Analysis' tool + communication tool

From the very begin of my diploma I had a constant fight with myself for the method I will follow to analyze the phenomenon. Would had been some study cases or i would just spread it out to as many possible examples I could find during the diploma time? The fight became kind of conflict when people i was talking with where really supported the idea of study cases. Something inside me though was telling me that the right way was the representation of the phenomenon through as many possible examples. The result of it at the end was a collection of 218 objects, carefully selected from a bigger collection, that have been analyzed to their both morphological and emotional-behavioral elements. The cards also will serve as a communicative tool with the sensors and audience. They are designed with the great help of my sub-supervisor Anne Melbye. You can get a glimpse here, the whole collection will be presented in the final presentation around June.

Defining Categories

Since the very begin of the diploma I had decided to categorize my observations under the following categories: form - color - proportions - material - context - names.
I decided to drop the category of the names, as it is by itself a whole research field and I considered it as a Meta-level research.
Then the others categories became more concrete with time to : Form - Color - Scale - Materiality - Context (as emotions and as behaviors).
The category of the Context is related to the interaction between object and user, so in that sense is not direct connected with the material substance of the object.
These categorization is the guide for the morphological analogies between the objects and the human pedomorphosis. And it seems that this kind of definitions of the morphology of objects is been used also by design researchers. Not long time ago, I came across this book Steven Skov Holt & Mara Holt Skov (2005). Blobjects & Beyond: the new fluidity in design. San Francisco, Chronicle Books.
In one of the chapters they had exactly the same categorization and actually defended them as the main components in which an object can be analysed.

Diagrams - mapping and defining my hypothesis

These diagrams are from the first phase of the project where I was mapping the areas that pedomorphosis appears. I was trying to visualizing first the broadness of the phenomenon and second to define the area of my interests. They were very helpful and even if my research has go in many cases in different ways still there are fragments of these diagrams in my final construction of my texts and research.


First diagram: Which disciplines does pedomorphosis affect?



Second diagram: The interdisciplinary of the phenomenon



Third diagram: Tag cloud of pedomorphosis



Fourth diagram: Possible generated hypotheses

Another lecture in Evolution theory in the area of Oslo

Last Friday I had the honour to hear two experts in Evolution theory at the Litteraturhuset in Oslo. Professor Kevin Padian on:"Darwin's Enduring Legacy ... and some enduring myths." and Professor Jon Elster on:"Darwin's impact on the social sciences"
http://www.cees.uio.no/darwin/cees/20-november-2009.html

The first lecture was incredible for one like me that has not depth of the theory. His way of presenting the truth was amazing and as one of the key expert witnesses in the "Intelligent Design trial" Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in USA in 2005, his speech was sharp, clear and many times humoristic. A truly delightful lecture.

The second lecture became kind of hard for me. I really had problems following his reasoning, which was I think a problem of using an advanced language. He pointed out artefacts somewhere but I really strangled to understand his statement. The session with the questions from the public confirmed that I was not the only one lost in the audience. Still is pretty sad that in the name of an Academic Status we miss the substance of the subject. When he was asked " ... but at the end what is the contribution of Evolution on the social sciences?" he answered " It is enormous, and we have to find it in the directions of emotions and behaviours". Which means that when it comes to product design, probably the right way for someone to go is what Paola Antonelli describes, in the film "Objectified" as the emotional connection of humans with objects.

Graphic Identity of the submited material

From the moment I use this blog as a process diary, I figure out that I have to upload a bunch of things I have done up to that moment, but I am the only one who knows about them. So we start with the graphic identity of the diploma.
I tried to develop a graphic identity closer to my subject. That immediately drove me to a childlike style.
I wanted the overall layout to be flexible, playful, creditable and conscious; playful and flexible as the main reference to the phenomenon of pedomorphosis and creditable and conscious as it is theoretical approach of the phenomenon.

As for the colours I use both in the blog and the final book are following the same principles of playfulness and flexibility. They have been selected carefully and confirmed by the books, interviews and articles of Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone's colour expert. (Eiseman, L. (2000). Pantone guide to communicating with color. Sarasota, Fla., Grafix Press.)

The font I chose Is Helvetica Neue Ltd Std for the printed material. I end up with this font, first because an unofficially poll around Diploma class set off winners Calibri and Helvetica.



Then I saw the flexibility of the two fonts, and Helvetica had more variations than Calibri. Both fonts though I believe they are playful, flexible and same time serious.

As for the web I have use Verdana which is the simplest and more reliable digital font.

TED talks. Why play is important or why Neoteny(pedomorphosis) should be our biological first and last name.

TED Talks ...why we are attractive to cuteness