Theory Inquiry

Fall 2021

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Working at Nothing

I experienced having an inner dialogue.

This brought up the questions for me whether there is a way to do “nothing,” if by focusing on doing “nothing” or focusing on what was around us by averting our attention from the daily tasks we set for ourselves that typically consumed us becomes us doing something?

This exercise was ultimately insight into the things we perceive as important and productive as part of our day-to-day lives. This gave me the chance to slow down.

I first had to look in the direction of blank space or else it was distracting to be looking in a direction with a bunch of things. I think this is why people like going to libraries or cafes to study, complete assignments, or work. It’s a more quiet environment to be able to focus without all the distractions in your own home. For example, my desk always has a bunch of stuff that can be a distraction but in a different environment the desk is clear and all I have is the tools I brought with me to complete my task.

Then I noticed I was thinking which is technically something...

I then decided to close my eyes. This worked to relax and not feel distracted. I then couldn’t help but think about a situation where my eyes would be closed and I couldn’t do anything at that moment. This  was indeed at the dentist. I don’t know if this is weird but I usually close my eyes when I’m having dental work done, like a typical cleaning. It’s easier to relax and not have that bright light shining on your face. But at that moment you are laying there doing nothing until it’s over.

This was interesting for a total of 56 minutes. Technically as I was doing nothing I was still staring when my eyes were open and thinking when my eyes were closed. It is very hard to turn off the mind as mine was wandering.

Having the choice of not doing something can transform people's likelihood of accomplishing something.

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Observing & Describing

My place of choice was Pocono Green Shopping Center on Midlothian Turnpike at three o’clock in the afternoon on October 31, 2021 The weather was a little bit chilly on Halloween day and I immediately thought this is the feeling of Fall.

As I enter: The area has easy, close parking spaces and has a well-designed ample parking lot. It's not easy to get into unless you are driving on the side of the road it faces. Coming and going through the entrance can be difficult due to Midlothian’s busy road.

From my point of view: I observe a quite small, humble shopping center that has only a few stores, mostly miscellaneous. The stores that stand out are Batteries+Bulbs, O'Reilly Auto Parts, a nail salon, and a Subway. There are a few other stores as well. Everything in this strip would only attract customers that are specifically looking for a store and it was conveniently nearby. It’s not a place you’d want to just visit and look around. People that come here are on a mission to get whatever they need and are in and out. It’s not one of those window shopping areas. The Subway may be the only exception if you’re just looking for a place to find something to eat.

Down to the details: The strip is on the side of the road and next to a neighborhood and apartment entrance. Behind the strip is a row of trees wrapped around providing separation of the neighborhood. Most of the strip is connected in the shape of an L on its side with exception of one square-shaped building on the left that is home to O'Reilly Auto Parts. The roof of the whole strip was a slate grey. The design of the storefronts all had the same striped triangle pattern painted teal with each of the store signs under the triangle. Between each store, there were smooth cream-colored columns dividing each storefront.

Interesting fact: On the side of the road I found a picket sign with the marker number S 30 titled First Railroad in Virginia and learned that it was one of the earliest railroads in the United States.

What surprised me: How miscellaneous the stores were. The contrast of only one food place available in the whole strip to a hearing aid company was interesting.

What I have concluded: The shopping center is very quiet. There are very few people around even on a holiday. There are however plenty of parking spaces which is quite nice for someone who is often stressed about where to park. In total there are approximately 20 suites in the strip. 8/20 are tenanted and 11 suites are vacant. Tenants occupying the strip include Batteries+Bulbs, Coast Guard Recruiting, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Asian Massage, Beltone Hearing Center, North State Acceptance, Nail Club, and SubWay. I’m assuming businesses are slow in this area due to more than 50% of the strip being vacant. It is possible that someday down the road something else may take up root here to potentially attract more people.

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Citizen Jane - Battle for the City Movie Discussion

— In what ways could Jane Jacobs be considered a designer?

She was an urban designer, visionary activist, and writer.

— What were three (3) methods/tactics used by Jane Jacobs in her work to save Washington Square Park?

Jane Jacobs threw herself into a fight against Moses to destroy his plans of erasing Washington Square Park, she sent letters to the mayor, organized media, and rallied the community to support the cause.

— [Super-Bonus Power-up Lighting-round question]: What is the role of the individual in a democracy?

The role of an individual is to vote in federal elections and to serve in a jury.

Members: Suzie Han, Abbi Bennett, Chia Yang, Lesly Melendez

We met on Thursday Oct 21, 2021at 1:00pm in-person in Pollak 315

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Week 7: Copies and Simulation

The first simulation that we thought of was Instagram. We upload photos that simulate the “perfect” self and we tend to often only show the good aspects of ourselves, portraying a false assumption of our lives. However, Instagram can also be a copy, for example, art Instagrams are all copies of their original artworks since a photo has to be taken of the original before it can be uploaded. Even the physical artwork that is portrayed on the internet is not 100% original. Every artist has to search for inspiration in other places, causing their work to be a combination of copies. Examples included are influencer, artist, and graphic designer.

Time: 1:30pm Thursday Oct 7

Where: In person Pollak 0315

Members: Lesly Melendez, Abbi Bennett, Suzie Han, Chia Yang

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Spray Hand Sanitizer

Dominant Classification Type: Symbol

The drawing of two hands coming together with a droplet in between is apparent. The droplet could represent any type of liquid but from what we can see from the packaging and entirety of the representation it is clear that the form of liquid is used to spray on the hands by the mist sprayer and the droplet of liquid that is on the label. It makes sense that the clear liquid would be a type of sanitizer. Even though we are unable to read the text on the label we can take an educated guess as to what the function is by looking at the image on the label and the color of the packaging. For example, blue-green hues are commonly used for packaging on disinfecting and sanitizing products as well for brands such as Clorox and Lysol.

Travel Jewelry Case

Dominant Classification Type: Index

The viewer can see that the representation is a 3D object even though you are unable to see the inside of the case at which the angle the photo was taken because of the shadows surrounding the case. The edge of the zipper and stitching are visible as well. You are unable to see what is inside of the object but can see that it belongs to someone and that their belongings must be inside by the engraving in the center. There is no certain way that the viewer can be sure what this case is for but we can see by the size of the object that it fits in someone's lap, therefore the contents inside should be smaller in scale. The viewer can then think about items that would have to fit and be stored in a smaller space.

Portable Mini Fan

Dominant Classification Type: Icon

This fan is recognizable because it resembles other types of fans that we see in day-to-day life in a household such as a ceiling, table, standing pedestal, exhaust, wall mounted, or floor fan. It is recognizable as an icon because they all have one thing in common. The rotating arrangement of vanes or blades necessary for fans to function as well as protective guards that are on most fans. The stand, however, could be interpreted as a table fan instead of a portable fan because the viewer is not seeing the detachment of the handheld component from the base. By not seeing that the fan can be handheld the viewer might not know that the fan can be taken with you almost anywhere.

[chiatheoryinquiry]

Spray Hand Sanitizer

Washing hands often is one of the most important and simplest ways to protect yourself. Hand sanitizer provides its function by killing 99.9% of germs that could have come in contact with your hands making it a successful function. Because the pandemic has been going on for a lengthy period of time people are not as cautious and sanitizing as often. When the disease first started spreading there was a massive shortage of disinfecting and sanitizing products with limits to how many items a person could purchase. Now, these products are easy to find and readily available without limit. This representation may cause distortion because it’s difficult to figure out what the product is due to the text on the labeling being written in a different language. This will limit the number of users to only people that can read this label as well as the consistency of the product not being as common.

Travel Jewelry Case

The contents of this item are used to represent one’s style. Jewelry is a form of expression that can be used to accessorize a person’s appearance. This representation is accurate as it holds the contents that can determine a person’s mood, attitude, or personality they want to display. Misleading information would include the size of the item if it wasn’t already stated in the title and what kind of case it is by the way it is photographed. The angle at which the photo was taken can be a distortion as the jewelry is not actually present. The case could have functionality for other small items or not even be used for travel. Because the case is closed the accuracy is limited as the viewer has no way of knowing what the actual contents of the case are and its functionality of what it could be used for. Function-wise, it’s is a useful representation for storage.

Portable Mini Fan

The summer heat is definitely unforgiving when walking downtown from morning to early afternoon. Waiting at crosswalks and simply traveling from point A to point B in the beaming sun can be more enjoyable with this representation. What’s being filtered out is that you don’t see this fan’s full functionality or how it operates. The details on the fan can be misleading as it only has one button. You couldn’t tell by the photo that the fan has multiple settings to achieve a lower or higher level of cooling. Its size is accurately represented as the round base stand suggests it can be handheld or placed when not being used. A detail of distortion would be how the fan has power or how many hours it can last. Does it use batteries or USB charging? Another factor to consider is how loud the fan is. Is it silent or creates noise while fanning?