Symbols of revolution.

Why are these so hard to find? Wait that right, its because Nigel used them all in class!

Top 3 turtle symbols

These are just a few ideas we have had so far for our cause symbol. I think the top left is the favourite so far because it incorporates a hand, which could catch on as a gestural symbol too.

TURTLES! The reason behind the cause.

All marine turtle species are experiencing serious threats to their survival. The main threats are pollution and changes to important turtle habitats, especially coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests and nesting beaches.

Many turtles eat small jellyfish and squid and often mistake plastic bags for food. This not only leads to choking, but also the combination with digestion of other food creates a gas that results in floatation.

University of Queensland's Dr. Townsned - Plastic bags turtle's greatest killer, March 2008"Sea turtles are particularly susceptible to the effects of marine rubbish due to the internal structure of their throats and die a slow and painful death. Sea turtles have downward facing spines in their throats which literally prevent them from regurgitating," Dr Townsend said. "The plastic gets trapped in the gut, preventing food from going down and the spines prevent it from coming back up. The trapped food decomposes, leaking gases into the body cavity and causing the animal to float".

By encouraging people to dispose of litter properly means less plastic in the ocean and decreased harm to marine life. The turtle will be the face of our non-littering campaign and demonstrate how something so small that can be done on a daily basis can have such a large impact on the environment. But why should people get involved? For the good of goodness sake!

Top 3 cause ideas

1. The colour yellow makes people happy. So, why not spread it for goodness sake? This idea could be infectious and we thought of it when Felicia commented on a friends shirt, which was yellow and got us thinking if she would have if it had of been a different colour. Yellow is the colour of smiley faces, sunshine, lemon sherbets (which are delicious), all things that make people happy. Our cause could be based on getting yellow out there and combining it with a smile and hello... or yellow?

2. Thumbs up for turtles! Littering is a massive issue when it comes to damaging the environment but asking people to save the planet it a little big for our cause. Turtles on the other hand could be the face of a new anti-litter campaign as they are severely endangered animals and often die as a result of mistaking plastic bags as jellyfish and choking on them. People would relate to the innocence of a turtle and could really catch on. "Dont litter, think of the turtles!"

3. Public transport is hell at peak hour, however it can be the simplest of things to make or break your day. On the way to uni last week a lady on the train was taking up so much room on a 3 seater and a man was sitting on the edge, when he saw me standing he pushed along the seat and made enough room for me to sit down. I was the happiest person that day! That afternoon it made me sit over for people to pay the gesture forward. Something so simple but it effected my day in such a way that it made me want to continue it, making it a good cause to encourage moving over and making room for people even though it can be awkward.

Final tribe symbol

Even the toilet man can round house kick!

This is our final symbol and besides the fact that its awesome it really does achieve what we wanted to do. Its simple, identifiable, has a nice sense of movement/action and mainly that its a bit of fun. This symbol basically captivates what the ninja's stand for as student in this class and as designers in general.

Week 4 - Symbols and meaning.

(Top) Peace symbol or Nero's cross?

A broken, upside-down cross. To Roman emperor Nero, who hated and persecuted the early Christians, it meant destruction of Christianity. Revived in the sixties by hippies and others who protested nuclear weapons, Western culture, and Christian values, it now symbolizes a utopian hope for a new age of global peace and earth-centered unity. But many of heavy metal rock fans would agree with Nero and use it to mock Christ and His followers(1).

I find it unusual that this symbol has so much meaning and yet no one actually knows the history behind it. It is interesting that it is a contemporary symbol of peace that has previously meant the exact opposite ~ just like the symbol above (bottom), a gesture that wasn't always so accepted when posing for a photograph.

(1) http://www.radioliberty.com/Symbolsandtheirmeaning.html

Week 3 - Superstitions and cures.

Ancient legends, mystic charm and superstitions of Ireland:
An iron ring worn on the fourth finger was considered effective against rheumatism by the Irish peasantry from ancient times. Shamrock - symbol of good luck
http://www.libraryireland.com/AncientLegendsSuperstitions/Various-Superstitions-Cures-1.php

Italian superstition:
Spilling salt has also been thought to bring bad luck, even to some today. Why was this so? Salt was very important especially in Rome as it was used to preserve and purify food. It also served to be the soldiers' salary, of which salary meant "salt money." Thus, to spill salt would be a great waste and bad luck would befall the person who did so. This could be counteracted though, by throwing a pinch of salt it over the left shoulder into the face of the devil, who is supposedly poised there.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004203/religion/religion05.htm

Chinese superstition:
The colour red was a colour of good luck to the Chinese, both of the past and the present. During the Lunar New Year, married Chinese would give their children, friends and relatives red packets filled with money as a symbol of good luck, as the colour red symbolises fire which is used to scare away evil spirits.
Yin yang - Symbol of balance.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004203/religion/religion05.htm


Other links:
http://chestofbooks.com/fairy-tale/Kentucky-Superstitions/Cures-And-Preventive-Superstitions.html
http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.essortment.com/all/superstitiousbe_rsqz.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/omens