For my literature review assignment, I am going to dive into how the evolution of sexual health education in schools has affected students and their lives. There has been heavy debates about what is appropriate to teach students and at what age. This topic can be uncomfortable for some to discuss, but has large effects on the youths understanding of sex, gender, and everything else in between, as well as what they choose to do with said information. I want to fully look into the research done concerning this topic and the general beats of said research.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
First Speech Outline
Speech #1
Intro
Intro
- What is Kickstarter? What is their brand/keyword to describe them?
- Kickstart is a drink by mountain dew as a healthy alternative to other energy drinks (i.e. coffee, soda, etc) while still holding the taste of regular mountain dew products.
- Main idea is that it combines Juice + Caffeine + Dew
- What is their audience?
- People how enjoy mountain dew, and want a healthier alternative
- What was in the commercial/what played out in the commercial?
- The commercial starts with friends relaxing together doing nothing. Puppymonkeybaby suddenly enters the scene through a hole in the wall with a bucket of Kickstart
- He proceeds to dance, kiss, and generally confuse the friends til they have the energy drink and they dance out the room with puppymonkeybaby
- Purpose of the commercial?
- Surreal Humor
- They are trying to appeal to a younger audience with more random and surreal humor
- To show the effects of Kickstart
- It is an energy drink. While the friends are bored in this drab room, the drink is suppose to kickstart them into a more energetic mood
- No, where do they fail?
- Uncanny and unappealing mascot
- Compare and contrast to other mascots
- Ex: Lunchables mascot?
- Suppose to be a visual combo of three things together to create something greater (puppy + monkey + baby, Juice + Caffeine + Dew)
- Movements are unnatural or just slightly off to be uncomfortable
- The overall design is bizarre and not cute/funny to look at
- Failure at executing surreal humor
- Compare and Contrast to other examples
- Ex: Old Spice commercials
- Creates more of an uncomfortable/awkward mood
- Music entrance is off
- Reactions and expressions are either not realistic nor are not big enough to be effective
- Summarize points
- What Kickstart is and the purpose of commercial
- Explain its failings
- Random humor does not fall through properly
- Fail at creating an appealing mascot
Monday, February 24, 2020
Commercial Analysis
Puppymonkeybaby- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQcfK9EKfL4
Puppymonkeybaby is a 2016 Super Bowl commercial that was used in order to launch Kickstart, a beverage line under the company Mountain Dew. However, despite trying so hard to gain appeal, it only seemed to gain confusion from its audience. In this commercial, Mountain Dew seems to have taken inspiration from the spontaneous and random feel of early Old Spice advertisements. However, in their attempt to copy the structure that made Old Spice so iconic and recognizable, they seemed to have taken it too far in the process. They have crossed the line between pleasantly odd to downright confusing and aimless. Also, in the commercial Kickstart seemed to be trying to create their own mascot for the drink line by massing up parts of a baby, a pug, and a monkey. Arguably they are all cute characters in their own right. However, in the pursuit of creating a cute and recognizable character like many businesses have before, the amalgamation Puppymonkeybaby caused many people in the audience to be turned off by the hideous creature. The uncanny way the animal moves and looks is uncomfortable, making it both difficult to watch and turn away from. Yet despite its original release being negatively reviewed by the public, the commercial became a hot topic for a while after the Super Bowl. Perhaps the saying “No press is bad press,” holds some merit to this strange commercial. The question is, did this bizarre commercial do any good for the company, or was this a flash in the pants stunt that did little to affect sales?
Monday, February 10, 2020
Peer Review
Writing in the Field of Graphic Design
Paige Terronez
University of Iowa
Writing in the Field of Graphic Design
As one goes through their daily life, they are often surrounded by advertisements. Television commercials, magazine covers, even the logos that people wear on their shirts become walking billboards for the brands they are wearing. The ever growing and influential world of advertisements are all surrounding in this day and age, and at the core of it all is graphic design. However, while graphic design is known for its visual components, writing is still a crucial part of the industry. Graphic design largely depends on communication within the field, from documents about the latest discovery in visual research and analysis to educational guides on what makes an effective design. Similarly, to most fields, there are certain types of writing styles, specifically academic and non-academic. Each one has certain conventions and commonalities that, when done effectively, create an extremely differing result. Through this paper, I will be evaluating three academic and three non-academic writings, showing the vast fundamental differences each one possesses and what roles they hold in the graphic design world.
Academic Writing
Academic writing within the graphic design field can often be found within conference papers or journals showcasing research and analysis of visual designs. While often not persuaded by the general public, these works are important to create and further the effectiveness of design within society. These pieces are often peer-reviewed, written by professionals within the field, and/or researched thoroughly in order to be factually correct and precise. Academic works uphold a professionality to them, using more complex language and topics than most mainstream media of design. Often, the audience of these papers are other professionals or knowledgeable individuals in the field, thus causing them to be structured and written to a higher standard than most other works seen by the general public.
Language
A large component that separates academic writing and non-academic writing is the language and tone it uses throughout the piece. Often because of the advance intended audience, academic works carry a very professional and formal way of writing. For example, in Review and Analysis of Color Coding Research for Visual Displays, Christ is discussing findings, both old and his own research, on color theory and how it affects identification performance. Christ writing style holds a professional air to it, as he goes into detail about tested theories and equations related to color while giving great explain actions for the graphs in the paper, such as “Figure 2 shows that, except for one deviant point, identification accuracy in unidimensional color displays was superior, relative to identification accuracy in unidimensional shape displays” (Christ, 1975, p.4) As clearly shown, Christ wording and the language he uses is not intended for the average audience member and holds far more complex subjects, such as unidimensional colors, that would generally not be seen in non-academic writings. This is because Christ is writing to an audience with well-equipped knowledge on the topic and is expected to go into such great detail in order for the journal to be seen as credible. As well, because of the higher education of the audience, Christ is able to give much more intricate analysis as the audience is well equipped to understand and interpret them.
Structure
When structuring an academic work, certain organizational steps are taken to ensure optimal understanding of the topic. For research papers, the audience must be told of the background and previous research of the topic. Then the author must give how they disagree with the past research and how their experiment diverges from other experiments. The production of the experiment, including equipment, third parties, etc., must be thoroughly detailed in order for anyone interested in recreating the experiment the ability to do so and check the data. Finally, the end results should be carefully documented with references and/or any recommendations for future tries of said experiment are added at the end.
An example of this can be seen in The Third Dimension for Apparel Designers Visual Assessment of Hat Designs for Sun Protection Using 3-D Body Scanning, where the writers introduce older research done on clothing designs and their incorporation of sun protection and where their ideas diverge from those past studies. They then go into detail about how the 3-D body scanning technology works and is incorporated with their experiment of different hat designs against sun rays. The paper ends with their result and future recommendations for anyone wanting to test this theory themselves (Ashdown, 2005).
This can also be seen in the article titled “Packing Design and Research and Analysis Based on Graphic Visual” published by IACSIT Coimbatore Conferences about the visual theory that goes into packing boxes. It begins with an introduction explaining the background of incorporating package design and culture to increase profits. Then the conference sheets go into the analysis of their own research of package design to get an understanding of the industry as a whole and what is being sold in what amounts. They explain the newly created MoonCake Packaging design, i.e. going into detail about color theory, significant texts, visual illustrations featured on the box, etc., all leading to the conclusion of how the “consumers psychology” was impacted by the new design and that directly impacted consumer purchases (Chen, 2012).
This structure of organization in academic papers allows for an easy to follow guide where the audience is able to find the information they need. Concise and complete retelling of the experiment is crucial in order for others to verify end results of the experiment. Without such retelling an academic paper would be much less formulated and more chaotic, which does not fit for its more professional nature.
Non-Academic Writing
On the opposite side of the coin, yet still as valuable to the graphic design world, is non-academic writing. Non-academic writing is the most common type of writing the average viewing audience comes across in their everyday life. Newspaper articles, blog posts, educational guides, and such are common types of non-academic writing the general public sees. This writing style is often simplified in language use and structure to be more accessible to a wider audience that may have little to no knowledge of the topic being presented to them. The main goal of these texts is to utilize the principles of writing in order to easily inform and intrigue the audience on the subject matter.
Language
A commonality throughout most non-academic writings is the simplified word choice and language used throughout. This is not to say that non-academic writing is duller but is instead written in a way that is best suitable for a wider audience to read and understand. For example, Design and Marketing is an educational guide for beginners in the design field or those interested in the topic to have a better understanding of what creates an effective design. Given its nature as an educational piece, it must use language that both usefully explains the topic at hand without becoming too complex for more casual readers. Within the book are examples of design used greatly to exemplify the points of each section. Located near almost all examples are one to two sentences that briefly and simply explain why this design exemplifies the given section, with clear examples being “This stylized illustration, in the vein of Matisse and Picssos, uses line to describe the subject and the color in slabs to indicate environment” (Swann, 1990, p.25). Or they give light tips that associate with the image next to it, such as “Borders can be used to contain the design, proving a shape or formula for other elements to follow” (Swann, 1990, p.37) These small bits of information are quick and digestible enough for the reader to understand clearly while also being educational enough to gain useful information about design.
However, word choice within non-academic writing is not always just simplified, sometimes the author uses more informal and casual language that would never be seen, let alone common in academic works. In Everyone's A Designer article published by Forbes, he holds a casual tone throughout the article. When beginning the article, the first sentences are a response to the title by stating “I mean it. Really” (Duffy, 2012), something that holds more personality and a loose nature that would not be used in academic writings. As well, throughout the article he constantly addresses the audience by asking questions and talking directly with them, putting himself on the same level as the viewer by using words such as “we” and “our” when addressing big picture ideas (Duffy, 2012).
Structure
When discussing the topic of design, one expects design fundamentals to come into play. Non-academic greatly uses the help of visual aids to not only inform the audience but attract their attention to the pages themselves. In Design and Marking, every page of the 143-page guide is filled with gripping color and intriguing shapes. Images ranging from bright pop art pieces to beer labels to Madonna album covers fill pages after page. These breaks of images help divide the texts within the book, allowing the audience visual rest and help avoid creating giant walls of text that would otherwise lose the reader’s attention. The addition of color compared to the dull repetition of black words on white paper makes the pages visual enticing and causes the audience's attention to remain longer on the texts. Swann’s book goes to an extreme by adding splashes of yellow, blue, and pink full colored pages (Swann, 1990, p.34-35 and p.94-95), creating an irregularity in its organization that catches the viewer's attention. An additional example of this is in The Sleek Curves that Reshaped Furniture Design. While discussing the various ways German designs have redefined design in furniture, Karasz divides his texts by adding pictures of various chair styles and close ups of detailed wooden carvings. This break in text allows for easy and manageable reading, while giving an image that allows the audiences a clearer picture of what visual changes are occurring in furniture (Karaz, 2019).
While writing a non-academic piece, an easy to follow and concise read is essentially given the audience. While all writings should strive to have at least a shred of organization and clarity in its writing, non-academic works especially need to focus on this. For example, at the beginning of Design and Marketing, there is a table of contents that neatly and clearly states the sections and subsections within the book. Each section is made up of a few pages that each hold brief paragraphs on the subjects. With the sections divided up into short groups, the audience can take in the information in small bursts that doesn’t drain their attention nor energy. As well, given how each section is divided into specific categories based on certain content, the reader is without the burden of having to scan through paragraph after paragraph for specific information (Swann, 1990).
Conclusion
Although some may favor certain types of writing better than others or see one style of writing as superior, the truth of the matter is that both academic and nonacademic works hold important roles in any industry. Within graphic design, academic writing is a formal and professional analytical writing style that allows for experts in the field to discuss and dissect founded research. While non-academic writing is a more casual, easily digestible form of writing that allows a wider audience with little to no knowledge on the topic to be introduced and hopefully educated on the topic. Each one holds a certain space within its own circles and follows differing conventions that allow for effective writing on opposite sides of the spectrum.
References
Ashdown, P. S. (2005) The third dimension for apparel designers: visual assessment
of hat designs for sun protection using 3-D body scanning, International Textile &
Apparel Association, 23 (3), 1-14
Chen, M. (2012) Packaging design research and analysis based on graphic visual, IACSIT
Coimbatore Conferences, 1-6
Christ, E. R. (1975) Review and analysis of color coding research for visual displays, Human
Factors, 1-4
Duffy, J. (2019, May 13) Everyone’s a designer. Forbes, retrieved from forbes.com
Karasz, P. (2019, December 24) The sleek curves that reshaped furniture design. New York
Times, retrieved from nytimes.com
Swann, A. (1990) Design and marketing. Musterlin house, Jorden Hill Road, Phaidon Press
Limited
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
AR Sample Papers Review
Writing in Political Science
Good
1.Organized structure of the paper was good. They outwardly state how the paper is organized and sticks with this.2.The writer took extra time to interview a member involved with political science, Professor Lai from The University of Iowa. Shows a type of dedication and the extra effort they put into the piece.
3.They compared and contrasted academic vs. non-academic works using the same three ideas (structure, references, and language) to show the differences in writing styles.
Bad
1.I felt the quotes he was using could have been utilized more, many were in-direct quotes and little in-text citations. 2.Although I liked that they went the extra mile to interview a profession in the field, I feel the interview could have been more instead of additives in the intro and conclusion.
3.Parts of the paper felt repetitive and padded.
Writing in Psychology
Good
1.Added two separate interviews from professionals in their field. Utilized the interviewer more than the last paper, allowing the audience to learn the types of writing a person in the interviews job would do daily.
2.The other examples used in the paper I felt were good, and the writer does a good job at explaining how they are connected to her point.
3.Parts of the paper feel nicely descriptive and help flesh out the paper more.
Bad
1.Many APA rules were broken here. No title page was added, the pages are not numbered, in-text citations are not cited correctly, and the heading for the first page is in a different font than the rest of the paper.2.The interview portion felt very long, with many citations that could have been broken down or summarized.
3.Very short, with a majority of the paper talking about non-academic works and interviews. Very little is mentioned in academic articles and how they differ from non-academic.
4.Unprofessional citation page that is not alphabetized and had blue links.
Writings as a Creative Writer
Good
1.Good introductions, shows authors writing style and feels more lively and colorful than other introductions.
2.Focus on many of the same key points of writing (structure, audience, etc.) between academic and nonacademic to show how that differs and how they are similar.
3.Good use of citations in the second part of the paper (non-academic section), that shows more of the writing style compared to the first section of the paper (academic).
Bad
1.The academic section of the paper felt it was talking more about what writers advise other writers to write about while not providing examples of what they are preaching. 2.I felt some of the citations could have been either explained more or explained in a different way that would best exemplify the citation and how it adds to the writer's point.
3.Some sentence structures in the paper are worded strangely and make it difficult to understand what was being said.
Writing in the Field of Economics
Good
1.Properly structured and intended large quotation in APA format, something I have not seen in previous papers.
2.Well organized and structured reference pages.
3.The intro paragraph for non-academic writing is well put together and briefly summarized points of non-academic writing.
Bad
1.The intro feels very long with unneeded extras. For example, the audience will get to know what sources you use when you address them in the paper, the author didn't have to write a whole paragraph in the intro about what sources they used.2.The part about genres in non-academic writing feels less organized and more confusing compared to other parts, making it the most difficult to understand the overall point.
3.I wish that, similar to the non-academic, there was a brief intro paragraph to segue into academic writing and keep with the structure of the paper.
Writings in Engineering
Good1.The citations they use are very well picked. More often than not, the author is able to not only summarize what the citations say, but add on to them with reasoning as to why it supports their point.
2.Their writing style is the right amount of professional and accessible. They are able to not use too difficult language, while also not writing too casually.
3.References are very nicely formatted and structured properly.
Bad
1.Although the conclusion is not terrible, it felt very much rush or was handled with less care compared to the rest of the paper2.While the author did shorten down the paragraphs, there is still a lot of places that felt like a wall of words.
3.The conclusion didn't conclude the points of academic and non-academic as best as it could have.
Writings in the Business Discipline
Good
1. Beginning half of the intro is very eye catching and interesting to readers.
2.I liked how they included intros that tell what academic writing is and what non-academic writing is to fill in readers who might not know this information before reading.
3.One thing that is different between this paper and others I have read is that it includes a section talking about what both academic and non-academic writings should have.
Bad
1.Perhaps some sections could have been divided more with subheadings, just to break up the sea of paragraphs and help the reader find key points, like I have seen in other papers.
2.In the references, there are only 4 sources listed, not counting the personal interview. Most of the resources are from the same person too. I think it would be best to branch out and add more for the paper.
3.The second half of the intro leads more to be desired given the beginning. It just feels like every other paper I have read so far.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Writing Assignment #1 Sources
1. Graphic Design Theory: Readings from the Field
This book is an educational guide on Avant-Garde graphic design. This includes chapters talking about what graphic design is, the theories and structures that were used throughout the decades and its development from the 1870s to 2007. This particular source interested me because it is a gathering of different authors from different times and places talking about how they view design. It is an interesting read to find how the writing styles and opinions of design have changed, as well from different viewpoints. I will be using it to see how writing styles have diverged from past articles to present day ones. It is well written and very organized with a clear presentation of the timeline.
2. Packaging Design Research and Analysis Based on Graphic Visual
http://www.ipcsit.com/vol28/028-CoimbatoreConferences-T009.pdf
This is an analytical review from the 2012 IACSIT Coimbatore Conferences that focuses on design in packages. It gives data and graphics about the increase in the packaging industry, what types of packaging there is, etc. It later talks about the important aspects of visual appearance in packaging and gives examples of design by examining Mid-Autumn Moon Cake packaging design on design fundamentals. I wish to use this piece because it is a more analytical paper on how graphic design is used in the real world and marketing. I also wish to talk about the ways they dissect the Moon Cake design and the language they use.
3. Design and Marketing by Alan Swann
This book is an educational piece that tells about the elements of design and goes into depth about how design is involved in marketing using research cases. It starts with describing elements of style including illustration, traditional, and modern. As well in section four, they involve case studies to show how they relate to how certain design choices can affect marketing. The author writing is very accessible to many people where you don’t need to have much background knowledge to understand what is being described. This piece is a combination of the first two sources where I will see how writing styles for educational and analytical cross together.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Insider Guide Chapter
1. What are the 3-5 most important things that you learned from the chapter?
- All academics use observation for their various different types and methods of research
- For each academic field, there is a certain standard of writing that one must uphold using rhetoric tools. Various situations call to write in various ways. These types of writing are called genres
- When analyzing a written piece, think about many things such as rhetorical context, persuasive strategies, genre, etc.
2. What are some specific tools the writers offer to analyze disciplinary writings?
- Make sure to understand the rhetorical context for the specific piece you are reading about. For example, think about who the audience is, who the author is, the purpose of this paper, etc.
- If an author is arguing for a certain idea/thought/belief, think about and find the different persuasive strategies they might be using. For example, what assumptions are they making, what are the exact claims they are making, etc.
- In a written piece, find the genre and understand the writing style (conventions or expectations) it might have
3. Analyze the press release and the excerpt from an academic journal article using the tools this chapter offers. (SLR and AATP)
- In a press release, the writer must understand that the audience of the writing will often have little to no background on the certain subject. They were able to focus on these findings and its importance as simplistically as they could for the audience without it being too long winded.
- Many of the information is given in a matter-of-fact way, which is very much expected from an analytical paper about science. All of it is very technical and very specific as to not be confusing or vague.
- They started with a question to try and grab the audience's attention, which is needed if the audience does not come from a very science invested background.
4. How effective do you think the writers are in presenting their findings? What do you think about the appropriateness of the language and structure in these two samples? Explain briefly.
I find that they did a good job considering the complex information they were trying to convey. They were very consistently written, being both technical and very straightforward in the way they were giving information. As well, they simplified it as best they could to a broad audience.
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