Divine Words is an adaptation of the play Divinas Palabras by Ramon del Valle- Inclan. In this paper, I hope to outline my design process as well as give insight into the development of a new theatrical work. I want to outline my journey from the beginning with the development of the script, the process of designing the show, and then implementing that design. Designing the costumes for this production required creating characters that both aided in telling the story as well as reflected individual character. I designed twenty-eight looks for fourteen actors that took into consideration time period, socio-economic status, plot, and characterization. This production was set in the depression era dust bowl of the American Midwest. To reflect this in my designs I performed thorough research from books and Internet sources on the historical period as well as the clothing of time. I utilized photographers such as Dorothea Lang and Arthur Rothstein to further inform my understanding of the people that inhabited this time and place. I then utilized this research to give depth and distinction to the characters in the play. This culminated in a unique design that added to this artistic experience about desperation and hope that is Divine Words. / Theater

This thesis is a study and description of the process of designing the scenic elements of Saying Grace by Robert Smythe, an adaptation and translation of the play Divinas Palabras by Ramón María del Valle-Inclán written for Temple University Theater. The body outlines the process the author took in researching and developing the concept for the play, finalizing the design with the director of the piece, and completing the actual drafting and artwork necessary to realize said design. It also details the actual construction of the scenery, properties, and puppet elements, discusses the final product and offers self-evaluation. Plates of the drawing and drafting, and photographs of the scale model and final production accompany this work. / Theater

Rent is an extremely popular musical, recognizable across the globe. The iconic characters, images, and costumes from the original production have been copied and interpreted numerous times. I have chosen to reinterpret this script by examining the essence of each individual character. After researching magazines from the time period in which Rent was written and books containing information on AIDS and the East Village, all subject matter within Rent, I developed a design concept. Through a series of fourteen sketches I present my original concept for a very well known story. Production photographs and pre-production tables support my journey from concept to finished production. / Theater

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

During the shift from the rule of Joseph Stalin to that of Nikita Khrushchev, people in the Soviet Union witnessed dramatic political, economic, and social changes, evident even in such private aspects of life as residential home interiors. The major architectural style of Stalin's era, known as Stalin's Empire Style, was characterized by grandeur and rich embellishments. The buildings' interiors were similarly grandiose and ornate. By endorsing this kind of design, Stalin attempted to position himself as an heir of classical traditions, to encourage respect for his regime, and to signal his power. When Nikita Khrushchev became the country's leader shortly after Stalin's death in 1953, he proclaimed that "excessive decorations" were not only unnecessary, but harmful. As a result, the standardized panel buildings produced at his initiative were defined by straight, plain lines, and were devoid of literally any architectural details that were not considered functional. These changes in Soviet architecture were reflected in interior design and furnishings: the minimalist aesthetic became their defining characteristic. The purpose of this study is to gain, through examination of existing literature, new insight into why a transition to a minimalist aesthetic was happening in the 1950s and 1960s in Soviet urban interior design. To achieve this goal, the present thesis analyzes works by contemporary scholars on the subject and examines statements the Soviet government as well as Soviet architects and interior decoration specialists made regarding the state's views on architecture and interiors during the period of 1950-1960. While research has been published that explores some aspects of this stylistic transition, the present work is unique in that it identifies and focuses on three distinct reasons for the change to minimalism in Soviet urban residential interiors under Khrushchev: the deficit of apartment space, reduction of construction costs, and ideological motives.

No description available.

Dans les sphères du développement durable, des modèles d’affaires et du design de produit, certains leviers rendent le croisement de ces trois sphères de plus en plus pertinent. Au croisement de ces trois sphères se trouve une opportunité de comprendre les relations existantes entre le design de produit et les modèles d’affaires afin d’aider les décideurs à développer des solutions davantage durables. L’approche méthodologique de cette recherche utilise un système complexe et est basée sur un paradigme pragmatique. En vue de répondre à la question « Dans quelle mesure des modèles d’affaires et le design de produit sont liés dans un contexte de développement durable? », cette recherche a soigneusement analysé trois cas: Better Place, une compagnie californienne ayant développé une infrastructure permettant le chargement des voitures électriques; Interface Inc., un manufacturier mondial de tuiles de tapis commerciales établi à Atlanta; et Métacycle, un concept d’entreprise développé par une équipe de chercheurs en design à Montréal. Chaque cas a été analysé en corrélant des aspects du design de produit à des éléments de leur modèle d’affaires. Les résultats montrent que dans le contexte du développement durable, le design de produit et les modèles d’affaires sont interdépendants. Les résultats peuvent être résumés en six points: il existe des relations applicables universellement; les innovations de design substantielles jouent un rôle important dans le développement durable; la « durabilité » peut être une qualité émergente d’un modèle d’affaires; les partenariats peuvent être vitaux pour l’intégration des systèmes; un modèle de services a des bénéfices et des limitations considérables; le design peut agir comme levier à l’utilisation d’énergies renouvelables. Pratiquer simultanément l’innovation du modèle d’affaires et du produit peut apporter une valeur ajoutée, susciter des opportunités et augmenter l’efficience sur plusieurs facettes. Toutefois, les risques et les coûts de tels procédés sont souvent très élevés. En aidant à comprendre et définir comment les trois sphères mentionnées plus tôt sont interdépendantes, cette recherche pourrait idéalement inspirer des recherches supplémentaires sur le sujet. L’application par des organisations de la méthodologie et des apprentissages résultant de cette recherche peut permettre à d’autres d’utiliser le croisement entre l’innovation de produit et l’innovation du modèle d’affaires afin de résoudre des enjeux sociaux et environnementaux complexes. / Certain drivers in the fields of sustainability, business models, and product design are making the intersection between these three fields increasingly relevant. At this intersection is the opportunity to understand the relationships that exist between product design and business models to help decision makers develop more sustainable solutions. The methodology of this research uses a complex systems approach and is grounded in a pragmatist paradigm. To answer the question “In the context of sustainability, in what way are business models and product design related?”, this research has carefully analysed three cases: Better Place, a US based company that has developed a charging infrastructure for electric cars; Interface Inc., a global commercial carpet tile manufacturer based in Atlanta, Georgia; and Metacycle, a company concept developed by a team of design researchers in Montréal, Québec. Each case is analysed by correlating aspects of product design to elements of the business model and assessing how these relationships affect the sustainability of the company. The results show that product design, business models, and sustainability are inextricably connected. The results can be summarized in six key insights: there are universally applicable relationships; discontinuous design innovation can play a vital role in sustainability; sustainability is an emergent quality of a business model; key partnerships support systems level integration; a service revenue model has significant benefits and limitations; design innovation can help drive the shift to renewable energy. Conducting business model innovation and product innovation simultaneously can have large payouts in the form of creating new value, uncovering opportunities, and increasing efficiencies many fold, however the risks and costs of such a process are often very high. Applying the methodology and lessons of this research to one’s own organization could help to uncover new opportunities for innovation and help create more sustainable solutions. This research, by helping to understand and define how these areas are inextricably related and interdependent, will hopefully inspire further research on the subject and help others to use the intersection between product design and business model innovation to solve complex problems, be they social, environmental or otherwise.