Week 12

  1. Research graphic design studios and advertising agencies that have a global business reach.
  2. Analyse methods used by global graphic design studios to effectively communicate with local audiences.
  3. Design and deliver a final project outcome using a short video to effectively communicate a story or challenge.

Workshop Challenge

For this week’s challenge activity:

  1. Create and record a two minute case study film, which highlights the challenge you tried to solve and the design you created to solve it.
  2. Your case study film should analyse the success, failure and potential social impact of your design solution. Please include any user, peer and key stakeholder feedback.
  3. Upload your case study film to YouTube.
  4. Post your YouTube video link onto the Ideas Wall.
  5. Let the student who originated the work know (if you chose this option) so they can comment on the solution.

More than 1000 households in Great Yarmouth do not have English as a main language. This equates to 2.5% of the population or more than 2000 people who may struggle to communicate. More than this though, they may be missing vital information passed down by the government and local news. They may be missing socialising and a feeling that sense of community. This isolation can be lonely and cause anxiety and fear.

bLab is an app and online service where the user selects their main language and are then presented with a set of simple icons. These in turn allows them to receive tailored communications in their native tongue. An algorithmic process draws in information from verified sources which are then automatically translated for easy viewing.

Local news, Government messaging, information about the area, Socialising and points of contact are now only a tap away. Making use of the already in development, Community Champions project, delivery of an initial phase can be implemented with ease and expanded through spoken communication and marketing.

bLab has one a core belief –

“All languages are equal, everyone has something to say and share, and we all have the ability to listen. The service becomes a platform for collaborative community conversation – a great way to listen and consult and engage users in service development.”

With a successful trial period in Great Yarmouth we hope that bLab becomes an integral tool for communication between those who don’t speak the same language. Bringing together a multilingual society where every voice is equal and listened to.

We may not all use the same words, but we all have a voice. bLab transcends language to provide a holistic community experience where we all grow and live together.


Heidi Baker

https://hblog.cargo.site/12

I asked people ‘What colour is Haverfordwest?’ I invited people to respond via the project website, via Instagram, in the classroom, and on the street.

Grey was the most common response. But if you look at Haverfordwest it seems quite colourful. We think we live in a dull town. So what can we do about THAT?

I decided to design a project that would help us feel more positive about our town. The theme is colour, but the underlying aim is to get people talking about regeneration. About what we see in the present and what we’d like to see in the future.

I’ll invite people to join me on colour walks along the river. Along the way there will be ink-making stations where people can forage for materials. Artists will work with the community to collect and map the colour. On a digital platform and in real spaces, we’ll make opportunities to capture colour that’s there, ‘imagine the colour’ that isn’t there, and make colourful contributions to public spaces. The hope is that through conversations about colour, we’ll realise what we’ve got. And it will provoke action: we’ll work together to make our town a better place to be.

We don’t know yet what the outcomes will be, but as artist Jenny Odell says, ‘a study of the present is a study of the future’.

This is the start of a colourful collaboration – with support from the town council, local artists and galleries, Pembrokeshire College and from HaverHub, the new community space. Social graphic designer Gary Philo says: Perception and aspiration are intrinsically linked. What Heidi does with this courageous project is to focus on local people’s observations of their surroundings. By encouraging them to discover a colour which they feel represents the town. It subtly pushes them to look passed the facade and really engage with makes Haverfordwest special, colourful. This will in turn open their eyes and see that their place is engaging, rich in culture and art and full of opportunity and passion.

Together we’ll see the colour.

References

Publicdelivery.org. 2013. Richard Mosse’s Enclave in Congo – Dreamlike & disturbing – Public Delivery. [online] Available at: https://publicdelivery.org/richard-mosse-the-enclave/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].

Wall, D., 2021. Sensible Software 1986–1999. [online] Kckstarter. Available at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darrenwall/sensible-software-19861999-by-read-only-memory/description [Accessed 14 May 2021].

segabits.com. 2014. The SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works is approved. [online] Available at: http://segabits.com/blog/2014/08/08/the-sega-mega-drivegenesis-collected-works-is-approved-book-goes-to-print-on-august-11th/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].

Deviantart.com. 2012. 8-bit mario by raivcesleinadnayr on DeviantArt. [online] Available at: https://www.deviantart.com/raivcesleinadnayr/art/8-bit-mario-200177190 [Accessed 14 May 2021].

Benson, L., 2020. In Richard Mosse’s Pink Congo, Death Is More Than Just a Number – ELEPHANT. [online] ELEPHANT. Available at: https://elephant.art/in-richard-mosses-pink-congo-death-is-more-than-just-a-number-08052020/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].

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