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September 2022

SKIN: fenestra Progress

Part-one: Guide form – Pop-up book
For now I am focusing on learning skills of making pop-up books.
I found some tutorials (videos and books) and practiced in several basic structures. My understanding of this form is developed in this progress, and now I have a general idea about how to make the guide. The next steps are: first, chooses the structures I need for this guide, and second, design the details about my guide to make sure I can finish it on time with all the information I want to display.

Part-two: Metaphor
I spent most of my time for finding out the best metaphor I want to use. I did this by deconstruct “fenestra” into abstract pieces and reconstruct them into different things, concepts and systems. Two topic appears at the very beginning: underground water&caverns systems and urban water circulation.

These are still one step from what I want to do. So I did several more times of deconstruction and reconstruction. Then I found emotion balancing. How each individual dealing with his/her bad emotions. This is the direction I plan to dig into. Based on this idea, a simple story-line is been developed.

Topic I Interviews: DIODE

I interviewed one of friend who is working in a sales and marketing department as general manager position in a local Publicly traded Semiconductor company where is in South Korea. His graduated from international trade business major , and professional keep working in this industry over 10 years.

What is DIODE?
Semiconductor diode

What is the most popular, or what is kinda TECHNOLOGY you are interesting in?
Health care photodiode and Avalanche photodiode.
Health care photodiodes are obviously used for human being health care.
The avalanche photodiode is being used for artificial. Smart cars such as Tesla.

what is health care PHOTODIODE, and how does it work on people?
The health care photodiode mostly used to monitor the heart rate, and how is the heart rate goes, but it is not only for the heart but also for blood pressure, blood oxygenic, and so on.
Now the technic can be used in many ways, but he mentioned the most popular use is on smartwatches, hospital professionals, household health check facilities, and machines. As Simply explanation, It is a type of light receiver, a special light that goes through people’s skin layer, and the receiver sensor will works after it receives the light back, the computer will calculate the number, also compare to the regular data. Also, save it at the same time.

Where does it from? Where does it make the most? And where does it sell to?
Technic mostly is from the US, but most of them are made in TSMC, which is located in Taiwan, and they produced over 50% all over the world. Most of the productions sell to APPLE, SAMSUNG, MI, and so on.

How about the future of health care photoDiode?
The future for photodiodes is wild bright because people live longer, and many countries have to face the problem which is the aged population. As time goes by, technic will definitely be developing. It will be used in more industries.

What is the most important element to make a photodiode?
Si, Au, Sn, most of them from China.

Satellites(Space) Form Analysis

I’m planning to create a satellite guide website, which has a brief introduction about the number of satellites in space, live stream video from ISS(International Space Station), and the relationship between satellites, orbits and the distance from earth. Users will start from the bottom and scroll up to the top(maybe endless).

The form is typically used for the popularization of science, mainly users might be students and people who have an interest in astronomy

If I tried a different form, I would probably recreate a world map using the satellite states concept, or an Ikea guide for setting up a satellite, or SpaceX infomercial AD.

I think these forms I mentioned above are all well-suited to the metaphor for my satellite topic(need some help)

Draft link: https://suirunzhao.github.io/ConnectionsLab_A3/satellitesinspace/

Inspiration/References:

https://abraiz01.github.io/Connections-Lab/Week3/Project_1/index.html

https://www.howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com/

Topic 1 Form Analysis: Coat of Arms

  • Physical Form: Mini booklet or Zine

 

Q1: Why this form? What are its features (stylistic, experiential)

I prefer to use non-digital format to provide the guide users with a more direct interaction with coat of arms, which reflects heritage and tradition.

 

Q2:How is this form typically used, and what do you plan to subvert/imitate/utilize?

This form as a guide can give users direct and clear messages in a relaxing and amiable tone.

 

Q3: What would change if you tried a different form? What critical lens does the form you’re applying emphasize?

I also thought of a webpage version. In that case, there could be more interactions in designing the emblem.

 

Q4: Is there a metaphor well-suited to your form (i.e. cooking with code)? Or, are there other metaphors you might employ?

The metaphors could be self-recognition: Know yourself. Or family inheritance can be another metaphor.

 

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from analysis- Yoga secrets

I hope to use the “武功秘籍” （Kung Fu secrets）to express yoga movements.

This guide will be very easy to understand.

I plan to talk about 12 to 18 actions, and then each action will use different models, the elderly, children, adults, women, etc. to express the wide audience of yoga.

It can be used as a beginner’s yoga pose introduction manual, so that beginners can learn yoga at the first time.

At the same time, I can also add some religious murals in the background to reflect the religious value of yoga.

In fact, Kung Fu secrets are a metaphor. Practicing yoga, like connecting with kung fu, can actually play a role in strengthening the body.

Response: Metaphors We Live

  • Lakoff + Johnson give several examples throughout the text of linguistic metaphorical systems. Are there any you found odd, outdated, or different from metaphorical systems that you use, either personally or in your language, culture, or social sphere? For instance, do you speak about conversation as battle, or use orientational metaphors the same way the authors describe?

I totally agree with Lakoff and Johnson about “argument is a war”. The metaphor of “argument is a war” influences how we conceive, understand and act on arguments because it is embedded in our culture and is part of our conceptual system, which has a strong cultural foundation. Metaphors construct concepts in our daily lives, and this construction is reflected in our ordinary literal language. When you use these metaphorical expressions, such as “we have to gamble” or “we have to make theoretical constructions,” people do not think you are using metaphors, but rather saying something ordinary and appropriate to the context. But the way you talk about, think about, and even experience these life situations is indeed constructed by metaphor.

  • Can you identify a metaphorical system that you commonly use? What do you think is the motivating rationale (“experiential basis”) behind that system – or is there one? Have you ever intentionally (or unintentionally) changed the metaphorical system that you use to speak about a certain subject, to reflect a different experience or worldview?

I couldn’t come up with my commonly use the metaphorical system but it reminds me of the differences between the Chinese metaphorical system and the US system. For example, “Dog” is considered a pet in the western countries, with a positive meaning, while in China it is considered derogatory, such as “walk dog”, he is a mad dog “biting everywhere”, etc.; and then, The different concepts of “dragon” in Chinese and English have given rise to the term “Four Little Tigers/Four Litter Dragons(in Chinese)”, which is used to describe four economically developed countries or regions in Asia to show that their economic power is booming. If translated directly as “four little dragons”, it would be an unlucky omen. “Dragon” in the Western conceptual system is a monster that hurts people, while “tiger” is a symbol of good luck and power. Therefore, I believe that metaphorical systems differ greatly in the conceptual systems of different cultural groups.

  • What metaphors/systems of metaphor are commonly used when discussing your topic? If “the essence of a metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (5), what other kinds of metaphors might be useful for discussing your topic, or an aspect of your topic?

As for satellites, there are also other metaphors like 1. company, people may use satellites to describe the company of their lovers/families. 2.Satellites countries/states/cities, which is a country that is formally independent in the world, but under heavy political, economic, and military influence or control from another country.

Interview-YOGA

I interviewed a very good friend of mine. She graduated from the philosophy department and has many years of yoga experience.

 

Q: Have you ever heard of yoga? Have you ever done yoga yourself?

A: Of course I’ve heard of yoga, and I’m also a yoga lover myself.

 

Q: When you are practicing yoga, what is your physical and mental feeling? For example, physically or psychologically?

A: Yoga actually talks about a process of integration, allowing people to completely immerse themselves in the present. When I take a very rhythmic breath with the teacher, I feel that the whole person’s essence and spirit have reached an unprecedented pure state. I like the yoga teacher’s words very much: breathe out worry and pressure, and breathe in health.

 

Q: What do you think people have wrong understanding of yoga?

A: I think many people practice yoga with a wrong mentality of comparison. They always want to challenge a very difficult position. I think it is totally unnecessary. Because position is not the most important place of yoga since ancient times. And the core of yoga is to focus on yourself. It is better to compare yourself with yourself as long as you do better today than you did yesterday, or keep it. Another mistake I think is that everyone thinks yoga can help you lose weight, but generally speaking, yoga may help you to correct your posture at most. The main reason for practicing yoga may be that yoga helps you improve your usual attention to healthy diet and keeping a good rest, rather than directly losing weight through yoga.

 

Q: What do you know about traditional religious yoga

A: I know yoga comes from India. I think yoga may be the same to India as Tai Chi to China. Yoga is actually a concrete manifestation of Indian religion. I don’t know much about the specific teachings of yoga.

 

Q: If you have a chance, would you like to know more about traditional religious yoga

A: Of course! Because yoga is a very good exercise, I am certainly very interested in understanding its origin.

Metaphors We Live By

Lakoff + Johnson give several examples throughout the text of linguistic metaphorical systems. Are there any you found odd, outdated, or different from metaphorical systems that you use, either personally or in your language, culture, or social sphere? For instance, do you speak about conversation as battle, or use orientational metaphors the same way the authors describe?

I think “UNKNOWN IS UP; KNOWN IS DOWN” is very strange to me. Because UP is an upward performance, I have gained knowledge, so I am very happy (HAPPINESS IS UP). My knowledge reserves have increased (MORE IS UP), so I think it is better that the two should be the opposite.

 

Can you identify a metaphorical system that you commonly use? What do you think is the motivating rationale (“experiential basis”) behind that system – or is there one? Have you ever intentionally (or unintentionally) changed the metaphorical system that you use to speak about a certain subject, to reflect a different experience or worldview?

When I make money, I will say that my wallet is bulging. When I have no money, I will say that my wallet is flat. This is actually a very vivid metaphor system. I also use the obvious physical basis. Because the more money you put in your wallet, the bigger your wallet will be. Although people now use electronic wallets, this view has been inherited.

In China, when a person is uncomfortable, we often say drink more hot water and more plain water. In fact, let him have a good rest. But this is not applicable in other countries. You may not have the habit of hot water, so I may directly say let him have a good rest without metaphor.

 

What metaphors/systems of metaphor are commonly used when discussing your topic? If “the essence of a metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (5), what other kinds of metaphors might be useful for discussing your topic, or an aspect of your topic?

I think that in the theme of yoga, the cultural basis and physical basis will be used more. Because yoga is about inhaling and exhaling. In fact, it represents UP and exhaling represents DOWN. Inhale health（MORE IS UP）, exhale worry（LESS IS DOWN）.

Topic 1 Interviews: Coat of Arms

  • by

Interviewee: Designer and illustrator

 

Q1: 　Do you know about “Coat of Arms’?

I heard of it, but don’t know a lot about the history of “Coat of Arms”. I am quite impressed by the design of “Coat of Arms”, especially in the recent Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. I saw different kinds of “Code of Arms” there.

 

Q2: In your work, have you designed something similar to “Coat of Arms”?

Yes, I used to design team emblems for video games, e.g.: Honor of Kings.

 

Q3: When you designed these emblems, are there any certain elements included in?

Yes, basically the emblems will reflect the team’s name and what they stand for. Usually there will be an animal – Wolf, Bear, Tiger…, the landmark of the city where they come from and the team name.

 

Q4: Have you seen any “Coat of Arms” in China?

Not much really. Oh yes, National Emblem can be one.

 

Q5: Do you see any connection between of “Coat of Arms” and “Logo”?

Yes, some Logos was evolved from “Coat of Arms’. For example, apple logo.

 

Q6: Do you think individual are interested in owning his or her own “code of Arms”?

Yes, individuals are now seeking self-identity and unique approach to show his or her own uniqueness.  “Code of Arms” will be an interesting approach.

Just a sketch

Not loving it yet, but just doing some sketches today along Lake Michigan of some yet to be identified wildflowers and some prickly pears. I will figure out how to incorporate some sketches into my map.