somethingdesign

It’s been ages since I posted but we had a pdp lecture today reminding us about our blog so i’ll try and post a few things while that is fresh in the memory, but i’m sure this will be a short fad as usual.

Since our last project has finished and the amount of work on our plates has shrunk I have turned my attention to the future. For a while now me and Chris (my coursemate) had been discussing trying to get some local work to add to our C.V, as a collaboration. However, with work a plenty it was difficult to think about. We have since added Bob (another coursemate) to our ranks and now things are under way.

On a personal trip to London me and Chris were trying to get some inspiration and decide on a name. The name was proving hard to think of until as we were about to part company Chris mentioned that we should have the word design at the end of our name and we should be something design. On the train home I actually thought that ’something design’ had a ring to it. He didn’t mean it like that but I really started to like it. It perfectly represented the fact that our skills vary and that we can pretty much produce anything you can think of to do with design. So the name stuck.

We have since bought webspace at something-design.co.uk and personal e-mails. Our website design is currently underway as we are going to build both a flash and an html site. We’re also think of a few little games to try and occupy visitors. Business cards have been designed and are on their way, which I am very exicited to see. We’ve also been trying to gain contacts around town to try and rustle up some work.

We’re hoping that if we manage to get some clients behind us by the time we finish uni we’ll be able to take our idea to the bank and register as a real company.

I’m really glad we’re doing this because recently i’ve seen a real improvement in my designs. When I went for an interview for a placement I had to compile a portfolio to take with me. I was a little embarrased by some of my early work compared to my more recent designs.

I have finally got to grips with Illustrator after a year of reading about how much designers use it in computer arts. I have however realised that I need to brush up on my code knowledge, but hopefully now that my design skills have improved my codeing will follow and produce some all round better work.

That’s it for now but i’m sure i’ll update soon

Masculinity under threat

Scrubs – My Hero.

The episode beings with the main character, J.D getting dominated by one of the common female characters in the show. J.D is clearly scared of her and is pushed out of the way as she bumps past him on her way out. He then follows behind her as she leads the way. This first exchange places the female in the dominant position and the lead male as a subservient.

In the next scene he is swung around by another gentlemen in a child like manner. He begins to act like a child and really enjoys it. This shows him to be immature and to be comfortable being lifted up by other men.

Dr.Cox is then introduced to the episode. From previous episodes viewers know that he is an uncompromising man who is in control, he is physically and mentally fit strong minded and people do what he says. He is introduced to this episode as J.D’s ‘hero,’ as he flies out of the window just like superman would. He portrays the dominant masculine stereotype.

Turk and Karla, a couple then appear in the episode. Turk is upset with that he has not been given the job he was after, but Karla his strong willed girlfriend calms him down. However, a female surgeon gets the job instead and begins to taunt Turk. Karla then offers to ‘end her.’ Karla is constantly portrayed as the ‘one who wears the trousers’ in the relationship. This is another aspect that goes against the stereotype of masculinity where men are normally seen as in control of the relationship.

These situations escalate as the episode unfolds. However, even Dr.Cox, the masculine stereotype begins to falter. His friend is diagnosed with cancer and he does not deal with it well. He begins to go missing and when confronted tells J.D he ‘cannot handle’ the fact his friend is ill. He is then shot walking away from the situation and his metaphorical cape is shown falling from his shoulders. The episode constantly has the women in control and portrays the men as childish. Even the dominant male Dr.Cox is shown to deal with troubling times badly.

The overriding image of the male characters is that they all need each other to function. J.D looks up to Dr.Cox and begins to get scared when Dr.Cox shows signs of weakness. Ben, the patient, relies on his friend (Dr.Cox) to support him through his treatment and is upset when Dr.Cox doesn’t show. Turk however, needs Karla and is advised by her through the show. One scene in particular highlights this. J.D, Dr.Cox and Ben are all on the screen but in three separate rooms all sat moving in sequence looking alone. This is accompanied with a voice over from J.D describing how desperate it is to feel alone.

However, in the end all of the male characters confront their fears and learn from them. The episode shows that the male characters aren’t perfect but they do have the courage to admit that and try to better themselves.

What made my sexual gender

I’ve got 2 very much older sisters and I think by the time I came along dad was tired of girls. I was going to be a ‘propper boy.’
He took me to play for my local football team when I was 6 and within a year my dad was coach of said football team, so we were very much involved. I guess this had a very significant affect of my ’sexual gender.’
There are lots of sterotypes associated with football and I would say that I live up to most of them. I was told to concentrate on my sport and my studies by my parents and had it drummed into me that girls were a hassle that I did not need. So it’s not been until recently that I have started to talk to my parents about my involvement with any girls. And even to this day I only tell them what they ‘have’ to know, like any girlfirends I may have, other than that I don’t let them know.
I suppose this ‘forbidden fruit’ has made me like the opposite sex even more.
When I was younger I ate the wrong foods and was always slightly chubby, but the fact that I played so much sport it was never an issue. However, when I was 16 I sustained a knee injury that took me out of competitive sports for over year. The lack of sport without any change in diet caused my weight to rise. I needed to take charge of my life and had to make a few changes. I started excersising and was aided by a magazine called men’s health. This has had the biggest affect on my life over the past 2 years. I don’t mind admitting that I openly conform to the ideas they present of man. Someone who should have a successful high paid career and a beautiful wife, while keeping in great shape and having complete spending control of my life. This is something my father doesn’t have with my mum having complete control over the finances, although my dad is the main ‘bread winner.’ My mum tells my dad what to wear and buys him all of his things. While i know this is something I certainly don’t want when in a relationship I think that this has caused me to respect women and maybe even ‘put them on a pedestal’ in some ways.

Wow I really got going on that didn’t I! I had no idea what I was going to write for that but it really came out of me once I had started.

PHP is done!

It’s the day after our php pub golf celebration and I am in a very god mood. This can only mean that the php project has been completed and handed in.

I actually really enjoyed writing the essay. There were a few interesting topics that came out of it and I really enjoyed researching them. I managed to get on a bit or a roll while writing it and got it done a few days before the hand in, which is always nice.

The course seems to have come together as a group now and not just a bunch of individuals which is great.

Bring on the the next project!

It gets a little better

Week 5.

We’re in the swing of things at the moment. I’m really starting to enjoy myself. The workshops have finished and everyone has started to build their web communities.

It finally feels like i’m doing a course at university and not a course that any mug could do.

The thematic lectures still seem to be orientated towards the tv production course, but the follow up lecture to it has proved very interesting.

I only know of one person, from our course, who went to this thursdays lecture but I doubt we missed too much because Claudia’s follow up to it managed to tell us all we needed and managed to have something to do with interactive media.

The contextual analysis still weighs heavy on my mind though. I can’t think too much about it becuase I have enough on my mind with php at the mo. I just can’t see the logic in having a contextual analysis in on the same day as the production we have to analyse.

I still don’t feel like I have been given much theory to use in my analysis. I may find a lot more content when I try doing some reading. Which I suppose is the point.

Still, i’m very much enjoying life at the moment. I’ve just got back from a 5 hour session in the labs and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s good to have something to show for my efforts.

Also, i’ve been mentioning to a few course mates that we should go into uni together and set eachother tasks. So far, the guys i’ve mentioned it to have been very keen. This should keep our creative minds on top of their game, and give us a chance to share eachothers strengths. I look forward to this.

2nd year begins

It’s the 3rd week into the year and I think it’s time to summarize how things are going.

To be honest i’ve been quite disillusioned by the year thus far. Speaking to others this feeling seems to be widespread.

I’ve still not really achieved anything this year. However, the fact that i haven’t done anything hasn’t really put me behind anyone else.

The workshops we’re doing at the moment have gone way over my head and it just seems to consist of everyone typing in what’s written on the screen and not really knowing why we are doing what we are doing. It would be nice to see some of the code being put into a context that we will be using in our projects.

The thematic lectures don’t seem to be relating to anything we’ll be able to put in our contextual analysis making them all seem rather pointless thus far.

In terms of the course as a whole I just want to be challenged a bit more. I don’t think anyone would complain if we were given a few extra hours of workshops, just to practice the skills we’re learning. Even if it wasn’t related to the project, just to keep our creative minds thinking.

I’m just hoping that in the coming weeks the course will get better.

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