Analogical thinking

Analogical Reasoning
-Allows us to have the same relatable ideas
-Complicated concepts are better understood
-Its a skill, get better through practice
-Boost creativity

Analogies helps us to understand a concept through relations with subjects which we are more familiar with.

How can we explain a nanosecond in terms of analogies. One example shown in the video would be using light that travels at 186miles (299.338km) per second. And he shows a measuring tape representing the distance at which light travels in a nanosecond

Another example would be understanding more complicated words such as elitism. So what is elitism? Elitism is when a person regards himself as an elite. So what is an elite? A person who or by a group of people considering his or themselves as better beings than others.

Brainstorming of ideas using ABC

Sima Guang who later became a famous scholar  who saved a child from drowning in an urn. My group came up with some creative suggestions as compared to the original method. The challenge provided to us is that the urn now is made of metal. The following are some suggestions:

-We could freeze the metal and break the pot

-We could stretch the metal to provide a greater opening for the boy

-We could make the boy angry and turn into the incredible hulk, bursting out of the urn due to his size.

-We could use a chainsaw to cut an opening

-We could provide a floaty and pour lots of water so that the boy could gain height and climb out of the urn.

Picture of the day (Words as Art)

Picture of the day (Words as Art)

Picture shows the name of a restaurant named "DirtyBurger". When a person reads "DirtyBurger", what does the person interpret it as? An unclean burger, an obscene term or a deliciously disgusting portion of ingredients. Well you can interpret it as anything but the person who came out with this restaurant name definitely has a reason behind it.Similar to the title of an artwork, peoples perception of the title may defer from what the artist imagines. I believe that the title(words) is an art and is the "starters" when viewing a painting(appetizer) and later on, the explanation(main course)

Picture a day (Rubbish as Art)

Picture a day (Rubbish as Art)

Can rubbish be used as Art? I believe that it can be used to create Art. Materials be it wood,wires,paint or rubbish can be used to assemble and create a general shape of a subject. The advantages of using rubbish to make Art would be that it is economical and common to obtain. Often people look at common objects as ordinary objects.However with Art, one can change an ordinary object into unique asset. What are some objects which are common that you can create an artwork out of it?

Picture of the day (playful art)

Picture of the day (playful art)

This picture shows a kids shop with a playful design. The characters of the cartoon can be seen in a 3 dimensional structure. The yellow character has a friendly,welcoming and playful posture as it waves towards the viewer with a smile. It is playful as it has long legs and short hands. Proportion is one characteristic of playfulness.Others examples would be the gestures and the colors. These are all factors which can affect the portrayal of a playful scene. What happens if these factors are not taken into consideration? Will it still be a playful scene?

Picture a day (Playing with Emotions)

Picture a day (Playing with Emotions)

What stimulates an emotion?An experience, an object, a sound? What type of emotions are stimulated when you view this picture? Is it the proportion of the body (big head small body), the eyes of the giraffe or the texture of their furry bodies.How are emotions created? I believe that there are more than these few examples which can stimulate creativity. What are some of the stimulant that you can think of? What if your friend is undergoing depression, what ways would you stimulate his/her positive emotions?

Picture a day (Colors)

Picture a day (Colors)

This picture shows a map. The map is split into four segments using different colors (blue,yellow,red,green).This is one example of how we can use colors. Color is used to divide to allow our minds to focus closer towards a segment. Colors are used to simplify our brains.It is also used to alert us as we have previously talked about the color red for example. What if the advertising sector did not use colors? Will you enjoy going to watch a movie in black and white ? I believe that color is a crucial part not only in Art but also in Life.

Edward De Bono Lateral Thinking

-Where does creativity come from?
-Most people think its a talent, something your born with
-Everyone can learn the skill (lateral thinking)
-But some are still better than others at it
-Understanding of the brain  forming patterns
-Challenge conception,Concept abstraction,Provocation,Random entry
-Usable learnable skill lateral thinking

Seth Godin:How to make your ideas spread

-Its not about pattern/factory , the fundamentals if your selling a product is to make your ideas spread.
-Mass Media/Advertising don't won't so effectively if you are appealing to the average person (majority)
-Average person don't care about what your selling, will ignore your product.
-You have to sell your ideas to the listeners first, who are interested with what your selling.
-e.g steve jobs when selling apple products.It is the geeks who listen
- The otakus  ( a young person obsessed with computers or any particular aspects of popular culture which affects their social skills) listens and helps to spread your ideas to their friends(average people)
-You need to sell remarkable ideas (new concepts) instead of the conventional concept.
-No matter how good your conventional concept is it will remain as average, common and thus your ideas would be ignored.
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Summary of Tony Fadell sharing

First Secret of Design is Noticing

-We are used to everyday objects
-Fruit sticker example, first time we saw it we hated it so much but after many other fruit stickers we got used it.
-Habituation happens so that we can learn new things.
-It prevents exhaustion of brain
-Bad as it stops us from noticing and fixing problems
-Comedians like Jerry Seinfield's career was built upon noticing all the small details that humans do
-Innovators are to fix these problems
-Mary Anderson created the wind shield wiper after noticing a driver clearing the snow manually. Passengers were feeling cold as the driver had to open the door to get out. The passengers did not notice anything wrong with the driver, just doing his job.But she did.
-One has to view the world as it is and not think of it as it is.
-Product designers doing a tougher job as they have to solve the problems that people don't realize.
-People think you are born to notice these things.
-Tony Fadell wasn't like that
-Steve Jobs ask them to focus on small details so that customers can enjoy
-e.g is charged electronic devices(phone)
-Previously after buying a phone you have to charge it ,Now phones are charged and can be accessible instantaneously.
-We have to focus more on invisible problems rather than the obvious ones
-Fight habituation by (looking broader,looking closer,Thinking younger)
-This helps us to create new ideas as we are beginners
-younger people less exposed to problem,thus find new ways to overcome them
-Picasso quote ("Every child is an Artist.The problem is when he or she grows up, is how to remain as an Artist)

Steve Johnson summary

Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

-Environments for creativity
-People studied recurring patterns to find that one example would be a coffee house/meetings.
-An idea is a network
-ideas may come from strange places.
-How to create ideas which will have longer shelf life
-By sharing them with others, so that people can build on them
-Connecting vs Protecting ideas, we shouldn't be afraid that people steal ideas
-Sharing of ideas results in more ideas being created.

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Picture a day (Simplicity)

Picture a day (Simplicity)

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"- a quote by Leonardo Da Vinci. The wall with a circle in the middle shows simplistic design that decorates the void deck of HDB flats. This is what I meant in the previous blog posts. Is a simplistic design always suitable on walls? I believe that it would be time and cost efficient. The design in the picture shows the fundamental elements of design, the dot.By playing with the size and color, one can come up with a simplistic artwork. Can you think of a simplistic concept if you're painting a mural

Apple Think Different Commercial

-20th century most influential people being seen as (the crazy ones)
-e.g Muhammad ali, Ghandi,hitchcock,picasso,etc
-They are all from different fields, sports politics,literature and art
-Break the status quo
-Not everyone would agree with them
-However the "crazy ones" are the geniuses as they change the course of human history

In order for a person to be influential, he or she needs to learn the rules first before breaking them and changing the course of human history

Picture a day (Red)

Picture a day (Red) 

The picture shows a no smoking sign. I think the reason why this sign includes the color red is because red is a dominant color. Red immediately grabs the attention of a person. Further examples would include fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken. They both have the color red. It grabs the attention of customers to locate them. Similarly many signs include red.Be it in traffic,prohibition or location red is one of the stronger colors when grabbing a person's attention.Other examples include fire engines,fire hydrant,life buoy,etc. What if these items weren't red? 

Picture of the day (Wall Art)

Picture of the day (Wall Art)

Picture shows a void deck of a flat with white walls. I feel that the white walls of the void deck are not being fully utilized in the context of art. It is similar to an artist who leaves his canvases blank. The white walls makes this place even more empty. Although emptiness has its advantages (e.g quiet,peaceful), what i suggest is that the government could designate some of these white walls to be covered up with artworks.Time frame can be implemented before newer works are done over the previous ones.I believe this would show Singapore's seriousness towards Art.

Picture of the day (Old and New II)

Picture of the day (Old and New II)

This picture shows green flats which is part of Rochor centre. Built in 1977, it is going to be torn down somewhere during this year to make way for the construction of the North-South expressway. Personally, I don't support the idea of removing Rochor centre  firstly because of its exterior beauty. Above the centre are blocks of flats with a simplistic color scheme (red,blue,green,yellow) which I find to be pleasing to view. Interiorly, the social life of the residents that I will miss. What are some of the things you will be missing as time progresses on?

Picture of the day (Old but New)

Picture of the day (Old but New)

Picture depicts refurbished shophouses near Fu Lu Shou complex. Why does Singapore preserve old building? Why not just remove them to make space for more high rise buildings? Is it because these shophouses look beautiful in the heart of town or is it to create a sense of nostalgia, for the older generation? I believe that it tells a story of the past so that the younger generation would appreciate and see the transformation of Singapore from its early days.It is part of Singapore's history.What if it wasn't preserved? What landmarks do you think its important to preserve?

Picture a day (The Construction Site)

Picture a day (The Construction site)

I see a plot of land,covered by sand and debris. I view the construction site as a rebirth, similar to the renaissance  in the context of art history. Something which was previously there being removed (roman/greek classical culture art) which paved way for something new.(mannerism and baroque art).I also view this construction site as literally a sandbox(similar to a PC game called Garry's mod) where there are endless possibilities of structures you can create. If you were given a land and the necessary tools to construct whatever you want, what would you create?

Picture of the day (Singapore)

Picture of the day (Singapore)

What does a flag mean to a country? Is it a representation of the nation or the culture of  the people.

What is the one thing that you think of when you look at the flag? Personally when I look at the flag it reminds me of the history and art history of Singapore. The two can always be linked together. During the early periods of Singapore's development, the chinese immigrants brought in chinese ink, porcelains  and most importantly the Nanyang style. The Nanyang style was to become one of  the pioneering movements for Singaporean art.

Picture of the day (The Sun)

 

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Flag_of_the_Philippines_-_cropped_sun.svg/2000px-Flag_of_the_Philippines_-_cropped_sun.svg.png

 

Picture of the day (the Sun)

 

What if there is no Sun? If we can live without the Sun scientifically, would we have more negative emotions? Does the Sun really charge a person with energy and happiness ?Given the option, would you want to live without the Sun (taking into consideration that you can still survive). Does the Sun truly provide warmth and comfort for a person? I would think that it provides comfort on the exterior level. Different perspectives of the Sun can turn it into a scary ball of fire or a yellow friendly, welcoming to the start of your day.

Picture a day ( Tree Designs)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Person-tree.jpg

Picture a day (Tree Designs)

You can see a stick man holding both arms up. This is technique is called tree shaping. I think that Singapore should include more decorative and interesting floral designs.It can introduce creativity and playfulness in the city landscapes. If we don't do this, I feel that we are wasting an opportunity for creativity. Art can play a role in the eco movement. The design is not limited to the trunk but the leaves of the tree. The shape can be a representational figure. An artist who has used flowers as a sculpture(Puppy) is Jeff Koons.

Picture a day (Chieu Shuey Fook)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Cdys2Tjl770/St_7r6QXu7I/AAAAAAAAABg/zkuPXTkQ-wA/s200/03%20Chieu%20Shuey%20Fook.jpg

Picture a day(Chieu Shuey Fook)

C.S.F is a second generation Singaporean artist. I think of him  as a humble, hard working  and a passionate artist. Then one may question, how would you know? The evidence lies in his artworks. I recently visited his works at the nafa gallery and it has made me come to that conclusion.In his pieces one can see the complexity of the subject matter(time and effort), the advance mediums and techniques he has chosen and done(diligent) and the styles he has adopted. In a 2014 straits times news he is part of the 3 "forgotten art masters" in Singapore.(Humility).

Picture of the day (Durians)

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/tropical-fruit-durian-12514992.jpg

Picture of the day (durians)

Can a durian describe a person?(hard on the outside soft in the inside?). A durian can be a representation of someone's hairstyle which is spiky, gold bars due to the color and valuation of the durian's flesh or it can be used as a medieval weapon. Another unique characteristic of the durian is its smell. Lets talk about those who do not like the smell.Would females buy it as perfume or lipstick flavoring? How would their counterpart react to it? If you hated durians but were forced to eat it, which would you remove? The smell,flavor or texture?

Picture of the day (cactus)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/6e/60/9a/6e609a15552e99fcb1bad0184642bdeb.jpg

Picture of the day (cactus)

Why do most people hate cactuses? Is it because of their thorns that may hurt us?Why do cactuses have these undesirable thorns that cause us harm? The textures of the cactus are rough,thorny and unwelcoming to humans.The thorns are actually their leaves.It helps them reduce water loss in  the desert which has high temperatures during the day.Cactuses have water stored in their main stem.If you are ever lost and dehydrated in the desert, look for cactuses for water.So the next time you view a cactus, don't judge a book by its cover as it may save your life (water in the cactus).

Picture of the day (Singapore)

https://weinvest.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/AsiaMerlionSingapore-Cropped.jpg

Picture of the day (Singapore)

Singapore,one of the more modernized and globalized country in South East Asia.How did this nation prosper over the last 50 years. The answer lies with the people. They made many sacrifices be it a regular citizen or a high ranking official, they all played a part in building Singapore from nothing into something.What would be the role of Singapore in the next 50 years would really depend on the new/current generation which have benefited from the previous generation.Would the next generation view us as a good or bad example, to follow or not to follow?What's The New Singapore?