Presentation of the City in Poetry

Presentation of the City in Poetry Pre-1914 Poetry: Comparative Study Compare the ways in which the city is presented in William Blakes ‘London (1794) and William Wordsworths ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802. In your response you should consider: †¢ The techniques that the poets use to convey their impressions of the city. †¢ The way(s) in which the poets include references to social, political and personal concerns and the extent to which the poems are shaped by these. By 1800, London was the biggest city in the world, with a population of over one million. It was a global centre of power and imperial glory, set against a backdrop of revolution. Although William Wordsworths ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 and William Blakes ‘London (1794) both concern the city of London and were written in the same period, they present the city in very different ways. ‘Westminster Bridge is in celebration of the citys majesty and is rarely bitter, Wordsworth only ever writes disparagingly of its citizens. In ‘London however, Blake who was himself a resident of London, presents the city as a place crawling with corruption and rife with disease. In this essay I will explore the structure, form and setting of the poems, the poems main themes, language and imagery, how the poems portray people and society in London and the sights and sounds of the city, in order to compare in depth the different ways in which the city is pre sented. The poem ‘London comprises four quatrain stanzas, written in iambic tetrameter. Each stanza offers a view of various aspects of the city as seen by the narrator on his â€Å"wander† (line 1). ‘Westminster Bridge is an Italian sonnet, which is a single fourteen-line stanza. It is written in iambic pentameter. Traditionally, the sonnet form is associated with love poems, and indeed ‘Westminster Bridge could fall under this classification. The poem is metaphorically divided into two parts, an eight-line octave and a six-line sestet. It is conventional for the octave to offer the description or problem and the sestet the resolution. In ‘Westminster Bridge, Wordsworth uses the octave to detail the scene laid out before him, â€Å"Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie† (line 6), and the sestet to describe his emotions, â€Å"Neer saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!† (line 11). ‘London was published in ‘Songs of Experience, o ne of Blakes anthologies. As the anthologys title suggests, ‘London represents Blakes personal experience, and so the first person dominates, â€Å"I wander through each chartered street† (line 1). This reinforces that the issues presented in ‘London are of personal concern to Blake. Similarly, ‘Westminster Bridge is written in the first person, as it is a personal experience being composed by Wordsworth at the very moment that he beholds the described scene. However, it does not dominate the poem to the same extent as it does ‘London. Wordsworth also makes use of the third person, â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will† (line 12). He does this as he describes his emotions in order to make clear that the experience manifests itself as open to all who would care to observe it, rather than using the rather selfish alternative, â€Å"The river glideth at my own sweet will†. The rhyme scheme of ‘London is ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH, for example â€Å"street, flow, meet, woe† (stanza 1). This conveys a sense of control, authority and monotony, which is also echoed in the poems language. The meter is rarely interrupted, the poem continues with one criticism and revelation after another in order to emphasise the extent and number of the problems that exist, not wanting to dwell on any one point as if treating them with disgust. ‘Westminster Bridge conforms loosely to the ABBAABBACDCDCD rhyme scheme of the Italian sonnet. The rhythm is more often interrupted, with variety of punctuation and enjambement creating changes in the flow. â€Å"Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;† (line 13), is an example of a caesura which enhances this moment of epiphany in which Wordsworth realises that the tranquillity of the scene is such that the even the houses appear to be sleeping. Alternatively, this exclamation could literally be Wordsworth expressing his thankfulness to God for the scene. In examining an ex tract from Wordsworths ‘The Prelude, I believe it is sensible to assume that the exclamation ‘Dear God! is a spiritual reaction because he uses â€Å"guardian saints† (line 179) in a simile describing fronts of houses in London. Indeed, Wordsworth was a religious man who said in 1812 that he was â€Å"willing to shed his blood for the Church of England†. It could also be an echo of line 2, â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by†, a criticism of those who are asleep and not recognising the true splendour that the city can offer. Aside, it is also very important to consider the time setting of the poems as it has a direct influence on how the city is portrayed. As ‘London is set at midnight, the image of a dark, sordid London is carried through, â€Å"midnight streets† (line 13), which gives an image of the alleys where unbridled or promiscuous activities may take place. ‘London is not capturing a particular moment in time but more of a journey through life, â€Å"In every cry of every man / In every infants cry of fear† (lines 5-6). This is so because it demonstrates not only suffering across the demographics of London, but also across time. The idea of a journey through time is also illustrated in the original engraving of the poem, which shows a young boy pleading with a crippled old man. ‘Westminster Bridge by contrast captures a single moment in time on September 2nd 1802 and is set during the early morning, at sunrise, â€Å"The beauty of the morning† (line 5). This allows Wordsworth to see the city quite literally in its best light, â€Å"Never did the sun more beautifully steep† (line 9), giving the greatest opportunity for the synthesis of nature and the city. Political and social issues, shape the poems heavily, particularly ‘London. Blake focuses quite intently on political issues, specifically in the third stanza. â€Å"Every blackening church appalls,† (line 10) refers to the industrial revolution. This line highlights Blakes adversity toward the revolution. Blake grew up in London and so this might be the reason for his rejection of the change in society, but I find the example he gives particularly interesting because he was noted as being a dissenter, rejecting the Church of England, yet he highlights how the traditional religion of the country is being damaged by industry. Alternatively it may refer to his disgust at the infrequent cleansing of the city, which has instead been left to perish and degenerate. The mere association of the church with corruption is incongruous. Blake also attacks the monarchy in stanza three, â€Å"And the hapless soldiers sigh / Runs in blood down Palace walls† (lines 11-12). The ph rase â€Å"hapless soldier† refers to one of many ill-fated soldiers who were sent off by the country to wage war, often against their will and without any care being given to them for their troubles. Despite providing an invaluble service in protecting the country, the monarchy saw soldiers as mere pawns in the ‘game of war, insignificant, indistinguishable and easily replaced. The other thing noted to â€Å"run in blood down palace walls† is the â€Å"chimney-sweepers cry†, which is similarly ignored by the monarchy. Blake particularly despised the slave trade and so he felt strongly about such matters not being address by the countrys leaders. â€Å"Palace† could equally refer to the houses of parliament, with criticism falling squarely on the shoulders of politicians rather than the monarchy. The criticism of the Church and monarchy is a common theme in Blakes poems, for example in ‘The Chimney Sweeper (ii) from the same anthology in which ‘London was published, ‘Songs of Experience, Blake writes â€Å"And are gone to praise God his Priest King / Who make up a heaven of our misery† (lines 11-12). â€Å"And are gone†, refers to the parents of a chimney sweeper, who have abandoned him. The narrator condemns God and the King for having tried to glorify his miserable existence by false promises of a great life, which have not panned out. In the first stanza, he describes the streets and the river Thames as â€Å"chartered† (lines 1 and 2). The word chartered, which is repeated, likely refers to the exclusive and executive nature of the streets. Chartered literally means ‘having special privileges, and so Blake is probably referring to the great number of wealthy businesses in London, garnering money and turning profit, juxtaposed with the ‘weakness, ‘woe and poverty of those on the street. Wordsworth also makes this contrast when he describes London in ‘The Prelu de, â€Å"The wealth, the bustle and the eagerness / The glittering chariots with their pampered steeds†, (lines 161-162) and â€Å"The scavenger that begs with hat in hand† (line 164). ‘Charted may also refer to the fact that the streets are well known and well trodden, mapped, charted. ‘Westminster Bridge makes passing reference to the industrial revolution, â€Å"All bright and glittering in the smokeless air† (line 8). This line conveys a sense of freshness and purity with ‘smokeless suggesting that the morning air is free of the industrial pollution that is so apparent during the day. Wordsworths view of the industrial revolution is very different to that of Blake because he acknowledges in this line how nature and man are able to co-exist in the city. In the final line, â€Å"And all that mighty heart is lying still!† (line 14). Wordsworth refers to the British Empire, which by 1802 was at its peak. London, being the UKs capital, f ormed the ‘heart of the Empire in a political sense. This personification reinforces the idea that London formed a vital organ of the Empires ‘body, and so it is particularly notable that Wordsworth describes London as lying still because it really emphasises the tranquillity of the scene. â€Å"Mighty heart† is also a particularly effective metaphor for a city because it is a concentrated area of bustling activity during the day akin to a ‘machine. ‘Westminster Bridge is more shaped by personal concerns rather than social and political concerns. In ‘London Blake describes the London set during the industrial revolution and the effects that it has had on society as people part with tradition and become helpless. In stanza two the anaphora, â€Å"In every†¦ In every†¦ In every†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , acts to emphasise the universal nature of the suffering and sorrow. One of the most striking metaphors in ‘London is â€Å"mind-forged manacles† (line 8). It refers to the social restrictions induced by life in the city, resonating with the poems rhyme scheme. I find â€Å"mind-forged† to be especially interesting because it suggests that these â€Å"manacles† do not in fact exist but are the cultivated in the minds of the people. Blake is suggesting that the people of London bend to conform to the power and control of authority, where this is not necessary. â€Å"mind-forged† seems to suggest the subversion of the peoples power, attitudes of defiance and non-conformity, perhaps even stret ching to suggestion of a breakdown of democracy and freedom of speech. The phrase implies that the â€Å"manacles†, which are â€Å"shackles that consist of metal loops that can be locked around the wrist†, have been imposed by some figure of authority. The juxtaposition of the â€Å"mind-forged† and â€Å"manacles† thus conflates he who is suppressed and he who has acted to suppress. Wordsworth gives glancing insights into what he thinks of the society in London, â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by† (line 2). Interestingly this is one of the only moments in ‘Westminster Bridge that could be construed as critical or bitter, showing contempt for anyone who does not appreciate the sight. Or perhaps Wordsworth is rationalising his overly emotional reaction, which could be interpreted as effeminate, by justifying that anyone who didnt react in this way would be ‘dull. Amplifying what little insight Wordsworth gives into society in London with information from an extract from Wordsworths ‘The Prelude, in which he describes his experience in London when he was 18, I feel that Wordsworths view of society in London is in agreement with that of Blake. â€Å"The endless stream of men and moving things† (line 159), implies loss of identity in London, which compliments â€Å"manacles† in ‘London. Blake notes â€Å"marks of weakness, marks of woe† (line 4) in â€Å"every face† he meets. The repetition of mark gives emphasis to the â€Å"weakness† and â€Å"woe†, Blake could have quite easily chosen to use more diverse language but the harsh repeated sound of â€Å"marks† really enhances the image. â€Å"Marks† tends to suggest that these are aberrations that have not always existed but have recently appeared as a result of changes in London, the industrial revolution perhaps. The last stanza bears a few very striking images that give further insig ht into people and society in London. â€Å"How the youthful harlots curse† (line 14), refers to the rise of prostitution. It is particularly shocking to hear that it is a â€Å"youthful† harlot, it appears that even the youths of society have been corrupted and subverted, having to turn to prostitution in order to scratch a living in such desperate times. â€Å"curse† refers to the spread of venerable disease as a result of such activities. This â€Å"curse† is described as blasting â€Å"the newborn infants tear† and blighting â€Å"with plagues the marriage hearse† (line 16). The oxymoron â€Å"marriage hearse†, ends the poem with a very strong image, starkly juxtaposing the charm of marriage with the hearse, used to carry a dead person to the place of burial. Blake himself condemned the absurdity of marriage without love and this is reflected in marriage hearse because any relationship resulting out of an encounter with the  "youthful harlot† would like be a relationship without true love. Alternatively, â€Å"marriage hearse†, could refer to a social restriction as â€Å"mind-forged manacles† does, that is to say that marriage is as a mans death, once he has committed to it he no longer has the same free will to do as he please. The strong plosive constants of â€Å"but, blasts blights and plagues† emphasises the harshness of what is being described. Wordsworth uses rich descriptions of the sights and sounds of London. He is in great admiration of the beauty of London and starts the poem with a superlative, hyperbolic tone. â€Å"Earth has not anything to show more fair† (line 1), suggesting that this is the epitome of beauty on Earth. I find the simile, â€Å"The City now doth, like a garment, wear† (line 4), particularly interesting as it indicates the morning sky appears to surround the city as a garment does a body, tending to suggest that the tranquillity of the morning is cloaking the true nature of the city which is perhaps less appealing. In ‘London Blake describes the grim sounds he hears in order to imbue the poem with a mood of pathos. For example in stanza two, â€Å"In every cry of every man / In every infants cry of fear / In every voice, in every ban† (lines 5-7), the repetition of cry across the two generations is striking, and the choice of â€Å"infant† is particularly shocking. This idea can be found in Blakes poem ‘Infant Sorrow from ‘Songs of Experience which links closely with ‘London, â€Å"Into the dangerous world I leapt / Helpless, naked, piping loud† (lines 2-3). â€Å"piping loud† corresponds with the cries of fear, â€Å"dangerous world† with idea that the suffering is universal in London. In ‘Westminster Bridge, Wordsworth celebrates the wondrous variety of London by asyndeton, â€Å"Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie† (line 6). These images bring together the components of the Empire and variety within London, with â€Å"ships† signifying trade, â€Å"towers† business, â€Å"domes† St. Pauls, an icon of London, â€Å"theatres† entertainment, and â€Å"temples† religion. In ‘London however, Blake sees the same â€Å"marks† in every face, the same generic cries in every voice. As ‘Westminster Bridge is romantic poetry Wordsworth integrates nature and the city because the reconciliation of man and nature is a key tenet of Romanticism, as pioneered by Wordsworth himself. The features listed in line 6 are described as lying â€Å"open unto the fields and to the sky;† (line 7). This appropriation of the city in a pastoral context refers to how the rural-urban fringes of London would be more apparent in 1802 because it was a smaller city. Wordsworth is saying that the city is in truth not so far removed from nature as some may believe and in fact they can co-exist in perfect harmony. He also highlights how man and nature harmonise, â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will† (line 12), implies that the scene appears to conform to Wordsworth wishes, flowing past so gently in a way that completes the scene as if just to please his own wishes. In contrast â€Å"Near where the charted Thames does flow† (line 2) in ‘London, ravages the idea of the calm flowing Thames by associating it w ith â€Å"chartered†, implying that is over run by commercial usage, to satisfy the greed of wealthy city businessmen. In order to show the extent to which Wordsworth feels positively about the city, if â€Å"not anything to show more fair† (line 1), was indeed not praise enough, he compares the sight of the city to things of nature, furthering the synthesis of nature and the city. â€Å"Never did sun more beautifully steep† (line 9), gives an image of the sun glinting on the roofs of the buildings as it slowly rises over the cityscape, imbuing and saturating it with natural light, and is enhanced by the sibilance of â€Å"sun† and â€Å"steep. In the line, â€Å"In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; / Neer saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!† (line 10), Wordsworth directly compares the cityscape with valleys, rocks and hills but concludes that he has never felt so touched and calmed by any of these scenes so much as he is by the calmness of the city. This is particularly notable bearing in mind that Wordsworth lived in the countryside and enjoyed nature, yet finds the conflation of the city and nature to be more beautiful than any purely natural experience. However, the idea that this is fleeting moment, â€Å"The city now doth† (line 4), reminds us that despite the fact that it looks good at this moment, it will not last. This sort of naà ¯ve expression of joy is seen in Blakes poem ‘Infant Joy, from ‘Songs of Innocence. â€Å"Sweet joy befall thee† (line 12), is the adults hope for the childs wish for joy to be fulfilled but in â€Å"befall† there is a grim acknowledgement of how such joy will probably not be achieved. In conclusion I find William Wordsworths ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 and William Blakes ‘London to present London in very different ways. ‘Westminster Bridge is panegyric, a love poem to the City with a tone of exultation and infatuation with the beauty of the scene that befalls him. The way in which it appropriates London in a pastoral context and integrates the city and nature is a refreshing vantage point considering the political and social issues of the time. ‘London however appears to describe an entirely different London to Wordsworth because of Blakes focus on political issues. Overall, I find Blakes vision to be the most convincing because of how the poem is written as a first person experience by a citizen of London who is able to most appropriately empathise with people facing adversity and compare how the city has changed over time rather than capturing a single moment as Wordsworth does. The poems are both shaped by politi cal and social concerns but Blakes ‘London draws on social and political issues much more than ‘Westminster Bridge, particularly focussing on the industrial revolutions impact on society in London, whereas only passing references are made in ‘Westminster Bridge which is shaped to a much greater extent by personal emotional concerns of the moment. These personal concerns are fleeting and short-lived because once the garment of the morning has been hung up, the underlying problems become apparent once again. Bibliography â€Å"Wordsworth was a religious man who said in 1812 that he was â€Å"willing to shed his blood for the Church of England†Ã¢â‚¬ , http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/ww/religion1.html Dictionary definition of ‘manacles, http://www.onelook.com â€Å"the reconciliation of man and nature is a key tenet of Romanticism, as pioneered by Wordsworth himself†, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_poetry

Semiotics of a Magazine

Studying semiotics: When we are looking at the study of semiotics it means we are to analyze the use of signs and symbols that the magazine cover uses. When studying a picture, advertisement or magazine cover you can take almost anything as a sign or symbol, anything can represent anything at the discretion of the writer or editor. It is for us to interpret what each sign or symbol is representing to the best of our knowledge. Semiotics are important in a work as they give us a better insight into the content, the ideology and what to expect within the magazine.After a close analysis of the semiotics of a magazine we can find out more about what it is about and can understand it more. By reading the signs and symbols it gives us a better sense of the type of magazine. â€Å"In Barthian visual semiotics, the key idea is the layering of meaning. The first layer is the layer of denotation, of what, or who, is being depicted here? The second layer is the layer of connotation, of what id eas and values are expressed through what is represented, and through the way in which it is represented? † (Van Leeuwen, 2001) The first step of the semiotic deconstruction of the cover is to â€Å"identify relevant signs and their dominant aspects† (Van Zoonen, 1994, p. 78) From a first glance at the magazine cover we can see that the masthead is in big and bold capitals as to stand out to the audience. People will look at the masthead and automatically recognize the magazine from the colours and font. The tone of orange and pink they use are colours that are represented as stereotypically girly colours. The sell lines on the left and right of the magazine are used to tell the audience what’s included in the magazine or who is in it.It will also give an insight to the genre of the magazine by showing what kind of articles are included and what kind of artists or people they interview or talk about. They include words such as â€Å"World exclusive† to mak e the audience believe they are getting something that nobody else has and that it is a must have. The header on this magazine reads â€Å"Britain’s No. 1 Women’s magazine†. This is to attract attention to the magazine on the shelf for other women to buy it other the understanding that if it is popular with everyone else then you should enjoy it too.The use of the white on the pink also stands out as the top is normally what you will see first on a magazine on the shelf in a shop. The main image used in this magazine is a picture of Angelina Jolie, who Is a popular actor and fashion icon. The image takes up nearly the whole background and is obviously being used as a big selling point of this magazine. She is not wearing any clothes from our view of the image and has her makeup done perfectly. This image is very sexualized by her facial expression and the amount of skin shown.The use of a pull quote with â€Å"I went from Nanny to Prostitute in 24 hours† , is used to draw the audience in to the magazine are want to read why this happened and gain their interest and attention . It shows that the magazine has these kind of gossip stories that some women have great interest in reading. Having isolated the major signs and aspects of the magazine we then must â€Å"continue to examine the paradigmusicatic of signs by asking what their absent opposites are and how they relate to each other syntagmatically†. This is to say that we need to find the assumptions made by a first look at the cover and to see if they have any opposites.The main image used in the cover is of a white western woman. This is the iconography of the western world as she is someone who would be famous throughout. If they had a darker woman of less significance on the page then you would feel that the magazine would not sell as many copies. Her hair is down and her facial expression and lack of clothing is very sexualized whereas if you were to have her uptight w ith hair tied up and in a formal outfit then you may think that people would not buy it as she doesn’t seem as open and laid back and less likely to be giving all her gossip in the interview.You feel that there is a kind of ethnocentrism related to magazines such as these as they often are associated with people associated with your own western culture and not from anywhere else. We can then being to denotate what is on the magazine cover. The colour scheme used is that of pink, orange and white. This is to associate the magazine directly to women as these are stereotypical female colours. The font used is a basic one and is often in bold; it is easy to read and stands out on the page.The cover lines feature â€Å"3 sex secrets that will change everything†, various lines about the celebrities included in the magazine and also â€Å"How to get rid of cellulite or at least hide it†, all the coverlines are related to either sex, image or celebrity lives. On a conno tation level we can see that the connotations gathered by analysis of this cover they are predominantly about femininity and sexuality. Even thought his is a magazine for women we see that the main image used is a picture of, what we are made to believe, Angelina Jolie naked. She has her makeup done up and has a sexualized look in her eyes staring at the camera.This is a confusing decision in these magazines as you would feel that if you are to judge by how male magazines are made, with semi naked pictures of women also, then you would think that they would have a semi naked man on the cover to their magazine. The 21st century has shown a change back to when women have been used as objects in magazines like this in western civilization but is just taken to be the normality in this part of the world. â€Å"The re-sexualisation of women’s bodies, often displayed in public space and in near-soft porn forms, goes comparatively unremarked – except by those from other, less ‘liberated’ cultures†. Branston, 2010) The media has a huge control on how we represent women and men in a western civilisation. From what is read and seen in magazine we get the perceptions of this is how normal people should be and act and that is completely controllable and interchangeable by what the media chooses to do. This is a high power that we should try and move away from as it will control the world and people will always be aiming to be like the celebrities and people shown in these magazines and in the media. Research on media representations of gender has focused on how women are objectified and exploited in a media context and on the gap between social reality and media constructions of femininity and masculinity†( Devereux, 2003) The idea that celebrities mean so much in our society influences on people to be like them. Celebrities are just normal people that have perhaps a talent or a different look, but once the media throws them into the spotlight then it is our turn to idolize them. Magazines such as this one are filled with advertising and fake stories and the cover shows this by showing hidden advertising for a â€Å"? 5 dress that flatters everyone†. This kind of advertising draws people in to read ‘stories’ that are actually just ads for different products. â€Å"The point of publicity and promotion is to turn advertising into news†(Turner, 2004) References: Branston, G. , & Stafford, R. (2010). The media student's book  (5th  ed. ). London: Routledge. Devereux, E. (2003). Understanding the Media. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Turner, G. (2004). Understanding Celebrity. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Van, L. T. , ; Jewitt, C. (2001). Handbook of visual analysis. London: SAGE. Zoonen, L. (1994). Feminist media studies. London: Sage.

Design Thinking And The Design Essay - 1110 Words

ideas and the design students are encouraged to keep personal blogs such as Tumblr and WordPress as it is a great way of receiving feedback and a great way of development. On the other hand, through share inspiration it allows the individuals to get started with some ideas.[6] From all these sources, developing a broader understanding, how things have transformed. Design thinking has become a way of problem solving for a wide range of companies. Tim Brown, CEO and President of IDEO, Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.† [1] Understanding the brief is significant as this is what makes the project successful as a lack of research on the brief can lead to errors. A good brief will clearly show the project aims, requirements, time scales, budget and, increasingly the criteria. Market research is generally completed as it refers to the systematic planning, gathering analysis of information about a product or a service. It’s one of the main components of design research. According to, Jamie Steane he suggests design students who are unfamiliar they should visit places as it is a good place to start to get familiar with the tools. On the other hand, the book called ‘Wicked Problems in Design Thinking: The MT’ written by Richard Buchanan. Design thinking continues to develop its meaning. There is a limit ofShow MoreRelatedDesign Thinking1006 Words   |  5 PagesCase report---Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple Qi YU Q1. Why has Apple been so successful? What do you attribute it to? For several years, Apple has been ranked as the most innovative company in the world, but how it has achieved such success remains mysterious because of the company s obsession with secrecy. Now researchers and business men have found more about its success. According to the case, the main reasons are showed as following. Product: 1. Technology innovation ComputersRead MoreDesign Thinking4621 Words   |  19 PagesDESIGN THINKING Summative Assignment DSM5A1 – Graeme Campbell Lorenzo Robuschi S00607430 05/12/2014 Define the Concept of Design Thinking Design Thinking The global corporate world is engaged in the continuous process of searching for ways in which it can improve its performance. As businesses become more and more competitive with each other, employers and business managers have to continually seek ways by means of which they can improve their performance and developRead MoreDesign Thinking Paper1539 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: DESIGN THINKING PAPER Design Thinking Paper Week 7 Assignment Lucia Bastian John F. Kennedy University August 16th, 2010 DESIGN THINKING PAPER Abstract This paper is to define â€Å"Design Thinking† and explain how it can be used by organizations to improve their level of innovation in product development and service delivery. It further describes some examples of how organizations that continuously use design thinking proved to be very successful and talks about their principles andRead MoreDesign Thinking and Innovation at Apple1406 Words   |  6 PagesApple Case Assignment Abstract The purpose of this assignment is to access the â€Å"Apple way† and understand the source of their systematic innovation and the way to sustain it. The major source of innovation is design thinking, which is also discussed based on Apple case. Finally, Steve Jobs is compared to other major industry player, Bill Gates, in order to understand their major difference and compare their success stories. Is there a systematic approach to Innovation at Apple? How would you characterizeRead More Design Thinking Essay examples1197 Words   |  5 PagesDesign thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result. It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the building up of ideas. There are no judgments early on the design thinking (Simon, 1969, p. 55). Design thinking includes imagination and reason, a combination of convergentRead MoreDesign Thinking And Project Management866 Words   |  4 PagesDesign Thinking and Project Management Manage product teams which is incorporated usability and design methodologies into the design The business world is rapidly changing where design is changing. Design thinking works is not just visual design. Introduction to the design and project management Design thinking is enormously increasing in the organizations. Most leading organizations like Apple, Coca-Cola, IBM, GE, Nike are helping the project managers to build strong knowledge on design, thinkingRead MoreDesigning An Article On Design Thinking Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesDesign Thinking I have been researching about Design Thinking and the vital role that reinterpretation plays in the design process and reviews. Moreover, to discover more information, I used the library, Google Scholar and ACM Digital Library and various magazines, blogs and articles. I used speech marks on the phrase â€Å"Design Thinking† before entering it on the search engines. The purpose of this is to ensure I discover appropriate information. I have selected the book Design Studies by CatherineRead MoreThe Theory Of Computational Design Thinking1624 Words   |  7 PagesProfessor Neil Leach Computational Design Thinking The dominance of computational programs in the architectural career has become dominant throughout the years. It could be said that it has taken over the entire practice and that the human aspect had been taken out completely. In the book Computational Design Thinking, by Achim Menges and Sean Ahlquist this is discussed. It is important to understand how certain things work in an environment in other to comprehend how a design computer system actually worksRead MoreDesign, Thinking and Innovation at Apple1387 Words   |  6 Pagesand philosophy. In Apple, employees think that they can change the world and bring completely new values to the customers by design and innovation. They not only want to deliver these new values in a simple way, but also want to provide the customers with functionalities and features they need and that are competitive. Apple is capable of applying simplicity to the design and innovation of their products and at the same time considering customers needs. While living this vision and philosophyRead MoreDesign Thinking Course For Designer1360 Words   |  6 PagesThis design-thinking course is available to student to prepare them for the future obstacles that we might face as designer. It’s purpose to get students thinking about their careers and interest. This course is a great opportunity to have guests speakers who are already employed as designer come in and inform us about the life after college. The professor searched for designers mostly one that graduated form our program to explain what it is that they had to do in order to be successful. Every

Myer Australia Case - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 521 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/09/22 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Firm overview Myer is an iconic Australia department store brand for over 100 years. It has grown through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. Myer currently operate 65 department stores in all major shopping centres across Australia. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Myer Australia Case" essay for you Create order It targets a broad range of Australian population, offering more than 600,000 product lines from over 800 suppliers internationally. The group employs 14,000 people and majority of these employees will be on the floor. As a leader in this industry, Myer generates total sales vale of over $3. billion in financial year 2009, and it has estimated the potential impact of new stores and private label on sales and earnings in the next four financial years. Myer issued the initial public offer of shares (IPO). Strength As a result of the turnaround initiatives undertaken and the large capital supported, Myers competitive advantages have been expanded. Over the last few years, Myer has a better economic profit than the average amount in the industry. Apparently Myer has a well-recognised and reputable with a history of 100 years and the offering of private label enforce the brand strength in some ways. Myer aims to provide customers with a broad range of product categories. It also offers a wide range of domestic and international brands at different price points. Myer has strong distribution channels that include four distribution centres and four international centres which provide productivity and increased international sourcing of products. As mentioned above, Myer operates 65 stores in the prime locations currently and therefore strong national store network is set up which difficult to replicate and capture. Moreover, Myer has a strong customer base, with over three million members of Myer one loyalty program. According to the data, it is approximately 185 million visits in FY2009. Challenge The challenge of Myer is how to assess and minimize the risks. In the current situation, there are risks arised from both macro environment and micro environment. The macro risk faced by Myer is the systematic risk which cannot be controlled or predicted by Myer. The financial performance of Myer and industry will be affected. The current economy conditions in Australia have been relatively stable. However, it is not a guarantee that Myer will achieve their objectives during the next financial period. On the other hand, there are a number of risks specific to Myers operation. The first one could be execution risk. As Myer is running a number of projects in parallel, it is more likely a failure of which could occur. Also, property risk may affect the new stores roll-out program. New stores will attribute a large part to Myers financial growth in the report. If there is any impact from macro economy or the EBIT protection, the new store or refurbishment could be delayed. Therefore it may not achieve their objectives properly. Moreover, inventory risk is the key risk for any retailer company. Change in any of the conditions such as weather, competitor offering could potentially result in a reduction of sales, or inventory write-downs. Furthermore, other challenges could arise from the change of customer preferences or the relationship between Myer and its suppliers. All these challenges could occur and affect Myers financial performance.