Lecture 1 cont - The Role of Art & Design

Art & Design is a complex subject, designers take a great amount of time to consider how something should look and the impact that will have on the end user.

We design things for;
Aesthetically pleasing qualities
We want things to look nice around us, its main purpose is decorative

Impact & Influence (Advertising)
Advertising, media, press, politics, peer pressure - all these things want to influence the way we perceive something and then change the way we feel about them.

Communication
To visually communicate a message of some description.


Evokes emotion
For a cause, a political campaign, a point of view


Identification (values/standards)
Creates and provides a feeling of belonging

Manufactured (Counter culture)

Consumer/Capitalist Culture

Need v's Want/Desire
An example of this would be the Mac 'i' products, there are hundreds of different models of MP3 player available on the market, often cheaper than the Apple version, however because of its design and popularity, people perceive this product as the best one to have and to own. An item that is not essential to living (it plays music) but is on everyones list of something they need to own.

In my own study I have been looking at how images are used in  different ways in advertising and in publications through commercial and editorial photography.
In these examples they want to appeal to a target audience to influence their opinion or buying habits, by taping into the above.
By better knowing the target audience (demographics) the better they can communicate the message they have to deliver and in a marketing environment, drive the consumer culture.
As each image will have multiple readings and purposes, it is an indication of why art & design; and communication theory is a complex issue.

Advert for a watch. Linking the quality of the watch to the 'unstoppable' characteristics of a famous american footballer. The image links the two and uses celebrity endorsement to influence the viewers opinion of the product. The word "Unstopable' is used repetitively to re-inforce the message that is communicated. The ad also makes use of brand logo's which themselves will already have an identity that appeals to a certain demographic. It is a product which is manufactured and made, and the sale of items will drive the profitability of the company.

The way the image is lit and pictured, shows a product of good build quality, with the light 'flare' illustrating the message that the watch runs from sunlight and does not need a battery.

In this campaign for a children's charity, the images are the main focus of the full page, with little text, so this has to communicate as much as is possible to the viewer.
The image is set in a neutral home environment, so that anyone could relate to the setting; it is not something that indicates a class or a social standing.
The children dresses in light neutral and white colours, blonde hair eye are almost the epitome of angelic perfect infants; again to appeal to the viewer and communicate their innocence.
The children are then altered with digital manipulation, looking like fragile broken china dolls, literally broken with their smashed remnants littering the clean surroundings.
The strap line, which again is subtle reinforces the message "You can loose more than your patience"
This campaign is both moving and shocking, that you, the individual reader, could in a fleeting moment of temper, be responsible for 'breaking' an innocent, fragile child.