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.