The focal point of any publicity within an adult learning centre is “the Notice board”, and it is this element which I’m currently aiming to interpret within any exhibition space. This in turn will provide the frame for any work which is produced through and as a result of my action research.

Tutorials have raised consideration of previous installations such as that of Martin Boyce (Turner Prize Winner, 2011 – in particular “We are Soundless Until Spoken”, 2010, where scratched and scraped graffiti sprawl across a wooden desktop) as well as a 2010 exhibition of prison doors at Edinburgh Castle, where graffiti again is etched, recording the meandering of inmates minds (video footage of these is provided below).

My own personal interest is the visceral, core realisation, where the opportunities education offers can enable social mobility and life improvement. The question, ‘What if. . .’ perpetuates the thought of the prospective learner.

I am trying to source components for the exhibition, before demolition consigns history to a skip. Watch this space.

Previously I have argued that learning is a product of education, where, ‘product positioning’ in terms of aspirational markets could be used positively to help reach out to groups within the widening participation agenda. Two of the examples below are university campuses (City Campus, Newport and the Atrium, Cardiff), which effectively are ‘pay-per-learner’. One uses serif type in its make-up and the other sans serif; the school (Archbishop McGrath Catholic School, Bridgend) also uses sans serif. Here perhaps are examples of a mixed message or disagreement in aligning any visual graphical style to architectural form and function (similarly, any of these new campuses might simply be adopting its corporate language).

In addition, where Archbishop McGrath School, has expended significant cost to its building’s fabric, intriguingly, very little has been applied to its prospectus – this being almost homemade in appearance.

What is the message projected by these temples of learning? I am reminded of my initial council debate of how inappropriate application (of type) could be deemed a ‘barrier to education.’ I would still contest this for some learners within the WP framework, and wonder whether this other visual design ingredient – architecture – cements any educational barrier or connects to the aspiration of learners.

Programme information (from BBC webpages): “It’s official; class is back! Riots on the street, old-Etonians in government, a workforce on strike, Downton Abbey, The King’s Speech, the royal wedding and vajazzling…

It seemed entirely based on a middle-class standpoint, where the panel, although possessing different regional or ‘class’ accents, were not working-class even though they might well have been in their pasts.

Aside from the programmes apparent shortcomings, it was interesting to note that the word CLASS which provided the graphic backdrop for the programme used a very traditional serif type, with the traditional suggestion that the notion of class itself hints at hierarchy associated visually with the higher classes in the UK. I will be adding some anectodotal quotes which were I feel, relevant and insightful as well as providing notions which seem to have fed into general perceptions so as to permeate mainstream media.

Where both speakers were of great interest it was David Quay’s introduction to his font family designed for the city of Bath, which I felt most pertinent to my own research. He noted ‘the requirements of a city are much different to the requirements of a highway’. David spoke of the responsibility to respect diverse cultural requirements when designing for a city and how he wanted to use his project to inform of a place’s typographic history. In particular, he cited Bristol’s typographic signage as a job that was beautifully done but too neutral. Bath’s heritage of quality serifs led him to create both a sans and serif version to satisfy the multiple functionality required throughout the city. I found this last point particularly interesting as to my mind one flavour clearly didn’t suit all: it seems that Bath doesn’t have a design language, it has two, as it was decided a richer hierarchy was needed. The Sans having something of a nod towards the ‘highway’ classics, but somewhat softened to suit Bath’s character. The Serif then giving a stronger nod to the Bath’s typical Georgian roots.

This was portrayed as a battle of identity vs legibility and usability. For example the people of Bath hate the new bus station, something that David considered to be a splendid piece of architecture. Yet they love the newshopping centre with its bolted on faux-Georgian façade! What is Bath’s character identity then??

I didn’t get the opportunity to ask David Quay of whether Bath’s university status played any part in his researching the signage direction, although the use of the word history regularly featured; I will be e-mailing him shortly. . .

For my own research, here it seemed was affirmation that functionality seemed to prejudice a design language interpreted to be that ‘of the city’ (serif) and morphing this to become a sans serif to satisfy ‘multiple function’; yes we learn as designers that typography can support message type, but my own conclusion was that those learners within the widening participation agenda, aspiring to university education, might have the answers, not the designer. . .

I will be catching up with TALP, to interview this years designer. I will post some of their feedback here. . .

The pupil felt that background would ultimately choose her destiny, whereas the headmistress felt otherwise. The play concluded with the pupil realising that her self-realisation could be determined by more than social positioning and we leave her feeling that greater things are to come.

Issues raised were I felt as relevant today as yesteryear, where maybe social background did help moreso to positively ensure future circumstance. I couldn’t help feel though that with the widening participation agenda now set against a lansdscape of raised tuition fees, the social positioning question now revitalised any education class-system.

“We really do perceive colours differently depending on experience, age and state of mind” -

Dr Beau Lotto

Can language influence the way we perceive colour? Could the number of words you have for colour affect the way you perceive it?

The Himba of northern Namibia – who had never even set foot in a local town – call the sky black and water white, and for them, blue and green share the same word.

In having fewer words than us for colour, it seems that their perception of the world is different to ours – it takes them longer to differentiate between certain colours, and so we can determine from this that they see the world differently.

And what about the effects colours might have on us?

Scientists Russell Hill and Iain Greenlees looked into the ‘winning effect’ of the colour red. They organised an experiment to see if wearing red might have an impact in sport.

They set up a penalty shoot out with 48 footballers looking at whether it was wearing red or seeing red that made the difference.

They found that the men wearing red had lower levels of cortisol, the hormone for stress, than those in blue or white. This in turn makes them more confident in their game.

Another ingredient to consider perhaps when effective communication is key.

I’ve previously noted that the type of university seems to reflect in its visual make-up (ancient universities use serif , Russell universities sans serif etc); are political machinations still determining (education) institutions type language?

I’ve just been reminded of the above, having driven past my local GMB Union office – its logo screams Labour!! Why? How? Yes the unions and the labour movement is inexorably linked, but why or how is this communicated visually. Will follow this up. What do you think?

GMB Union Logo