Letter writing

We all receive mail in the post whether you're young or old however the joy of receiving mail has been eliminated by the sight of a spam and bill filled post box with no glimmer of joy save for some money saving coupons and birthday cards from distant relatives. Writing a letter to some one shows that you care about them and that you have sat down and taken the time to think about the things you would like to say to a person because they matter that much to you. In a world where technology is advancing and we crave instant gratification, traditional letter writing has become a thing of the past. Famous scientists and poets and writers used this form of mail as well as kings and queens, so we can definitely do it. We are literate and capable and the excitement and sentiment of receiving a letter from a secret admirer or a long lost friend is definitely a nostalgic, sentimental and more emotional experience. We attach important memories to these pieces of paper with words on them, they are tangible and saveable and unlike an email, something we may save for a rainy day. It is in this way that I would like to begin an initiative which encourages the writing of letters, I am yet to find a brand to jump on board.

ADDICTION

The NGO I have chosen is SANCA which raises awareness against the dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse as well as helps those who suffer from addiction. This is an issue close to my heart as i have a few friends and family members who suffer from this disease. I find that there is very little sympathy towards people who suffer from addiction due to the social stigma created as well as a lack of understanding of their problem. Often a drug problem is an escape from another problem that the addict wishes to escape from. Often reality is just too much for them and drugs are the only happiness that they can create. Also addiction is something that we are all susceptible to, some are just stronger willed or more fortunate than others. Often we do not know or understand the suffering that leads to an addiction and as humans we become easily reliant on substances or actions for our own joy. In this way i would like to raise awareness of the plight of addicts and through understanding it is my hope that people will be more willing to donate and sponsor addicts.

Ambient

The next brief we were given to complete requires the creation of 2 ambient ads and two alternative contact adverts. The advice we were given was to take on one NGO and one small cause that we feel is worthy of our attention.

The difficulty here is that the spectrum of NPOs and brands are endless and the choice is a difficult one to make.

The Shock factor

This speaks of the element of shock and what shocks us as a human race. The magazine deals with popular culture which i feel is saturated with ideas such as violence, sex and war, so much so that we have become desensitised by the supposedly shocking factors of pop. So i pose the question, What is considered shocking, our behaviour or our lack of humanity in a world controlled by humans. Perhaps we are the destroyers of our own morals and human ethics leading to our ultimate destruction. But even that in itself is not shocking to the human ear.

The balance

With this concept i would like to explore the ideas of pairs. I think there is an odd intangible factor that brings out the connection or bond between certain things that just go together. For example a spoon and a fork, could we not just use Sporks? Why is there necessity in pairs and why do we seek relationships? What is the human bond that ties a boy and a girl together, is it the emotion, love or hate? or is it a mental need and bond.  I'd like to look at parallels which cannot go without each other, for example life and death or love and hate.

Magazine articles

So its time to get creative and conceptualise a cover and double page spread of an a design magazine, this being One small seed. The idea is to conceptualise ideas under the umbrella of design in order to put together creative articles under a single concept. The magazine describes itself as South Africa's Pop culture platform.

The main two concepts that have been decided upon is Balance in humanity and The shock factor.

Nokia forever

It has come to my attention that Nokia is the only cellphone brand to have a distinct and iconic ringtone that is recognised by millions around the world regardless of their race, creed, age or culture. This emanates the fact that Nokia does not discriminate and is accessible to all.  Their phones range from very expensive to very cheap but always remain at a more reasonable price than its competitors. By making their brand and handsets available to all classes and strata, they are able to reach a wider target audience and by doing so sets the brand in good context with the rest of the world.  Unlike Blackberry and iPhone who only cater for the more wealthy audience, Nokia has occupied the market niche of the majority of the world who are all feeling the effects of the recession and thus seek a good reliable, long lasting cellphones with high quality features at lower prices, Nokia provides this and that is how they are able to keep their current strong stance in the market despite the increases in popularity of the competitors. I would like to enhance the bond that people have formed with Nokia and increase the familiarity of the most loved brand so that perhaps Nokia may become a new trend. It was one of my very first phones and truth be told they really do not break easily!