Exploring Empathy in the Metaverse
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and are able to look back and reflect, we have found that after the initial sense of camaraderie and despite soundbites of "We're all in this Together," many experienced a profound sense of isolation and fear. Along with this came a decline in empathy and the ability to share and understand others feelings.At the same time, the demand for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality has catapulted. Meeting virtually, working virtually, and presenting virtually have all become commonplace in the workplace. Retail, education, and entertainment all saw a huge rise in using these technologies during the pandemic.Keiken, a fem-collective of artists based in London and Berlin, recently launched its first solo show that includes an interactive CGI film series, The Life Game, and Bet(a) Bodies, a wearable technology that simulates the physical experience of being pregnant. They feel strongly that empathy is an essential component of the human experience.“It’s important to remember with mind and body that you can’t have one without the other,” they assert. “The relationship between the digital and the physical can’t sustain itself in the Metaverse if we ignore the body, or our organic matter. If the physical body can be supported and stimulated while we’re in the Metaverse, rather than just dislocated, we have the potential to emancipate ourselves from the physical limitations of our actual bodies.”Keiken's approach is in contrast to many gaming manufacturers where emotions are not central to the design. Their work echos Damasio principles regarding the connectivity of our emotions to motivation and creativity, and our ability to invent and create work that will benefit our culture and help us grow.Sources:https://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/metaverse-multipleshttps://www.rewire.org/pandemic-empathy-deficit/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/09/14/augmented-and-virtual-reality-after-covid-19/?sh=6037f30f2d97https://findingmastery.net/antonio-damasio/
Color theory: pure science or cultural constructs?
https://youtu.be/YsYZcF_VQDkColor theory is taught theoretically as one of the formal design elements used in art and design. The color wheel and other universal principles have their roots in the color science of Isaac Newton.However, notions and ideals about color have long been associated with and utilized by colonists and spiritualists. They are rarely based purely in science.In a recent article, Colored Bodies: Cultural Constructs in Standard Color Theory Pedagogy, author Aaron Fine, Professor of Art at Truman State University, discusses his research into some of the most problematic aspects of standard color theory education. Fine talks about Johann Joachim Winckelmann, founder of art history, and his blatant racist statement that "a beautiful body will, accordingly, be the more beautiful the whiter it is."Fine provides more powerful examples and also offers option for educators in their pedagogy. Why not teach about the cultural constructs involved in creating color theory and how powerful they are in addition to the science involved?https://designincubation.com/publications/abstracts/colored-bodies-cultural-constructs-in-standard-color-theory-pedagogy/
The Social Media Conundrum
Lush Cosmetics made headlines last month when they decided to quit social media to raise awareness about the damaging effects to people's mental health that it has been shown to have. "I've spent all my life avoiding putting harmful ingredients in my products. There is now overwhelming evidence we are being put at risk when using social media. I'm not willing to expose my customers to this harm, so it's time to take it out of the mix," Lush co-founder and CEO Mark Constantine OBE stated.You don't have dig very deep to find a plethora of articles about the damage social media has on mental health. From the addictive qualities that make social media akin to playing the slots—to the disappointment and depression caused by FOMO (fear of missing out)—to the fake filters that present a misleading picture of who we really are—social media wreaks havoc with our lives.You also don't have to dig very deep to find "Social Media Designer" as a job title or in the list of essential skills that a graphic designer should have when applying for a job. Graphic designers have always found work where consumers interact with content. With 4.48 billion people using social media worldwide, there is no doubt they need skills in this area. All kinds of classes and bootcamps are available to get certified in social media marketing and they can add this skillset to their resume and portfolio.Recently, a bi-partisan probe has launched a probe into Meta Platforms (formerly known as Facebook) to look into the harmful effects Instagram has on kids and the techniques used to increase the frequency and duration of engagement by young users and the harm caused as a result. New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined the coalition and has said the company continues to put profits over safety and we need to protect our children and young adults. A Meta spokesperson claims they are continuing to add features to deal with the negative issues caused by their platforms including prompts to "Take a Break" and ways to nudge them toward other types of content. It's yet another conundrum; how can they possibly protect their users while at the same time profiting from them?The question is huge, how does a graphic designer work ethically and responsibly within the minefield of social media marketing? All and any ideas are welcome.https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/arts-culture/582898-lush-cosmetics-quitting-social-media-to-bring?amp&fbclid=IwAR31-FU0Nzg4Upke0mPcq_lVZKJF_Sxny5CJ9mJju066NAs-Wgt5eV0xdVMhttps://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/lush-cosmetics-quitting-social-mediahttps://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/instagram-investigated-coalition-of-states-effects-kidshttps://lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2021/september/the-effects-of-social-media-on-mental-healthhttps://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-healthhttps://www.statista.com/topics/1538/social-media-marketing/#dossierKeyfigureshttps://backlinko.com/social-media-users#social-media-usage-statshttps://khn.org/news/social-media-is-harming-the-minds-of-our-youth-right-maybe-not/
3-D Printing Homes: Mexico or Mars!
It's amazing to think that 3D homes are being built for poverty stricken areas like Mexico, while the same technology is being used to build habitats for life on Mars. Two models that exist simultaneously, use the same technology, and have diametrically opposed outcomes: one to stay on the Earth and make it affordable and habitable, and the other to leave the earth and make another planet habitable, and it's highly doubtful that model will be affordable to most.NASA has been working with companies for several years on developing the technology to create sustainable homes for Mars. A recent article by Business Insider, reports that NASA is seeking volunteers to spend a year living in these homes pretending that they are on Mars.In San Francisco, the organization New Story is focused on providing housing solutions to those in extreme poverty. They claim they have built the world's first community of 3-D homes and have developed a micro-mortgage model to help finance them.One question that arises when considering the materials being used is whether or not these homes are sustainable and eco-friendly or are we adding to the waste stream on Earth and about to bring our bad habits to Mars? One article from a 3-D Building company, Build with Rise, states that by limiting construction waste and material transportation costs, 3-D printers drastically reduce the carbon footprint associated with building homes. If you companies use sustainable and renewable materials, the effect on the environment will be event better.Many feel the era of 3-D printing has arrived. As time goes on and printing methods are perfected, it will be interesting to see which model dominates. Will we use the technology to save our existing planet and populations, or use it to make an exit from our dying planet to somewhere new?Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/business/3D-printing-homes.htmlhttps://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-mars-martian-habitat-icon-3d-printed-space-texas-2021-8https://www.iconbuild.com/updates/icon-3d-prints-the-first-simulated-mars-surface-habitat-for-nasahttps://thespaces.com/ai-space-factory-designs-homes-for-planet-mars/https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/3d-printed-homes-sustainable-alternative
Dangerously Cute: Using Brand Mascots as Political Propaganda
When the Amul Girl mascot was created in 1966 to represent an Indian brand of butter, she was immediately a hit with households across India.
The branding was created to help the Indian company compete with Polson's, a company who had a monopoly on the market until the 1960s. The light skinned, slightly chubby, adorable girl with the blue-haired bowl cut immediately won hearts, and brand loyalty. She quickly became a pop culture icon and came to represent the upper class and liberal politics in India. The messaging on the ads has evolved through the years and over the last six years, the messaging has shifted to pro-state propaganda and Hindu nationalism. Amul is now being used to normalize harsh government laws and pro-surveillance laws.Learn more and see examples here in this video created by artist and designer Kruttika Susarla: https://youtu.be/znMcCUH8aq8Sources:https://designincubation.com/publications/abstracts/utterly-butterly-propaganda-an-analysis-of-illustration-as-a-tool-of-persuasion-in-amul-ads/
Educating for Women's Empowerment
Educators in art and design have a level of visibility with their students that inherently comes with a high level of responsibility. Many of them rose to the occasion this year creating platforms and opportunities for students to come together to learn about amazing women, honor them, and participate in these events.Coordinated by Dan Napolitano from Alfred University's Art Force 5, the 2021 Women's Empowerment Draft featured above is a SUNY-wide (State University of New York) collaboration featuring 32 college students honoring historic and living legends. The collaboration features students from Rockland Community College paying tribute to Dr. Frances E. Pratt, a RCC alumna and an incredible living legend and education advocate from Nyack, NY who served as president of the Nyack branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for 40 years.An online art exhibit, "Spectrum," features work from Rockland Community College students and alumni on expanding definitions of womanhood.Educators and Practitioners, please let us know how you were involved in this year's celebration of women and please share the wonderful tributes you've seen.Additional Notes:You can view Dr. Frances E. Pratt's full tribute from Rockland Community College here: https://youtu.be/qKkZMf_Jr2s
The Ad Council gets their moonshot moment
The Ad Council has a 78 year history of partnering with the best advertising minds in the country to create marketing for complex social issues. They have already been working on what some think will be their biggest one yet, their "moonshot moment."
They have launched a series of national PSAs and multi-channel content to provide critical and urgent messages to the American public. The campaign site features a Coronavirus Response Toolkit with access to materials to support and help spread the word about three key issues: Mask Up, Mental Health, and Social Distancing.Like campaigns in the past that enlisted the help of celebrities like Elvis Presley to spread the message about the safety of getting the Polio vaccine, they have enlisted the help of contemporary celebrities and influencers to launch on a variety of digital platforms like the twitter campaign seen below.https://twitter.com/AdCouncil/status/1320791468353691655?s=20 They are also well aware of the Black men and women who are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic who are three times more likely to contract the virus, and five times more likely to land in the hospital. They have launched a campaign called "The Power of Us" to specifically illustrate COVID-19 safety guideline to Black Americans.In January, they will be launching a $50 Million campaign to educate the public on the new vaccine, the largest public initiative in its history. They have the help of infectious disease and public health experts from John Hopkins University, Duke University and more.They have a tough challenge ahead of them with a survey done by COVID Collaborative indicating that only one-third of Americans plan to get vaccinated. The Ad Council's goal is to reverse this trend with unified and consistent messaging. In a world with a multitude of media platforms and channels, it will indeed be their moonshot moment.Sources:https://www.adcouncil.org/campaign/coronavirus-preventionhttps://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a34937387/ad-council-coronavirus-vaccine-campaign/https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/04/943151549/and-now-for-an-important-message-convincing-you-to-get-the-coronavirus-vaccinehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/business/media/ad-council-covid-vaccine-skeptics.html
Cradlr: Helping Refugee Children with App Design
Designer Jiang Jian was chosen by Design Incubation as the 2020 Creative Works Award Winner for her UX/UI Design Project, Cradlr, that aims to create a global network to help displaced children all over the world.Wars, political persecution, famines, pandemics, natural disasters, and more have displaced nearly 80 million people, 26 million of them are registered refugees and half of them are under age of 18, and most without access to cell phones or other communication devices. The Cradlr Network is a place where temporary guardians, international and regional organizations, as well as volunteers, can collect these children's stories and data and store in a database which will become a collective digital memory, as well as a resource to connect lives on a global scale to rescue and nurture refugee children. With her design, Jiang Jian hopes to find a humanitarian solution for a complex social challenge.Learn more here:Cradlr: A Design Project for Refugee Children from Jing Zhou Studio on Vimeo.
Vote for Science!
Class Action Collective creates visual messages to advocate for social change. Formed in 1992 at the Yale School of Art, the group aims to increase awareness and motivate citizens to take action on important social issues.Their recent initiative, Vote for Science 2020, is aimed at three key swing states: Arizona, Florida, and Virginia and the billboard campaign contrasts bible verses with a call to support science when voting and assert that the two can co-exist in a free society.The group created four different monumental typographic messages in red, white, and blue which will cycle through and spread the message in Phoenix, AZ, Orlando, FL, Richmond, VA, and West Haven, CT through election day.View more on Instagram, follow the project and help spread the word!Sources:https://www.classactioncollective.org/vote-for-science-2020https://www.printmag.com/post/the-daily-heller-science-is-nonpartisan-knowledge-is-universal-vote?fbclid=IwAR0kjWMCQ0d4MQgnOIDlFxQeaeLt0pQXpbOcC84r019QBUDJZR3nxHM3WeA
Get the Vote Out!
2020 is a year filled with unprecedented events – the Pandemic, Black Lives Matter Protests, Wildfires, and more. AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists) is one organization working toward getting the vote out to make sure we save our democracy. With their "Get Out the Vote" campaign, AIGA is encouraging members to create posters and submit for both "Get Out the Vote 2020" and "Get Out the Vote: Empowering the Women's Vote." Both submission checklists require posters are nonpartisan to comply with nonprofit guidelines.While submission requires AIGA membership, viewing the gallery of posters does not and visitors are encouraged to share the posters widely with full credit to the designer.If you are a US citizen, take a look at the gallery of posters for sharing. If you are an AIGA member, look into designing a poster yourself—and above all else, Get the Vote Out!
Fighting Racism with Data Visualization
As protests against the pandemic of racism continue around the world, designers are using data visualization to help with the fight and also put out a call to action to those in power, including celebrities.Data Visualization Specialist, Divya Prabhakar, decided to look at colorism, a facet of racism, and how Bollywood stars are contributing to the problem. Many of the stars are guilty of not only lightening their own skin and being part of a culture that celebrates "whiteness," but of also endorsing skin lightening product endorsements.Her engaging introduction points to how systemic the problem is and how young the indoctrination starts. Take a moment to read it and then consider the many ways racism is introduced and encouraged in our culture and society.Sources and further reading:http://www.thecolorofbollywood.com/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/0
Battling Racism with Art and Design
The battle against racism needs to be fought on all fronts. Whether they marching, or making art that engages us emotionally and intellectually, artists and designers are doing their part.Take a look at visual artist Micheline Hess' visceral and powerful views of racism:https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA1W2MbhkDM/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheethttps://www.instagram.com/p/CA_eSQHD32p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkIllustrator Marven Laguerre is making images to inspire us:https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5u37DjD-k/?igshid=1905w7xitfiu3https://www.instagram.com/p/CBHZWJKDTM3/?igshid=y31955yc6vp5The fences blocking the White House have been covered in protest art:
Information and data are indisputable in this infographic:
What have you seen that is helping to fight the battle?
Celebrate Africa Day with a look toward the Future
Africa Day started in 1963 years ago when an initial 32 countries formed the African Union. While it’s not a public holiday, today 55 African countries mark its importance as a vehicle to build a better Africa every May 25th.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xrBqrNwrA&feature=youtu.beNigerian-born artist Lekan Jeyifo's conceptual project Shanty Megastructures juxtaposes marginalized and impoverished communities with the coveted and booming real estate of Lagos, Nigeria and envisions this dystopian perspective to bring visibility to this issue. Jeyifo states, “The majority of the urban population in sub-Saharan Africa resides in slums and with rapid population growth, this percentage will only increase. It is essential that urban planning and infrastructural development reflect this fact.”Source:https://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/artist-imagines-colossal-vertical-slums-lagos
Celebrating Earth Day and Students as Citizen Designers
Graphic Design students are tasked with learning about color, typography, space, and form. It's a bonus when projects can include issues of global citizenship and environmental awareness.Students at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York worked with students at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa through COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) this semester to learn about environmental issues in each other's local communities before COVID19 closed down both of their campuses.Michael Gruia and Marcela Daloia's topic was Spekboom, a carbon miracle worker indigenous to South Africa that is more effective in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the Amazon rainforest. The local community in South Africa is taking matters into their own hands and planting as much as possible. They asked Rockland Community College students to help spread the word.You can learn more about Spekboom here: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200203-the-south-african-plant-fighting-climate-changePlease let us know if you have a student project that can help spread environmental awareness.
Online Images Reinforce Bias
A recent study published in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology reveals that gender bias is alive and thrivingnon some of the biggest sites out there: Twitter, Shutterstock, NYTimes.com, and Wikipedia.Photos of professions like librarian, nurse, computer programmer, and civil engineers tended to reinforce existing stereotypes. Women were over-represented in fields like nursing and under-represented in fields like computer programming. When compared to employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, images shown on these sites had discrepancies with actual numbers. The disparity is more pronounced when automated algorithms are used on sites like Twitter as compared to curated sites like the NYTimes.com.The study suggests that more careful and direct curation would help with the problem. The goal is prevent bias from being designed into digital media platforms and artificial intelligence software.It's interesting to think that as flawed as humans are, they are actually better at this than machines.Source: https://hyperallergic.com/541323/online-images-reinforce-gender-biases-around-professions-study-says/
Big Data—Big Responsibility
A recent article by FastCompany has declared that it's official, data visualization has gone mainstream.While data visualizations have been created by graphic designers for years, 2019 included fashion wear from information designer Giorgia Lupi, who created a super popular, data-driven fashion collection for Other Stories, a co-lab that turns data visualizations into wearable stories. The clothing line is so popular that many of the items have sold out. The designs reveal the amazing achievements of three trailblazing female scientists. The collection is an excellent example of how Lupi strives to find the human element in data-driven narratives.The article by FastCompany discusses other moments in 2019, including Donald Trump's use of a data visualization as well as the introduction of reflective data visualization with Michelle Rial's book, Am I Overthinking It?It's important to remember that while discussions and investigations into data bias are not new, a plethora of information that is being represented with them serves as a call to action to be mindful of the blank spots. A recent article by Meg Miller for Eye on Design, focuses on the work of artist Mimi Onuoha, "The Library of Missing Datasets." Onuoha's project is a mixed-media installation that shows how big the blank spots are from data that has been left out. File cabinets that feature empty file folders with titles like "Publicly available gun trace data" and "Accurate Birth Registration" point to how much misinformation we are likely being served. Onuoha says, "Spots that we've left blank reveal our hidden social biases and indifferences."The article features many other examples that speak to the problem of not just data bias, but the danger of data blank spots; about power, who has it and who does not.As we move forward in world filled with data visualizations, it's important for designers to be informed and aware of all the implications of the data they are using.https://www.fastcompany.com/90450827/its-official-data-visualization-has-gone-mainstreamhttps://eyeondesign.aiga.org/finding-the-blank-spots-in-big-data/
How to Be Good
The notion of being a "good" designer has always been fraught with contradictions. Does it mean good technical skills, good concepts, good return on investment for clients, good intentions, or good design for the greater good? All are valid questions—in fact, history shows us that award-winning design may be both technically "good" while even advancing the most evil of causes.This past year the opening of "Design of the Third Reich" in the Netherlands caused quite a controversy. Proponents of the exhibit point to the academic world of design, where the art and design of totalitarian regimes is an established field of research. Critics find it's very nature offensive and have protested outside the museum since it opened, voicing concerns that it lacks proper social context and may fuel the fires of far-right ideologies.Perhaps the most current and critical area of ethical issues in design is in the area of product design and UX/UI. Mike Monteiro's article, "Dear Designer: Hope is Not Enough," leads with an anonymous quote from a Facebook employee where they state, "We’ve been behaving so badly that I hope the government comes in and regulates us."Monteiro’s article does offer hope when he talks about the 22,000 Google employees who staged a walkout in protest of their company's work with the government, and the Microsoft workers who protested against their company’s contract with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). However, when he discusses the unprecedented amount of data harvested from Google's 2.5 billion users and discusses the ethical responsibilities of designers who work there, he points to the elephant in the room and one of the biggest ethical dilemmas that today’s designers deal with—how to responsibly and ethically use this data in a manner that benefits users without compromising their privacy or society's well-being.Designers seeking to do good have always struggled with questions about who their client is and the products that they are promoting. The complicated world of data collection and product design has only added to the Pandora's box: as always, may those who open it beware.Sources:https://news.artnet.com/opinion/timo-de-rijk-nazi-design-1652641https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/arts/design/nazi-design-den-bosch.htmlhttps://modus.medium.com/dear-designer-hope-is-not-enough-70509b196a46
Making Magic using Cruelty-Free Practices
While 3D immersive VR experiences have been growing in popularity and are being used for a variety of entertainment purposes, Circus Roncalli has used the technology to be socially responsible and has created a magical and cruelty-free circus.The circus, which has been entertaining crowds since 1976, decided to swap out their animals for holograms to aid in fighting animal cruelty. Their fantastic creation has maintained the same level of excellence and excitement that they are known for. Using 3D holographic imagery and projectors, they have filled an arena with a 360° view.The change was a bold move that was spearheaded by Bernhard Paul, the Founder and Director of Circus-Theater Roncalli. In an interview with Paul, he states that the move was due to several factors; improvements in holography, the increase of congested highways for transporting animals and lack of green space for them, and an audience that was open and receptive to the idea. Paul says the audience is the biggest factor, and since they've made the change they have had 95% positive feedback.It's exciting to see designers using VR technology in a way that is socially responsible and advocates for cruelty-free practices. Here's a glimpse of the amazing holographic experience:Sources:https://educateinspirechange.org/nature/animals/german-circus-uses-holograms-instead-of-live-animals-for-a-cruelty-free-magical-experience/https://www.buzznet.com/2019/06/german-circus-holographic-technology/5/?chrome=1
Toppling Tropes and Decolonizing Design
Graphic designer and educator Ramon Tejada is sick and tired of the graphic design history narrative that has been traditionally taught design schools. He has taken on this challenge by creating an online open collaborative project, "The Decolonizing Design Reader." Here you will find articles and resources that challenge the traditional canons of design and a place where you can help create a new narrative.Tejada's work has been featured in the Walker Center magazine article, "How will we queer design education without compromise?" The article calls for a different approach to design education and asks educators to embrace a multiplicity of perspectives—to look at text as living things rather than just content.Changing the narrative is not a new topic of discussion in graphic design. Eye on Design recently wrote an article titled, "Why Role Models Matter: Celebrating Women of Color in Design." The article features advice from female graphic designers of color about how they approach design education and seek to empower and inspire students.Last June, Emily Gosling featured the thesis project, Led by Example, of Pratt Institute students Farah Kafei and Valentina Vergara, a campaign that tackles the gender imbalance in the design industry in an article title "How Can We Bring a More Inclusive History to Design Education?" The campaign featured events highlighting gender imbalance in the exhibit "Missing Pages," an installation highlighting women underrepresented in textbooks and "Against All Odds," a panel discussion led by women discussing the disparity in graphic design education.A few years ago designers Amelie Lamont and Timothy Goodman started the website People of Craft to showcase creatives of color and their designs, illustrations, lettering and more.In an industry that has long been underrepresented by diversity, we must actively seek ways to change the narrative. Projects like these and Tejada's Decolonizing Design Reader are a good place to start.
Celebrating Badass Women
Marie Curie was one of the greatest scientists to ever live. She's recognized world-wide and is an icon for powerful women. Unfortunately, often the name recognition of successful women in science ends there.Beyond Curie is an exhibit developed by creative director and design strategist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. The exhibit celebrates 40 badass women who have been recognized for their expertise in science, engineering, and math, fields that are often biased against women.The exhibit is currently at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. It's been featured in Fast Company, Smithsonian Magazine, Glamour, and Nautilus. March for Science is offering a free set of limited-edition protest posters.You can choose from 6 to download for free in celebration of International Women's Day 2019 and march to safeguard the scientific community on April 22.