eventually produce an enhanced abstract concept in 3D form (Tovey, 1989).

Three-Dimensional Visualization Tools Strengthen Designers A computer-aided design program uses computers to generate 2D or 3D drawings and illustrations with the goal of creation, modification, analysis, and optimization in the design industry. The 3D visualization tool is a part of CAD (computer-aided design) programs which enables designers to create 3D objects in a 2D, 3D, or mid-air display.

Booker firmly expressed that CAD programs caused a closer relationship between design and manufacturing. As designers use data models generated by computers, the difficulty of converting them into engineering drawings are solved. He also believes that CAD software has shortened the entire process of the product improvement cycle, as it increases the efficiency and the speed of creating the final product (Booker, 1963). Akca Enes elaborates that the freedom of expressing ideas creates high-quality design. She says that the flexibility offered by CAD is a strength for designers. When designers use CAD, they are able to change the form, texture, and color of designed objects to the client’s satisfaction. They can use the program evaluations and testing to optimize the product for market demands (Enes, 2017).

As technology evolved, more steps of the design process incorporated the use of CAD programs. Design, assembly, manufacturing, and planning are integrated into CAD programs. Time and cost are the main factors that cause

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designers to increasingly use 3D visualization across the design industry (Angster & Jayaram, 1997). For example, in an architectural-structural project, 3D visualization helps to model architectural, structural, electrical, and mechanical plans of a building, not to mention its flexibility with project management software that generates cost estimates, timelines, etc. Further, CAD software helps design teams to have a platform where they can share all the information on any subject in an integrated model. This model reduces errors, revisions, delays due to lack of interdisciplinary communication, and cost (Staub-French & Khanzode, 2007).

Current Three-Dimensional Visualization Displays for Designers Commercialized Three-Dimensional Visualization Displays Currently in the design industry, there is a large volume of software used for 3D modeling in 2D display. For instance, Autocad, Revit, Rhinoceros 3D, Fusion 360, Inventor, Sketchup, 3Ds Max, Maya, Blender, ZBrush, and Cinema 4D are just some of the softwares available.

The interactive holographic projector can turn any 3D model in 2D display to a 3D projection (“A Holographic Industrial,” 2015). Technologies like HoloMax and H+ now combine a holographic visual experience with interactive features like interactive touch, gesture control, and customized brushes (“Holus for Developers,” 2018). These features allow designers to modify their models directly in an immersive 3D environment, and effortlessly present their design to clients. The largest holographic technology of this type is developed for retail purposes on a 5 ft x 5 ft scale. Kabuni clients can now place and view their furniture options in holographic catalogs that virtual reconstruct their idealized rooms. Clients can also try out different positions and locations in the virtual, 3D construction (“Kabuni House Dream Room,” 2018).

3D visualization displays have found its application in almost all steps of product development: conceptual design stage, debugging the early prototypes of a product, and marketing the final product. Although architects/designers are typically skilled in delivering their ideas in the form of words and using 2D images, it is still often challenging to explain ideas for clients if they lack imagination. 3D visualization is a powerful presentation tool that enhances a clients’ understanding of the conceptual design by significantly facilitating this communication. Furthermore, such virtual 3D visualization reduces the design cost in two different ways: (1) by eliminating the necessity of having a physical 3D mockup, which not only makes it cost-effective but also eco-friendly; (2) by eliminating trial-anderror cycles as it facilitates debugging and error-detection in early stages of design. After all, the breathtaking 3D images are also superior tools in the marketing and advertising of a final product (“5 Benefits of 3D,” 2020).

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Case 1: Looking Glass Factory

The Looking Glass Factory in Brooklyn, New York is one of the builders of the holographic future, and has started producing products for desktop holographic display. The Looking Glass product line is for 3D creators, and doesn’t require VR or AR headsets. Looking Glass products launched on July 24, 2018 in two sizes: Standard Looking Glass (8.2” L x 6.7” W x 3.1” H) and Large Looking Glass (14.5” L x 6.9” W x 9.6” H). “The Looking Glass is a patent-pending combination of light-field and volumetric display technologies within a single new type of display that brings virtual three-dimensional content to life in full-color at up to 60fps. The Looking Glass generates 45 distinct views of a [3D] scene so that multiple people standing around a Looking Glass can see different parts of the scene in the real world. As you move around the Looking Glass, your eyes are exposed to different sets of [3D] information, creating a living [3D] experience for multiple people at the same time. While VR headsets produce two stereoscopic views of a [3D] scene, that scene can only be experienced by one person at a time. The Looking Glass, by comparison, generates 45 views of a [3D] world, allowing content that lives in a Looking Glass to be viewed and interacted with by multiple people at once” (“The Looking Glass,” 2020).

Looking Glass products are ideal for the following 3D creators: Unity Developers: For activating the ability to test the behavior of a character in a 3D space when you move it around with a wide-range of peripheral add-ons including the Leap Motion Controller, Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers, Intel RealSense, Microsoft Kinect, Xbox Game Controller, and Arduino.

Artists: For working with known tools like Maya, ZBrush, Cinema4D, Blender, etc. They’ve made it easy to export files into familiar formats in order to make other 3D artists interested in this product.

Industrial and Product Designers: For increasing the speed of getting feedback, optimizing the iteration process, and achieving a more accurate model before jumping into the prototyping step.

Looking Glass products facilitate the design process.

Architects: For accommodating interactive features for presentation with the ability to transform, scale, rotate, and manipulate a 3D mockup, and for giving clients a more realistic sense of the project in terms of color, lighting, and placement of objects.

Since the Looking Glass Factory launched its products, users provided some early reactions. David, artist and game designer, said, “A beautiful and elegant piece of technology, affording the viewer the dignity of seeing 3D worlds without strapping a thing to their head.” Suchi, founder

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Case 1: Looking Glass Factory Product, looking glass 8K used for viewing complex scientific visualization. Photo courtesy of Looking Glass Factory

and principal architect at Reddymade, said, “My initial experience with Looking Glass was really that it’s magic. The way in which you experience is much more natural and instinctive in terms of seeing how you can understand the layers of space” (“The Looking Glass,” 2020).

Case 2: VOXON Photonics

The Voxon VX1 makes a 3D, real-time, interactive hologram which is the first commercialized volumetric display in the world that does not require VR/AR headsets. The technology is the combination of software and hardware that has been powered by Voxon Photonic Engine. “In technical terms, the Voxon VX1 is a volumetric display. At the core is an ultra-high-speed digital light engine and a highly-optimized volume rendering engine. This unique combination of hardware and software is capable of projecting over half a billion points of light every second into physical volumetric space.” Voxiedemo, Sample 3D Models and Animations, and Sample Applications and Games are the programs that provide sources to guide the users to understand the functionality of the product (“The Voxon VX1,” 2017).

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Gaming, education, engineering, medical imaging, advertising, communication, and decision support are potential applications of Voxon Photonics products. There have been significant developments in the Voxon Photonics products for gaming. They produced an individual arcade machine product named Z3D in 2018. All the features and the technology of the VX1 is provided in the Z3D. Furthermore, “A removable arcade tabletop, custommade games, LED strip lighting effect compatible with plug-in-play game controllers (such as Xbox 360 controllers), easy to use menu and games launcher, Windows 10 architecture, Voxatron and other games, Unity Software Development Kit is included for making your own games & projects, C based SDK for low-level programming,” and the multi-user interactivity products are provided (“Z3D Technical Specifi cation,” 2018).

Limitations of Current Commercialized Three-Dimensional Visualization Displays One serious problem with volumetric displays is the inability to show opaque objects. Every object has a percentage of transparency that is not the same as an object in the real world. Researchers are working to solve this problem, and have some ideas like Lumi-volume, which is not developed enough to become commercialized (Zyga, 2008).

The other limitation for developing commercialized volumetric displays is the lack of power of current processors. Because of their complexity, Gonzales says, “A standard 24 bits per pixel, 1024 × 768 resolution, flat/2D display requires 135 MB/s to be sent to the display hardware to sustain 60 frames per second, whereas a 24 bits per voxel, 1024 × 768 × 1024 (1024 “pixel layers” in the Z-axis) volumetric display would need to send about three orders of magnitude more (135 GB/s) to the display hardware to sustain 60 volumes per second” (Gonzales, 2012).

Some of the volumetric displays also limit users with the range of view angle. For instance, the 3D object in the Looking Glass product is only visible in a small range of angles, and it is not a 360-degree display.

Researchers say that further improvements are needed in reducing the transparency effect, hardware improvements, and the range of view before the next generation of commercialized volumetric displays will be developed (Zyga, 2008).

Future of Commercialized ThreeDimensional Visualization Tools Volumetric Displays Market Overview The compound annual growth rate of the volumetric display market between 2020 and 2025 is projected to be 30%. The healthcare sector is one of the significant players, due to the enormous potential opportunity that volumetric displays have in the areas of medical imaging. The largest

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market share is in North America, specifically in the aerospace and defense sector. The predicted regional growth rates are high in East-Asia and Australia, medium in North America, and low in South America, Africa, and the Middle East (“Volumetric Display Market,” 2020).

Researchers at the UK’s University of Sussex have developed a Levitating threedimensional pixel that can move fast enough to draw images with light Case 2: Voxon Photonics Product. Photo courtesy of Voxon.

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The Future of Commercialized Volumetric Displays Researchers at the UK’s University of Sussex have developed a levitating 3D “pixel” that can move fast enough to draw images with light. The “pixel,” is actually a 2 mm bead of polystyrene that they can float and can be precisely manipulated through 3D space, with the use of ultrasound. It can then “draw,” and it moves so fast that it does not flicker, as it does when it appears on camera (“Researchers Create a Levitating, 2019). UK University researchers believe that other technologies are slow, limited in persistence-of-vision capabilities, and based on principles that are not able to generate tactile and auditory content. The process happens with trapping a particle acoustically, using red, green, and blue light to control its color and quickly scanning the display volume (Hirayama, 2019).

A team of researchers from Brigham Young University has worked to reproduce volumetric images. An Avatar table, Iron Man display, and a Princess Leia image inspired them to develop their research.

They think of the volumetric images as a 3D printed object with light.

They used a laser beam to trap a particle, and printed an object with the particle at a high speed that seemed to be a continuous object/ pattern to the human eye (“Scientists Have Created,” 2018).

UK’s University of Sussex Researchers’ Product. Photo courtesy of Professor Ryuji Hirayama.

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Imagining the Future of Volumetric Display for Designers As mentioned, the importance of 3D visualization for designers is significant. Understanding the current issues and limitations of the technology will be paramount in advancing commercial volumetric display technologies in the future. The design industry market is a potential opportunity for developing these future technologies, since the focus of current commercialized volumetric products is mainly on the entertainment industry, yet that market has been struggling with technology limitations. Based on current technology trends, there is a good chance that a new product will emerge soon. A product that I predict will improve volumetric displays is something I’ll call a Semi-Virtual Prototyping Design Machine. This machine, as I imagine it, would help designers create and visualize 3D mid-air objects with a specific, user-friendly controller/interface, and it would work with hand gestures. Designers would be able to speed up the iteration process, reduce material usage, and present full-scale products in a real-world space with no need for any specific VR/AR headset.

This presentation model would be perfectly suited for presenting work to groups of people, enabling them to see prototypes from all angles. Hand gestures would allow designers to scale, modify, rotate, and transform the 3D model, and facilitate interactive presentations of their work. With reducing the transparency effect that current volumetric displays have, and by improving the rendering materials with the help of enhanced hardware, 3D objects in this machine would be as real as the physical objects around us. A Semi-Virtual Prototyping Design Machine could revolutionize how we visualize, present, and advertise products.

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References Angster, S., & Jayaram, S. (1997). Open Architecture Framework for Integrated Virtual Product Development Systems. International Journal Of Virtual Reality, 3(1), 1-26. doi: 10.20870/ijvr.1997.3.1.2618 Enes, A. (2017 June). Development of Computer-Aided Industrial Design Technology. Periodicals of Engineering and Natural Sciences. 5( 2), 124-127. doi:10.21533/pen.v5i2.86. Retrieved from http://pen.ius.edu.ba 5 Benefits of 3D Architectural Visualization in 2019. (2020, January 23). Retrieved from https://spotworks.com.sg/ architectural-visualization/5-benefits-3d-architectural-visualization/ Geng, J. (2013). Three-dimensional Display Technologies. 5(4), 456. doi: 10.1364/aop.5.000456 Hirayama, R., Martinez Plasencia, D., Masuda, N., & Subramanian, S. (2019).

A Volumetric Display for Visual, Tactile and Audio Presentation Using Acoustic Trapping. Nature, 575(7782), 320-323. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1739-5 Hong, J., Kim, Y., Choi, H., Hahn, J., Park, J., Kim, H., Min, S., Chen, N., and Lee, B. (2011). Three-dimensional Display Technologies of Recent Interest: Principles, Status, and Issues [Invited]. Applied Optics, vol. 50, viewed 9 February 2020 doi: 10.1364/AO.50.000H87 Kabuni House Dream Room. 2018. Kabuni. Retrieved 2 March 2020, from https://www.kabuni.com/ Lee, H. (2013). 3D Holographic Technology and Its Educational Potential.

Techtrends, 57(4), 34-39. doi: 10.1007/s11528-013-0675-8 The Looking Glass: A Holographic Display for 3D Creators. (2020). Retrieved 2 March 2020, from http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lookingglass/ the-looking-glass-a-holographic-display-for-3d-cre Researchers Create a Levitating 3D Pixel That Can Move Fast Enough to Draw Images With Light. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.core77.com/ posts/91456/Researchers-Create-a-Levitating-3D-Pixel-That-Can-MoveFast-Enough-to-Draw-Images-With-Light Robb, R.A. (n.d.). Three-Dimensional Visualization in Medicine and Biology.

Book Chapter in: Handbook of Medical Imaging: Processing and Analysis, ed. Isaac N. Bankman, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, Chapter 42, pp.

685- 712, 2000.

Scientists Have Created the World’s Best and Biggest 3D Living Hologram.

(2018, January 27). Retrieved from https://www.fanaticalfuturist.com/2018/01/ scientists-have-created-the-worlds-best-and-biggest-3d-living-hologram/ Staub-French, S., & Khanzode, A. (2007). 3D and 4D Modeling for Design and Construction Coordination: Issues and Lessons Learned, ITcon Vol. 12, pg. 381-407, <https://www.itcon.org/2007/26> Son, J.-Y., Lee, H., Lee, B.-R., & Lee, K.-H. (2017). Holographic and LightField Imaging as Future 3-D Displays. Proceedings of the IEEE, 105(5), 789â&#x20AC;&#x201C;804. doi: 10.1109/jproc.2017.2666538 Tovey, M. (1989). Drawing and CAD in industrial design. Design Studies, 10(1), 24-39. doi: 10.1016/0142-694x(89)90022-7

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Volumetric Display Market; Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025).

(2020). Retrieved 2 March 2020, from https://www.mordorintelligence.com/ industry-reports/volumetric-display-market The Voxon VX1 Technological Description. (2017). Retrieved 2 March 2020, from https://voxon.co/wp-content/uploads/VX1%20TECHNICAL%20 DESCRIPTION.pdf The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First 5G Hologram Call Just Happened and the Future is Officially Here. (2020). Retrieved 2 March 2020, from https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/the-world-s-first-5g-hologram-call-just-happened-andthe-future-is-officially-here-2951392 Zyga, Lisa. (2008 Dec 22). Improved Volumetric Displays May Lead to 3D Computer Monitors. Phys.org. Retrieved 2 March 2020, from phys.org/ news/2008-12-volumetric-3d.html.

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Courtesy of The AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power

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FEATURE | Redesigning History FEATURE//| Queering article title Design

REDESIGNING HISTORY QUEERING DESIGN

by Mena Kamel

While studying the function, practice, and evolution of design throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, we must keep a contextualized perspective on the political movements of the time. Why does it seem that queer sexuality was omitted from design history before the 1960s?

Is it important to consider someone’s sexuality and gender identity when examining design history? In this article, I will look at a few examples of queer design practice as it relates to the cultural and societal mores and norms of its time, queer erasure throughout twentieth and twenty-first century design history, and explore what can be gained from reanalyzing and reframing queer design today.

Several prominent designers have recently publicly examined, questioned, and critiqued how design history has been written, who it serves, and what viewpoint it prioritizes. Ramon Tejada for example, a DominicanAmerican design educator says, “I don’t see myself reflected in much of the narrative of design—not in the history, the theory, the practitioners or the outcomes. People of color: Hispanics, Latinx, African-Americans, Native Americans, Women, LGBTQ people—those labeled ‘minorities’— have been relegated to the margins at best, or often just excluded. In reality, the design history we currently have is fractured, incomplete, and biased. It is a monopolized, myopic narrative that has advanced a

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particular, narrow set of ideas and values, at the expense of many people and their beliefs, values, and cultural systems” (Tejada, 2018). In addition to this critique of the design canon and history, it has been the general tendency of art history to treat sexuality and gender identity as secondary to artistic genius (Otto, n.d.). But can we really separate the work from its producer? And if so, what purpose would that disembodied history serve? Sexuality and gender identity, like any other facet of identity and subjectivity, are essential parts of how we experience and create design.

While identities are fluid, especially as cultures shift and develop over time, so are the lenses with which we view design and design history. Because queer people were, and still are, excluded from many areas of society, sexuality and gender identity, I believe, will always inform our interaction with design, and vice versa.

Sexuality and gender identity, like any other facet of identity and subjectivity, are essential parts of how we experience and create design It wasn’t until the 1990s that queer theory set out to both politicize identity as a means to move beyond the restrictive and reductive labels of gay and lesbian and as a critical deconstructive strategy to investigate the entire spectrum of sexual and gender dynamics (Potvin, 2016). Considering this, it is surprising that design has just barely started to be scrutinized under this particular framework. As art and design historian John Potvin says, “In key, oft‐cited assessments of the state of Design History and possible future directions by the field’s leading scholars, sexuality as a path of inquiry has been systemically ignored, with queer theory clearly leaving no discernible trace on the discipline [ninety-eight] years after being coined” (Potvin, 2016). There are many possibilities that queer theory offers us if we apply it to design history since, secrecy has defined most aspects of the gender and sexual politics of the twentieth and twenty‐first centuries (Potvin, 2016).

While many designers, queer or otherwise, might deny or protest the presence or utility of sexuality within the world of design, it is only now that we are beginning to uncover omitted vestiges of queer narratives in design history.

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Reframing a more inclusive design history today requires a willingness to include alternative perspectives. From reimagining history in the arts to LGBTQ-inclusive curricula in schools, there seems to be a paradigm shift in the way designers are interacting with queer history as it relates to design.

For example, the very first book that examines queer graphic design was published by art historian Andrew Campbell in 2019. Campbell wrote the book after finding that there was no literature specifically on the design of the LGBT+ movements in the US. Campbell explains, “Sure, there are plenty of books that reproduce photographs and ephemera found in archives, but nothing which considered this ephemera as design.

Usually with canonical histories of design, there’s a pretty strong allergy to connecting design with a politics of identity and with the subjectivity of the designer” (Campbell, 2019). He argues that looking at design through a queer lens allows for a deeper understanding of the queer community and its lived experiences. According to Campbell, “Queer design is anything created and designed by LGBTQ+ people that addresses LGBT+ life. It may seem a flat-footed and obvious definition, but it allows for openness around one of the tenets common to LGBTQ+ communities at their best, which is that they are inclusive and heterogeneous. Addressing this topic with a complex understanding of the way that identities/subjectivities underpin designs that themselves participate in the formation of subjects, essentially allows for another way in’’ (Campbell, 2019).

Variations of Queer Erasure Perhaps as a result of the negative (at times, violent) views toward queers, queer erasure has occurred in a variety of different ways throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. While looking at some of these examples, we must keep a historical perspective of the times. The famous Bauhaus school of art and design in Germany was founded in 1919, post-WWI, until it was shut down in 1933 due to the rise of the Nazi party. In her book Haunted Bauhaus: Occult Spirituality, Gender Fluidity, Queer Identities, and Radical Politics, art historian Elizabeth Otto reveals some artists and designers who are missing from Bauhaus’ history. She recounts those who have been ignored or erased from the school’s official history, as many gay and lesbian artists and designers that have contributed to the movement were also demonized under Germany’s Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality (Otto, n.d.). She explains, “Gays and lesbians at Bauhaus were aware of the establishment’s disdain for expression of anything [that was not] of the straight culture of the era. They made work that expressed gay identity and may have slipped through the radar then, but [Otto] decodes the intent of the artists and their subversive strategies to create in this singular era” (Otto, n.d.). In addition to the overt omission by the Nazi Party in the 1930s, exclusion of queer designers’ work from Bauhaus history can be seen in examples such as Max Peiffer Watenphul and Florence Henri. Even when somewhat well-known queer Bauhaus

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artists are studied, their sexuality is very seldomly discussed. In fact, it is often omitted or glossed over. Richard Grune, a somewhat known homosexual, spent a year at the Bauhaus before leaving to do graphic design for his anti-fascist newspaper. Even though Watenphul, Henri, and Grune’s sexualities were central to their work, this information is often left out, “because of or in spite of the Bauhaus’ straight male pedagogy’’ (Otto, n.d.).

The slogan and design, “The Future is Female,” re-popularized by Rachel Berks in 2015 is a unique example of contemporary queer erasure. The original version of the now-famous t-shirt was created for Labyris Books, a bookstore founded by lesbian feminists in 1972. In 2016, the slogan and design seemed to resonate widely in the months leading up to the presidential election, and when Trump was elected, “millions of women took to the streets around the world, and those four daringly hopeful words came back with a vengeance” (Keating, 2017). While attending the Women’s March in Washington in 2017, Berks noticed the ubiquity of the slogan on posters all over the city and turned to her partner to ask, “‘How many people do you think know this comes from a radical, lesbian, separatist history?’ Their conclusion: not many” (Keating, 2017). While Berks has explicitly acknowledged the historical context of the design, the slogan has been co-opted by mainstream feminists. And though she did not intend for this, a plethora of iterations of the design continue to be reproduced by various brands and cultural influencers who do not explicitly acknowledge or know the design’s queer origins. This leaves me wondering, how will history remember this modern wave of feminist action? Will queer women remain central to their own stories or will heteronormativity erase this history too? A quick Google search shows many vendors, including Nordstroms and other large retailers, selling the design, and only a couple mention the design’s origins.

How Designers Are Responding Today Recently, queer designers, design educators, activists, and historians have been ethinking and renegotiating a more inclusive design history and practice. Ginger Brooks Takahashi is an artist, educator, and designer who creates queer-centered design and printing workshops for queer-specific, as well as non-queer, groups. She says that her workshops typically begin by sharing images of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) ads, protest signs, stickers, and posters made by the AIDS activist artist collective Gran Fury. Takahashi says that this formative slice of graphic history has influenced her practice as an artist and activist, so sharing it with young people is particularly important to her. She discusses how language and other forms of coded information carry power, and how making sexuality and sexual imagery public is a necessity of communicating with larger audiences. She teaches her students that, “[Gran Fury] talks about the act of a group of citizens choosing to tell their truth through graphic design mobilized as public

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Musician Alix Dobkin, photographed by Dobkin’s then-girlfriend Liza Cowan, 1975.

protest, communicating that a vulnerable population was dying because of homophobia, governmental neglect, and lack of access to medicine due to corporate greed” (Takahashi, 2018). Takashasi believes that queering design engages visual space and helps us think outside of what is perceived to be possible. She also understands that it alters the relationship between self/subject/object and desire, causing breaks in dominant thought (Takahashi, 2018).

Ramon Tejada believes that queering design will work in tandem with decolonizing design, which he says is to “make room for the margin to be a central tenet of the pedagogy/the field” (Tejada, 2018). When developing syllabi for classes, he asks, “What works do I show students as examples?

Who made that work? Who developed that idea? Who do I highlight as exemplary figures that present an openness and diversity?” (Tejada, 2018). He believes that queering design education is not about ignoring or neglecting certain narratives, but rather about expanding the opportunities for marginalized voices to be represented. This idea of expanding on design history and practice, rather than rewriting it is especially important, since it doesn’t necessarily oppose the canonical design history, it simply allows for the narratives, examples, theories, stories, forms, and the cultural views

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Advertisement for Kissing Doesn’t Kill. Color offset lithograph, 1989. Photo Courtesy of Gran Fury Artist Collective.

of others to emerge (Tejada, 2018).

Nate Pyper, an artist and designer working in publishing, performance, and video believes that designers are responsible for challenging the status quo, for critiquing norms, as counter-culture zines once have. Historically, queer self-publishing was used to quickly and critically appropriate images to recontextualize notions of racism, classism, misogyny, and homophobia. He says that today, queer zines continue to be a “practice that foregrounds embodied experience [because the] use of language has

material effects on bodies, on communities, and on ecosystems. It produces actions just as much as actions in turn produce language” (Pyper, 2018). Pyper believes that we should be constantly reflecting on actively opposing perspectives in design history and the very structure of traditional classroom dynamics.

Further, he believes that we should eradicate the distinctions between teacher and student, as to not prioritize a single dominant narrative (Pyper, 2018).

Nicole Killian, an artist, designer, and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, explains that queering design education is about strategically and deliberately elevating queer voices. Through her teaching and curriculum development, she prioritizes getting queer students to “feel like they have more agency in [the] systems inside of which we all have to maneuver” (Killian, 2019). When asked how she thinks educators should be going about queering design history, she says, Design education has been stale for a really long time. I think educators need to be constantly unlearning what our own educational background was and [ask] ourselves, ‘What are the actual needs of the bodies in front of us?’ And not just in a service provider way. The students in our

TransSisters: The Journal of Transsexual Feminism No. 6, Autumn 1994. Photo Courtesy of Digital Transgender Archive.

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classrooms want to see people who look like them. They want to see people succeeding who sound like them. So we have to really rethink how we share knowledge. Unlearning or deskilling is essential, I think, in taking away the hierarchy in the classroom (Killian, 2019).

What Do We Gain From Queering Design History?

Design educators like Kristina Ketola Bore, Paul Soulellis, and others are advocating for more queer history within design education at leading design schools across the country. As of August 2019, California, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey require LGBTQ history be taught in public schools in K-12 curricula. These laws say that history classes must include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of the United States (Schwartz, 2019). House Bill 246 in Illinois states that textbooks bought with state funding must review the roles and contributions of LGBT people in a non-discriminatory way. ONE Archives Foundation, a historic LGBT archive based in Los Angeles, has made LGBT history lesson plans available for download on their website for educators in California, free of charge. These interdisciplinary lesson plans include significant queer design history, and were created in collaboration with the UCLA History-Geography Project and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Design history is just beginning to acknowledge queer design as a subject in its right. A more broad and inclusive reframing of design history will allow for a fuller, more robust understanding of the function, practice, and politics of design. If design history continues to build upon, rather than erase queer narratives, it will expand the possibilities for inclusive design and design teaching. Design is never neutral; it always exists as part of a particular time, place, and politic (Tunstall, 2019). From the first time New York City criminalized consensual same-sex activity in 1923 to the ban on transgender military service members in 2017 under the Trump administration, design has played an integral role in shaping the history, identity, and culture of queer lives. Things like buttons, t-shirts, and handmade zines are not considered important by large institutions, and they typically do not make it into mainstream archives, but these ephemera are important design artifacts that are beginning to illuminate how queer communities have lived, organized, and communicated through design (Ryan, n.d.). There is a great deal more to uncover and contextualize as design history makes space for additional queer narratives.

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References Campbell, A. (2019, October 23). Queer x Design Highlights 50 Years of LGBT+ Graphic Design. Dezeen.

Keating, S. (2017, February 11). Can Lesbian Identity Survive The Gender Revolution? [Editorial]. Retrieved from Buzzfeed News website: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shannonkeating/ can-lesbian-identity-survive-the-gender-revolution Killian, N. (2019, January 29). What Does Queering Design Education Actually Look Like? AIGA Eye on Design.

Otto, E. (n.d.). Queer People Have to Some Extent Been Erased from Bauhaus History. Bauhaus 100.

Potvin, J. (2016). The Pink Elephant in the Room: What Ever Happened to Queer Theory in the Study of Interior Design 25 Years on? Journal of Interior Design, 41(01).

Pyper, N. (2018, July 26). Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Talk About Body Reproduction. [Editorial].

Retrieved from Walker Soundboard website: https://walkerart.org/magazine/ soundboard-queering-design-education-nate-pyper.

A variety of LGBTQ buttons, 1960s-1990s.

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Ryan, H. (n.d.). Why Queer Archives Are Important: A Study of LGBTQ Life. [Editorial] Retrieved from Arts and Culture Website: artsandculture. google.com/story/why-queer-archives-are-important-a-study-of-lgbtq-life/ IgUxCMW95_E9-Q?hl=en.

Schwartz, S. (2019, August 12). Four States Now Require Schools to Teach LGBT History [Blog post]. Retrieved from Education Week website: http:// blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2019/08/four_states_now_ require_schools_to_teach_lgbt_history.html.

Takahashi, G. (2018, July 26). We Must Make Queer Praxis Accessible. [Editorial]. Retrieved from Walker Soundboard website: https://www.walkerart.org/magazine/ soundboard-queering-design-education-ginger-brooks-takahashi.

Tejada, R. (2018, July 26). We Must Topple the Tropes, Cripple the Canon.

Walker Soundboard. Retrieved from http://walkerart.org/magazine/ soundboard-queering-design-education-ramon-tejada.

Tunstall, D. (2019, December 12). What Is Instagramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place in Design Education? AIGA Eye on Design.

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Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

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FEATURE FEATURE| Disney | article Princesses title

DISNEY PRINCESSES EXPLORING the impacts OF Disney princesses, the hottest virtual CHARACTERS OF THE 20TH and 21ST CENTURIES

by Ting-Fang Cheng

“Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore…” Most parents may be familiar with this song, as Frozen, one of the most popular Disney princess animations, conquered the world in 2013. The impact of the “Disney princess culture” is an issue worth exploring. In 1937 Disney created its first princess, Snow White, and has continued to develop princesses for over 83 years. Although many have criticized the effects of their strong gender messaging, research over the years indicates that they may be seen as good role models, since the characters are changing.

20TH-21st CENTURY: THE RISE OF DISNEY PRINCESSES When Snow White was born in 1937, American society was in the age of patriarchy. At that time, the United States had just experienced a serious economic crisis in modern history with The Great Depression.

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Sociologist Ruth Milkman pointed out that in most crises and emergencies, women’s extra contribution to the family has not enhanced their status in the family, but has strengthened their traditional role in the family (Milkman, 1976). In this social environment, the Disney character of Snow White was born. From the perspective of the time, she was full of positive qualities: humble, patient, obedient, beautiful, and hardworking.

Snow White captured countless hearts when she appeared on the big screen. Not only did she steal children’s hearts, but adults also had no resistance. The impression of the Disney princess attracted everyone’s attention since then.

The second official Disney princess, Cinderella, was released in 1950, and she continued the image of the “perfect woman.” Her image of a hardworking and kind woman was also favored by people at that time. The early princess images in Disney’s animated films are shaped according to this aesthetic concept. In 1959, Sleeping Beauty was released, but this classic fairytale storyline was criticized to be a possible excessive gender stereotype by some: a delicate princess waiting for the prince to rescue her. As time and society were changing, people’s thinking and values were also changing.

In 1989, The Little Mermaid was born and led the revival of Disney, a brand-new woman no longer passively waited for love to come, but a princess who bravely pursued love and dreams of life. Since then, Disney princess culture has taken the world by storm. Each princess actually serves as a progressive representation of the women of their respective periods. Disney princess related products can be seen everywhere. A prominent symbol deeply imprinted in the heart of many: the Disney logo is getting more powerful.

THE EVOLUTION Disney has 14 blockbuster princess movies. The following three stages take an in-depth look at the evolution of these 14 Disney princess movies and how they have changed with the times.

EARLY WORKS (1930s-1950s): Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty In the early works of the Disney princess, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first animation, is one of the most recognizable Disney films. In the first appearance of the princess image, Disney made an impressive work, and the romantic love stories became memories for many people. From 1937 to 1959, both Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were considered more in-line with the standards of women in a patriarchal society. In terms of appearance, there must be both a beautiful face and a slim figure, but in character, they are weak and helpless, and it is always expected that the male character will save her. This standard is not just set by men, most women are themselves advocates of this standard at that time. Peggy Orenstein, author of the 2012 New York Times bestseller Cinderella ate my daughter, pointed out that Disney princesses are as slim and perfect as Barbie dolls, and they are almost all white, promoting a narrow aesthetic view. “Princesses may confide in a sympathetic mouse or teacup, but they do not have girlfriends. God forbid Snow White should give Sleeping Beauty a little support. Let’s review: princesses avoid female bonding. Their goals are to be saved by a prince, get married, and be taken care of the rest of their lives” (Orenstein, 2011).

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MIDDLE WORKS (1990s-2000): The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan By the late 20th century, with the development of the industrial society and the addition of feminist movements in American history, the social image of women had changed. At this time, the early Disney princess story began to be criticized as a patriarchal society, and lost popularity.

Therefore, Disney began to add new elements to the princess story that met the expectations of the public.

This stage is known as Disney’s revival period. Some examples include Princess Ariel, the little mermaid who bravely pursues love, gets through all difficulties and explores the unknown world; Princess Belle, who loves knowledge and has the ability to save her father and The Beast; Princess Jasmine, who does what she thinks is right instead of living under the expectations of the society; Princess Bulgari Conti, who pursues dreams and takes great responsibility for her tribe; Mulan, who is extremely brave, joins the army for her father, and gets praised by the emperor.

The five princesses evolved towards feminism, becoming more independent and rational. One of its manifestations is that the princess no longer needs the handsome prince to rescue them. The white skin, and sweet-girl storylines of the Disney princess began to change.

Only 11% of compliments that women received were for their skills and accomplishments LATER WORKS (2000-PRESENT): The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave, Frozen, Moana In the 21st century, Disney is no longer keen on selling love stories between princes and princesses. In the Princess and the Frog and Tangled, the princesses’ dreams have nothing to do with love, but with commitment to encouraging self-pursuit; in Brave, women’s autonomy is emphasized; in Frozen, the princess no longer needs the love of a prince, but instead it emphasizes the love between sisters.

Linguists Carmen Fought and Karen Eisenhauer have counted the number and content of lines in Disney princess movies: “In the classic princess films, more than half of the compliments that women received—55%—referred to their appearance, and only 11% to their skills or accomplishments. But in the renaissance-era films, from the 1990s, the ratio shifted to 38-25. And in the latest batchof films—The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave

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body text

Moana (2016)

and Frozenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the pattern is finally reversed to 22-40â&#x20AC;? (Fought & Eisenhauer, 2012).

In the years to come, praise for appearances has diminished in this period. In the continuous renovation of Disney princess, these virtual characters are becoming more and more realistic. While catering to mainstream society, these movies are also constructing a virtual world with a social image.

Research by Brigham Young University indicated that Disney princesses do have an impact on the self-image of little girls and the gender concept of little boys. We cannot ignore the impacts of the virtual world on us. What character designers bring to the world plays an important role in this case.

WORRIES ABOUT VIRTUAL WORLD

Where do the worries come from? As Disney princesses become more prolific, the influence they yield comes under scrutiny by many. This issue has been controversial over the years. Researchers keep going back to the original appearance of these virtual characters, exploring the relationship between the virtual charactersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design details and the impacts on the audience. Since designers create every detail on a character, our role in shaping these narratives is significant.

Parents care about which kind of media their child engages with. In the age of technology, virtual characters in movies, video games, and multimedia can have influences on values, thoughts, and behaviors. Some people condemn the negative effects of virtual worlds, others think it can have positive effects. Over the years, whether or not Disney princess culture promotes gender stereotypes has been comprehensively discussed.

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THE ROLE OF DESIGNERS

Courtesy of Artist Dylan Bonner Instagram

A NEW PERSPECTIVE Many have criticized the effects of Snow White, Cinderella, and other Disney princesses. A research team led by Sarah Coyne, a family studies professor at Brigham Young University in the United States, observed and recorded the interaction between 198 five-to-six-yearold preschool children and Disney princesses through media such as movies, toys, and storybooks. The team analyzed how much they love Disney princesses, and then observed the development of their gender concepts. The study found that boy and girl toddlers who watched Disney princess movies, and played with Disney princess toys frequently, developed gender stereotypes more readily than those who watched Disney princess movies or played with Disney princess toys occasionally. Coyne believes the performance of these gender stereotypes can be seen in childhood. Little girls who like Disney princesses also like to play quietly, pretend to cook or clean during games, avoid adventure, and avoid staining clothes. These behaviors, shaped by gender impressions, are more difficult to change in adulthood. “We know that girls who strongly adhere to female gender stereotypes feel like they can’t do some things,” Coyne said.

“They’re not as confident that they can do well in math and science.

They don’t like getting dirty, so they’re less likely to try and experiment with things” (Coyne 2016).

Professor Coyne pointed out that these effects may be good for boys.

Boys tend to learn that they are “strong” and “confident,” and as adults, they tend to feel the need to protect and help women. However, these

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effects are not good for girls, since a girls’ charm becomes more important than her abilities. Boys become overly obsessed with girls’ physical appearance, which can make women and girls less confident in their other traits.

However, the England national women’s football team believes the traits of Disney princesses are exactly what you need to become a successful player. “Being brave, being strong and being kind are all important attributes when it comes to building a successful team,” said Captain Steph Houghton. “They are all qualities that girls can learn from Disney princesses” (Wilson, 2017).

Moreover, Disney’s forthcoming live-action Little Mermaid has casted Halle Bailey, a 19-year-old black female singer, as Ariel.

Director Rob Marshall says, “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance, plus a glorious singing voice, all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role” (Marshall, 2019). You can see that Disney has made a huge change.

Princesses are no longer portrayed as white, blue-eyes skinny girls; many filmmakers are beginning to represent a range of diversity.

PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVE “While studies confirm parental concerns over the ill-effects of princess culture, a new breed of Disney princesses offers hope that this culture can evolve. For the first time in forever—watching Frozen 2—I found myself admiring a new pattern of psychological strengths in Disney’s leading gowned ladies” (Greenberg, 2020). Psychologists initially feared the impact of the gender stereotype

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messaging that was inherent in Disney fairytales, especially for children who were obsessed with Disney princesses.

“Children’s favorite characters from films and shows have an influence on who they become, and what they hold as possible in the world. Based on their stage of brain development, children don’t separate fictional characters from real humans in the same way adults do.” According to Dr. Jessamy Comer of RIT’s Department of Psychology, it’s not until the middle of elementary school that children really understand that the characters in movies are fictional. “When they’re looking at [cartoons],” she shares, “to them, it’s real. It’s very real” (Comer, 2017).

As Disney has changed the princess storyline, many psychologists begin to believe that Disney may bring positive effects. Greenberg indicated that these films are still not the platonic ideal of media she wants her kids watching, but they are an undeniable improvement upon the past. “They portray female protagonists who use real strengths to find their way through challenges, rather than simply leaning on chance encounters with men. And here’s my main takeaway: From the cradle to the grave we are influenced by those around us—for better or worse. For children, role models may be real or fictional. Every single one of us has influence—whether it’s directly as a role model, through the stories we tell, or through the stories we choose to highlight. Whether we are leaders in the corporate space, creators at Disney, or leaders in our families, let’s keep in mind that our choices have cascading effects for all those who are watching.

Thank you, Disney, for taking some steps in the right direction. I look forward to seeing more progress and evolution as I grow alongside my children” (Greenberg, 2020).

GREAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESIGNERS As the great Victor Papanek once said, “You are responsible for what you put into the world. And you are responsible for the effects those things have upon the world” (Papanek, 2019). Disney is evolving, and as they establish better characteristics for virtual characters, it is clear that we are making progress as a society. As a designer, I know that my work will have a direct effect on people. It’s important to remember that designed work is a reflection of our personal values. As designers, let’s maintain our moral values and continue to challenge the status quo. We all play an important role, and have a great responsibility to bring the best to this world.

REFERENCES Comer, J. (2017, March 3) How Childhood Cartoons Script Your Thoughts Today. Retrieved from https://reporter.rit.edu/features/ how-childhood-cartoons-script-your-thoughts-today Coyne, S. (2016). Pretty as a Princess: Longitudinal Effects of Engagement With Disney Princesses on Gender Stereotypes, Body Esteem, and Prosocial Behavior in Children. Retrieved from https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ abs/10.1111/cdev.12569 Fought, C. and Eisenhauer, K. (2012). A Quantitative Analysis of Gendered Compliments in Disney Princess Films. Retrieved from https://www. independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/disney-s-princessesthe-number-and-content-of-their-lines-tell-their-own-stories-a6835111. html,http://www.kareneisenhauer.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ Greenberg, S. (2020, January 15) Are Disney Princess Movies Getting Savvier? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ lifes-work/202001/are-disney-princess-movies-getting-savvier Marshall, R. (2019) Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news disneys-little-mermaid-live-action-movie-casts-halle-bailey-as-ariel/ Milkman, R. (1976). Women’s Work and Economic Crisis: Some Lessons of the Great Depression. Retrieved from https://caringlabor.wordpress. com/2010/10/21/ruth-milkman-women%E2%80%99s-work-and-economiccrisis-some-lessons-of-the-great-depression/ Orenstein, P. (2011). Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture.

Papanek, V. (2019) Ruined By Design Wilson, C. (2017, July 22) What can modern girls learn from Disney princesses? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40682933

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FEATURE | Aarticle Designtitle Plan

A DESIGN PLAN

for the Preservation of Venice

by Michael Haritos

The city of Venice is recognized for its extraordinary art and architecture, unique geography, and famous lagoon. Starting in the seventh century, the many islands in the large, saltwater lagoon became the base for the Venetian Empire, which brought together Eastern and Western architecture in a new way. But the future of Venice and its surrounding lagoon are uncertain, as the seas rise and the city sinks. Venice also faces an unsustainable tourism crisis, with over 70,000 tourists a day descending on the small city center.

The issues facing Venice are threefold: there is the subsidence of the city from depressurization of the aquifers beneath the lagoon; the high tides, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;aqua alta,â&#x20AC;? that inundate the city in the spring and summer (made worse by global sea level rise); and the traffic in the lagoon that causes the slow but steady erosion of buildings along the canals which, for Venice, is many buildings). To combat these threats to the city, a number of massive infrastructure projects have been proposed, but their success is questionable. A design plan for the preservation of Venice will need to combine the efforts of civil engineering, architectural design, and urban planning, in a collaborative partnership that understands the lagoon and its relationship to the city.

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So what does an urban plan for the city look like in the face of these challenges?

As mentioned, current infrastructure projects are incredibly costly and potentially ineffective, as they don’t address the issues in a comprehensive way. The MoSE The MoSE (Mose is the Italian word for Moses, and is an acronym for Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, which means Experimental Electromechanical Module) sea barriers, at a cost of nearly 8 billion USD, failed to protect the city during a storm in 2019. A project to lift the city by pumping water into underground aquifers has been recently approved with an estimated cost of 300 million USD, but there are fears of further damage to architectural masterpieces by uneven lift (Handwerk, 2012).

The importance of architectural designers cannot be overstated. The city itself is a masterpiece of design and architecture sitting on more than 10 million wood piles driven into the lagoon floor. The stone and timber buildings that sit atop these piles are among the most beautiful in the world, combining Eastern design elements with Renaissance architecture, many of them over 500 years old. In developing a future urban plan for the city, new sewage and waste systems need to be carefully considered and planned so as to not damage the buildings they are trying to preserve. Nowhere is the need as critical for sensitive architectural design than in the restorations of old Venetian buildings.

The Venetian Gothic style that developed in the 11-14th centuries reflects the relationship Venetians had with their trading partners; this style is characterized by pointed arches and arabesque designs along the roofs and facades. St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace have a distinctly Byzantine style, and throughout Venice, the Eastern influence is always present.

Nearly all the palaces along the Grand Canal utilize Eastern design combined

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with Renaissance Gothic architecture.

Arabesques and narrow Gothic arches stretch delicately upward, uninhibited by weight restrictions because of perpendicular bearing walls, yet also daring the piles beneath them as they seem to float on top of the water. The uniqueness of this ornate Renaissance style and its setting is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and it’s considered a world heritage site.

The Venetian Lagoon The natural features of the coastline in this area of northern Italy lend themselves to refuge and trade; the first inhabitants of Venice were fugitives from Roman cities on the mainland, hiding from northern invaders. Because of it’s fantastic access to the sea with natural ports and harbors, Venice would eventually become the most powerful maritime empire in the medieval world. Sadly now, the same water which led to its expansion is causing serious problems and challenges for its future.

The saltwater lagoon stretches from Sily River in the north to the Brent in the south, and covers an area of about 200 square miles with an average depth of 34 feet. During the last Ice Age, six to seven thousand years ago, glaciers carved out this inlet as they retreated from the warming coast, and the resulting wetlands have served important purposes in the millennia since, including a long series of lakes and lagoons used by the Romans for leisure and recreation. The Roman city Altinum, larger than Pompeii, was built and thrived here from the 1st century BC, on the western bank of the lagoon, until it was sacked by Attila in the 5th century.

After that, the city was gradually abandoned to the lagoon. But the geography of the barrier islands created inlets and natural harbors, and was conducive to

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

trade and refuge from inland invaders, making the lagoon an ideal place for populations to develop (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Venetian Lagoon,â&#x20AC;? n.d.).

These long skinny islands, called lidi, provide numerous points of access in and out of the lagoon. According to Wiel, the airflow at this part of the coast is the best in the region, actuated by the interplay of the tides in and out of the lagoon. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the seventh century that there were enough constant inhabitants to form a lasting community, but these geopolitical attributes were an essential element of the maritime society Venice would become (Wiel, 2006).

As early as the 12th-century, Venetians were diverting the rivers that flow into the lagoon in an effort to control the water levels for purposes of farming and building. After the Battle of Chioggia in 1380, the Venetians embarked on a building plan that included new fortifications for the lidi and other structures within the lagoon. Over 50 structures were built, including the massive San Andrea Fort that spans the mouth of Lido. During the 15th and 16th centuries, in efforts to drain the lagoon and its marshy islands, hydraulic projects were planned to pump out excess water making more islands habitable and setting in motion the

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destabilization of both of the seabed and the ecosystem of the lagoon (the imbalance of freshwater to seawater played a critical role in this).

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the 19th century that efforts to pump freshwater from aquifers below the seabed caused the subsidence of Venice. The city was sinking. During the prior century, 9,000 wells were sunk down into the bedrock beneath the lagoon to retrieve freshwater. At its height, over 30,000 cubic ft. of water was being pumped from the bedrock below Venice every day. The decreased pressure in the aquifers, the stores of fresh water collected under the seabed, led to an overall collapse of the lagoon floor. In subsidence, ground subsides beneath the water.

The water rose above the limestone foundations meant to protect buildings from water erosion, lapping at the brick walls of palaces and churches all over the city. After the flood of 1966, when the tide rose to 190cm and flooded the city, measures were put in place to curb boat traffic that causes erosion with wakes of water that constantly hit and degrade the buildings along the canals (Johnson, 2011).

The MoSE Project The MoSE Project, named for the biblical prophet who parted the Red Sea, is an ambitious engineering project designed to block the Adriatic tides from flowing into the Venetian lagoon and flooding the city. Rows of hollow barriers are embedded in the seafloor at three entrances to the lagoon and are lifted into position ahead of a high tide by inflating them with air. When the tide recedes, the barriers fill with water and are submerged again back into position on the seafloor. Aside from the staggering cost of 7 billion euros, the barriers now present several unforeseen problems: the materials used to construct the gates may not be seaworthy and may deteriorate in the saltwater conditions; the height of the barriers may only be sufficient for a decade or so due to global sea level rise; and the growth of sea life in and around the barriers is already causing them to malfunction (Vitucci, 2019).

To begin with, the hinges on which the flood gates open have already been severely eroded by rust. The cost to repair the hinges is further increased by the discovery that the inspection corridors designed to make repairs accessible are also degraded by leaks and corrosion (Cocks, 2019). Why suitable rust proof materials werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t used in construction is not known. The hinges, designed by Fid di Selvazzano to last 100 years, are already in need of replacement fewer than 20 years after their installation. Even hinges on gates that have not yet been installed are rusting from the sea air. Crucially, the lock-nuts that keep the gates in place are eroded and not viable. And to complicate matters, sea life and sediment in and around the barriers, including an abundance of snails, have made it unlikely that the gates will function without impediment and call into question the future viability of the entire project (Vitucci, 2019).

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the height of the barriers may only be sufficient for a decade or so due to global sea level rise The most demoralizing setbacks come from nature herself, and the unstoppable rise of sea level, rendering the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 110 cm height likely inadequate in the decades to come. The great flood of 1966 which reached a staggering 190 cm, was not enough to instigate a taller design and it is likely that tides over 100 cm will occur with some frequency (100 to 200 times a year) and the lagoon will effectively be closed most of the time, creating an unstable ecosystem when the freshwater from rivers overtakes the saltwater from the sea. Pollution and algae will create hazardous health conditions, not to mention build up of traffic to and from the sea. Can the gates be enlarged? The materials changed out for better or more seaworthy materials? Like the Bay Bridge in California, the too-big-to-fail principle applies here. With so much money and time already spent, the only option is to move forward and make the design work.

These setbacks can be mitigated with stronger and more wide-ranging partnerships, particularly in the design, construction, and oversight.

Often, public and other interested parties get involved in the ideation phase but are pushed out during implementation as a way to control the flow of money and authority. Had architectural designers been Courtesy of MoSE barriers (Luigi Costantini/AP)

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involved with the installation of the gates for example, the materials used to create the hinges may have been reconsidered by a second set of eyes. It’s not surprising that in hindsight the vast unilateral misallocation of funds by Magistrato alle Acque, the agency that had oversight of the project and answered only to itself, belied a “pervasive corruption during the first ten years of the barriers’ construction, which caused the body that should have been monitoring the work and its costs, to approve everything uncritically” (Cocks, 2019).

The rising sea is only part of the picture.

The many thousands of wells (over 9,000) drilled into the underground aquifers have created a serious subsidence issue: the city sank 10cm between 1950 and the water retrieval height in 1970. A recent idea to pump water back into the ground, and thereby raise the city, is currently in the planning stages. The MoSE gates would have benefited from a well-rounded approach that involved urban planners and architectural designers. Success in Long Beach, California offers hope it will work in Venice.

Injection of water into underground aquifers About the time that Venice’s water retrieval was at its height in the 1950s, another city was already experiencing the consequences of this practice, long before Venice would. Long Beach, California became known as the sinking city after it sank almost 29 feet between 1941 and 1945. Oil and gas production had already created a large subsidence ball off the coast of Long Beach and the groundwater pumping only added to the actual sinkage of the land along the coast. By 1945, the area had sunk 4 feet and by 1951, the rate of subsidence had reached 2 feet per year.

Rail lines and wharves all experienced

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warping and shearing while streets and buildings became uneven and displaced.

Ninety-five oil wells were severely damaged by under-water sinkage. The removal of oil and water in and around the subsidence bowl caused the seafloor to become more compact (“Energy Resources,” n.d.).

In 1958, the California Subsidence Act was passed in Long Beach in a move to control the subsidence with water flooding– the injection of water back into the underground reservoirs. The city broke up the massive infrastructure projects by dividing it into four units, each controlled by a different stakeholder. Small islands, measuring 10-acres each, were built for this purpose, and by 1966 the subsidence had stopped. The islands, created and landscaped to enhance the California coastline, removed oil from the seabed as water was pushed back in, maintaining a level seafloor (Kemp, 2013).

If all of this sounds a lot like the recent and ongoing debate about fracking, it is.

Industrial development, both above and below the land, needs to be balanced with an intricate understanding of local ecology.

While oil is not being drilled in the Venetian Lagoon, there are other issues like traffic and tourism, that, as human problems, suggest human solutions. Lessons from Long Beach suggest that the injection of water back into the seabed aquifers could raise the city by 20 cm over 10 years, but technical problems are susceptible to engineering solutions. Attitudes are harder to shift (Kemp, 2013).

The injection of water into the seabed beneath the Venetian Lagoon could potentially offset the frequent need to operate the MoSE gates, expected to be necessary at least 35 times a year by 2100. According to a new study by Giuseppi Gambolati, a hydrologist at the University of Padua and Italy, “The injection project could reduce that number to 24” (Handwerk, 2012). A new 3-D map of the lagoon floor shows

that at about 1000m, the clay substrate would prevent the water flowing upward: “Water will diffuse laterally within the layer it is pumped into” (Gambolati, 2012). Civil engineer Ron Wong has overseen the injection of water into the ground beneath Calgary for over 20 years and has seen a 30cm lift. But, he says, “If the heave is not uniform, you can cause a lot of damage on the ground” (Handwerk, 2012). And the cost? A fraction of the nearly 8 billion dollars already spent on the MoSE Project. While the exact cost has not been calculated, Gambolati expects the overall cost to be 400 million euros and could be underway within a year of getting approved (Handwerk, 2012).

Architectural Design and Building Restoration Venice is particularly vulnerable to disruption in city services, and an urban design for the city needs to encompass a plan for, in particular, the sewage and waste. The way the sewage is handled now would be threatened by lower water levels in the lagoon because it relies on the twice-daily tides to flush it out to sea. Most buildings dispose of their sewage directly into the canals which are then cleansed by the tides.

When a canal is drained for repairs, the natural filtration of the tides is gone and the result is an unhealthy environment for the people that live there. “How these restorations are handled is central to the future of the city and its inhabitants,” says Wolfgang Wolters, in an essay for A Future for Venice? (Wolters, 2006).

The gatoli (large pipes) that take the sewage from the buildings to the canals are hundreds of years old and when they fail, they can threaten the structural integrity of the building. Here is another opportunity for collaboration and relationship building. Who better to ideate around this issue than architectural designers who know the ins and outs of medieval buildings, and can offer a modern solution? Insula, the city’s maintenance consortium, is responsible for the dredging of the canals of the sediment buildup caused by the sewage and waste. Many new restorations have added septic tanks that treat the waste before it is funneled out into the lagoon; others send it to Maestre on the mainland (ironically, one of the “greenest” cities in Europe).

Architectural designers should collaborate with civil engineers to help plan the next generation of Venetian gatoli: maybe they are buried beneath the lagoon, and the waste is used to lift the city. At first this may sound odd, but who’s to say whether it’s better to sit or swim in it.

New waste treatment centers scattered around the lagoon could centralize decontamination, and the material could be used to make many things: shoes, fertilizer, bags, paper, etc. Trying to put into place new infrastructure is virtually impossible without the critical eye of architectural design.

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Tourism is closely tied to every facet of life in Venice. Over 70,000 tourists visit the city center on peak season days, and many or most come by large boats. Like many European cities, the economy of Venice depends on tourism, but where does the city draw the line? One of the main causes of erosion to the buildings on the canals is the constant wakes that lap at the ground floors of the building from all the boat traffic. “Unique to Venice, though, is Moto Ondoso, otherwise known as wake pollution, which has the destructive potential to sink the city” (Balboa, 2007). With the water rising and the city sinking, the marble bases of many structures no longer provide protection to the bricks and mortar that stand above them. When the saltwater wakes soak the bricks, the mortar that holds them together disintegrates, eventually causing the perimeter walls to crumble. Then, the canal around it is drained so that brickwork can be replaced.

When the saltwater wakes soak the bricks, the mortar that holds them together disintegrates Nowhere would a close partnership with architectural designers be more desirable than here, because the damage to buildings from boat traffic involves the interplay of engineering, urban design, andarchitectural design. It is where all three problems come together that provide the perfect opportunity for collaboration. The engineers that control the flow of water into the lagoon must be aware when levels become too low for good sanitation, and an effective urban design has to be able to communicate in real time, as well as in planned infrastructure implementation.

Many have a “very realistic fear for the future of Venice” but the situation is not completely hopeless (Ortalli, 2006). Like most large and complex problems, the preservation of this unique city is not going to be an easy task, and relationships formed now between structural engineers and urban planners will become more valuable as time goes on. Technology and the ever increasing understanding of ecosystems and weather will play their part, but the human element, the partnerships and collaboration among the affected parties (including the public), these the bonds that will ultimately hold Venice together.

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REFERENCES Cocks, A. (2019). Solid Evidence that Veniceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mobile Flood Barriers Have Serious Conservation Faults. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/new-evidence-that-venice-s-mobileflood-barriers-have-serious-conservation-faults. Accessed 2-20-20 Energy Resources. (n.d.). Longbeach.gov. http://www.longbeach.gov/energyresources/ about-us/oil/subsidence/ Handwerk, B. (2012). Injections Could Lift Venice 12 Inches.

Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico ttps://www. nationalgeographic.com/news/travel- news/2012/01/120112-venice-flooding-travel-science.

Accessed 2-15-20 Johnson, S. (2011). Under Pressure: Raising Venice Above the Water. https://arstechnica. com/science/2011/12/un-der-pressure-venice-could-raise-city-above-water-using-water/ arstechnica.com Accesses 2-20-20 Kemp, J. (2013). Sinking Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lesson for Fracking. https://www.reuters.com/article/ column-kemp-oil-california/ column-sinking-citys-lessons-for-fracking-kemp-idUSL6N0BKD8P20130220. Accessed 2-18-20 Mencini, G. (2008). When Venice Floods. San Marco, Venetia: Lineadaqua.

Ortalli, G. (2006). A Future for Venice? Venice: Umberto Allemandi & C. Venetian Lagoon. (n.d.) Wikipedia. Accessed 3-13-20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Venetian_Lagoon.

Vitucci, A. (2019). MoSE Hinges are Corroding and Must Be Replaced. Campaign for a Living Venice. Accessed 2-20-20. https://campaign-foralivingvenice.org/2019/07/05/moses-hingesare-corroding-and-must-be-replaced-34-million-euro-bid-to-find-the-solution.

Weil, A. (2006). A History of Venice. New York, N.Y.: Barnes&Noble.

Wolters, W. (2006) A Future for Venice? Venice: Umberto Allemandi & C.

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FEATURE FEATURE | article | korsi title

KORSI

A study of furniture CENTERPIECES and human interaction

by Mina Kasirifar

I do not think I will ever forget the look on my grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face when he finally found what he was looking for in the basement. With a childish glow, he plugged in the strange device that had two huge red light bulbs, placed it under a small table, and called me over to join him and my grandma as they covered the table with a large blanket. I was instructed to tuck my feet under the blanket, and I remember watching curiously as the rest of the family gathered around the warm, cozy table.

In retrospect, there was no reason for us to use the Korsi that day.

Korsi, an ancient Iranian heating centerpiece that my grandpa kept in the basement, had been replaced for a long time by central heating.

However, the Korsi fought its way into our winter rituals year after year, playing its role in gathering my family during long cold nights.

The memories I have of sitting around the Korsi are sweet; my mom reading a book, grandma peeling oranges for everyone, grandpa trying to fix a broken remote control, papa reading the newspaper out loud, and me falling asleep while trying to do my homework amidst the coziness of the conversations. Although there were easier and more modern ways of warming the house, the Korsi offered us an intimate social experience which was the reason we used it for so long. While the Korsi has become nearly obsolete in recent years, perhaps there are reasons to investigate the cultural role it, and other furniture like it, can play in igniting social interactions.

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The rational approach to furniture design, the practical characteristics of the product, and the power of industrialization and mass production has given Western furniture an influential and dominant voice in the global market. While this effect has globalized and unified the perception of furniture, investigating the philosophies and approaches that Eastern cultures have to furniture design may inspire Western designers to create modern furniture that elevates and facilitates social experiences in a new way.

This article aims to investigate the history, characteristics, and benefits of two nearly abandoned furniture centerpieces: the Iranian Korsi, and the Japanese Kotatsu.

Both have never been popularly adopted

by Western countries, and are fairly unknown to new generations both inside and outside of their country of origin. The experience and cultural role of these products make unique case studies of how furniture can ignite social interactions and play an influential role in humanizing a living space.

The history The earliest traces of the Kotatsu in Japanese homes date back to the fourteenth century. The two functions that the Kotatsu served were cooking and heating. It was originally designed as a low-height cooking and eating surface, with a heating source underneath. You would cover it with a large blanket, and tuck your legs under the blanket while sitting at the table. Over time, the sitting portion was separated from the cooking hearth. The Kotatsu evolved into a lowheight table with a charcoal heat source underneath; this was especially helpful for heating drafty Japanese homes. Cushions usually were arranged surrounding the centerpiece at floor level, and the whole

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configuration would be located in the family’s eating area next to the kitchen (Buckley, 2002).

Similar to the Japanese Kotatsu, the Korsi is another heated table that has been used in Iran for centuries, as early as in the Qajar Dynasty (Bonine & Keddie, 1981). In his book, psychologist Abdol Reza Arasteh describes the use of Korsi in the mid-twentieth century in Iran as an important winter appliance. He says, “Because of the scarcity of fuel, houses are generally heated in the winter by a Korsi, a pan of charcoal placed under a low table and covered by a large quilt.

The family and their guests then recline against cushions, cover themselves with the quilt, and bring their feet near the table; the total scene appears as a series of spokes radiating out from the Korsi. When the weather becomes cold, Iranians often eat and sleep under the Korsi. At mealtimes, a tablecloth is spread on the carpet and a large tray of food placed on it” (Arasteh, 1970).

ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, AND ABANDONMENT The Korsi and Kotatsu have both evolved as byproducts of the social and psychological characteristics of their respective cultures, making them an inseparable part of the image that many Japanese and Iranians have of home. The vertical arrangement of interior elements, the cultural norm of not wearing shoes inside, and the habit of sitting on the ground are among the fundamental concepts that allowed the Korsi and Kotatsu to thrive in these countries.

But for the Korsi and Kotatsu to be inspirational to new designers around the world,

an evaluation of their qualities is necessary. There are many design opportunities that could emerge from studying the Korsi and Kotatsu, and this investigation should be viewed through the cultural ideas of personal space, reasons of abandonment, the benefits for the environment, and the user experience.

Personal Space and Privacy in Different Cultures The arrangement and size of the Korsi and Kotatsu require people to sit close to each other. While this can be perceived as a technical necessity of the design, it is common in both Iranian and Japanese culture to sit close to each other. This cultural norm is very different from the Western idea of personal space. This quality may negatively effect the adaption of this furniture in Western cultures, as Westerners require more personal space compared to Japanese and Iranian people. To better understand the effect of personal space on this product, the physical space between people, the characteristics of physical interactions between people, and the concept of privacy in the environment should be considered. “Personal space is the space surrounding a person [that] allows interactions with other people depending on the circumstances. The cultural factors, as well as the type of relationship you have with a person, are key points in the use of space” (Ofita, n.d.).

In addition to physical distance, proxemics (the study of how humans communicate through structuring microspace) also reveals how different cultures relate (Forston & Larson, 1968). While the limited space offered by the Korsi and Kotatsu can make people sit very close together, sitting underneath a blanket with other people is a whole different matter that needs to be addressed according to the culture of new user groups. Personal space, as it relates to both physical distance and human interaction, is a key element when studying the Korsi and Kotatsu, independent from considering their environments. Still, furniture is part of a building and is defined in relation to the functions of its more extensive system. To better understand the way a Korsi and Kotatsu fit in terms of personal space in Iranian and Japanese culture, they should also be studied in the context of Eastern architecture.

The cultural difference of designating rooms for personal activities of each resident, or having an open space that accommodates the whole family is different for Eastern and Western cultures. “In Western societies, the need for privacy may take the form of territoriality and/or the setting up of physical barricades against others, thus creating the sense of aloneness. In Eastern societies, however, the feeling of privacy may be reached even in a crowded room, as the individual simply retreats into him or herself. Neither the Arabs (a contact culture) nor the Japanese (a non-contact culture) have a word for privacy as [Westerners] understand it. In public situations, both groups demonstrate a tolerance for crowding, pushing, and close proximity which is uncomfortable to the American” (Dolphin, 1988).

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Abandonment Although the Korsi and Kotatsu have evolved to become safer and more user-friendly products, their market has shrunk dramatically in the past decades. The Kotatsu production, for instance, has tumbled to a tenth of its peak from 40 years ago. Some improvements have tried to revive the products, such as the introduction of electric lamps, electric blankets, and resistance heating surfaces as a substitute to charcoal. Inventions such as Daneshvar’s Modern Korsi make an easy-to-fold Korsi that’s ideal for storing during the warm season (Daneshvar, 2014).

While such modifications have resolved some issues, the nature of these upgrades has been mostly technical. Considering the experience and human aspects of these products has been largely ignored.

According to Wilhite, “The habit of bathing and going early to bed is changing, leading to a decreased use of the Kotatsu and the diffusion of other kinds of heaters, including electric carpets, heat pumps, kerosene heaters, and electric resistance heaters. The carpet is easy to move and to clean. It can be placed under the dining table where it functions like a Kotatsu, or it can be placed in the middle of the room, where children play, and adults relax or watch television. [Japanese homeowners] reported that they are gradually using the carpet more and the Kotatsu less” (Wilhite & Nakagami, 1996).

Environmental Benefits Apart from the cultural roots and lifestyle functions of the Korsi and Kotatsu, a significant difference in energy consumption and space heating habits can be indicated in comparison to Western countries. As Wilhite writes, “On a winter evening, Norwegians tend to heat rooms except for the bedroom. The entire house is made into a heated envelope, which allows the occupants to move freely from one room to another without experiencing discomfort. Space heat is provided by a combination of central heating (oil or electric), electric resistance heaters, or kerosene heaters” (Wilhite & Nakagami, 1996). This method requires warming up a significantly larger space with the possibility of higher energy waste. It also eliminates the chance for proper ventilation, imposing a unified temperature on all residents which ignores personal temperature preferences. The Kotatsu and Korsi, in contrast, focus on heating a small enclosed area with minimal waste of energy; this gives everyone the option to use it as desired (Daneshvar, 2014).

The Experience Even though people use these products less and less, some still keep them around. “Traditionally, people would have dinner around the Kotatsu; take a hot bath and then dash off to bed. Today, the Kotatsu is still a focal point [for some], used for meals for many families” (Wilhite & Nakagami, 1996). Maybe the most outstanding hallmark of the Korsi and Kotatsu is that it is a product that inspires pleasurable social interactions

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and personal moments that shape the experience of families. As written in the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture, “In homes where there is a Kotatsu, it still functions as a center of family life in the colder months. [It] is used for meals, homework or games, and is often in view of the television” (Buckley, 2002).

REVIVING THE KORSI & KOTATSU The Korsi and Kotatsu have a long history of bringing people together, and function like a central hearth in the home.

Fire as the Centerpiece of Human Gatherings Gathering around a source of heat is one of the most universal social experiences that can be traced back to early human history. As Wiessner wrote, “Much attention has been focused on control of fire and the capacity for cooking led to major anatomical and residential changes for early humans, starting more than a million years ago. However, little is known about what transpired when the day was extended by firelight.

Data from the Ju/’hoan Bushmen (hunter-gatherers of southern Africa) show major differences between day and night talk. Day talk centered on practicalities and sanctioning gossip; firelit activities centered on conversations that evoked the imagination, helped people remember and understand others in their external networks, healed rifts of the

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day, and conveyed information about cultural institutions that generate regularity of behavior and corresponding trust. Appetites for firelit settings for intimate conversations and for evening stories remain with us today” (Wiessner, 2014).

How Media Replaced Fire as a Centerpiece Although fire once played a vital role in keeping humans safe from predators and cold, this centerpiece gradually lost its importance and status as humankind became more prosperous. The luxury of having an enclosed living space and the possibility of heating the whole living area eliminated the necessity of having a fire for a centerpiece. Objects such as radios and televisions replaced fire as the central focal point in the home. In the past, fire defined the place where families would gather around, but during the mid-20th century, the central point of the living room changed to television (“Why Fireplaces Are,” 2020).

Personal Devices Eliminate the Use of a Physical Centerpiece In 2020, the family gathering around one television is perhaps an outdated concept, since many people no longer even have a TV, “they watch everything on their computers. Multi-purpose solutions on TV such as the internet and gaming made the whole experience more of

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an activity compared to the past. Now, it is more common for families to watch different things on different devices, rather than gathering together to watch the same thing as a group. Our relationship with the television has changed and left the central social gathering empty (“Why Fireplaces Are,” 2020).

Anne Massey writes in her book, A Companion to Contemporary Design Since 1945, that one of the most significant changes in the domestic interior since 1945 has been the opening up of the interior. She says, “The shift from small, separate (and easily heated) rooms to large, open-plan, kitchen-dining rooms, or even larger amalgams of kitchendining-sitting rooms, where we chat, play, watch television, read, listen to music, and cook. This open-plan living offers us a mode of being simultaneously together and separate within a single household. If the house of the 1950s conjured nuclear family gathered around a hearth, or a television set, or a radio, then today’s house is often pictured (in shelter magazines and IKEA catalogs) as a site where the household is scattered across sofas and floors, often engaged in individually distinct activities (one listens to music on headphones, another plays a video game, while another watches a film on a laptop)” (Massey, 2019).

In a 1989 Life Magazine article, the media critic William Henry III similarly observed that “television is now the hearth around which we meet, the cool fire of domestic evenings and the tribal gathering place for moments of ritual celebration or mourning. The television is a replacement of the hearth, a new positioning. The hearth does not disappear, as the 1940s critic had feared, but is rematerialized and renewed in the TV set. From the late 1940s, the TV hearth has also been represented as accommodating the community, since television was often portrayed as a quasi-theatrical experience in the home, with friends and neighbors invited in to view certain programs, perhaps championship boxing or the Texaco Star Theatre with Milton Berle. Cartoons showed the rearranged living room filled with household chairs or stacking viewers on a stairway in a simulation of the raked theatre floor. These drawings derive humor precisely from the conventions of the theatre or of arena sports now enacted in the home with friends and neighbors. Above all, this postwar era was declared in the catchphrase, ‘togetherness.’

The nuclear family, male and female, were to work for, aspire to, the American bonding and unity expressed as ‘togetherness,’ an idealized state fully compatible with the TV hearth” (Tichi, 1992).

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DESIGN MANIFESTO While we have advanced with tools, technologies, and more diverse and personalized options for heating and entertainment, the common centerpiece of our social gatherings is fading into individualized and self-revolving activities. The image of a family together, curious to learn the news from a transistor radio and talk about it, grandma reading a mythical story to her grandchildren in front of the fireplace, or everyone watching the only late-night show together on TV is only found in my memories. With privacy being on-demand and the physical necessity of gathering around a centerpiece being eliminated, no one is obliged to tolerate another person to get warm or democratically agree on a TV show. A symbolic approach to designing furniture that reinvents the Korsi and Kotatsuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values can bring people together again, interacting with each other while enjoying their personal activity.

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REFERENCES Anthony, A. (2020). A History of Television, the Technology that Seduced the World – and Me. Retrieved 3 March 2020, from https://www.theguardian. com/tv-and-radio/2013/sep/07/history-television-seduced-the-world Arasteh, A. (1970). Man and society in Iran. Leiden: Brill. P. 138 Bonine, M., & Keddie, N. (1981). Modern Iran. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Buckley, S. (2002). Encyclopedia of contemporary Japanese culture. London: Routledge. P. 267 Daneshvar, Y. (2014). MODERN KORSI AND METHODS. US 8,822,885 B2.

Dolphin, C. (1988). Beyond Hall: Variables in the Use of Personal Space in Intercultural Transactions. Howard Journal Of Communications, 1(1), 23-38. doi: 10.1080/10646178809359667 Forston, R., & Larson, C. (1968). The Dynamics of Space: An Experimental Study in Proxemic Behavior among Latin Americans and North Americans.

Journal Of Communication, 18(2), 109-116. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1968. tb00061.x Massey, A. (2019). A Companion to Contemporary Design Since 1945. Wiley Blackwell Companions to Art History. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Ofita. (n.d.). Personal Space in Different Cultures. What Do You Have to Do in a Multicultural Office? Retrieved 15 March 2020, from https://ofita.com/en/ blog-en/personal-space-in-different-cultures-what-do-you-have-to-do-in-amulticultural-office/ Tichi, C. (1992). Electronic Hearth: Creating an American Television Culture.

New York: Oxford University Press. p 46 Why Fireplaces Are Becoming the Focal Points of Living Rooms Again.

(2020). Retrieved 3 March 2020, from http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/ why-fireplaces-are-becoming-the-focal-points-of-living-rooms-again/ Wiessner, P. W. (2014). EEmbers of Society: Firelight Talk Among the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen. PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(39), 14027–14035. https://doi. org/10.1073/pnas.1404212111 Wilhite, H., Nakagami, H., Masuda, T., Yamaga, Y., & Haneda, H. (1996). A Cross-cultural Analysis of Household Energy Use Behaviour in Japan and Norway. Energy Policy, 24(9), 795-803. https://doi. org/10.1016/0301-4215(96)00061-4

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Courtesy of Bobby Doherty

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FEATURE | LSD

LSD;

A Gateway to Empathy?

by Anna Meyers

Empathy can be defined as feeling the same emotion as another observed individual without mixing it with one’s own direct experience.

Empathy is deeply related to social bonding and allows one to feel compelled to help another (Decety, 2010).

Studies have shown that design are greatly improved when empathy is at the core of the design process, creating a foundation for understanding complex issues experienced by the user (Mattelmäki & Battarbee, 2002). Empathy is key in user-centered design, a widely accepted practice in the design process, involving insight into the wants and needs of the end-user. Gaining, or acquiring empathy for the user can be a tricky process since none of us truly know what it is like to live someone else’s life. There are many different approaches to designing with empathy that are commonly recognized within the design world: direct contact, communication, and “stepping into the role” or “immersive” design (Mattelmäki & Battarbee, 2002). Here, we will be focusing more on the third category of techniques and their effectiveness. Specifically, I will consider the more controversial technique of immersive design which involves using psychedelic substances to establish empathy with end-users who suffer from mental illnesses like schizophrenia. In particular, we will discuss the architectural experiment of British psychiatrist/psychedelic researcher Humphry Osmond and Canadian architect Kiyoshi Izumi, who took LSD to more empathetically design the Yorktown Psychiatric Center for schizophrenic people. We will also go further into the discussion of present-day technological advances in their effectiveness/potential for immersive empathic design, particularly the use of Virtual Reality (VR).

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Empathy can be defined as feeling the same emotion as another individual Dr. Lanzoni notes that psychologists have redesigned empathy in a way that requires one to put aside their own feelings in order to better understand one another. By the end of World War II, this sort of thinking had entered into mainstream media, appearing in newspapers and on TV shows, even in civil rights public forums. As science evolves and doctors continue to better understand the human mind and the role empathy plays therein, it is still difficult for them to describe and fully comprehend.

Designing with empathy in mind, at the forefront of the design approach, is the basis of human-centered design. Without empathy, without trying to walk as closely as possible in someone else’s shoes, how can one properly and sensitively design for someone? As a designer, one should constantly be looking for ways to more closely see from the user’s perspective, which is exactly what Osmand and Izumi did.

Schizophrenia and Hallucinogens, are they connected?

Sixty years ago, before VR was invented or even thought possible, taking hallucinogens to better understand the experience of schizophrenic people was the most advanced technology available.

When Osmand and Izumi heard of LSD and their similarity to the accounts of

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schizophrenic people, they knew that by taking it they might more closely understand their perspective, obviously not to the full degree, but definitely more than they had before. Together the two would design and construct the Yorktown Psychiatric Center through the lens of the patients. In order to do this, they chose radical methods that included the use of psychedelic substances.

Hallucinogens, such as LSD, are “a diverse group of drugs that alter a person’s awareness of their surroundings as well as their own thoughts and feelings.”

LSD can cause hallucinations, auditory as well as visual, making the user confused, dissociated, and unsure of what is real.

The American Psychiatric Association defines Schizophrenia as a mental illness which “when active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation. It can be characterized by episodes in which the patient is unable to distinguish between real and unreal experiences” (“National Institute On,” n.d.). The alternative to the common belief that schizophrenic people have split personalities, or are dangerous in any way, is to consider them as normal people. Episodes and symptoms typically decrease over time, and most people that are treated are able to live normal lives.

Ashley Przywitowski from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, tells us how the two are linked in a more scientific way. In her article Hallucinogens

and Schizophrenia she writes, “Indoleamine hallucinogens (mescaline, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide [LSD], and psilocybin) bind to the 5-HT2A receptors and produce similar symptoms as those diagnosed with schizophrenia. In addition, antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are able to block the hallucinogenic effects of hallucinogenic drugs and further supports the idea that a connection exists between the two” (“National Institute On,” n.d.).

Case Study: Designing the Yorktown Psychiatric Center Confident in his assessment, Osmond encouraged others working in the mental health field to try LSD as a means of gaining empathetic insights into the schizophrenic’s world” (Dyck, 2010).

Under the supervision of Osmand, Izumi would take doses of LSD as he wandered through the halls of the Weyburn Institute, a mental hospital in Saskatchewan in the 1950s. Osmand would take notes on his behavior, ask him what frightened him or excited him, what he saw/heard, etc. “Izumi’s own experience matched descriptions from patients and provided insight into the ways that feelings and perceptions were communicated from patients to doctors. He combined his firsthand observations with LSD with anonymous patients’ descriptions of various institutional environments.

For example, Izumi’s experience confirmed a patient’s account of how a room ‘leaked’ and this related to perceiving your body become a very gelatinous and fluid form and ‘seeing’ yourself flow and ooze out through cracks and other openings that are distinct from the accepted openings such as doors and windows.” Further observations revealed the relationship between psychosocial behavior and stimuli such as colors, tile arrangements, mirrors, room designs, and hallways. Beige, for example, was a common color for institutional walls, but patients Courtesy of Arthur Allen

commented that it produced feelings of “immobilization” (Dyck, 2010).

After over a decade of research, the Yorktown Psychiatric Center was built in 1963. Many of the observations and experiences of Izumi and Osmand were taken into account in the design and construction of the center. For example, “Bedroom ceilings were clearly defined to avoid the appearance of indefinite extension into the next room; beds touched the wall to provide a sense of security, and they were lower than the standard hospital bed to allow patients to place their feet solidly on the floor. Armrests were extended so that hands could be seen when placed on them, chairs had higher backs for increased support and a sense of enclosure, and the color and feel of upholstery were selected for comfort.

The nurses’ station was designed and placed to avoid the look and feel of a police station or a control center. Overcrowding and overconcentration were avoided through attention to psychic boundaries instead of the number of square feet per person” (Freckelton, 2011). Although there was no funding to follow-up the responsiveness of the patients to this new design, Izumi says, “I cannot say as to what extent the design has contributed to the program in any definitive sort of way. In general, the comments by both staff and patients who have experienced other kinds of institutional environments, such as North Battleford and Weyburn, the older psychiatric hospitals in the province, are that Yorkton is much more comfortable and patients are much more relaxed” (Dyck 2010).

Osmond encouraged others working in the mental health field to try LSD Osmand and Izumi were in fact at the forefront of empathic design, especially when it came to the mentally ill, seeing as, “In effect, [mental institutions] served desires for efficiency over the goals of rehabilitation” (Dyck, 2010). “For centuries, the asylum was devoid of compassion. A potent and medieval mixture of fear, superstition, and misunderstandings.

Only during the nineteenth century did we begin to humanize the clinically insane, and thus begin a long (and in many ways still ongoing) prying open of the doors to compassion” (Anderson, 2013).

The science is there to make a connection, but what do those with schizophrenia really think about all of this? Although there are limited resources on this subject, I did find a quote of a patient from the book Psychedelics Encyclopedia. A recovered schizophrenic, Norma Mcdonald says, “One of the most encouraging things which have

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happened to me in recent years was the discovery that I could talk to normal people who had had the experience of taking mescaline or lysergic acid [LSD], and they would accept the things I told them about my adventures in mind without asking stupid questions or withdrawing into a safe, smug world of disbelief. Schizophrenia is a lonely illness and friends are of great importance. I have needed true friends to help me to believe in myself when I doubted my own mind, to encourage me with their praise, jolt me out of unrealistic ideas with their honesty and teach me by their example how to work and play.

The discovery of LSD-25 by those who work in the field of psychiatry has widened my circle of friendsâ&#x20AC;? (Stafford & Bigwood, 1983). This seems to indicate the value of these substances in mimicking the lived experience of at least some who suffer from schizophrenia.

Although there are limited resources on other reports of LSD being used as an insightful method for empathic design, I feel that from this case study we can conclude that it is a valid option, and certainly was instrumental in the design of the Yorktown Psychiatric Center, bettering the lives of its patients.

Psychedelics, VR, and the Future of Empathic Design Psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin (found in mushrooms), have been proven to increase creativity and empathy in users. Research shows that these substances have been a proven treatment for people with certain mental illnesses (Mason & Mischler, 2019). If these substances do in fact increase our creativity/empathy, could taking them possibly be a valid outlet to better design for users as a whole? If so, what would this look like? Most of us have heard how many people in Silicon Valley have used LSD in micro-dosing in order to boost their creativity, but do we understand how empathy plays a role in this? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Creativity and empathy are crucial for everyday interactions and cooperation, allowing us to

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adapt to an ever-changing environment, and motivating our prosocial behaviours” (Decety et al., 2016). Interestingly, they have been found to be positively related, and it has been suggested that creative, flexible thinking is a prerequisite for empathy” (Carlozzi et al., 1995; Eslinger, 1998). Could this be a new direction in empathic design?

On the other hand, with the recent advancements in Virtual Reality, we are able to see a new era of empathic design research emerging. When it comes to immersive design, VR has been growing in popularity as a technique to better understand the user and essentially “walk in their shoes”.

“Immersive VR: refers to tridimensional environments with immersive visual interfaces such as VR glasses or immersive projections, such as the CAVE system. Some of these technologies are more immersive than others. While VR headsets offer tridimensional images while eliminating any visual contact with the physical world, CAVE systems use a 360° field of mapped projections of a room, preserving the perspective of one’s own body. Video-generated environments—usually monoscopic cameras with a 360° field of view—have also been increasingly used in immersive VR especially in immersive journalism. Different from computer-generated environments, most of the content in this format limits users to a passive mode” (Bertrand & Guegan, 2018).

Empathy is an instrumental tool in understanding user-centred design, Osmand and Izumi took empathy to the extreme when they decided to take LSD and fully “immerse” themselves into someone else’s shoes.

As a designer, I look up to them because they did whatever means necessary to understand their user, these designers were truly devoted to their craft. There are many ways of incorporating empathy into your design process (not just taking LSD), but I think what we can take away from this case study is that there are tools available for us to better understand the user and we should constantly be seeking them out, testing them, and perfecting them. This is why I bring up VR and why I am so excited about it as a means of bringing empathic insight into the design process; it seems quite promising so far.

REFERENCES Anderson, B. (2013, July 15). How Kiyoshi Izumi Built the Psych Ward of the Future by Dropping Acid. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en_us/ article/ypp8ax/how-kiyoshi-izumi-built-the-psych-ward-of-the-future-bydropping-acid-5886b6e98308bb45d5e26ae6 Bertrand, P., & Guegan, J. (2018). Learning Empathy Through Virtual Reality: Multiple Strategies for Training Empathy-Related Abilities Using Body Ownership Illusions in Embodied Virtual Reality. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5. doi: 10.3389/frobt.2018.00026 Carlozzi, A. F., K. S. Bull, G. T. Eells, and J. D. Hurlburt. (1995). Empathy as Related to Creativity, Dogmatism, and Expressiveness. The Journal of Psychology. 129(4): 365–73.doi:10.1080/00223980.1995.9914974

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Chang, J. L. (2018, November 21). How One Year of Microdosing Helped My Career, Relationships, and Happiness. Retrieved from https://medium. com/better-humans/how-one-year-of-microdosing-helped-my-careerrelationships-and-happiness-715dbccdfae4 Decety, J., Bartal, I., Uzefovsky, F., Knafo-Noam, A. (2016, January 19).

Empathy as a Driver of Prosocial Behaviour: Highly Conserved Neurobehavioural Mechanisms Across Species. (371). 10.1098/rstb.2015.0077.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Donaldson, E. J. (2012). Psychomimesis: LSD and Disability Immersion Experiences of Schizophrenia. Disability Studies Quarterly, 33(1). doi: 10.18061/dsq.v33i1.3431 Dyck, E. (2010). Spaced-Out in Saskatchewan: Modernism, Anti-Psychiatry, and Deinstitutionalization, 1950-1968. Bulletin of the History of Medicine 84(4), 640-666. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/408206.

Edginton, B. (2010). Architecture as Therapy: A Case Study in the Phenomenology of Design. Journal of Design History, 23(1), 83–97. doi: 10.1093/jdh/ epp053 Eslinger, P. J.(1998). Neurological and Neuropsychological Bases of Empathy. European Neurology. 39(4): 193–99.doi:10.1159/000007933.

Freckelton, I. (2011). The Architecture of Madness: Insane Asylums in the United States, by Carla Yanni. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 18(1), 160–162. doi: 10.1080/13218719.2010.521484 Koskinen, I., Battarbee, K., & Mattelmäki Tuuli. (2003). Empathic design.

Finland: IT Press.

Mason, N. L., & Mischler, E. (2019). Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 51(2), 123–134. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1580804 National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Hallucinogens. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/hallucinogens Stafford, P., & Bigwood, J. (1983). Hallucinogens and Schizophrenia.

Psychedelics Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://fairmountbhs.com/ patients-families/resources/hallucinogens-and-schizophrenia/ Thomas, J., & Mcdonagh, D. (2013). Empathic Design: Research Strategies.

Australasian Medical Journal, 06(01). doi: 10.21767/amj.2013.1575

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THE EYES SEE THE HEART FEELS

by RenĂŠe Bacchini

I have always found creative inspiration in the world around me. Not only do I find it in objects, colors, and textures, but also in people and experiences. Museums, materials, and textures inspired me from a young age to create and experiment with macrame twine, leather, and wood. When I had children of my own, I built a crib and taught myself how to batik, enjoying the rich colors and textures I was able to create.

It felt natural to jump at a vocational education opportunity in high school to go to cosmetology school. I spent half of my days in cosmetology school, starting in my

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junior year of high school. I have a strong ability to visualize in my mind and interpret those visions through my hands. I was a natural starting from my first haircut. Hair represented another texture and material, with many different variants. I could also change the texture using permanent waving or hair straightening. Learning and understanding color theory was a pure inspirational joy for me, and yet another tool for me to use.

Hair is a combination of art, design, and science, and I called myself a hair designer instead of a stylist for many years. My inspiration began by standing behind my clients and feeling their hair. I could learn so much by its weight and texture. I could feel if it was damaged, or too healthy to really behave, which can be a problem while designing a hairstyle. After listening thoroughly to the client to get an idea of what they wanted and needed, I would take a moment to ask them more in-depth questions about what they expected for their hair. For example, I’d ask, “What would you like others to think about you, the moment you walk into a room?” Other questions usually involved me asking them if they wanted a sporty, professional, or wild look. Some of my male clients wanted their hair to look business conservative on workdays, but to be able to do something different on the weekend. During this process, ideas would just start popping into my head. I would check in with the client and then execute the idea. I had a successful business for 16 years, so I imagine that my customers were pleased. I would often peruse fashion magazines for inspiration. Not that I would do those exact haircuts, but they would flow together and go into the computer database that is my brain, and I could create something beautiful.

Much of what I am learning here at San Francisco State University allows me to use those same kinds of inspirations for my assignments.

I am in the right place, pursuing this education. I continue to have the world around me to inspire me. For that, I am truly grateful and happy to be here!

As a designer and creative, many things can provide inspiration: the texture of people’s hair, their needs, their desires, or interesting pictures in a magazine. For me, the world continues to provide endless inspiration in the most unlikely places. I am most inspired when I tell myself, “Open your eyes and look around as if you are seeing the world for the first time.”

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ISN’T SHE LOVELY

by Denise Oyama

Mother Nature, with her extensive variety and adaptability, provides a nearly limitless source of inspiration. With roughly 8.7 million species on the planet, and an astonishing age of approximately 4.54 billion years old, Earth is a wonder (“How Many Species,” 2011). The extreme weather climates that create blisteringly hot deserts and piercingly cold land masses have me in awe. These traits inspire me, and I think of movement, healing, action, and creation (Braterman, 2013).

I was blessed to be born in coastal California, one of the most beautiful places in the United States. This area is temperate, has breathtaking views, and a wildlife list that draws scientists from around the world. One of my earliest memories from childhood was when my grandfather took my sister and me out for a short hike. It began to rain, but instead of running for shelter, we stayed out on the trail. The soil had become so

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saturated that we were slipping and sliding, getting joyfully covered from head to toe in mud. It was then that I discovered the impact the outdoors had on me; I was covered in mud, but full of joy.

Now living in the Bay Area, I have access to a wide range of outdoor settings. Although San Francisco is a busy, urban hub, it is surrounded by beautiful, tranquil scenery that people travel all over the world to visit.

Some examples are the Marin Headlands, Yosemite, Tahoe National Forests, breathtaking coastlines, and beaches.

I enjoy hiking in nature and exploring the vast number of plants, animals, and other elements. Even within the city, Golden Gate Park is home to 1,200 species of native plants (Native Plants, 2018). On a day-hike outside of San Francisco, one may come across a rock that’s as smooth as glass, another that’s rough and hard, or maybe a massive granite boulder with beautiful striations of color. The beauty of nature is vast and every trip is an adventure to discover something new.

Whether a casual stroll along a beach or a grueling 10+ mile hike through the wilderness, I feel a sense of energy, joy, inspiration, and happiness that can’t be matched with any other activity. Every smell and taste of the ocean, the most gorgeous sunsets, the sounds of birds, and the cool waters in streams and lakes awakes all my senses.

The images, scents, textures, sounds, and feelings burn an impression on my memory that later resurfaces in what I create with my hands.

Whether it’s mimicking a color, emotion, or texture, nature has a way of inspiring me more than any person, place, or thing.

References Braterman, P. S. (2013, October 20). How Science Figured Out the Age of Earth.

Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ how-science-figured-out-the-age-of-the-earth/ How Many Species on Earth? About 8.7 million, New Estimate Says. (2011, August 24). Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2011/08/110823180459.htm Native Plants. (2018, December 20). Retrieved March 5, 2020, from https://www. parksconservancy.org/conservation/native-plants

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by Ting-Fang Cheng

Imagine walking along the beach and feeling the sea breeze. The sun is going down slowly, filling the sky with a pale tint of an orange/pink to purple/blue gradient. This is the right time to praise the beauty of nature.

I’m inspired by the color gradients found in nature. The variable rich colors in the sky at sunset are among my favorites. The blue sky darkens as the night appears, and the glowing sun illuminates the ocean waves, adding a touch of warmth to the sky. The variable colors of nature are never contradictory.

As a design student, I know colors always play an important role in my designs. Georges Braque, a 20th-century French painter, believed, “Color could give rise to sensations which would interfere with our conception of space.” Yes, color is one of the keys to a soul. When I start considering the colors of a design, whether for product design or interior design, my first step is to imagine a natural palette that expresses the task and the right sensation. With this image in mind, it is much easier to use colors as a language. I try to recreate the colors of my imagination using computer software in order to create a palette that expresses the feelings I’m trying to communicate in my design.

A good example of this is NAU, a new Australian furniture brand created by premium furniture designer Richard Munao. He says, “Our influences are unique from the rest of the world, and we have no design ancestry with which to adhere. We utilize and embrace our extreme natural landscapes and unique materials, from closed canopy forests to dense dry bush and

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COLORS OF NATURE

open rolling plains” (NAU, 2016). If you take an in-depth look at their design and branding, you’ll see that they are influenced by Australia’s unique and diverse landscape photography. By using the compelling photos of Brooke Holman for their inspiration, their work has a unique story to tell. They do this by utilizing a warm and complementary color palette.

Natural colors have been one of my greatest inspirations when studying design. One of my favorite design professors in Taiwan, Marvin Cheng, taught us to always imagine not only the form but also the colors before executing a design. This relates to an old Chinese saying: 一「眼」以蔽之, which means close your eyes to imagine, everything will appear in your mind; that’s what you really want to present. French painter Pierre Bonnard said, “Color does not add a pleasant quality to design, it reinforces it” (“Biography of Pierre Bonnard,” n.d.). I connect my imagination with my design, including the use of varied color palettes that nature presents.

REFERENCES Biography of Pierre Bonnard. (n.d.). The Art Story. Retrieved from https://www. theartstory.org/artist/bonnard-pierre/life-and-legacy/ NAU. (2016). Our Story. Retrieved from https://naudesign.com/pages/our-story

Courtesy of Richard Baird

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Art, Architecture & Their Elements

by Priya Thaker

As a visual designer, I love to create strong contrast in my designs. A major design inspiration for me is Gothic art, literature, and architecture.

Gothic architecture is characterized by five key elements: large (often stained-glass) windows, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and ornate decorations (Richman, 2017). As a designer, I have had the opportunity to observe these elements directly. For example, looking at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, I first observed the construction features like elongated arches, tall ceilings, clustered columns, sharpness, detailing, elegance, and so on. Gothic art includes strong and dramatic colors, like black, red, gold, and silver. I often use these colors in my designs, using black to make something more bold, gold to portray greed, and red to mimic blood.

Along with Gothic architecture, Gothic literature plays an important role in my design process. There are many elements of Gothic literature that are interesting to me, including mystery and suspense, atmosphere and setting, omens, curses, and villains (Elliott, 2016). The comics I make are undoubtedly influenced by Gothic literature, where villains are more powerful than heros. I recall a design project where I attempted to mix Gothic elements and mythological elements, and although it was an unusual approach, the outcome was successful. In my perspective, the villain is an important part of the story, because without a villain, the hero has no motive to do good.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also inspired by music and movies. The intense, dark melodies of Peter Gundry, and movies by Guillermo Del Toro GĂłmez, are some of my favorite inspirations. In the film Crimson Peak, GĂłmez creates a unique Gothic world, which I often find myself exploring.

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GOTHIC GLORY

My design inspirations have been strong pillars for my design process, and it has helped me stand out from other designers. In addition to Gothic art, literature, and architecture, I can find inspiration in just about anything (nature, history, alien civilizationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you name it).

No matter what your inspiration might be, I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to believe in your inspirations, and be fearless in using them. For me, Gothic is elegant, and it inspires me to make my artwork more bold, detailed, and graceful.

REFERENCES Elliott, J. (2016, May 12). Review of Gothic in Comics and Graphic Novels.

Retrieved from http://imagetext.english.ufl.edu/archives/v8_3/elliott/ Richman, K. (2017, November 14). Gothic Architecture Characteristics That Define the Gothic Style. Retrieved from https://mymodernmet.com/ gothic-architecture-characteristics/2

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postcard | balmy alley Courtesy of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art

SOMETHING TO SAY

by Mena Kamel

Graphic designer Otl Aicher famously said, “Good art inspires; good design motivates.”

Coming to design after studying both visual art and creative writing, this delineation is intriguing, but how accurate is it? Does good design not also inspire? Does it only motivate? How much do these semantics provide context for the function of art and design? Why are art and design juxtaposed far more frequently than design and writing? As a first-year graduate student, I’ve been shuffling through these questions and frameworks to clarify for myself how these (seemingly) disparate histories and subjects influence my design practice.

The more I learn, the more I see how arbitrary these separations are, but what has been most surprising is how much designers really care about them. Artists, of course, have their own perspective of what is and what isn’t considered art. I remember an art professor once told me that dance is not art because it has a beginning and an

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end; tell that to Yvonne Rainer, Merce Cunningham or any of the 1960s Minimalists. Some say there’s no difference between art and design, some say the only difference is that design is produced for a client. I’ve also heard that art is emotional, design solves problems; art is subjective, design is clear communication; art proposes questions and design is reactive. Yet when I look at design work that inspires me today, I am reminded that art, design, and writing are not so separate; they have been intersecting and informing each other throughout history. From political movements to museum walls, and ancient drawings to literature, the creative outputs of designers, artists, and writers have been the same: to communicate ideas.

If you look at what was happening in art and writing during the Civil Rights Movement, for example, will you not see the same motivations for producing critical work in design history? Designs in the 1960s harnessed the same elements that much of the art and literature of the time did. Visual poetry, conceptual art, and graphic design that have critical messaging are filled with a sense of urgency and effective communication. According to Jerome Harris, the sense of urgency that is latent in designs like The Black Panthers posters, feminist t-shirts, and queer works from ACT UP were made using direct and clear design principles. “These [designs] just had to get the word out. That energy can feed back into the culture of design, especially when you have something to say, not something to sell” (Harris, 2019). Jennifer Sterling, Ocean Vuong, and Jenny Holzer are just a few examples of designers/writers/artists who blur the lines of genres, creative mediums, and modes of consumption.

Radical graphic designer Tibor Kalman describes design as a language, and what you do with that language is what matters (Kalman, 1999). As a young designer who has always felt pressure to choose just one creative medium, it’s inspiring to see these lines (among design, art, & writing) crossed and combined. Design’s capacity to harness various modes of expression, such as typography, language, and images, is energizing.

Design is inherently interdisciplinary and I’m most inspired by works that are accessible, relevant, and act to expand design as a multimodal form of communication.

REFERENCES Harris, J. (2019, November 11). Against, But in the Spirit of, Modernist Graphic Design. Youtube.com, uploaded by Core77. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=E4ygiodaY40. Accessed 16 Mar. 2020. Lecture.

Kalman, T. (1999, September 6). Tibor Kalman Biography. AIGA. Interview.

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We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard

by Chalermpol Jittagasem

It was my third visit to New York City, and I planned to explore and find some inspiration for my projects in the upcoming semester. The Museum of Modern Art was the perfect place to do this. After wandering around the museum for some time, I was attracted to a series of nine prints by one of my all-time favorite artists—Barbara Kruger.

Barbara Kruger is a conceptual artist, born in Newark, New Jersey in 1945. She studied at Parsons and started working as a graphic designer at Condé Nast Publications. She has proved to the art world that graphic design can be used as an essential tool for any artist to express their feelings, emotions, or beliefs. Her body of work specifically focuses on feminist/theoretical discussions of sexuality, representation, ideology, and subjectivity.

There are two main components to her work: images and texts. Most of the images are collected from many different magazines, though occasionally she uses her own images. The images typically portray a human body (or part of the human body), such as a hand, face, or eyes. Using human elements in her work allows the spectator to quickly connect with them. She frequently crops or enlarges black and white photographs, using black, white, and red text over them to evoke different emotions or to divert a viewer’s attention.

The texts that are seen in her work are very powerful, and they act as direct messages to the viewer. She often uses the pronouns you, I, we, and they. These pronouns encourage female spectatorship; it is the device that makes the meaning of her work explicit and clear (Kamimura, 1987).

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BARBARA KRUGER

The most fascinating part of her work for me is her choice of the Futura typeface, which is crisp, clean, and modern. Futura was designed in 1927

by Paul Renner, a German type designer, and features simple geometric forms which include triangles, squares, and near-circles. According to Monica Chang, Futura is a versatile, sans-serif typeface with strong readability. It evokes a sense of elegance, modernity, and forwardness (Chang, 2017).

After spending time scrutinizing nine art pieces of the We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard series, I was captivated, more than I have ever experienced while viewing her previous work. Displayed horizontally, she paired images of “offensive” gestures with an old English proverb that expressed the idea of how young women should behave. This collection also included uncommon colors, such as mint green, yellow, pastel pink, and blue; I interpreted her work very differently because of these colors.

The message was strong, but the colors of the artwork toned down the aggressiveness that I typically find in her work.

Museums and wandering provide endless inspiration for me as a designer, because I learn tremendously from the masters, and I can combine what I learn with my own aesthetics to create a unique and strong work of my own.

REFERENCES Kamimura, M. (1987). Barbara Kruger: Art of Representation. Woman’s Art Journal, 8(1), 40-43. doi:10.2307/1358339 Chang, M. (2017, February 7). Futura Typeface Research.

Retrieved from Medium website:https://medium.com/ communication-design-fundamentals-spring-2017/ futura-typeface-research-1387526a81bd

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PARAMETRIC DESIGN A Trace of Nature in Architecture

by Mina Kasirifar

Have you ever been stunned by the beauty of something, before you just have to take a deep breath to soak it all in? As far back as I can remember, I have always been obsessed with forms and details that are visually appealing in some way. Looking at a dry tree branch or a piece of furniture is all that I need to be entertained. Each time I open a pomegranate, the arrangement of seeds surprises me. But considering all varieties of form, architecture excites me the most. I could almost drown in the beauty of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque entrance; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in envy of the creative mind behind this masterpiece.

Over the years, I have realized these satisfying forms have something in common: parametric design. Parametric design results from the application of algorithms to the creation of patterns and forms evident in nature. These forms exist in spiral patterns of a nautilus shell, sunflower seeds, or pine fruit. While nature has evolved

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parametric forms over time, designers can also implement similar forms using computer models.

Thanks to computer technology, now designers and architects have the tools to analyze and simulate the complexity of fractal geometry or, in other words, the innate mathematics behind nature. They can then apply it to forms, patterns, and structural building shapes. Searching in nature to discover forms and ideas is one of the most authentic sources for inspiration.

Traditional Iranian architecture had benefited from this concept way before the era of computers, as designers attempted to unite the art with spiritual purposes. The astonishing patterns of domes borrowed from fractal geometry are one example. Besides the aesthetic approach, the adaptation of parametric design helped the creators to illustrate the unity of diverse spiritual paths.

Based on algorithms and parameters, complicated surfaces can be modified by changing variables, whereas some early designers, like Antonio Gaudi, figured these changes out by using paper and models (Blaney et al., 2019). With the advent of computers, these variables can be changed quite easily. In addition, more parameters are considered in designs now, such as climate, functional needs, and usability; programming these specifications as design variables is easier to do with computers. Parametric design makes complicated forms possible and maximizes efficiency, while minimizing the number of working hours.

The parametric perspective equips designers with many opportunities, such as the freedom of ideating, thinking out of the box, combining form and function, eliminating designing over and over from scratch, increasing the design process speed, and the quality of the outcome.

It also allows for the creation of novel, organic forms that relate to natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design.

REFERENCES Blaney, A., Alexander, J., Dunn, N., & Richards, D. (2019). Designing Parametric Matter.

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inspiration from the streets of san francisco

by Samantha Sias

Balmy Alley is an ever-evolving artistic expression. The narrow blocklong street, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, is home to the city’s highest concentration of hand-painted murals (“Balmy Alley,” n.d.). Best explored on foot, the alley is a destination for street art enthusiasts. But perhaps even more inspiring than the elaborate hand-work of the murals, the artworks weave rich political and cultural commentary together.

Balmy Alley was first adorned with murals in 1972 when Patricia Rodriguez and Graciela Carillo, a two-woman team known as the Mujeres Muralistas, used the alley’s blank walls as canvases for their work (Fera, 2016). The murals centered around Central American culture, sharing stories of immigration, mythology, displacement, and marginalization.

Almost a decade later, a second wave of murals was added to the alley as a coordinated art project, led by local artist Ray Patlan and a group of mural activists (Fera, 2016). Together, they negotiated with local property owners to cover more of the alley’s fences and garages with artwork. Inspired by the early murals, new works focus on two primary themes: celebrating Central American culture and protesting the United States’ intervention in Central American affairs. By 1985, 27 murals covered the alleyway walls (“Balmy Alley Murals,” n.d.).

Today, the alley is an elaborate, evolving tapestry of artistic expression; new murals are added and older works are restored. Since its establishment, Balmy Alley has inspired the creation of other mural projects,

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BALMY ALLEY

such as Clarion Alley on a neighboring street in the Mission District (Bishari, 2018). What differentiates Balmy Alley from others like it is the intention of the work. While, over time, the style and subject matter of Balmy pieces have shifted, the themes of the work have stayed true to their roots; the undertones of cultural and social commentary that were established in the 1970s are ever-present (Bishari, 2018).

As a viewer, standing next to each mural is awe-inspiring. Not only are these intricate works created at such large scales, but more impressive than each individual piece is their collective effect. Balmy Alley represents an artful, powerful, and communally-produced timeline of social and cultural commentary that spans many decades.

REFERENCES Balmy Alley. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2020, from http://balmyalley.org/ Balmy Alley Murals. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2020, from https://www. atlasobscura.com/places/balmy-alley-murals-skb Bishari, N. S. (2018, July 5). Behind Clarion Alley Hides The Lesser-Known Balmy Alley. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from https://www.sfweekly.com/ topstories/behind-clarion-alley-hides-the-lesser-known-balmy-alley/ Fera, N. (2016, April 17). Balmy Alley: Explore the Largest Collection of Murals in the City. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from https://localemagazine. com/balmy-alley-sf/

Courtesy of Jesse Varner

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DESIGN IS MY LANGUAGE

by Maryam Liaghatjoo

After suffering from sanctions for many years, Iran has turned to the slogan, “Turn a threat into an opportunity,” as a way to adjust the country’s vision and national outlook.

Day after day, infinite problems are thrown against Iran by major powers around the world, which dampens Iran’s economic expansion, infrastructure, and progress in general. This slogan orients the country toward patience and opportunism, which are necessary for survival, but don’t allow for much thriving.

In a similar way, we might apply this slogan to the situation that women face in Iran.

There are significant threats and barriers that stop Iranian women from growing, evolving, and progressing. “Turn a threat into an opportunity” has become an inspiration for me, not only because of my national identity, but because it reminds me to develop my character, despite all the suppression I suffered as an Iranian woman.

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Imagine a young girl that wants to express her ideas, beliefs, and opinions, but they conflict with the mainstream beliefs advertised through every single media channel. She will be silenced and suppressed, yet her response to this suppression could be to become a silent characterless girl, adopting any ideology fed to her. For me, the alternative approach was to take the “turn a threat into an opportunity” idea and direct it toward achieving my goals. My personal goal is to express my thoughts through different languages, mediums, and forms in creative ways. Studying design has created a way for me to develop a voice behind my silent smile; the voice of a young girl, revived from social suppression feels ready to express her intellect.

Visual language is a powerful medium for expressing one’s thoughts broadly, deeply, and effectively. Studying design empowers women with a rich and universal visual language to talk to the world beyond the borders, colors, genders, and races that they might be surrounded by.

It is a weapon that a young woman such as myself may need to form an identity based on her own philosophies; something that is impossible to do without conflict in Iran.

As a designer with a creative voice, I have been given the opportunity to study in the U.S., where “freedom of speech” is the common saying, rather than “turn a threat into an opportunity.” Indeed, unlimited opportunities are available to me and many other citizens of the world who have been suppressed in their home countries.

Design is a powerful weapon, and it can be used to fight with fairness, equality, and without bias. While developing effective visual campaigns, product designs, and other projects, I am excited to collaborate with other designers who share my world view. I want to help in actualizing a world without harmful political and social borders. I am proud of turning the threat of censorship into an opportunity for developing a voice for myself and for the women in my home country.

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TANGLED IN HISTORY A Reflection on Celtic knots

by Audrey Graves

On the floor of St. Colmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral in Cobh, Ireland, a green line threads along the floor. It weaves over and under itself, twisting back and forth to create loose knots.

During my visit to Ireland, I found myself following this green thread, much like a maze or a peace walk. Ironically, following this convoluted knot made me feel at peace. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to worry about the tangles or how many lines created the knot, I simply had to follow my thread as far as I could.

Much like the design itself, the history of Celtic knots remains a mystery. Many historians think Egypt and the Coptic monks, or the Byzantine Empire, were where many of the first interwoven designs originated in the early fourth century (Liphart, 2014).

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Some claim these designs have roots in early Druid and Pagan art. Few sources, however, can give a definitive answer on the true origin of these fascinating designs.

Celtic knots are geometric designs, using a grid to create symmetrical twisting designs. The most significant and notable example of Celtic knotwork is in the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the fifth century containing the four gospels in the New Testament. Many of these knots depicted animals with bodies and tails, twisting upon themselves.

What fascinates me most about Celtic knot designs is how intrinsically human they are. These forms have been observed in so many cultures and spiritual practices, many of which remain buried in human history.

These knots have been used in Pagan and Christian contexts; while often associated with the European Celts, it’s possible that Celtic knots may have been inspired by designs in Rome and Egypt. In other words, these knots have wrapped themselves in multiple peoples and cultures.

When considering this, I can’t help but consider each line as a thread of humanity, tangling and dancing with itself. It may cross paths with other threads or even create a never-ending trinity knot.

I’ve never been one to create minimalist or simple designs. When I start a new project, I see collages or spatters of colors. The design process is never neat and often I make beauty out of the chaos that started it. I think this is very similar to humanity and the Celtic knot. We can’t see the future, and we can rarely ever plan it. The lives of other people constantly influence and confuse us. As our lines clash violently with one another, we can get tangled. Life may be one big mess, but when I see the Celtic knot, I don’t see a mess. I see the geometric tapestry of green lines that decorate St. Colman’s Cathedral. Whatever its purpose, whatever its origin, I believe the Celtic knot represents humanity and ties us together.

REFERENCES Liphart, J. (2014, May 22). Celtic Knot Designs: History, Meaning and Uses.

Udemy Blog. Retrieved from www.udemy.com/blog/celtic-knot-designs/.

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postcard | balmy alley

GEOMETRIC DESIGN in Islamic Art

by Michael Haritos

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m inspired by the geometric patterns in Islamic art and design because they are soothing and exhilarating at the same time. I always feel transported by these repetitive shapes and designs. I go to a serene and meditative place, while at the same time, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m dazzled by the intricacy and sublime beauty of shape and symmetry.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been attracted to things with repetitive shapes and designs, like backgammon and Venetian blinds. They seemed to convey a sense of order and unity in a world that felt chaotic. In games like backgammon or checkers, the design created a system of moving one (or close to one) space at a time, which somehow felt more manageable than having unlimited choices. The blinds on windows gave unity to the house, as they were a constant from room to room. They too portrayed control, as they filtered how much light and heat passed into each room, and dictated how much you could see of the outside. These childhood musings grew into a more refined

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postcard | Geometric design appreciation for geometry and geometric patterns in design as I learned about the meaning of sacred and meditative art.

The unity brought by repetitive forms can often symbolize the infinite and the eternal, unsullied by the figurative and the iconic. A sense that underlying the endless thoughts and perceptions of the world around us is an unchanging blueprint, a safe screen upon which the panoply of life can play out, is a great relief to many, including myself. With the rise of Islam in the 8th century, ancient Greek, Roman, and Persian patterns were repurposed to express the infinite glory of God, without any figurative images (“Geometric Patterns,” 2001).

When I was in Uzbekistan in 2015, I visited many mosques and tombs that were covered with decorative geometric patterns. Almost all were on blue and gold tilework, sometimes soaring high above the ground in an almost heavenly bubble. The most spectacular example of the shapes and patterns was Timur’s tomb in Samarkand. Gur-e-Amir was completed in 1404, and is the burial site of the medieval conqueror whose empire stretched from northern Mongolia to Iran, encompassing all the leading design and science of the day. Under Timur, new maps of the universe were drawn and spectacular designs decorated the buildings of this era, second only to Iran in their splendor and detail.

The designs work particularly well in the hot climates of desert and tropics, because they can be combined in varying patterns on windows and sliding doors, called jalis, to control the amount of light and heat in a room while still letting the air pass through. There is something mesmerizing about a jali and the mystery of what might be behind the intricate design, through which only air and filtered indirect light pass.

It is like a piece of engineering, architecture, and design all rolled into one. From the inside, against the light, one sees only the illuminated shapes and pieces of the eternal within a temporal setting. Perhaps this is a link to something divine, and all the inspiration thereof.

This type of design can be understood by all; you don’t need to know history or philosophy to appreciate the beauty of a geometric pattern.

The meditative state inspired by these patterns is exhilarating and easily accessible for all those who have the opportunity to experience them.

REFERENCES Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art. (2001, October). Retrieved from http:// www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/geom/hd_geom.htm

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by Anna Meyers

Ever since I started working with wood about five years ago, I have been fascinated by joinery: its intricacies, precision, beauty, and strength. My fascination with woodworking started at my auntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set design fabrication shop in New York. I remember cleaning up the shop and doing odd painting jobs. Once my friend Christopher, a master boat maker, took me under his wing, I began to learn basic woodworking techniques.

As I got more interested in furniture making, I was taught how to do simple joinery techniques. I fell in love with the dovetail joint, which is considered by many to be the strongest way to join two pieces of wood together. This is done with a series of pins and tails. This particular joint originated in Ancient Egypt (Lucas & Harris, 1989).

Soon thereafter, I learned Japanese joinery, also known as Tsugite. I became even more obsessed, especially with the complexity of joints and the dedication to how well the joints fit together; they had to be perfect. How these joints are constructed has always inspired me.

Tsugite means that a woodworker uses no adhesives or fasteners; the structures are strictly held together by friction. This makes these joints strong and durable. For example, the Kiyomizu-dera, the Buddhist Temple in Kyoto built in 778 CE, was constructed using traditional Japanese joinery methods, and is still standing today (Cartwright, n.d.).

Tsugite also inspires me because of its dedication to work with nature, instead of against it. It is centered around the belief that all trees have spirits, called Kodoma, which must be treated with love and respect (Kodama, 2013). They even believed that if you treat trees well, they will grow stronger and faster, producing a higher grade of lumber

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postcard postcard| japanese | balmy alley joinery

JAPANESE JOINERY

(Seike, 1977). Hisao Hanafusa, a New York based traditional Japanese woodworker, says, “Japanese carpentry isn’t about using nature to work for you when making products, but instead working with nature to accomplish your goal” (Says, 2015).

Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite Japanese joints: Image A: Kawai-tsugite, a joinery design that can produce three different orientations, depending on how you assemble it.

Image B: Watari-ago-niju-hozo-shikuchi joint, which can stack two horizontal pieces onto a vertical column.

Image C: Osaka Castle-Otemon Gate’s pillar splice joint. I love how beautiful and asymmetrical/inverted this joint is.

Japanese joinery has always been a big inspiration for me as a carpenter and designer. More than just the beauty and strength of the joints, I value the lessons it teaches. I want to be as dedicated as Japanese woodworkers are to their craft, striving for perfection and doing so in a way that is harmonious with nature.

REFERENCES Cartwright, M. (n.d.). Kiyomizu-dera. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/ Kiyomizu-dera/ Kodama. (2013, July 25). The Tree Spirit. Retrieved from https://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/08/05/kodama-the-tree-spirit/ Lucas, A., & Harris, J. R. (1989). Ancient egyptian materials and industries.

London: Histories & Mysteries of Man. Says, G. (2015, January 11). Japanese Woodwork: A Tradition Hundreds of Years Old, but Still as Cool as Ever. Video. Retrieved from https:// soranews24.com/2015/01/11/japanese-woodwork-a-traditional-hundreds-ofyears-old-but-still-as-cool-as-ever-video/ Seike, K. (1977). The Art Of Japanese Joinery. NEW YORK (U.A.): WEATHERHILL/TANKOSHA.

Courtesy of Grab Bag Cad; The Joinery; Torashichi Sumiyoshi and Gengo Matsui a

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