SB3 Critical reflection and proposal

ISSUU

Evaluation:

Aspects of the module that I enjoyed were the lectures and doing research on my chosen theme. I found the lectures very interesting and they made me think about the history of design as well as how it has progressed and made me realise just how important it is to society as whole. It also gave me a greater interest in art, coming from a background heavily based on Information Technology and Design and Technology I never really appreciated theories of art and how they could be used in my design work. I have now realised looking into the history of trends and the context behind design is an essential part of research. Although I enjoyed the lectures and they helped me have a more educated outlook I do not believe that they aided my essay writing. I found it very difficult to link the things I had learnt to my actual writing in terms of referencing and topics.

At the start of the module and for quite some time I was confused about what was actually required of us, the layout on Estudio is confusing as the study tasks continue throughout the studio briefs and some information seem to overlap. I also found it very difficult to start the first essay, even when I had gathered my sources and made a plan it was a style of writing I had never done before, I feel more help could have been given with how to write - including how to avoid opinions and first person. Another aspect I struggled with was finding actual books to use as sources, as well as finding the appropriate quotes as I found it easier to use journals and articles.

The thing that I enjoyed the most was the design work that went along side the contextual essays and study tasks, once I had found a suitable client and linked it within my essays the design work I produced was successful against the rationale. The final outcome relates to my critical writing in the following ways: It raises awareness of the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, a campaign which supports real women helping them achieve self esteem and body positivity. They achieve this through workshops, events and videos. As well as this they are widely known for producing adverts that fight back against adverts that are seen as sexist and body shaming such as Protein World and Victoria’s Secret. The designs I have created don’t use any photoshopped images of women that are unrealistic and therefore issue causing for women around the world in what they think ‘perfect’ is. The third way in which the designs are relevant to the writing is that the actual design is a lot more acceptable for public viewing as it couldn’t be interpreted as offensive to anyone. The colours and fonts used are also considerate for the purpose and of target audience’s feelings.

Overall I understand the point behind context of practise and appreciate it making me think about the design work I produce however it is the module I have struggled the most with. I have developed skills to carry forward into level 5 and look forward to steering my practise such as the ability to compare and contrast images as well as sourcing my own research and Harvard referencing.

Essay 3

Jansson-Boyd (2010) Consumer pyschology. New York: McGraw Hill Education

"Many studies have found that both women and men do not believe that their current body form is attractive... Research has repeatedly found that physically attractive individuals are perceived by most to be socially more desirable than those that are perceived as being unattractive, something that is likely to have been reinforced by consumer societies..."

In response to the chosen module theme - Society I produced a body of work. More specifically the work was created in response to body image, self esteem and the use of Photoshop in the media, as well as the problems that this creates such as mental health issues and health problems such as anorexia and bulimia. There are two ends to the spectrum and it was important to keep them both in mind; the people who are self conscious as a result of the media’s portrayal of the ‘perfect body’ and those who are under pressure in the industry like models for example. Another factor in society nowadays putting pressure on women is the Barbie Doll “For many years this was how I perceived what an ideal woman was supposed to look like – the notion was planted in me from an early age, perhaps 5 or 6, when I got my first glimpse at an unclothed Barbie” (M F Rogers, Barbie Culture 1999)  However it has now escalated with technology to the point where models can be edited to be as flawless as Barbie Dolls on Photoshop. A lot of women don’t realise that this is happening and need to learn it is unrealistic and how to love themselves for who they are. Krawitz (2014) says that readers cannot tell what has and what has not been Photoshopped – a lot of people believe everything they see to be factual and real.

The client in question for studio brief 02 was Dove and the rationale for the project is as follows:

Create an initial set of designs that can be used to promote our Real Beauty Campaign in a refreshing way that does not use models or point out real women’s flaws, the material should be eye-catching and appeal to all women out there, all ages and all sizes around the globe as that is the reach. “The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report interviewed 10,500 females across 13 countries and found that women's confidence in their bodies is on a steady decline, with low body esteem, becoming a unifying challenge shared by women and girls around the world - regardless of age or where they are living.” (The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report 2016). There should be at least 3 different outcomes with reasons for each one. The target audience is all women, all ages and all sizes.
It is every woman who has ever thought that they are not good enough, every woman who has seen someone else be it the average woman or a supermodel and been jealous of their looks in a way that they don't feel happy about their own. They are the women that read fashion magazines, those that go and see films starring gorgeous actresses, those who see beauty campaigns on huge billboards. I took inspiration from the style of these advertisements and publications as well as other illustrative posters and campaigns as it is what appeals to the women out there.

Some of the most important messages that are coming across in the poster design are Support - in whatever our friends, family and each other are doing in their life. Compliment - a compliment from a woman usually means a lot more than one off a man, as it actually comes from knowledge and is genuine rather than having an agenda. Inspire - be good at what you do, be thoughtful and produce work that gives other women hope. Encourage - similar to support, encourage other women whenever you can you never know how much it could help someone. Help - whether they ask for the help or not. Reassure - when someone is feeling down or unimportant reassure them that everything will get better and they are capable of whatever they set their mind to.

The design work produced is suitable for public viewing and shouldn’t offend anyone, unlike the Protein World Ad ‘Are You Beach Body Ready’ which received a series of complaints claiming it was sexist and body shaming, it was eventually banned from London underground transport (The Guardian 2015) as a lot of people considered it offensive and sexist towards women. The image shows a very slim model who seems to have no imperfections but a very toned and shapely figure. It is unrealistic for most women and extremely rude to portray this as the only body type deemed 'beach ready'. The image was advertising a range of weight loss supplements and meal replacements - the ad is implying that using the product will allow you to achieve this body however all it has primarily done is make women feel embarrassed about their bodies if they do not look like that. The work I have produced is of a friendly nature and catches the attention of someone passing by without shouting at them. The use of pink is cliched however worth using to the advantage of people assuming it will be aimed towards women.

The outcomes produced achieve the goal of promoting unity for all women and self confidence as the design features the venus symbol for women joint together in a continuous line style implying that we are all connected and one together, no matter our background and looks support is needed. The continuous line pattern also creates an infinity sign in some areas which represents the importance and lasting effect of this campaign.

Bibliography:

F Rogers, M (1999). Barbie Culture.

M, Krawitz. (2014). Connection between eating disorders and media images.

Dove. (2016). New Dove Research Finds Beauty Pressures Up, and Women and Girls Calling for Change. Available: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-dove-research-finds-beauty-pressures-up-and-women-and-girls-calling-for-change-583743391.html.

Sweney, M. (2015). ‘Beach body ready’ ad banned from returning to tube, watchdog rules. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/apr/29/beach-body-ready-ad-faces-formal-inquiry-as-campaign-sparks-outrage.

SB2 Study Task 08 - Outcomes

Poster

Following on from one of the developments of this design that used the venus continuous line in large to cover the majority of the poster with only a small tagline 'support colleagues.' I realised it wasn't quite obvious what the poster was actually trying to communicate. So I decided to brainstorm some of the things women could be doing in order to help each other with their self esteem issues rather than seeing other women as competition. I came up with:

• support - in whatever our friends, family and each other are doing in their life.
• compliment - a compliment from a woman usually means a lot more than one off a man, as it actually comes from knowledge and is genuine rather than having an agenda.
• inspire - be good at what you do, be thoughtful and produce work that gives other women hope.
• encourage - similar to support, encourage other women whenever you can you never know how much it could help someone.
• help - whether they ask for the help or not.
• reassure - when someone is feeling down or unimportant reassure them that everything will get better and they are capable of whatever they set their mind to.

Another crucial change I made to the design was the colour scheme - although I initially spoke about steering away from the stereotypical use of pink I later thought why not embrace it, likelihood is when people see it they will assume it is aimed towards women - which it is so why not use this to my advantage.  The block colour also emphasises the pattern more than the pastel rainbow gradient. The font I chose to use is called Cabin and is a soft sans serif that features curves and other unique features making it relevant given the context.

Flyer

Along with the poster, material that can be handed out with links to information should be available which is why I created these flyers. They ask a question in a non-aggressive way as the typeface is friendly and very readable for people of all ages in a large font. It also grabs attention and will make a lot of people ask themselves the question. 

Below are the designs mocked up to get a better idea of what they will look like in the real world.

I also decided to mock up a tote bag as it worked well for one of my earlier designs I think it works even better with this design. 

SB2 Study Task 07 - Prototypes

The main purpose of the prototypes is to promote the campaign to women so that they are aware of what is available to them - the aim of the campaign is to build positive self esteem and inspire women to reach their full potential.

A tote bag using the lips pattern which shows diversity in beauty and women, as well as men. The bag could be given out at the events that Dove holds with information leaflets and products in them. The pattern could also be used in social media campaigns and then when people use the bags out and about it would be promoted. 

A poster design to remind women that they should be sticking together and supporting each other to achieve greatness and be confident in their own bodies as well as being positive about others. The poster features the venus symbol for women joint together in a continuous line style implying that we are all connected and one together, no matter our background and looks support is needed. The continuous line pattern also creates an infinity sign in some areas which represents the need for this movement to carry on and on. The gradient used for the background is a spectrum of colour which further concretes the idea of diversity, along with the different sized circles in the symbol. 

A set of logo designs to become a symbol for body positivity amongst women. Women should be supporting each other, standing together and making each other feel good when we can by giving compliments and being kind rather than seeing other women as competition. 

SB2 Study Task 06 - Development of Prototypes

I wanted to add text to the lip design to see if it would work as a poster and whilst it does look effective on an advertisement board I think it would be more suited for a a physical product, something that can be given out at the Dove events to promote the messages they are spreading and things they are teaching. 

I tried out a few different colours schemes for the initial design of a poster that will be plastered on billboards, on adverts in bus stops and on the underground etc. Although these colours are vibrant and make you look I feel they may be a bit too aggressive and confusing in what they mean. The subject is a sensitive one and whilst women want to speak out and be confident about it, the aim is for the target audience to be intrigued and comforted in a way by the posters. They should want to reach out to the campaign and learn more. 

SB2 Study Task 06 - Initial Designs

Playing around with the venus symbol for women and a heart. 

The things that bodies are often compared to - pear, apple, rectangle, hourglass and strawberry. 

Thumbnail ideas for body positivity posters.

Linking women together to stand by each other and encourage each others confidence. 

Different lip shapes showing diversity with different tones and lengths as well as fullness.

SB2 Study Task 06 - Idea generation

• Produce a booklet showing the steps of editing in Photoshop for a fashion or beauty campaign, it would show all of the models 'imperfections' disappearing and becoming the media's idea of beautiful. This would educate young people not to believe everything they see as most things we see in magazines and on social media are only a percentage of the truth.

• Create a universal symbol/sign for body positivity just as there is for the LGBT society and equal rights, this symbol could be used in all campaigns for real beauty and in social media to raise awareness.

 

• A poster featuring fruit of different shapes and sizes, just like us they are often penalized for how they look, when they are just as ripe and tasty as all of the other 'normal' fruit. The poster would be a take on the VS Perfect Body ad but instead a more playful approach using fruit rather than real women.

• A surface pattern print that could be printed onto t-shirts and tote bags to raise awareness and support campaigns such as Dove's campaign for real beauty. The print would feature illustrations of women with all different body shapes, sizes, hairs, colours and heights.

Although this ad is great for diversity in some ways it lacks height difference and it is also important to remember that not everybody with self esteem issues are curvy, those who are skinny are also subject to the feeling.

SB1 Study Task 05 - Dove Context Research

June 2016 -

Dove launched a study to understand women and girls around the world. Low beauty confidence and appearance anxiety is a critical issue and women around the world desire a new beauty definition.

• The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report interviewed 10,500 females across 13 countries and found that women's confidence in their bodies is on a steady decline, with low body esteem, becoming a unifying challenge shared by women and girls around the world - regardless of age or where they are living. 
• There is a strong desire amongst females for the media to challenge existing beauty norms, with 71% of women and 67% of girls wanting a change in the portrayal of women - to include those of a different age, race, size and shape. 
• The report is the third of its kind, following on from a study in 2004 and again in 2010.
• 85% of women and girls 79% say they would opt out of an important life activity such as trying out for a team or engaging with family or loved ones when they don't feel good about the way they look.
• 7 in 10 girls with low body-esteem say they won't be assertive in their opinion or stick to their decision if they aren't happy with the way they look, whilst 9 out of 10 women will stop themselves eating or will otherwise put their health at risk.
• Women and girls cite increasing pressures from advertising and media to reach an unrealistic standard of beauty as a key force in driving appearance anxiety, while 56% of all women recognise the impact of an 'always on' social media culture in driving the pressure for perfection. 
• Nearly 8 in 10 of both women and girls feel some pressure to never make mistakes or show weakness.

These kind of facts and statistics show how feeling bad about the way you look doesn't just make you sad, it actually effects everyday life and in some cases has long terms effects on someone, creating eating disorders and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression which makes it hard to have a normal life working etc.

SB2 Study Task 05 - Target Audience Research

All women, all ages and all sizes.

The target audience for what I create is very broad, it is every woman who has ever thought that they are not good enough, every woman who has seen someone else be it the average woman or a supermodel and been jealous of their looks in a way that they don't feel happy about their own. They are the women that read fashion magazines, those that go and see films starring gorgeous actresses, those who see beauty campaigns on huge billboards. If the style of these advertisements and publications are attractive to these women then I will take inspiration from this.

This cover features a woman wearing a soft peach coloured jumpsuit with a complimenting rose pink background - the whole aesthetic is very 'girly' and whilst it works it is quite stereotypical. I want to take a more broad approach to the use of colours whilst maintaining the delicate and minimal style.

This ad for a perfume also features colours of a peachy tone, and a stunning slim blonde model who appears to have no flaws. I want to create posters avoid the use of real women, and rather symbols for the body positivity movement - this way there is no awkwardness in choosing models and pointing out their 'flaws'. 

SB2 Study Task 05 - Visual Research

It helps a lot when campaigns are launched promoting bodies of all shapes and sizes, as a society we should be trying to move away from the idea that the perfect body is thin with curvy features, and moving towards accepting bodies of all shapes and sizes that we are born with.

Body Positivity

A few examples of illustrative and type based images that are all about body positivity, the power of words and pictures is undeniable and seeing one of these images could brighten someone's day and make them take a step back and think. 

Dove

These images are all aiming to point out things may be self conscious of as well as things society may not see as 'normal' or 'beautiful'. The ads question these statements with more positive ideas about the features each woman has.