Task 6

Portfolio Task 6- Theory Into Practice
Look at the CTS blog that Garry Barker has been writing to complement the lecture programme this year. Write a short response to one of the posts on the blog. Use the ideas that Garry is discussing to mount a short critical evaluation of one piece of Graphic design that you have produced on Level 5.
Reflections on the first lecture, Surveillance and Foucault
One of the ideas Gary discussed on his blog was reflections on the first lecture, surveillance and Foucault. The idea that all design is cantered on communication and that it helps in the formation of social and cultural identities. 'If you look at how graphic design helps in the formation of social and cultural identities, it is reasonable to suggest that class, racial, ethnic, age and gender groups etc. are often represented by stereotypes within the graphic design industry.’
I will be looking at my Quiksilver project. The project was left open with a target audience of my choice which was quite young at 10-29. The work was very stereotypical of your idealistic surfer with use of vibrant colouring and shapes that reflected waves and surf patterns. 'All representations are by their very nature 'less than' reality and therefore involve a selection or choice' I chose my target audience and therefore chose to stereotype my decisions within design. 'This choice is going to be one made by the person constructing the representation and therefore will reflect prejudices held on the part of the image maker'
This happens basically all the time in graphic design whether a designer has been given the target audience or has to choose the audience themselves. More often than not the design decisions made will be very stereotypical.
Gary talks about how Salen suggests design fits into two categories of 'Standard and non-standard'
'Salen (2001) suggests that all visual form supports structures of cultural standardisation, marking distinctions between what he calls 'Standard and non- standard' participants' and also 'How it can become an 'agent of standardisation' but i do not necesarrily think that this piece of design fits into these categories however it does suggest that is it represented by an age group stereotype.