Essay

“Social psychology of Identities” by Judith A Howard is an opinion based journal with recent research given as evidence to support her argument. She clearly states her intentions of this journal early on, helping us understand the argument she has given. She firstly explains the definition of “Identity” and how this meaning has changed within the recent years and so looks into how social cognitive and symbolic interaction can contribute to the segregation of people’s identities. By doing so she looks into many different theories, specifically where people begin to differentiate themselves mainly due to their physical appearance. She also reviews key questions that relate to this theme and tries to educate us about how identities are formed from a numerous amount of diverse factors. The main themes that she looks into within her current research on identity are: Social psychological, sociological and interdisciplinary. She takes particular interest into the social bases of identity, looking at the main factors and how each can intersect with one another.

Howards main purpose through writing this journal was to show how people and their identities have changed due to society over several decades. The meaning behind a persons “identity” has evolved with time. It has more to do with who one is, i.e. outside influences making you who you are in society. Now a day’s society dictates a lot about who a person is, especially in a work place. A person has to adapt quickly to succeed. You have to build up recognition and respect in a short amount of time in order to achieve what someone would have in one job over many years. Her research into the fields of “Identities and space” “Nationalisms identity struggles” and “Identities across time” gives evidence to support these theories, backing up her own opinions she has voiced throughout. This can coincide with one of the many factors that Howard looks into when breaking down people’s identities: Different role identities.

Judith believes that “Interactionism” is when people give a “symbolic” meaning to things and carrying on developing these meanings forward through interaction. This then creates “role identities” which cause people to adapt and take on their new roles that create a sense of hierarchy within different groups of people. This automatically changes the dynamic of a group. The structural approach relies on the idea of role identities, the characteristics a person develops in a particular social position, therefore linking social structures to people. (Stryker 1980).

Another observation made this time by Goffman is how in hierarchical groups people feel the need to control the views that others have perceived about them. They have a desire to “normalize judgments”. This is a big change that society had created over the years, where perception of ones self has become more of a priority. The supposed basic level of interaction is simply through their talk. There have been many studies taken place that analyze this through everyday interaction. (Hunt 1994). Many such studies have focused particularly on the population experiencing identity struggles. Anderson (1994) does a study into the two different strategies that homeless people use. The outcome is an example showing how people react or behave when in different circumstances or environments, proving that identities can also change within different situations. To reinforce this idea Howard could have set up her own tests with a numerous amount of varied people –both in appearance and in personality- to work on exercises in specific groups. This would have then backed up her own views.

The extensive research located for this journal has a vast amount of sources therefore proving to be a popular topic. Howards uses these sources to highlight the many different views based on the change within peoples identities caused by society. It is very much a journal filled with Howards views and concerns rather than an unbiased report. She narrows in on the main basis of identity.

Sexual, Gender, Class, Identities of (Dis)ability, and Age are the main areas that have been greatly influenced over the years. Talking about peoples insecurities towards their physical appearance she highlights the difficulties that can effect people and their need to try and “fit in”. When exploring the topic of sexual identities, Howard discovers that this identity formation is one that usually isn’t realized till later on in life compared to the others that are already set in place. Gender as Howard states has been thoroughly researched and so does not research this herself, just refers to others work.

People are always trying to fit in to their surroundings so when it comes to the issue of space, there are many forms this can take. In terms of literal space Howard looks into the views of Espin (1995) that connects special identity with gender, sexual identities for example and explores the struggles on immigrant woman’s sexual behaviours and gender performances. She highlights the fact that by crossing borders through migration may also encourage woman to cross other boundaries of their own. From this Ruddick’s (1996) views are less literal and looks at public crime and how by analysing this it shows how people feel the need when in a public space to behave in a realistic manner, as apposed to the sheltered persona everyone displays. Looking at “space” in a different context brought people like Kendall (1 998a,b) and O’Brien (1999) together to think about cyberspace and whether or not people when in this realm they play with identities and some how adopt a new identity that is the complete opposite to their offline one.

Taking a completely new approach on how people can behave differently and change their identity in different settings is the book: Inquiry By Design by John Zeisel. His main objective is to answer questions such as: “What information can social scientists offer designers about the ways in which people and groups with different needs and purposes behave in different settings?” And “How can designers use this information to their best advantage?” Zeisel tries his best to approach the questions as well as put across his own views by referring to projects in North America and Europe to validate his views, whilst explaining the integration of research and design.

His research into this area also gives us the perspective of an environmental behavioral researcher and a designer. From this he is able to argue his believes that designers and researchers can and are able to work together to resolve design problems that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to do on their own. While looking into this area he is further able to resolve a major issue, providing us with the answers once again. He discovers through his curiosity for this topic that research material must be in a form that designers are able to use but that can also be used to improve the chances that research information can be tested. This may no be an obvious matter when approaching the topic about identity but it takes a form of connection.

Zeisel has made a point to think about what people want to achieve from the gathering and researching of all their data. He states “Environment-behaviour research illuminates both of these purposes simultaneously, showing the interrelationship between environment and people” This proves to be his purpose throughout his book: trying to find a connection and how this affects both areas.

He then explores the different environments that cause people to react, i.e. places of work, leisure areas, your homes. This change can affect their behaviour reactions to not just the ones that are most common to them but to others as well. From looking at peoples past experiences in different environments this can also affect behaviour. He believes that we should discover how people respond to “abstract” environments as well as “actual” ones to gives us a better understanding into the way people and environments amalgamate.

“Making sense of environment is a process of perception: the way persons select and organize what they are aware of in a situation through all their senses.” (Goodey, 1971: 2-3: Theodorson & Theodorson, 1970: 295) This statement is valued in terms of how reliable it is, not just as evidence but of a generalisation of the actual progression of defining whom a person is. The process of observing what you are looking at is one that can be interpreted in different ways, as each person will choose to see differently. From looking into the means behind someone’s identity and then seeing how people and environments combine, from piecing all the information together that I have gathered, it has shown me, how effortlessly the two combine with one another. Due to the masses of information gathered it also proves to be a valued conclusion.

From historical sources he also argues in favor of Goffmans (1963) studies just like Howard, into middle class etiquette as a source of evidence to back up his views about connections of people and environments. The results from this research have become very useful in sensing what was appropriate behaviour when in public and private places at that period of time. Taking into account that this evidence is many years old, it does prove to be reliable, as past situations have provided clues to how present-day definitions have evolved over a period of time. This research over a space of time is one that Howard herself felt was an important indication into behavioral patterns. A variety of documentation collated over time for different uses e.g. projects can also be used to study behavioral patterns of activity and change.

“Visual records can show how uses of a building, street, or plaza evolve slowly over centuries” (Gunter et al. 1978)

These two different writers have given a great insight into a person’s identity and how one can change based on the environments they are placed in. When people are in difficult situations or are presented with something that is unfamiliar to them studies have shown that their behaviour changes, resulting in a changed identity. For the topic to be one that has a vast amount of data its surprising that people such as Howard, Ziesel, and Goffman seem to agree with the majority that has been said. They agree with the ways that an environment can or will have an effect on people despite each having their own individual personalities, or being subject to different stimuli.

Whilst documented research is valid and useful there are different forms of research that Zeisel has also accumulated. As well as written reports used “running records” are another reliable source to find out about changing patterns both in people’s behaviour and the environment. The use of vocal transcripts can indicate the change that does exist between the interactions of people. There are some files for example that are a lot more accessible to the public and therefore still have to be researched enough before they can be used as a format of evidence. Zeisel uses published documents as a form of data to produce results of research criteria about older people.

From researching this topic into identity and environments I have concluded how important it is especially for me as an interior designer to take into account the whole process of a design and also respect the environment you are working within. The surrounding environment plays a huge role in determining peoples behaviour therefore you have to apply this research when designing for a particular client.

Bibliography

Anderson L, Snow DA, Cress D. 1994. Negotiating the public realm: stigma management and collective action among the homeless. Res. Commun. Soc. (Supp.) 1:121-43

Espin O. 1995. "Race," racism, and sexuality in the life narratives of immigrant women. Fem. Psychol. 5:222-38

Goffman E. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday

Goffman E. 1963. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall

Hunt S, Benford RD, Snow DA. 1994. Identity talk in the peace and justice movement. Contemp. Ethnogr. 22:488-517

Kendall L. 1998a. Meaning and identity in "cyberspace": the performance of gender, class, and race online. Symb. Interact. 21:129-53

Kendall L. 1998b. "Are you male or female?" Gender performances on MUDS. See O'Brien & Howard 1998, pp. 131-53

O'Brien J. 1999. Writing in the body: gender (re)production in online interaction. In Communities in Cyberspace, ed. MA Smith, P Kollock, pp. 76-104. New York: Routledge

Ruddick S. 1996. Constructing difference in public spaces: race, class, and gender as interlocking systems. Urban Geog. 17:132-51

Stryker 5. 1980. Symbolic Interactionism: A Social Structural Version. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin--Cummings

Furniture Update

Ok so recently we have been moving on with our Furniture project and are coming to the final week. We have designed a rather simplistic piece of furniture that in my opinion is rather "sweet" and represents our collaboration of work, quite well. Just like all our projects before we have had to tackle some important issues concerned with design. This project is no exception. As well as dealing with group work we have to tackle the "construction" part of the project, where most of our time is spent in the workshop. This is a new experience for us learning about the making of our design and has been of great benefit in improving my skills within the area of design. This has also got me thinking about how important it is to consider how your object or design, would be made. The full stage from start to finish is a great indication of how a simple design can be, yet so time consuming and the difficulties that can arise from such a well thought out concept.

Louis Vuitton Foundation For Creation

While I was doing work for my current project, Furniture Design, my flatmates have been recently looking into “pavilions" so I thought I would take a look for myself. When I was searching the net I found a few architects who have designed their own pavilion as part of their projects. Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Norman Forster were the three I was particularly interested in so took a further look into their projects.

Frank Gehry is a very unique architect. He designs buildings more for the statement they will create. He is adventurous with his designs and does not limit his buildings to the original structural form. This is one of the many reasons Gehry was asked to design the building that will capture years of patronage.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation For Creation is there to promote culture, heritage and creation and will be sited in the Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris.

MVRDV

Last year when I was working on my shed project I came across the Dutch architects MVRDV and was intrigued by there work so began to look into past and present projects. The one I found most influential was the apartment buildings originally designed for older residents. This is probably one of their most iconic buildings to date and is recognised worldwide.

Recently though the Dutch architects have come together with designer Richard Hutten to design a research facility within a courtyard at the Delf University of Technology.

"The Why Factor” is a main orange staircase structure that comprises of meeting rooms, lecture halls and places for researching. The black furniture surrounding the main structure was designed by Hutten to use up the wasted space created for the use of lectures and researching.

The design arrangement benefits the many users that work and attend the university. The simple design creates an eye-catching piece of artwork that fits well into the surroundings. This has definitely not gone unnoticed as they won the LAI 2009 award.

World Expo 2010

“Better City, Better Life”

The theme of this years 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

The universal exposition is a large public exhibitions held since the mid 19^th century. This year it is being held in Shanghai, China and has roughly 200 expected participants. These participants tend to be countries or very large businesses that can cope with the financial budget.

The UK pavilion has been developed by Thomas Heatherwick and is an indication of the talent in the uk.

The UK centerpiece is an eye-catching six storey high object that has been created from 60,000 transparent rods that extend to create movement with the environment. Each rod is 7,5 meters long and uses daylight to illuminate the interior space, creating a glow of light at night.

The most impressive thing about this pavilion is that it will enclose thousands of seeds at the ends of the rods. This will allow the visitors to view the different species of plants. The seeds have been taken from a variety of organisations. The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, the Kumming Institute of Botany, The Chinease Academy of Sciences in China and Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Project. This represents the future potential of plant life making a “better city, better life”.

Calendar Day

Today is officially the first of December and just like many people across the country will begin their count down to Christmas. No matter what age you are everyone gets excited knowing that in the morning we can now open the little doors to our advent calendar and get our very own little festive fix. 24 Days to go……

Co2 Admission

Another project that has caught my attention is the Co2 Cubes by Alfio Bonanno and Christopher Cornubert.

The idea behind their design is a great concept that should send out a strong message and encourage people to think about the matter concerned, which is reducing their co2 admission.

This is another design that is trying to take the role of sustainability and encourage people to create a better life style that will hopefully make a difference to the change in climate and environment in years to come.

The issue of Sustainability has been one that has recently taken headline in most areas of design and is soon to be even bolder, however is this the way to encourage people to take action? By showing them the equivalent to their carbon footprint or should we as designers show people the real destruction they are causing in order to create a response that will lead to doing something about the problem.

What Bonanno and Cornubert have tried to do is represent the monthly carbon footprint of the average person or the amount produced by a person from the us in two weeks. The cube measures 27’ x 27’ x 27’and is a representation of one metric ton of carbon dioxide. The cube has been designed so that it can incorporate video streams; real-time information and solutions that will help slow down climate change. It should broadcast this information at the gathering that will take place in Copenhagen next month at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

This is a small way to broadcast the matter of climate change that will hopefully make a difference in the way people think and act. Visually the cube will create more of an impact, which is why the idea should be a success.

This also brings me back to a lecture we had about sustainability and how designers have tried to create products that can function using different forms of energy replacing oil. A company called “Bed Zed”believes we can make a change in our lifestyle through carbon-friendly homes however this process doesn't happen over night, there's a lot of compromising to do to get it to this stage. I do believe though that if we do all have this attitude and increase the awareness of climate change then there will be more things done to achieve the result we want.

Floods In Britain

Just recently there’s been a lot of headline news about flooding especially in the area of Cumbria, so I thought it was of relevance to write a blog about it.

The main problem in the area is a number of bridges have collapsed and many are on the verge of giving way in the flood. Many homes, businesses and community spots around town have been affected by the extreme weather conditions. The most concerning issue relating to the flooding is that Cumbria has a large number of bridges throughout the area and with the bridges giving way under the amount of pressure it’s a danger to the community.

Cumbria is one of the worst hit areas of flooding and has been ever since floods hit the area back in 2005, but there has never been any ideas brought forward to help stop or decrease the amount of damage created by the surrounding waters. For me I believe the main question we should think about is that is there any way to guarantee that this doesn’t happen?

As a designer myself the best thing about this area of expertise is that we can also use our ability and put it to good use. So why not gather designers together to create something that can help improve the lives of everyone in the local area of Cumbria.

Fiscavaig

An architectural design has been completed close to home so thought i would take pride in writing about it. Its by a Scottish Architecture Firm called Rural Design and they have just finished constructing a small timber house on the Isle of Skye. The actual project has been named Fiscavaig and is a two-storey house that has been raised above the ground by wooden columns. The building has been designed so it narrows towards the north side to capture the surrounding landscape. The overall appearance is one that creates a visually pleasing building to look at and draws in the nature of its surroundings.

E.L.A Desk

While researching in to furniture for our own furniture project i came across this unusual but modern take on a desk. It has been designed by Bulgarian studio Bozhinovskidesign and they have created this "cantilevered" E.L.A desk by suspending it from the side wall by steel cables. The desk has been produced from fibreglass and was designed for the fibreglass specialist ElzaDesign.

How influenced by advertising are you???

Last friday i had my last lecture of semester one with Jonathon Baldwin on Christmas spirit. He first started off talking about how men and woman’s behaviour is different when they shop.

For a lot of us the points that were made were pretty obvious. We all know that woman prefer to take their time, maybe make the experience more of a social activity, whereas men are more likely to hunt for the items they are looking for then leave. Now this stereotype does not relate to everyone but it is true for the most part. There was however some points that I had never thought about, especially relating to the role of design. For instance when designing a food store and deciding on where everything should be positioned seems like an ordinary task however the part I did not know was that they position there main brands or offers before you get to your basic everyday foods to influence your shopping making you pick up and buy! You probably forget the item you go for but come away with bags full of things you didn't need. Now this is a wise way to design your supermarket so why wouldn’t you do the same for shopping in general? Well they do. Until now I as a designer haven’t realised that there are many techniques that are subliminal and lead you towards certain areas or goods without realising it. One in particular is the effect of folding clothes in a clothes store. Its been proven by Paco Underhill in his book "Why we buy" that the more likely we are to buy something is if we touch it. While raiding through the mounds of clothes looking for your size you are subconsciously doing it out of guilt.

So you could ask yourself the question, How influenced by advertising are you?

Mini Juteopolis

I forgot to mention when we were in the middle of our Juteopolis project we were asked to undertake a mini project within our main project. We had to create an individual piece to add to Louise Richie’s exhibition design for the 2009 Dundee Degree Show.

She decided that she wanted to create an exhibition that could be easily “transportable” and “adaptable” and based on the theme Juteopolis. This is why we were asked as a class to contribute to this exhibition showing our own interpretations of the brief.

We were given a 12cm block of wood and told to do what we pleased. We could paint, cut, score, colour etc as long as it related to Juteopolis. We had to think of our block as a “canvas” for our work and present it along with our main project.

While researching for our own Juteopolis exhibition I took a keen interest at how the industry became reliant on woman particularly and so based my design on this.

Cola = Christmas

I am now officially in the festive spirit. For me the moment i begin to celebrate the festive occasion is the first time i see the Coca Cola advert and know christmas has once again come around the corner. Take a look at it for yourself and experience the festive celebration.

Annotated Bibliographies

Desmet, P, Erp, J, KArisson, M (2008) 'Design and Emotional Moves', Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

This book has been formed from a series of papers from the International Design and emotion Conference in Sweden. This book looks in to the behavioural patterns of consumers and how this can affect people in the way we buy and consume products and the way we live.

P. Fowler, E (1987), 'Management and city design', Social Forces, vol. 66, no. 2. pp. 356-389

This journal article explore the relationships humans have with their behaviour and the physical environment.

Howard, Judith A, (2000), 'Social Psychology of Identities.

Looks at the social psychological strengths of identity.

Kurtz, PD, (1998), 'A case study of a network as a learning organization'.

This case study looks at how people are connected to others through networks made up of family, friends, colleagues and organizations.

Sweed, Phyllis, January (1997), 'Who sets trends'.

Focuses on the many people who influence in some way trends in the retail industry.

Zeisel, J (1984) 'Inquiry by Design', Cambridge: press Syndicate.

This series of books looks at research into the relationship between human behaviour and the physical environment. It looks at how the environment and behaviour mix together and presents information from a variety of perspectives such as architects, psychologists, regarding the environmental change.

Websites

Course Related :

www.dezeen.com/category/interiors-news/

www.tomatodesign.co.uk

www.newdesigners.co.uk

www.designboom.co.uk

www.artillery.co.uk

Out with course:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.dailymail.co.uk

www.uk.msn.com

www.snd.org/

Furniture Design Project

Just now I am currently working on our new group project: Furniture Design. The main concept of the whole project is to design and construct a piece of furniture from a limited amount of Timber material given. Compared to our usual projects, this is a completely different process that I have to take. The audience will be able to experience first hand, the final product and see the progression made from drawings on paper to a physical model explaining our design. This for me is a real motivation to complete our design on time and produce a handmade item to the best we can.

The project lasts a total of six weeks and in that time we will be gaining a lot of experience and knowledge in the workshop that will give us a better understanding of the way things are made and how to use this when designing our very own products. Up until now i don’t have a lot of experience working within groups and producing a final handmade product however the idea of creating a design and bringing it to life is an exciting prospect.

Juteopolis Sheets

Group Project -Juteopolis

Recently we have finished our first group project, Juteopolis based on the jute industry in Dundee. It was great experience working within a team and opened my eyes to the different ways you have to be when working on your own and in a group. I have always been a person who works well in groups and I would say our small group consisting of 3 worked as well as you could hope. It was exciting to see the final product and how stress can actually bring you closer together with people. I think the full experience has really helped me focus on areas that I may not have been good at before when working on my own but they have improved when working with others where they relied on me finish a section to complete the project. You also have to work on your own just as if you were completing an individual project but consider everyones thoughts and ideas in order to bring it all together.

Fireworks

Fireworks

At this time every year everyone gets excited about the explosion of colour you can see when you look up. But why is it that everyone gathers together on such a night? Is it really to do with the historical reason celebrating the poor attempt made by Guy fawkes or is it just the simple fact that it creates a beautiful piece of art?

The discussion that is being made is whether or not this vibrant explosion of art is really worth the long term effects that it has on the environment. With most things these days focused on the "environmental factor" and how we have to keep recycling, recycling and more recycling this may not be the best solution to commemorating the historical day.

Now for me, i know how exciting it can be when everyone is gathered around the bonfire, wrapped up warm and holding your very own miniature firework. It is a great memory to have but will this day end up being a faint and distant memory for all? The debate about banning fireworks is a strong and serious view that many seem to agree with. When the fireworks create a brilliant coloured display before your very eyes they produce a shower of toxic chemicals. Is it really worth all the damage if you only see them for a split second? The long term effects seem to be more important yet we seem to forget this when it comes down to self satisfaction.

There have been studies that fireworks are a hazard to peoples health. They have caused many people to have breathing problems but scientists found a way of replacing the chemical rants with compressed air. But this was too expensive to be commercially viable. They also cause disruption to wildlife and household pets. Not a lot of good seems to come from the fireworks and this is the point people are trying to make.

Due to the health and safety risks that come with this commercial activity round about 10 people a year lose their sight and over 1000 people suffer from an injury due to the use of fireworks. So the question we should ask ourselves is banning fireworks the right thing to do for all or should be all have the experience of celebrating Bonfires night in a traditional way?

In Depth Brainstorm

The more focused brainstorm looks at how all three are connected and how connectors, mavens and salesmen come together well in the world of Interior design. From looking into each you realize how important it is for you to take on different roles and gain a vast amount of knowledge and experience suited to those particular areas. Although you may find it difficult to challenge yourself to gain these sets of skills it is important to improve to the best you can on each areas and when working within a production team you will be a great attribute. The different environments you will be placed in will make to deal with design issues you may not have thought about before. You have to learn to improve your skills you need to succeed in this specific industry and that everything you do or the people you meet may be of valuable use in years to come.

Group brainstorm

Brainstorming

Following on from our mind map session we were then asked to brainstorm the ideas of how Interior Design relates to "The Law of the Few" chapter in the Tipping point. We got together in groups and compared this idea as much as we could before we then went off on our own to discuss in further depth any areas that we found particularly interesting. While brainstorming within our discussion group we looked at how "The law of the Few" relates to Interior and Environmental design. We looked at how this can happen through the different people you can and will meet in this world. The mavens, connectors, and salesmen. Now at first we looked at the most obvious or the main aspect of communicating and how the connections of many different people can help broadcast you as a well known Interior Designer. Through doing so you can create an army of contacts that may one day be of use. The social networking side of it can create a huge impact on your career, by the simple use of blogging and using your very own web site to display pieces of work or blog about your up and coming activities/events. It could also be the face to face interaction between people or just like in the Tipping Point where you can create a word of mouth epidemic that in some way or another could be of valuable use to your profile. What appeared a lot through out our discussion and was of particular interest to me was how all three, mavens connectors and salesmen have to be combined in order to really succeed in the Industry of Design not just in Interior and Environmental. You have to take the attributes of a connector in order to have a large social network behind you, that helps link up everyone in the world. Also the way mavens have the knack of accumulating a vast amount of information about the marketplace and the negotiating skills of a Salesman, to persuade and convince to your client that your ideas are worth while.

The Tipping Point

The Tipping point", How little things can make a big difference!

This statement heading is one which you will always remember after reading the book. Why? well its a book that once read, leaves you thinking about the "tipping points" in life and how you answer questions you never even thought about before. When you first look at the front cover "The international No1 bestseller" strikes you as quite a hard to live up to statement, how could any book that’s talks about the little things in life become such a well read and known piece of literature. Well ill tell you. Gladwell looks into how trends, ideas and social behaviour reaches such a point and spreads so quickly that causes it to tip, therefore resulting in the "Tipping point". He talks about different scenarios in everyday life and how each relates back to the small match on the front cover.

"The Law of the Few" chapter dives in to talking about the different kinds of people and their roles in society, The Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen! Gladwell goes on to talk about a very well known example, a man called Paul Revere! Now if I am being honest before i read the book i didn’t know much about Paul Revere, only that he had played a role in the American Revolution. Since reading this book it wasn’t just what he did, that we learn so much about, it is how being a "midnight rider" created a word of mouth epidemic. We find out that by him traveling at night his message appeared more urgent compared to William Dawes who was also instructed to spread the word and that his knack for networking and his engagement in gathering information about the British helped him succeed.

From reading "The Tipping Point" and using the mind map system as a technique to condense information, it has greatly improved my note taking skills and my ability to select certain important pieces of information, out from a large text. I think the exercise also gets you to concentrate and understand the text a lot quicker and helps me remember significant parts, while refreshing you of the content of the book. I feel overall the mind mapping way is less complicated way to take notes especially when reading a book like "The Tipping Point" where a lot of information has been given. By separating each heading and sub-headings helps to clarify the content that needs to be separated. It has greatly helped me involve myself more with the book and think about the overall message.

Hi everyone, this is my new blog page. For my design studies at Dundee art school i had to create a page to update people on my weekly involvements into the world of interior design. So i thought i would start off telling you about my week so far. I visited the DCA and Vernon works early on for our 6 week project into "Juteopolis" which seems to be going good so far. Had a look at our exhibition space where we will be presenting our group project and took a few pictures of the surrounding area. Also had a look through the design magazine Wired which was quite interesting. x