Design Context 1

With the introduction of Design Context we initially discussed what Design context was and how we can make the most out of the sessions.

We then started to explore the meanings behind some work. The first image we looked at was ‘The Uncle Sam Range” by Schumacher & Ettlinger in 1876.




There’s a hell of a lot of things going on in this image and think I over thought about it and missed the point. The clock in the image is drawn with 1776 at the bottom and the hand is just about to turn 1876. So this was celebrating a 100 years of the Declaration.

The mass amounts of patriotism, obviously indicates the setting is America. This is supported by the classic ‘Sam’ character in the centre, and sat at the front, possibly leading the way in this metaphoric sense. The globe sat the table as well could also indicate that if it was a celebration, the world was invited. The bill of foods in his hand is pretty stereotypical stuff, France, flogs, Ireland, only potatoes. To say this is 100 years on it still seems pretty ignorant.

Anyway, it turns out after all this its an advert for a cooker?! Wasn’t expecting that, but the idea is that the significance of all of this is that if you buy this cooker you could be like this. Even though is does look expensive it’s apparently aimed at the lower classes. The idea is that the upper classes would already have this life style and the image is communicating the idea that this is what you can aspire. The basic language on the bill is also used to support this.

The use of font is shown in a typical western style, which is signifying the ‘great-ness’ of America, the west turning wasteland into a civilised society, so to speak.

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The second image was a little clearer and easier to read. The image is called “Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?” and its by Saville Lumley (1915)




So this image is an advertisement for enrolling in the army. I didn’t actually think in this war you were really given a choice about whether you could or couldn’t, if you could walk, you were in. As Richard said in the lecture most working class people would have enrolled anyway, as they didn’t have much else to loose but in this image we have a father of two in a typically British home. We know its Britain because of the figures the boys playing with and the pattern on the chair.

So if this image is it not aimed at working class, it must be the middle to upper. The use of text in this image, the italicised font makes it more personal. We usually see this type when we want to emphasise a piece of writing as well so it works well. It’s also not a formal looking font either which helps pose it as a spoken question, from the children.

The kids themselves are playing with toy soldiers and the daughter’s reading a book and appears to be asking the main question. This makes it much more personal and lays on a sense of guilt to the viewer. It’s also glamorising the war as well, ‘Great War’. Capitalising the first letter to make it become an official name.