Beautility

What is beautiful is always different from person to another, but nowadays I think what is beautiful has became a standard, blond hair is considered beautiful, black skin is considered ugly, who told us that big lips is beautiful and small lips aren't.

We've been told from media what is beautiful and what's not, a very simple example, when we watch news on Aljazeera or Al Arabiay all the girls who are presenting look the same, white skin, big lips, skinny, and straight hair!!

http://barneygrant.tripod.com/p-erceptions.htm

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

What's wrong wit plaigarism

taking someones' work or ideas happens a lot in graphic Design and filmmaking, no can can create something new that hasn't been done at all. It's a human nature to steel other ideas, concepts and work.

I think it is considered plagiarism when you steel the same concept without altering it, however, if I'm copying someone's else's' work then where is the creativity.

http://www.ou.edu/provost/pronew/content/Nine-Things-Plagiarism.pdf

http://www.helium.com/items/504569-thoughts-on-plagiarism

A life of Luxury

When I think of what Luxury is? the first thing that comes to my mind is having something other people don't, stand out from the crowd, If Channel bags are sold for 100 riyal then where is the luxury in wearing it, if everyone else can get it.

everyone sees luxury from his social statue, one can see buying coffee with 10 riyal is luxury, another may think buying coffee for 25 is luxury, it depends,

Imam Ali said, " whoever gets rich, is from poor man's money"

this may not make sense but when you think about it, everyone has specific money for his own life, I'm responsible for every riyal I spend, when I know that some people are dying from hunger, who could I go and buy a coffee for 15 riyals when I can get it for 2 riyals, I'll be asked for these 13 riyals.

it means the extra money I have I'm spending it to achieve my physical pleasure is luxury and God will ask me about it, because it is not my money, God gave it to me, one day I'll be asked for each Riyal I spent.

We've become very materialistic, luxury has become very important in our lives, how come a holiday can be a holiday if it doesn't have luxury, doing something other people can't. otherwise it won't be luxury.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SUhmupiiYw&feature=related

Comparison between the two documentaries

In my opinion, I think manufactured landscaped is more interesting and grabbing, because it has a strong concept behind it, even the execution was really excellent, I think it was an artistic, I love the way he pictured the industrial manufactured and let the picture speak, it opened my eyes to how manufactured are destroying this planet, I think it has changed my perception towards industry and made me look at it in a more sophisticated way.

Whereas, Running fence, was very boring, I got bored while watching it, I think the concept behind it wasn't very strong, it was a more art concept and not something global like the manufactured landscape, Also, I think the execution for the Running fence documentary was not very strong, it was boring, it didn't grab me to continue the movie.

Running Fence

Running Fence is an installation done by Christo and Jeanne Clade, the idea is to build a fence 24.5 miles long, and 18 foot high, extending across the hills of Sonoma and Marin counties in northern California. The documentary shows the struggle of building this fence from government and from people who lives there, and how they wanted to prevent the fence from being erected, the fence which was from white fabric, costed 3 million dollars, and was taken down after two weeks,

It look really a piece of art, It was a paradigm shift when you see people criticizing it and thinks that it's not an art,

The Weaving Design of Community

Isn't it so disgusting and immoral showing naked women posing for the real beauty for Dove, showing their bodies, this is not showing the real beauty in different sizes this is showing us how women have became a product in the ads, this is not respecting women, we don't need to see naked women we don't really need to see their bodies so we can see they are different sizes, and by the way these women don't have that ugly body, their bodies are beautiful they don't have scars or pregnancy effect they are smooth and beautiful, but it is still not respecting the women,

why do we have to show to all the world our naked bodies displayed in a busty street in, don't u feel it's humiliating women, especially respected and modest women who don't get naked in front of anyone, I really feel ashamed in front of all males when watching this ad. because in this ad you are talking about a good thing which is real beauty and then you pose a naked women witch is ambivalent, people will start see this as normal, because you associate it with something good, you are brainwashing people this is exactly like socially responsible advertising, in fact it is worst, because in this ad you are emphasizing that women should be naked and we should see their bodies,

Dove campaign for real beauty is another example of making full of use of the real beauty to advertise Dove,

http://adland.tv/content/doves-new-pro-age-campaign-real-beauty-banned-because-nudity

Ethical Design Education

it's crucial for us a Graphic Designers to to care about this planet God created it to us, However, I think this issue is very exaggerated, it is overemphasize in all awareness posters, it has became a trend, everyone is wearing "Save the environment" T-shirt, but do they really know what it means. do they really understand the problem behind global warming. what difference does it make when "Design" magazine used recycle paper in the latest issue, seriously think about it, it doesn't make sense when i have a magazine filled with direct and indirect advertising and then all of a sudden I care about environment because that's what what they do in Japan, if she really cares about environment then make your issue talk about it, make an interview with people who are contributing to save this planet, but just making a whole issue by recycle paper isn't gonna solve the problem, and whether your issue is a recycle or a gold paper your target audience doesn't care because they don't realize the difference.

I know it is important to know about this issue but there is so many things that are high important to graphic designers to take into consideration other than this issue, Graphic Designers are spending their time and energy god gave it to them to make human being materialistic and to spend their money on buying and buying.

Manufactured Landscapes

as the proverb say "a picture is worth a thousands words"

Edward Burtynsky has proved in his documentary that pictures are more effective and influential than anything else.

I think this documentary has given me a paradigm shift in the global destruction that is made by humans, Edward Burtynsky was successful in opening our eyes to see the human destruction and the impact of our existence in this beautiful planet.

this documentary gave me an aesthtic experience with the shocking photos of the industrial work in China. just by showing the pictures of the factories was enough to realize how this industrialization and modernization is driving us to hell instead of serving us.

Who gets to say what to whom

Mr. Carlin said in 1991 "I got this immoral thing that called thinking and I'm not a good american because I like to form my own opinion, I have two rules, first rule, I don't believe anything the government tells me."

Media is changing our values and what we believe in, whenever you turn on News we hear about the terrorism countries axis of evil, give me a break, what about Israel and United states, millions of women are widow and children are orphans because of the peace american and Isreal are aiming to. what really irritates me is that everyone here believe this, literally we are indoctrinated by the media.

People who are controlling the media are only 0.5 % of the population. they are trying to indoctrinate their beliefs in every thing we watch, an animated film was made in 2007 called Persepolis, this is an example of a film that was made to to indoctrinate people into the next terrorism country. It is a propaganda, they do it for politics. bullshit. I don't believe anything media tells me, i believe the opposite of everything I hear.

after realizing how we are influenced by media especially after watching Fair and lovely ad in class, Let's try to answer this question, Who OWNS the MEDIA?

these link answer this question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2wbMfWjMas&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZfdlg7wOCg&feature=related

The Culture Influence of Brands

Advertising is brainwashing us into buying things we never thought we might need, just to get money from us and makes us slaves to the brands. Advertising is being displayed everywhere on TV, newspaper, magazines, billboards. We are influenced by advertising, We live in a Capitalistic world where all the brands and corporations are owned by only 2% of the population.

Socially Responsible Advertising

do you want to convince me that people who created Pampers campaign really care about these children dying in Africa!!!
They don't care, They are taking advantages of these cause and these childern dying in Africa to promote their product and get you BUY their Brand!!

Timing is everything

I believe as a Graphic Designer we should have an idea of what is going on on the world, so when we design an ad or a poster for a campaing we can get to our taret audinece at the best time. and karekaters is a good way to tackle social and political issues. However, I think Tash ma tash was tackling only social issues!!! with a very superficial way without going deep to it.

Reporteres without Borders

Freedom of opinion and press is a human right and shouldn't be limited. However, I think we have to draw a line, I believe opposing governments should be allowed, criticizing religion with respect without making fun of it shoud be allowed, However, I think blogs and websitete connected with morality like pornography must be banned.

Ethical Design Education

As designers I believe we have responsibility towords human, everything we desgin we must think about it the product and the corporation itself. However, I think it is easy to say we have responsibility but it's difficult to apply it in the 21 century. Almost 99% of the products have harmful effects, psychological, physical, and spiritual, All fast food, not only have physical effects but also spiritual. Also, a product like Fair and lovely have both psychological and physical effects. Also, most of the corporations are owned by the elite 2% of the world's population.

so i think it's our decision we chose this major and we know that it's so attached to the corporation, so it is our responsibility to not design anything for harmful products.

Am I designer or human

I think there are two things must be considered in designing any ads, brochure and logos, first is the company. For example, what this company does, where does the money go? and who owns the company?. Secondly, the product what is this product, what does it do? Is it harmful; is it dangerous to use this product does it have side effect?

Let’s say that I know for the fact that the company employs child labor, or supports Israel army or if it is a fair trade that forces children to work in poor countries without paying to them then I believe I will stop and not work for company like that, and if I know for the fact that this product could result in people's death whether it is a unhealthy fast food in which they use poison ingredients to make the food taste better or if it is an alcohol product or cigarette or designing and ad for a political who is deceiver and corrupt then I believe I will stop here, because I think this is what makes us designers and humans where we stand and where we stop our values the things we believe in, the values and ethics and principles we live for and fight for even if that will cost our lives.

Another point to take into consideration is that designing for companies or products like that literally means that I’m contributing to what this product does, I’m telling people to buy this product, I’m promoting it, and I think it is our responsibility as designers and humans to stand against these products and companies, otherwise there is no difference between us and computeres.