Intended Outcomes Dimensions/Details

What I am actually doing.

Transforming the numbers 0-99 into letters, then into words, then into images, then into narratives. Images will be photographs of 100 objects I have collected to represent the words. I will then use these simple images to help explain the major system to other people.


Outcome and Dimensions.

Book 180x180mm, perfect bound on satin stock 120gsm. Arctic white 200gsm matte covers. Foil Blocked Title. Colour Undecided.

Book detailing interview with world memory champion, Introduction, Background, Instructions, Illustrated examples and alternative codings for the words, numbers 0-99 represented photographically.

Small card version for people to interact with.

Still need to come up with an overall way to package these contents.

To Do

Tonight

- Send email to Dominic O'Brien
- Create time table of the next 18 days
- Decide on how to represent numbers 0-99
- Write Blurb for Book and do rough Mock Up so can drop images in as I produce them
- Research printing/materials/colours in order to set deadlines
- Look at how simple it is to create side scroll website using Dreamweaver


Tomorrow:

- Begin sourcing materials from Poundland/Charity Shops/Ebay/Argos/Primark/Loft
- Set up room to become photographic/animation studio
- Book/Source Lights

Age Proof Your Brain

I wanted to see if I could get in contact with Dominic to see whether he would be interested in contributing a short written introduction/provide me with an interview for the book.

However on further investigation I have found in a weeks time Dominic O'Brien is giving a talk on 'Age Proof Your Brain' in London! Rather conveniently on the 26th at some horrifying 'Mind. Body. Spirit. Celebrating our Human Potential' festival. I am going to book a ticket, attempt to contact him and see if I can meet him! It would also be useful to see him explain his theory first hand and whether he has any particularly humorous examples.

Other talks available include 'Saying F**ck. It Really Works.' and 'Just Get on With It'. They all cost so much money for what is probably complete rubbish. Self Help is clearly an area to get into.

Intended Outcomes

Above is a clip of Dominic O'Brien, British "Mnemonist".

Having discussed my project for all of 45 seconds today I finally think I know what I am doing.
'The Dominic System' which Dominic employs above is a modernisation of 'The Major System'. The original although a proven to be successful technique it is quite dry and challenging to get to grips with. As the video shows there is potential for the system to actually be extremely imaginative and creative (despite badly illustrated) and I don't think this comes across in basic introductions to this approach.

I want to create a more 'fun' and accessible introduction to the system that is easier to use and engage with every day numbers such as PIN codes and phone numbers. I am going to create illustrations for the numbers 0-99 using his system and which are then going to take the form of:

1) A Book - With a basic introduction, large full bleed images of the "numbers".

2) A smaller more portable double sided set of cards in same style as book that can be moved around and put into sets in order to aid memory.

.....

So while everyone is racing ahead with deisgn and production I am still unable to come up with an outcome for my project. I wish I had come up with a less ambitious brief for myself or was being set specific outlines by a client. With such a short amount of time before submission I am extremely concerned with what I will be able to produce. Either a poor idea well realised or a good idea poorly realised.

With only 24 days before submission I need to pick and idea quickly whatever it may be just so I have something produced for hand in.

Apologies

Due to committing myself to 40 hours in 3 days at work I have become incredibly behind with my FMP. I should have worked out precisely what I was doing by last Wednesday and I still haven't done so.

I have changed my initial plans to produce a screen based final outcome due to time constraints and lack of technical knowledge. Here is a rough direction of where I am headed to, a more precise outcome to follow later today (hopefully). I would love nothing more than to just 'get on with it'.

These are some rough notes I made to myself on my commute to work.

'Adding synesthetic qualities to numbers via print/materials in order to make them more memorable. Tactile. Create a more fun, less definitive answer. Experiment into giving printed numbers another dimension. Doesn't have to be 'the answer' and help people. Approach from graphic design perspective/knowledge rather than science and maths. Hopefully this will give new spin on the area. Giving numbers a "personality". It may not work in practice but it is something I want to experiment with.

- separate number cards that can be arranged into a number you find had to remember
- posters, examples of numbers all together
- interactive (but not on screen)
- create a type face specifically for work, that is easy to use in different prints/formats

I find this much more interesting. I have been looking at lots of examples of photographic outcomes, so will need to look over what is available to me in terms of print.'

This obviously leaves me with a lot of work to do in a very short space of time.  Hopefully my fear of failure will motivate me rather than stun me into inactivity.

Serial Cut

Still-life of retro music items and souvenirs from Barcelona as main image from this 55th edition of a Classical Music Contest, images and still-life from a promo magazine for the world’s first non-dry gin: WET by Beefeater and a still life with a retro feel in which all the elements are suspended by fishing lines.

Akarte Atlier

Yet more visual research. After today it is banned and I am only allowed to post my own work.

Hattie Newman

Illustrator and set maker. Work includes Fedrigoni Mountains Installation produced for Fedrigoni in collaboration with Alex Ostrowski, a series of paper sets calling for people to enter the Media Guardian’s Innovation Awards, The Assembly made in collaboration with Container Plus, The World of YCN, Cardboard town made for Wonderclub’s production of ‘The Juniper Tree’ by The Brothers Grimm. The town was constructed in one day out of discarded boxes and became part of an interactive set around which the audience were encouraged to wander.

Kyle Bean

Airside

Airside have recently finished the design and animation for shelving company Vitsoe’s new site. Lovely opening animation on the homepage.

www.vitsoe.com.

Cinco

Bryan Dalton

Idaft

Tumblr

http://hannahelizabethgriffithsfmp.tumblr.com/ on second thoughts, I think I am just procrastinating and I am just going to stay here. And change the colours. Again.

Small Stakes

Not wishing to create the same aesthetic but incorporate the visual wit and bizarre imagery; often two completely unrelated elements are combined as is common with image mnemonics.

Paul Rand

How To

Rather helpfully these nice people have described the entire process of creating this piece so I have some idea of how elaborate it actually is. "We made a list of objects that were surrounding us, objects that were all around us on a daily bases, and that we use primarily for their own function. We placed them randomly at first to recreate a realistic desk, and mark them down after all to make sure we knew where each of them needed to stand for the filming."

Each element was filmed or animated using stop-motion on seperated sequence. By using plain colours as a background we were able to key each objects, giving us the opportunity to have them on transparent background. The shoot as been done in Montreal at Simon Duhamel studio.

After we cleaned up each images from their background, we numerically disposed them back on the empty table using After Effect. Jérémi Dallaire was the flash engeneer and made the link between the objects and each A to Z keys. There is no link what so ever between the keys that control the objects. The idea is to experiment with the actual scene without knowing which object the key will activate.

The sound design was made by Nicolas Burrows and René-Pierre T.-Guérin. Due to the distance between Leeds (Nicolas) and Montreal, we could not record the exact same objects as on what's on the table. Also, since most of them don't make any sense in the way they are animated (the melting eraser for example), it left place for a playground of experimentation.

Danse Dance

"Each day, we are surrounded by seemingly insignificant objects, taking them from one place to the other, or leaving them on a table for weeks, without paying any attention to them. We ignore or forget them, using things only when we need to, making sure they don’t interfere or inhabit our space. But what if they were not so stable and subservient? What if they could swivel, bounce or even fly. And what if they did so all at the same time? We want to imagine a place where objects could live and move, harmoniously, and of their own accord. Without interfering with each other these objects would bounce, roll, turn and cross each other’s paths. This experiment is about re-discovering our daily surroundings. Each object is assigned to a letter on the keyboard, and can be activated or deactivated at any time."

Juxtaposition and unusual activities of objects could act as memory triggers. Order objects move could dictate order of things to remember. Interactivity of piece also serves as a reminder. Environmental aspect adheres to to 'Memory Palace' formula to remember things. However production wise this is slightly out of my league.

Sticky Graphics

Found this little number on amazon today. Having got lost in the actual content of the work I have completely neglected to consider that the physicality of the outcome and how it's actual design (through use of typography, graphic wit and shock, metaphor language, scale, colour, image, materials, and composition as well as its interactivity including smell, sound, and touch can contribute to how memorable the content is. Since I am doing a GRAPHIC DESIGN OUTCOME I thought it might be useful.

"Colour, image and composition have the ability to create visual mnemonics, both individually and collectively. They have been grouped together in this section because they are usually the most effective in assisting memory when working together. For example colour combinations are frequently made more memorable though interesting shape configurations or contrasts in scale, whether they are used figuratively or in abstract context. Even when colours have been deliberately selected for their optical or illusory impact, it is generally the manner in which they are used and composed that brings about memory retention.

Images possibly have the most potential as memory devices. However despite shocking, unusual or unexpected subject matter being comparatively noticeable it is more likely that cropping, positioning, use of scale and use of colour in and around an image are what makes a design unforgettable. Comparisons of two versions of the same shot; One in a sensationalist tabloid newspaper and one in a supposedly more factual and upmarket newspaper demonstrate that the large closely cropped interpretation in the former is very difficult to forget. It focuses in the emotional, personal content of an event and will not allow viewers to escape from the heart of what is happening. Conversely, the photograph that contains more contextual information keeps readers at a distance: although they may be just as interested in what is happening they are less likely to remember what they have seen.

Image and colour can create strong mnemonics, photographs that capture unusual or striking colour relationships that are enhanced by momentary light in nature, or controlled lighting in studio, often have a 'wow' factor that is very memorable, when designers transpose accepted colours for unnatural or unexpected ones, this two can make the image stick in the memory - a blue daffodil, a green cloud, or bright purple letterbox for example, would grab attention, and are likely to be easily remembered. Relationships of simple images and colours, particularly within the context of branding, can take on iconic or symbolic roles that become remembered. Flooding the marketplace is bound to make these brands familiar to a vast spectrum of people, but considerably less publicised icons and symbols can also be remembered for their unique shapes and colour combinations. Even typographic configurations that have distinctive shape and colour come into this category, as they are recognised and remembered in a similar manner to images.

The Number Shape System

I did not draw this


The number shape system is a method of replacing hard to remember and abstract numbers with an image which is easy to remember. As an example the number one is replaced with an image which is similar in shape to the number '1', such as a pen, pencil or arrow. The other numbers can similarly be replaced and the following sequence is one suggestion for the numbers 0 to 9. Tyre, Candle, Swan, Heart, Yacht, Hook, Elephants trunk, Axe, Hour Glass, Tennis Racket. As an example, to remember that the number of a house you must visit is number seven, visualise the house door and imagine you are breaking into it with the axe. Fairly literal but simple, possibly useful to create images of numbers.

The Dominic System

This is Dominic O'Brien

The Dominic System is a Memory Technique that made its designer, Dominic O'Brien, World Memory Champion (he can memorise the order of a full deck of playing cards in less than a minute). Some people who find the MajorSystem; too dry and restrictive find they can stick with the Dominic System. The Dominic System uses an easy-to-remember number-to-letter conversion and the initials of memorable people, as well as "journeys". The number-to-letter correspondences run as follows:

Digit Letter
1 A
2 B
3 C
4 D
5 E
6 S
7 G
8 H
9 N
0  O 

The numbers 00 to 99 are remembered via famous people and actions characteristic of them. For example, the number 15 becomes AE. AE might be represented by Albert Einstein, with Einstein's characteristic action writing on a blackboard. Similarly, 80 = HO = Santa Claus, laughing and holding his belly (HO HO HO!).

Four-digit numbers can be remembered by combining the person for the first two digits with the action for the second two digits. Thus, 8015 = HOAE = Santa Claus with Albert Einstein's action = Santa Claus writing on a blackboard.

Five-digit numbers are memorised by adding a symbol from the NumberShapeSystem to the image, so that 80152 might be represented by Santa writing on a blackboard with a swan (2) tucked under one arm.

Longer sequences of numbers (e.g., PiMemorisation), or sequences of any kind, can be memorised by "chunking" them and committing them to the stages of a "journey". Journeys are the same as MemoryPalaces for most purposes, although O'Brien seems to prefer outdoor scenes, which may be why he calls them "journeys". Journeys can be indoor as well, however; one's first journey is often a tour of your house or apartment.

The Dominic System is a combination of the innovative (easier mnemonic alphabet, using people because people are easier to remember than inanimate objects, etc.), and the tried-and-true MemoryPalaces, which go back to classical times). It has a couple of advantages over the MajorSystem and its derivatives:

The 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc. Dominic System is easier to learn than the Major System's more arbitrary 1=T/D/TH, 2=N, 3=M, etc., and therefore possibly faster to use. There is circumstantial evidence that the Dominic System is superior; Dominic O'Brien became World Memory Champion using his system, a title that includes competitions for speed in memorisation.

There is no extra "scaffolding" on top of the MajorSystem, as there is with SemCubed; the characteristic actions are combined with the famous people in an easy, natural, integrated way, so if you can memorise 100 items with the Dominic System (00-99), you can memorise 10,000 (0000-9999).

The Major System

Since numbers dominate our lives I have begun to look at ways in which to learn combinations of numbers. The Major System is over 300 years old and was introduced by Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein (awesome name) and later developed by Dr Richard Grey (less awesome name).

Each numeral is associated with several consonants. Vowels and the consonants w, h and y are ignored. These can be used as "fillers" to make sensible words from the resulting consonant sequences. The most popular sequence can be seen above.

Each numeral maps to a set of similar sounds with similar mouth and tongue positions. The link is phonetic, that is to say, it is the consonant sounds that matter, not the spelling. Therefore a word like action would encode the number 762 (k-ch-n), not 712 (k-t-n); and ghost would be 701 (g-z-t), while, because the gh in enough is pronounced like an f, the word enough encodes the number 28 (n-f). Similarly, double letters are disregarded. The word missile is mapped to 305 (m-z-l), not 3005 (m-z-z-l). To encode 3005 one would use something like mossy sail. Often the mapping is compact. Hindquarters, for example, translates unambiguously to 2174140 (n-d-qu-r-t-r-z), which amounts to 7 digits encoded by 8 letters, and can be easily visualized.

The system is also employed with phone numbers. One would typically make up multiple words, preferably a sentence, or an ordered sequence of images featuring the owner of the number. An advantage of the major system is that it is possible to use a computer to automatically translate the number into a set of words. One can then pick the best of several alternatives.

I find this easy to understand in theory but in practice I don't find it easy at all.

zoo goo veg
no zoo nun
yellow muff

07872022338

as amusing as I found this, I can't get it to help me remember my phone number.

Phrases to Remember Numbers

'OH, WHEN I KNOW TO FREE HATE TO SEVER NO ONE'

01902382701

In theory I would like to develop someway to translate numbers into written word to make them more memorable, however with the infinite combinations of numbers it is next to impossible.

I have tried to apply this generally to a few numbers but it just doesn't work as well.

'OH SEVER, ATE SEVER TOO. OH TUTU FREE, FREE HATE'

07872022338

'Oh too oh, ate For sicks sever I’ve freed for mine'

02084675349

Thinking Aloud

What did we need to remember in past which we don't need to do now because of technology?

Basic Mathematics
Language
History
Musical Notation
Health and Safety
Geography
Spelling
Time and the Calendar

What do we need to remember now that didn't exist before the advent of new technology?

PIN numbers
Mobile Phone Number
BBM
Online Banking Number
Usernames for email/social networking sites
Passwords for email/social networking sites
Access Codes
Passport Number
Student Number
Credit Card Numbers


These are however complicated because they are not relevant to everyone, unlike early mnemonics. So either I need to find objects/situations that affect us all otherwise I will need to create a way of personalising a mnemonic system.


Objects to Remember

keys
money
travelcard
mp3 player
mobile

Despina Curtis

Objects of Codependency

Modified objects communicate well known phrases including 'just between you and me', 'I could talk to you forever', 'an unexpected spark' and 'just keeping an eye on you'.