Potential Questions:
- How can we use the tools of graphic design to develop publications that aid learning?
- How can different design choices be harnessed to develop publications that maximise information intake?
- What is the importance of the audience when designing publications? (Thinking along the lines of olafur eliasson’s works and somaesthetics. With books is the audience important to their design? If so, why?)
- How can somaesthetics help us to understand the relationship between design and reading experiences digitally and physically?
- How can somaesthetics help us to understand the relationship between design and physical reading experiences?
- Interested in how much information is retained from reading, how can graphic design be used to enhance learning while reading?
- Can publications be a form of interactive media to aid learning?
- How can we use graphic design techniques to develop publications that aid interactive learning?
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Screen vs Paper
Kretzschmar et al. did a study in 2013 that compared reading effort on three different media: a paper page, an e-reader (e-ink) and a tablet computer. They studied eye movement, brain activity and reading speed. The interesting thing was that all participants said that they preferred reading on paper, even though the study found no support for it being more effortful to read on digital media. On the contrary, the older participants read both faster and with less effort on the tablet computer, due to the back lighting giving a better contrast, and because of this being better for older eyes.
It was easier for those who read on paper to remember what they had read (2013 study in norway). Mangen et al. say that this is because paper gives spatio-temporal markers while you read. Touching paper and turning pages aids the memory, making it easier to remember where you read something.
REFERENCES
- Kretzschmar, F, Pleimling, D, Hosemann, J, Füssel, S, Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, I and Schlesewsky, M (2013). Subjective Impressions Do Not Mirror Online Reading Effort: Concurrent EEG-eyetracking Evidence From the Reading of Books and Digital Media. PLOS ONE 8(2): 8.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056178 (accessed 5 June 2015).
- Mangen, A, Walgermo, B R and Brønnick, K (2013). Reading Linear Texts on Paper Versus Computer Screen: Effects on Reading Comprehension. International Journal of Educational Research 58: 61–68, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2012.12.002
Jean-Louis Constanza, presents "A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work" as a naturalistic observation—a Jane Goodall among the chimps moment—that reveals a generational transition. "Technology codes our minds," he writes in the video's description. "Magazines are now useless and impossible to understand, for digital natives"—that is, for people who have been interacting with digital technologies from a very early age.
...to anyone who routinely switches between working long hours in front of a computer at the office and leisurely reading paper magazines and books at home - Interesting depiction of the way we use different reading mediums. Screens are used for work and business, whereas paper is more for leisure and downtime.
modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper that many people miss and, more importantly, prevent people from navigating long texts in an intuitive and satisfying way. In turn, such navigational difficulties may subtly inhibit reading comprehension.
We treat individual letters as physical objects when reading, but also the human brain may also perceive a text in its entirety as a physical landscape. When we read, we construct a mental representation of the text in which meaning is anchored to structure. The exact nature of this remains unclear, but they are likely similar to the mental maps we create of terrain and man-made physical spaces. Both anecdotally and in published studies, people report that when trying to locate a particular piece of written information they often remember where in the text it appeared. And in most cases, paper books have more obvious topography than on screen text. Physical attributes like page thickness, and how you can see the whole text all at once make physical publications easier to navigate.
People expect books to look, feel and even smell a certain way; when they do not, reading sometimes becomes less enjoyable or even unpleasant. For others, the convenience of a slim portable e-reader outweighs any attachment they might have to the feel of paper books.
- Would be interesting to look into the psychology of children beginning to read. How toddlers will show signs of understanding how to navigate a book before even understanding the words. Turning pages right to left, making rhythmic sounds when pretending to read, and enjoying the experience. > Need to see if there’s any research on this.
- Maybe look into behaviourism as a debate? Could see if there is anything on this?
Thinking about somaesthetics… it aims to improve the meaning, understanding, efficacy, and beauty of our movements and of the environments to which our actions contribute and from which they also derive their energies and significance.
User interaction and system response.
- Interesting statement, how is this related to reading.
- What triggers a response in the audience when reading a book (visually).
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Designing with the Body - Kristina Hook:
- Some design starts with studying human movement to develop an understanding of ‘natural movement’, and then figuring out a way to respond to these movements. However, this proposes the question of ‘what is natural?’, gestures and movements are learned.
- ‘Sometimes it is better to start from the requirements of the system - what is it supposed to do for us? - and create cognition algorithms and computer models based of those requirements.
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Somaesthetics:
1. Studying the use of the body as a medium for sensory perception. Studying how the body is used in our sensory perception and how we can use it to improve our sensory perception. The body as a sight of aesthetic appreciation.
2. The body as a site of self creation, expressions because our bodies aren’t just ways that we perceive the world but also materials through which we can express our values, display ourselves, etc. Our body expresses the values we have.
Somaesthetics sees the body as a different thing to the mind, when sleeping we still use our body while the mind isn't conscious.
- Interesting to think about with children who interact with publications, they learnt the physical action before being able to contemplate the purpose of reading.
Practising philosophy - Richard Shusterman
Greater freedom when you’re further from your core (you can move your arms more freely than you can your torso), relates to the body as well as more metaphorically. When referring to publishing work Shusterman first published somaesthetic in germany, fear from his american colleagues wasn’t there as they didn’t read german.
Ancient Culture:
Pragmatist Aesthetics - purpose of bringing art and life together. Emphasises the basis of thinking is acting, we need to think and believe in order to act. We act first and the thinking we develop is used to guide our action.
- Again this links to children learning to read and show physical signs first.
The source of all action is the body. We derive enjoyment and aesthetic satisfaction from the body.
Socrates established philosophy through his way of living. We know Socrates through Plato. Xenophon, another philosopher who describes socrates’ importance of the body, instead of Plato who emphasised the idea of separating the soul from the body so that the soul gets its wisdom in a clear way. With Xenophon he emphasises that Socrates says you need to keep your body healthy because the body is a source of perception.
Somaesthetics allows people to improve their lives by improving the use of themselves.
- How can this be applied to publications?
To improve body health (e.g avoid achy back from sitting at the computer) you need to become aware of your body. Not just on an outward level but inside, notice how your spine feels, notice how your muscles may be tense.
- Reminds me of lois’ drama classes, bringing attention to the body as this is your instrument, you need to be aware of it in order to use it to its full potential.
Need to be aware of how we use ourselves in order to use ourselves better. Our bodies are made to absorb the outside world, avoid predators etc, and not inward to ourselves.
Linking Theory with Practice:
Somaesthetics can improve your cognition.
How can somaesthetics improve knowledge, you can know more if you can enlarge the scope of your perception. By having better soma mastery you can do this.
Self knowledge, by knowing more about the body you and live a better life. You can get self knowledge by knowing your body.
By increasing your awareness to the body you can increase the amount of pleasure you get from all activities.
Somaesthetic practice can be dying your hair, getting your nails done, branding yourself, etc. Even reading can be considered a somaesthetic action.
3 branches of Somaesthetics:
- Analytic Somaesthetics - facts and theories about how we use our bodies in perception and performance. Deals with issues of philosophy of mind, body/mind relation, how consciousness functions with bodily elements. Also go into issues of physiology.
There are analytic somaesthetic studies into the definitions of beauty (e.g feminine beauty in 1920s paris).
- Can this be related to publication? - Pragmatic Somaesthetics - deals with ideologies of how to improve our bodily use or bodily appearance. Surrounded by analysis and critique of these methodologies that aim to improve, but isn’t necessarily an argument of which is better. Not about bodily function or ideals but on how to improve.
- Practical Somaesthetics - isn’t to do with talking about theory, but is about doing the practice. Experience aspect of Somaesthetics, as it is a combination of theory and practice. Incorporates Somaesthetic exercises, this is where the full idea of Somaesthetics can be seen.
There is an importance of understanding the individual Soma of every participant. Allows you to understand the practice of Somaesthetics. Each individual will require a different approach to use their individual Soma.
Designing Interactive Products:
Somaesthetics is interactive, it shows how the body is a model of interactivity. You can only feel your body in an interactive environment, you feel your clothes against the body, feet against the floor. You can’t notice your body without noticing the environment.
Somaesthetics is different from ergonomics because you’re dealing with a sensitive interactive changing system, rather than a fixed bodily structure. Dealing with tendencies on an individual basis, making them have different experiences even if they’re the same weight and height. Somaesthetic design relies on the user experience.
To design a product where it not only functions to do the performance, but it functions to make the performance enjoyable and agreeable somatically.
Designers need to be more aware of their body and senses when designing a product in order to develop products that succeed. Do this through practising body consciousness.
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Something about Book Design (1932):
‘Since the 1870s, one must always remember that the book should be envisioned as a unity of type, image, title, binding, paper and so forth.’
The pages also discuss the level of collaboration in the books and how when a book is designed by several people, not communicating with each other the artistic unity is lost and you’re left with ‘a rubble heap
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Same as previous book, but different chapter:
‘With the production of a book as with architecture, one had a double problem: a book or house should be not merely useful but also beautiful, or at least pleasant to behold.’
Mentions the French orange-yellow book series which consists of books that lack any characteristic appearance, it’s expressionless from beginning to end. The pages differ in thickness and the letters are sometimes too thick and sometimes too pale.
Discusses the ‘dynamic’ book, full of colours, punctuation, aggressive lines. With this book you open it and the audience will struggle between the sentence and the eye.
‘We know that photomontage and the irregular layout of sentences was first used by the futurists and later by the Dadaists.’
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Design Quarterly No. 31, Contemporary Book Design (1954), pp. 2-6 (5 pages):
Has examples of publications breaking ‘traditional’ rules of design. More contemporary works. Discusses the differences between contemporary publications and traditional ones. How things have changed, and why.
> Breaking traditional book size (that used to be a variant of the golden section).
> Typefaces, traditional designers would view some as wrong, but this is no longer the case in contemporary book design.
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Kinaesthetic Learning - or tactile learning is a learning style in which learning takes place by the students carrying out physical activities, rather than listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations.
- Need to research into this further, could be a good way to triangulate between somaesthetics and publications.
A kinesthetic-tactile learning style requires that you manipulate or touch material to learn. Kinesthetic-tactile techniques are used in combination with visual and/or auditory study techniques, producing multi-sensory learning.
Movements such as; chewing gum, tapping your foot or pencil, pacing, are methods of increasing attention when studying. If moving the body when learning it is beneficial to move the body when recalling the information.
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Publication Podcast
Viewed books as a collection of memories and thoughts - Camille.
Yohan - publishing as a traditional medium, but doesn’t need to present traditional work.
- Really like this idea of publishing and books being traditional, breaking traditional barriers but remaining a book, how can this be?
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Books are usually considered non-interactive since the majority of the user experience is non-interactive reading.
- Pop-up books are considered interactive media.
- Books with a table of contents or insect may be considered interactive due to the non-linear control mechanism.
