So for the time being, I will ask you to close your eyes say the word “energy.” I don’t know what you see, but I can imagine that it is dynamic and interactive, and may include a bit of movement and light. Now the difficult part would be the next step, and that is translating that vision onto paper. At present that is the task at hand, and though I know we have the people in place to pull it off, the whole process seems a bit like trying to remember a dream as it drifts out of your mind.

Current is fast becoming a big part of my life, and I am excited that we are able to capture a fraction of the energy that is going into the journal here in this form, and that collectively we can all bring it to life. So stay tuned. Pictures. Next week. Pinky swear.

-Bree Galbraith

- John, Viscount Morley of Blackburn 1874

Come to think of it, the relationship we have with the journal runs fairly close to the kind of relationship you could expect to have with any two-year-old, and as I dust off the covers of the books on what to expect during the first few years of your child’s life, I am both amazed, and proud, of our little ones development.

Like any parent, I am watching eagerly as a transformation takes place from infancy to independence as Current grows and tests her limits, trying new experiences and developing an identity that will help to define her path in future years. As the mom of two young boys, I remember the “terrible-twos” and cringe at the thought that our own brainchild will show the kind of defiance that I saw in my kids. But I understand now, that the process was bitersweet – and completely necessary for growth – you learn to take the bad with the good, and gain confidence in yourself as a parent with every inch you let them loose.

So I guess this process is just as much about Current finding her sense of self as it is us allowing the struggle to happen, and I look forward to sharing it with you as it evolves and the countdown to her 2nd birthday takes place.

- Bree Galbraith

ABSTRACT// The Polaroid SX-70 was a device that became a symbol of family memories for Stefan in Sherry Turkle’s book, ‘Evocative Objects’. This essay was a starting point to design a transformative object based on the essay ‘The Polaroid SX-70 Camera’. The design intent was to transform the emotional relationships to memory and family into an inanimate object. ‘Instant Memory’ was the game created to jostle the subconscious of an individual suffering from dementia. Like photographic technology, the device was designed to stir thoughts and memories of the past through visual and auditory repetition. This redesign was intended to serve as a recollection tool to stir memories from the past and try and retain them for the future.

KEY WORDS// Evocative Objects, Dementia, Re-design, Memory Game, Design for the Elderly, Process.

INTRODUCTION// Jorge Frascara states that “design transcends the realm of aesthetics” in his design methodology. (1996) This outlook on design research was fundamental for Emily Carr University’s 2008 fall semester Core Studio. This design challenge focused on the meaning of objects beyond their aesthetic value. Sherry Turkle’s book Evocative Objects: Things We Think With was the basis for this studio project. The objectives from the design brief (2008) were “to select an object from the book and re-design it such that the meaning and the evocative qualities expressed in the story become intrinsic to the object itself through a reconsideration of shape, form, texture, detail, function, color etc.” This new object would be designed based on feeling and meaning instead of simply three dimensional and two dimensional forms. I selected the essay ‘The SX-70 Instant Camera’ by Stefan Helmreich.

EVOCATIVE OBJECTS// An evocative object generates a personal connection to something that can be seen or touched because it brings strong memories, images, and feelings to mind. Primary research came directly from the essay in Turkle’s book where the meaning of the camera became integral to my design process.

In my primary research I first identified keywords from Helmreich’s essay: instant, pictures, mylar membrane, color film, layers, experimentation, subconscious, and images. From these keywords it was important to investigate why Stefan considered the Polaroid SX-70 camera an evocative object. The Polaroid camera was much more than an object that took instant pictures. This device was an object that connected him to his family and more specifically his grandfather. It was an important family object because his grandfather invented it. Instead of just a camera the device became a symbol of his family memories throughout the years of his grandfathers inventing. All of their family photographs were captured using Polaroid film products. Helmreich believed that “the family was a stimulus for jostling his (grandfather’s) subconscious.” (Turkle, 2007)

Figure 1. The polaroid SX-70 camera.

The object itself was very evocative; you could hear the image capture of a photograph and touch the images seconds after the chemicals preserved the moment in time. This object instantly captured moments, ideas, and memories.

The relationship between Stefan’s grandfather and the instant camera evoked a sense that the Polaroid camera turned into a handheld subconscious. The object held his grandfathers ideas about technology, inventing, and photography, as well as the family memories they preserved with the film. Turkle believed that “certain authors reflected on an objects role in a significant life transition – an object serves as a marker for a relationship and emotional connection.” (Turkle, 2007) Stefan’s essay was presented in the chapter titled mourning and memory. The SX-70 was an object of memory.

TRANSFORMATION// What about memory was evocative to me? How could I transform this memory device? To answer these questions my process began with brainstorming. In each essay “the author focuses not on the objects instrumental power – but on the object as a companion of life and experience: how it connects to the emotional world.” (Turkle, 2007) The connections I gathered between family and Stefan’s evocative object became the basis for my conceptual development. My family was going through a transition that was directly related to memory: memory loss. That same year Polaroid went out of business. The very object I was transforming had lost its capability to store memories. My primary research concluded that this new object would be a memory storage device.

THESIS// With the discontinuation of Polaroid film technology I proposed to transform the evocative qualities of the SX-70 that are now in the past to the present. Photo technology captures memories from the past and preserves them for the future. My final prototype was created as a memory game to serve elderly suffering from early dementia through personalization.

Figure 2. Dara and Vera (published with permission from the family)

USER PROFILE// Vera was used as a model to show how the game ‘Instant Memory’ can be tailored to individual perspectives. Vera is ninety-nine years old. At the age of ninety-seven, Vera suffered an injury to her hip. Requiring surgery, Vera went under anesthetic. Post-op she suffered a condition called Post Operative Cognitive Decline. Old age combined with this new memory loss resulted in her diagnosis of dementia. “Dementia is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental health processes caused by brain disease or injury and is marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning.” (Oxford American Dictionary, 1996) This condition affects every facet of Vera’s life.

METHODOLOGY//
Memories// Polaroids are now a symbol of the past. I used this notion as inspiration to collect photographs from various points in Vera’s life. A method of reflecting the personal nature of memory was collecting data about the user. I interviewed family members to get their perspective on important hobbies, memories and photographs to include in the device. According to Nancy Mace, “a program geared specifically to the individual’s needs and abilities will offer stimulation that the person can access and use meaningfully”  (Mace, 1990). Through my primary experiences with the user I reflected on my participation in her life. Through family participation I assembled a complete inventory both visually and typographically.

Letterpress//
Letterpress technology was the visual structure used to communicate my concept. Letterpress is a technology grounded in history and involves a personal interaction with moveable type. This relationship of the physical assembly of words linked appropriately to the literal assembly of Vera’s portable memory in the game “Instant Memory.” The typeface selections became objective. The most important element was for the typefaces to be readable by an elderly audience. Following feedback from my design proposal I began to develop my concept into a visual form.

PROTOTYPES// The game was designed to emulate the ‘instant’ effect of capturing an image. A photograph captures an event or place that you see for generations to come; likewise, a memory stores an event or place that you see in your long term memory to be recalled as you please. The prototyping process involved both three dimensional and two dimensional forms. Prototype one was essentially a card game. Like photographs these cards would display images of family members. Each card was designed as a pair with coordinating pictures and names. The game would focus on matching and making visual connections to family members. Formally the cards mimicked the dimensions of Polaroid pictures with a series of Mylar layers. Initially my intent was to remain within my comfort zone and produce a two dimensional form. With further critique from my classmates and professor my second prototype took an unexpected form.

Figure 3. Prototype one card layout

Utilizing the collected data from my previous iteration I was challenged to make the type and photos more interactive for the user. The cards worked to establish connections but lacked the extended time for the cards to be handled by the user which would better support memory retention. This iteration was developed into a board game with moveable pieces that worked together with Velcro. Speech bubbles incorporated names of family members and events were places on caption bars. This iteration was a 3D sketch model constructed out of cardboard.

The final prototype was the most refined in system and visual form. It included all the data needed to play “Instant Memory” and incorporated color theory to support memory retention. Speech bubbles were black and white for readability with a red background to evoke an increased reaction time.

Figure 4. Final game board design constructed out of foam core, matte board, velcor, and cork board.

USER EXPERIENCE// How the user interacts with the game is critical to their ability to retain information. “Amongst the most innocent yet painful questions asked of the memory impaired persons are: Do you remember what we did last week, or you know who I am don’t you?” (Mace, 1990). As a learning device this design was intended to avoid these problematic questions. The process of playing the game involves no right or wrong answers to promote a healthy learning environment. The game relies on the player’s personal interpretation in order to avoid frustration or anger. As a two-player game the images and text create a dialogue to promote memory activation. By analyzing how the images and words are linked, meaning enters into the user’s short-term memory. This allows the user to make connections to long-term memories they share with the individuals they are analyzing. This dialogue relies on voluntary participation, which is influenced by the users mood or willingness to play the ! game.

FINDINGS// “Design research is a systematic inquiry whose goal is knowledge of, or in the embodiment of configuration, composition, structure, purpose, value and meaning in man-made things and systems” (Bayazit, 2004). This approach to design research accurately suits an evocative object. The execution of this project was in depth with constant sketching and researching to influence both the three dimensional and two dimensional deliverables. The goal of this project was to connect to the essay physically and mentally; I believe that my personal content supported this goal. Using research to provide meaning to my transformative object was the most important step in all my process.

One concern was that proposing a game for memory recovery would be problematic because dementia has no proven cure. Creating an activity grounded in personal memories “is an important concept because it supports the idea that the person’s decline can be slowed by meaningful activity and stimulation. In this way, it offers caregivers some recourse at a time when the untreatable nature of dementia is its most publicized characteristic”  (Bayazit, 2004). Research into the nature of dementia gave my project the precedence needed to develop a three dimensional form.

The development of the device also helped to support both the user and the family participants in this transitional time. “A program of appropriate and socially valued activities is one way of demonstrating to family and friends what the person is still capable of doing when the proper circumstances are made available. At a time when the person’s disability is the main object of attention, a therapeutic activity program can help shift the focus in a more positive direction, that is, toward the person’s abilities and retained skills” (Mace, 1990).

CONCLUSIONS// “Transitional times are rich with creative possibility”  (Turkle, 2007). This object redesign transformed into an evocative object for me. This project is a reflection of my relationship with my nanny and it will forever preserve the memories and thoughts I shared through these explorations.

In retrospect, my final prototype would benefit from written directions that correspond with the visual form. With further development “Instant Memory” could become a working model for many families, not just my own, to help a family member suffering from dementia. More extensive user testing would have aided in the transition of the final design in becoming a working model.

Personally, the value in this project came from reflection and pushing beyond my preferred two dimensional medium. Conceptually I am pleased with my connection to Stefan Helmreich’s essay. In many ways I believe that his essay helped me to establish my own relationship to an object of mourning and memory dealing with my nanny’s memory loss.

REFERENCES//

1. Frascara, Jorge. (1996). Graphic Design: fine art or social science. In Victor Margolin & Richard Buchanan (Eds.), The idea of design: a reader. London & Cambridge: MIT Press, 44-55

2. Bayazit, Nigan. Investigating Design: A Review of Fourty Years of Design Research. http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/desi_20_1_16_0.pdf

3. Dementia. (1996). Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus. Oxford University Press.

4. Mace, L. Nancy. (1990). Dementia Care: Patient, Family, & Community. Baltimore & London: The John Hopkins University Press, 148-172

5. Turkle, Shelly. (2007). Introduction: The Things That Matter http://mitpress.mit.edu/books chapters/0262201682intro1.pdf

IMAGE REFERENCES//
Figure 1. Dara Wren (2008)
Figure 2. Julie Wren (1992)
Figure 3. Dara Wren (2008)
Figure 4. Dara Wren (2008)

ABSTRACT// The question of how co-design techniques and sustainability can complement each other serves as this journal article’s central research question. Particularly, this article explores a business proposal by designer Jacquie Quenneville and her collaborators, which examines how sustainability can be applied to toys (specifically dolls) by transforming the linear manufacture-to-disposal path into a continuous loop. The theoretical framework of William McDonough’s “Cradle to Cradle” (McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2002) informed this project. The working process entailed using co-design techniques with a group of six year olds to inform the project’s direction. Other frameworks were informed by techniques such as card-sort mind mapping, IDEO’s “Deep Dive” methodology, as well as visually rooted surveys for a young user group.

KEYWORDS// Barbie™, Co-design, Children, Sustainability

INTRODUCTION// Every year in late December, children receive thousands of presents. Since November the television has been playing commercials for the latest toy. Children will write to Santa, and will probably unwrap their desired hunk of plastic on Christmas morning. But, in six months or less it will be in the bottom of the toy box and will only see the light of day when it is collected for the trash or the thrift store. Is Old Saint Nick to blame? The big guy in the red suit is innocent. The culprit is the big toy manufactures. Their scheme is no different than car manufacturers. They operate on the principle of planned obsolescence: changing one component, adding one new feature and selling it as new.  But unlike the old car manufacturers who are now investing in green technologies, toy companies’ core methodology has not changed since the nineteen-fifties. The problem is that toys are designed for durability, but children grow out of them in just a few years after purchase. The average life cycle for toys is extremely short, and the only network in place to handle this flow of discarded toys is the trash.

THE PROJECT BRIEF// In our third year Design Core Studio, we were challenged with proposing changes to childrens’ toys. We asked ourselves: how could co-design and sustainability transform the ways in which toys are produced and consumed? Researching Do It Yourself (DIY) resources like Instructables.com inspired us to do more with the second R of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle”. We discovered how avoiding new materials could be an elegant low impact solution. We investigated the ideas in William McDonough’s book “Cradle to Cradle” such as the impacts of one generation on the next, and how to create systems with loops so that nothing goes to the landfill.

Pint-sized co-designers
We were also asked to work in conjunction with a group of children for this challenge. We briefly explored what co-designing meant. There are different levels of creative engagement, especially with children, and the greater power you give their voice, the more the user is truly a part of the final result. As discussed in class, participation ranged from taking specific input, to defending the user’s concerns (Chan, 2009). We are by no means experts at co-design, neither are we experts in dealing with young children. We approached understanding how childrens’ minds work with some knowledge based from previous interactions, but also with memories of childhood. By remembering what it meant to be a child, we could put ourselves in their little shoes.

Our co-design sessions were pre-arranged with a class of first-graders from the nearby False Creek Elementary school. Each group of the three university students were teamed up with a group of four first graders. The teams remained consistent through the duration of the project. All consent and photo-release forms for recording our process had been signed by the parents. The consent allowed us to take unlimited pictures and video for process. As well, engaging with the children during our sessions and was an indispensable key element to the success of this project. The other key element was our immediate discussion and reflection of everything observed in each session. The format for assessing the observations were: validation (what was predicted to work as well as what  did work), frustrations (what didn’t work, whether planned or not), and discoveries or inspiration (unexpected details that arose, items that enlightened the project).

CO-DESIGN PROCESS//
Steady Ground
We wanted to determine right from the beginning what kind of toys the kids favoured. We hoped by establishing this basic information early on in the project, we would have a foundation to build on. In our first session with our all-girl group, we asked them about the toys they had at home, and played a game of toy tag; to not get tagged one crouches and shouts a type of toy. This was helpful and generated more ideas than just asking questions, but from the beginning there was a big pink elephant in the room that we could not ignore. One of the girls had brought a Barbie™ to school and had it with her the whole session. When we asked what toys they liked we got “Barbie™”, when asked what they had at home they said “Barbie™”. The B-word was inescapable, and when we stepped back from our first session, it was inevitable that this project was going to be about Barbie™. We dove into the deep end of the glamour pit. We modeled our research after IDEO’s “Deep Dive” approach (IDEO, 2009). IDEO’s approach is about finding out as much as possible about the subject in a limited amount of time. They emphasize going to the source, and really understanding the subject, so for two weeks we immersed ourselves in the Barbie™ culture. We visited Toys”R”Us, and talked to a Barbie™ collector, and we visited nearly every Barbie™ website.

Figure 2. Co-design process with our group of six year old girls.

Disassembling Knowledge
Our feelings about Barbie™ in the beginning were very mixed. In order to sort out the many social issues, and determine what misconceptions we had about her, the three of us did a mind map exercise with sticky notes. We responded to the question “what do we know about Barbie™?” and wrote out one statement per sticky note. We piled them all together and sorted them into categories and came up with some very clear lines between our own perceptions, and actual facts. Through our research we found the majority of our attitudes towards Barbie™ are products of the society we live in, rather than proven scientific facts. To children, Barbie™ is just another doll to play with.

Problems With Construction
Barbie™ is well known for losing her head in the worst of times. But Mattel would never fix that problem, because Barbie’s™ faults contribute towards the purchase of more than one doll. We had identified a problem: Barbie™ breaks, and there needs to be a service that fixes her. We had a hard time convincing our peers that the resources existed to handle it. Mattel estimates that in the United States over ninety-five percent of girls between the ages of three and eleven own at least one Barbie™, and that the average number of dolls per owner is seven (Shapiro, 1992). Also it is estimated that somewhere in the world a Barbie™ doll is sold every three seconds (Mullins and Pearson, 1999). If girls grow out of Barbie™ by around age ten, then where are all these Barbies™ going? We concluded that thrift stores were an option, but most dolls were probably going to the trash. Despite the statistics and reason supporting our argument, pictures speak louder than words, and we hunted for the elusive “landfill Barbie™ picture” till the last weeks of the project. Remarkably the magic word was “Barbie™ Pile”. Never underestimate the power of changing a keyword in a search engine.

Development of the Space
Our co-design group indicated they no longer played with the toy once it was broken, so our project became about a service where children could come to get their doll fixed. Our group of girls showed us that they liked craft time, and came up with many creative solutions on their own to fix their damaged toys, but some things like popped off legs needed special treatment. We began designing the space where doll fixing would take place. It started as a doll hospital drop off centre. More inspiration came from our next co-design session where the girls drew us what sort of things they would like to find in the Barbie™ hospital. Our greatest realization was that the doll hospital didn’t need to be a stationary space. One girl suggested there could be a bus that teaches people how to fix their own dolls. We did not design a bus, but incorporating their vision, we changed the space to include a Barbie™ “clinic” where girls could fix their own dolls. They could also fashion new accessories for her out of the supplied craft materials.

Intrigued with the modified designer dolls that collectors had, we saw the potential to have these dolls in our store to inspire girls to create their own. Researching the lifestyle of the neighbourhood of False Creek also told us that the busy residents needed sustainable options that were as easy or easier than going to a toy store and buying a new doll. So pre-made designer dolls designed by store employees were also added to the repertoire. At some point, while trying to dismember a doll for research, we encountered the difficulty of the action and realized our hospital concept was faulty. The system could not revolve around doll breakage. We began to design our Cradle-to-Cradle system (McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2002) (Fig. 1) We would collect dolls that had outlived their first life from homes and thrift stores and would clean and repair them in our store. Then store employees for the retail line would outfit some dolls, and the rest would be available for customers to makeover in the maker space. All of the materials needed for doll makeovers would be locally sourced, using off-cuts from factories and the local fashion scene. This provided a system for discarded Barbies™ to be brought into, it could integrate the DIY research we had done, and could hopefully extend a girl’s interest in the dolls for a few more years. We were changing the dolls meaning from aspiring to be Barbie™, to aspiring to change Barbie™. However this hands-on approach to everything didn’t necessitate an ultra crafty aesthetic. We examined what was the most desirable aspect about Barbie™ that drew girls to it through a visually rooted survey for our co-design group. This idea was inspired by the great results our peers had with a similar tactic. With the ten questions we gave them four options and asked, “which is best?” They told us “fancy” and “glamour” was important. As a last minute addition, we included some doll brands in the survey, and for fun included one called “Vancouver Girl”. They all showed interest in it, but wanted to see a picture. The name stuck and Vancouver Girl (VG) became a fully realized brand name, complete with plans for three distinct lines of dolls to match a variety of users. VGfab for girls who want to upgrade their doll, or give a doll a makeover. VGirl for parents who want to chose a more sustainable option for a doll, but don’t have the time to commit to a craft session, and lastly VG couture for people who want something outstandingly luxurious. The penultimate in guilt-free glamour, local fashion designers themselves create these dolls.

Figure 1. Janice Wu, Vancouver Girl’s process system.

REFLECTION//
Limits of the co-design process
It was often felt that the children we were working with were too young to give us real input. Six year olds are at an age in which they want to please, but this means they are very likely to tell you what they think you want to hear. Ninety percent of their responses depended on how the question was asked. It was very important to avoid leading questions, and most of all to give the children time to fully answer. Working with an older age group would have provided us with better input, as they are much more capable of abstract thought, and are better able to express themselves verbally. If we were to work with this age group again, more sessions would be beneficial to get to know them because they can be quiet shy.

Validity of Cradle-to-Cradle
Is our system truly  Cradle-to-Cradle (McDonough, W., & Braungart, M., 2002) ? It would be, but only if every user just bought Vancouver Girls and no new Barbies™. Mattel will always have a market for its customers undoubtedly, but we hope to provide an alternative that is not as wasteful. However, just like one piece of paper can only be made into recycled content a finite amount of times, a recycled doll has a finite amount of lives due to material degradation. Yet, all degraded components of the dolls could be fixed from other dolls, so there is minimal waste.

Instilling Sustainability in Children
The current strategy of enforcing sustainability on adults is to make them feel guilty, but making children understand the plight of the planet requires a different approach. By starting with children, and shaping the way they think, one can shape the way they behave in the future. We directed a co-design process with the children, but we also hope we taught them about the importance of being original and creative, because that is what makes each of us special. In a world where children are the future of tomorrow, it is immensely important that they run the world differently than we have been doing.

REFERENCES//

Chan, Patrick. Design Research and Methods Lecture 2009.

McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things. North Point Press.

Mullins, P.R., Pearson, M., Domesticating Barbie™: An Archaeology of Barbie™ Material Culture and Domestic         Ideology. International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1999.

Shapiro, E. (1992). Totally hot, totally cool: long-haired Barbie™ is a hit. New York Times 2009, 22(June): D9

The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm. http://www.qualityoflife.org/ich/IDEO/IDEO.cfm. Accessed December 9, 2009.

IMAGE REFERENCES//

Figure 1. Jaquie Quenneville, 2009.
Figure 2. Jaquie Quenneville, 2009.

ABSTRACT// The project discussed in this article focuses on the transformation of existing vacant residential and commercial urban spaces into agricultural spaces utilizing hydroponic growing methods. The intent of the project was to examine how this process could be profitable for landowners and benefit the city as a whole. Through an investigation of agricultural techniques, land usage and real estate costs, the project team attempted to answer the question “Can Vegetables Pay the Rent?”. Challenges arose as the scope of the project began to widen and the outcome became less clear. This paper is a reflection on how a more defined research methodology can stabilize process and result in a clearer conclusion to research.

KEYWORDS// Design for Social Change, Persuasive Design, Transformative Design, Smart Cities, Collaborative Design, Agriculture, Hydroponic.

INTRODUCTION// The project team developed a concept that would join two issues that we observed in, but were not exclusive to, Vancouver. It appeared there was a seemingly large amount of unused or underutilized indoor urban space, and inadequate use of traditional agricultural methods. These methods seemed irrelevant to the development of a cohesive, efficient city. While we examined the economic impact of these two areas, we also had in mind the effect transforming these spaces could have on the surrounding community. What started out as a simple inquiry into whether we could prove turning unused urban space into agricultural space that would be profitable (and therefore, implementable), quickly became a much wider investigation into food security, community agriculture, and real estate. However, towards the end of our research, the lack a developed design research framework meant the designing of repurposed spaces became secondary to number-crunching and marketing strategies—areas which were not our expertise nor, ultimately, helpful in the development of our concept.

BACKGROUND// Green spaces and community gardens have become more popular in recent years, but these require something that growing cities cannot spare: land. As the realization that a dependence on oil is no longer sustainable, urban development is actually moving in the opposite direction of the mid-fifties; instead of urban sprawl we now have urban density. The idea of urban density relates to the concept of smart cities. Smart cities happen when “…investments in human and social capital and traditional (transport) and modern (ICT) communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic growth and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory governance” (Caragliu and Nijkamp, 2009). This vision will probably manifest itself in denser, self-contained cities; with all of the needs of its residents met within a smaller radius without relying on transporting essentials over long distances. By becoming self-reliant agriculturally, a city’s food supply is no longer susceptible to fluctuations in transportation costs, weather and natural disasters, or political embargoes.

The project team proposed that the Lower Mainland, already a bountiful agricultural area, could and should strive to become self-reliant agriculturally in an effort to achieve its own goals of becoming a ‘green’ city. We believe that the social benefits of this transformation would have immediate and lasting ramifications on Vancouver. This method could also have the potential to be applicable to many other cities throughout North America.

The concept of using existing agricultural methods to produce a large amount of food in a fraction of the space used by traditional methods is not generative but transformative. Using “dead” space that was taking up energy and money, this new implementation of agriculture in cities could supply families in need as well as offer the operators a new source of income.

Fig.1 Information graphic generated by project team assembling initial research focus areas

RESEARCH QUESTION// Could the repurposing of urban indoor spaces into agricultural spaces benefit the city of Vancouver and move the city towards their goal of becoming a ‘green’ city?

INITIAL STAGES// The starting point for our research was our infographic; devised as a three-pronged approach to research, it was a way to visualize our data in a way that made sense to us, as well as to those involved in our research. We divided the research into three areas – urban spaces, growing systems, and urban agriculture.

The project team drew upon their collective experience to put together the information panels. Two team members specializing in Industrial Design were able to visualize space usage and consider material and structural possibilities and hindrances, while the third member, specializing in Communication Design, organized data and focused on synthesizing it into a reference board for research.

In order to keep on track and make the research transparent and available to all team members, a blog and a Wiki page were set up for team members to edit and contribute to. It was treated as a digital file cabinet; information was stored there as it was collected for each member to reference. The blog, due to its format, also provided a linear trail of research. As the project developed, the changing trajectories began to reveal how our research could have benefitted from a more clearly defined research method.

Fig.2 An example of a hyrdroponic growing system at the Greensgrow Farm in Philladelphia.

RESEARCH CHALLENGES// Each main area of research posed its own challenges which led to a sense of being overwhelmed, and at some points, stalled momentum. This was caused by the unfamiliarity with the subject matter, the unavailability of certain information, and amplified by a fluctuating target audience. As the research led on, it often became unclear who exactly should be the intended audience – landowners, city officials, the public – or a combination of the three. The inability to identify which of these groups would have the most to gain from the concept led the research to become mired down with unnecessary information.

Investigating urban spaces involved examining the total estimated vacant sublease space available in the Greater Vancouver area. We discovered there was a great increase in available space within the year 2008 alone, suggesting that there were hundreds of thousands of square feet of unused space available for transformation. Finding out what the energy cost of these spaces might be, however, was difficult. Initially we attempted to find out what the cost was to landowners in taxes, energy costs, and maintenance to have this space sit unused, as a way to illustrate how letting these spaces sit was detrimental financially. This information was not so available, however, and fluctuated wildly from space to space depending on its intended usage (residential or commercial) and geographic location within the city.

The initial concept had envisioned hydroponics as our growing method of choice. As research progressed, the team began to investigate another indoor growing method, aeroponics, less used and understood. Due to public perception of hydroponic farming and its association with illegal marijuana grow ops, however, some difficulty occurred when attempting to gather research background from city officials. The project would have to be aware of and work against preconceived ideas about hydroponic methods. At this stage, not being taken seriously meant crucial collaborative discourse could not be engaged in with officials, at least until more irrefutable evidence could be obtained.

Focusing on the societal effects of urban agriculture grounded the research in potential positive social benefits, and gave the team the one certainty assurance: that both the focused and widespread implementation of urban agriculture would contribute to the city’s health and growth. Identifying specific areas of the city which were at the highest risk of food insecurity, (areas where individuals had the greatest economic or logistical barriers in their way to access fresh food), focused the urban space research. It became clear that the benefits of an implemented agricultural system would reach beyond physical nutrition; it could improve a community’s morale and self-perception. At the heart of the concept was designing an experience. It seems that “[we] are no longer simply designing products for users. We are designing for the future experiences of people, communities and cultures who now are connected and informed in ways that were unimaginable even ten years ago” (Sanders and Stappers, 2008). Rarely did we visualize what transforming these spaces would look like, but making these indoor farms a point of civic pride was crucial to their success and propagation. This would likely mean high visibility in the community, a change that would be an outward signal of a fundamental shift in the beliefs upon which this city operates.

ROADBLOCK// At this point in the research it appeared that the project would boil down to economic viability; the only way to gain the attention of a landowner or city official would be to prove profitability in hard numbers. The team again split the research into three areas to address the perceived potential audiences and their spaces—private owner (balcony space), building owner (apartment level space), and city (vertical farm configuration). It was at this number crunching that the team realized the project had become less about repurposing spaces and more about marketing. Adopting the role of problem-definer and researcher was useful as we recognized that “… in transformation design the designers are not always ‘designers’ ” (Burns et. all, 2006) in the traditional sense. Here, a more interdisciplinary collaborative approach would have helped, as “… complex problems cannot be addressed from a single point of view, and are rarely the sole responsibility of one department, set of expertise or knowledge silo” (Burns et. all, 2006). Collaborating with outside teams would have allowed us to focus on transforming the spaces, instead of mounting an argument to persuade landowners and city officials.

Figure 3. Table summarizing estimated operating costs and profits for one example of intended use

REVISITING// The unclear target audience stemmed from uncertainty due to lack of expertise in many areas that touched our research. This inability to develop a clear audience, which could have been more readily defined had there been more outside collaboration, caused our focus to be easily skewed and debated. Most of the research effort was information driven, collecting data to help argue a case when our skills would have been better utilized visualizing and developing our transformative design. Collaborating with property developers, building engineers and agriculture experts would have left certain areas of research in the hands of those more capable, and discourse between disciplines could have widened the possibilities of the project. Many aspects of the project’s potential remained unexplored due to lack of time, such as designing the experience of the space for both users and the general public, and integrating the sites into the city’s landscape as points of visual interest and pride.

CONCLUSION// In engaging in collaborative design, perhaps it is useful to use what Nigel Cross refers to as “design science”, an “…explicitly organized, rational, and wholly systematic approach to design” (2001). This systemic approach coupled with interdisciplinary collaboration can be used in instances where there are messy, indeterminate problems that may pose challenges in communication, delegation, and organization for participants. Failing to collaborate effectively with outside expertise resulted in frustration and lack of focus as the scope of the project grew larger and beyond both our collective tacit and explicit knowledge. The project was not a loss. Although though the change never took place and there were difficulties along the way, it was a valuable exercise in transformative design thinking. Certainly, “… organizations now operate in an environment of constant change, [and] the challenge is not how to design a response to a current issue, but how to design a means of continually responding, adapting and innovating” (Sanders and Stappers, 2008). In summary, the concept of transformative design epitomizes the slippery and indefinable practices of design, operating on the most fundamental levels of tacit knowledge, drawing on a wide variety of disciplines, and resulting in only a point from which to make the next leap.

REFERENCES//
Burns, C., Cottam, H., Vanstone, C., and Winhall, J. (2006). Transformation Design. Red Paper 02. Design Council, London, 9, 20.

Caragliu, A., Del Bo, C., and Nijkamp, P. (2009). Smart Cities in Europe. Retrieved from: http://ideas.repec.org/p/dgr/vuarem/2009-48.html#provider.

Cross, N. (2001). Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design discipline versus design science. Design Issues, 53.

Sanders, Elizabeth, B., N., and Stappers, Pieter, Jan. (2008). Co-Creation and the new Landscapes
of Design. Retrieved from: http://maketools.com/pdfs/CoCreation_Sanders_Stappers_08_preprint.pdf.

IMAGE REFERENCES//
Figure 1. Jennifer Cook (2008)
Figure 2. Eli Pousson via Compfight (2008)
Figure 3. Jennifer Cook (2008)

Few designers contest the idea that we cannot measure the success or failure of any design until the context in which it was created is fully understood. Understanding context, however, requires a knowledge of the culture in which the design in question is situated.

In his essay, “Culture is Ordinary”, Raymond Williams asserts that ideas of culture are insinuated in all aspects of everyday life: “Culture is ordinary… A culture has two aspects: the known meanings and directions, which its members are trained to [and] the new observations and meanings, which are offered and tested” (2009, p. 93). For Williams, the idea of culture means everyday life and the hegemonic values that go hand-in-hand with the ordinary, combined with more concrete and experiential forms of culture, such as novels, films, and advertising. To pose the question, “what were they thinking?” about any society is to inquire about ideas and issues of economics, politics, ritual, technology, and culture. Design emerges as an intersection of these factors, with the nature of this intersection ever-shifting.

Charles Eames explained design as the overlap between the interests of the designer, the client, and of society as a whole. Eames considers design as a professional practice, with primary responsibility toward the client, and resulting benefits to society. He does not, however, examine what happens when the interests of society do not correspond with the interests of designers and their clients. When we begin to question the interests of society and its corresponding cultural systems, we increase “our understanding of the way [contemporary] design works to reflect or create values” (Drucker, 2008, p. xxi). To further illustrate this relationship between design and cultural shifts, I offer two assertions:

The meaning of design changes when its surrounding political and cultural ideology changes.

The swastika has been known for thousands of years as a positive icon of good fortune and prosperity:

The swastika also symbolized light or the god of light, forked lightning, rain and water. It represents Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva — Creator, Preserver, Destroyer. It appears in the footprints of Buddha… represents Jupiter to the Latins, [and] Thor to the Scandinavians… The swastika was similar to the ancient Hebrew letter tau, the sign of life… (Heller, 2000, p. 6–7).

Given these meanings of universal good, non-religious groups and consumer culture eventually adopted it as their own. During the early 20th century, swastikas could be seen on North American hockey sweaters, Carlsberg^® Beer labels, Coca-Cola^™ trinkets, and as Rudyard Kipling’s personal insignia. By the time Adolf Hitler became head of the German state, the swastika had also become the symbol for German nationalism. Expropriating the swastika allowed the Nazi party to corrupt the optimistic meaning of the symbol for their own cause. By 1940, Germans saw it as a sign of strength and solidarity while North Americans and Allied Europe viewed it as a sign of aggression — something identifiable to fight against. Although the shape has not changed for millennia, today the swastika is interpreted as “a vivid reminder of a mournful history, [and] an instrument of its depravity” (Heller, 2000, p. 12) due to the political and cultural ideologies associated with this symbol.

The value of design changes when availability of materials, technologies and economics shift.

Various types of lace have been made since ancient history, but it became widespread and very popular in Europe during the early Renaissance. Lace was hand-made; it took much time, energy, and skill to produce small amounts, and was consequently highly valued. The textile industry, which developed during the Industrial Revolution, greatly changed this perception of value. By the mid- to late-1800s, most lace was machine-made by a new thriving commercial industry. Improvements to equipment allowed cotton to replace the original silk thread, and the scale of production allowed various laces to be cheaply produced. A growth in transport, colonization and trade further expanded the marketing of lace. Chemical Lace, developed in the early 20th century, changed the method of lace-making altogether: cotton thread is embroidered on a base fabric, which is later chemically dissolved, leaving the lace pattern behind. By the mid-20th century, Polyvinyl Chlorine became a material was used to make lace-trimmed vinyl tablecloths. To achieve the visual aesthetic of lace we no longer require hand-crocheting of natural threads, we merely require a lace-like pattern to be stamped in plastic. The design and visual aesthetic of lace hasn’t changed much over 500 years, but its value has. It is no longer exclusive, expensive, nor difficult to obtain.

In both of these examples, design can be interpreted  “as a cultural practice, as a cultural phenomenon” (Drucker, 2008, p. xxi). While the visual essence of the designs did not change, the way in which they are perceived and therefore valued, shifted throughout history. Fully understanding the factors leading to shifts in perception of design allows us to assess and anticipate contemporary design practice. We are able to situate design practice as a cognitive process — as social behaviour — fully embedded in ordinary and everyday culture.

REFERENCES//

1. Williams, Raymond. “Culture is Ordinary.” 1958. The Everyday Life Reader. Ed. Ben Highmore. New York: Routledge, 2002. 91-100.

2. Heller, Steven. The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? New York:
Allworth Press, 2000. 12.

3. Drucker, Johanna and Emily McVarish. Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. xxi.

ABSTRACT// The book Pleasure and Pain: 70 Years of Graphic Design, produced for a second year communication design project, intended to create a form that offered a unique and interesting way to look at the history of graphic design that was engaging for an audience of non-designers. This was achieved using categories to group design that suggested design’s various social functions; these categories had a broader context as opposed to being lodged in design paradigms. By focusing the ideation process on user needs, the framework for the book was established using the visceral and opposing human emotions of pleasure and pain to map a non-linear course through history. This framework enabled the various functions of graphic design to be viewed through a series of critical lenses. This article explores the design process for this book.

KEYWORDS// History, Design Writing, Process, Reflection,  Emotion, User-centered,  Communication Design

INTRODUCTION// Design is fundamentally a cultural activity and yet it is rarely discussed in these terms. More often design is presented as ‘applied art’, and as such it inherits theoretical tools that are not necessarily the ‘best fit’. Despite the fact that graphic design’s history clearly reflects its cultural and political context, design and society are discussed largely in isolation. This may result from the fact that, unlike many other disciplines, graphic design has developed without much “theoretical reflection” (Frascara, 1996). Therefore the bulk of the literature available on the subject of design, focuses largely on technical theory. On the subject of design history, the selection of literature, textbooks and scholarly surveys is relatively sparse. For the uninitiated, including students of design, the available literature seems somewhat self referential, predominately geared toward identifying the shifts and phases within design itself. With this as a starting point the book, Pleasure and Pain: 70 Years of Graphic Design was conceived as an exploration in developing an alternate set of critical lenses through which to view design history, bringing design’s cultural context to the fore and engaging the audience on a more visceral level. This article describes the development of the theoretical framework used to arrange, constrain and assess the book’s content.

RESEARCH QUESTION// Why would someone who is not studying communication design be interested in the history of design? This is a question that Michele Guimond, Kirsty Tsang and Nireesha Prakash focused on throughout the development of this book. How could a design history book engage non-practitioner and non-scholarly audiences in understanding design as a cultural activity and offer a compelling critical lens through which to view it?

Methods and Process// The following will describe the design process behind Pleasure and Pain by describing the three central factors driving its development: precedents, content and users. The effect of each of these on the final outcome of the project will be discussed individually and in chronological order.

Fig.1 Analyzing content

Fig.2 Analyzing form and protoyping

PRECEDENTS// Initial research revealed that “compared to other areas of design, graphic design has been given short shrift by historians” (Wikins, 2001). Books on visual forms and elements, design heroes, how to’s and stylistic trends abound but the majority fail to bring design into a broader cultural or social context. Compared to the number of art history books or historic surveys for just about every other discipline there is a strikingly slim selection for those interested in the history of graphic design.¹ The books that are available on design, historic and theory based, were found to share a common limitation for the non-specialist audience in that they are largely self-referencing and entrenched in design paradigms. The fact that early research into precedents revealed that so few “good scholarly surveys are written for lay audiences” suggests that a book like Pleasure and Pain is relevant to the untrained audience (Margolin, 2000). Some critical writers on the subject of graphic design point to the fact that this model of writing stems from the fact that “graphic design history is modeled on the earliest approaches to art history” (Wilkins, 2001). Consequently many of the historic surveys that currently exist on graphic design resemble art history books in both form and analysis. Arguably this limits the scope of analysis in design as it tends to follow a linear path marked by stages of design’s own history thereby isolating it from the social and political context. As Stephen J. Eskilson says in Graphic Design: A New History: “It is my belief that graphic design history has too often been presented through a parade of styles and individual achievements devoid of social context” (Ekilson, 2007). The challenge for this project was to take the same information provided in other design books and remodel it in way that established a new path through the subject’s history and provided a context that looks outside of design itself.

Analyzing Content// As aspiring designers, it was initially difficult to look at images from all of design’s greats and see beyond the compositions, colours and typographic choices. However, reading through the text generated collectively by our classes revealed the social and political landscapes in which the pieces were produced. This also facilitated a more relational view of the images (Fig. 1). It became apparent that the images marked not just distinct points in design history but moreover that they represented a kind of visual social history. With this new found perspective, the images began to reveal both the good and bad side of design as well as the good and bad side of human history. This was to become the
catalyst for an extensive ideation process.

In this project there was not the scope for an exhaustive anthology of either human culture or design. Constraints and boundaries within the ideation  process were important in deciding content and images while presenting them in a way that adequately revealed their relationship.

Relating Content to Users: An Emotional Engagement// Initial research into precedents and content analysis promoted a more critical view of design. This was to be the area of focus while relating content to users. In the search for universal paradigms on which to peg design history, an effort was made to look for concepts which would afford a critical lens. Although there was not enough time to conduct extensive primary research or user surveys, a large portion of the ideation process was focused on identifying the possible preconceptions of non-specialists. One of the key issues discussed was the fact that design is perceived by the general public as a primarily commercial and/or artistic practice. Therefore, a secondary goal became to challenge this perception by showing the variety of roles and social functions design has played.

Fig.3 Final Product in Square Format

The framework chosen to explore the history of graphic design was something personal but universal: human emotion. In order to show the “design in humanity” and the “humanity in design” it seemed pertinent to show both its good and bad sides (Gerber, 2007). As an example, propaganda can be employed as a weapon for a despotic regime or to promote cultural values for the common good. This concept developed into grouping images into two typically polar opposites of human emotion: pleasure and pain.

REFINING THE CONCEPT// The main headlines of pleasure and pain were divided into sections that facilitated the organization of content along cultural reference points. For instance, pain was divided into war, discrimination and social control while pleasure was divided into inspiration, lifestyle and culture. Although contextual content was generated as a class, considerable editorial material added another layer of interest to engage the user in the human aspects of design.

Editorial offered analogies that related design to subjects outside of the discipline. The emphasis was to move away from relying on the informed eye of those with “practical experience of spatial forms” towards those with more tacit knowledge of “conventional literate forms” (Swann, 2002).

PRECEDENTS, USERS AND CONTENT AS DICTATORS OF FORM// From the outset the class was discouraged from assuming the product’s final form. As such, the concept of Pleasure and Pain was chosen before the idea of a book was determined. As part of the brief, the final form needed to support the concept and respond to the way the user was intended to interact with the content.The final product was not confined to being a static piece of design; it could have taken the form of a website, motion graphic, poster, pamphlet, etc.

The decision to use the form of a book was primarily based on users. A static form of design enabled a certain amount of control in terms of how the user navigated through the images and saw them in relation to the text and categories. Further to this, it was considered that a book could more fully support oppositional sides and the broad categories of pleasure and pain. Various formats and prototypes of the book were circulated to a small survey group of non-designers to gauge reactions. In the end, the popular choice was a square format (Fig. 2). This format again supported the concept of expressing sides or poles whilst also removing it further from resembling a ‘textbook’. Debarking further from the art history model, dates and artists receded as secondary pieces of information through typographic choices and layouts. Exploring how a static piece of design could support a non-linear flow of information whilst imparting extensive historic information was a compelling challenge.

REFLECTION// This journal article is not a defense of a second year level design project’s ability to rival some of its undoubtedly more comprehensive precedents. As an excerpt from the introduction of the book sets out: “For someone interested in design […] there are a plethora of relevant books out there. […] This book will not serve those who are interested in gaining practical skills in graphic design or those seeking to learn details about its broad history. This book offers those interested in design a novel way to consider […] the function of design over time” (Guimond, 2008).

Like any other undergraduate design project, there are elements that could be improved given more time and research. Upon reflection the main failure of the book is that, despite best efforts and intent, it continued to appropriate an art history approach to design by over emphasizing the emotional impact of the design pieces instead of focusing on their performative role. This could perhaps have been improved with more extensive user-group surveys and comparative literature research.

Fig.4 Example of Two Double Page Spreads (top “Pain” bottom “Pleasure”)

CONCLUSION// In Basic Concepts of Human-Centered Design, Krippendorff discusses a discrepancy in the perception of design between “outsiders who see design as an applied art having to do with aesthetics” and “insiders to design [considering themselves] advocates for users, and trying to balance social, political, cultural and ecological considerations” (Krippendorff, 2006). This disparity was one of the key learning outcomes of this project. Increasingly in design discourse and teaching there is an emphasis on user-centered design and the importance of involving non-designers in the design process. However, the majority of literature on design, particularly that relating to its history, reinforces the outsiders’ perspective making it largely unapproachable to the uninitiated. The intention for the book was to challenge the popular view of design as applied art and in doing so encourage a relational understanding of design as a primarily cultural activity.

REFERENCES//

1. Eskilson, S.J. (2007). Graphic Design: A New History. New Haven CT: Yale University Press, 10.

2. Frascara. J. (1996). Graphic Design: Fine Art or Social Science. In Victor Margolin & Richard Buchanan (Eds.), The Idea of Design: a Design Issues Reader. London & Cambridge: MIT Press, 44-55.

3. Gerber, A. and Triggs, T. (2007). Comment. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from http://lcc.arts.ac.uk/ docs/080_BLUEPRINT_OCTOBER.pdf

4. Krippendorff, K. (2006). Basic Concepts of Human- Centered Design. The Semantic Turn: A New Foundation for Design. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis Group, 39-75.

5. Margolin. V. (2000). Toward a History of Graphic Design (Interview). Retrieved December 5, 2009, from http://tigger.uic.edu/~victor/articles/
interview.pdf

6. Guimond, M., Prakash, N., and Tsang, K. (2008). Pleasure and Pain: 70 Years of Graphic Design. Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

7. Swann, C. (2002). Action Research and the Practice of Design. Design Issues, 18(2), 49-61.

8. Wilkins. B. (2001). Design History’s Obsession with Appearance: No More Heroes. Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://eyemagazine.com/opinion.php?id=35&oid=175

IMAGE REFERENCES//

Fig. 1. Guimond, M. (2008).

Fig 2. Guimond, M. (2008).

Fig 3. Guimond, M. (2008).

Fig 4. Guimond, M. (2008).

ABSTRACT// This paper reflects on brand identity and the designer’s role in translating client ambitions and values into effective visual communication.  Process played a key role in re-designing the identity of a small Thai restaurant in Vancouver, BC. The following aspires to reflect on the role played by research in creating a cohesive product that extends beyond decoration while still retaining cultural value. The benefit of multiple iterations and stylistic explorations is not understated here. This essay proposes that the role of the designer is to facilitate communication between business owner and clientele by portraying and translating emotions and values already inherent in the company.

KEYWORDS// Identity Design, Process, Restaurant, Visual Communication, Branding Identity

INTRODUCTION// The perception clients have about a certain business will influences its success. Because we live in a world where consumers are constantly bombarded with visuals and huge varieties of products to choose from, it has become essential for a business to make a good first impression. In this sense, identity design plays a huge role in setting a business apart its competition while also making it seem desirable and trustworthy. Identities with “character and personality forge connections with consumers through unique, evocative, and multidimensional messages” (Gobé, 2001). It is the role of the designer to understand the needs of both business owners and clients in order to translate these needs into a visual form that communicates effectively.

In this context, this paper reviews the design process, which deals with identity design for small businesses. I will review the phases of my design and learning highlights using this opportunity to reinforce the role played by research. This paper illustrates a project that aimed to affect people’s perceptions and behaviours towards a business, instead of acting as mere visual decoration.

BACKGROUND// The project analyzed here was part of a third year Communication Design course at Emily Carr University. The goal was to redesign the identity of a small restaurant, which offered good services, but suffered from poor visual identity. The design was to be informed by research and improved through the development of different iterations.

Even though this was an individual project, our class was initially divided into groups to share research and choose a restaurant to work with. My group decided to redesign the identity of a Thai restaurant, in Vancouver, BC. We wanted to work with an ethnic restaurant for the opportunity to explore not only the role of identity design as business strategy but how values from a certain culture can be integrated into an identity. While the final design was not implemented in the end, this project provided new design knowledge for all involved and contributed to transferable skills enhancing future projects.

RESEARCH QUESTION// According to Jorge Frascara, “the solution to a client’s needs is not the production of the visual communication, it is the modification of people’s attitudes or abilities in one way or another” (1998). In other words, quality and value in design should be measured by how adequately the visual communication solves the initial issue at hand. As the client did not adapt this project, there was not the true opportunity to test how the final design would impact an audience. Frascara’s point of view is one I agree with as it summarizes what I believe designers should always aim for. Since the beginning of this project I understood that only through research on identity design as well as on Thailand’s culture and cuisine would I be able to redesign not only the marketing materials but the experience of dining in the restaurant itself.

METHODOLOGY// When designers are presented with projects, they must ask questions of themselves and others in order to truly define what the problem is so that later it may be solved. It is now known that “design problems are ill-defined, [and] ill-structured” (Cross, 2001). With that in mind, the first step in our research process was to interview the owner of the restaurant to get a sense of the personality and core values of his business. According to him, the restaurant had been open for a little over a year and was his primary source of income. He showed the most pride in the friendly atmosphere, the staff, and in the authenticity of the food served. He told us the majority of customers were Caucasian, and young adults or students.

From visiting the restaurant we observed that the place offered really good food indeed, but lacked personality. The interiors were plain and the signage did not differentiate the restaurant from other restaurants nearby. There were three different versions of the logotype being used across different media. There were major issues of clarity for the brand.

The last stage of our group research was to find out more about local competition through their websites and online customer reviews. Looking at competition helps to identify possible threats and allows designers to position a client’s business so that it will stand out.

CREATING A DESIGN BRIEF// After doing some group research, it was time for the individual work to start. Separating the group was important because each person had their own perceptions of what the problem was and what approaches could be taken to solve it. By combining the findings I developed a design brief, outlining the main problems with the restaurant’s current identity, such as lack of uniqueness and cohesiveness.

I then presented my vision for the new identity as defined through keywords (youthful, personal and stimulating) that would later guide my visual explorations. Essentially, I wanted to create an identity that would appeal to young Caucasian customers while reflecting Thai culture in a fresh and modern way.

DEVELOPING MULTIPLE ITERATIONS// The first iteration I developed was based mostly on my first impressions of Thai culture and of the restaurant (Fig. 1). The visual style was inspired by Thai arts and crafts. At this point the brief had not yet been written and very little research had been done, because of this the work lacked the depth and research to validate it. From this phase I learned how important it is to move past first ideas, for the first one is never quite as informed or refined as it could be.

Fig. 1 Sketches for the First Iteration

The concept developed for the second iteration was strongly driven by my desire to highlight the experience of eating Thai food. First of all, I decided to rename the restaurant as “Bungalow”. The name choice was intended to preserve and highlight the feeling of intimacy provided by the small size of the restaurant. The term “bungalow” evokes the idea of a retreat, a place where one stays to relax. I wanted customers to feel as though they were taking a break from a stressful world when eating at the restaurant. The visuals I created were exotic, stimulating, and reflected Thai arts and colors (Fig. 2).I was happy this iteration, so it frustrated me to leave it behind and work on yet another concept. In spite of this, I now see how developing multiple iterations is beneficial for the design process; it allows the designer to see things from a different point of view and raises the work to a higher level.

Fig.2 Colour Experiments for Second Iteration

My third iteration was inspired by the flavours and characteristics of Thai food. This concept highlighted not only Thai culture but the product being offered to the clients. Through the name “Naturally Thai”, I hoped to convey both the authenticity of the restaurant and the healthiness of the food. I then attempted to convey healthiness and authenticity visually by implementing earthy tones and organic shapes (Fig. 3).

THE FINAL PRODUCT// After creating different concepts, I chose one to be developed into the final identity. I decided to work with my second concept, “Bungalow”. This was the time to make refinements of form, typography, colour and format. It was an experience that taught me how to summarize my learning and integrate the best of each iteration into one final solution.

FINDINGS// During my research process, I came across the idea of how brand identities should touch on the emotional needs of customers so as to meet their expectations. A quote that really caught my attention in that regard was one by Marc Gobé: “sensorial research leads to emotional states that help bring a new set of communications on how people experience brands. There is a loyalty to a brand when the brand connect with our senses” (2007).

Fig.3 Final logo as it would be applied to business cards

This quote inspired me to create an identity using colour to evoke feelings and flavours while telling a story about Thai
culture that is memorable. Adding elements that provoke the senses and emotions is like adding a whole new layer of meaning to identity design. Identity is not just a logo or how a package looks, it is the “visual and verbal expression of a brand. Identity supports, expresses, communicates, synthesizes, and visualizes the brand. You can see it, touch it, hold it, hear it, watch it move” (Wheeler, 2006).

Aside from “touching” people, brand identities are more effective when they are sensitive to a culture and the social activities and customs it relates to. As reinforced by Marc Gobé, “food is a form of social exchange, and is imbued with special meanings in many cultures. Brands that recognize this and respond accordingly will never leave customers with a bad taste in their mouths” (Gobé, 2007). This way of thinking is really important to my design: in Thailand, food has a special meaning, so much that it is seen as an expression of their own identity. The importance of sitting down and enjoying food for Thai people is such that the Thai equivalent of the casual greeting, “How are you?” translates as “Have you eaten rice?” (Thai, 1998).

CONCLUSION// Even though I believed the outcome of this project to be quite satisfactory, I realize that further primary research would be essential to make it more valid and prove its success or failure in impacting the audience. Unfortunately, the primary research done was limited to informal surveys conducted over the Internet, information gathered from visiting the restaurant and the development of a persona, which was helpful but had no data to back it up.

On the positive side, something of importance that I learned from this project is that designers, in their creative processes, can always go further than once thought. Shifting perspectives and coming up with dramatically different concepts after developing a first is essential for the growth of both the project and the designer.

REFERENCES//

1. Cross, N. (2001). Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Discipline versus Design Science. Design Issues, 17(3), 49-55. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier, EBSCO.

2. Frascara, J. (1988). Graphic Design: Fine Art or Social Science?. In Bennett, A. (Ed.) Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.

3. Gobé, M. (2010). Emotional Branding. New York, NY: Allworth Press.

4. Gobé, M. (2006). Brandjam: Humanizing Brands Through Emotional Design. New York, NY: Allworth Press.

5. Thai, B. (1998). Thai Cuisine: The Spice of Life. Thai Airways International.

6. Wheeler, A. (2006). Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building and Maintaining Strong Brands. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

IMAGE REFERENCES//

Fig 1. Amaral, T. (2009).

Fig 2. Amaral, T. (2009).

Fig 3. Amaral, T. (2009).

Fig 4. Amaral, T. (2009).