MEDIA AND YOUNG CHILDRENS LEARNING

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Research paper by Heather L. Kirkorian, Ellen A. Wartella and Daniel R. Anderson

Survey of Literature:

Kirkorian, Wartella and Anderson (2008) explore the impact educational media has on under 2’s and preschool children. The author’s detail the importance of content, and the subsequent effects both ill considered and beneficial content can and has had. They include their opinion on what can be done to maximize the benefit of educational media by practitioners, supervising adults and the curriculum, drawing upon existing research, studies and theories.

Kirkorian, Wartella and Anderson (2008) refer to children’s television and programs when mentioning educational media, but raise many points that hold high relevancy for my paper and question.

The authors state the detrimental effect inappropriate content can have on children under 2 years of age, they draw upon an experiment whereby children under 2 were left watching programs not geared towards them in terms of content, as were a group of children of aged 3 and above, the desired audience. The results showed a lack of response in eye movement from the under 2’s which remained unchanged regardless of scene change, character movement and progression within the story, whilst the relevant age group responded accordingly. This proves under 2's having no interaction or understanding from said program, they were unaffected by pivotal changes of format within the program.

3-5 years  - preschool children

The authors explore the importance of content and the effects it can have on children and their development both immediately and later on in life. They conclude early exposure to programs filled with entertainment and violence, such as Batman, conclusively leads to attention problems later in life, as well as a decrease in self-regulation. They reveal exposure to pro social programs are directly associated with an increase in task persistence and have more long lasting positive effects. Although they make clear all studies can be accurate to a certain point only, and disregard the format of programs and shows, the scene changes, camera angles and medias, such as animation vs. real life play.

They constantly refer to the lack of research and studies providing definitive, unarguable results. In regards to Television as an educational media, it’s hard to conclude from research due to the amount of variables; it’s dead hard to measure content.

The authors clarify their opinion on what can be done to maximize the positive effects of educational media and enhance the value, including the use of sound effects, camera pans and changes, scene changes and the use of adult voices, which studies show attract and maintain the attention of children more so than the sound of a child’s voice. They emphasize the importance of parent and child co-viewing, whereby parents are able to draw attention to relevant points or aspects of a show that may hold particular value, as well as asking questions to deepen understanding. Having said this, they write clearly the value of the child being in charge of the overall experience.

Integrating the narrative of the media or experience, with the educational value and content is an ideal promoted by Shalom Fisch, referenced in the document. He states that rather than the two be in direct competition, there should be a considered relationship whereby the elements work together to enrich the experience, perhaps by completing an educational task in order to progress to the next level or chapter. He explains the importance of a child being able to transfer to real life the understanding and knowledge or skill that they have gained from their show, program or experience, and suggests the best way of doing so being repetition of a certain task, in as many different ways possible, increasing the flexibility of the child’s approach.

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KIRKORIAN, H., WARTELLA, E., ANDERSON, D., 2008. Media and Young Children’s Learning. Ph.D. thesis, University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

a HOW TO on Client

Squashed a load of different keywords into google, seived through a load of strange sites about mouse interaction and tripped right into a site full of amazing jQuery effects.

I tried searching flash tutorials, html 5 tutorials, mouse interaction, page panning, space like sites, and hit the nail on the knee cap with a JQuery orientated search, this roughly what I want to acheive, it's a real basic version I've got suit up and change some more to get it where I need, but the fact I've got onto it this far has made me feel 3000 trillion times better that I can bring my concept to life.

plopped all these testers on me server so you can go see the live version cos images int gonna illustrate my idea too well.

The page and menu, which is coded in a list from the tutorial I gots, interacts with the movement of the mouse from the user, you waggle it around and the whole thing speeds up or changes direction. A real basic starting point, but I can get to grips with this code, learn it and remould it bend it waggle it shape it to become my galaxy i recks !

version 1

http://www.el-ay.co.uk/jquery_client_test/test/test.html

version 2

http://www.el-ay.co.uk/jquery_client_test/test1/test1.html

version 3

http://www.el-ay.co.uk/jquery_client_test/test2/test2.html

Doesn't interact with the mouse, but more of a scattered effect.
version 4

http://www.el-ay.co.uk/jquery_client_test/test3/test3.html

colour colour colour

These are colour swatches already done by other folks with enough time to register and make a load.
interesting to see, and get to grips with other peoples ideas of space and colour themes, ill pop some of my own in at the bottom and label it cos im sound.

DEEP SPACE

SPACE SUIT

SPACE

SPACE

OBJECTS FROM SPACE

SPACE ODYSSEY

EARTH FROM SPACE

MINE

ATRG - CONCEPT

 METAPHOR :

ATRG as a galaxy, a variety of different aspects, concepts, products, developments, attitudes and directions held together with the common ambition of providing innovative solutions through advanced textiles.

CONCEPT :

I am going to relate my project to the universe, more specifically a galaxy for a load of reasons which I reckon I've touched on briefly with the last slapdash post.
Space is one of the great unknowns about the world, along with the deepest darkest depths of the ocean, that encourages a variety of different emotions and feelings within us as hoomans. It's a place or thing we'll probably never know everything about, its shrouded in mystery, intrigue, curiosity. It represents potential, possibility, the great unknown, uncertainty, excitement, anticipation of what could be out there, awe, interest, exploration, adventure, pioneers and a basketful more. It immediately evokes so many reactions and emotions within us when we look at it, talk about or think about it, I plan on projecting these onto my project. My interpretation of the 3rd interactive brief, the past one, was a link from past to future, hinting at the potential and pioneering attitude, and exciting the audience for ATRG's future ventures, as well as demonstrating the innovation of their current stuff. That's the stuff I wanna focus my site around, those feelings.I wanna take the idea of the universe, and those emotions, and splash it all over my project, the whole metaphor thing works a treat when explaining my idea, but it works in practicality to, i want to give the user an interactive experience around a place that's not obviously space, but hints at, nudges towards, indicates, or alludes to being some sort of galaxy, whilst remaining relevant to ATRG and not going weird on nebulas.


AUDIENCE :

The brief goes wild about the audience, and tailoring the experience/site towards a specific demographic with either the products you choose to demonstrate, or the content you stick in there, but after tutorial I'm feeling abit better. My projects concept domenant, which might kick me in the metaphorical balls in a bit, when it comes to specifically tailoring something to an audience like the military, or medicine. Im guessing theyre gonna want no nonsense straight sleek facts, and mine might appear a bit of a game to them, which wont be sound for the research group. But after asking David, he's clarified to sort of ignore that, and that the audiences are wider :
the media,
potential sponsors, or existing.
Researchers
research students,
and industry, which will include military, medicine, and whatever else.

I'm gonna try and mould my idea and site to being a relevant experience, but keep the almost playful elements, cos i think they're valuable and demonstrate the ideals of the group. a science led group, but with a hell of a lot of considered design.

WHAT :

I want my project to be less about the re branding and logo, although that is something I'm gonna do, just not focus and begin with, and more about the experience. I reckon that's more important. Giving the user a lasting insight and decided feel for the group through what they've done/experienced is more powerful and lasting than going for an oddly worded tag line. whole thing of them 3 ways of learning, kinetic or whatnot. taglines normally cringe me bad. Im hoping to create a company identity through the narrative of the site rather than depending on logos and taglines and small things that come together to build up the identity, they can be used to enhance it. Means i can cut back on that kinda stuff, hopefully. I wanna create an experience, welcome to my world, this is us, whole thing brimming with their values, or message, logos n that can be simple, and classic and understated. keep repeating myself, but i want a lasting impression ! an experience, journey, thing. concept not content!

DESIGN and TECHNICAL :

I dont at all wanna take space and throw it as a background for my site, I wanna incorporate the deciding elements of space into my project. the subtleties are gonna do the wor, pre conceptions, associations and that, the metaphor concept is the backbone of my project, but not gonna be an obvious design choice.
I wanna incorporate some colours maybe, and the idea's.
The weird box ive drawn on that A4 above is supposed to be a small wireframe/thumbnail.
The dots will be links to their existing products/case studies, information will appear on a rollover/click in a box, maybe linking to another page depending on the content we receive. The idea is the dots will be placed in a loose chronological order, the top right hinting towards the future and potential, and therefore showcasing their development, a timeline without dates.
The idea of the page will be, maybe using flash or Jquery or something else (badly gotta look into this stuff cos its years beyond me, gonna be an absolute killer) and move, or interact with the mouse and its positioning to sort of change perspective or roll around. Had a quick peek at existing stuff and this site http://26000.resn.co.nz/ (classic resn) is a sort of what i want, but  i want it more subtle than this.

I wanna create, resemble, give the feeling of space, and vast possibility. hoping this sort of galaxy of products will do that.

Colour scheme wise, i wanna be simple as. I wanna be classic, understated, and chilled. My idea can't be over the top and childish like most of my work, gotta strip it back and keep it relevant to the client.
next post'll probs be colour swatches. well it will be, cos ive already started doing that. absolute spoiler alert.

 I wanna take shapes, layouts and colours and the sense of room, and features from space, in a practical way and douse my site in it.


THINGS TO TAKE A GANDER AT :

gotta go on a hunt for technical ways of creating my idea, gotta make it do able. flash, html 5, jquery load of ruddy surgery sessions with any tutor that'll have me i recks.


OTHER STUFF :
During presentations there was a lotta talk of making stuff responsive or sticking it in wordpress, I dont wanna play it safe, and am real set on delivering what im chatting about, but i think that kinda stuff for me is unnecessary. I dont reckon ATRG is the kinda thing youd stumble upon if you were a tom or a dick or a harry, its audience is specific, and its looked at by people who know where there at, i dont reckon them kinda folks, industry, sponsors or media are there for kicks or to mess around so smartphones arent a thing im goin to design for. After asking David about this, he said if i justify it in my eval, jobs a goodun. so sound. As for tablets though, the discussion that followed left me thinking id under estimated how relevant they are, and how widespread their success is, so i am gonna have to think about how id design for a tablet. a real relevant consideration.

Wordpress - I'm not going to work towards integrating my site into wordpress, if the client chose my idea, and wanted it, then I would, if that happens, then I will. but for the purpose of my brief, I wanna air tight concept Im gonna focus everything ive got on my project. I understand the relevance, importance, and necessity nowadays of wordpress and other CMS's but for the brief, and my immediate goals, ima leave it, and justify it again in the eval. Probs mention constantine and lockwood some too, cos thats always an absolute treat.


DEVELOPMENT :
whole ideas rough, unrefined, not chiseled and a load more words for rough, but during tutor concept got mentioned of maybe instead of a galaxy, bringing it back to ATRG through using a peice of thread, photographed on a macro lens. Not sure how it would work with the movement, and fluidity, its gonna be able to be done but ill know for sure after ive finished investigating. Im not sure if im ready to move on from my idea without having checked it out properly first, but thats a second variation i wanna go with. Tutorial dropped the gem of prezzi as well, a site were I can do some mock ups and stereotypes to test my idea without the code. its apparently used for presentations and stuff, but i might be able to manipulate it for what i neeed.incredible !

me metaphor

ATRG is a

moodboard

load of incred images to do with nebulas, galaxies, planets, moons, solar system and more.
'opefully will be the basis for colour schemes, fluid layouts and more inspiration for client.

ATRG brief

I have chosen Interactive Media Brief 3 – What we have already done: Documenting.

 After reading the specifics and requirements of the project, I think I’m pretty into it.  But it’d ridiculously early stages so don’t hold your breath.

I’m struggling on deciding a more refined audience to tailor my project towards. The audience I choose will have great impact on my design in terms or usability and visuals, as well as existing work of the ATRG that I will include. I’ve been leaning towards choosing medical as my motivation, since the values behind that are stronger, the idea of helping and benefitting via technology, but on a selfish level, I’m unsure, because of the seriousness of the audience, how much scope for creativity there would be. This leaves me slightly stumped. I’m not quite sure how to define other audiences, without sitting down and sifting through, and understanding every individual piece and product the group have designed and completed. For now I’m going to concentrate on developing a strong concept and story that can be developed to have relevancy to my decided audience abit later. I wanna get my idea water tight.

What I liked about the third brief is the idea of an underlying narrative and link from past to future. The requirements are to create a site that sparks interest and curiosity. I like the idea that the design I lay around ATRG’s products and hard scientific information will create an emotional and engaging experience that ignites feelings of intrigue and almost hope within the user; a sense of possibility and potential, sharing in the beliefs and intentions of the Internal client therefore sparking them to want to know more, or get in touch about products. I think the past can be used to hint towards, and create a buzz for the future, and the narrative of my site will do exactly this. Show existing material and products, sort of as a portfolio whilst creating a sense of anticipation for all their future works.

Above is my initial reaction to the brief. I’ve thought about emotions I want to evoke within the user, and possible themes, images or existing environments that I will be able to exploit in order to do this. I’m going to use space as a metaphor of the great unknown and never ending potential as a theme for my project and the work of the ATRG.  The curiosity, amazement and infinite incredible happenings that occur in, about, through and because of space are never ending, I want to bring all the feelings and emotions connected with space and project them onto my project. The universe is vast, and potential of things happening even more so, it’s this that I think will serve the brief and clients needs real bloody well. I already believe in my idea, I have the bones, I just need to attach the gristly bits, muscle and veins to get myself the full working body.

I’m going to further develop my idea, going to do some visuals, moodboards, wireframes, colour palettes and so on to get more of a physical representation of my concept, so that when it comes to presentation ill be able to portray my idea with a bit more substance to it.

Ive had a look at all of the ATRG’s existing stuff, wordpress, facebook, twitter and NTU site and theres an absolute mishmash of information, but my intrpreation fo the brief is its concept over content. Hopefully im not all talk, and this will pan out an absolute goodun.

http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

THE IMPORTANCE OF STORYTELLING

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/sep/25/best-childrens-apps-storytelling

As well as the growing army of folks bowing down to the idea of a edutainment and interactive learning, there are sticklers in the mud who hate it bad. The idea this article pushes forward is that no matter the interactivity, no matter the amount of colour sound or audio visual entertainment, the solid background and ultimate success factor of an application or paper based book is the narrative, and characters supporting it.

Great storytelling and strong characters are fundamental elements for any good story regardless of media and delivery, and have direct effect to the success of said product, according to an article published on the Guardian by Stuart Pledge. This article details interactive storytelling and applications are not a revolutionary jump forward, just a new take on an old classic, and the essentials and criteria remain the same, whether it be paper based, interactive, film and animation or through an application on your iPad.

Linked to Pledge’s (2012) recipe for success, are the ideas of romanticizing the past and the golden childhood, and romanticizing the future. There will always be people who remain adverse to change and the progression of technology and its convergence with everyday life. (I’ve gotta admit, I’m badly opposed to the idea of 3 Dimensional TV. It’s fucking ridiculous!) This is not a new thing directly related with iPads, or kids getting their hands on technology, but an age old obstacle where only the immediate criteria change. Before iPads and smartphones and interactive pop up books, or stories there was the ‘golden age’ the era parents now refer to, in which it was television that was corrupting childhoods and making for a toxic time. The idea of radio being drowned out by an image making box, that people then were afraid to let into their homes and adopt being utterly dreadful.

And long long before then (something I found real interesting interesting)

Long

Long

Long

Long before then..

the mad stupid idea that writing things down would render memory obselete. A guy in stupid BC went on about how getting stuff out on paper would have a huge detrimental effect on society, people would lose their memory because they no longer needed to use it. Letters being thought of as a drug for memory and wisdom. Bit earlier than that, people hraged against women reading, incase it led them to be real dissatisfied with their probably crummy lives, and think about running away ! point being, people are scared of change, and throughout my research project ima look at interactive media being detrimental to kids, through studies and what not, and come back to this point..theres a real big can of interactive pop up book worms ready to be busted open.

PLEDGE, S., 2012. The best children’s apps are about great storytelling and strong characters [online]. Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/sep/25/best-childrens-apps-storytelling [accessed 23rd October 2012].

initial shorces for research ive done a read on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interaction_design
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning

http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2212/Media-Influence-on-Children.html
http://sgiz.mobi/s3/1561d795f97e
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2JVAmw/:1L6i_6YpN:DXRgsRy3/visual.ly/color-psychology-logo-design/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304363104577391813961853988.html
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/tablets/10-ipad-apps-for-toddlers10.htm
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201110/is-it-okay-let-your-toddler-play-the-ipad?page=2
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/05/23/kidpads
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/05/interactive_screen_time_for_kids_do_educational_ipad_apps_teach_toddlers_anything_.html
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/ipad-toddlers-the-guinea-pig-generation/
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/10/22/141591126/will-smartphones-and-ipads-mush-my-toddlers-brain
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/04/50-best-apps-chidren-smartphones-tablets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Research_methods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_research
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/01/design-research-methods-for-experience-design.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_research
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/12/kidaptive-raises-large-seed-round-from-menlo-crunchfund-others-to-bring-childrens-educational-apps-to-ipad/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9189087/Toca-Boca-childrens-apps-that-unlock-creativity.html
http://www.the21stcenturyteacher.com/member-articles/on-education/50-technology-in-education-why
http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Unplugged--New-recommendations-about-Media-Use-fro.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/programme/octonauts
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/creative-lifestyle/designing-for-kids/
http://www.psfk.com/2011/03/trends-in-2011-apps-for-kids.html
http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/report-from-horizon-project-10th.html
http://digitalmediadiet.com/?p=1540
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-Horizon-Project-Retreat-Communique.pdf&pli=1
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/4/3064339/j-k-rowling-coming-to-wonderbook-for-playstation-move
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderbook
http://disneydigitalbooks.go.com/
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/interactive-touch-books-for/id423957406?mt=8
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/26/dr-seuss-apps-can-now-record-parents-reading-books-aloud/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grimms-rapunzel-3d-interactive/id406548272?mt=8
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/great-interactive-ebooks-kids-android-ipad/
http://www.cultofandroid.com/4096/mondays-apps-for-kids-digital-interactive-childrens-books/
http://www.oceanhousemedia.com/about/
http://www.prweb.com/releases/oceanhousemedia/bookshelfapp/prweb9985484.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_entertainment
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-edutainment.htm
http://webdesignerwall.com/trends/2008-design-trends
http://www.iambossy.com/trends/2008/12/29/and-now-for-the-top-nine-technology-advances-in-2008-otherwise-known-as-you%E2%80%99ve-got-three-days-to-come-up-with-number-ten/
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/09/wonderbook-skylanders-comparison/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/06/04/e3-2012-wonderbook-book-of-spells-features-writing-from-j-k-rowling/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MII6tKPakpw
http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/134470-apples-ipad-reclaims-lost-market-share-while-android-flops-like-a-fish-out-of-water
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Rapu.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBooks
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/09/11/the-nine-hottest-android-tablets-for-kids-and-education-pictures/
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9760396.htm
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57339667-1/selling-super-fast-for-holidays-leappad-explorer/
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120509134040375
http://www.teachhub.com/how-technology-changed-learning
http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2012/08/05/mark/
http://www.todaysparent.com/school-age/kids-technology/digital-classroom?page=0,1
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/03/21-things-that-will-be-obsolete-by-2020/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/using_technology.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street_research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gruffalo_(film)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDB1PR-mknQ
http://www.droid-life.com/2012/08/17/friday-poll-freemium-or-paid-app-model/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/apr/20/android-top-grossing-apps
http://blog.flurry.com/default.aspx?Tag=market%20size
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/motion-graphics/animation-trends-2012-childrens-tv-animation-rediscovers-its-craft-roots/
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31277/A-Marketer-s-Complete-Guide-to-Launching-Mobile-Apps.aspx
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31277/A-Marketer-s-Complete-Guide-to-Launching-Mobile-Apps.aspx
http://www.babylondon.co.uk/features/latest-news/item/1096-the-rise-of-the-%E2%80%98appy-family-in-technology-britain
https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_120522/
that i have already read. ima blog a few of the more relevant ones i absorbed.

New Balance x West NYC MT580 WST Alpine Guide Edition (grey/teal/purple)

NEL ARTWORK

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Know fuck all on the background of her, just badly into the sculptures and models she makes.

From Brussel’s as far as im aware, terribly hard trying to read a language I don’t have a clue about. Just been thinking in terms of collaboration, and mixed media and whatnot.

Her works intricate and odd and ugly and so so good !

I wanna bring from this, to my work, a mixture of 2D and 3D elements, to give abit more depth and substance to my work, whether that be through exploring parallax websites, with layers and hidden narratives, or making some plastercines things and whacking them about abit.

NATHALIE POLFLIET

FINDING NEVERLAND

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Went the Curve with the Mother last Friday, for a theatre show full of normally cringe amount of songs.

I’ve got the deepest love for Peter Pan, one of the few things I’m ever able to lose myself in. Massively relevant to both context and research in terms of story, audience, cognitive development, education and whatever else makes it sound that I took the night of doing uni work and went to see massive pirate ships and smoke and mermaids and pirates and crocodiles and a dog that’s a nanny !

Was so good. The back of the theatre, and the way the show had been put together was unfathomably good. There must have been less than 10 physical props, including a vintage chitty chitty bang bang type car, a pretty impressive sized pirate ship, some benches light fixtures and a wall. The rest was purely done on light projection. Something I remember reading about, or something similarly related, in one of last years context essays. Made me think about film folk and the potential for their context.

The whole thing was such a flawlessly contemporary feel to it, a mixture of 3 dimensional physical props and 2 dimensional light projections. It had an amazing affect on the audience and added a pretty fucking magical twinge to the whole thing. There was 3 screens around the stage (I’m used to weird plywood paintings and blokes dressed up as geese or fat tranny mother goose women) that were blank. Different images, such as Victorian décor, or the skies, or buildings to give an image of driving through the city were splashed upon them. Worked so well, everything was proportionally immaculate.

There times where the back was used to add depth, shadow projections were painted across them, little mind tricks and oddities, giving the illusion of armies, or flight or whatever needed to be put across.

I fully adore peter pan, that play, and overall have always been into the idea of growing up in a certain way. James M Barrie’s a ruddy hero. The way he concocted and entwined together the happenings of his life to immortalise a seemingly imperfect but altogether ‘time of yer life’ set of happenings is something I spend hours re reading re watching and trying to immerse myself in.

if third year wasnt crippling me, there'd be illustrations galore of this.

UP THE BRACKET TURNING 10

What the hell. Being 12 when libbo’s released up the bracket.

Last week marked the 10^th anniversary. Pete and Carl being the ultimate collaboration of hard work and learned skill to unadulterated natural talent.

Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things.

Only decent band I can claim to be from the time of.

PNC CHRISTMAS INDEX - 2010 for context

 

PNC Wealth Management, run by a guy with an oddly attractive underwater voice, James P Dunigan, is a Bank from the States, responsible for releasing the annual Christmas Index, a tradition that has been kept since 1986. That’s a long 28 years. And so far this is an irrelevant post, but it’s not really, you’re just jumping the gun.

The PNC Index is based upon the Twelve Days of Christmas, that irritating carol that burns into your brain with stinking gold rings. The idea is each year the prices are released of the items within the song and compared to the previous years. The Index has been appraised and put into practice as an education tool by teachers in more recent years, and as a result of this PNC have altered their approach in the yearly delivery of their Index to their specific audience (as seen in the 2011 Making of video).

Both 2010’s release and 2011’s have been picked up on by FWA, and rightly so. They’re both fucking incredible. But earlier versions are harder to come across, the facts and figures contained within the Index are easy as pie to stumble upon, but the method and media of delivery is a hell of a lot harder to take a peek at. Despite hours trawling the world wide web, I’ve recovered not a shred of info past 2008, which is weird considering their ridiculously current and relevant approaches to their audience, you’d assume there’d be some sort of archive documenting the way their approach and delivery has evolved, as a way of enforcing brand identity and a relationship with the audience. But. I’ve got up till ’08, and I’m sue there’s gonna be something hidden away somewhere. A load more reading about turtledoves for me.

2008 PNC Christmas Index

 

2008’s number was a website, with a bit of a video, and some Christmas colours. There’s rumours of an interactive pie chart or graph having been slipped in their somewhere, but seeing as there’s no definite authentic archive, that’s all been gathered from a website review.

Oh ATE was the beginning of the smart phone if I’m reckoning right. I had some shitpeice Samsung Tocco that lasted about 6 days before back on the Sony Ericsson walkman. Twitter kicked off, Yahoo and Microsoft nearly had a thing. Barrack used to youtube to conquer the states, Speedo made the LZR, worlds fastest swimsuit, Netbooks became a decided product and the iPhone 3 was released. PNC weren’t incredibly innovative in their approach, but for the time and their uncertain audience it got the job done.

   

2009 is the turning point, where they seemingly redefined their audience  due to receiving so much feedback from teachers detailing how the index was used to educate. PNC took this on board, and gave the whole thing an overhaul.

The index was a short film, using children in the style of a Christmas pageant. The short film was low interactivity, but included children, and an obvious change of approach. There was the introduction of a typeface that has been continued since giving a pretty nice brand identity. The styling’s childish and nicely orientated towards their audience. The kids are pretty cute dressed up as stuff, and Jim Dunigan’s in it. Accompanying the short film was a live chat, created for teachers, students and individual children. 

2010 PNC Christmas Index

 

2010 was the year the FWA took note. Through companies B-reel and Deutsch (who went on to have a major part in the concept and development of their 2011 Index) They created an interactive pop up book. The concept was Deutsch, and the 3D rendering, design and creation B-reel’s work. The used a collaboration of animation and a linear storyline with room to explore to create this massively successful piece that pretty much put them on the map not only for releasing the Christmas Index, but for being a company open to innovation and creation, enhancing their reputation and taking away from that of a musty bank. They used the same typeface and continuity as from 2009, but to create a more more developed and informed piece.

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By this year, they began exploring with interactivity, the user get’s involved, explores the story at their own pace, clicking dragging and operating the pop up via books pulls, tabs twists and page turns via mouse. The development from 09 to ’10 is so clear to see. They’ve gone for a much more rounded user experience, and got the folks having a gander thoroughly engaged in the weird 2D 3D mix book they’ve created.

original concept by Pelle Martin of B-reel

  
 found at : http://content.pncmc.com/live/pnc/microsite/CPI/2010/index.html

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2011’s gone so good !

The making of is a video you should check out. I’ve watched it about 15 times and it makes my stomach go weird at how much good stuff there’s the potential to create. The whole thing oozes’s Christmas juice. It’s set in a store window, with the intention of appealing to primarily children, of course, but also the childish and whimsical side of adults. It plays on fantasy and enchantment and all that Christmas magic that goes floating around come December. I love the way it was made, it has a beautifully hand crafted approach making use of old techniques such as sculpture, stop motion and puppeteering but to create an insanely current and modernized approach. It was made by 3 major design companies, all with strong backgrounds in different areas. Deutsch again responsible for the concept, Hornet for the film aspects, and Famous Interactive for the user experience and games. This year from the previous shows another major development, the collaboration of not 2 but a hundred different practices and medias!  On the obvious there’s film, interactive and old school animation, but looking harder they’ve mixed together a silly amount of techniques and careers and skills to create an incredibly personal, and quirky experience, still delivering the basic principle, of the Index.

 

2011 PNC Christmas Index

found at: http://content.pncmc.com/live/pnc/microsite/CPI/2011/index.html

inital sketched and concepts of the train ride

its hard to say how long thiese links will be live, but with any look, just as the 2010 is now archived and accessible, 2011 will have a different link with arrival of 2012.

Although the index is not a direct profit, it does nothing to harm the brand identity of PNC, their basic values of the Index being to educate. They’ve evolved the index to a thing designers and children galore are excited to explore and engage with. No doubt 2012 will be something mind blowing, surely not long till its out !

I’ve whacked this on the blog because its hugely relevant to my context project, which is along the similar lines of an interactive pop up book for younger children, and its relevant to research in the same regard.

Seriously take a look at the past 2 years worth..makes me real excited about what ima doing. Classicly.

 

SCAMPER

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Model of innovation, that needs to be recorded somewhere cos it seems like a thing I’m gonna need to refer back, and act on.

OSBORN 1953

Substitute people, components, material

Combine with other functions

Adapt function or visual appearance

Modify size shape texture acoustic

Put it to other use, new, combined

Eliminate, reduce, simplify, eliminate anything superfluous

Reverse use conversely, invert, reverse

Using this is gonna go a bloody treat on building artefacts, giving an underlying framework and method to produce structured, necessary, relevant artefacts that are gonna further my in my research to attaining a solution to the problem im working on. Im so excited to get stuck into the research projects its unreal, probably wont be as buzzin in 3 weeks. But fuck that.

PENS HAVE ARRIVED

BRING ON THE CANVAS

and got a copy of an old graffiti mag to check out

AUGUST SANDER (1876–1964) NEW WALK

Went another exhibition, on some weird overload week, where my photography snoot exhibition arms got well and truly over used.

August Sander was some German photographer who documented German society, including a few snaps of Nazi’s, and guys with monicles. The images were reprints from the original negatives, it was really good to be around, the images were insane, so old and the diversity in the subjects was incredible. I don’t really know much on photography, but I loved it. Germans are funny as well.

Runs from 29^th September -  6^th of January, for free o course.

Sander created hundreds of photographic portraits in his attempt to document contemporary German society. His detached observational style, and his inclusion of images of society’s outcasts alongside its success stories, reflected his professed aim ‘to see things as they are and not as they should or could be’.

Tate.org.uk

August Sander at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery | Tate

Tate.org.uk (2012) August Sander at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery | Tate. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/new-walk-museum-art-gallery/display/august-sander [Accessed: 9 Oct 2012].

Don’t really know if that’s right, but it’s a nice effort by me I reckon.

ARTISTS OF INTEREST

Before term began, and all I had was time and no purpose, I spent a fair bit of my time having a look into what’s happening around Nottingham, Derby and The Lace Market.

Last years accommodation brought the luxuries of ASDA, Hyson Green, pickled cocktail gherkins, The Toad & Onion, and seedin scum bags in overly low cars, this year brings Montana, pop up window illustrations by Mr The Beef, Jam Café, Switch Studios and Nash. Gone good.

Just at the end of the road, on Goose Gate, is a shop rarely open and nearly always caged up, terribly curious. Montana. I was reading one of the mag’s I’d done a bit of work  for, and came across an article detailing the shop’s 10^th birthday (Coverage 2002 progressing to Montana 2008).

FD2D details the whole thing.

DILK, the guy who owns the shop, working together with Shrunken Heads (well worth checking out) put on a month long event. A load of graffiti, art and temporary paints galore leading to some real incredible art.  Pretty much developed from there, but a good few hours were spent staring at the giant that is my imac discovering new artists, collaborations, illustrators, events and happenings to look into, learn from, attend and experience.

The list is A4 long, but contains some ridiculously interesting collaborations, from people across Great Britain (some who have never met, just share mutual respect for art styles and each others work ) some of who have grown into collab’s from the same area background and networking (yes networking context 2 )

Mr Millerchip, Mr Penfold, Lielow & Sketch, Phlegm, Arteest, Mr Jones AKA Lunartik, Malarky D. More local guys such as Dilk, Mr The Beef, Kid30 (Small Kid) and Philth.

There’s come incredible collaborations such as Lielow & Sketch, The Cloud Commission, Brothers of the stripe, and locally…Shrunken Heads.

Local Studios such as Switch Studios, just up the road, Leicester HQ, a newly opened creative hub in Leicester, aswell as bigger, wider known studios like Kitch-en gallery and The Pure Gallery equally worth an investigative gander.

Just a brief one, but a positive indication, this years gonna go incred. Bring on DILK’s number in Derby this Friday.

dead drop

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1IVh9y/:1ZoY19cL8:PcUJqeal/deaddrops.com/

ANXIETEAM

went home friday night to one of me best pal's birthday drinks.
He's such a tool. Came back on the train to see this fucker chalked on the board down near size?

SO PISSED OFF ! Would've been fucking incredible to see j.burgs band!!
fuck knows if it was genuine, but im in love with the guy so wouldve loved it either way. throwing the name round is enough. So into his art and general demenour.

MILES FROM THE SEA

Switch Studios

17a Huntingdon Street (above BJM carpets)
Nottingham


NG1 3JH
United Kingdom

Not long after the last post, I hit up onto this exhibition via Facebook, Switch studios is very much about social networking and indirect exhibitions.

It was incredible. Kid30 (Smallkid ) had a collection of weirdly intriguing dead things, illustrations and prints. My camera’s dog shite, but here’s a few pictures I out sourced from emdunn’s camera, and jays. If I had spare money’s I’d have definitely invested in one of the prints available.

The studios is pretty small, 2 rooms, one was oozing with sharks heads, maps, traveling curiosity and mystery’s, the other had a fuck off picture of a fish on it. Literally, best exhibition I’ve been to in a while.

Led to some more upcoming shows and things I wanna take a look at and use to inspire and help me with my work, although indirectly relevant, never a bad thing to soak up a scene and incred artwork to inform designs and ideas.

Posted a few pictures from the exhibition - kid30's solo show.