Re: Design

2006-06-29T01:59:00.000+10:00

IT’S SIMPLE…STERKINEKOR STINKS (1c2)

http://coda.co.za/search/design

According to King & Kitchener’s(1) stages of reflective thinking Damien Du Toit doesn’t get very far past stage two in his blog entry that reviews the newly launched South African movie website Ster-Kinekor. Within this blog Du Toit describes his apparently traumatic experience with the updated website, coming to what he claims to be the same conclusion as graphic designer James… ‘Ster-Kinekor blows fresh horse manure.’ Here we see Du Toit’s belief that his personal experience combined with the consistent opinions of authorities is enough to produce a conclusive judgment of the web design, thus demonstrating a low level of reflective thinking.

To be fair it should be mentioned that Du Toit does attempt to offer the opposing view of a critic ‘New techniques to ensure speedy browsing and flexibility in design have been incorporated to ensure Ster-Kinekor remains at the cutting edge of current web trends.’ Normally this might suggest a higher level of reflective thinking, but Du Toit shoots the critic in the foot before he even has a chance, ‘I'm assuming this marketing bullshit was spewed out by Ster-Kinekor themselves.’

The irony here is that Du Toit’s view is itself biased, and he has completely failed to recognise this. Unlike Attoe(2) suggests, Du Tiot does not disclose his prejudices within this blog entry, but with some investigation I discovered that Du Toit is actually web designer. For some obvious reasons Du Toit’s occupation influences his judgements and this is clear within the entry. ‘The grossly oversized "Mail this article to a friend" buttons on their News articles aren't fully clickable.’ Here Du Toit’s argument about a valid functional flaw gets lost in his personal tastes in web aesthetics.

As a result of this it might be said that the critical blog entry offers the reader more information about Du Toit’s likes and dislikes [Attoe(2)] about web design than about the Ster-Kinekor site. ‘I get really annoyed and upset when a site is so poorly constructed.’

Indeed, Du Toit sees no reason to criticise lightly, and when he claims that this ‘is a prime example of how not to design and develop a website’ we see that perhaps there is some truth in Poyner’s(3) claim that ‘web now presents enormous possibilities for all kinds of criticism.’ We also see that if the ‘Time for being Against is over’, as the start of Poyner’s article might seem to suggest, Du Toit seems to do a good job of defying this.

Despite this criticism however, It should be noted that there are rare occasions when Du Toit might be thought to present reasonable judgements according to Toulmin’s(4) argument structure. For example, when Du Toit claims that the form page is poor he manages to back his claim with evidence ‘(The) navigation menu moves down the page as you scroll (in Firefox)’ and he rationalizes this evidence with a warrant ‘covering any content you were hoping to read or forms that you were intending to fill out.’

There are also a few things about this blog that personally appeal to me (an uneducated web individual), in that Du Toit empathises with the reader and challenges them to themselves give the Ster-Kinekor website ago for themself. ‘I urge you to use their contact form (I hope it works for you) and send them some real feedback on their new site.’ Perhaps here we see the beginnings a higher level of thinking in Du Toit’s inadvertent recognition of users other than himself, and subsequent acknowledgement of varying evaluations or judgments of the website. Of course its just a glimmer of hope given this acknowledgement is still tainted with his own strong dissatisfaction with the Ster-Kinekor site, but it’s a glimmer all the same.

(1) http://www.missouri.edu/~wood/rjstages/rjstages.html,
22/06/06
(2) http://www.jstor.org/view/01492993/ap050005/05a00090/0,
23/06/06
(3) http://www.typotheque.com/site/article.php?id=33, 24/06/06
(4) http://www.la.unm.edu/~katem/E102fa03/toulmin_diagram.
htm, 27/06/06

2006-06-29T01:44:00.000+10:00

READ. WRITE. PLAY. HIP BIP HOORAY! (1c1)

http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/adaptive_design/index.html

On Dan Hills personal blog City Of Sound can be discovered the delightful and insightful entry ‘Design. Architecture. Football.’ Here, Hill presents how links can be seen between the operations of these three seemingly unrelated topics with a high level of sophistication. Hill recognises the views of authorities, those with alternative judgments and the fact that his conclusion is merely one of any number of interpretations. As such, Hill’s writing might be thought to embody the highest level reflective thinking (stage 6 or 7), according to King and Kitchener’s(1) framework.

To begin with, as Attoe(2) suggests a good critic should do, Hill acknowledges the context in which he is writing from…’To set the scene. I'm writing on a sunny day in London.’

Following this Hill embarks upon a long discussion about the various links between design, architecture and football, not only using description, but also later forming judgments [Attoe(2)]. Using description presents his take on some of the recent world cup football…’The awe-inspiring sight of the entire Argentina team moving fluidly as if to some pre-ordained ballet.’ And grounds this with the way media authorities have also been presenting the game… “simply Liquid Football” according to ™Alan Partridge and "a symphony of collaboration" according to The Guardian.

Forming judgments, Hill goes on to question the views of these authorities, ‘But this apparent perfection… was also largely improvised in real-time, entirely determined by the context of the opposing team - which cannot be accurately predicted at all.’ And as such Hill concludes that this game that is subject to metaphoric descriptions might show some clear resemblance to architecture and design. The operations of Football, as Hill explains, might hold similarity to ‘the social process of design'; of the interaction between a system of space, articulated by designers or architects, which is then interpreted and adapted by users with individual creativity and agency.’

Hill evidences this view [King & Kitchener(1)] with the view of author Winner, who believes that nature of architecture and design, particularly in Holland, essentially shaped the direction of Football. Hill includes an excerpt from his most recent book, ‘"All systems should be familarised, one with the other, in such a way that their combined impact and interaction can be appreciated as a single complex system,” said key structuralist Aldo van Eyck, talking about modern cities but sounding uncannily as though he might be laying down a template for the Ajax football system.’

Of course the consistent view of an authority is not enough [King & Kitchener(1)] to make these scribbles Hill has made at his desk on a sunny day in London a truth, and he recognizes this with not the slightest level of resentment; ‘Perhaps…’ he writes, ‘(this idea is) merely yet another way to trigger interesting angles within old discourse.’ And nor should he resent this because in this article Hill seems to have effectively achieved what Baker(3) describes as ‘fabulation’. Hill ‘allows anything and everything into the mix, from things paraded themselves has hard “facts” through to personal reflections and fictive inventions.’ This is indeed what makes this article live and challenges the reader to analysis the world in a similar way. Concluding his argument, Hill, presents a quote by John Cage. Ironically and quiet comically this quote seems to sum up not only his argument regarding design, architecture and football, but also what he has communicated with the nature of his writing… ‘Purposeless play (is) an affirmation of life.’

(1) http://www.missouri.edu/~wood/rjstages/rjstages.html,
23/06/06
(2) http://www.jstor.org/view/01492993/ap050005/05a00090/0,
24/06/06
(2) http://www.jstor.org/view/07479360/ap050027/05a00100/0,
24/06/06

2006-06-29T01:38:00.000+10:00

READABLE ART. THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL (1b2)

There is something refreshing about the work of Tom Nicholson. Something nice about the fact that he always seems to have something to say, and is never to shy to just say it(1). It seems that in the post-modern art world where interpretation sometimes appears to have become a meaning of its own (2), this is increasingly rare, and it is refreshing indeed.

In his latest work, ‘After action for another library’ exhibited in the 2006 Biennale exhibition at the Walsh Bay Pier 2/3, Nicholson clearly presents the political battles of East Timor over the last 300years, and the most recent battle to rebuild the University’s library after it was burnt down by Indonesian troops in 1999.

On four simple white walls Nicholson constructs a cube of space, a ‘Zone of Contact(3)’, that represents the destruction of East Timor through small sorrow filled black and white photographs and the hope of renewal through the contrasting enlarged colour photographs of books that have been donated and sent across to Dili.

One can’t help but to stand in owe for a while a read the various book covers that cover the white walls completely. There is something tangible and personable about being able to see exactly what information and inspiration has been passed on from one country to another. Perhaps what is even more interesting are the book covers that contain markings of its previous life, across the ‘The Age of Revolution’ is scribbled $2 and stamped on ‘Consumer Behaviour’ is the word CANCELLED. On can hardly ignore that these books might undergo the same process of regeneration that East Timor is embarking upon itself.

But then, is this all getting a little to clichéd? A little to obvious? A little to happy families to really be art? Isn’t art supposed to challenge preconceived notions, provoke thought and disrupt the way we see the world?(4). Has Nicholoson has forgotten that art should do more than just make the viewer aware of something (the discovery channel is capable of this), art should challenge something or confront its viewers. If the audience can read about the meaning of the work in the citation on the wall…is there any need left for the artwork at all? Perhaps you should take a look, or a read, and decide for yourself.

(1) http://www.gertrude.org.au/studio_artists_template.php?id=48,
26/06/06
(2) http://www.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/web%20publishing/Po
moLectureNotes.htm, 26/06/06
(3) http://www.bos2006.com/, 24/06/06
(4) http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,122206
2,00.html, 26/06/06

2006-06-29T01:34:00.000+10:00

NICHOLSON’S TAKE = MAKE A STAND (1b1)

Four small white walls stand in stark contrast to the aged timber interior of pier 2/3 at Walsh bay. On four small white walls, that stand above Australian waters Tom Nicholson creates an artwork that depicts the history of East Timor and their fight for independence. In this, his most recent work, “after action for another library’ Nicholson attempts to reveal a level of human experience that is foreign to many of its viewers and thus Nicholson creates a ‘Zone of Contact’(2) – this of course being the theme of this years biennale exhibition in which it is exhibited.

“After action for another library” depicts the war-tainted history of East Timor as writing on a white wall in seven different languages…Portuguese, Japanese, English, Bahasa, Indonesian and Tetum. “There are people in Timor who have experienced those languages in that order.” Explains Nicholson(1).

In conjunction with this text are black and white and colour photographs. The black and white photographs depicting empty and burnt-out library shelves are presented first to the viewer as they are on the exterior of the four white walls. An explanation is given in the artist’s citation(2), “In 1999, following the UN ballot result for independence, occupying Indonesian troops carried out systematic violence throughout East Timor. Libraries were burnt and schools destroyed.”

Yet it is not on this note of desperation that Nicholson leaves the viewer. On the interior side of these four white walls Nicholson presents the viewer with enlarged colour photographs of books covers. These books, along with thousands of others have all been sent to Dili to form apart of the University’s new library and now serve as a symbol of hope(3).

Nicholson’s use of black and white verse colour photographs and his manipulation of scale both serve as visual indicator’s as to what the artist is trying to say. The small black and white photographs initially presented to the viewer are over-powered, but not forgotten by the window sized colour images of a variety of book covers. Books as Nicoloson(1) explains ‘something which is a tiny object, but with enormous potential – a bit like a new nation just beginning.’

(1) http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/timor-turns-a-new
-page/2006/06/08/1149359885735.html, 21/06/06
(2) http://www.bos2006.com/, 24/06/06
(3) Artist’s excerpt from Zones of Contact 2006 Biennale
Free Handbook, 08/06/06

2006-06-29T01:21:00.000+10:00

REVIEWING THE EXERCISE OF REVIEWING REVIEWS (2d)

The exercise of getting people from other contexts and viewpoints to criticism our reviews was very helpful. In my revised review I feel that I have successfully taken on board the main points of criticism that I received. As Justin suggested, I have tried 'to paint' with my words (using metaphors and descriptive language) and I have gone into the environment aspects of the design with greater detail. As Mad suggested, I have tried to eliminate claims that did not hold what Toulmin states a successful argument should contain. I have also attempted to make the flow of the piece more fluid and as such have made the tone of my second review more consistently casual than my first review. While in my first review I began in the first person and then switched into academic mode, in the second review I have tried to keep the whole piece in first person. This was a difficult task to achieve, particularly in relation to addressing issues beyond my first hand experience such as the context of the design, the history of the design and what it might say about the world today.

As a whole I think both reviews address the requirements of the assessment critera reasonably well, and that the second review holds the attention of the reader for longer than the first. It is hard not to make sweeping claims, particularly when writing in the first person, and I think that this is definitely is something that I can further improve on.

2006-06-29T01:06:00.000+10:00

ROUND TWO. HILTON REVAMP IN REVIEW (2c)

I enter the recently revamped Sydney Hilton hotel from Pitt St. A set of striking limestone stairs await my arrival and I begin my journey up them towards the light…the wall of light…the row of illuminated columns that draw me in like a mosquito to the bolb.

Through this world and into the next, I enter the grand open foyer space. With awe I stand in a space that seems to engulf me, huge square columns clad with limestone, a spiraled aluminum artwork that stretches from floor to ceiling, a voided ceiling, expanses of timber panels and escalators that climb high into a land unknown.

It is dusk, but it seems to me that in here the day has just begun. The space is radiant; huge freestanding lamps throw light which bounces of the limestone floor and reflects back off the expansive glass wall. Mirrored surfaces, a 16.5m suspended artwork and the sheer luminosity allude to the ethereal.

There is constant movement within the space…a large group of Emirates airhostesses mingle with their matching leather shoes and have luggage sprawled across the limestone floor, businessmen advance towards the mirrored lifts, a group of middle aged women are checking-in at the slick reception desk and romance stricken couples leave the glass walled entrance for a night out.

I realise quickly now that the most appropriate thing to do would be to find a seat. The air is cool, but the leather I sit on is soft & warm…I observe, still floating in the sparkles of the space, completely unaware that I too am being observed.

‘Student are you?’ my eyes shoot in the direction of the middle aged mans voice. It seems I have unintentionally caught the attention of a Hilton guest. My current headspace comes crashing down to earth... I realise now, for the first time, how much I stand out. Not just because I have a notebook and pen in my hand (though I’m sure this plays a significant role), but also because I am not part of this world.

For a brief moment I am shattered by this thought and I surprise myself by how much have I been taken in by the flashing lights. Suddenly I remember that I have been asked a question… ‘ahh, yes. I’m studying interior design,’ I finally reply. The man doesn’t seem to notice my delayed response and embarks upon telling me that his son studies law and that his daughter whom he is here to see, unfortunately doesn’t presently study anything. His daughter, he goes onto explain is planning a 6month trip overseas, she needs help with planning and this is what brings him to the Hilton. Curiosity kicks in, I can’t help myself…’What do you do?’ I ask like a 6 year old child trying to understand the world. His answer fulfills the generalizations that are spinning around in my head. He owns his own business and works hours that I’m not even sure Frankenstein could handle… 5am to 10/12pm at night. I presume it is his daughter that leads him away. I am not introduced. I cast my eyes back to the foyer.

It is strange; the space seems different now. The initial feeling of awe has become one of detachment and I feel a sense of unease. I no longer see this open, voided, light filled space as one that inspires, but as one that fails to connect with its users on a personable level. For the first time I release that I am one of the few people sitting on the soft leather couches and that the space seems to function more like a corridor than a meeting place. I notice that there are openings on three of the four walls and people continually pass through them, few seem comfortable enough to linger. I realise this behaviour suggests a transitional rather than communal space, and that if the architects were aiming for the latter, then perhaps they have failed. Upon reading some reviews it became clear to me that I was not the only one to hold this opinion with Weirick(1) claiming “The space is just big, and the materials…are a bland combination… the result is a lobby without comfort” and another critic(2) claiming the space is a ‘wind tunnel.’

I look longer at the Hilton lobby and I realise that there are very few directive elements within the space. I realise that despite or perhaps as a result of the generous number of escape routes, the users of the space seem confused as to where they should go first, where they should wait and what is the best way to move through the foyer. Accentuating this problem is the row of illuminated columns (the ones that had once wooed me) that mask the Pitt St entrance/exit and leave a gap no wider than 1700mm for egress.

What then can I conclude? What does this space achieve? Has it really been worth what it has cost? Has it been worth the $200 million dollars, 3 years of labour and countless number of natural resources that have been poured into it? I look at the extensive polished limestone floor that is battered and ignored by a countless number of high-heeled shoes. I look at the excessive number of lights illuminating this empty space. I look at the 350Kg of aluminum it took to create Bronwyn Oliver’s(3) artwork which people hurriedly stride past and I think not. I question if this revamp has achieved anything more than aesthetic gain and I am challenged to realise how we live society in which consumption is a way of life. A society, which according to Miles(4) is prepared to comprise the lives of future generations for the fulfillment of our present material desires. I am reminded of the insightful words of Ruskin(5), ‘That which seems to be wealth may verity be only the gilded index of far reaching ruin…’

I wonder how these functional and environmental aspects of the design could have, in my opinion, been so blatantly ignored. Do I just misunderstand what the role of the foyer, even what the role of the hotel might be? I am led to the writing of Albrecht(6) who claims that due to various social trends and changes (urbanism, mobility, fantasy and business) in the 21st Century the role of the hotel is more complex than ever. According to Albrecht, while once hotels were designed for the functional outcome of providing a person with a place to stay, new hotel’s must offer an experience, communicate success and facilitate business activity all at once. Carlson(7), acknowledges a similar argument when she claims the culture of the 21st Century has generated a new breed of people widely regarded as ‘global nomads’ and this has created a growing need for appropriate accommodation interiors. I begin to wonder now whether the designers, Johnson Pilton Walker architects, had been so focused achieving a space that meets these new needs, that they forgot about meeting the most basics needs… the need to create a habitable space and the need to consider our ever fading environment.

These are not ideas that are limited to my opinion. The role of the architect and designer to consider these most basic needs is summarized by Marcus Beale(8), ‘Architects are intelligent parts of the city assisting in its renewal, providing habitable space. We carry nothing heavier than a pencil, yet deliver shelter, investment, inhabitation, and the theatre in which we live our daily lives.’

Of course there are people who do not agree with me. There are people like Albrecht(6) who claim the function of a hotel lobby should not be to provide a habitable space, but to provide a space that reflects ‘other-worldly’ qualities, a space that offers an experience and appeals to the senses. A space, as he describes, that uses ‘theatrical architecture and design to dramatise the boundary between the public space and the private room.’ With this understanding of the role of the foyer, it is understandable how journalists like Meacham(9), might see the void filled space, multiple grand openings, illuminated columns and glass elevators as just the thing to turn the “the dowdy old Hilton…into a world class hotel”.

Still, even with Albrecht’s view, one must question whether theatrical or dramatic design needs to be impractical and ignorant to the need for environmental sustainability. Surely the architect, like Beale suggests, can strive to provide all of these outcomes. Surely there are solutions that can address both the need for form and function.

The Hilton Group has published the following descriptive statement regarding the Sydney Hilton revamp; “Imaginative. Iconic. Illuminate. Inspired.” Upon seeing the design, I am forced to wonder whether alliteration and appealing aesthetics is all the design has really got to stand on.

(1) http://archaust.com/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200601&article
=12&typeon=2, 24/05/06
(2) http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d
255650-j2-Hilton_Sydney-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html,
25/06/06
(3) http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/An-aluminium-asc
ent-into-the-light/2005/06/19/1119119727248.html?
from=moreStories, 25/06/06
(4) Miles, S. Consumerism a Way of Life, 1998, SAGE Publications
(5) Ruskin J. 1860, Unto This Last
(6) Albercht, D. 2002, New hotels for Global Nomads, Merrel
(7) http://www.worldweave.com/procon.htm, 25/6/06
(8) http://www.marcus-beale.com/theory/
(9) Meacham, S. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/news
Search.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&sp=nrm&so=relevance&dt=
selectRange&kw=a+star+is+reborn&dr=1year&pb=all_ffx
&rc=10&sfx=headline&sfx=text&submit=Search, 25/06/06

2006-06-26T21:03:00.000+10:00

JUST A FEW MORE PICS...RE: THE HILTON

2006-06-26T21:00:00.000+10:00

HILTON REVAMP IN REVIEW (2a)

I sit on the soft brown leather chair with a pen and notebook in hand and a camera hidden in my imitation leather handbag. It is fair to say that I standout amongst the women striding past me in elegant long black cocktail dresses and the men who link their arms and wear velvet suits with a frightening level of confidence.

I sit in the foyer of the $200 million recently revamped Sydney Hilton Hotel that has been designed by Johnson Pilton Walker architects and I observe. A large group of Emirates airhostesses surround me with their luggage and matching leather shoes that stand on the limestone floor, businessmen advance towards the mirrored lifts, a group of middle aged woman check-in at the slick reception desk and romance stricken couples leave the glass walled entrance for a night out. As a full time university student I can only imagine what it might be like to be to one of these people, but it is for them that the Hilton operates.

While once hotels where designed largely for the purpose of providing a person with a place to sleep, it seems that the role of the hotel in today’s society is much more complex. According to Albrecht(1), urbanism, mobility, fantasy and business have all changed hotels into interior places that must offer an experience, communicate success and facilitate business activity all at once. Carlson(2), acknowledges a similar argument when she claims the culture of the 21st Century has generated a new breed of people widely regarded as ‘global nomads’ and this has created a growing need for appropriate accommodation interiors. It is perhaps these changes and trends that have influenced the new interior design of the Sydney Hilton foyer space, which has been intended to serve as a check-in point, meeting place and public front to the five star hotel.

Upon entering the hotel lobby one is greeted with high ceilings, large square columns clad with limestone, extensive amounts of glass and timber, leather and Bronwyn Oliver’s large floor to ceiling aluminum artwork. Weirick(3), Professor of architecture at UNSW, claims these elements serve to create a ‘dramatic space’, but they also serve to create a space that successfully suggests grandeur through its use of expensive materials and generous use of valuable prime city square metres.

As a space that is subject to the public eye, the foyer area seems to do an effective job of communicating the elite nature of the 5 star hotel. Retail displays behind glass panels featuring Louis Vuitton Bags, diamond jewelry and Prada shoes, all reflect effectively the hotel’s prestigious status. Similarly, the adjoining driveway, seen through the extensive glass wall, puts on display an array of vehicles so good one could be forgiven for thinking there was a car expo underway outside. This communicates the hotel’s level of stature.

Within the lobby, the number of illuminated elements, shiny surfaces and the way in which light bounces of the limestone floor & glass walls seems to elude to the ethereal and creates a sense of indulgence that sits well in the context of the Hilton branding. According to journalist Kellar(4) the space ‘is positively sparkling…and will make guests look & feel just as good’’. Perhaps here, we not only see Albrecht’s claim that modern day hotel guests desire an experiential stay, but also that we live society in which consumption is a way of life. A society, which according to Miles(5) is constantly purchasing things for material or personal gain.

It is on this note, that I feel some criticism is due. While the interior space successfully communicates the identity of the hotel, it seems to make no recognition of the need for environmental considerations, shamelessly indulging in all things big, bright and beautiful. And, although the original Sydney Hilton hotel had design flaws, such as a lack of natural light and an unsightly street façade, one cannot help but wonder whether this new design was worth the natural resources, the $200 million and three years of labour that were poured into it, for what seems to be not much more than aesthetic gain. I am reminded here of the words of Ruskin(6), ‘That which seems to be wealth may verity be only the gilded index of far reaching ruin…’

Indeed considered carefully I did begin to wonder whether the designer had considered much beyond aesthetics, in that some rather important functional aspects of the space seemed to have been forgotten. The most significant of these seemed to me to be the fact that this grand light filled lobby with opening doors on three of the four walls had become quite like a thoroughfare and as such was not functioning well as a meeting point. The number of openings appeared to encourage a transitional rather than communal space and the open nature and large scale of the space seemed to be stopping people from being comfortable enough to linger. I am not alone with this judgment with Weirick (3) claiming “The space is just big, and the materials…are a bland combination… the result is a lobby without comfort” and another critic(7) claiming the space is a ‘wind tunnel.’

There were also very few directive elements within the space. And as a result of this combined with the excess of openings the users of the space seem confused as to where they should go first, where they should wait and at which point they should exit the building. Accentuating this problem was the fact that the Pitt St entrance/exit had been masked by a row of illuminated pillars that left a gap no wider than 1700mm for egress.

On the other hand, one could view the function of a hotel lobby the way that Albrecht(1) does, and it is quite likely then that they might not agree with my judgment of the Sydney Hilton. Albrecht argues that the role of a foyer is to achieve an ‘other-worldly’ quality through ‘theatrical architecture and design to dramatise the boundary between the public space and the private room.’ With this as a marking criteria it is understandable how journalists like Meacham(8), might see the void filled space, multiple grand openings, illuminated columns and glass elevators as just the thing to turn the “the dowdy old Hilton…into a world class hotel”.

Still, even with Albrecht’s view, one must question whether theatrical or dramatic design needs to be impractical and ignorant to the need for environmental sustainability. Surely there are ways to achieve all of these outcomes. Surely there are solutions that can address both the need for form and function.

The Hilton Group has published the following descriptive statement regarding the Sydney Hilton revamp; “Imaginative. Iconic. Illuminate. Inspired.” Upon seeing the design, I am forced to wonder whether alliteration and appealing aesthetics is all the design has really got to stand on.

(1) Albercht, D. 2002, New hotels for Global Nomads, Merrel
(2) http://www.worldweave.com/procon.htm, 25/6/06
(3) http://archaust.com/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200601&article
=12&typeon=2, 24/05/06
(4) Kellar, T. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/browseArchi
ve.ac?sy=nstore&cls=16051, 25/06/06
(5) Miles, S. Consumerism a Way of Life, 1998, SAGE Publications
(6) Ruskin J. 1860, Unto This Last
(7) http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g255060-d25
5650-j2-Hilton_Sydney-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html,
25/06/06
(8) Meacham, S. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au, 25/06/06

2006-06-25T16:00:00.000+10:00

REVIEWED RESPONSES (1a3)

This was an interesting exercise to perform. It is surreal and quiet unnerving to only have the answers of 10 questions to communicate who you are, and likewise it is odd to make judgments about someone based on such limited information. Upon thinking about this though, it became clear to me that we do this nearly everyday of our life, just not so consciously… we met someone at a party, talk to the stranger in the lift or next to us on the train and form judgments about what type of person they are within minutes of meeting them. To take this further, we have a bad sushi experience and claim it’s a dangerous food group or we sit on a hard bus seat decorated with chewing gum and declare that all public transport is dreadful. Humans are quick to form judgments, this is not to say these are always or even often correct! I found this to be the case in several of the responses I got to my blank questions, but then surprisingly I also found that there was a significant amount of things that people had correctly made informed (or uniformed) judgments about.

In response to how much television I watch and what my favourite shows are…

Lindsay was correct in guessing that I do not watch much television - 4-5hours a wk or perhaps less would be accurate, but I must admit that I have never watched an episode of Desperate Housewives, nor do I often watch sport very often, nor do we have Foxtel. I can see how Lindsay has perhaps made these judgments – I indicated an interest in humour (through my selected movies) and I also indicated a passion for water sport (and this possibly came across too strongly) through question 8. In this question I was forced to answer what sport I like to watch – it is true that my favourite of these is swimming, but this does not mean that swimming is my favourite thing to watch. Had I simply been asked to talk about what I like, rather than what sport I like to watch, I do not believe I would have even mentioned swimming. It is interesting to see how much weight was pinned on each of my responses when others where challenged to make judgments with so little data.

In response to where I believe the government should be spending more funding…

Mauricio’s quite accurately guessed that politics are not something I spend a lot of time getting involved in. And although it was not entirely related to the original question Mauricio also correctly guessed that I mostly hear news through word of mouth (some would say this is not the most accurate of sources, but then what is?) as a result of the fact that I like to be an ‘active participator of life, rather than an observer’. I think he has formed this judgment perhaps not only through my active lifestyle, and interest in using the camera first hand as documentary tool, but also perhaps through the manner in which I like to met my friends, in that I stated that I valued meeting them in places where we could talk in detail.

Juzzo’s guess that I might believe the government should spend more or an equal amount on sport was not entirely correct, in that I see much more value in putting funding into the environment. While Mauricio’s judgment seemed to be based on several of my responses, Juzzo’s appears to have been formed solely on my interest in water sport. Perhaps though only I can be blamed for this misjudgment in that the only thing to really indicate my environmental interest was the fact that I like to drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.

In response to which country I’m from and whether I could live in a country other than my place of birth….

Ejy was correct in stating that I am Australian born and my love for the water and landscape definitely would have been indicators of this. Perhaps also the fact that both Ejy & Lindsay are Australian born helped them to identify me as being Australian born.

If I were to live in another country it would probably be Holland, because this is where both of my parents were born, but I must say that it would be a struggle to keep me in a place so cold. Both Ejy and Lindsay suggested that living in a place without good beaches might be problematic and Lindsay formed the link between the beach and the warm climate to realise that Europe’s climate not just landscape might not appeal to me. I would be happy to ‘give living in Europe a go’ as Lindsay suggested (perhaps because my previous answers imply an outgoing character), but long-term I see myself living in Australia. Lindsay’s guess as to what my response to this question might be was actually surprisingly accurate.

I wonder now whether there was any purpose to this exercise at all - some responses were correct, some half correct and some very wrong. Perhaps this is the result of weak judgments, poor representation or worse, misrepresentation on my behalf. Indeed it is very hard to put all of yourself online when one is concerned that a wrong response may lead another to interpret you as a serial killer or something similar. Perhaps then all we can learn from this is that we are critical and complex beings that cannot always be summed up in 10 short answers.

2006-06-19T21:16:00.000+10:00

A BIT ABOUT ME (1a2)

1. Favourite Television Show in the last 2 years. How many hours television do you watch a week?

2. What sort of camera do you have? What do you take pictures of: events, friends and relatives, things I find interesting, beautiful things?
I have a SLR Nikon F65 and a small Pentax digital camera. I am most interested in portraiture, but also take some landscape
shots and have a passion for black and white photography. I enjoy using the camera as a means of documentation and
thus am interested in taking photographs that are not heavily constructed – though this in some sense in an impossibility. I
love to photograph the ordinary, the mundane, and the familiar.

3. What sort of car would you like to drive? How often would you get under the bonnet of that car?
To be honest, this is not something I really care about, so long as it gets me from A to B and doesn’t chew too much juice.
It is unlikely that I would ever get under the bonnet unless there was something wrong with the vehicle. (This is something
I frequently encounter with my current 1992 red Charade that has a cracked engine.)

4. Do you play a musical instrument? Which?
I could say yes to this, but I should probably say no since I very really get to play given my consistent lack of spare time. I
occasionally play the Guitar.

5. List your most favourite and least favourite type of music?
My least favourite type of music would be heavy metal while my most favourite would be soft rock.

6. Which of the following would you visit or attend at least twice a year: art galleries, museums, public lectures, public libraries, political meetings, demonstrations or rallies?
Art galleries, museums & public libraries

7. List 4 films you have seen in the last year, from favourite to least favourite, and indicate how you saw them (cinema, video/DVD rental, video/DVD owned, pay TV, free-to-air TV)?
Napoleon Dynamite – DVD rental
The Constant Gardener – Movie on an Aeroplane
The Notebook – DVD rental
AnchorMan – DVD rental

8. What is your favourite sport or game to play? What is your favourite sport or game to watch?
I have always loved water-sports. Surfing is my favourite sport to play and I’d say that swimming is my favourite sport to
watch. I enjoy watching the way each swimmer moves through the water in a different way, I also like the fast pace.

9. Where would like to travel to (apart from to friends or relatives)?
Europe is definitely number one on my list - Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland and particularly Holland.

10. What is your primary source of news? To what extent to do you take an interest in the news
My primary source of news would probably be newspapers – the Sydney Morning Herald, though I don’t take a huge
interest in the news.

11. Should the government be spending more or less funding on: tax relief, sport, the arts, the environment.

12. Which country are you from? Could you live in a country other than where you were raised for the rest of your life?

13. Where do you tend to meet your friends: at each other’s homes, shopping
centres, pubs or clubs, cafes and restaurants, parks or exercising?
I usually meet my friends at their houses; I like this because you tend to have a more relaxed and thorough catch-up
when people are in their own environment. Sometimes, though less frequently, I will meet them for a coffee at a café.