How much can you see and think?

Referring to the given visual above, as an audience what will be your understanding & perception?

But now as a Graphic Design student, how many “points” of elements you manage to associate with or you can think off?

a) 1 to 3

b) 3 to 4

c) More than 4

Yours’ ability to see the total amount of contextual components lies within the given visual will define how much you really grasp on your graphic design learning from your study.

As a graphic design student it is important to understand the perception theories before embark into designing. Please don’t do thing “art for art sick” because when talking to public, we are also bound to integrity & social responsibility value.

The “messages” (which is our design works) created by us, always contain “Noise” or communication gap that will provoke misunderstanding if we are not good enough to articulate the notion.

Lousy works will intentionally & selfishly provoke discomfort on others by hoping its’ action will yield attention (another cultural terrorist action) and only too late to learn that his or her work fail miserably when public fail to see its’ narration.

If given a choice, why can’t we just ask & talk nicely? To me, reviewing own-self sad upbringing through low respect you portray for others religion and culture are only another self-insult damage and low intelligence (idiot) action.

So think twice before “Raping” any cultural or religion context. The mention arguments here are referring to those dudes that manipulate sacred symbolic icon to achieve provocative attention. Please leave the religion alone.

Ok, back to my sharing segment, if you can see more than 4 contextual elements or even see the total 7 hidden perceptions elements quoted here, you are on the right path.

7 Visuals elements quoted here can be explains as such >>

Element 1- referring to the intended message (number 30 with embedded figure face), Any visual created are always meant for articulating idea, it is important to know the perception theories. Typography should be view as sender voice of tone and styles.

Element 2 – The visual navigation path. (It is how we absorb and our reading flow or pattern).

Element 3 – The “Ying & Yang” manipulation of 2D contrast that hold an intrinsic value for space, print & message.

Element 4 & 6 – Element 4 here is referring to the whole number of 30 and element 6 is the frame. Composition within whole visual (within the given box) is evaluated base on the compare & contrast by imaginative balance pivot. Any use or unused space must be meticulously planed.

Element 5 – The visual texture, many Graphic student or even some senior designer still weak in adopting and manipulate visual and tactile textures as their ingredient for good design.

Element 7 – Referring to the surface (mainly paper), choices of paper selected hold an intrinsic tactile texture value and it is always vital to give good recommendation to your customer on what finishing to be executed on, of course do not forget to go green if possible.

Hopefully with the share brief here, I can help a bit on your understanding or promote you to do some reflection on Graphic Design knowledge, Happy Learning.

The mentioned 7 elements here can be further explain, to know more just drop me an email. Take care, from Mr. Martin Yong.

The “Stone Age” of mediocre design schools

Prologue
Looking back into Malaysia Design education for “Young Guns”, it is a ”Bless” now in compare to the old schools where the “Delivering Gaps” are inevitable consequences.

The Early Impressions of studying design courses are meant for those who can’t excel in academic.
The market niche for design students is relatively small, partly due to our own premature design industry as well. Thanks to many passionate Fine Artists who take the initiative to give a kick-start for Malaysia art & design education or else there will never be one. Thank you to all pioneer artists.

90’s - The “Mushroom” era of Design College
Seeing the growing new number of mediocre design colleges at the early 90’s are catastrophe finding to me as many students are not well taught, those self-claim educationist (merely capitalist dude) are only weakening the design education in our country rather than contributing to it. What they do is only training a group of skill workhorses rather than a pure artist, designer and thinkers.
Eerily this stills a trend till now in some mediocre colleges.

21st century – The ‘me too” clone war

All the sudden the Art & Design courses seems to be so potent that any T**, D*** or H**** colleges can simply running it without much empathy on the value that they will give to the naive students. Fresh graduate is mechanically employ by meeting the “paper for paper sick” and assume they are ready to teach, that’s all! (No problem just shoot with what in the syllabuses as being told by their BOSS)

Sigh! O.M.G, I sincerely wish this would not happen to his or her own innocent kid. (I bet it would not because they may just send their kid to a better school, because they can smell their own kind).

The return of the “Jedi”
Join the design education at 1994 after resigning from my Art Director post; it is due to my passion for teaching and dream of contributing in design education.

Little that I can do at the beginning stage as lecturer until back in 1998, I was lucky enough to be the head of a design college, together with Mr Alvin. It was during my tenure days there I introduce Mind Mapping, Creative thinking, Conceptual Illustration & bringing in the advertising expert like “Ah Sir” to join us.

Yes, they call us the “FONG WAN”(Martin & Alvin).

Chapter 1
The Stone Age in the new millennium
Art & Design education now partially gear with new technologies and teaching methodologies have brought many benefits into knowledge transfer & holistic learning, I am truthfully glad to see this new landscape. *But this credit on viable to the honourable colleges.

Stone Age era claimed here are referring to the colleges/university practice me-too strategies by offering design courses for the sick of “Profit Margin”, where goes the humanity and social responsibility value among those provider?

Design courses syllabuses are badly run and inexperience teachers are employ thus will only bring our society into retrogress

It is still too early or simply we are not there yet for social responsible conscious, why it is still many amateur design colleges/university around?

In term of improvement, Malaysia Design education will retard if these “Mediocre Design” education providers are still around but fortunately some authorities steps in to impose some regulation in these stone ages.

I have been thru the ice ages of the late 80’s.Luckily & also unluckily the focus during that time is more towards skill base rather than holistic learning. That is not to be blame of because the design industry it self need more skill persons.

Seeing many young kids being polluted with wrong direction and fall victim in this Capitalism system make my stomach full of butterfly. “May all students be enlighten by the “Environmental factors”, please read more books and think out of your box now. Read, read and listen... yes at least read my “Blog”, hope it will help.

To be continue.

Disclaimer
Throwing in my 15years experiences into this “Blog” with personal view in design education industries are merely my own point of view with no discrimination to insult or causing indirectly harm or losses to any party. Please read it with open mind, I may be wrong & any comments are welcome.

Jumping here and there with friction of story, philosophy, and self learn knowledge may put me in the test of time (life) or even in contrary situation with empirical and pedagogy critics. I apologize in advance, if my “post” is too provocative & sarcastic for you to digest.

Footnote;
Delivering Gap – Value expected from the paid service is not fully or properly delivers by the services provider both the institution and the lecturers.Environment factors – Culture, Technologies, Education systems, Up-bringing & Cognitive factors.

“Design me a chair.”

Lecturer : “Design me a chair.”

Or

Lecturer: “Design me something, that I can sit on it.”


Both requests direct students to design a new piece of furniture (chair) but the way it is being articulated will define different outcome where one will set theirs' minds free or vice versa.

What if your lecturers’ choose to request in the former way?

Will you able jump out of the box?

It is the students or lecturers duties?

Asking this question just like asking the chickens or eggs first?

Note to the lecturers; please be cautious, when dealing with young and untrained mind.

Note to the students; please be alert not to fall into the box of given problem itself.


Student: “Mr. Martin, What to do then?

Mr Martin: “Here is your answer... first find out the key issue of the problem, remember the problem or new need in "Surface" may not always the actual main problem.
" Communication do consist illusion & bias."

It is amazing to know that many people wasted lots of time and resources in answering the wrong problems.

How could that be? Yes, we jump into conclusion by not looking clearly on the main issue of the problem, because we want to be fast, sharp and effective.

“Experiences” do lies, yes clinging to our past experiences and addressing all problems from there is a very dangerous move.

Look around us; many people do the same thing over and over again by expecting the different result. It is only too late to find out, we are on the losing side.

Going back to the quoted example above, how should we define the issue?

1) Listening is a way of gathering information not decision.

2) Always practice counter argument within yourself on the issue you tackle. Why there is a need on the first place? What is the root of the issue?

3) Use 5W1H

4) Use the “Depth, Width & Holistic” approaches.

5) Remember an “Answer” not necessary has to direct to the given question.

6) Tell a good story (Concept), if your life is like a movies and you are the actor, how would you like it to be? Give a story to your design (the soul of design) we all love stories.

As there is no right or wrong in design, it is a matter of how effective the design in answering or tackling the issue. Always embrace your design with care and be passion, there are always room for improvement. And it is “O.K” to make mistake even the best Design can be wrong in future, all things just impermanent.

Evolve your thought so do the way you solve problem.

Any questions are welcome regarding the quoted tips above.
email to me if you want.

Best Regards,
Martin Yong

What type of Intelligence do you have?

Years of teaching prompt me to wonder what type of intelligence should I foster to my students or can we really foster intelligence?

Referring to the Pedagogy theories (pedagogy is an art & science of educating),
There are still some gaps needs to fill in by the “Students” themselves and we (lecturers, are bound by the limitation of environmental factors) cannot do it all.

It is “obscene” to see incompetent lecturer being employ with the notion of filling the job and the “wages” given never an attractive “$” to attract good lecturers. (In fact it is sometime like insulting “Teaching Professional” by the salary given)

Before going further for today discussion, please visit the link below or simply read through the 9 mentioned intelligences.


http://skyview.vansd.org/lschmidt/Projects/The%20Nine%20Types%20of%20Intelligence.htm

The Nine Types of Intelligence
By Howard Gardner

1. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”)

Designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). This ability was clearly of value in our evolutionary past as hunters, gatherers, and farmers; it continues to be central in such roles as botanist or chef. It is also speculated that much of our consumer society exploits the naturalist intelligences, which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like.

2. Musical Intelligence (“Musical Smart”)

Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone. This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions; and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes. Young adults with this kind of intelligence are usually singing or drumming to themselves. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.


3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complete mathematical operations. It enables us to perceive relationships and connections and to use abstract, symbolic thought; sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns. Logical intelligence is usually well developed in mathematicians, scientists, and detectives. Young adults with lots of logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories, and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and experiments.

4. Existential Intelligence

Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

5. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart”)

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives. Teachers, social workers, actors, and politicians all exhibit interpersonal intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence are leaders among their peers, are good at communicating, and seem to understand others’ feelings and motives.

6. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”)

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. This intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind–body union. Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and craftspeople exhibit well-developed bodily kinesthetic intelligence.

7. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings. Linguistic intelligence allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply meta-linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. Linguistic intelligence is the most widely shared human competence and is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers. Young adults with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles.

8. Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart”)

Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and direction one’s life. Intra-personal intelligence involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition. It is evident in psychologist, spiritual leaders, and philosophers. These young adults may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are self-motivated.

9. Spatial Intelligence (“Picture Smart”)

Spatial intelligence is the ability to think in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects all exhibit spatial intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing or daydreaming.

OK, which segment do you think you belong to in order to become a good designer?
Ha! Ha! In facts we need them all. Most people claim designers work on “Right” side of brain but in fact we need both side of our brain to do the thinking and analysis.
Ya! talking about RIGHT side of the brain, we (designers’) always been regards as “outrages” tribe, simply because we are right, ha ha.

So don’t frame yourself into a “Box”, within all the mentioned intelligence, just be yourself and spend some time cultivating more. No body is perfect, including me, that's why I keep learning with open heart and mind.

To be continue...