DSDN 171 BLOG ASSIGNMENT 10

     

 

‘Postmodernist and remix techniques are a vibrant part of design culture today’. Design has changed with the advancement of technology and therefore objects have become more practical. The Macintosh a512k was introduced in September 1984 to replace the 128k. It had four times the memory (RAM) which enabled users to run more files at once. (Low End Mac) This advancement although small to us today created an opportunity for the ideology of the future.

From this ‘historical ‘pc design we now have the imac. A computer developed from the original 128k Macintosh. Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011) designed the imac to be user friendly as well as aesthetically pleasing. We can see from the above images that the design of the imac compared to the Macintosh a512k has changed dramatically.

Steve Jobs used the manipulation of scale to create a bigger more effective screen. I think that this manipulation of scale was to make it easier for viewers to see but also so that the users become more engaged in the screen. The design of the keyboard and mouse has developed into a smaller more comfortable scale. Throughout the development of ‘Macs’  the apple icon has remained the same, I think this has pushed the apple brand and emphasised Steve Jobs image that a computer could be “ a bicycle for our minds”. (Aley, 2011) Today Macs still hold subtle historical quotations of the original Macintosh; the shape still follows geometric quotations. I think that because of the decisions made to the design of the imac, aided by the development and discovery of technology, we now have a design that engages with its users.

 

Aley, J. (2011, October 7). N.Z Herald. Steve Jobs: the triumph of migical thinking . New Zealand.

Low End Mac. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Macintosh a512k: http://lowendmac.com/compact/macintosh-512k-fat-mac.html

DSDN 171 BLOG ASSIGNMENT 9

A significant political message that is informing design today is people’s ideology and lifestyles. Politics is based around the welfare of the nation and therefore their aim is to create for the people.

Design based around the Rugby World Cup is filled with subliminal political, cultural or ideological messages. The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition held every four years. This event brings countries from all over the world together, and is currently being hosted here in New Zealand.

I think that the World Cup is not just about winning, but also about politics and the bringing together of different nations,  thus creating an ideology about the world being in ‘Union’. The above image I think shows that the World Cup is an event that brings the world together, helping people forget about differences to enjoy a good old rugby game. I also think the image represents subliminal messages about determination and success. These messages bring pride to the people that the rugby teams are representing. There is also a sense that an ideological world is create within the World Cup, a symbolic universe where the nations have a chance to show off their talents or ‘power’ and express their competitive streaks in a safe atmosphere. “Would it not be better to compete in the relative merit of washing machines than in the strength of rockets?” - U.S Vice President Richard Nixon

Therefore I think that through the Rugby World Cup, politics has informed design in a way to create an ideological idea that people from all over the world can be one.

Pavitt, J. (2008). Design and the Deomocratic Ideal, Cold War Modern: Design 1945-1970 (pp. 72-91) London: V&A Publishing.
Petty, M, M.( 2011), Lecture 6 Modern Vision, Victoria University ,Te aro Campus