Evans, Wittkower, Norman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evans, Wittkower, Norman - Essay Example When you think about it, it is clear in one sense that we have emotional relationships with the things that we use on a regular basis, and which allow us to do our work and to connect with the people we love, or else allow us to do the things that we love doing. For instance, people have emotional connections with their cars and their bicycles, and this is something that advertisers understand so well. When companies market cars, for instance, there is the explicit connection that advertisers try to establish between the car as the product itself, and the way the car represents a range of emotions and relationships with people dear to car buyers. A family sedan advertised, for instance, would highlight the fun and happy things that families can do with the family sedan. The better the emotional connection made between the potential buyer and the car, the higher the prospects of buyers becoming interested enough to give the car a try. In this case, emotions pique interest and elicit r esponse. Where there is ownership of a vehicle for instance, even a bicycle, then the emotional connection is sometimes intense. People sometimes get buried with their most favorite things, with their bicycles, with their Swiss knives, and with their cell phones. Whether the emotional connection is because of the great utility of the thing, or because of something that is designed into the thing in order to elicit hopefully positive emotional connections, it is clear that the things that people own are not just things that are devoid of emotional context. People buy and keep things on the basis of how they feel about using the things that they buy, is something that is so obvious in the way products and services are marketed, that it is absurd to overlook just how important it is to listen to Don Norman talk about imputing emotional characteristics in to the very design of products. It is clear too, from the work ethic and philosophy of the man, that the ability to elicit an emotion al response is a core tenet of his design philosophy (Norman, 2012; Norman, 2012b): My field is Human-Centered Design: making products that people can use, that fit their needs, that excite them and are enjoyable. The United States leads the world in human-centered design. This is true in all domains: computer and cellphone applications, industrial equipment, work tools for professionals, and of course home and consumer electronics. It is not an accident that the entire world relies on our operating systems: Apple, Google, and Microsoft for phones; Apple and Microsoft for computers (Norman, 2012) To put it another way, it makes perfect sense that Norman asserts that it is good design to impute emotional considerations when undertaking the design of products, while also making sure that the most important product attributes as perceived by the consumer are met. For instance, imputing emotional inputs into smart phone design does not mean always that the designs include smileys at the back plates of the phones. It does mean that where the functionalities, the necessary technologies, and such product attributes as sturdiness and reliability are met, then other aspects of design, such as colors and aesthetics, can then impute more ineffable emotional characteristics. Looking at cell phones and computers, for instance, the very robustness of the technology and the excellence of certain products in terms of reliability and build quality are themselves wellsprings of positive emotions for the buyer. Those are positive emotions brought about by the excellence of the engineering. On the other hand, where the design also imputes thoughtful ergonomics and tasteful, positive colors explicitly, to induce certain positive emotions, then those are the design elements that help establish the added pull for a positive relationship between the cell phone

Intellectual thought Essay Example for Free

Intellectual thought Essay An intellectual is a person who primarily uses intelligence in either a professional or an individual capacity. As a substantive or adjective, it refers to the work product of such persons, to the so-called life of the mind generally, or to an aspect of something where learning, erudition, and informed and critical thinking are the focus, as in the intellectual level of the discourse on the matter was not high. Jacques Barzun, a French-American intellectual.  The intellectual is a specific variety of the intelligent, which unlike the general property, is strictly associated with reason and thinking. Many everyday roles require the application of intelligence to skills that may have a psychomotor component, for example, in the fields of medicine, sport or the arts, but these do not necessarily involve the practitioner in the world of ideas. The distinctive quality of the intellectual person is that the mental skills, which he or she demonstrates, are not simply intelligent, but even more, they focus on thinking about the abstract, philosophical and esoteric aspects of human inquiry and the value of their thinking. Traditionally, the scholarly and the intellectual classes were closely identified; however, while intellectuals need not necessarily be actively involved in scholarship, they often have an academic background and will typically have an association with a profession. More broadly, any work of the mind may be termed intellectual property, whether or not its content is intellectual in the sense covered in this article. Intellectuals include not only philosophers, interested in epistemology, but also others in the arts and sciences, plus the humanities, with no boundaries as to fields of study.

The Cuban Revolution Essays -- essays research papers

The Cuban Revolution Mr. Barron Jason Rosenzweig  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   January 9, 1997   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Cuban Revolution many change occurred in Cuba. Cuba was once a corrupt dictatorship, now and for the past 36 years Castro has led a communist government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Castro took over Batista, Batista ran a biossed economy for the rich. Officials took pay offs, keeping the majority of the peoples thoughts invisible. Protestors of Batista were murdered, and their body's were thrown in gutters. During these times the life for the rich was plentiful, they had more Cadillacs than any other city in the world, and the highest number of T.V. sets per capita out of all the Latin American countries . Many gambling casinos were also present. While life for the poor was plagued with unemployment, inadequate health care, and a high illiteracy rate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Castro's take over of the government, changed many ways of life in Cuba, most of which benefited the poor or the majority of the people. Education was improved for the poor, there are many times more schools and staff members to educate the young. Health care was improved, infant mortality rate has dropped from 60 to 11.1 which is comparable to industrialized nations.   &...

Steriods and Baseball Essay examples -- essays research papers

Athletes and Steroids   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jose Canseco claims steroids can make an average athlete a super athlete, and make a super athlete incredible. With that statement said, it not only compels pro athletes to use steroids, but teenagers as well. In 2002, NIDA funded a study that asked teen athletes if they ever tried steroids. The study confirmed that 2.5% of 8th graders used it; about 3.5% of 10th graders; and 4% of 12th graders admitted using steroids. The percentage of teens using steroids is on the rise every year and I believe something needs to be done to prevent it from even getting higher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most athletes acquire steroids to gain size and strength. The main reason I believe younger athletes are taking steroids is because they take notice of pro athletes taking them. The pro athletes you hear taking them are: Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, as of late. Young athletes have grown up watching these two superb athletes and strive to be like them. In reality, the only way they can even come close to being as great as them is by taking anabolic steroids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Professional athletes have been taking steroids for decades, it is proven. Athletes get stripped of gold medals they’ve won in the Olympics because of steroid use. Many sports have been now increasing the amount of steroid testing because they feel it is an unfair advantage. People who take steroids clearly are more super...

What Is Normal in Our Society?

For you, what is normal? After browsing lousily in the blog topics given and after three garbage drafts of different topics, at last, I found the one topic I really get to put my mind on. Actually, it interested me to write about this topic because this is one topic which a friend and I debated about. At that time, we had different views on how we say that a certain person is normal. I think  everyone is just too normal and ordinary that everyone does different things to stand out. Because of this cause, everyone seems to be the same.This tends the idea for the contented people to look as if they are abnormal. People who don't tend to be â€Å"normal† are the ones who makes no effort to be different. Most of the people in our surroundings wants to prove themselves to other people (say, parents, boss and even a loved one) for reasons beyond our understanding. Because of this purpose, it becomes a trend for people that when a next person who announces his rebellion to be diffe rent is just normal. I know it's kind of confusing but my main point is, everything is normal. Examples? Fine, I'll give them. Change is normal.Absurdity is normal. Imagination is normal. Twisted minds are normal. Even abnormality is normal. Sometimes, those people who spend tremendous energy to be the same as everyone else are the ones who stand out and the ones who uses up gargantuan power to be different are often neglected because of its normality. People who uses queer routines would at first be queer but as time passes by, it would be normal in their aspect. The future tendency of that person is to make another show to stand out because that habit would not have lasting appreciation of the listener's.Being normal means to do things that are exceptionally dominant in a common society. When in a casual walk we suddenly see a beggar in America, we would think it is not normal. Why? Because in our knowledge, it has been put in our heads by our parents that America is a great count ry not liable of poverty. This is true. Back to the beggar stuff, well, who knows, maybe he is a broken down man who gave up hope in his life. If this is the situation, it would be normal. If he is a man who came from a wealthy and loving family and he is ust like that because he is needed to accomplish a prearranged marriage, that is normal too, however queer it might just be. To be normal is to be queer. Sometimes, it crosses my mind that normality is queerness all the same. What I literally mean is that when people try to be normal, it sounds so queer. How can a person not possibly be normal, right? While when a person tries to be queer, it looks so normal. I mean, it is just so common that people are just used to it. I JUST LOVE THE IRONY!

Racism Essays (1262 words) - Social Inequality, Discrimination

Racism Essays (1262 words) - Social Inequality, Discrimination Racism Racism is defined by the Webster Dictionary as the assumption that the characteristics and abilities of an individual are determined by race and that one race is biologically superior to another. Confronted with a problem as complex as racism, we cannot afford to let ourselves be constrained by the boundaries of specific disciplines. Racism is alive and well. The reports of its demise are totally unfounded so that we come to the beginning of the twenty-first century, it remains as our society's major dilemma. There is a lot at stake when dealing with this issue, but that fact is that we cannot brush it aside or ignore it any longer because it is present in everything we do. Canada and the United States are one of the two biggest countries when it comes to ethnic diversities within its boundaries. Immigrants enter these countries by the thousands to better their chances of a good and stable life. The demographic statistics of these countries are rapidly rising. Immigrants are starting to take over and their presence is being felt more and more. Historically, both countries had their respective problems involving other races. When the British settlers first came to Canada, they were confronted with the Native Americans. Their goal was to claim land for England, but they also had to convert the aboriginal to the Catholic religion. So against their will, the Native Americans were taught to worship a new God. The Whites were taking advantage of these primitive tribes living in and around the country. They played with their minds, giving them hard liquor, disguised as the Drink of Life. So the aboriginals were overwhelmed, and could not stop the invasion. They were defeated, forced to live in small territories, and some were turned into slaves. Americans were as bad, if not worst, toward racial groups. The most significant of the acts committed is the segregation of African American during the late eighteen hundreds until the mid-nineteen hundreds. Black people were brought from Africa and were auctioned to the highest bidder to work in the cotton fields. Their working conditions were atrocious and a lot of them died of hunger or sickness. It's not until the Civil War that the legal status of African Americans started to change. Even then, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down federal statutes designed to enforce the amendments. The absence of an adequate federal law permitted discrimination against black Americans in employment and housing, public accommodations, the judicial system, and voting opportunities. In the two historic events, the possible reason for the actions done toward the racial minorities might be the fear the have towards them. We did not understand why they were different from us, so we categorised them and immediately judged them as the inferior race. Even though the history of both nations was different, their actions against racial minorities were similar to one another. Throughout the years, it seems that Canadians and Americans have excepted their immigrant counterparts. In both Canada and the United States, a range of indicators of racial attitudes shows certain positive trends. In the United States, the National Academy of Sciences report, A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society, gleaned data from dozen of national opinion polls conducted between 1942 and 1983. These polls show growing and now virtually universal verbal commitment to the principle of racial equality. The disparities between the Whites and the Blacks have declined significantly. In Canada, race is less conspicuous. Without doubt the climate in Canada too has improved since the Second World War, when racially exclusionary immigration policies were still in effect. For its study, The Economic and Social Impact of Immigration, the Economic Council of Canada assembled data from existing surveys of intolerance. The council reported a positive trend among anglophones on an index of tolerance. A survey conducted in 1990 by Decima Research Ltd. permits a comparison of the two countries. The Canadians in the survey were, overall, slightly less overtly racist than the Americans: 90 percent of Canadians and 86 percent of Americans agreed that all races are created equal (Maclean's, 1990). This difference is insubstantial. Large minorities in both countries deny overt racism. Canadians favour immigrations more than Americans do, despite the fact

Journeys End by R C Sherriff Essays

Journeys End by R C Sherriff Essays Journeys End by R C Sherriff Paper Journeys End by R C Sherriff Paper Essay Topic: Literature A dramatic analysis of Act three, Scene one, showing how R. C Sherriff brings the raid to life and conveys the horror of war, despite the limitations of the stage. The author of the play R. C Sherriff, was an officer in the First World War. The play is based upon his real life experiences. He wrote several other plays, but it is for Journeys End that he is best remembered. The play shows the horrific conditions in the trenches. It also shows the class divide between the officers and the men. The scene is set in a dugout in the British trenches before St. Quentin. It is the 20th March 1918. Seven months before the end of the First World War. The dugout is bare and gloomy with make shift seats, a bed and a large table. The walls are of bare earth with a few pictures of girls pinned to them. There are candles burning and faint sound of the war. The front line is only fifty yards away. Act three, scene one, begins with Stanhope, the commanding officer, pacing up and down. It is dusk and a glow from the setting sun focuses the audiences attention solely on him. His mood is agitated and anxious. Two officers, Osbourne and Raleigh and ten other men are to go over the top of the trench to find out what is happening on the Germans front line. They hope to cross seventy yards of no-mans land, and go through the Germans wire fences. Their object is to see where the German troops are and to capture a couple of young Germans if possible. This is a very dangerous thing to do and Stanhope is worried. He would have prepared it to take place earlier in the afternoon during daylight. Stanhope glances anxiously at his watch, nineteen minutes to go. He shouts for Mason who is his servant and therefore has a separate dugout. He asks for coffee then continues to pace restlessly to and fro. The colonel of the regiment enters the scene by the steps into the dugout, and asks if everything is ready. The commanding officer tries to convey to the colonel that he thinks is a mistake. The atmosphere is tense. The colonel is accused of not doing enough to avoid the raid and have the plans altered. The colonel then becomes assertive. He tries to justify the raid by saying the Germans did the same to the British a few days before. Stanhope persists by saying, Why seven? He implies sarcastically that any other time might have interrupted the Colonels dinner. The effect is that the Colonels priorities are wrong. He is putting his routine of meals and writing reports before the lives of men. Stanhopes contempt of the Colonel and the situation are portrayed. They continue to argue. Stanhope is concerned that the British mortars will not blow a hole in the German wire fence. They plan to drop smoke bombs to cover the men, Stanhope says they will not have to go over the top until the smoke is thick enough. He knows that there are a dozen machine guns trained on their dugout, just waiting. The Colonel and Stanhope continue their dialogue. The Colonel is concerned about any prisoners they take being knocked out before they get them back to the British lines. He is using the words knocked out as a euphemism for death. As though it would be bad look to actually mention death. The Colonel then tries to persuade Stanhope that it will be all right. After all, its only sixty yards. He says, Osbournes a cool, level headed chap, and Raleighs the very man to dash in. They discuss the men who are to go with the two officers. Stanhope says, The best. All youngsters, strong keen chaps. This means that they are just very young boys. Red rags have been tied to the wire to show the men the gap in the fence. The Colonel asks if these have upset the men. Stanhope says it is hard to say, but that he is upset that the men are making a joke of it. It is obvious that these red rags make them think of blood. At this point Osbourne and Raleigh come down the steps to the dugout. The Colonel says, Well Osbourne, everything ready? Osbourne says yes and that the men will stand by at three minutes to. The Colonel asks if they will go when the smoke thickens. Osbourne is very matter of fact, Thats right sir. Stanhope shouts, Mason! at the dugout, and the coffee is brought in. he is concerned about the men and asks Osbourne if they have been given their rum. The Colonel asks, Are they cheerful? Stanhope tells the Colonel that he thinks the men would appreciate a word of encouragement from him. The Colonel seems reluctant to speak to them, but Stanhope persuades him that it is the right thing to do. Grudgingly the Colonel prepares to leave. This is an awkward moment in the play. He pauses then clears his throats before taking Osbournes then Raleighs hand to wish them luck. They both realise that they are probably about to die, but nothing is said. The Colonel emphasises the importance of what they are doing and promises them a medal if they succeed. Stanhope and the Colonel then prepare to leave but the Colonel says over his shoulder that they must empty their pockets of any papers. Raleigh exclaims, Oh, no and goes into his dugout to empty his pockets. This shows him as being young and nai ve. Osbourne calls Stanhope back. They have had a close relationship. Both coming from wealthy public school backgrounds. He gives Stanhope a letter, his watch and his ring, awkwardly asking him to give them to his wife if anything should happen to him. This shows that he is very uncertain that he will return. Stanhope tries to reassure him but does not sound very convincing. The impression is they will not see each other again. As Stanhope leaves the dugout he lingers and takes one last look at Osbourne. He then reluctantly leaves the scene. Raleigh returns and he and Osbourne are alone in the dugout. Osbourne smokes his pipe and Raleigh has a cigarette. They decide against having some rum in case it makes them, A bit muzzy. And they stir their coffees in silence. The mood is very serious. They look each other in the eye and Osbourne asks Raleigh how he feels. They are edgy and tense, just wanting the time to pass so that they can get going. They decide to have one last look at the map and go through their final plans. Suddenly Raleigh loses his courage. He says, Oh Lord, I cant. Osbourne states, You must! Raleigh reverts to his public school outlook. He shows his youth and inexperience, How topping if we both get the M. C.! The conversation continues in a meaningless way. Osbourne trying to keep the conversation away from the raid, but Raleigh wants to talk about it. He is starting to think about how badly the Boche will shell them as they cross no-mans land. Osbourne starts to quote poetry to take Raleighs mind off things. Osbourne shows how much more mature he is than Raleigh in this scene. They touch on thoughts of home, places they both know. They make a tentative plans to visit each other after the war, each describing places they know and love. The time passes slowly. Osbourne looks at his watch. Two minutes to go. Raleigh notices Osbournes ring on the table. The lighting at this point should pick out Raleigh as he realises that Osbourne does not really expect to return. There is an uncomfortable silence. Osbourne then tries to prepare himself. They hang a lanyard round their necks to hold their revolvers. The feel of the weapon gives them a sense of security. They put on their helmets. Osbourne looks back at his still lighted pipe with reluctance. A comfortable picture of middle class life is given before they turn to leave. One last look into each others eyes and an assurance that they are glad to have each other and they leave the scene. This scene relies heavily on pathos to generate pity and sympathy in the audience. It draws attention to Raleighs youth and inexperience and to the sort of life the men hope and dream of returning to. The next part of this scene is the actual raid. Solely stage directions rather than it being acted out on stage describe it. The stage is empty of people, only props are left standing. The silence is held as long as possible before the audience starts to fidget. This builds up the tension of the play for the audience. R. C Sherriff brings the raid to life by using sound effects, this means that the audience will have to use a lot of their imagination. There is a heavy use of onomatopoeia and personification. An example of personification is, A vicious rattle of machine guns. The word vicious is used to bring across the aspect of fear to the audience. Examples of onomatopoeia that are used throughout these directions are, Crush, crash, whine, shriek and rattle. These are used to explain the actions of bombs going off. As the directions develop, a crescendo is formed until it reaches its climax. This is when, . the whine of one shell rises above the others to a shriek and a crash. A dark funnel earth leaps beyond the parapet of the trench. After this, the directions create a diminuendo with words such as, A black cloud of smoke rises slowly out of sight. And, Gradually, the noise dies away-. Prove this. Stanhopes voice is heard in an urgent tone. He asks the colonel to come down quickly. The colonel then asks how many, and Stanhope replies only one. This is a use of ambiguity on the audience. The audiences are thinking only one what? One dead? One alive? The stage directions describe Stanhope as being pale and haggard as he comes down the steps. I feel that a better verb could be used in the place of comes. A verb such as staggers or, stumbles would fit the role more suitably. Next, sees the kidnap of the young German boy. A great emphasis on his youth is portrayed. He is always referred to as, Sonny or, boy. Suddenly the boy falls on his knees and sobs out some words in broken English. The word sobs sounds just as a child would do when he/she was scared. With a huge fist, Sergeant Major takes the boy by the collar and draws him to his feet. An emphasis on the boys youth is portrayed again when the Sergeant Major picks him up with a huge fist. The use of his huge fist makes the boy appear very small and frightened. The colonel and the German boy then have a conversation. Some humour is brought across with the colonels pathetic German speaking voice, by his misunderstanding of words. Sergeant Major searches the boy when he refuses to answer what town he came from. He finds a pocket book. There are letters in the case, possibly received from his mother. He clutches at it impulsively. If these letters are from his mother, he probably gets hope and courage from them and possibly a sense of security. Sergeant Major also finds a few juvenile articles in his pockets, Bit o string, sir; you can almost imagine a conker on the end of the string, Little box o fruit drops; pocket-knife, sir; bit o cedar pencil, there is a touch of pathos here. A full cedar pencil is excusable, but only a bit of, seems very juvenile. . And a stick o chocolate, sir. I think that Sergeant Major feels sorry for the German boy. He turns to him with a smile and calls him sonny, which puts him at ease. The German boy bows stiffly to the colonel, showing respect. Even though he is the enemy, he recognised the colonel as a commanding officer. The colonel is deeply absorbed in the Germans pay book. He rises quickly. He will be going back to headquarters with the splendid news hoping for promotion. He is pleased with the success of the mission and not bothered about the men who went through it. At this point, the audience awaits the return of Osbourne and Raleigh. Stanhope comes slowly down the steps, in disbelief and shock. The colonel excitedly shouts, Splendid Stanhope, weve got all we wanted- 20th Wurtemburgers!. I must go right away and phone the brigadier. Hell be very pleased about it, its a feather in our cap Stanhope. This shows the colonels ignorance. He doesnt even ask about the men, all hes interested in is scoring brownie points with the Brigadier. Stanhope replies, How awfully nice- if the Brigadiers pleased. In a sarcastic tone. Stanhope is astonished that the colonel could be so insensitive. The colonel then realises what he has said and feels very uncomfortable, Oh- er- what about the raiding party- are they safely back? Stanhope replies, Did you expect them to be all safely back, sir? Stanhope makes the colonel feel bad. He answers the colonels question with another question. Stanhope then informs the colonel of Osbournes death. The colonel says, Im very sorry, poor Osbourne! Stanhope then replies, Still, itll be awfully nice if the Brigadiers pleased. Stanhope and the colonel are uneasy with each other. Raleigh comes slowly down the steps, walking as if he were asleep. The colonel turns to the boy with enthusiasm, Well done, my boy. Ill get you a military cross for this! Splendid! it is almost as if the colonel is trying to forget about Osbourne already. The youth factor of Raleigh is portrayed again in this part of the play. He is always referred to as boy. Raleigh went over the top a nai ve schoolboy and he came back a disillusioned man. Raleigh sits on the edge of Osbournes bed, just like hes on automatic pilot. There is a silence in the trench outside. This could be a silence for no more raid, no more Osbourne. It is a respectful silence. This silence also builds up the tension and suspense. There is a dominant sense of loss in the room. Stanhope sits staring at the table where Osbourne left his watch and ring. Stanhope and Raleighs eyes meet. Stanhope speaks, his voice expressionless and dead, Must you sit on Osbournes bed? Stanhope has lost a good friend, the person he used to trust. His confidant. Raleigh, in his solitary position, rises unsteadily and murmurs, Sorry. The scene finishes with the stage directions, Heavy guns are booming miles away. This emphasises the fact that the war is happening wider than this. Everything still happens.