COP 3 Lecture: Introduction

A heavily academic module which links together theory and practice.

Learning outcomes.
6A1: Demonstrate an independent and critical understanding of the aesthetic, cultural, historical, technological, social, political or other contexts. (Develop own opinions and critical thinking based on reading and research

6B1: Evidence the ability to use logic, reasoning and critical judgement to analyse ideas from a range of primary and secondary resources and employ critical and theoretical methodologies to evaluate examples from the relevant subject discipline. (Use a variety of research methods)

^C1: Evidence the capacity for understanding a wide range of (quality not quantity research, how it informs)

D1: Organise, plan and effectively manage self directed projects and communicate outcomes through written and other appropriate forms (communication and self organisation)

A4: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the synthesis between the theoretical and practical contexts of their own creative forms. (Make the practical link to the theoretical)

Proposal Form:

Think about the idea in detail, how could it synthesise with the practical work, consider both effectively.  Think about the project in depth and research thoroughly over summer to make certain that both practical and theoretical elements will work together and are well supported. Consider all aspects in detail.

List Context of Practice 1 and 2 essay titles/topics.

Try to define a subject
Be as specific as you possibly can
Think about it then be more specific again


(add diagram)

OUGD501: Practical Research

For the practical I have expanded from posters on many subjects to a campaign about one subject, the innate human need of status. For this I will be producing a poster, magazine ad in a few different contexts and a film advertisement (using found footage of products that rely on status). In comparison to what I usually look at (women's issues and feminism) Ive decided to research into the use of innate needs in mens adverts to fully understand the forms of pressure that are put upon male audiences and how adverts feel they can target them. 

To begin I needed to start with looking at lost of pre existing adverts that use status as one of their main selling points these products include; cars, watches, expensive alcohol, male cologne/aftershave and gadgets.

Cologne:

Printed Ads

When it comes to perfume/aftershave/cologne adverts there seems to be a definitive 'look' that advertisers refuse to break. Black and white, stare at the camera, nice suit, draped token lady and product in the bottom right corner. They look practically identical which I think it funny, I'd never noticed how similar before I began comparing them. The status from these types of adverts come in the form of nice clothes, sex appeal and power. The strong stare at the audience almost says 'I'm better than you, you know it and product x is the reason why'.

TV Ads

So what are the cliches? They are all topless at some point or we get a flash of muscles. They all have a woman of desire that the cologne helps them get; a woman who is mesmerised and instantly turned on by his smell. People tend to crowd round them, they are all in black and white (though some exceptions add colour once the product is shown as the smell ads colour). They all have a random soundtrack, mostly music very little lyrics.

Watches:

Printed Ads

Like with the cologne all these images are very similar when you place them next to each other though there are changes to the aftershave ads. The men don't look at you, they look away, the product is the centred image (or at least the most eye catching thing and the man second. It states that this product makes the man, he doesn't not make the product, selling status through watches. In contrast a smell can't really be something you can photograph so instead they rely on the effects of the smell to sell the product rather than the product itself, it's nice to have colour back in the images though and a lack of draped women. 

TV Ads

In those ads when people are not getting naked, having threesomes and romping around they stare dramatically at the camera and pose with watches. In comparison to the printed adverts it seems the product is the least important factor. Instead the feeling, tone, music and people are the centre of attention with quick changing shots fitted to music, we only ever get glimpses of the product. This makes it mysterious, curious and something we want to see more of.  There are no gender specific watch adverts, it seems they include men and women as a whole and so rely on sex more than status to sell the product. Though in further analysis of mens adverts and tv commercials it seems sex for males is strongly linked to status and so I feel when I produce my campaign I can't mutually exclude the two.

Car Adverts:

Printed Ads

TV Ads

OUGD501: COP 3 Proposal

BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form

Name:

Rosalyn Halford

E-mail:

rh251701@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN

Level 4:

analysis of art and graphic design

Level 5:

unethical and persuasive advertising

AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT

To what extent can Graphic Design change lives?

What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?

An understanding of how design can change lives. Analysis of effective design examples that have made a difference. Full understanding of the extent ‘changes lives’ reaches, single lives, nations, etc.

What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and  tools are to be involved in research into your practice?

Exhibition visits, lectures based on design making changes and interviews with various designers. Various secondary sources, texts, books, articles and magazines.

What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?  Acquiring secondary reading material, planning exhibition or lecture visits

What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?

Previous examples understanding who they were aimed at, fully understand the problems they solved and who they were solved for. Perhaps discovering new problems to find solutions for in relation to practical work.

Primary Sources of Information
1. Description	The Design Museum
Location	London
2. Description	Interviews with Designers
Location	Skype/In Person/E-mail
3. Description	?
Location

Secondary Sources of Information
1.	Do Good Design, David B. Berman
2.	The Design Activist’s Handbook, Noah Scalin and Michelle Taute
3.	Citizen Designer, Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne
4.	Just Design, Christopher Simmons
5.	365 Ways to Change the World, Micheal Norton
6.	?

Perceived problems or difficulties:

Broad subject, difficult to narrow down. Finding extra primary resources and academic texts, most texts surrounding the subject don’t appear to be very in depth. Not really an argument or analysis, may be difficult to structure and write final essay. Compete unknown as to what practical work will go with the essay- this needs to be considered further.

COP3: Dissertation- Library Research Lecture

Estudio Library Page and it's resources:
J-stor (articles)
InfoTrac
Sconul Access (For passes to other university libraries

Notes for Dissertation research:
Focus your topic- know what you're going to research, know your title.
e.g.
The role of costume within the film 'A Taste of Honey'- a good concise title
Did western society ever need cars; are they a necessity and how have they contributed to the formation of the urban environment?- an overly waffly and difficult to pin the research based title (the and has given him a very difficult topic to research and has given him the equivalent work of two essays.)


Create a diagram based on question helping you narrow down research, visualise the essay and give you a jumping off point for books on topics  (see diagram on lecture slides)


Primary and Secondary Research
Primary- gathering your own original data
Secondary (scholarship)- reading up on the subject, making use if the research and findings of others for corroboration, disagreement, triangulation, theoretical underpinning etc.


Primary Research Methods
Visual practice, experiment, interest and enquiry (research and critical diaries)
Questionnaires (qualitative/quantitative)- do a pilot questionnaire first
Interviews
Case Study
Site Visits

Secondary Research Methods/Literature Search 1
Books
Journals
Websites/Blogs/On-line Forums
Videos/DVDs
CDs/Tape Cassettes/Vinyl Recordings
TV/Radio
Newspapers/Maps/Reports
Printed Ephemera

With academic books look at the introduction/abstract for chapter/book summary in order to shorten amount of reading and to go directly to what you need. To find more sources use the books bibliography to inform further reading.

Searching for books
www.bl.co.uk- The British Library


Journal Search
InfoTrac- store of online magazine articles
infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/leedscad
J-Stor- store of magazine articles, can only be used in college
www.j-stor.org
E books- Required login and password from the library
www.athens.ac.uk
Google Scholar- For articles
scholar.google.co.uk