Revised essay question

Though an interesting and valid question to pose, my previous essay title had an overly esoteric focus which made it difficult to gather research information and find applicable sources. My revised question will allow for a broader look into the state of in-car UI compared to what it could and should be, and how the advent of driverless car technology can create new and exciting opportunities for designers. 

One of 12 cameras on the fully autonomous Tesla Model S

"How the advent of autonomous car technology could create more exciting and engaging in-car user interfaces"

Points to discuss:

Human-machine interface design; principles and practice, evolution 

In-car HMI design; what it should be compared to what it is like

What opportunities the driverless future present - exciting, entertainment/learning based interfaces? 

Proposition:
1. Intro
2. Analysis of purely manual car UI and its limitations
3. Analysis of the freedoms given by autonomous vehicles and how that can lead to more exciting and engaging UI 
4. An exemplar future scenario
5. Conclusion 

Identity and Consumption (Jansson-Boyd)

  



Brands, products and services can appeal to individuals through their use of type, image, relativity, comparison and overall design. A car manufacturer such as Tesla, for example, uses red to appeal to traditional car enthusiasts due to its strong relation with the industry of high-performance cars. They use the Gotham typeface because typographically it's extremely new, and is often used on new or emerging products. When the brand is represented by a person, they use a variety of 'ambassadors' to surgically appeal to particular groups of people, e.g. wealthy older people, young higher-ups, environmentalists, speed-junkies,  and tech enthusiasts.

Consumers can use products and services to extend their 'identity' in social situations. They may buy a high-performance sports car even though they have no interest in cars or racing just to try and gain a desired identity (wealthy, successful, desirable). They may spend an absurd amount of money 

Mercedes-Benz has been very successful in appealing to those with a desire for and access to luxury. They use a high-luxury custom serif typeface which resembles an even more luxurious and higher positioned form of Bodoni, creating an immediate link to other luxury brands and icons such as Armani etc. They use a superior tone of voice (their motto itself is "The best or nothing") to echo the voice inside the minds of the consumers desiring success and recognition above all else. 

It could easily be argued that there are a variety of ethical concerns present in the current state of consumerism and advertising. The issue of body image and low self-esteem is often cited as being a majorly negative aspect of modern society; one in which the media propagates an image of the ideal male and female human, an image and person unattainable by most which then feeds into a broader cycle of self-dissatisfaction, seemingly curable only through the consumption of products and services. 

How does this relate to the advent of sustainable transport? Can these observations be used to create positive change? How would the exploitation of consumer-self be avoided?

Design Sheets - Study Task 5

Potential essay plan

"How graphic design in electric vehicle interfaces can catalyse the transition to sustainable transport" 


Intro: 
The state of vehicles globally; sales, global vehicle refresh rate, advancement of cars over the years, the battle of ICE vs Electric, the recent proliferation of EVs, why the quality of and interaction with EVs helps catalyse their proliferation, how driverless infrastructures affects the need for interfaces/their purpose

Point 1: 
Analysis of ICE car interfaces, difference of interfaces according to vehicle purpose/cost, current EV interfaces, what is done right, purpose behind certain things, common functionalities, what is done wrong/inefficiently 

Point 2:
Best case interfaces, why they're good, why they work, typefaces for UI design, colours, layout etc, how instrumental interfaces are in the experience, how good interaction and the positive experience influences peoples' decision to purchase a car, how the design of interfaces works alongside vehicle design/interior design/graphic design

Point 3:
Overview of what makes interfaces in cars successful and how they could adapt/be improved by the electric, autonomous future. How interfaces have had a direct and positive impact on people's decision to buy EVs. 

Conclusion 
How can interfaces catalyse the transition? 

Propositions for Research Question

Technology in Cars
How to improve the experience of interacting with a car
Interfaces and experiences 
Defining the next generation of interaction with electric/exploration vehicles

- Could lead on to interaction with space transport question next year
- Would assist in gaining placement at JLR

"How a better user experience with electric vehicles could catalyse the transition to sustainable transport" 

"How a positive experience and interface within electric vehicles could catalyse the transition to sustainable transport" 

"The role of graphic design within car user interfaces" 

"The role of graphic design in improving car interfaces"

"The role of graphic design in improving the experience of using electric cars"

How important UI in cars in general is 

"How graphic design in electric vehicle interfaces can catalyse the transition to sustainable transport" 

Research sources: articles, websites, UI books, primary vehicle research, collaboration with automotive interface designers (McLaren, JLR, Tesla) 

"Client" requirements: Car manufacturer e.g. Tesla, JLR requires an interface design which offers a positive and memorable user experience in order to gain a better brand reputation and sell more cars. This, whether by design or not, helps to advent sustainable transportation. 

COP2 Triangulation - Cine-psychoanalysis and Gender in Film

Laura Mulvey, John Storey and Richard Dyer all offer an interpretation of cine-psychoanalysis and gender in film. Laura Mulvey, as a pioneering feminist film theorist, argues that films are designed to play to the male gaze by both offering a male for the viewer to reflect on, and offering a female for the viewer to gaze upon and objectify. John Storey discusses and simplifies Mulvey's view in a way appropriate for the media, which is a textbook for undergraduates. Richard Dyer takes an alternative approach in his own essay, and proposes an argument: why does Mulvey assume the viewer is always a heterosexual male? Dyer, who is a well-respected academic specialising on queer rights brings about the point of the audience potentially being homosexual or female, and identifies that the male form and body are also displayed and objectified on film.  He also makes the point of heterosexual male-on-male desire being suppressed in film by the male actors being overly "aggressive or threatening" in order to divert attention away. 

Mulvey's main points:
1. Males are active/viewers, females are passive/performers (men look and women exhibit)
2. Both genders are playing to the male desire 
3. Women don't have a penis and so have less power and desire than men (Castration fear)
4. The male figure cannot bare the burden of objectification 

Dyer's counter points:
1. The male form is also displayed and objectified by female and queer audiences 
2. Males in film have historically uses overly aggressive behaviour to divert attention from other males

Potential options to explore for COP2 (and 3)

My main design focus is on interface design for future modes of transport. I think it'd make sense to properly explore this in COP2 - I could look at the current (often dire) state of user interfaces in cars; those who do it right, those who do it wrong, and how all could improve. This would then transfer into COP3 and be augmented to space transportation and exploration, and looking at potential interface options for vehicle control and engagement. 

Source reliability and trustworthiness

As is the case with any piece of literature or documentation which cites sources, it's worth considering the reliability and trustworthiness of the sources employed in my essay.

It's also worth noting that reliability and trustworthiness refer to two similar but different aspects of source analysis. Reliability addresses the physical ability of the source to aquire and disseminate factual or accurate information. Reliable sources are usually experts in their field, or have had first hand experience in an event or occurrence (though it's worth noting that eye witnesses are not always reliable).

Source trustworthiness, on the other hand, refers to the source's ability to be truthful and unbiased with regards to the nature and manner of the information it disseminates. Trustworthy sources will give an impartial view or analysis; often such a source will be a sideline watcher, simply observing an affair in lieu of taking sides. A biased and untrustworthy source is of course more common - everyone, to some extent, is opinionated, and history is of course written by the victor.

The Challenge and Response - A Synthesis

I had given myself an awkward but achievable challenge: I was going to apply the techniques and theories behind WW2 propaganda and use it to create a poster which encouraged space exploration, climate change mitigation, or the advancement of renewable energy. 

In the case below I have chosen to represent the advancement of renewable energy:

SolarCity is the third company in Elon Musk's trio along with Tesla and SpaceX. Founded and operated by Musks's two cousins, it aims to advance the proliferation of solar power across the US. 

I knew from the beginning that I couldn't directly apply World War 2 (specifically Nazi) aesthetics to my campaign poster for obvious detrimental reasons, and so knew my inspiration and synthesis had to be taken from a deeper level. 

This SolarCity poster was created with four main images in mind:
the endless and infinite imagery utilised in many examples of propaganda,
the endless stream of banners visible on important Nazi buildings during 
World War 2, and the image of enormous rallies visible from above, thousands
of soldiers descending into the distance, banners above their heads. 

The Nazi Party believed they were creating a better future, though the sane world disagreed. In the case of SolarCity, only those lacking sanity would claim they weren't. 

I’ve managed to represent these deep, disturbing and powerful images with photovoltaic panels, proving that Graphic Design can have enormous social and political implications in the deepest of senses. 

SolarCity poster variations

I decided to shift my focus away from space exploration and closer to sustainable energy to allow me to attract a larger target audience because of its greater suitability to the general populace. 

Rocket designs and Nazi technology

The Nazis, through their deplorable and evil research methods, excelled hugely in the field of technological research, particularly in transport. My poster will obviously focus on movements and ideals that depend on the advancement of technology, so perhaps I can utilise methods of persuasion employed in Nazi graphic design and translate it to my own work. 

Initial Concepts for Practical Response

I realised quite early on that a WW2/Nazi aesthetic would be almost wholly inappropriate visual for my poster. I will eschew the creative direction of the WW2 posters in favour of their propaganda techniques, such as Utopia or Beautiful World. 

The Nazi Brand: The unapologetically excessive use of the Swastika

The Swastika was the most influential and successful aspect of the Nazi ‘brand’, and Hitler knew he had to get the design perfect - much Nazi design “either Hitler designed himself or had a hand in designing” (Heller, 2008), and the Swastika was no exception. He justifies the final form of the Nazi flag by stating that the “red expressed the social thought underlying the movement; white, the national thought, and the swastika signified the struggle for the victory of  Aryan mankind and at the same time the triumph of the ideal of creative work which is in itself Anti-Semitic’” (Heller, 2008). After its creation and unveiling, Hitler ensured that the Swastika was not put to waste - it was used to the extent that it became an ever-present symbol of Nazi values; it was everywhere, and in unapologetic excessiveness. It could be found hanging from buildings, on uniforms and vehicles, at rallies and shows of force, and on almost every piece of Nazi propaganda.  

The swastika, corrupted and stolen from history by Hitler, worked to inspire and mobilise his allies, and provoke and intimidate his enemies. 

The Harvard referencing system

The Harvard referencing system is a method of source citation with widespread use in the world of academia, particularly in a university setting. 

In the reference list, or bibliography (which is usually found at the end of a paper or essay), the following information should be displayed for each source:

1. Name of the author(s)
2. Year published
3. Title
4. City published
5. Publisher
6. Pages used

Generally, citations follow this format:

• Last name, First Initial. (Year published). Title. City: Publisher, Page(s).

In-text citations, displayed after a quote, generally follow this format:

• (Last name, Year published)