TYPOGATEAUX

TYPOGATEAUX

Language Barriers

Signs and Notices in foreign countries, mistakes in english.  I found these quite funny and wanted to share them with my group.  Information like this could perhaps feature in our travel guide:

"Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose." -- A sign in a Swiss hotel.

"Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time." -- A sign in a laundry in Rome.

"Members and non-members only." -- A sign outside Mexico City's Mandinga Disco in the Hotel Emporio.

"Shower of Happiness. Total Safety Guaranteed." -- A label on an electric shower (to heat cold water) in Thailand.

"Do not spit here and there." -- A sign in Calcutta, India.

"Commit No Nuisance." -- A sign in Calcutta, India.

"Dresses for streetwalkers." -- A junk mail ad in Germany.

"Don't get into this." -- A sign in Japan with the universal "do not enter" symbol.

"We are thinking that 'How to management' is more important than 'What for sell'. we want to realize that is 'It's well that!' that is our opinion." -- On the cover of a photo shop's envelopes for newly developed film.

"ParkinginwrongPlaces Will Makeyou accountalbetoLaw Apartfrom being atresPassingontheRight oftheCitizenandthestate." -- A sign in Luxor, Egypt.

"Deposit: The owner asks for a deposit of 25.000 ptas as a guarantee for the flat. This amount will be returned at the end of your stay if any damage has been done." -- A sign in a Spanish hotel.

"Warning: Do not leave it in this place which may have a high temperature such as the car closed." -- Instructions for a CD adapter for a car's tape player.

"SOTP" -- A sign near a road crossing in Milan.

"Warning! Difficult to swim out if wearing wader filled with water by falling down! Therefor, please avoid deep water where danger of drowning possibility exists." -- On the label of a pair of chest waders manufactured in Taiwan.

"Please leave your values at the front desk." -- A sign in a Paris hotel.
"Let's skiing." -- A sign in a ski chalet in Nagano, Japan.

"Child be a public servant. The best balance of music and technology within a vaguely." -- Written on a T-shirt for sale in a market in Hong Kong.

"Dah Wong Path." -- A sign for a park path in Hong Kong.

"Caution Water On Road During Rain" -- A sign in Malaysia.

"Refund!" -- "Caution," as translated into Italian on a "wet floor" sign in an Italian McDonald's.

"Please to bathe inside the tub." -- A sign in a Japanese hotel room.

"Our staffs are always here waiting for you to patronize them." -- From an advertisement for a hotel in Tokyo.

"This shop has been moved to the present place for 35 years." -- From an advertisement for an antique shop in Tokyo.

"Colorful dining space surrounded by stained glasses." -- From an advertisement for a restaurant in Tokyo.

Researching Transport

The first schematic london underground map designed by Harry Beck in 1933.  Below is the previous design from 1908.  As a schematic diagram it shows not necessarily the geographic but rather the relative positions of stations along the lines, stations' connective relations with each other and fare zones. The basic design concepts have been widely adopted for other network maps around the world, especially that of mapping topologically rather than geographically.

Above is a recent re-design of Harry Beck's original map design.  This design caters for twice the amount of lines as Beck's original design did.  It has been geographically designed and relates to the street level.

Evalutation of HOW TO

TASK
Review the work produced in response to the 'How to...' brief identifying the following:

What problem did you identify?

How to travel as a businessman.  Covering appearance, etiquette, transport, economy. 

What evidence did you find to support your decisions?

What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what forms did it take?

The majority of the evidence gathered was computer based internet research however the HSBC campaign leaflets came in handy and also general flyers for help with imagery idea’s.  As I don’t know enough Chinese/American people I wouldn’t have been able to gather a fair statistic for the travel industry.  However secondary information was much easier to find, with lots of tourist sites online and government pages there was lots of useful information.  The qualitative research I found was mostly on forums and therefore hard to back up.  For Quantitative research, I looked into facts and figures about safe travel in each country and how many of each type of transport is availale to use.

(categorise your research using terms primary, secondary, quantitative and qualitative)

What methods of research did you find useful and why?

Researching into traveller’s forums and holiday guide websites helped see what problems needed solved and communicated and it also helped to find the answer’s to the questions I was asking myself.

How did these inform your response to your problem?

The research I found helped me to narrow down the amount of information held in the info graphic spread so therefore it was only important and relevant information within the graph.

What methods did you encounter as problematic?

Doing research into aesthetics of other info graphs pieces made me have an image in my head of what the final piece would look like, which isn’t a great idea when working within a group because everyone has different tastes.

How did you overcome this?

We decided as a group that we would all do our designs on Adobe Illustrator because then they shared the same look of sleek vectors.  We stuck to black and white because it is low cost, simple to design with and we all agreed that it worked well overall with a splash of yellow to lighten it up a bit.

What research could you have carried put that would have proved more useful?

I would have liked to have carried out surveys in China and America to see what the natives from these places had to say about transport.  Also it would have been helpful at the beginning to have interviewed young business men and women to find out their views about travelling abroad and find out their worries about such trips.

You should reflect on your  individual contributions to group work and evaluate your own experience, opinions and decisions. Once you have completed your self evaluation:-

List five things that you have learnt about the design process over the last two weeks.

Working within a group can prove difficult when everyone has conflicting idea’s of the final outcome.  It’s probably best not to jump to conclusions in your head.

In the initial stage of development it’s a good idea to invest time in weighing up possibilities instead of diving into what seems like an excellent idea.

Working collaboratively means you can get completely different outcomes than what you may originally think of.

List five things you would do different next time.

Spend more time brainstorming in the early stages.

Have group meetings more often and regular.

Try carrying out different types of research (only relevant.)

Research Sources / Further Information

Review all handouts, briefs and presentations from the studio workshops.

Mandatory Requirements / Deliverables

Response to the self-evaluation process should be posted to your Design Practice & PPP blogs and labelled with the module code OUGD405.

Use images and your own documentation to illustrate your evaluations.

Developing Idea's

Originally posted by http://n-bolton1114-dp.blogspot.com/


From the crit we took away all the ideas and feedback we were given and have now decided as a group on our final outcome.
We are going to produce a pocket guide that is for the travelling business person. This will include basic information on packing and other necessities and also have specific information on certain countries we have decided on.
The guide is going to be the size of a passport and the colour scheme will most probably be taken from the colour of the passport.

We have devised sections for the guide and content for each:

1. Appearance
- How to iron/fold a shirt
- How to pack

2. Good Impressions
- Eye contact
- Handshakes
- Tips for business meetings

3. Communication
- Language barrier
- Basic phrases

4. Transport
- Different types of transport in each country
- Important info on these - cost etc

5. Practical parts
- Notes
- Itinerary
- Receipt section
- Business card holder

Countries to be aimed at:
- China
- North America
- Dubai
- Germany
- Australia

Image

From this we have all taken a section each and are going to research into it, from this we will then produce information/ illustrations to put in the guide. We will then all meet up to design the actual guide and put it all together. It is going to end up being about 30 pages.

Group Crit Notes

Crit notes below taken by Nathan http://n-bolton1114-dp.blogspot.com/

Today we had our first crit, which we voiced our ideas and ways of thinking for our ideas.
We went into the crit with our different ideas that everyone had, and explained these all to amber and jo. We then discussed the sort of ways we want to take the project and what we want to get our of it.
Throughout the different ideas there was alot of them which were very similar but different in there own way.

The ideas that they liked were:
- pocket sized guide
- having room to store business cards etc
- other useful elements in it e.g notes, itinary to make the user actually use it.
- focussed on a certain area
- quirky ideas of the business things - how to fold shirts, pack a bag. Hand gestures in different countries.
- being light hearted but yet serious at the same time - getting the tone right for it.

Things they said they didn't like:
- stereotyping business people
- watch for being sexist towards female and male business people
- focus on smaller area of world - not as many countries
- dont over load on information, its only a small format
- not to patronise business people

Ideas they gave us:
- tear/removable pages
- maybe separate idea for male female
- illustrated inside - less text to read.
- aimed at business people more - sections within it
- either make it serious about business or light hearted.

We took away all these ideas from the crit and came away and discussed how we were going to carry the idea forward. We decided that the guide was going to have general sections and sections that are more focussed. We have aimed the guide to the main countries travelled to for business and these are the ones that the specific information will be on.
The guide is going to be split into different sections. The majority of it is going to illustrated with some small amount of text.

Jo's Task

List of favourite designers:

Ed Fella

Julia Pott

Yulia Brodskaya

Rob Ryan

El Lissitzky

Marcel Duchamp

Sara Fanelli

Brian Eno (I like his theories)

John Baldessari

Ambient Advertising

Paula Scher

Isabel Bostwick

Steven Heller!

Lovisa Burfitt
Gemma Correll
ALexander Rodchenko

Software Workshop Photoshop

Just been looking at some images that will influence my final 6 postcard design

Photographer:  Nicolas Moore

Photographer:  Joe Capra

Love all of these images, for my postcard design, I would like to try and capture some good images of a balloon flying off into the distance. http://vi.sualize.us/serendipity/photography/?page=2

Useful Website

Tips for staying Safe in China when travelling


http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/security.htm

Good examples of infographics..

Awesome website for infographics http://webexpedition18.com/articles/awesome-creative-infographics/

Travel Around China

 Safety and Security - Local Travel 

Severe weather conditions are possible in eastern and southern coastal provinces during the typhoon season (May-November). Check before travelling during these months.

China’s principal airports carry out body temperature monitoring measures (to identify anyone travelling with a fever). While quarantine is no longer regularly imposed, those suffering from fever will be asked to consult a doctor.

For travel to Tibet see the General (Tibet) section of this Travel Advice.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel 
Foreigners are required to pass a driving test before driving in China: possession of an international driving licence may not be regarded as sufficient. If you intend to drive in China, familiarise yourself with the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China.  

There are harsh penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol, including administrative detention.

The poor quality of roads and generally low driving standards leads to many accidents. If you are involved in a serious accident, you may be prevented from leaving the country until the case is resolved.

See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Sea Travel 
There have been several incidents of overcrowded ferries sinking, leading to deaths.  There have also been attacks of piracy in the South China Sea.  Mariners should be vigilant and take precautions.

See our River and Sea Safety page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Rail Travel 
Trains are popular, inexpensive and a reliable mode of travel; they can be very crowded.

Trans-Mongolian express trains (Beijing-Moscow via Ulaanbaatar) are noted for smuggling.  Search your compartment and secure the cabin door before departure. Petty theft from overnight trains and buses is common.

Safety and Security – Local Travel – Tibet 
The Chinese authorities are limiting access to Tibet by foreign tourists. They periodically prohibit travel to Tibet for foreign nationals. Travellers to Tibet should check with tour operators or travel agents and monitor the international media and this travel advice for information about travel to Tibet.

Foreigners wishing to travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region require the permission of the Chinese authorities. Foreigners may normally only enter with a permit as part of a tour group; tour operators and travel agencies offer assistance with these.

Be aware that ongoing political and ethnic tensions can lead to unrest and violent protest in Tibet.  While foreigners are not normally targeted during unrest, travellers should be alert to the possibility of being caught up in unexpected outbreaks of violence.

Avoid becoming involved in demonstrations or calls for Tibetan independence. The authorities regard videotaping or photographing such activities as provocative.
Local authorities will react if you are found carrying letters or packages from Tibetan nationals to be posted in other countries.

Photography in Buddhist monasteries requires permission; a fee, normally negotiated in advance, is payable.

The extreme altitude in Tibet may cause altitude sickness.




http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/china

Chinese Climate

Climate Preference

Our guests visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda in spring

China is a vast country with wide-ranging climatic conditions, so a decision about the best time to visit should be based on the regions you plan to tour and the kind of weather you enjoy.

 Autumn
Normally, the most comfortable season of the year is early autumn (September to early October). During that period, temperatures are reasonable throughout China (about 50-72F) with a limited amount of rain. September for example is the only month in the year when the ancient and valuable paintings of the Beijing Palace Museum are displayed due to proper climate conditions (low humidity and proper temperature).

 Spring 
Spring can also be delightful with the average temperatures roughly the same as in autumn (about 50-72F). The best way to deal with weather unpredictability is to wear layered clothing that will make you comfortable in both chilly and warm weather.

 Summer
Summer (from June to the end of August) can be extremely hot with temperatures well above 72F, especially in the famous 'four furnaces' of China: Wuhan, Tianjin, Chongqing and Nanchang. 
Summer is also a rainy season, so travelers should not forget umbrellas, light raincoats and rubber/plastic shoes.

 Winter 

Climb Badaling Great Wall in summer

Winter can be incredibly cold especially in the north. Off season travel can also offer its rewards. For example, theHarbin Winter Ice Lantern Festival is quite charming.

Before deciding when to take a tour, it is worth checking carefully the China weather conditions of each city on the itinerary. Needless to say that the most attractive seasons to visit are also the most crowded. Regardless of the time of the year, a visitor will always be rewarded with charming scenery throughout China.

High Season vs Low Season

High seasons in China:
• Labor Day (May 1, 3 days duration)
• National Day (October 1, 7 days duration)
• University Holidays: Summer holiday (June-September) and Winter holiday (January-February)

Many people plan a trip during high seasons. However it is not always the best choice. During high seasons tickets for trains, planes, as well as accommodations at hotels are hard to obtain, as great numbers of people travel during these times. It is highly recommended to join an organized tour if you must travel during high seasons, as doing so will certainly relieve you from the difficulties of obtaining tickets.

Crowded Nanjing Road  during the Golden Week Holiday

Compared with high seasons, low seasona couldn't be a better choice for traveling. They offer you the following merits:
• Saving money. In low seasons, the related costs will be much lower than during the peak seasons. Entrance fees, travel ticket prices, and the goods sold in the places of interest will all cost less.
• Saving time. Low seasons offer you a more tranquil environment rather than a noisy, crowded place. It may take several hours to take a photo during peak time, while in low seasons you can enjoy yourself in the beautiful scenery without any interference.

Festival Preference

China is a great country with numerous nationalities and each nationality has their own festivals. Should you be a Chinese culture lover, come to China during the time the festival you wish to see is happening.   
Nearly each Chinese festival has its own legend and history. Please explore more details about Chinese festivals and determine your trip itinerary based on your favorite ones.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/when-to-come.htm