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Visual Diary 14 | Design

This class has really broadened my horizorns, especially on what I now Consider design. I feel like before this class design was just something you created in adobe suites. This class has taught me to look a design in a more full way. That design in everything we are surrounded by and has a HUGE impact on our lives. Design is a business model, technology, art, a process, social media and so many more things!

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Visual Diary 14 | Ethnographic Research

I really enjoyed learning about ethnographic research in this class and thinking more big picture when designing something, other than just what it will be used for. It’s easy to get streamlined on your work and just focus on the narrow end goal of your project and not see the big picture. I think learning this style of thinking about design projects will help me grow in my business and make the projects i decide to do the future be more beneficial for all involved!

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Visual Diary #13 | Cell Phone Usage

It’s crazy to me how distracted become when you bring a cell phone into the picture. Even babies reach out for them, not even understanding what they are. While i love my phone and how it connects to so many people near and far. Every time I’m with a group of people it amazes me how much time is spent with everyone at the table or in the room together just sitting on their phones ignoring eacjther. I know some people are tackling this for the project and I’m so excited to see the solutions they come up and hopefully will be able to implement them in my own life. It’s seem no how hard i try to not be on my phone when I’m around other people i either can’t put it away or I’m the only one who has put it away so i get bored and pick it right back up.

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Visual Diary #13

I saw this post a little while ago and screenshotted to use for this! I think this issue is very similar to what we have been discussing in class with Facebook! This just may be a little bit more creepy bc it’s like have a peeping Tom constantly listening in on you. This calls into serious question of a persons data safety when using Alexa if amazons employees are just creeping in on you. Alexa has private information stored as well its in your home, the idea that some stranger miles away is listening to your private family conversations is disturbing. This is a huge problem that amazon should definitely seek to ratify!

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Visual Diary 12 | Sororities

For some people this may be an unpopular opinions. However I believe a college sorority is a beautiful thing to be involved in and provided wonderful design leadership and inspiration. Sororities aren’t just going to parties and bragging rights. In fact it’s barely that. Being involved in a sorority means you are surrounded by strong, indepentent, world changing women who want to make the community their college is in a better place. Sorority women are philanthropist who spend hours upon hours a semester outside of their busy school schedule raising money for charities and doing community service. These women are leaders on campus pushing for change and innovation. Many of these women also work full time on top of all this to pay for the sorority as well make their on contributions to charity. My experience being in a sorority was powerful and uplifting with my sisters pushing me to be the best i could be. I believe all of the above embodies an organization that strives to have a positive societal impact on the world

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Visual Diary 12 | Certified B Corporations

“Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance,transparency, and accountability.”

I think B Corps embodies everything this prompt is looking for. All of the companies on this list are Design Leaders in the aspect as they are looking to improve the world and make it better while also offering quality products to their customers! B corps focus on having positive impacts for not only their customers but also for their employees, the environment, and the communities they are in. B corps brings together all of the leading brands that sole focus is improving all of the above, which creates a better human experience for all involved. This has a heavy influence on me bc when i look for brands to shop i always look for either the all natural environmental friendly option or for a company that gives a portion of the proceeds to charity, B Corps are both. The business model for these matches my personal morals on these issues.

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Visual Diary #11 | Neighborhoods without Sidewalks

I think my title says it all about how this is a design that limits functionality. When you think of a neighborhood, you think of friendly neighbors walking the dog going to and fro to a friends house. I’ve recently moved into a neighborhood where many of us walk daily, however, we have no sidewalks. This is just a huge design flaw for me. It is also a huge safety hazard. Our neighborhood is full of hills and curvy roads. I get so nervous driving around them each day because I am scared I will run over my neighbor's kids or the sweet old man who walks each morning.

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Visual Diary #11 | Blockbuster

I think we can all remember the joy of going to Blockbuster to pick out the weekends movies to watch, and grabbing some candy while waiting in line. Or remember the crazed last-minute rush to return your movies on time. Blockbuster was such a staple in most everyone’s childhood because it’s how you got the latest movies to watch.  Blockbuster’s slogan was “never be without a movie” and while Blockbuster was at its prime this slogan was true. Their mission statement was stated as such, “ At Blockbuster, we are committed to supporting the communities that our members and employees call home.” This makes me believe that Blockbusters “stake in the ground” was supporting communities and providing jobs. Which is amazing don’t get me wrong, but this can also be seen as the beginning of the downfall of Blockbuster. Blockbuster was the leader of the movie rental market, so when the world started becoming more digital they saw no reason to adapt their business model to fit into the digital world around them. Blockbuster was said to be at its peak in 2004. What I found most interesting in doing research on Blockbuster is that the Netflix founder proposed a partnership with Blockbuster in the beginning. “ Netflix wanted Blockbuster to advertise their brand in the stores while Netflix would run Blockbuster online. The idea got turned down by Antioco because he thought it was ridiculous and that Netflix’s business model was “niche business.” Little did he know that Hasting’s idea would have saved Blockbuster.” Blockbuster believed in community, so to them going digital would get rid of jobs for people in the communities they were in. I believe Blockbuster thought this decision would help keep jobs and their business wouldn’t suffer from it. Ultimately though, Blockbuster suffered huge losses and filed for bankruptcy in 2010. While companies like Netflix and Hulu have taken over the movie viewing and streaming, what used to be renting, industry. Who knows what could’ve become of Blockbuster if they had decided to change their business model and partner with Netflix, instead of sticking to their stake in the ground.  A quote I found in the articles I read perfectly captures what happened to Blockbuster. “The Internet didn’t kill blockbuster, the company did it to itself.”

Source : https://valuer.ai/blog/50-examples-of-corporations-that-failed-to-innovate-and-missed-their-chance/?cli_action=1554433971.803 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Visual Diary #10

I watched this film for the first time today and it.was.good!

I sat down to do my second post and was struggling to think of another example. And then, of course, I felt dumb bc this movie and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is obviously an amazing example of putting a stake in the ground.  The movie highlights the case Mortiz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The case was about an unmarried man who was taking care of his elderly mother, who had hired a caretaker to assist him. Since the man had never been married the laws regarded caretaker taxes then didn’t cover him to be compensated for it. The law only names women as caretakers, it was unfathomable for an unmarried man to be in his situations. RBG put her stake in the ground that gender equality should be Law in this and all cases. The movie highlights her journey and struggles from her being one of the first women allowed into Harvard Law School, to her first time in court trying this case, and finally to her becoming a Supreme Court Justice. I think Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an inspiring example of what you can do when you put your stake in the ground and stand by your personal values. 

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“Warby Parker is also a well-known eyeglass company. They not only donate a pair of eyeglasses for each pair purchased, but they train men and women in developing countries to give basic eye exams and sell glasses at an affordable price. They also offer home try-on where they mail you five pairs of frames to try on for five days” - https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-companies-that-give-back

 Warby Parker has put their stake in the ground as to make eyewear fashionable, affordable, and socially conscious. They believe you shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to have nice glasses, glasses that are a necessity for a lot of people.  They stand on the principle that “everyone has the right to see”, and they certainly live up to this principle with their companies ethos, logos, and pathos. I chose this example because this is a product I love, use, and will continue to use. I typically lean toward using and supporting companies that are socially conscious like Warby Parker, I may love a product but if the company’s beliefs don’t align with mine I am less likely to use that product. So I love when I find a company that is charitable and kind like this one.

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Cultural Parameters  | Visual Diary 9

The newest cultural phenom is Social Media. Why social media has many cultural benefits, like making communication and sharing easier among peers. It also comes with terrible side effects, like internet stalking and bullying, as well as a loss in human interaction. There are equally as many benefits as there are pitfalls when it comes to the new culture of sharing your life on the internet for your friends and strangers. This is part of the problem I am tackling for the wicked design problem. Should this new culture of social media being accepted? Should it be more regulated?  

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Sex and the City 2 | Visual Diary 9 

I think a funny example that covers this topic is from the movie Sex and the City 2. In this movie, a group of women who are best friends travels to Dubai. All of the women, except one, research the culture and expectations of women in the middle east before traveling. The women who did not, Samantha, is also going through menopause. The first incident of Samantha breaking cultural protocol is when she tries to bring all of her medications that are keeping her menopause at bay into the country. Apparently, these drugs are illegal in that country. Samantha is headstrong women and demands that her illegal drugs be allowed into the country with her. This event is the catalyst for the many other cultural barriers she breaks down throughout the film. While the things Samantha does throughout the film would be acceptable in the United States, they go against the beliefs of how women should dress and act in the Middle East. Another example this movie uses is when they show the women are actually dressed just like them in fancy clothes in makeup underneath their traditional coverings. This act breaks down some cultural barriers between the women in the film and lets them relate to each other. While I believe cultural parameter should always be respected, I also believe you shouldn’t be forced to do something that goes against your own beliefs or makes you uncomfortable. In Samantha's case, she was going through menopausal hot flashes in the 101+ degree weather in the desert. All she wanted to do was wear clothing that didn't make her any warmer, like shorts and a tank top. However, in Dubai, women are expected to be modest and fully covered. Samantha was technically breaking cultural parameters however if she had adhered to them, she would have been extremely uncomfortable. 

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“ Siete Family Foods is a mission-based company, and we're passionate about making and sharing real food, gathering together in authentic community, and advocating for healthier lifestyles among Latino families “ 

Siete has overcome the general parameters that define tortillas and tortilla chips. This families recipe and redesign of this product allows people with severe food allergies that would generally not allow them to eat foods like this, to be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of eating chips and dip. This seems like such a simple parameter of what makes typically tortillas, ingredients like gluten or grains. However, many people have life-threatening allergies that don’t allow them to consume those ingredients. Also, many of the new diets are gluten and grain free, opening Siete to enter a whole new market as a healthy alternative. 

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Visual Diary #7

The Apple Watch

I know apple is so overplayed and over used as an example for design leadership! But the Apple Watch really is a game changer. It genuinely improves the quality of my life on a daily basis! I’ve worn my Apple Watch on and off for the past couple of years. Recently I’ve been on a health kick (bc I’m in three weddings this summer ahhh) and wearing this Watch is so helpful in helping me achieve my wellness goals. A lot can be said about the human centric design of the activity portion of the Watch. It makes you be more aware of how much you move in one day. I know that since i started wearing mine again I’ve been way more active and aware of how much i sit and can be lazy at home and work! My favorite feature is the activity sharing with your friends like make it seem like a game or competition to more active in a day. The Apple Watch not only helps with my wellness but it also helps with my productivity. The home screen displays what i have on my calendar for that day as well as sending me reminders of tasks i need to accomplish. This little Watch is like having your own personal secretary and gym coach on your arm! Apple really thought ab anything the user would need when designing this product! They are fully customizable down to the apps you have on the watch to the bands you can wear with it! I love how i can have a dressier leather band on while at work or events but can have a sports resistant band on when doing more causal things.

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Visual Diary # 7

I saw this image a while back while shopping online at Target! When i saw this i immediately thought of this class and i just hadn’t been able to fit it into any of the prompts we’ve had! So since this week is a free for all topic, i felt it was the perfect time to share this photo! I LOVE THIS! Target has gotten a lot of attention for its children’s clothing line that is all inclusive for people with disabilities but i feel like i haven’t heard anything about the same for adults. But hello look at this beautiful model for target! I love that target is so inclusive by just using this one model! She is Africa America, plus size, and has the cutest artificial leg i have ever seen! This is some major design leadership shown by target and whatever model angency this woman is signed with! The world needs more of this type of body positivity!

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Visual Diary # 6 Sprinklr is a tangible tool I could and wish I had in my day to day life at work! 

This platform has so many amazing features that would streamline the process of social media campaign schedule for me! We currently use a different platform in my office, but it doesn’t have half the scheduling and design features of sprinklr! There are so much content planning and design that goes into a compelling social media campaign for a company. A design tool like sprinklr is an ingenious idea to help that process run more smoothly. Sprinklr is obviously a competent platform, companies like Coke, Amazon, McDonald’s, etc. use it. 

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Attending this summit would be an abstract tool for me right now, but hopefully one day it will be tangible! I was unaware of the Adobe Summits until recently when a colleague informed me about them. I find it so interesting that Adobe, who in my opinion is at the direct center of the design world, has speakers like Drew Brees and Reese Witherspoon as keynotes. Adobe in its brand itself is a design leader if not THE design leader. Using speakers that are directly design leaders in the clinical meaning of being designers, is an out of the box way of thinking, that is refreshing. In addition to the amazing leadership in the speaker adobe summit also has 100s of workshops and classes for creatives to learn new tricks of the trade. I think being able to attend this conference would be such a great tool to use to learn new skills and to network with other creatives!