Kate Harmsworth Research

Glossary Semiotics - the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Peak Oil - the hypothetical point in time when the global production of oil reaches its maximum rate, after which production will gradually decline. Ethical Trade Initiative - involves retailers and brands taking a series of recognised steps to improve the conditions of the workers throughout their supply chains, wherever they are in the world. Social Compliance - It is a continuing process in which the involved parties keep on looking for better ways to protect the health, safety, and fundamental rights of their employees, and to protect and enhance the community and environment in which they operate. Panopitcism - Whereas the panopticon is the model for external surveillance, panopticism is a term introduced by French philosopher Michel Foucault to indicate a kind of internal surveillance. Ownership concentration - refers to the amount of stock owned by individual investors and large-block...

Above are designs I made, the first one showing contemporary fordist production of McDonald's production line and the second of contemporary fordist consumption of my experience ordering at McDonald's. I chose McDonald's as they were one of the first restaurants to introduce mass production for fast food service. When McDonald's began the McDonald brothers decided to use lots of unskilled workers, each of whom did one small, specific step in the food-preparation process which sped up their service. The McDonald brothers' changes also applied to the design of the restaurant kitchen. Instead of having lots of different equipment and stations for preparing a wide variety of food, the kitchen had: a very large grill where one person could cook lots of burgers simultaneously, a dressing station where people added the same condiments to every burger, a fryer where one person made french fries, a soda fountain and milkshake machine for desserts and beverages and a co...

Design, Environment & Ecological Issues What are the problems that face our environment and how are they likely to affect us? There are many environmental issues which we face today, and our environment is constantly changing. There has been a massive influx of natural disasters, warming and cooling periods, different types of weather patterns and much more. Our planet is warming up and we are part of the problem, our planet is at the brink of a severe environmental crisis which requires urgent attention. A major environment problem of today is the pollution of air, water and soil which will require millions of years to recoup. The industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants, as well as heavy metals, nitrates and plastics which are toxins and are responsible for pollution. Water pollution is caused by oil spills, acid rain and urban runoff. Air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fo...

This photo was taken by Richard Drew on September 11, 2001 moments after the attacks on the World Trade Center. The photograph is of a man falling to his death to escape the burning and collapsing building, it is one of the only widely seen pictures that shows someone dying. The photo was published in newspapers around the U.S. in the days after the attacks, but had a lot of backlash from readers. Falling Man’s identity is still unknown, but he is believed to have been an employee at the Windows on the World restaurant, which sat atop the north tower. I feel this image is very powerful and has a lot of impact as it captures a moment in time of someone who is in their last seconds of life, something you don't see very often.

This Nike advertisement draws you in straight to the graphic trainers which are in the shape of 2 lungs, symbolising multiple meanings. My first thought is that the trainers in the shape of lungs imply that having these trainers are vital for your life like your lungs; this is also implied in the text suggesting that ‘they keep you alive’. In more realistic terms the advertisement suggests to the reader that having these trainers you are going to have a healthier and active lifestyle to ‘keep you alive’. Furthermore, the advertisement is advertising a specific Nike shoe called the ‘Nike Air Max’; the essence of the trainer is it’s lightness therefore it is called the ‘Air Max’ which is also represented by the lungs in the advertisement. The format of the Nike advertisement poster is very modern and minimalistic which works well as it draws you straight into the graphic image of the trainers in the shape of the lungs and then to the text and logo which are the only dark parts of t...