Design Conversations

I thought the readings for this subject were very informative, because I personally don’t know much about photography or film. I don’t really take a lot of photos either so I never really paid attention too much to how photos could make some people appear. However, when looking back at some older photos my family had I did notice they made everyone with white skin appear brighter and paler than they actually were.

The Psychological Effects of Color reading was the one I enjoyed the most because it provided a lot of information regarding colors and how we perceive them that I never really considered before. I remember in high school we discussed color as symbolism in a writing class, but ultimately dismissed the idea due to the subjective nature of color. I enjoyed getting to read this material and learning about some of the scientifically proven effects that color can have on the body. While I did not write this blog at the time of making my book cover, I did reference this text heavily when designing it. I picked a violet-blue for the main color of the book after discovering one of the emotional responses associated with the color was contemplation. Since the actual paper the design is based on is about contemplation and introspection (in a sense) I wanted to try and make that a strong theme with my design.

I also found Chapter 7 of the textbook to be very useful for this project. I knew the basics of color theory like the color wheel, primary colors, and secondary colors, but the text expands upon it in much more detail than what I was previously taught. I don’t think the art classes I took in high-school even discussed color in as much depth as the text did, which surprised me. The section on contrast was the most useful for me since my book cover had a very saturated color as the main focal point. I wanted to find a way to create contrast with my design that wouldn’t be too much on the viewer’s eyes. The examples provided here assisted me with that.

The first chapter of Sturken & Cartwright’s “Practices of Looking” is titled “Images, Power, and Politics,” where the authors argue that visual culture is deeply intertwined with issues of power and politics. Visual culture is somewhat of a tug-of-war between different groups competing for control over certain images. The authors state that “the power of images is derived both from the shared meanings they generate across locations and the particular meanings they hold in a given place or culture.” 

They use photographer Weegee’s work to illustrate the ways images can be used to reinforce dominant narratives and ideologies. Weegee’s photographs were not just objective records of reality. His subjective choices created carefully crafted images that worked as documentation, but also showed insight into his beliefs and cultural biases. One of their biggest arguments is that images are both documents as well as powerful symbols, full of meaning. They not only document a moment in time, but more importantly, reflect the ideologies and social climate of the time. 

This made me think of Dorthea Lange’s image of the “Migrant Mother,” which became a powerful symbol of the great depression and the hunger and hopelessness it brought with it, and reflects the social climate of the time.

Sturken & Cartwright discuss how images are powerful enough to spark political action. The photograph of Emmet Till, mutilated in a casket, became a powerful cry for public and political action. Things like violence or innocence are strong visual symbols that people relate to on an innate, subconscious level. 

They discuss how photojournalism is vastly different than it was 75 years ago. With the majority of people carrying a camera on their person at all times, and the rise of social media, photojournalism can be mass circulated in an instant. This shifts more power into more people’s hands. 

I found the section titled “Representation” interesting. The authors define representation in terms of visual culture. Representation helps us to analyze and understand an image, taking into consideration the context. The still life painting by de la Porte at face-value just looks like a table with some fruit on it, but looking deeper and taking the context into consideration, is a symbolic representation of peasant life. The example of Rene Magritte’s painting “This Is Not A Pipe” helps to illustrate the idea that representations aren’t always true to the things they’re representing. Representations are shaped by social and cultural norms and beliefs and help us look past the literal. Sturken and Cartwright point out that images can be both informative and expressive, working as both allegories and documentation. 

The section titled “Vision and Visuality” discusses the distinction between vision and visuality in terms of visual culture. The authors define vision as the physical capacity to see, but visuality as the way vision is shaped through social context and interaction. Different social groups have different ways of interpreting visual images, and these ways of seeing are shaped by their positions of power or social class. I found the example of the large photograph of the child killed in a drone attack extremely powerful because of the child’s  innocent face. This photo was able to draw attention to the inhumanity behind drone attacks and delivers a powerful political message.

The last section titled “The Myth of Photographic Truth” questions whether photographs are objective or subjective documents. The authors argue that they’re not truly objective, citing the ease of altering images as the main reason. Programs like Photoshop, and now AI, can create false, realistic-looking images in no time. I just read Samsung explains its ‘fake’ Moon photos yesterday about Samsung’s “fake” moon photos. Samsung is using AI called “Scene Optimizer” to add details to images taken of the moon that weren’t actually there, which is being publicly criticized. It really calls to question if we should take photographs as real evidence or truth. Maybe software that digitally alters photographs should embed a digital watermark in the image, describing how the photo was altered. 

The concepts from this reading can help web developers and designers create websites that are visually compelling, as well as culturally sensitive, inclusive, and equitable. These ideas about images and visual culture will shape a lot of my future decisions as a web developer. Web designers can use the power of images to create engaging sites, but need to be aware of the potential for images to reinforce dominant narratives. By being conscious of the images we use and how we use them, web designers can help make the web more inclusive and equitable. 

Images, Power, and Politics by Sturken and Cartwright is an important piece of literature for web designers and content creators to understand. This article dives into the complex relationship between images, power, and politics in modern society. It examines how visual representation can be used as a tool of control or manipulation depending on who creates it. As web designers, we have the unique opportunity to craft powerful visuals that can shape public opinion or attitudes towards certain topics. We must consider this responsibility carefully when creating content for our clients or ourselves. As Sturken & Cartwright point out: “Visuals are not neutral; they carry with them specific meanings which are linked to their context” (Sturken & Cartwright).

Our designs should always strive to accurately represent the subject matter while avoiding any potential bias or manipulation through subtle design choices like font selection or color palette. Visual representations can play a major role in spreading awareness about these issues but they must be handled delicately so as not to perpetuate any negative stereotypes associated with them (Sturken & Cartwright). For us as web designers and content creators to do this effectively, we need to have an understanding of how visual representation affects people’s opinions on various topics – something that this article provides insight into through its examination of the historical roots behind image-making practices today (Sturken & Cartwright). For example, here are two images that will reflect different emotions once a person takes a look at them; however, it is according to each individual’s perspective and what the image commands. When you think of water you could think of serenity or disaster and even though both of these images include water, they spark a different emotion based on the person.

In particular, it emphasizes that web designers should consider how their choices around color scheme or subject matter might influence viewers’ perceptions and attitudes towards certain topics or organizations. For example, if a website is intended to promote progressive values then using bold colors such as reds and oranges could help convey those messages more effectively than traditional blues or greens which may evoke feelings of conservatism instead. Similarly choosing an appropriate background image could also be used in order to send out a strong political message – one which reflects both the company’s values as well as aligning itself with popular opinions on current issues. One thing this article makes clear is that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to designing visuals; what works best will depend on individual contexts and goals.

Images are not just pretty pictures or neutral representations of reality. They carry with them a set of meanings and symbols that can be really powerful in terms of communicating ideas, emotions, and messages. The book “Images, Power, and Politics” by Sturken and Cartwright explores this concept in depth.

The power of images can be seen in famous photographs like that of Che Guevara. The image of Che Guevara isn’t just a photograph, but it’s become a symbol of revolutionary spirit and anti-imperialism. The image is associated with socialist and communist ideals, and it has been used to inspire revolutions and protests around the world.

Advertising is another area where the power of images is evident. Advertisements use images to create desires and aspirations in people that are often tied to a capitalist consumer culture. This reinforces the dominant ideology that consumerism is the key to happiness and fulfillment.

In social and political movements, images can be used to convey powerful messages. For example, the Black Lives Matter movement has made powerful use of images to convey the pain and suffering experienced by black people in America. Images of police brutality and racial injustice have been used to evoke anger and frustration, and to challenge dominant narratives about race and justice.

But images can also be used to challenge dominant ideologies. Feminist art and photography, for example, challenge dominant narratives about gender and sexuality, and offer alternative visions of what a just and equitable world might look like.

The power of images to convey emotions is also evident. Images can evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and happiness to fear and anger. The power of images to evoke emotions is evident in the use of propaganda during wartime. Images are often used to demonize the enemy and to rally support for war efforts.

Studying the power of images offers insights into the many ways in which art, politics, and culture intersect. The image above paints a very moving image that pulls anger straight out of the viewer just by viewing this image.

In conclusion, images are not neutral but have meanings and symbols that can be used to convey ideas, emotions, and messages. They can be powerful tools for reinforcing or challenging dominant ideologies, and for conveying a range of emotions. The power of images is evident in the many ways they have been used throughout history to shape our understanding of the world. The study of images is a fascinating field, and it offers insights into the many ways in which art, politics, and culture intersect.

Color may just be one of the single most subjective things out there. If you’re in a room full of people and ask them for their favorite color, you’d be hard pressed to find more than one or two people whose favorites are the same color for the same reason. Despite this, there seems to be something hard-coded into our cultural DNA to have different emotional responses to different colors. For example, a danger warning will probably feel a lot more urgent if it was bright red as opposed to, say, sky blue. Chapter 4 of Paul Zelanski and Mary Pat Fisher’s book Color outlines some of the various effects color has on people. All this is to say, color will mean different things to different people, but there are a few baseline rules that are handy to follow, such as red being a much more in-your-face, loud, and urgent color than a meek dark blue.

Some designs use color in really intelligent and creative ways. Ever wonder why so many fast-food chains have red and yellow logos? It’s because those are the colors that will catch your attention first when driving, when you don’t have a lot of time to carefully look at the signs passing by. A store such as Whole Foods, on the other hand, uses green in its logo as a subtle way to drive home the whole “you’re making a healthy choice by shopping here,” as green invokes imagery of not just green veggies, but nature as a whole. Of course, you can overanalyze as many logos as you want to try to squeeze meaning out of any color, but that’s kind of the whole point: color should be thought out and intentional.

This gets us to Corporate Memphis. You’ve seen it before; think of the flat, geometric people that seemingly every company is using nowadays. Beyond my personal hatred for nearly every aspect of this art style, it objectively uses color terribly. Worse than that, it’s not just that the colors don’t have poorly thought-out meaning, they don’t have any meaning at all. Corporate Memphis’ entire justification for existing is being an inclusive, culturally neutral art style that companies can slap onto their branding and advertising to lazily imply that they are a morally good entity. Given that, their use of color makes more sense, as cultures have different ingrained connotations tied to colors, but practically, it makes for a boring, soulless design, which is a problem with the art style as a whole, but I am placing the majority of the blame on its color use.

Take this example from Facebook. Okay, based on the overall bright color scheme and body language of the characters drawn, we are clearly supposed to get a sense of fun and joy. So that begs the question, why is the violin, the “vessel of fun” of the dude smack-dab in the middle the same dark (read: NOT FUN) color as the background? Why is 80% of the second-from-the-left lady’s design taken up by purple? What’s that supposed to convey? That she’s . . . rich? Some sort of nobility? A sagely wizard? What’s the point in making the skin tone of two of the people be a direct match to the color of another’s pants? I get this nauseating feeling that the goal was to make the colors represent both everything and nothing at the same time, which is an awful idea. This is an example of bad color use, in which (in my opinion) the color choices actively detract from the design as a whole. If the colors were, god forbid, thought out, maybe this design wouldn’t make me hate Facebook even more than I already do. But, here we are, and I hate Facebook, and I hate this art style.

A good example of well-thought out colors in this art style would be anything from Youtube science channel Kurzgesagt. They use a similar art style while actually managing to convey real meaning with their color choices. Take this for example:

This is the thumbnail for the video entitled “Loneliness,” which you probably could’ve gotten just from the design. See how the meaning of the overall color scheme isn’t forcibly stripped away from it? Overanalysis time: the use of blue (a color commonly associated with sadness) corresponds with red, allowing for the purple (being both red and blue in a way) in the middle to effectively communicate that it is something that is both a part of the rest while being distinctly different, which is a common feeling that lonely people have.

This is getting too long so I’ll cut it short with a short and simple conclusion: color is good when use well, but color is really bad when used poorly.

I never really thought too deep into the meaning of color and why I chose a specific color and why. I simply thought about what I was trying to do and what looked good to me at the time. I have, though, researched what color is associated with 20 years of being married because my husband and I are celebrating our 20 years of marriage this year and we are renewing our vows. The color, silver, represented 20 years, so we chose silver as one of the colors in our theme.

In our reading, I learned that colors have healing properties, mood properties, and other psychological properties that may help others understand us better without even saying a word. I would give it a name as non-verbal understanding. Specifically, the reading mentioned bright red, orange, and yellow as being a stimulator. Blue and green helped people to feel more peaceful. Black was represented as being depressed and afraid. Let’s talk about black for a moment…..those that are referenced as “gothic” who wear all black, are they “depressed and afraid”? I am not sure, but it is something to think about. I know, before I lost weight, I felt like black was the only color that looked best on me because of the illusion of a slimmer body. I guess you could say that I felt a sense of depression and shame of my overweight body at that time. Now, black is not part of my daily wear life.

Let’s talk about the science of healing with colors: chromo-therapy. It is a practice of being bathed with colored lights, placed in colored environments and asked to meditate on specific colors thought to stimulate particular glands. I am sure that a lot of medical spas use this type of therapy along with other internal and external treatments. This is more in tune with natural remedies and healing instead of using pharmaceuticals. I was particularly intrigued by the Indian philosophy 7 chromatic hues of the rainbow; the chakras. Each chakra is represented by a color and have a philosophical meaning behind them. See the image for additional information.

In the article “How Kodak’s Shirley Cards Ste Photography’s Skin-Tone Standard” I didn’t particularly like the article began talking about Kodak’s early practices when it came down to their preferred audience for photography. It even mentioned that some felt like Kodak was racist because they only marketed “white” women or having a “white” woman as their brand image.

Jim Lyon stated that “it wasn’t a big deal, but simply the right thing to do” by incorporating black models into their marketing plan. I absolutely disagree that it wasn’t a big deal. It was a huge deal and sent a strong message in the beginning that it wasn’t for “black” people. The article stated that while people were the consumers that were buying Kodak products. The reason for this is because in that time, black people were not allowed to have equal access to the same resources as white people and felt like Kodak was not for them anyway. I am glad that they realized their error and became more inclusive because after all “white” would be boring without accentuating colors (hues) to go along with it.

The portions of this week’s readings I found most interesting were the sections on symbolism and geometry. When reading the text initially I was a little confused about how some of the elements were utilized in logo design, like how does a square convey stability, or how does a spiral convey elegance? After completing the readings I did some scrolling to find ideas for our first blog post, and I decided to look at some of the apps on my phone. I don’t use it much anymore, but CapCut stood out to me as having an effective logo that incorporated these elements into its design.

At first glance, I was confused by what the shape was, but then I realized it was reminiscent of a movie theater projector. Looking closer, I noticed the “light” that would be coming out of the projector is formed by two intersecting lines. For those who don’t know, CapCut is a free video-editing software available only on mobile devices. I think this design is effective because it has the symbolic element of the projector reel, and the intersecting lines convey the app’s purpose: to cut together different video clips.