VECTORING

Third year graphic designer.

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Week 12: The future of digital? Robots, self-driving cars, and artificial intelligence

Will the future ahead of us turn us into super humans, or give us robot best f ( r ) iends?

This idea isn’t just a simple Sci-Fi plot. It could be a reality. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the development of bionics, robotic prosthetics and enhancements, electric cars and the advancement of self-driving cars - something like Futurama isn’t far off the truth.

I watched a news program (which I’ve embedded below) about a New Zealand tech company that developed an exo-skeleton which gives disabled people and wheelchair bound people the ability to walk again. 

As well as this, I also found a short video about Harvard University developing a bionic soft suit to help the military and the elderly walk and move around, while giving the ability to prevent serious injury.

It seems like a call back to Darwin’s theory on evolution, except instead of naturally evolving, we are forcing that trajectory into our own interests, needs (whether medical or not), and sense of convenience. There are many stories about bionic prosthetics out performing the original limbs of amputees. There is even a man in Sydney who installed an Opal travelling chip into his hand to make transporting around Sydney easier. (Dole, 2017) 

With the benefit of extreme improvements to our human lives, there is always going to be extreme risks.

The late Stephen Hawking famously quoted that Artificial Intelligence could “spell the end of the human race.” Bill Gates and Elon Musk share similar opinions. Musk compared the idea of AI to the dictatorship of North Korea, if used without caution. Gates expressed that the good can outweigh the bad if managed properly. (Marr, 2018)

According to Hawking, he believed in the possibility that machines could “take off” on their own will. That once their AI develops enough they would find the ability to think for themselves, modify themselves and update their systems. In comparison to the slow biological sense of evolution in the human race, we would fall behind while our creation begins to dominate and take over. (Marr, 2018)

Our AI robots (or would they be considered creatures if they can evolve themselves?) might see themselves as the superior being and enslave the human race and history might repeat itself. 

Perhaps we should take a page from Mary Shelley’s gothic horror novel Frankenstein and proceed with extreme caution, as this pivotal moment in science can cause so much destruction. 

Sources:

Marr, B. (2018) Is Artificial Intelligence Dangerous? 6 AI Risks Everyone Should Know About. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/11/19/is-artificial-intelligence-dangerous-6-ai-risks-everyone-should-know-about/#5db0e0222404

Rutschman, A.S. (2018) Stephen Hawking warned about the perils of artificial intelligence – yet AI gave him a voice. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/stephen-hawking-warned-about-the-perils-of-artificial-intelligence-yet-ai-gave-him-a-voice-93416

Dole, N. (2017) Sydney man has Opal card implanted into hand to make catching public transport easier. ABC News. Retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/sydney-bio-hacker-has-opal-travel-card-implanted-into-hand/8656174

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Week 6: Digital ethics: data tracking and surveillance

I tracked my phone usage through an app already integrated on my iPhone this week to see just how much I was using my phone, and I was kind of shocked that I spent a day and a half of my week just looking at my phone. From there I was able to find statistics on what apps I frequently use, and my phone automatically averaged everything out into a total for me. 

This infographic I made only scratches the surface of my internet activity. 

After reading Chen’s article about data tracking and Google analytics, I went through all of my Google apps and found tracking information saved on my phone for my most frequent destinations offline as well as online. 

So I didn’t know this until two days ago, but Google Maps saves the routes you go and averages out your most frequent stops. For privacy reasons I won’t be posting the map, but it knows what shopping centre I prefer, where I work, where I live, and where I walk my dog. If Google were a person, this would probably be considered stalking.

Is our sense of safety being compromised by data logging and tracking? I understand the idea is that this information should not be accessible to anybody but us, but there have been serious breaches of our privacy through the years.

There was the major leak of celebrity nude photos from a hacker accessing hundreds of iCloud accounts in 2016. In 2018 the security of 50 million Facebook profiles were breached. Lately there’s been news that the privacy of Apple’s FaceTime app is bugged, as you can hear and see the person you are calling before they answer. 

Source:

Chen, B. (2018). Google's file on me was huge. Here's why it wasn't as creepy as my Facebook data. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/technology/personaltech/google-personal-data-facebook.html

BBC Newsbeat. (2016, March 16). Meet the man behind the leak of celebrity nude photos, called the fappening. Retrieved from BBC Newsbeat: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35820521/meet-the-man-behind-the-leak-of-celebrity-nude-photos-called-the-fappening

News. (2019, February 4). 14-year-old’s FaceTime bug discovery could rattle Apple. Retrieved from News: https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/14yearolds-facetime-bug-discovery-could-rattle-apple/news-story/17cfee3ee68e9d8dca3e687b5dd1afc1

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Week 2 #self(ish/ie): identity making on the web

This video timelapse is a little something I doodled a few weeks ago specifically for the assignment. 

Selfies are limited by the length of your arm (unless you have a selfie stick), so they will automatically look distorted. You’re limited by the crop so it does take some effort to make them look good.

My timelapse illustration symbolises the movements, changes and differences from that first shot to the last one that you’re happy with. I started with an extremely rough sketch that I kept changing and adjusting until I was happy with how it was presented.

To add another layer to this, none of my final selfies ever look exactly like me, just like how my timelapse illustration does not look like the photo I referenced it from. What does this say about me, though? Does it reflect my personality? Or have I inadvertently formed a new online identity? 

Personally, I think it’s hard to tell if any of my selfies reflect my true personality. In this photo I think I look a bit bubbly and energetic - and although most of the time I try to act bubbly at work or at uni, I prefer to be in solitude reading or playing the Playstation. 

My hair is short, hot pink, and held back by a headband. On top of that I’m wearing navy and white stripes. Stereotypical artist? Maybe. When I think of artists I think of stripes. And when people ask me what I’m studying they’re usually not surprised that it’s something in the design field. 

If I were to pretend that the reindeer filter wasn’t there, I’d say that the girl in the photo is confident and fun-loving, a real go-getter. But there is a filter and I’m far from being a confident person. Most of the selfies I take, I’m only happy with them if there’s a filter. Why? I’m not sure. All I see are my flaws that I want to hide from the world, and I know that it’s ridiculous and that I’m probably the only person tearing me to pieces over a photo. 

We congratulate people when they proudly refuse to use filters because they’re brave enough to face the world, flaws and all, and not care what anyone thinks. I’m not there just yet, but hopefully one day I will be.

In a way I think this selfie does represent some aspects of my personality. I am a designer, I love pink and pastel colours, most of my wardrobe consists of high waisted pants and stripes, and I do like getting into holiday spirits.

But I also love having lots of ‘me-time’. I’m not an extrovert and I would rather read a book than go out, most of the time. I’m reserved, quiet, shy and often put my foot in my mouth. That’s the me hiding in this representation of my online identity. 

Online I’m totally different. I’m social, I like sharing and making memes and I’m probably a bit funnier online than I am offline. I think I’m a lot more articulate in my thoughts online because I have time to stop, think and breathe. It prevents me from getting worked up or too anxious and getting flustered. 

I put all the good aspects of my personality through a filter when I’m online - and use the internet to mask all the aspects I don’t like about myself. I represent the person I want to be, but not the person I am. So in a sense, that becomes my personality. I’m pretending to be a different version of myself - a ‘better’ me. 

In my timelapse illustration, that is what I aimed to represent. I started off with the outlines of a messy, unattractive looking drawing. I kept adding to it and removing undesirable bits and pieces, excess lines. I changed the shape of my jaw a few times, and the shape of my eyes in the drawing. No one ever sees that process in drawing - they only ever see the final, completed piece that the artist is happy with. 

Reading:

Jethani, S., & Raydan, N. (2015). Forming Persona through Metrics: Can We Think Freely in the Shadow of our Data? Persona Studies, 1(1), 76–93. Retrieved from https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/ps/article/view/451 

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Week 9: Netflix - the impact of convergence & disruption on traditional media.

“How has convergence and disruption changed the media and arts content consumption in Australia? Who benefits? Who does not? How has the Australian government influenced the outcome?”

Netflix was the underdog of the mainstream media market. It was overlooked and provided a tailored service to a niche market. Blockbuster didn't care as it never cut into their profits and underestimated the movement that Netflix would begin. 

Netflix started by being a subscription service that mailed DVDs to their customers. They weren't the latest movies and many were pretty niche. The 'how' as to why they became successful is because Blockbuster was too set in its ways to evolve fast enough.

As the saying goes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' - which some form of that would have been the Block Busters' idea. Netflix didn't settle for their position in the market and they moved upmarket by finding a way to make their service more convenient at a high quality. This is turn makes the product more attractive to consumers and disrupts the established businesses as they are able to meet the needs of arguably all of their customers. Because of this, Blockbuster lost its foothold in mainstream media, and that's when Netflix became a giant.

Because of Netflix's new throne on mainstream media, 68% of Australians as of 2017 use a streaming service, compared to the 37% during 2014. The trends are growing as it's becoming more and more accessible to anybody to watch whatever they want on demand. 

When I was a teen, every Friday night my family would microwave some popcorn and have a movie night from hired DVDs we got at Blockbuster. But now that weekly tradition can become a daily habit because of how easy and affordable it is to do it now, thanks to streaming services. Netflix has its benefits, but the downside is that it also encourages binge watching, which can encourage a sedentary lifestyle.

And you can't watch a movie without popcorn or chips - so that can lead into over eating, or eating more calories than what you're burning off. That leads to weight gain. The Government encourages the use of streaming services as it has dramatically reduced internet piracy. In 2017 17% of Australians reported to use illegal pirating methods to watch movies, compared to 2014 when it was 43%.

Sources:

Itonics. (2018, September 11). Why Uber isn’t disruptive but Netflix is - Disruptive Innovation explained. Retrieved from Medium: https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-uber-isnt-disruptive-but-netflix-is-disruptive-innovation-explained-198d250f4db0

Screen Australia. (2018, February 27). REPORT RELEASED: AUSTRALIAN TRENDS IN ONLINE AND ON DEMAND VIEWING. Retrieved from Screen Australia: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2018/02-27-report-australian-trends-online-on-demand

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Week 4: Remix: licensing, creative commons, and copyright

Everything is a remix.

I did a ‘Draw it in your style’ challenge illustration for an art piece I L O V E D by illustrator Albert Che. His medium is pen and ink - and his work has been massively inspiring to my own work. I decided to do a ‘draw it in your style’ illustration of one of his pieces. 

I did it mainly as practice and I was not going to post it originally, but I spent close to six days drawing this in my own medium and style - which is black and white silhouettes. I used his work heavily as a reference for the purpose of this exercise, so it does look very similar as I wanted it to be totally perfect in its proportions and position.

I probably went too far with the whole ‘it must be in YOUR style’ thing by trying to imitate his style too much. But again, it is an exercise and studying artworks in this manner is an excellent way to carve your own path, style and development when it comes to design.

Here’s mine:

Here Albert Che’s original artwork:

Due to studying the work of other artists that I find inspiring I (and loads of other artists) can garner the ability to design their own artwork. ‘Remixing’ as a form of study is a form of adaption or translation into new styles.

I was heavily inspired by Albert Che, but in this post I want to share my own original artwork too. I have learned a new style and practice due to being inspired and influenced by Che’s work, as well as gathering references from designers and illustrators. 

Here are my illustrations of Baphomet:

And here is my reference - illustrated by Eliphas Levi in the 19th century.

As you can see they are reasonably similar but I made an effort to change it as much as possible into something original.

Here is a Thor illustration I am currently working on: (bear with me, it’s still only a sketch)

Here is my illustration reference:

From Marvel Capcom 3 - the Playstation game

Again, very similar but the idea is extremely clear and it is also very noticeable that I am trying to make it different to my reference by adding in a few new elements. (Different armour, lack of helmet, different face position and different hammer). I felt it was too ‘Marvel-ly’ and too much like a superhero. I wanted Thor to look bad-ass while staying in the roots of his God-Hood in Norse Mythology. So ironically I am essentially making a remix of a remix - thus un-remixing it?

In conclusion nearly every artist, author, song writer and musician gets their ideas from somewhere. Ledd Zeppelin have gathered ideas for their lyrics from Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Anne Rice adapted the vampire myth from Bram Stoker’s Dracula series, Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy tv series was adapted from The Simpsons’, and Matt Groening adapted that from the tv sitcom Married with Children. Every idea comes from someone elses’ or is inspired, adapted or innovated from someone elses’ concept. 

I believe my Baphomet Illustration to be original, but really, how original is it? I, like many others adapted the illustration from Levi’s Baphomet, and the style it is drawn in is adapted from Che’s. 

My Thor illustration is in the same boat. I adapted it from a Marvel illustration, who in turn adapted it from Norse Mythology. My illustration is a crossover of the two - a Marvel Character drawn in a Norse suit drawn in an unoriginal style.

I suppose the point is to always acknowledge your sources, but never stop striving for adaption and originality. 

Sources: 

Che, A. (2016). Horned Death (Cosmic Occult). 

Ferguson, K. (2015). Everything is a Remix. Retrieved from Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/139094998

Fuse, T. (n.d.). Thor. 2011. 

Levi, E. (n.d). Baphomet. 

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Week 8 - What is Google’s Greatest product

Google created the face of the world wide web by the design of their search engine. It made the internet accessible to anybody, and allows them to have a wealth of knowledge at hand at any time that we didn’t have before. It made the encyclopaedia redundant and allows us to learn, grow and evolve faster than we ever could before. It influences us and allows us to broaden our horizons to new ideas, opinions and cultures. You can find a new recipe or perhaps a substitute for an ingredient you don’t have. You’ll be able to learn new tricks and develop new habits from browsing Youtube. 

The other day the shower water tap came off  and I had no idea how to fix it. My first thought was “I’d better Google that.” 

The fact that Google has slipped into our vocabulary is another achievement in itself. We don’t say “I’m going to look it up.” We just say “Google it.” Because we know Google always has the answer, or an idea that leads us to our own conclusive answer. 

It may not always be correct, but that is because it has evolved from us. Google learns as we do, with each thing we post, each opinion we share, you can find it on Google. 

Google itself is its own greatest product because it has turned into this ‘Artificial Intelligence” of a sort. It is the brain and the face of the internet. It is the highway we take to our destination when we surf the web.

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THE STACKS

Wk 5 task

So the stacks are kind of like the government of the internet. We don’t get far without it, and if we go against it... hooooooo boy. They are Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. (Not in the order of importance.)

The Stacks are what we refer to when talking about the internet and basically what it currently is. When we think of the internet, we immediately think of these corporations. That’s because they consist of the devices needed to access the net and what we first see when opening up our internet app.

These ‘stacks’ are our necessary ‘device’ to access the world wide web.