Design. Research. Technology. Experience. Life. – Page 25

30 October 2006

Note to Myself!

What a relief, after the GRC, I got very good responses and comments from Cameron, Terry and Laurene. Meaning lots of work to do. I still haven’t got the written GRC response yet. And for the moment, I’m busy monitoring the Malaysian Identity Forum. Nothing much at this point. Will write more soon. By the way, ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ or ‘Happy Eid-Mubarak’
¦ travellers who, finding themselves lost in a forest, ought not to wander this way and that, or, what is worse remain in one place, but ought always to walk as straight a line as they can in one direction and not change course for feeble reason, even if at the outset it was perhaps only chance that made them choose it; for by this means, if they are not going where they wish, they will finally arrive at least somewhere where they will be better off than in the middle of the forest.

(Descartes, in Harrison 1992, p. 110)

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

image by NurulRahman2006

25 October 2006

PostGRC

13 October 2006

MI try and error!

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

~align=”left”>This text is licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

–>Try and Error

Yes! The Malaysia Identity(MI) Research Forum is sailing..slowly but it’s saliling. Just one week ago. Through the process of making it, i find it difficult especially to understand the coding and technical part, that why i choose to work with a profesional programmer. We both have a discussion before making it, while making it and still until now we do have things to discuss about. I realised that working with someone or anyone who is from different background is interesting. It is just the matter of understanding each other and focus on what each of us have to do. Of course, there will be a misunderstood and small arguement while making it. But as long as it is a healthy arguement then I personally think it’s good.

So now, as the site is up there, next question is how to get people participate. Yes, there are many option to do it, but which is the right on. In this case, as the whole project idea is research, we choose to explore and try. As what Laurene always said to me, ‘just do it’. Although it’s complicated to be in the action ‘just do it, but in this case Laurene is right. It took me a while to understand the ‘just do it’ term that she mention, but i guess as for now its becoming clearer to me.

9 October 2006

Another GRC!

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

~align=”left”>This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Graduate Research Conference (GRC) in RMIT is coming soon. I will have to do another PhD progress presentation this coming 22 Oct.
Soon! I can feel the GRC fever is coming around… Here’s my poster for the GRC

3 October 2006

Exploration of Malaysian Design+Products+Culture!

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

~align=”left”>This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

As I”m trying to understand and searching for Identity of Malaysia, series of my personal collection cartoon comic book comes across my mine. I did mention in my blog in March 2006, first time I started this PhD about how I fine the cartoon is very interesting and reflects most of my childhood memories.

Lat the cartoonist have lots of sketches about Malaysian. From history, politics, culture, economy, languages and much more that I could think of about Malaysian. So I thought in the search of Malaysian Identity, which I’m still searching that Lat Cartoon book might have it. May be I could analyze the cartoon and reflect it on the Identity of Malaysia.

Below is some of the snap shots from Lat’s Cartoon that related to my research at this moment
Malaysian Design + Products + Culture

Credit Image: Lat and Gangs Comic Book (1987)
Malaysia First Own National Car – Proton Saga

29 September 20061 April 2008

http://www.malaysianidentity.com

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

–> Lauching of Malaysian Identity Research Website!
http://www.malaysianidentity.com

Today i officially launch the Malaysian Identity Website! I’ve been working on it for nearly a month. The whole process of learning to get the site up is trilling. But I manage to get it up here!

The website purposes is to investigate how people understand the perceptions of, and potentials for, Malaysian product development. It will focus in exploring communication design and its potential contribution to such developments. It will also explore the relationship between communication design, branding processes, cultural identity and product development.

The central of this research include the cultural implications in the process of creating Malaysian product, locally and internationally. This study intends to contribute to contemporary discussions about the cultural engagement and its implication in branding practices and their impact on countries and local industries.
http://www.malaysianidentity.com

~~That’s it, and one more thing, very~~
IMPORTANT :
This is a research site. All the post and information from this site can be use in my PhD research. It under copyright of RMIT University and CreativeComments2006.

25 September 200620 January 2008

Malaysian Fruits

DURIAN
Durio zibethinus – a.k.a. Civet Fruit

Having one of the most pungent odors of any fruit in the world, the durian is either scorned or adored. Many regale its nutty, caramel tasting flesh, calling the durian the king of all fruits. Others will not go near it, for the intense odor, often overwhelmingly noxious, destroys any chance at enjoying the flavor. Flavor is sometimes described as a unique blend of nuts, spices, banana, and onions mixed together. Fruit is very large, sometimes over one foot long, and is covered in sharp, hard spikes. In Malaysia, most hotels will banned any visitors to bring in durian to the room. Usually you will see this sign at the entrance of the hotel.

RAMBUTAN
Nephelium lappaceum

The rambutan, is a fruit considered exotic to people outside of its native range. To people of Malaysia, Thailand, the Phillippines, Vietnam, Borneo, and other countries of this region, the rambutan is a relatively common fruit the same way an apple is common to many people in cooler climates. This may change for the rambutan over time as availability and distribution improve. The clear white flesh similar to lycee have a sweet taste and yet watery. In French, rambutan is called -ramboutan or ramboutanier and in Dutch, ramboetan. Note that the hairy skin is not to be eaten. If you interested to know more about rambutan and how to open the skin this website might comes handy – http://www.rambutan.com/

MANGGIS
Garcinia mangostana – a.k.a Mangosteen

The mangosteen grows on small trees native to tropical Malaysia. The mangosteen has a tough, leathery purple rind that encloses white fruit segments. The flesh is juicy, sweet and slightly tart. The mangosteen is ripe when its outer skin is slightly soft to the touch and its purple color is fully developed. Ripe mangosteens keep well for 3 to 4 weeks in storage at 40 to 55 F (4.44-12.78 C). Longer periods cause the outer skin to toughen and the rind to become rubbery; later, the rind hardens and becomes difficult to open and the flesh turns dry.

22 September 2006

Is it a need to brand the country?

Is it really a need to brand the country? What will be the outcome of this? What are the things that we aim to achieve from this process? What will be the impact of branding the country. And what will be next? Branding the nation. Or perhaps it is now. Branding according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Edition is an identifying mark burned on livestock or (esp. formerly) criminals or slaves with a branding iron.In this contexts branding is to identify the certain things about the country. Or to project certain ideas of what the country is?

Wally Olins (2000) chairman of the branding consultancy Saffron in London and Madrid, warns that sometimes this idea of branding places is does work, but the relationship between the product and place branding is by no means simple. While there may be similarities between product and place brands, “the idea of nation as a brand is a very big mistake’.

14 September 2006

What If?

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

~align=”left”>This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

–>What if….just to fly free with our imagination….

What if the Malaysian brands/products have the elements of Malaysian Identity? Can the product successully promote Malaysia? Can the product fly out of Malaysia and fly back witth lots of message from others who wants to know Malaysia?

Just for a minutes let us just imagine if the product is the pigeon, and the pigeon was in the colors of Malaysian Flag or with the image of Petronas Twin Tower. Can people identify that this pigeon represent Malaysia?
malaysian pigeon.jpg

Illustration by Nurul Rahman

13 September 20063 December 2007

Malaysian Flag

Malaysia’s flag is based on that of the United States, a country whose democratic ideals the young nation sought to emulate upon gaining independence from Great Britain in 1957. The 14 stripes represent Malaysia’s states, while the square in the upper left contains the moon and sun of Islam.