Our second meeting on Friday

We concluded our meeting in the afternoon and we are looking into something very interesting "Made in China" label.
Made in China label is found everywhere but has a poor image compare to "Made in Italy" or "Made in France" product. Why people are reluctant to go for a China made product, is it the mind set, or something else. What kind of perception does it give to consumer. We shall be looking at different factors attributed to this perception such as, branding, emotional marketing, fake product, poor quality, different socio-political forces that drive consumer mindset, etc. Ayyo!! again presentation!!!

Project Three: Hearts & Minds

Introduction
Influencing perception is one of the most important skills that people in the creative sector need to accomplish. This roject is about the seduction, power and responsibilities of marketing. It will locate design as part of a complex web of interactions that are typically used of persuade people to consume without question.
Brief
Define an area in which the potential for negative stereotypes to dominate can be positively influenced by applying your imagination. You will examine the problems that you have identified as a sum of two parts in which two opposing ideological positions compete with each other. Your task will be devising a strategy that translate teh potential for negativity into transcendent potential.
Once again, researching, brainstorming, meetings. The topic is somewhat hard to present.
A stereotype is a preconceived, oversimplified, exaggerated, and often demeaning assumption of the characteristics possessed by an individual due to his or her membership in a specific group. Stereotypes usually function to deny individuals respect or legitimacy based on their membership in that group. They are the hardest to dislodge in situations where a dominant group desires to keep another group subordinate. {from wiki}

Here is the outcome of our first meeting (thanks Rahul for compilation)
While some stereotyping is necessary and good, most of them that we do are usually negative, exists in literally every sphere of our life.
Some examples

• Racial stereotypes about the blacks, Asians, Americans etc
• Gender stereotypes about men and women and how they are expected to behave.
• Cultural stereotypes
• Sexual stereotypes about homosexuals
• Media stereotypes like the black rapper, Chinese villain, American cowboys, Indian call centre, etc.
  The root causes are many and manifold:
• Childhood influences like parents, teachers, peers etc
• MEDIA - cinema, TV sitcoms, literature (we all know how high school sitcoms and movies have those stereotype characters American pie types etc)
• Education - textbooks and other sources of information which provide stereotyped images and information
• While a lot of stereotypes were discussed, following are the ones which were found really strong :
• Stereotype of charity organizations not being actually what they claim to be
• Stereotype of education being formal and theoretical and compartmentalized
• Stereotype of how young blokes passing out of college are percieved to work as doctors and engineers or something prestigious
• Stereotype of superheroes having special powers and being from another planet
• Stereotype of talking to oneself being termed "mentally ill"
• THE INNUMERABLE STEREOTYPES OF VALENTINES DAY

The last idea really excited all of us coz of and instant relation to it and also coz its around the corner and gives us the chance to use the occasion for our project. We discussed the numerous funny and negative stereotypes associated to Valentines Day and they are as follows:

• The guy has to shower the girl with flowers, chocolates, champagne, expensive gifts and pay for the dinner as well.

• The girls does nothing but sits and smiles and receives the gifts (it might not be the same in all countries)

• If you are a guy and are single on this day, you are a looser.

• If you are a girl and don't go out on valentines day, you are probably eating chocolates and ice creams at home(sobbing as well)

• People in relationships are supposed to enjoy this day

• People are supposed to say "i love you" a 100 times (ok, not a 100 times)

• Guys are supposed to give "be my valentine cards" to girls

SOME good EXAMPLES OF CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF STEREOTYPES:

• Batman changed the stereotype image of superheroes we had (of being from another planet or having special powers)

• Casino Royal changed the stereotype image of James bond we had held for so many years (pierce brosnan and his fancy gadgets).
• The movie Blood diamond changed the perception of diamonds amongst women
  

• Barrack Obama vows to change the world and the perception of blacks amongst white and even themselves as being inferior

dedicated my day to friends & family

Had a grEAT presentation!!!

The work is actually going pretty well! for Elena - I adore her innocent smile.

One of our Brainstorming session

presentation is everything!!! just before the execution stage

a BOX, a perfect box to showcase our social love for yellow team, well done JunShi

a huge map, social love is everywhere, do we care?

Jilly, Shan and Jun Shi trying best to carry social love

Pikk, you deserve a smile!!

I spotted Sanya's bag

I wanted to attend an optional meeting with part timers from my course (MA Design Studies, Central Saints Martins, London) and left home about 4 PM. It was a cold and damp weather.
But as usual, I confused and got down at Shepherds Bush tube station to shop/window shop at Westfield Shopping Center. My school is about 45 minutes tube journey, its a real torturing journey (missing short walking distance from apartment to FMS in Singapore).
Shepherds Bush falls in between South Ruislip (closest tube station from my home) and Holburn (My School, Saints Martins). I was very reluctant to travel all the way to Holburn and therefore, got down at the Shepherd Bush tube station, moment after the operator calls for Shepherd Bush passengers.Westfield is like a Vivo City shopping center but its huge and it has a great architecture with so many choices. The mix and match of designer and street labels. There are 265 shops from over 15 countries.

I spent two hours and took few snaps. I went to Tiffany to look for interlocking circles lariat but but couldn't find one, may be next time. Amazingly, I spotted the same bag, Mandy bought from Bangkok last year, there was nothing difference -- same size, same color combination, same shape, but the price (about 20 pound).

Snow Blankets Middlesex, London

I usually on bed till 9 AM. In order to wake up by 9:00, I do couple of things:

• Avoid caffeine
• avoid the urge of nap during day
• go to bed by midnight and
  
• don't think much about the projects
  

Despite all these, its a bit tough to get up at 9.00. I put few alarms and they are far enough from my bed to force so I don't trun off the alarm while being semi-asleep.

Well, early morning someone knocked at my door and I thought it was a mere dream, didn't bother much, but knock, knock. . . . .never stopped. I quickly got out of my bed and put on my jeans (no, no, I wasn't naked, wearing a long john silver!!!!!). When I opened the door, great Gaurav and cute Sudha (amazing host and friends!!!) were screaming and asking me look out of the window, I opened the curtain and saw a magnificent snowfall that covered the backyard of the house. I went out of the house to view the snowfall that covered everything from back yard fence, to the big kids playing room. It was so beautiful, may be my first snow experience, at night it even more beautiful. Now its about 10 PM and when I look out the window, it doesn't look like night outside, its so bright. Why it's right: Ambient light is reflected off the white snow amplifying all spectrum of visible light. Darker objects obviously absorb light energy resulting in less ambient light.

backyard of the house, isn't it beautiful?

was very excited seeing snow

Our classes has been canceled as there was a severe disruptions to trains, tubes and buses and hoping no snow on Wednesday(our presentation is up on Wednesday and we are still miles away from the execution stage!!!). There will be more snow coming through again tomorrow.See how lah!!!!

Visiting London Chinatwon

I went to China Town on Sunday, Feb 1, as I was missing Singapore so muchey (much!!!). It was hell of crowd there but sudden snow came as surprise, it was amazing, romantic and loving. Soon my body couldn't take the bone-chilling cold (i was wearing just a sweater, a week old from ZARA) while still enjoying the slow snowfall. I went to one of the store to grab a lovely orange, blue and yellowish kind of Scottish wool sweater (i think its hand dyed) to resist the cold weather. I felt much better and was ready to explore china town. It took me max 5 minutes to walk from Leicester Square Tube. You can take train to either Piccadilly Circus Tube or Convent Garden Tube and walk to the Great Chinatown.
London's Chinatown is a commercial area in the SOHO area of the City Westminster. Its a typical like Singapore Chinatown; full of Chinese restaurants, souvenir shops, great Chinese people and Chinese-run businesses. Its a great place to visit, if you are in cultural things or care cross cultural stuff. More on train guide go to this site (personal fav!!!), http://www.londontown.com/TransportInformation/Sights_and_Attractions/Chinatown/c6ab/