Laura's Creative Inspiration - Rationale

When I read the brief for the summer project i.e. keeping this creative blog, I was not looking forward to it. Keeping a blog or any kind of diary is not something I have done for a long time, and I thought I would have to pretend to be inspired by things in order to post enough entries. However, I have actually really enjoyed the project having found it intellectually and creatively stimulating, and I can see myself continuing to add to “Laura’s Creative Inspiration”, even after the deadline has passed.

Writing this blog has made me realise how much I enjoy analysing things, especially design, and the advantageous and disadvantageous effects it can have. Looking down the ‘labels’ list for my blog posts, advertising is the category that contains more posts than any other, and I think this is strongly reflective of my interest in advertising, what makes it work, and most importantly why. One of the entries I enjoyed writing the most was the post about the Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising. I visited the museum purely in the interest of this summer project, but in hindsight I’m glad I had the excuse to go as I thoroughly enjoyed my trip there, spending over two hours looking at the fantastic collection of artefacts, some of which date back to over a century ago. What really struck me, as I walked through the ‘decades’, was the extent to which packaging design and product advertising has changed in just over a century, and it fascinates me to wonder what advertising and branding will look like, say, fifty years from now.

What the future holds for advertising could be extraordinary. Another post that really got me thinking was the entry on CBS Outdoor digital advertising and the London Underground. The amount of digital information a human being must process in a day must be vast, but we are so used to it now that we don’t even think about it until we suddenly don’t have access to it, or if it springs up in a new situation, turning another aspect of our daily lives electronic. Marketing of products has come such a long way even in my lifetime; some of the ideas that companies and brands have come up with for their products – for example, the Toyota IQ typeface – are so unique and clever that I sometimes wonder how anyone managed to come up with something like that, something that just works.

I was also really inspired by the websites that I wrote about in the blog. Company websites are clearly present to provide a way of informing customers about the product(s) and/ or service(s) that they provide, but also they are a form of self-promotion in themselves. Nowadays, with programmes such as Flash which allows animation and interaction, it is not just about what a website is saying, but just as importantly how it gets the message across to potential clients and consumers. Is their message memorable? Will written information alone be enough to convince somebody to buy their product / service?

I did not write much on my blog about things that did not inspire me, but from what I did write, I think I have discovered why these things in question failed to interest me, and I have made a link between that material and the work that I really do appreciate. After my visit to the St Ives Tate, I came away feeling dissatisfied about what I had seen, but also guilty, and angry for not feeling inspired by the gallery’s contents. In my entry about the Tate, I have said that I think this is down to the fact that I did not understand much of the modern art there, and found it hard to appreciate as I did not know the meaning behind it, or why it had been created. Comparing this modern art to the advertising I have written about, there is a distinct difference. The modern art in the St Ives Tate had no explanation, no clear message, and thus I gained no understanding of the work. Good advertising however, always conveys the intended message very clearly, but also usually in a very striking, humorous or clever way. I always feel satisfied when looking at great advertising, getting the feeling: “I wish I had come up with that”, and conveying information in such a way is something that I strive to achieve. I hope that one day someone will say the same thing about my work!

Looking back on this set of creative reviews, I have come away feeling that I would like to look more into the effect that advertising can have. I want to look at how it affects people emotionally, how it affects their buying habits and to what extent it can affect brand loyalty. Take for example, iPod advertising. Have Apple ever done a bad iPod advert? Their posters are simple yet eye catching, bright and full of energy; their TV adverts always feature a contemporary pop song that leaves one in a cheerful mood; their email updates always leave one with a desperate desire for the latest product. I want to know how Apple, and other companies alike, ensure that their advertising consistently works, and how as a brand it has managed to get the world to call all mp3 players iPods, whether they are or not.

I plan to look into brand identity for my dissertation, researching how brands have developed over the last decade and what has caused them to do so. Has the purpose of brand identity changed? And if so, why? I also plan to look at advertising for my independent project, as I feel this is my main area of interest and equally where my strengths lie. I would like to create a piece of advertising to try and combat a serious world issue, for example the need to conserve energy resources and therefore recycle, as I feel that the future of upcoming generations lies in our hands, and we should be using the strength of advertising to help fight these growing problems.

The Greedy Zebra

Everybody has a favourite childhood book, or at least a select few that they remember with fond nostalgia. Mine include 'Peepo!', "The Tiger Who Came To Tea' and 'The Hungry Caterpillar' to name just a few, but another of my very favourites is 'The Greedy Zebra', possibly a lesser known tale but equally as good. Looking back on it now from a design perspective, I wonder if I really had been interested on the effect that design has from such a young age!

The book tells the story of how all animals got their coats, and explains that one day a whole load of different fabric appears in a cave in the jungle. The pictures in the book show that all the jungle animals used to be a white-ish grey colour, and whoever was fastest to the cave determined who would get the nicest coat. The zebra in the story was very greedy, and kept stopping to eat along his way to the cave. Ultimately, he was the last animal to reach the cave, where there was only one tiny piece of black fabric left. The zebra pulls it on nevertheless but because he is so fat from all the eating, the fabric splits in a zig zag fashion, and this is how the greedy zebra got his stripes!

My favourite thing about childhood stories like this is the idea behind the story; in this book the original interpretation by the author for how animals are coloured and patterned in the way that they are. The illustrations are great, too, and really capture the overall tone of the story!

Enneagram

"The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life", is a book by Helen Palmer that my aunt Julia introduced me to. My aunt is one of those people who loves self-understanding, analysing personality types and just generally trying to make sense on oneself and those that surround them.

The word 'enneagram' is described in a dictionary as follows: 'a system of spiritual psychology based on an ancient Sufi typology of nine personality types or primary roles with the recognition of one's type tantamount to a spiritual awakening'. Essentially, there are thought to be 9 main personality types in the world, and everybody is supposed to be able to fit one of the types, more than any other type. The book aims to help people by trying to get them to figure out which type they are most like, and the reasons for why they might be as they are. The book explains how different personality types react in different ways, to different situations and towards different people. It also explains what certain personality types' generalised strengths are, what their weaknesses are, what they aspire to be and what they fear most. It is a very interesting book, and from having read parts on the different personality types I did feel as though I could associate myself to one of the types more than the others. It was helpful towards self-understanding, especially at the time that I read it, as for people my age many of us are still finding out who we are, and who we want to be.

The difficulty I have with the book though is the way it does seem to pigeon-hole people. The sheer number of people in this world, and the fact that there are only 9 different types of personality does seem to be fairly ridiculous, and it takes away the idea that each person in the world is said to be unique.

However, pigeon-holing aside, I think overall the book could be very useful, especially for going into a career where one is dealing with many different people and having to communicate effectively. Understanding the different personality types and finding out effective ways of dealing with the different types would, in my opinion, prove to be beneficial to both parties in a professional / working environment. I have not read the whole of the book before, but I think I will make it a personal aim to try and read it within the next year!

Leeds Corn Exchange

Leeds has a huge array of historical and beautiful buildings in and around the city, but by far my favourite has to be the Corn Exchange. Apparently Leeds Corn Exchange is now only one of 3 corn exchanges in the UK that "still operates in its traditional capacity as a centre for trade". Designed by Cuthbert Broderick, an architect from Hull that also designed Leeds Town Hall, the Corn Exchange was completed in 1864, and stands proudly in the heart of the city centre as a cultural icon, much like the Parkinson Building.

In the '80s the Corn Exchange turned into a shopping centre and opened for trade in 1990. A shopping centre is how I remember seeing the corn exchange for the first time, but it has now closed as a mall - aside from a few upmarket boutiques - and now the entire ground level is devoted to the restaurant 'Anthony's Piazza', and I feel that the space is much more aptly used in this way. The interior of the building is so beautiful, and for some reason reminds me of an old fashioned cruise liner like, for example, the Titanic. I think this may be due to the roof, and also the fact that it is a very open area. I can imagine that hiring out the Corn Exchange would make for a fantastic party or wedding reception, I would love to see it fulfil that kind of function!

Before the conversion to a shopping mall in the '80s, there was discussion of the building being turned into an area for other functions, on of which was a concert hall - much like the Royal Albert Hall. Who knows, maybe in a decade or so the building will be converted again and we could be sitting inside listening to orchestra symphonies instead of having coffee!

The 'Contortionist' - Folding Bike

Folding bikes seem to be all the rage at the moment, attracting commuting businessmen and women all over the UK not to mention other budding bicyclists! One bike in particular seems to have caught the attention of many - The Contortionist. Designed by 24 year old Dominic Hargreaves, who graduated from the Royal College of Art, The Contortionist has a unique selling point - the fact that all its components can be folded to fit to the circumference of the 26 inch wheel. Mr Hargreaves hopes that the bike will soon go on the market for around £400. The Contortionist has also been shortlisted for the James Dyson award for international design. Good luck to Dominic!

Design For Life

Philippe Starck is a French product designer and is one of the most famous designers in the New Design style. He designs a huge range of products ranging from high tech and industrial objects to bathroom furniture and clothes! He has won numerous awards including Designer of the Year, the Grand Prix for Industrial Design and the Design Oscar.

'Design for Life' is a BBC tv programme on Monday nights at 9pm on BBC2. It was set up by Philippe Starck as he believes there hasn't been a design revolution since Terence Conran in the 60s, and he is looking for a new designer that will revolutionise design as we know it today. A huge number of people applied to be on the show, and Starck whittled the number down to 12 students whose futures the show will follow throughout the series. Starck will send the weakest students home as and when he feels necessary, and at the end of the series one student will be awarded a 6 month placement at his design agency.

This sounds like a great programme to watch, I loved the Apprentice, and this seems like the Apprentice for product designers! I think it'll be really interesting not only from a design point of view, but also because a revolutionary product of our futures may evolve in the weeks this show is on!

You can view Philippe Starck's website here, and watch 'Design for Life' on BBC2 at 9pm on Mondays.

Oxjam

"Whatever you're into, Oxjam is your chance to fight poverty with music". I think this is a great campaign that Oxfam have come up with; it was set up in 2006 and since then has raised over £1 million to help fight poverty around the world! I think that when charities branch out like this and expand their opportunities for raising money, it makes the charity much more appealing, especially to a younger market. After these gigs as well it is likely that people who attended will develop brand loyalty and donate their unwanted clothes to Oxfam rather than other charity shops. It's all about brand awareness! Especially when the aim is helping a good cause!

Got Milk?

Got Milk? is a fun and interactive website that exists purely to outline and exaggerate the benefits of drinking milk! You can play games with different characters that relate to different advantages of including milk in your diet, and find out about the Got milk? brand. The site's flash animations remind me of the sort of thing we had to do in the web module last year, and although effective the animations don't look too difficult. Very cute though!

Section Seven

I came across this website for a small creative design & development office and was just struck by their really original online portfolio design. I just find it really neat, and the design makes it much more interesting to look through than if the projects and clients were just written in a list. Click here to see Section Seven's website.

The Toyota IQ Typeface

'Happiness Brussels' wanted to create an original ad campaign for the compact Toyota for Europe - the Toyota IQ. They had the idea of designing a typeface that the car would create itself by driving the shape of the letters and numbers. They hired a professional race pilot called Stef van Campenhoudt to do the driving, and 2 typographers from the agency "Please Let Me Design" to create the shapes made by the car into a typeface. Pretty unique idea! You can see a 'making of' video by clicking here.

Bourbon Flyers

Again, during Freshers' Fair, I came across these A5 flyers for Bourbon bar in Leeds city centre. For those that have been to Bourbon, you will agree with me that it's really not the most stylish of places (although we love it for it's fantastic Tuesday nights of great music and very cheap drinks!)

However, I think these flyers really are quite stylish. Black is often used in excess to try and make things seem sleek and classy, and I know that in class we have been advised against it by the lecturers in some cases in our design projects. But I think Bourbon has done a good job and the simplistic logos on the front of the flyers, varying in colour depending on the night of the week work really well and give Bourbon a slick image. So even if people don't keep going back to Bourbon for it's stylishness, I think the leaflets will encourage to them to go there for that reason initially!

Freshers' Fair and Free Condoms

Like most Leeds students, last week I visited the Freshers' Fair with hope of bagging some decent freebies. There are loads of different freebies that companies give out at the Freshers' Fair, most commonly pens, keyrings, flyers, sweets, and this year - condoms in huge abundance!

I must have counted about 10 condoms given to me by different companies, and it's great that so many are concerned about students and safe sex, especially the nightclubs that are also encouraging crazy nights with lots of cheap alcoholic drinks on offer (we all know where that can lead)! 2 condoms caught my eye especially though: one which was in a silver coloured light metal case (by condom essential wear), and another in a G.I. Jonny packet!

G.I. Jonny is part of a 2 month campaign by the BBC to inform the British population about the rising number of HIV cases in the UK, and the packet features the picture of an action man model - who we can only assume is G.I. Jonny, whose tagline is "To inform and protect". I think it's quite an effective way of getting information across, as the shape and size of the packet makes it clear that there is a Durex condom inside, so people will want to pick it up to get the free condom. To get access to it though one needs to open up the packet , and when opened the inside reveals information and facts about HIV. G.I. Jonny also has a website where one can create their own G.I. and watch sketches of him in action etc.

I think the silver condom case by Condom Essential Wear is more about having something stylish yet inconspicuous, and by keeping condoms in a case like that may make people feel that having and using condoms is stylish too.

2 different ways of encouraging safe sex, yet completely different approaches.

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge

On my recent visit to Newcastle, my boyfriend took me on a tour of the city which included a walk by the river Tyne, and along the way I really enjoyed looking at the bridges that cross the river. My favourite was this, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, for its architectural originality and the fact that it is the world's only tilting bridge! Unfortunately I didn't get to see it tilt as it only tilts once a day at 12.00pm, but apparently as it does it looks like the eyelid of a giant eye blinking. According to the bridge website, each tilt takes 4 minutes to occur. It must be a very sleepy eye!

Chuck Close

Ever since I first saw the work of Chuck Close in the San Francisco MOMA a few years ago, I was immediately captivated by his incredible style of painting. I love the way he treats each square in his images like it alone were a masterpiece in itself. I also admire his passion and determination to paint, as he has very limited mobility resulting from an accident a few years ago. Each little square that makes up his portraits has, I think, a cellular quality about it in appearance, which relates in a pleasing way to the fact that cells make up all living beings.

For part of my A level art coursework I had to write an essay about an artist, and Chuck Close was my subject. I wanted to explore his painting style and discuss whether it could be classified as art, as he paints in such a scientific way. My essay was entitled "Chuck Close - Man or Machine?" As I worked my way through the essay I decided that it's nobody and everybody's right to decide what art is for themselves. (Back to the 'what is art?' debate again!) In my mind, Chuck Close has the mind of a man, but the skills of a machine. His work is well worth taking a look at; it is very graphically and perfectionistically done and is very pleasing to look at, from all distances, as the effect is completely different close-up to far away.

Fame!

I've just come back from seeing "Fame" at the cinema, and one thing I noticed at least 3 times on different items of clothing worn by the characters was the product placement of "Lacoste"! This isn't usually something I pick up on very often when at the movies so either they did a pretty good job for Lacoste, or all things advertising / marketing are on my mind at the moment due to this blog and the deadline looming!

"Yes Man" by Danny Wallace

I read "Yes Man" by Danny Wallace a few years ago, and after reading it I was inspired to tell as many people I knew as possible to read it, for its fantastic humour value but also to help people realise how good you feel about yourself when you say yes to opportunities that come up! I told so many people about it, and lent the book to so many friends that I actually have no idea where it is now, but hope that people are still passing it on!

The book tells the true story of Danny Wallace's experience being a 'Yes Man'. He is inspired one day by a man that he meets on a London bus, and decides that from then on he is going to say yes to any opportunity that comes his way. However, only he and his best friend know this so that people won't take advantage of him and ask him for money etc.

The book is very funny. It makes you realise how many opportunities really do come our way every day, whether in the form of questions from friends, invitations, advertisements for products in the form of orders e.g. "Subscribe to *magazine* today!" or things like spam emails. We have so many options these days that it is so easy to say no. E.g. someone from uni that you don't know very well invites you to a party via facebook, purely because you are on their list of friends and you help to make up numbers for their party, but they don't really care if you show up or not. The obvious answer is no, right? Much easier not to go, not to socialise with lots of people that you don't know, not to pay the bus fare to get to their house (which you don't know the location of) and you won't really be missed as the host didn't really care in the first place whether you showed up or not. But what if you did go? You might hear some great music from a band you didn't know about before, or hear some really funny stories, or meet someone you really get on with and end up making a friend for life; it could be anything really. It might be crap, but you'd never know what you'd missed if you didn't give it a go. This is the kind of thing that Danny Wallace was faced with on at least a daily basis, and saying no just wasn't an option anymore.

Saying yes to everything got Danny into various crazy situations, meant he did have to spend quite a lot of money, swept laziness completely of the table but most of all enabled him to have a lot of fun, and really gain something from his experience. I'm not saying that after reading the book that I went out there and said yes to everything though; especially being a student I don't have nearly enough time or money to do something like that, and plus - everyone likes being able to be a bit lazy sometimes! However it is a really inspirational read and after having read it I do try and take more of the opportunities that do come my way, and so far it has paid off!

CBS Outdoor - Digital Advertising and the London Underground

I think I am at an age now where I am really starting to notice the constant developments that are occurring in technology. I remember when my parents told me stories like "I remember the first time I watched a TV programme on a colour TV - it was amazing!" I feel like I am beginning to store up stories like this myself now; having grown up through the huge developments that have been made by mobile phones, portable music players, computers - that it fascinates me to wonder what sort of thing will be around in 10 years if this is how far we've come since 10 years ago.

Living only a short train ride away from central London, I am very familiar with the London Underground and the advertising situations that are present in the stations: up and down the escalator walls, on the sides of the corridors, on the trains, on the walls across the tracks. There is a lot of waiting involved when traveling on the tube, whether it be waiting to get to the bottom of the escalator, waiting for the train to arrive, waiting for one's stop whilst traveling on the tube or waiting to get to the top of the escalator in order to exit the station upon arrival, so you can imagine that advertisements placed in tube stations are observed by thousands, and welcomed to help pass the time during the wait. In fact, according to CBS Outdoor, 87% of commuters welcome Tube advertising - more so than any other form of advertising (TV: 26%, roadside 6s: 37%) The London Commuter Research 2005.

If that many people welcome static advertising i.e. posters, banners etc, imagine how many people welcome it now that much of it is becoming digital! It was only a matter of time really, until this happened, and I'm sure it was envisaged and expected by a huge amount of people, but still it is a big change when something you are you used to - in this case Underground static advertising - makes a big step in development. Last time I was on the Tube, I didn't see people just glancing at the adverts, but rather staring at them, addicted to the moving images on the screens as people now are so used to digital pictures and entertainment in so many aspects of their lives: television, mobile phones, computers, iPods, games consoles - the list goes on.

As commendable a step in the technological world this is, it still makes me a little sad, and makes me wonder if in future years still images just won't be enough for people anymore. There's so many fantastic pieces of static advertising out there, really clever stuff that doesn't need moving images to make it effective. Posters and banners also save a lot of electricity which is something these advertising companies should probably be thinking about, but I guess that digital advertising saves the trees so it's hard to know who to root for. Anyway I'm it's only another matter of time until we'll be able to watch TV on the Tube screens, or interact with them somehow, but what will be after that? The future is an exciting and scary thing and I guess we just have to enjoy the ride!

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Directed by Peter Webber, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, Girl with a Pearl Earring is quite a quiet but striking film based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. By quiet I mean that it is not a movie bursting with conversation, but more focuses on the subtlety of body language and interaction. Whilst I was watching the film I felt that what I could understand from the characters' expressions and the eye contact made between the actors said much more than the words spoken.

The movie tells the story of the artist Vermeer (Firth), and the maid to his household, Griet (Johansson), and the interest he shows in her as well as her deep interest and understanding of his work. Although quiet, the film holds much tension, as we can tell that there is a connection between Griet and Vermeer, but of course nothing ever happens between them. Griet helps Vermeer mix his paints, and as the film goes on he makes more and more excuses for her to spend most of her time working in his studio. Pieter Van Ruijven takes an interest in Griet, and commissions Vermeer to paint a portrait of her for him. This is when the film holds the greatest tension as Vermeer's wife becomes very jealous, and Vermeer and Griet become more intimate as he paints her. As the film's tagline describes, "She gave him a look that would last forever.."

The film was nominated for 3 Oscars and won numerous awards. The story is a lovely take on how such a striking and beautiful painting came about, and the film, like the painting, is a masterpiece.

Fermat's Room (La habitación de Fermat)

La habitación de Fermat is a Spanish thriller in which 4 mathematicians are invited by who they know to be one of the greatest mathematicians (a man under by pseudonym of Fermat) to solve an enigma in a secret location. In order to choose these guests, Fermat sent out a puzzle to a large number of mathematicians that he knew of, and only those who managed to solve this puzzle were invited to meet him, and solve another - or so the guests thought! When they arrive at the secret location they discover that they have in fact been tricked and the room they are in gradually begins to close in on themselves if they do not manage to solve each puzzle they are presented with in the given time.

The film keeps you on your toes, and it is quite enjoyable too, to try and work out the puzzles yourself before the characters do! The only problem is that as the film is in Spanish, one has to make sure to read the subtitles in order to know what is going on, but as it is a thriller we want to keep focused on the screen as well, so in parts of the film, as it becomes more tense, it is hard to choose between the two!

The film is directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopeña, and has won numerous festival awards. It's a great thriller with a twist and good too if you enjoy maths or logic problems!

Fiona Crisp - Subterrania

One of the exhibitions I did see at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art was the Subterrania photography exhibition by Fiona Crisp. Crisp is an artist who has become known for creating installations of large-scale photographs that question the ontological presence of the photographic image. Her current exhibition shows photographs which, at first glance, do not really seem linked, but they unite in the fact that they are all of sites of some historical importance or interest, but are now open as tourist sites.

The Subterrania series of photographs all create a strong sense of three dimensional space, and when one looks at the pictures we are overcome by the intensity of the interiors; the pictures almost suck you in and make you feel like you are there. There is also a forceful sense of direction in the photographs; we are made to look forward, almost through the pictures as if seeing the route by which we can escape, if the intensity becomes too strong.

Crisp has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally, and is represented by Matt's Gallery, London and is held in the collections of The Tate Gallery, The Government Art Collection, The Arts Council Collection, Worcester City Art Gallery and private collections.