Month: June 2006

Most people see more examples of graphic design before they get to work than they see examples of arts in the year. Before they even fully awake, most people will see the numbers and letters on the faces of the alarm clocks, the colours, the shapes and lettering on tubes of toothpaste, the letters and symbols on taps and showers, the signs for ‘On’ and ‘Off’ on the kettle, coffee maker, the packaging on their tea or coffee, the stations idents on morning television and the prnt, photography and layout of the newspaper.

This is before they climb into cars (with front and rear badges and logos, and a dashboard full of tiny pictures, symbols and numbers) or onto buses and train that is full with advertisment around and inside. Yet it is often taken for granted, passing unnoticed and unremarked as it blends in with visual culture of everyday life.– Malcolm Barnard (2005)

Most people are familiar with advertising; they know it when they see it and they are more or less happy to be entertained, offended and persuaded by it. As William Dwiggings – whom Margolin credits with coining the phrase ‘graphic design’ (Margolin 1994:236) – pointed out in 1922, advertising design is the only form of graphic design that gets home to everybody’ (qouted in Jobling and Crowley 1996:6)

If you have similar interest as mine, here are the list of books that I recommended for you to read. Of course there are much more than this list but this will be a good start to search for the books if you don’t know where to begin.

DESIGN
Communication Design – FRASCARA, Jorge (2004)
The Design of Everyday Things – NORMAN, Donald A. (1998)
In The Bubble – Designing in a Complex World – THACKARA, John (2005)
An Introduction to Design and Culture from 1900 to the present – SPARKE, Penny. (2004)

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Looking Closer – Critical Writing in Graphic Design – BIERUT, M., DRENTTEL, W.,
& HELLER, S. (2006)
Design Literacy, Understanding Graphic Design – HELLER, Steven. (2004)
No More Rules – PAYNOR, Rick. (2003)
Citizen Designer – Perspectives on design responsibility – edited by HELLER, S. and VIENNE, V. (2003)
What Is Graphic Design – NEWARK, Quentin (2002)

CULTURE
Imagine Communities – ANDERSON, Benedict (2006)
Massive Change – MAU, Bruce. (2004)
Authenticity – BOYLE, David (2003)
Orientalism – SAID, Edward. W (2003)
No Logo – KLEIN, Naomi. (2000)
Global Nature, Global Culture – FRANKLIN Sarah., LURY Celia., STACEY, J. (2000)
Ethics Future – The State of Identity Politics in Asia – Edited by GOMEZ, NANDY, SENANAYAKE, CZARNECKA. (1999)

BRANDING
How to Brand A Nation – OLINS, Wally (2005)
Brand America – The mother of all brands – ANHOLT ,Simon (2004)
Pro Logo- Brands as a factor of progress – CHEVALIER, M.MAZZALOVO, G. (2004)
Brand New Justice – ANHOLT, Simon (2003)
The Brand Gap – How to Bridge The Distance Between Business Strategy and Design – NEUMEIER, Marty (2003)
Brand New Justice – ANHOLT, Simon (2003)
Citizen Brand – GOBE, Marc (2002)
Emotional Branding – GOBE, Marc (2001)

MALAYSIA
Malaysia – A Pictorial History 1400-2004 – MOORE, Khadijah Wendy (2007)
Building Cultural Nationalism in Malaysia – Identity, Representation, and Citizenship – DANIEL, T.P. (2005)
Dilema Melayu – MOHAMAD, Mahathir (2003)
The Other Malaysia – NOOR, A. Farish (2002)
The Shaping of Malaysia – KAUR, A. & MATCALFE, I. (Eds.) (1999)
Malaysian Flavours – Insights Into Things Malaysian – LEE, S. K. (1996)
Lat ‘The Kampung Boy – ‘LAT’ M. N. K. (1995)

RESEARCH
Design Research – DOWNTOWN, Peter (2003)
The Craft Of Research – BOOTH, W.C., COLOMB, G.G. & WILLIAMS, J.M (2003)

The Corporation a documentary film by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan is about how corporations are destroying the world in their ways. Basically it shows how corporations run most of the known world. Some of the corporation is behind the big global brand. The movie starts out with the history of corporations, and how their power grows substantially after World War Two. According to the film, most of the world’s governments and job markets are run or at least affected by corporate power. Corporations have the power to poison and despoil the environments and the people around them, and the larger these “corporate citizens” are, the more immune they are from prosecution. Basically, if corporate power remains unchecked, we are all screwed, except for the fat cats at the top.

What is the corporation?
The corporation as in the Oxford American Dictionary can be define as a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized as such in law.

“A corporation is a person..according to the corporation lawyer after the civil war. The corporation operate legally as a individual person, it is not a group of people, it is under the law a legal person”– Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor, MIT, The corporation.

To make it easier, it’s a one form of a business ownership. Few people under the same direction of business. The term corporation was born in 1712, by Thomas Newcomen started to create a way to increase the productivity, more core for men hour.

What kind of a person is the Corporation?
If corporation is a person, he was given the right as a immortal person but a special kind of person that have no moral, design by law to be concern only to their stockholders without concern of their community. And the mission is to make profit and more profit.
As in the world that we’re living now, many of the events is being sponsored by the corporation. Some are for good intention, but some are for the same intentions as other corporations, making as much profit as they can.

Questions:
What will happen to the next generation with the power of Corporation? Watch ‘Renaissance’ a french movie by Christian Volckman and see how Paris in the future 2054, controlled and owned by a corporation that stands behind a brand.
More about Renaissance movie and see the trailer on Renaissance official website

~

A week after the GRC i received from Laurene my written comment from the GRC panel. There are
1. Laurene Vaughan (Principal Supervisor)
2. Nasya Bafhen ( Second Supervisor)
3. Cameron Tokinwise
4. Peter West

The issues that I need to investigate, to focus and to deepen the research is

Critical Reading around the areas

Branding – exploring argument for and against. Included issues such as end to end product and product personalities

Experience Branding and National Branding – as these have elements that relate to complex proposition of branding Malaysian products internally and externally

Guiding Questions

What does term Malaysian mean? What is the current discourse within Malaysia on this?

How does and can, branding and design relate to other forms of cultural production and cultural outputs?

How can post colonial literature aid in the thinking?

Encouraged to seek out and engage in Malaysian literature to support the research

How might there be differences between what Malaysian needs and wants for itself and what
Malaysian wants to communicate to others?

Be clear about what is my position in the relation to the research and not to let this to bias the my research.
So that ‘s it, and now more work to do.

And here is my GRC poster and my abstract

Nurul can be reach through her email address

email nurul.rahman[at]student.rmit.edu.au

www.malaysianidentity.com

A PhD Candidate in project-based research
Area of interest : Communication Design + Branding + Culture +Identity

Nurul Rahman currently is doing her PhD practice based research in Communication Design, School of Applied Communication, RMIT University Melbourne.

She’s a communication and graphic designer who has been working long enough until she realized that she needed more than practice in design and decided to continue her postgraduate studies. Her interest is in communication design, identity, branding practices, culture and heritage.

Her research investigates the participation of Graphic Designers in crafting cultural and national identity.

In her PhD, she’s applying practice base research, through communication design. It will investigate and explore designer involvement in shaping Malaysian identity. An online forum has been used as a method for undertaking the research. I analyzed the responses to this forum in order to understand how Malaysian designers view their Malaysian identity through their practices and education. I will analyze the collection of printed material that Ive gathered through my field trip to examine and understand the evolution of communication design in Malaysia. This research will also include the design and cultural implications in the process of crafting Malaysian Identity. I also intend to contribute to contemporary discussions about design and cultural engagement, its implication in the society and its impact on countries and local industries.

Image: Nurul Rahman traveling trip to Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam). This photo is taken by Tachi (Mexican Pro.Photographer) who travel together with her and another Mexican friend, Jesus when they’re on the trip to Cambodia.

Nurul Rahman can be contact through this email: nurul.rahman[at]student.rmit.edu.au

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Malaysian Cuisine

Malaysia’s gastronomic heritage has drawn from each of the constituent cultures of Malaysia as well as from neighbouring states to produce what many people consider to be the most delicious cuisine in the entire world. The internationally-renowned cuisine of China’s Canton and that of southern India are significant sources of Malaysia’s culinary heritage, as is the sublime cuisine of Thailand. Fresh tropical fruits and succulent Malaysian seafood are featured ingredients, and the chilies and curries of India and Thailand form the basis of spicy preparations. Coconut milk is ubiquitous in Malaysia, imparting a delicious smoothness to curries and other dishes.

The mainstay of every Malaysian meal is rice. At each meal, a generous helping accompanies a selection of dishes, including fish, seafood, vegetables, and poultry. Beef is conspicuously absent, as it is across much of Asia. Individual recipes vary widely from state to state. Basic ingredients may be the same, but the method of cooking and accompanying dishes changes with each state’s own tastes and special produce. The perennial Malaysian favorite nasi lemak is completely different in Kedah, for example, than that tasted in Johor or Selangor. One has to savor both to truly appreciate the diversity of preparation.

Breakfast is a major meal of the day, not a neglected snack. Dine on fragrant nasi kandar, fish curry served with meat in chili sauce and boiled eggs. Or try the nasi dagang, glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, served with fish curry, coconut sambal, and cucumber pickle.

Excellent and inexpensive food can be obtained virtually anywhere in Malaysia, largely because of the strength and ubiquity of food stalls. Whether it be in villages, small towns, or big cities, visitors can find stalls offering mouth-watering treats. Dining at a cart or streetside stand may sound plain and piecemeal, but in Malaysia eating food at the roadside stalls is a much-loved practice. The best stalls are as popular and as crowded as any permanent restaurant–VWs and BMWs are equally likely to be parked close by, and their owners rubbing shoulders in the long line. Some stalls are open from morning to evening, while others are open from evening to dawn. Others are open around the clock, seven days a week.

Here is a small sampling of Malaysian cuisine; many of these dishes are available at stalls. The stalls will come to you; if you see something that looks good, chances are it is. And you may not see that particular stall again for the rest of your stay–seize the day.

Nasi Lemak
A rice dish cooked in coconut milk. It is served with ikan bilis (anchovies), sambal, boiled egg, fried peanuts and cucumber slices. This is also a popular breakfast dish. Can you imagine yourselves having this heavy breakfast?

Satay
The most popular dish of Malaysia. Bite-sized pieces of beef, mutton or chicken are marinated in spices, then skewered through thin bamboo strips, and barbecued over charcoal fire. Satay is served with ‘ketupat’ (rice cake) and a raw salad of cucumber, pineapple, and onions. Sweet, spicy peanut sauce accompanies the dish.

This image was taken in 2001, Gurney Food Court, Penang, Malaysia. This ‘satay’ is the best ‘satay’ dish I ever had.

Roti Canai
The all-time breakfast favorite of Malaysians. Made from wheat-flour dough, roti canai sometimes incorporates beaten egg and diced onions for a crispier pancake.

Nasi Dagang
A popular breakfast dish in the country provinces of Kelantan and Trengganu. Brastari rice and fish curry are the simple but delicious elements of this dish.

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)
A complete dish in itself with bits of meat, prawns, egg and vegetables.

Rojak
A salad of pineapple, cucumber, bean curd, prawn fritters and boiled egg, is served with peanut sauce.

Char Kway Teow
Flat rice noodles stir-fried with minced garlic, fresh prawns, bean sprouts, cockles and eggs, seasoned with soy sauce and chili paste.

Chicken Rice
There are several variations of chicken rice, but the most popular is the Hainanese version. The chicken is served with rice which has been cooked in chicken stock. Garlic, chili sauce, cucumber slices and coriander leaves impart a fresh texture and irresistible flavor to this dish.

Curry Laksa
A noodle dish served in curry, blends boiled chicken, cockles, tofu and bean sprouts for a surprisingly good treat.

Rendang
A type of meat dish preparation which takes hours to prepare. Meat, coconut milk, chilies onions and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander and nutmeg are cooked over low heat. The result is a moist, tender dish with subtle and complex flavors. Eaten with rice ketupat (rice cake) or lemang (glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk).

‘Tom Yam’ Steamboat
An in-house dish. Diners sit round a table which has a soup tureen in the middle of the table. A fire below keeps it boiling hot. One then places prepared raw pieces of prawns, chicken, quails’ eggs, sea cucumber and liver in the boiling soup.

Tantalizing meat-free dishes can be found in Buddhist vegetarian restaurants or in South Indian banana-leaf restaurants. Instead of plates and cutlery, you will be served your food on a banana leaf; try to use your hand to eat!

Teh Tarik
This is one of Malaysian speciali-tea, which is made from tea and sweet condensed milk. ‘Teh tarik’ literally means ‘Pull-tea’. What happens is the ‘mamak’, who makes the ‘teh-tarik’, will prepare the tea. Before serving the customer, he will hold one glass of ‘teh tarik’ up and another empty glass at the bottom. Then he will pour the tea from one glass to another for few times until it makes some bubbles. I think it also makes the hot tea cool down for a bit before we have it, and blend the ingredients.

Click here to see how the ‘mamak’ makes the ‘teh tarik’. You can also see the ‘mamak’!
*’Mamak’ is a term the Malaysian people call the Indian Muslim man, usually when we go to the Roti Canai or Teh Tarik stall.

Malaysian Recipes Link
If you interested in cooking Malaysian Dishes this link have nearly everything – resepi.mesra.net

Hey! Lat has new release…Dr. Who…have a look at it, this time Lat cartoon is about Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, Malaysian 4th Prime Minister. If you interested to know about Malaysian economic, technologies, sciences and political, this is the book. Just a brief stories, but full of fun, as always.

Malaysian Cuisine

Malaysia’s gastronomic heritage has drawn from each of the constituent cultures of Malaysia as well as from neighbouring states to produce what many people consider to be the most delicious cuisine in the entire world. The internationally-renowned cuisine of China’s Canton and that of southern India are significant sources of Malaysia’s culinary heritage, as is the sublime cuisine of Thailand. Fresh tropical fruits and succulent Malaysian seafood are featured ingredients, and the chilies and curries of India and Thailand form the basis of spicy preparations. Coconut milk is ubiquitous in Malaysia, imparting a delicious smoothness to curries and other dishes.

The mainstay of every Malaysian meal is rice. At each meal, a generous helping accompanies a selection of dishes, including fish, seafood, vegetables, and poultry. Beef is conspicuously absent, as it is across much of Asia. Individual recipes vary widely from state to state. Basic ingredients may be the same, but the method of cooking and accompanying dishes changes with each state’s own tastes and special produce. The perennial Malaysian favorite nasi lemak is completely different in Kedah, for example, than that tasted in Johor or Selangor. One has to savor both to truly appreciate the diversity of preparation.

Breakfast is a major meal of the day, not a neglected snack. Dine on fragrant nasi kandar, fish curry served with meat in chili sauce and boiled eggs. Or try the nasi dagang, glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, served with fish curry, coconut sambal, and cucumber pickle.

Excellent and inexpensive food can be obtained virtually anywhere in Malaysia, largely because of the strength and ubiquity of food stalls. Whether it be in villages, small towns, or big cities, visitors can find stalls offering mouth-watering treats. Dining at a cart or streetside stand may sound plain and piecemeal, but in Malaysia eating food at the roadside stalls is a much-loved practice. The best stalls are as popular and as crowded as any permanent restaurant–VWs and BMWs are equally likely to be parked close by, and their owners rubbing shoulders in the long line. Some stalls are open from morning to evening, while others are open from evening to dawn. Others are open around the clock, seven days a week.

Here is a small sampling of Malaysian cuisine; many of these dishes are available at stalls. The stalls will come to you; if you see something that looks good, chances are it is. And you may not see that particular stall again for the rest of your stay–seize the day.

Nasi Lemak
A rice dish cooked in coconut milk. It is served with ikan bilis (anchovies), sambal, boiled egg, fried peanuts and cucumber slices. This is also a popular breakfast dish. Can you imagine yourselves having this heavy breakfast?

Satay
The most popular dish of Malaysia. Bite-sized pieces of beef, mutton or chicken are marinated in spices, then skewered through thin bamboo strips, and barbecued over charcoal fire. Satay is served with ‘ketupat’ (rice cake) and a raw salad of cucumber, pineapple, and onions. Sweet, spicy peanut sauce accompanies the dish.

This image was taken in 2001, Gurney Food Court, Penang, Malaysia. This ‘satay’ is the best ‘satay’ dish I ever had.

Roti Canai
The all-time breakfast favorite of Malaysians. Made from wheat-flour dough, roti canai sometimes incorporates beaten egg and diced onions for a crispier pancake.

Nasi Dagang
A popular breakfast dish in the country provinces of Kelantan and Trengganu. Brastari rice and fish curry are the simple but delicious elements of this dish.

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)
A complete dish in itself with bits of meat, prawns, egg and vegetables.

Rojak
A salad of pineapple, cucumber, bean curd, prawn fritters and boiled egg, is served with peanut sauce.

Char Kway Teow
Flat rice noodles stir-fried with minced garlic, fresh prawns, bean sprouts, cockles and eggs, seasoned with soy sauce and chili paste.

Chicken Rice
There are several variations of chicken rice, but the most popular is the Hainanese version. The chicken is served with rice which has been cooked in chicken stock. Garlic, chili sauce, cucumber slices and coriander leaves impart a fresh texture and irresistible flavor to this dish.

Curry Laksa
A noodle dish served in curry, blends boiled chicken, cockles, tofu and bean sprouts for a surprisingly good treat.

Rendang
A type of meat dish preparation which takes hours to prepare. Meat, coconut milk, chilies onions and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander and nutmeg are cooked over low heat. The result is a moist, tender dish with subtle and complex flavors. Eaten with rice ketupat (rice cake) or lemang (glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk).

‘Tom Yam’ Steamboat
An in-house dish. Diners sit round a table which has a soup tureen in the middle of the table. A fire below keeps it boiling hot. One then places prepared raw pieces of prawns, chicken, quails’ eggs, sea cucumber and liver in the boiling soup.

Tantalizing meat-free dishes can be found in Buddhist vegetarian restaurants or in South Indian banana-leaf restaurants. Instead of plates and cutlery, you will be served your food on a banana leaf; try to use your hand to eat!

Teh Tarik
This is one of Malaysian speciali-tea, which is made from tea and sweet condensed milk. ‘Teh tarik’ literally means ‘Pull-tea’. What happens is the ‘mamak’, who makes the ‘teh-tarik’, will prepare the tea. Before serving the customer, he will hold one glass of ‘teh tarik’ up and another empty glass at the bottom. Then he will pour the tea from one glass to another for few times until it makes some bubbles. I think it also makes the hot tea cool down for a bit before we have it, and blend the ingredients.

Click here to see how the ‘mamak’ makes the ‘teh tarik’. You can also see the ‘mamak’!
*’Mamak’ is a term the Malaysian people call the Indian Muslim man, usually when we go to the Roti Canai or Teh Tarik stall.

Malaysian Recipes Link
If you interested in cooking Malaysian Dishes this link have nearly everything – resepi.mesra.net