Summary: The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction | Introducing the Frankfurt School February 28, 2008 by ginal In his essay, “The Work of Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, Walter Benjamin discusses a shift in perception and its affects in the wake of the advent of film and photography in the twentieth century. He writes of the sense changes within humanity’s entire mode of existence; the way we look and see the visual work of art has is different now and its consequences remain to be determined. Benjamin here attempts to mark something specific about the modern age; of the effects of modernity on the work of art in particular. The sense of the aura is lost on film and the reproducible image itself demonstrates a historical shift that we have to take account of even if when we don’t necessarily notice it. As Benjamin continues, a tension between new modes of perception and the aura arise. Key passages: “During long periods of history, the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence. Like this: Like Loading...
5 Outstanding TED Talks about Creativity According to Sir Ken Robinson, creativity is the " process of having original ideas that have values". Everyone of us is born creative but the milieu where we are brought up and the kind of education we receive have a lot to do with how creative we become as we grow up. In his popular TED talk " Do Schools Kill Creativity " , Robinson argued that students are educated out of creativity. I am actually working on a poster about creativity which I will probably publish tomorrow. 1- 4 Lessons in Creativity 2- You Elusive Creative Genius 3- How to Build your Creative Genius 4- Where Good Ideas come from 5- Fashion and Creativity
8 Types Of Imagination Imagination is critical to innovation and learning–but what exactly is it? Dr. Murray Hunter of the University of Malaysia Perlis discusses the 8 types of imagination we use on a daily basis, with explanations for each. Dr. 8 Types of Imagination 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. More Info Visit the IntoEastAfrica blog for more reading. Requisite Carl Sagan And no mention of imagination would be complete without Carl Sagan. Why We Need More Small Ideas I'm always a little saddened when I see people who are unhappy with their jobs and spend a lot of time sitting around waiting for the next big idea to drop into their laps. Sometimes in conversations with these people, I find myself thinking of how thin the line really is between praying and whining, and how easy it is to cross. These people are thinking too large. They're trying to invent some new killer product or service, which, in many cases, they would be unprepared and unqualified to develop and deliver. This is the critical distinction between invention and innovation--two completely different, and basically unrelated, endeavors. By and large, no rocket science is required. The most striking thing about this process is, in many cases, not how different the new approach or solution might be but how similar it is. It’s not as easy as that sounds, but it’s a lot easier than you might expect. Let me give you a simple example. Now here’s where innovation comes into the picture.
bbc.co.uk : BBC Languages – Free Online Lessons to Learn and Study with Walter Benjamin: Art, Aura and Authenticity How has capitalism affected our experiences of art and the media? In the third of his eight-part series on critical theorist Walter Benjamin, Andrew Robinson examines Benjamin's famous thesis that mechanical reproduction has transformed the arts, and explores what a 'political art' might look like. By Andrew Robinson (Source: thearcadesproject.tumblr.com) Perhaps Benjamin’s best-known work is ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’. This short piece provides a general history of changes in art in the modern age. In Marxist fashion, Benjamin sees the transformations of art as an effect of changes in the economic structure. The aura has disappeared in the modern age because art has become reproducible. The aura is an effect of a work of art being uniquely present in time and space. The traditional work of art is experienced mainly through distanced contemplation. Benjamin argues that distraction became an alternative to contemplation. Ritual is not necessarily reactionary.
The Eight Pillars of Innovation The greatest innovations are the ones we take for granted, like light bulbs, refrigeration and penicillin. But in a world where the miraculous very quickly becomes common-place, how can a company, especially one as big as Google, maintain a spirit of innovation year after year? Nurturing a culture that allows for innovation is the key. At that time I was Head of Marketing (a group of one), and over the past decade I’ve been lucky enough to work on a wide range of products. What’s different is that, even as we dream up what’s next, we face the classic innovator’s dilemma: should we invest in brand new products, or should we improve existing ones? "As we’ve grown to over 26,000 employees in more than 60 offices, we’ve worked hard to maintain the unique spirit that characterized Google way back when I joined as employee #16." Have a mission that matters Work can be more than a job when it stands for something you care about. Think big but start small The best part of working on the web?
Kohti avoimempaa ja kokeilevampaa yrityskulttuuria - Oske - osaamiskeskusohjelma Mitä jos yrityksissä pystyttäisiin unohtamaan perinteinen ylhäältä alas johtaminen? Mitä jos annettaisiin henkilöstölle mahdollisuus kehittää itse omia tapojaan toimia yhdessä? Moottorina toimisivat eri funktioiden osaamisen yhdistävät teemaryhmät ja yhteinen innostus mahdollisuudesta vaikuttaa omaan tekemiseen. Utopiaako? Ei, vaan täyttä totta. Tietotyön osuus työnteosta on huikaiseva. - Kun halutaan helpottaa työyhteisön sisäistä vuorovaikutusta ja tiedon kulkua, on tärkeää antaa tilaa kokeilemiselle, oppimiselle ja innostumiselle. Muutos lähtee henkilöstön valtauttamisesta Työtä on koetettu tehostaa useissa organisaatioissa erilaisin hankkein, mutta laihoin tuloksin. Henkilöstön motivoiminen oman työnsä kehittämiseen alkaa muuttamalla organisaatiokulttuuria sallivammaksi. Luottamusta ja epävarmuuden sietokykyä Vertaistuen hyödyntäminen vaatii organisaatiolta avoimuutta, luottamusta henkilöstöönsä sekä kykyä sietää epävarmuutta. - Vapaus tuo mukanaan vastuuta.
4 Ways To Amplify Your Creativity The holidays are over, the weather is lousy, and we’re sober again. We made all kinds of New Year’s promises, but the big one that will change our careers, if not our lives, is the promise to ourselves to become more creative. In my new book, Creative Intelligence, I show that creativity is learned behavior that gets better with training--like sports. You can make creativity routine and a regular part of your life. That’s true for big companies as well as small startups, corporate managers as well as entrepreneurs. The huge national policy storm brewing over “dwindling innovation” and an “innovation shortfall” also gives creativity an even greater agency. So here are four specific ways to lead a more creative life and boost your creative capacities. 1. Nearly every creative entrepreneur, artist, musician, engineer, sports players, designer, and scientist works with one, two, or a handful of trusted people, often in a small space. So you need to engage with creative people. 2. 3. 4.
How to Win Friends and Influence People Six Ways To Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people.Smile. Remember that a man's name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in the English language. Be a good listener. Twelve Ways Of Winning People To Your Way Of Thinking The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it. Nine Ways To Change People Without Giving Offense Or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Fourteen Rules For Making Your Home Life Easier Don't nag. Notes Criticism is futile because it puts a man on the defensive, and usually makes him strive to justify himself. When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important. Almost Everybody Wants... Health and the preservation of life. “Every man is my superior in some way. It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. Why prove to a man he is wrong? Kids
UX & UE | About Interaction The field of Interaction Design is relatively new compared to other well-established fields like maths or physics. Although quantitative research in the field has made it more science-like, we can hardly say it is pure science. Experiments in science should be reproducible and theorems in science can be strictly proved, but this is hardly realised in user research. IxD – An unmatured field Another manifestation of an new or un-matured field is that people use different terms to refer to the same thing. Usability and User Experience If you were asked to give the aim of Interaction Design (or whatever you call it). Usability is an older term compared to user experience. The Goals Whenever we design a user interface by following interaction design methodologies, we must fulfil a set of usability goals and another set of user experience goals. (1)Usability Goals What are the usability goals? Jokob Nielsen, a Danish usability consultant, is a big name in usability. 1. e.g. 2. e.g. 3. e.g. e.g.