Space: Emptiness or Art

The word "space" can be defined in many ways. But in the article on "space", it is defined as being emptiness and something that is created when a figure is placed in it. Space is believed by the author to be the single most overlooked element. His idea of "space" is "emptiness", and that it is necessary to provide a visual of what design can do when combined with space. Believing that when too much white space has been neglected by the designer; the consequences would be what he describes as ugly and unread. But it is recommended that to avoid  this kind of failure, one must carefully consider that "design elements are always viewed in relation to their surroundings". And if this design technique is not used by the designer; then the design itself will eventually turn out to be a complete failure. A failure that will appear to the viewers as being distateful, tacky, and over the top.

My main argument with the author, is that there is a possibility that a lack of white space within a design can be managed well. I feel that Paula Scher's design for the poster for "Bring in da noise, "Bring in da funk"  was a good eaxmple of how much a lack of white space can be managed well with the right design. Black graphics and text seem to go well with white backgrounds, as is described by the author in this article.  White space plays the role of being the provider of context and a physical environment where a message can be received, but the black text and design provides the aesthetic qualities which proves that these two elements (colors) are dependent on eachother. The unity of white and black color in these graphic designs can illustrate to the viewer that "space" itself; whether a lot, or a total lack of, can be just one factor in providing an aesthetically appealing visual design. The actual colors used to create these designs can be as equally important as the amount of "space" that is used or not used. So...... can the amount of "space" used within a design be the only culprit responsible for turning the design itself into a visual failure? 

Space

Space is something we take for granted; only becoming aware of it when it is taken away. In life, we need physical space to feel calm, safe, and composed. Space used in design often has the same effects as physical space. Without the appropriate amount of space, the reader can feel overwhelmed and panic. It is interesting to think about the use of white space because it is not something I usually notice or am consious of. Personally, I enjoy more simplistic designs. With too much writing and graphics, I become confused as to what the actual message the design is trying to get across. If there is plenty of space to separate the idea from the design, it is more clear to the observer.
White space is not just used to create simplicity and control, but it can be used to deliberatly express certain ideas as well. Using white space to create a shape or to create symmetry can create cohesiveness without being obvious. The artical interestingly analyzed space inside a store. Design can be looked at in the same way; too much white space can symbolize elitism and rarity. But, not enough white space creates chaos and confusion. It is important to obtain the correct amount of space in all aspects of life. Each individual situation requires different amounts of space, which is what makes this tactic so tricky. The best we can do is know the effects space has and learn as we go along.

Response to the article "Space"

I've never given much thought to space and background in design prior to this article. I found it interesting that "space" rather than the image itself shapes the design. How much space we use and where and how we use it all have their own contextual meaning. The different uses of space, just like with any other design elements, construct a message. Although, we often think of design and art as free flowing and expression based, the use of space does construct a pattern artists follow. Simple things like positioning the image in the center of the design or off to one side are also linked with how much space we want in our design. It is interesting to think what artists are trying to achieve by leaving this "space" empty. I also liked the way the article incorporated expensive boutiques and stores as examples and referenced how spacious they are. Prior to reading this, I've always thought of space as incomplete, or unfinished. However, with the descriptions in the article, I understand how the use of space creates elegance and a basic need. It's an imperative part of design, often times overlooked.

NEW WAVE AND POSTMODERNISM: Complexity in design

    Designer Katherine McCoy argues, "if design is about life, why shouldn't it  have all the complexity, variety, contradiction, and sublimity of life? Not only does this philosophy apply to the chaos that surrounds us in everyday life, but it is a better representation of today's mainstream popular culture. McCoy was determined to bring complexity into the design during the 1970's.  During the past several decades, the design elements of  New Wave and Postmodernism spoke to people through design. People began to step out of the grid-like design element but many also continued to use the grid, but putting a more artistic, and creative spin on the graphic design itself. Playing with the grid and creating a whole new style was something that Paula Scher was able to accomplish in her designs during the late 1980's, a time where form and content, modernism and postmodernism clashed when it came to the use of typography within the whole design, and the overall graphic design itself.

     The grid itself was once viewed as being believable, because the content itself was supposed to be believable to all those who viewed it. But designers like Katherine McCoy and Paula Scher must have believed in the idea that  one should not look at the actual message because the message itself was within the design. Clarity in the design was not the main goal , but refiguring what could be appealing to mainstream society was, especially for Paula Scher. Through the use of chaotic, yet creative typography and graphics; the viewer or reader was challenged to pay attention.These New Wave and Postmodernism designs were an obvious step away from the grid, challenging the formality of the grid while also being critically examined through the eyes of postmodern viewers.

Cult of the Amateur-Keen

I agree with Keen’s article but have to admit that I take part in some of the actions he criticizes. I do not read newspapers regularly, do turn to Wikipedia at times, and am a part of social networking, such as Facebook. Today, I almost find it impossible not to engage in the infinite monkey process. If you do not participate in some of these internet obsessions, you are considered an outsider. These websites, links, network groups and many more give people a sense of belonging, as well as connect them to the outside world. Personal blogs may be gaining popularity because people relate to some of these stories or find comfort in stories similar to their own. However, I have yet to come up with a logical reason as to why we are so attracted to the non-sense being exposed on the internet. How is it possible that watching somebody make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can attract the attention of a couple of viewers, much less make it one of the most viewed videos? It is also a little freighting to read about the stats on Wikipedia’s and personal blogging popularity compared to the lack of interest for news and reliable facts. Yes, meaningless, personal stories can be funny and amusing, but how far are we going to let this go? Are we completely going to disregard that there is a real world out there and that wars, genocides, political unrest, injustice, to name a few, are happening around us while we spend endless hours blogging about our uneventful days? Unfortunately, these changes are almost inevitable, but I think we should spend more time considering the consequences this may bring us in the future.

Cult of the Amateur

I have to say, Keen made me feel a little insulted when reading his article, "Cult of the Amateur." It wasn't just the fact that he likened internet users to "monkeys," but the whole tone of the article was accusing people who use social networking sites or enjoy looking at youtube as being unintelligent and ill-informed. While I agree with Keen's argument that people are more interested in blog posts and myspace pages than the issues of our world, a part of me wonders if that is such a bad thing. Yes, it is important to know what is going on in our community, state, country, and world, but if a funny video or an interesting profile page makes us happy, I think there is nothing wrong with enjoying that instead of depressing news stories.

When the gatekeepers of information are taken away, Keen argues that the lines between real information and false information become blurred. I have to ask, though, how do we know that anything we read is true? Newspapers and magazines can also be biased and misinformed just as blogs or wikipedia can. How do we ever know who holds the actual truth of the matter. As far as the disapperance of sales of printed publications, it is sad, but things change and we must accept them. Change is always hard, but complaining about it won't solve anything. We need to find ways to fix the problems with these new changes instead of comparing people to mindless monkeys.

"Cult of the Amateur" response

This article stood out to me in many ways. I thought that the “infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters” analogy illustrated Keen’s point well. Today’s technology truly does give anyone and everyone publishing capabilities with networks like youtube and wikipedia. As Keen says about blogs, “every posting is just another person’s version of the truth; every fiction is just another person’s version of the facts.” This really does blur the line between expert and amateur. This especially applies to wikipidia. I was interested by the paragraph that talked about corporations that strategically used wikipidia to spread cooperate propaganda. Both McDonalds and Wal-mart were reported deleting certain things off their wiki entries for the betterment of their image. Wikipedia is truly a perfect example of notion that “every posting is just another person’s version of the facts.” People using wikipedia to form opinions and gain knowledge are simply degrading the intelligence the “generation Y utopians.” At first I thought that perhaps reading, listening to, and watching nonsense on the internet could be strictly recreational, and wouldn’t interfere with the mainstream, traditional ways to access information, such as newspapers, magazines, etc… This article swayed me to think otherwise. Profits for major newspaper companies are down, with the New York Times decreasing 69%. One main reason for this is because people can access this information online, and for free. The traditional means of gathering information is slowly disappearing, and is being replaced with an online world in which anyone can be a publisher, “The cult of the amateur.”

my thoughts on technopolitics

Internet related political activism comes in many forms. But as Kahn and Kellner point out, many cultural and political movements have had a major influence on people all over the world. But Kahn and Kellner see that there is an obvious problem with this. We can clearly see the growth of extremist web sites and their influence on troubled youth, but one can also see the grotesque mixture of websites belonging to the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan nation  and Neo-Nazi organizations that are only good for spreading  extreme hate. But on a positive note, political activism presented on the internet can be considered important and maybe even necessary in helping internet users keep up with currrent political issues and struggles. Kahn and kellener suggest that the internet itself has become more democratic and participatory and from this the emergence of the blog, wikis, and other social networking portals came about. Many blogs are highly politcal in their content, and is mentioned in this reading, "warblogging", became increasingly popular after 9/11. The wars in Irag and Afghanistan only kept this "warblogging"  an ongoing phenomenon. Kahn and Kellner also claim that the most common problem with blogs is that they are unable to be found by most users, and this results in nanoaudiences. Thay aslo claim that that it is a well known fact that blogs have a very high turnover rate, meaning they fall just as quickly as they rise. In Kahn's and kellner's reconstructive approach to how the internet should promote technopolitics, they don't fail to mention the positive aspects of blogging, wikis, and other digital technologies. But I think their main objective is to get the reader to also see the pitfalls. Technopolitics has made its mark through blogging, and social networking, and will provably be around for a long time to come. I can definitely appreciate the fact that Kahn and Kellner see the reconstruction of the internet as being necessary because of what it can accomplish. They also mention that oppositional groups that have the capability to utilize the digital tools necessary to develop forms of technopolitics could help to increase social justice, and  liberate both humanity and nature from oppressive forces that are an obvious part of our global reality.