Tenth Day Of Creative Studies

Sadly, this would be my last blog to be uploaded. In other words, this is the final lecture of the semester and it's time for me to prepare for my final exam.In this final blog, I would share about the "global creativity and media agency".

Before we start, we need to understand that everything that happens around us is always associated to humanity. Even though technology is overwhelming, we still cannot ignore the facts of it is always about us, human. Just as told by Mr. Mustafa, the global is full with screens (advertisements). How you fill up these screens to create awareness or to market your products is depend on your creativity.

For instance, the advertisements have to be done through studying and taking the advantages on the given circumstances. Think of what type of people do you want to target and what issues are you trying to tell. Whether is it convenience to tell the issues to the targeted consumers to create enough awareness or is it the other way round? Then, brainstorm on how would you deliver the message. Think of how creative you can be to create attraction. Finally, study the media to choose the greatest communication channel to ensure proper approach. For example in US, there are 96 % of people used social network daily and so your media would be the social network.

Remember, a good advertisement can create impression and influence people to act!

Further example given by Mr. Mustafa saying Niki, which they've started with a online running website. People who wore Niki post their comment on the website and most of them recommended Niki. In the end, Niki successfully marketed their shoes to the global.

Last but not least, be aware of the current media trend to ensure efficiency in advertising. Be smart to follow the trend. For example, if people do not read newspapers anymore do not advertise on it.  

Alright that is all for my last blog and I would like to end it with an interesting Ted Talk given by Mr. Renny Gleeson about the 404 page.

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=k1fmMnKcvye53M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bryanwcole.com/&docid=ElP9FJaddpAOSM&imgurl=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/RennyGleeson-2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&w=432&h=240&ei=HTbYUPbvIsyOrgeS_IDoBA&zoom=1


Here's the link.
http://www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_404_the_story_of_a_page_not_found.html


With that I put a full stop to my blog and I hope that you do enjoy reading it and find it helpful.

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZAle8cXyo75dtM:&imgrefurl=http://blogs.princeton.edu/mcgraw/2009/04/jbfc-the-end.html&docid=T_zab6dRNz4E_M&imgurl=http://blogs.princeton.edu/mcgraw/assets/The%252520End%252520by%252520nomeacuerdo%252520-%252520En%252520modo%252520chnacho%252520zombie%252520(cc).jpg&w=1600&h=1200&ei=fTbYUJbCIs6Nrgec8IGIBQ&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=Ot5nz2W9sHOJ3M:&imgrefurl=http://mascasanovasenglishblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/bye-bye.html&docid=UfgoxCuietwpQM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w6-7I7j61sZJj-hn8sAmQ3alMh2HdidDHUYgXnRIGBXi8KkGEp0-W9BYay9ju4df5DYAd-DEQ8GSK7Utt_2aIbsoSXgNIOnyRlba1BqsuHeHzswfUuydAmeOnFYwiZThTaonz8FpuQ65/s1600/bye1.jpg&w=500&h=424&ei=nzfYUJ2WFYborQe8-IHYBA&zoom=1

Ninth Day Of Creative Studies

Hah, I was surprised to see Mr. Yap Sau Bin again as I though his lecture has already ended long time ago. Anyway, he claimed that "Creative in art design and multimedia" is really his last lecture of this semester.

If we look back the art history way back, probably about 100 years ago, many art examples has slowly been absorbed into the commercial and communication industries. They give us a variety of visual communications and opened new door in creativity. 

Back in the Dadaist century, they did not want to show reality as for them the reality is always about war. They wanted to create something away from the truth, showing their imaginations and dreams, bringing the Surrealism art. Juxtaposition is being widely applied by merging two different unrelated things in a new form to create new meaning. A lot of myth creatures were created through this process such as Centaur, body of human and legs of horse. Then the photomontage technique such as Raoul Housmann's work of cutting and pasting form newspapers and magazines, which all of these now been used in the Photoshop design.

Surrealism Art

http://www.google.com/imgres?start=100&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=oZWBGCuzOhUwKM:&imgrefurl=http://www.dipity.com/timeline/Rene_Magritte_Paintings/&docid=OXHRrTAndySu3M&imgurl=http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yrMKY3EFJOQ/0.jpg&w=480&h=360&ei=CR7YULCZNYqSrgftroHQDQ&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?start=100&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=_SosPZrUHAFWwM:&imgrefurl=http://www.amigoslabastida.com/castillo/detalleSeccionEspecial.php%3FseccionTercerNivel%3D40%26lengua%3DEN&docid=6C8wqC6ZUJKnjM&imgurl=http://www.amigoslabastida.com/documentos/4110/gug.gif&w=269&h=322&ei=CR7YULCZNYqSrgftroHQDQ&zoom=1


Raoul Housmann's Art Works

http://weheartit.com/entry/12510682?group=B&imgres=

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=s5UrkkwBKn7_eM:&imgrefurl=http://pictify.com/263003/the-art-critic-raoul-hausmann&docid=EeWUyK6_ES47vM&itg=1&imgurl=http://c300221.r21.cf1.rackcdn.com/the-art-critic-raoul-hausmann-1351517005_b.jpg&w=600&h=743&ei=vBTYUO-APYTLrQfEgIGICw&zoom=1



The point of the lecture is to tell that creativity is not some instant things. It undergoes from centuries to centuries as artists with new idea "opened a small door" and then continued by others, through a long continuation of process. The idea or creativity is slowly being absorbed, sometimes added or improved as time past by, just like the scenario above.

We should open or expand our view of references while we are creating something as all of the past artists picked up ideas from many ways through inter-discipline and did not look only into the art form.


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Some interesting topic to be discussed while hearing the lecture.

What is the future issues in art and does digital tools make you more creative?

This is my answer, after given some thought.


1) In the future, art in advertisement for example would turn to be more realistic with 3D visualization giving the opportunity for consumer to see the actual size and look of the products. There is high possibility of art works urging consumers to save the environment as we might undergoes shortage or nature resources.

2) Indeed digital tools such as Photoshop has shorten the time but I do not find it make you creative unless you've totally mastered the tools. Obviously, you definitely could not create a creative art work if you have restriction due to unable to create the effect you wanted in digital tools. You would try to change and apply what is capable of and in the end you would back to the stereotype.
 

Eighth Week Assignment (Assignment 1)

Let put the random words / image association method into practice!

Our problem is to make people stop smoking and our random words is traffic light.



Logical mind map.

Copied From Mr Radzi Bedu's Slide

Here are my solution.

Eighth Day Of Creative Studies

Other than those two idea generation methods that I've talk about in my previous blog which are the associated mind map and juxtaposition, today I will explain a new method, random words / image association.

This is a technique to give disturbance or trouble to the brain to trigger conflict in brain to come out with good yet interesting solutions.

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=2BLxLdIfRf-_3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/why-making-a-choice-stresses-us-out/&docid=_BS1bctTkSQSDM&imgurl=http://www.futurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/choice2.jpg&w=525&h=358&ei=-3TJULv3M4OrrAfp8IGYAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=4&sig=107672751815343283239&page=4&tbnh=136&tbnw=208&start=72&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:83,s:0,i:339&tx=40&ty=104

But do bare in mind that good solutions is always simple and effective. It is easy to make things complicated but not simple.

As to choose an idea, always go to stupid idea as it will lead to innovation. If you go for the clever and genius idea there is a high chance of leading you back to the stereotypes. For example, Thomas Edision tested all the specimens even human hair to create a bulb filament. If he did not follow all the stupid idea, he may not create the filament out of bamboo. 

Alright, to apply this technique first we need a problem. In this case I will use my lecture, Mr Radzi Bedus's problem. The problem is to train a group of tutors within six months.

Then choose a random subject, anything is fine. Let say a monkey!

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=674&tbm=isch&tbnid=5F9JEgF6eBrVLM:&imgrefurl=http://borisroganmarsden.blogspot.com/2011/01/funny-monkey-wallpaper.html&docid=soi3_bJ0gSc3JM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2DfxRMlZJCCTHUX6ZkKAfPqfIfumrPpceSCfJQi3G9hFyvMymRu_3_UCIabUxmOPzpZAW49zLo5RsJ2zDxAeOdoiq3ru8Fb_BmE-es7GwmVCFEVtfvZvcEXoO7O8jsH3AlMULaJ3VS4/s1600/funny-monkey-ape-picture1.jpg&w=500&h=333&ei=8nrJUOeYPIftrQecnIHoCA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=562&sig=107672751815343283239&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=216&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:168&tx=119&ty=118

Now do a simple logical mind map on the subject just to do some brain storming.

Copied From Mr Radzi Bedu's Slide

Finally, look into the opportunity of the sub-subject to solve your problem.

For example zoo, when you think of zoo you think of cage and from cage maybe you lock your tutors every day for eight hour to study and after six months they will become a good tutors, or you can look into bananas. When you give bananas  to a monkey he will feel happy. Change the bananas into profit, money, so you give the tutors some money once they've researched on a subject and after six months they may become a good tutors. Last, tail. Tail is long like a long chain that can be hold. What if all the tutors holding a long tail? Oh, this bring to the idea of following the teacher's foot step. Force the tutors to follow everything that their teacher has done and after six months they will do things exactly like their teacher, thus will be a good tutor.

Interesting right? How random words can generate solutions. The idea is to create as much solution as possible then choose the most simplest and efficient.  

The method is slightly different than the juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is to use the subject directly where random words method is to look for the opportunity of the subject.

All the methods or techniques are good to create new idea without following the stereotypes. Certain methods may suit or more comfortable to certain people, so I'll leave it to you of what to be used. If you have another method you are most welcome to share with me.

    

Seventh Week Assignment (Assignment 1)

Have Fun To Plan Your Idea

In this blog I will show you the method to plan creative idea when you don't know where to start. This method will help a lot and it is fun. It may not work but at least you have an idea and it can prevent you from doing things by chances.

Let us begin then!

First list down two variables that you want to connect. For example, you want to create a phone that move, then your variables will be phone and move or you want to create an art work that looks fun, then your variables will be canvas and fun.

In this practice I will be using these.

Then once the variables have been chosen, list down the numbers randomly such as this.

Now is the fun part, choose 3 sets of pair numbers, for example 08, 12 and 00. I'll choose these then.

By using the chosen pairs refer back to your variables list and link them like 4 to 4, 3 to 3 and 6 to 3.

Following, turn them into groups such as ice mountain as group 1 and so on. Then make a sentence for each variable groups. Do not worry to get crazy to create funny sentences, as long as the grammar is correct and the sequence start with left variable then the right it will do!

Alright, since you already have the ideas then start drawing it out! This is not easy as some sentences may seem ridiculous and hard to be drawn just like the 63 but hey, this is how you get your creativity! 

With that, you have successfully created some ideas. Once again they may not work but at least you have an idea to start with, it is always better than having nothing you know! 

Alright now we shall move on to conceptual thinking to create another type of metaphor. With the concepts above try to create something that will make people say for example light mountain at their first gaze. You can create anything as long as it work.

You need not follow the meaning of the words. Words that sound like light for example will also do, such as light as like then you create a Facebook like button in front of a mountain thus "like mountain". Anyway just get creative!

The End!

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Just Something Extra

Indeed in design we use metaphor to make our design looks interesting but sometimes it does not works if we've merged the wrong concept together. For example,

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=tvNTfon7MsJftM:&imgrefurl=http://siriyaphonn.blogspot.com/&docid=LIhLdlyI_1PFJM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rtZcUrWHmKTJSBUzj2s4om1pt9UUY4opODdKuS1sr7VMrhA9chlsOBc_bND53dmHFamXZ-ToHQkCS4MrrRUypQ-KHVM8XuyLYKmptb4zTWRg4WSge9krXEYAbieuDAzW1ORineAtKoH9/s320/merger.jpg&w=320&h=262&ei=eFLEUOjDJM6zrAej4YDgAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=355&sig=107672751815343283239&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=174&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:111&tx=86&ty=86

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=A6uNd6Vz8RzbsM:&imgrefurl=http://nemu-chan.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-mergers-go-wrong.html&docid=NRXaskMBBFep8M&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5z__ztWNI3P2t28cMsAjMEBXmsV6ZHnC4p8Xsm6vo9qSVEp78bMnt2gj9k9dv-kwmgR-lvWsybPda_hPXHurnGr1eGlaRpShZ-V1bPQwSiz9pq0mvcFf5y-_ivKANOQ4hem-4LB3zrh86/s400/untitled.bmp&w=320&h=263&ei=eFLEUOjDJM6zrAej4YDgAg&zoom=1

This is my design of merges go wrong!

But once you've merged the correct concepts it definitely looks interesting.  

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=Uk_t1Dflrb8kwM:&imgrefurl=http://www.joecrazy.com/weirdest-advertisements/&docid=OKkzN7rN1FhkCM&imgurl=http://www.joecrazy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/funny_ads_11.jpg&w=326&h=339&ei=KlTEUIW_DYXJrQeqxIDYBg&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?start=100&num=10&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=PQG1Bgta6ghoVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.topdesignmag.com/30-creative-advertisements-that-will-make-you-buy-their-products/&docid=oeceR9xzecwbHM&imgurl=http://www.topdesignmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/23.-funny-ad.jpg&w=600&h=900&ei=n1TEUKiuCY7SrQe-0IDQBw&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=CXZMbGLVXch7BM:&imgrefurl=http://www.inewidea.com/2012/07/12/48294.html&docid=2WED5RTrrLRj2M&imgurl=http://www.inewidea.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/20120713009.jpg&w=450&h=296&ei=IlXEUJPZJMbtrAergoGYBQ&zoom=1

Please do follow this link to see more funny merges! Trust me, it is funny and interesting!
http://www.wokay.com/inspirations/32-funny-print-ads-crazy-but-creative-nutty-hilarious-58623.html




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A Little Bit More


Now, let's practice a bit to apply metaphor in poem.

Haha, how was my poem? I actually quite like my last. No offence, it just came across my head when my friend was mumbling how unreasonable his girlfriend was. Anyway hope you enjoy! 

Seventh Day Of Creative Studies

We will be looking into juxtaposition  in this blog which I've found quite important for designers.

Juxtaposition can be described as two things or variables placed near together to allow brain to generate their relationship or meaning. For example

http://www.google.com.my/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:%7Breferrer:source%3F%7D&rlz=1I7RNWN_enMY334&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=8uMcWBaqM47KnM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.persnicketyprints.com/2011/12/juxtaposition.html&docid=g8EwzZSY-0bd0M&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphqvHEPWv_SszDkBth97kwloNb1A81T5G0oGXz2dGiBFCrB6rBAUIWDtwU9-a0nnHc8d3TqlrtKyEs5wg7KTfZ8JrGSBPTna_P5LWWvtO8FeeiUu4D7zPsYh-NvqzbOSTvB-JxeFbGO61/s1600/ArmouredJuxtaposition.jpg&w=600&h=496&ei=2KjKUNKXOsyHrAeu3ID4Dg&zoom=1

Sometime, juxtaposition is some how associated with analogy which is putting two variables that do not have any connection but have some similarities in some respects and make sense due to context or to explain. It is often expressed by using metaphor or simile and they are combined with objective. For example, the soldier is like an elephant. Notice that soldier and elephant do not have any connection but we know that if we describe someone like an elephant it brings a meaning of strong and this is analogy. Analogy does not only happen in words but also in figures. For example, Donald Duck is a combination of a duck and a human.

http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=631&tbm=isch&tbnid=jM4vhPh4UI8KvM:&imgrefurl=http://amazngwallpapers.blogspot.com/2011/08/donald-duck.html&docid=OXgAncuGL23cDM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdWWSUPzKdxITjavWEzsB9JRpU4JGIEnAVT8szhETSRsmWx7TOsZIJFgTNgcgObjBsis4GL8U4Jq2yzc5_WSQ6pICUf99MBnMFMseUcs02uDZPHFGdRh8aQdRQ46dkQtlsGlbz_G71AQ/s1600/donald-duck-wallpaper-5.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=mCG_ULS2K4KQrgfg0YGQCw&zoom=1



In order a juxtaposition to make sense we need to build the context and the context is usually built from ones experiences. Miss communication always happens when a person does not have the experience on the context and thus juxtaposition will not form. As a Malaysian, of course we know it is a compliment when someone says we are like a mouse-deer but the foreigners may feel insulted if we describe them as a mouse-deer because they do not have the experience of mouse-deer symbolized wise. Thus it is important to choose a proper context so that people understand the juxtaposition.

A good designer will create art works that can be understand by people. They know that creating something good is important but as well as to communicate with the users. If there is no communication in you art works (they will not understand your works), your creation is nothing but a self-referential statement and will not interest the users.

Always prevent creating semiotic noises in juxtaposition. Semiotic noise is when images or words have double or more meanings. For example, the word present has the meaning of now, also the opposite of absent (exist) and gift, thus semiotic noises may cause wrong interpretation. There are two types of analogy in juxtaposition. One is logical analogy (applying other things into creation), such as the supportive iron rods originated from the idea of human bones applied into the Eiffel Tower and two is effective analogy (where used conceptual to describe things), a concept thought such as like a bee (hardworking).


Iron rods in the Eiffel Tower

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/books/review/Weber-t.html

Sixth Week Assignment (Assignment 1)

This week assignment was apparently an exercise to use an associated mind map to generate new concept as well as new idea. The exercise was based on Mr. Radzi Bedu's associated mind map on Mortar & Pestle. It was interesting as we have to imagine ourselves as people from 200012 in the future who are doing research to find out what did Mortar & Pestle do back in the centuries.



Associated mind map.

Copied from Mr. Radzi Bedu's associated mind map.

We were asked to choose three key words to generate three concepts and from each concept generate an idea.


I have choosen the key words religion, school and hair for my concepts. Enjoy my idea!