ARC 211: American Diversity and Design: Brian Kennedy

ARC 211 - American Diversity & Design
Spring 2017
Online Discussion Questions
Brian Kennedy
UNIVERSITYAT BUFFALO – STATE UNIVERSITYOF NEW YORK

Introduction
This thread provides you with an opportunity to "meet" each
other and initiate a connection with participants in your
group. In responding to this discussion thread, please
introduce yourself and provide us with one interesting fact
about yourself. After posting your introduction, take a look
through and reply to some of the others. The purpose of this
exercise is to develop a sense of community. You might find
that you share similar experiences and can help each other in
many ways throughout the semester
After taking a diversity and design class I see the world in a
different light. It make you look at things differently as if you were
in someone else’s shoes. It has impacted some of the decisions I
make and made me realize the importance that design has on the
world. I learned how some groups are incredibly
underrepresented in the world, and how design can help these
groups to gain status. I also realized ow important the decisions
we make today impact our futures. The most compelling part
about this course was seeing how other people live. For example,
when I see the people on welfare and not doing well off with their
income I never thought that design could help these people. I thought it was up to themselves or help from others, but to realize that
design can impact these people was very compelling. My viewpoints after taking this course have changed. I now see the world from a
new perspective and I now think, why was that designed like that, and how does that design make a difference. The following pages
document my responses to the online discussion questions in the Spring 2017 version of ARC 211 American Diversity and Design at
the University at Buffalo – State University of New York.
Photographer:JohnLauder

Response to "What is design?" from Hello World
On “What is design?” from Hello World: Where Design Meets Life by Alice Rawsthron
The author opened her chapter with the example of Ying Zheng, the ruler of the Qin empire, one of the most powerful and
enduring empires I the history of China. She explained how design innovation contributed to Ying Zheng’s success. For
example, in the development of weaponry, he resolved many problems by standardizing parts, and this single innovation
gave his armies great advantage over other armies.
For this discussion, let’s move away from 246 B.C. China, and into the
U.S. Describe an innovation or invention (can be current or historical) that
gave advantage to a group of people in the U.S. or to the population as a
whole. What were the social impacts of this innovation? Were any groups
negatively impacted by this innovation? For example, the
telegraph, developed and patented in the United States in 1837 by Samuel
Morse, permitted people and commerce to transmit messages across both
continents and oceans almost instantly, with widespread social and
economic impacts. This heightened communication speed allowed business
persons to make decisions with up-to-date information, often resulting in big
profits. Those without access had to rely on outdated information, which put them at a disadvantage.
`One incredibly important innovation in US history was the typewriter. The first successful model of the typewriter was created in 1868
by a number of people after a long time of being designed and redesigned. This invention was such a big deal because it now made it
possible to more easily get information to the people of the country though newspapers. Social impacts that occurred after the creation
of the type writer include the idea of false information being spread. Since so much more people were now able to view the information
writers and editors began to spread false information. This had a negative impact on the wealthy people and public officials because
false rumors were spread causing problems. Although the spreading of false information was unfortunate, the typewriter allowed for
more people to get information about what was going on. More of the “common man” got to know what was going on.
http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/2012/01/31/in-
appreciation/

Response to "Introduction" from Diversity and Design
On “Introduction” from Diversity and Design: Understanding Hidden Consequences
The editors state that “diverse participation in the design process, from both
professionals and public citizens alike, yields more equitable results.” This makes
sense, but typically has not been the case. Nonetheless, many marginalized groups
have impacted design in ways that have changed our visual and physical worlds as
well as our systems, policies, and institutions. For example, in the 1960s, disability
rights advocates designed media events to raise awareness about barriers in the
physical environment. They persisted with their efforts for decades, and, finally, in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act
became law. It mandated accessibility in public accommodations such as restaurants and stores, public transportation,
communication, and other areas of public life. This dramatically changed our physical environment (from curb cuts to ramps
to automatic doors) and the results made public life more equitable.
Now it’s your turn. Describe a design that was impacted by a diversity group. How and why did it change form and/or
circumstances? (Note that a design can be anything requiring planning and development prior to the production of an action,
system, visual, material object, or environment. Also, keep in mind that, for our purposes, a diversity group is a group of
individuals who are underrepresented in society in some way—children, older adults, the economically disadvantaged, those
with cognitive disabilities, etc.)
One design that was impacted by a diversity group can be seen at a restaurants. In general if a family with children goes to a
restaurant they receive 2 types of menus, a regular menu and a kids menu. The history of the kids menu dates back prohibition when it
was created with the health of children in mind.1The smaller portions and playful style of the menu are seen in the very first ones and
still seen today. This menu was designed to allow parents to go out with their children instead of needing a baby sitter every time.
Families could now go out together as a family.
1
Humes, Michele. "Children’s Menus of the 1920s Contained Lamb Chops and Prune Whip." Slate Magazine. August 07, 2013. Accessed April 23,
2017. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/08/children_s_menu_history_how_prohibition_and_emmett_holt_gave_rise_to_kid.html.
http://diner248.com/kids-menu

Response to Media/Society Chapter and TED Talk on Photographs
FROM: Chapter in Media/Society and TED Talk Photos that Changed the World
Where would you place the images shown in Photos That Changed the World into Croteau and Hoynes' diagram entitled
“Model of Media and the Social World”? Identify a mass media photograph taken in your own lifetime that has served as an
icon of an event. What roles does this photo play in the communication of the event?
One iconic photo in my lifetime is a photo of Barack Obama’s inauguration. This is super iconic because he was the very first African
American President in the history of the United States. The photo shows how much support he received and how America has changed over
time to be more open to everyone. This image is still seen today when comparing his inauguration to President Trump’s inauguration. The
photos are seen in comparison to see the support that each of the two men had. The photo can almost be seen as propaganda for the more
liberal people in today’s society to show how much more people want to see change. To almost everyone in the society Obama’s
inauguration was an enormous step towards “moving forward”. An African American in the oval office was a huge deal and made equal rights
seem so much more tangible.
http://archive.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_inauguration_of_president.html

Response to Articles on Hats as Communication Design
FROM: “Fashioning Protest for the Women’s March on Washington” and “The Worst Design of 2016 Was Also the Most
Effective”
Typically, we do not think of hats as elements of mass media or social media. However, the two hats (red and pink) discussed
in the articles certainly have taken on that role. Why are the two hats, red and pink, mentioned in the articles vehicles of
communication design? What meanings do each of the two hats carry? In terms of communication design, how are they
similar? And how are they different from one another?
The two hats in the articles are both vehicles of communication and when you are wearing one of the hats it is more than just a hat. The
hat is also your thoughts and opinions on certain subjects and how you feel about certain things. You can tell everyone that sees you
wearing a hat how you feel about something without actually saying a single word to the person. The pink hat represents a feeling that
women are treated unfairly and President Trump has made harsh comments towards women that the wearers do not necessarily agree
with. The red hat on the other hand lets people see the support of President Trump and it shows how the wearer believes that while
Trump is President of the United States of America he will do great things for it and make it a much better place. In terms of
communication they are similar in that they both carry much more meaning than just a hat on top of someone’s head they also express
opinion on something. A difference between them the meaning that they carry.
http://sinbin.vegas/trumps-upset-should-inspire-you-to-believe-in-
the-underdog-knights/
https://www.pinterest.com/cfergie43/mad-hooker-faves/

Response to “Industrial Design” by John Heskett and "The Incredible Inventions of Intuitive AI" by Maurice
Conti
In his chapter on industrial design (written in 1987), historian John Heskett claims that the methods of mass
production introduced by Henry Ford in the U.S. involved new concepts of the standardization and
integration of the production line that were adopted across the world. With Ford’s method, work could be
completed by relatively unskilled workers; it was more efficient and with this method, products were made
more quickly and cheaply than previously possible. What were some of the social consequences of Ford’s
production line? In other words, how did this system change our U.S. society? Do any of those changes
remain with us today? Now consider Maurice Conti’s TED Talk, and the predictions he makes about
production. How do you think manufacturing processes will change in the next twenty years? How do you
think these changes will affect our U.S. society?
The production line changed U.S. society drastically. One example is it created a ton of more job for Americans and it
made it so the jobs were much easier to get. You no longer needed an extensive education to acquire a job because
it was so simple. Another change it had was with the quality and quantity of products. Products were made much
more specifically and much easier to fix. For example, since the assembly line was a line putting parts together and
assembling it at a factory it made it much simpler to get a single part to fix the object instead of having to buy an
entire new product. Earlier in time usually each worker made something and it they all could have made it a different
way and maybe made each one they made slightly different. This means that getting a replacement part was difficult
and usually you were made to buy an entire new product. This change definitely remains with us today in that if you
break your screen on an IPhone or smart phone there is no need to buy a completely new phone you can simply
replace the screen. This is possible because each phone is made in a specific manner and having replacement parts
is simple. It seems in the next 20 years the world is evidently moving more and more towards robots and machines
doing all the work for you which can take away from jobs, but make a process more accurate by removing human
error. In the end when it comes down to it humans will always be needed to do some of the more complicated tasks
that may not be possible to code into a robot so the need for jobs will most likely always exist.
http://www-large-area-
electronics.eng.cam.ac.uk/
event/3rd-annual-
manufacturing-future-
conference/

Response IDEA Awards and Cradle-to-Cradle Video
Which of the 2016 IDEA Gold Award products seems to defy the Cradle-to-Cradle concept developed by architect William
McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart? How does this product resist or disregard the concept? Do you know of any
products that embrace Cradle-to-Cradle design? If so, please describe.
One product that I believe goes against the idea of cradle to cradle is the Rolls-Royce Dawn. To me cradle to cradle is an idea of being
able to keep a bunch of things in a constant rotation of use. They don't want certain items to be used once and then considered to be
waste. On the Dawn it seems like certain parts of the car are very unique to that specific car and the use of it at another time in
another situation doesn't seem to be possible at all. In creating luxury they make it
incredibly unique. If luxury cars were simple and easily repeated then they would
not be luxury they would just be every day drivers. So although it is a cool idea to
have a unique car it means that part reuse and constant cycling of parts is not
possible which contradicts the cradle to cradle ideology greatly.
One invention that has a very strong relevance to the idea of cradle to cradle is the HUBB Lifetime Oil Filter. This object makes it so
there is little to no waste and it can constantly be reused. It is stated that 400 million oil filters alone are thrown away annually in the US
and the HUBB Lifetime Oil Filter stops all the waste and allows for the filter to be used over and over again and not get taken out of
cycle and thrown into the trash.
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/rolls-
royce/rolls-royce-baby-rr4-2008-first-official-pictures/
http://www.whipsaw.com/wor
k/projects/lifetime-oil-filter/

Response to Ballantyne and Zumthor Articles
Andrew Ballantyne and Peter Zumthor present ideas about architecture that seem to value the sensorial and material
elements of life. How are Ballantyne’s and Zumthor’s viewpoints on architecture alike? More importantly, how do they differ?
Ballantyne and Zumthor are similar in that both
architects think beyond the aesthetic of the space
to design their works. A difference between the
architects could be that Ballantyne is more worried
about how the building is designed to make it a
more functional space and Zumthor thinks about
how the space will impact all of the 5 senses of the
body. Ballantyne claims buildings should be
designed specifically for the inhabitants and the
aesthetic should be worked around that. The
building should be made to support life and the
aesthetic should be made around that support.
Zumthor on the other hand designs stuff around the
senses. For example, Zumthor is concerned about
how the senses are impacted beyond just viewing
the structure. Zumthor uses the sense of touch and
even smell to design his works. A door handle is an
important thing in design for Zumthor rather than
how you use the space. For Zumthor it is more
about how you experience the space and for
Ballantyne it is more about how you use the space. https://www.dezeen.com/2009/04/18/key-projects-by-peter-zumthor/

Response to All Module 4 Materials
Your readings and viewings this week present different ways of thinking about architecture. Mies Van der Rohe describes
architecture as “The will of the epoch translated into space.” Andrew Ballantyne describes architecture as the background for
life. Jeanne Gang describes it as the act of building relationships. All agree that architecture can change based on context
and culture. Choose two works of architecture from any of your materials this week—one with sensibilities about the past and
one with sensibilities about the present and/or future. How do each of these buildings either reflect or challenge their cultural
contexts?
One building with sensibilities to the present is the Arcus Center. The
architecture of the building was based solely off the wants of the students
on campus. Details were made to make it a very sociable building. For
example, the center of the building is a kitchen, fire place, and a good
meeting spot. This draws people to the center and makes it a very social
area. On top of that the center is at an intersection of 3 points. This detail
makes it so you are more likely to see many people in the center and it is
the most densely populated area. As well as designing for the present
needs of the students the Arcus center was designed for the future. The
building material was logs which was a way of giving back to the
environment. Gang made a point that this building style was helping as if
you were taking cars right off the road. An example of architecture from
the sensibility of the past was the Mali community meeting house. I found
it interesting how they kept the ceiling low because they wanted
everyone to be at an equal eye level and keep every opinion relevant.
Obviously at the time the opinions of many was important and they did
not want one single person to stand up and take over the meeting and so
they built it in a style in hopes of keeping everyone on the same level.
http://www.kzoo.edu/news/arcus-dedication/

Response to Pruitt Igoe Project, Talen, and Larson
Imagine that you are part of a urban planning and design firm working with Emily Talen (author of “Design That Enables
Diversity”) and Kent Larson (who gave the TED Talk "Brilliant Designs to Fit More People In Every City" The thee of you have
been tasked with developing a plan to rebuild Pruitt Igoe in St. Louis. City officials told the three of you that that they want to
do it right this time. Identify three strategies for rebuilding Pruitt Igoe in ways that promise to be more successful. What would
Talen do? What would Larson do? What would you do? How would your strategies differ
from those of the original urban planners/designers of the project? Why would your
strategies be more effective?
When speaking of rebuilding Pruitt Igoe there are many ways to go about doing it, all of which
would create a drastically different environment. Talen, for example, would probably redesign it
with a strong relationship to the eco system. She explains how in nature everything is coexisting.
A step she would take would probably go along those lines. She would work under the idea of
everyone being equal. Talen would want to more closely relate Pruitt Igoe to the regular housing
because she believes in the equal opportunity. She most likely would not see it as a housing development for the poor but instead just a
normal housing development. This keeps the residents “in the loop of things” instead of out casting them as the poor. Larson would
take a different approach in redesigning Pruitt Igoe. Larson would probably try to fit even more people in the housing development than
they already planned. He would want the rooms to be highly customizable to each of the people. Larson would incorporate more
futuristic ideas into his redesign like moving walls and walls that have added functions. A redesign by Kent would not just give the
residents a boring place to live with the bare minimal things. He would like to take the small space that each resident gets and make it
change to suit the resident how they need it. This is very different than a bare minimal simple idea of the rooms that they had. If I was
able to do a redesign I would probably go a much different way than originally planned. One of the major issues for Pruitt Igoe was how
isolated it was from the regular city. I would build it and work it into the cityscape instead of making it on its own. I would redesign it in a
way that it works as a synthesizer to help poor people get back into the working force and get out of the housing development. As much
as I would not want it to be just the poor the reality of it is that no middle class resident would want to work there. So it would be for the
poor but it would be a temporary place for them as they attempt to get back on their feet and be able to move out to a nicer home.
http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-
hall/story/2012/02/new-documentary-the-pruitt-
igoe-myth-tells-of-the-rise-and-fall-of-americas-
most-infamous-housing-project-067223

Response to Levy Article
John Levy’s article, “An Overview: The Need for Planning,” discussed ways in which planning can determine the
characteristics of a place. For example, some smaller towns restrict the heights of buildings to maintain a certain scale. How
did planning define the character of the place in which you grew up?
Planning had an enormous impact
on my home town. I grew in
Levittown on Long Island and
basically every house on my block is
the same. Levitt, who designed
Levittown, created a mold for the
house and wanted to get the houses
in production and finished as soon
as possible for the soldiers returning
from war. He wanted to make the
houses affordable and so he cut out
the "middle-man" in the process. For
example, he supplied his own wood
for the houses instead of going
through a lumber yard. Walking
down my block you can see that
houses are incredibly similar if there
are any differences at all. In designing the neighborhood he made the roads curvy so people would not go down them at high speeds.
At the center he always had a green area with a pool a park and grocery store for all the residents. A lot of matters were taken into
account when Levitt built Levittown, and the way he designed it made the neighborhood I live in to be very close. Everyone knows there
neighbor and there is usually a strong sense of comfort in the neighborhood.
https://www.pinterest.com/eletom/memories-of-long-island/

Response to F.L. Olmsted
Displaying his plan at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Frederick Law Olmsted stated that "Buffalo is the best
planned city, as to its streets, public places, and grounds, in the United States, if not in the world." What was the basis for
this claim? Would Olmsted still make that claim today? Why or why not?
Frederick Law Olmsted made the claim, “Buffalo is
the best planned city, as to its streets, public places,
and grounds, in the United States, if not in the world."
He made this claim because when he building and
designing for Buffalo it was one of the most perfect
places to build. Grain was a huge part of the city and
all the trade and storage of grain made the city lively
and healthy for a city. He saw a vision of building a
city within a park instead of a park within a city. He
connected his parks with parkways and they had a
ton of green area. He had the idea that when
everyone stepped out of there house they would be
very close to green spaces. Nowadays Olmsted
would be upset to see where Buffalo has gone. As
time went on the city diminished when the relevance
of grain dropped. Roads and highways were built and
more and more concrete and artificial landscape was
built. Green spaces became more irrelevant. The city
of Buffalo is now less a city within a park and rather a
city with greenspaces like the regular city and
Olmsted would be upset with the outcome.http://library.buffalo.edu/maps/buffalo-wnymaps/location/olmsted.html

Response to Walter Hood's Work
Identify something that should be memorialized either on
UB's campus or in your hometown. Imagine that you are the
person who will oversee this project, and that you are using
Walter Hood's 'triad of investigations' as your approach to the
project. What would your landscape intervention
commemorate/memorialize? How will you use Hood's 'triad of
investigations' to design a new landscape intervention? What
do you imagine that the design will be?
Something that should be memorialized on UB’s campus is Alumni
Area. Alumni Arena is a place that has breed athletes that have gone
on to be successful and become professional players. I could change
the landscape to memorialize these athletes for all the success they
have had. Some things I would do to get ideas for the changing
would come from the students at UB from the past and the present
and the athletes that played the sports. The vision of Alumni arena
would be to create a park like area around the outside of it. The park
would include statues of the famous players that had come from
alumni. Alumni Arena itself would not be touched but the surrounding
area of Alumni would be the area that is used to commemorate the
athletes. The park would be a good place to walk through and a
place to relax. It would be a sort of outdoor “Hall of Fame”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8126053.stm

Response to Charles Davis and equityXdesign's Work
Critique either the MLK Memorial or the National Museum of African
American History and Culture using equityXdesign’s core beliefs and/or
design principles.
The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial does an excellent job at bringing people of
all races together so. A point was made that isolation of races does not allow us
to move forward. This is a concept that the memorial attempts to take into
account. The memorial is placed in Washington D.C which is an incredibly
diverse place and it receives many visitors every day. This means that not just
African Americans are coming to see the memorial. The memorial is there for
everyone of any race to see and acknowledge. The memorial also does a very
good job at taking into account the past of what the memorial is idealizing. For
example, Martin Luther King Jr. seems to be held back by the stone he is
engraved upon showing how he struggled through many hardships.2 The Martin
Luther King Jr. memorial had a very thought out plan for design and makes very
good acknowledgments in the design.
2King, Nathan. "Building the Memorial." National Parks Service. Accessed April
24, 201
http://www.hotellombardy.com/things-to-do/martin-luther-king-jr-
memorial.aspx#gref

Response to the Brookes
The abolitionist poster, the Brookes, is an iconic image that often is included in exhibits that explore issues of race and
power. It was commissioned by Thomas Clarkson in 1788, and the Committee of the Abolition of Slavery used it to inform and
shock the public. While some consider the poster as an important component of the abolitionist campaign, it recently “has
been strongly criticized by some individuals and groups of African heritage as providing a very limited view of the history o f
the transatlantic slave trade, resistance and abolition (Hudson 2007).” The lesson here is that how a viewer sees an image is
dependent upon his/her social, economic, and cultural position. Keeping this in mind, find another iconic graphic that
addresses racial issues and post it for others in your group to view. How do you interpret the graphic? What is its
meaning? Now imagine that someone from a racial and cultural background different than your own is looking at the same
graphic. Briefly describe this person. How might s/he interpret its meaning? How might this differ from your interpretation?
What are the possible reasons for these differences?
I interpret the graphic as a way to further prove that when it truly comes down to it, the
race of a human is somewhat irrelevant. A fingerprint is known to be unique to each and
every different person, but when you’re looking at these fingerprints there is absolutely
no way of telling what race a person is. This poster is just another iteration that the race
of a human should not have an impact on the opportunities a person is given.
Personally I think this is a pretty universal graphic to get the point across. Whether you
are African American, Asian, or white you can understand that this graphic shows that
we’re all the same. There is no way to tell one race from another from a fingerprint and
that is the important idea.
http://www.welovedesignetc.info/2013/03/#.WP4OT4jytPY

Response to "Landscape Stories" Chapter
First, let’s start with your own home. Describe a place in your home (indoors and/or outdoors) that you think of as
representative of your own ethnic background and discuss why you consider this place to be ‘ethnic’. –OR-- Describe an
object in your home that you think of as representative of your ethnic background and discuss why this object is considered
to be ‘ethnic’. (If possible, add photo/s.) Is this object or place something that you will keep or continue when you establish
your own home? Why or why not?
Now let’s move into your community. In “Landscape Stories,” the authors show how landscape architects develop a historical
narrative that sifts through and interprets the culture and material of underrepresented groups. Think about the community
where you grew up. Describe and discuss any evidence of cultural influences on the physical environment in your
community. If possible, describe evidence of the cultural influence of an underrepresented group. (If possible, add photo/s.) Is
this cultural influence being acknowledged or preserved from future generations? Why or why not?
One object in my home that I would consider to be ethnic is a shillelagh. This is basically a
stick with usually a large knob at the top used for walking or even as a club. It is associated
with the Irish which is why we have it. This object represents my Irish heritage and it came
from my dad’s parents who were incredibly Irish. I would consider it to be ethnic because it is
mostly associated with the Irish. I don't know if I will keep it in my home. It depends on if it is
handed down to me, and if it is I would gladly keep it in my home. In my neighborhood
something that may have been developed from sifting through the past is the numerous
amount of Roman Catholic Churches around. My neighborhood is pretty diverse but a vast
majority of people in my neighborhood are Christian and it has been that way for a very long
time. I guess the amount of churches have just increased throughout the time and now they
are very common around my neighborhood.
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-
illustration-irish-leprechaun-holding-shillelagh-
image30150710

Response to Article on Sports Branding
Recent controversies about sports branding focus on
ethnicity. The Washington Redskins team is just one
example of the larger controversy, but it receives the
most public attention due to the name itself being
defined as derogatory or insulting in modern
dictionaries, and the prominence of the team
representing the nation’s capital. Should sports team
branding designers use ethnic references (Fighting Irish,
Boston Celtics, Atlanta Braves, etc.)? Why? Why not?
What are some of the complexities of this issue?
In some locations a sports team is more than just a team.
The team can represent the people of the city. Connecting
the fans to the team is very important for the support of the
teams and using ethnic references are a very good way to
connect the everyday fan to the team. It may give insight to
the city in which the team plays for and I see no issues with that. Sometimes the terms used for the sports teams are derogatory ones,
but the real meaning behind it is usually not meant to be a shot at any one ethnic group. For example, the Red Skins can be seen as a
derogatory term, but some people see the name to represent "honor, respect and pride".3
3Keim, John. "Washington Post poll shows Native Americans unbothered by Redskins name." ESPN. May 19, 2016. Accessed April 24,
2017. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/15608840/native-americans-say-unbothered-redskins-team-name-washington-post-poll.
http://www.scout.com/story/1518681-artist-redesigns-nfl-
helmets

Response to Bathroom Bill
Last year, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed into law a bill that repealed local LGBT anti-discrimination laws, and
required people to use the bathroom that corresponded with the biological gender written on their birth certificates. This
prompted massive backlash. McCrory stated, “You know, we all have to make adjustments in life. And we’ve had the proper
etiquette situation for decades in our country, and all of a sudden through political correctness we’re throwing away basic
etiquette.” Just this past Thursday, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill to repeal the law while placing a
moratorium on nondiscrimination measures.
Should people be required to use the bathroom that corresponds with the biological gender written on their birth certificate?
State why AND state why not. In other words, to receive full credit for this question, you need to present an argument for both
sides of the issue. As a designer, how would you solve this gender dilemma?
The controversy over whether a person should go to the bathroom according to
the gender they were given at birth or the gender they identify as has been
going on for a very long time. I personally believe you should go to the
bathroom you are given at birth. I would not be comfortable and I feel like it
would not be proper to go to the bathroom in the same place as the opposite
sex. The problem arises when you realize that where I may see it uncomfortable
to go to a bathroom where the other gender is present, someone who identifies
as a different sex that the one given to them at birth might be uncomfortable
using the "proper" bathroom. Although they are a guy at birth it may not be
completely comfortable for them to use the guy’s bathroom because of their
mindset just as it would not be comfortable for me to use a women’s bathroom.
Coming up with a solution to this problem as a designer is a difficult task. It is a
very difficult job to take on to make both sides of the argument happy. One
simple solution to this that can possibly solve the issue is to make single person unisex bathrooms for everyone and have one large
bathroom that is gender neutral. That gives the people the option for privacy and properness but also an open one for everyone.
http://www.gafollowers.com/gwinnett-county-public-schools-
will-not-follow-new-federal-guidelines-transgender-facilities/

Response to "Visualizing Gender" Chapter
In their chapter “Communicating Gender,” Maya Ganesh and Gabi Sobliye discuss two primary visual advocacy approaches:
1) get the idea, and 2) stories in data. Find a new example of either of the two visual advocacy approaches to gender issues,
and post it in this thread. Cite the source.
First, identify the approach. Then explain how the designer uses the approach to communicate a gender issue. Is the
approach effective in this example? Why or why not? How could this graphic be improved?
The approach of this image is to show how women are portrayed differently in casts than men are. For example, it shows that 28.8% of
women are shown wearing sexually revealing clothes as opposed to 7.0% in men. The designer of this image is showing the gender
issue of using a women’s body in order to attract male viewers. A majority of the time it is shown that a women may be casted for the
sexual appeal while this is not very common in men. I believe the approach taken is affective because the data proves the point being
made. A lot of the time people just believe statistics and they are very powerful especially when the comparison to men is made. One
way to improve this image is to just put actual images from movies on there to further prove the point.
https://www.emaze.com/@AORFQWRI/Gender-equality

Response to Hidden Ways
Author Steven Flusty categorized five types of disciplinary architecture that perpetuate what he calls urban spatial injustic e:
1) stealthy, 2) slippery, 3) crusty, 4) prickly, and 5) jittery. Go out into the city of Buffalo, and find/photograph two examples
from the list of five. Identify what type of space you’ve photographed and why it might discriminate against a specific
population. Identify the location where you took the photograph, and make certain that you are in at least one of the two
photographs.
This is an image of the entrance to Silo City in downtown Buffalo. I would consider this space to be a crusty space because i t is very
easily spotted because of the sheer size of the silos but gates and bridges and very limited entrances limit how you can enter into it.
This space may discriminate against the homeless because it is making it difficult for them to get in without people noticing.
Another space I saw was this Casino in downtown Buffalo. I would consider this space to be a slippery space because of the reason
that it is very prominent from the Skyway in downtown Buffalo. While driving your eyes are very attracted to the Casino's flashy signs
but it is not inherently obvious how to actually get to the Casino at all. This picture does a poor job at making the point I am saying, but
it was difficult to get a good picture while driving on the Skyway. This might discriminate against people who are not from B uffalo and
just a tourist.
Photographer: Brian Kennedy
Photographer: Brian Kennedy

Response to People Like Us
After almost two decades of public assistance, Tammy Crabtree took herself and her family off the welfare rolls. But her job
cleaning bathrooms at a local Burger King barely paid the bills. Crabtree wanted to do better and hopes to go to college and
become a teacher.
Imagine this scenario. You are a designer who works at the well-known firm, iPD (Integrated Planning and Design). You work
on a team with planners, urban designers, policy designers, architects, and social designers. You have been tasked to
develop/design a way for Tammy Crabtree and her family (and others with situations similar to Tammy’s) to move themselves
out of poverty. What will your team to do to help Tammy and her family achieve their goals? What approach will your team
take to address this difficult problem?
Many people are in the same situation as Tammy and trying to get
out of the situation is usually a life long task where sadly a lot of
people fail. I think the main problem for Tammy is her location and
housing. Tammy is very far from her job and far from any major
shopping centers. To design Tammy's way out of poverty I would
start by getting her into a new location. She would most likely be in
an affordable housing complex close to a town and her job. This will
save her time for transportation and allow her to potentially even
work more. An education for Tammy is necessary if she plans to
continue to make a higher wage so she may need to find a
community college in her new location to go to when possible. Her
and her children's motivation must be brought back if they want to succeed. A person that has already accepted life as a failure has no
hope of being successful. A point was made that her one son liked to be a couch potato and in his circumstances he should get a job as
well instead of just his mother. Simply put Tammy needs to relocate to an area where she can be surrounded by a bunch of people who
are trying to rebuild there life. This brings up the idea of having an entire town based off of poeple trying to get on there feet again and
become successful. This town would be monitored and do everything in its power to get the people going again.
http://twocents.co/2014/03/24/the-uphill-battle-of-escaping-poverty/

Response to Carroll Article: “(Re)forming Regent Park: When Policy Does Not Equal Practice”
The development of Regent Park is phased, and there are several more phases to the project. What actions could be taken to
ensure more social integration for the older people living in the ‘new and improved’ Regent Park?
One action that can be taken to ensure the older people in Regent Park are still social is to make sure that transportation i s still
available to them when they need it. Older people are not generally able to drive which means going out for them is not always
possible. Not being able to go get food at a restaurant or being able to go shopping on there own has a huge impact on there social life
and it will hinder their ability to meet new people. Having places for elders to eat is also very important. Places to go and even play
bingo will have a huge impact on the amount they socialize. All in all just allowing older people to get out of their living space and be
able to go places is important for them to be able to socialize.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/12-old-people-foods-actually-good

Response to Enriquez TED Talk: “What Will Humans Look Like in 100 Years?”
For this question, we will focus on Juan Enriquez’ Life Two civilization, which alters fundamental aspects of the body. We are
living longer than ever before in human history. Enriquez argues that, because of advances in bio-medical technology, the
possibility of living to 120 years of age and beyond is quite possible for many of us in this D+D class. Assuming that his
assertion is accurate, how do you think extended life spans will change our societies and built environments? What new
issues might designers face because of extended life spans?
One way that extended life spans will change our
societies is in the workplace. Since people are
living longer lives they may need to work later
into their life in order to have money for their
future. This means more people will be driving to
work at the same time. More people driving
means the dreaded rush hour traffic will become
even worse than what it is currently. In some
areas the rush hour is already almost
unbearable, but in the future it can be expected
to get even worse. Designers will need to
somehow either redesign roads to fit more traffic
or redesign some sort of public transportation
that is more convenient to the every day worker.
Extended life spans may seem great at first but
problems will inevitably rise once people are
living longer.
http://www.dublinlive.ie/all-about/m50

Response to PPT, Smithsonian, and Roy
The two most frequently mentioned models of disability are the ‘social’ and the ‘medical’ models. The medical model of
disability views disability as a medical ‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. The social model of disability, in
contrast, draws on the idea that it is society that disables people, through designing everything to meet the needs of the
majority of people who are not disabled. There is a recognition within the social model that there is a great deal that society
can do to reduce, and ultimately remove, some of these disabling barriers, and that this task is the responsibility of society,
rather than the disabled person.
For the Module 12 Thread 1, please select one of the seven universal design
principles, and post photographs that show both a positive and a negative
example of the principle. Then address the following question: How do your
examples empower or disempower various people? Describe the specific features
of the positive example and the specific features of the negative example.
Discuss ways that the positive example could be even further improved.
The universal design principle that I chose was principle number 2, flexibility in use. The
first picture is a no step shower with a bench in it. This design empowers people that are
elderly and cannot get over the step as well as people with a wheelchair or walker to get in the shower on their own. There is also a
bench for if they become weak and need to sit. The flexibility in use can be seen in the bench. The bench has the ability to fold up
against the wall and then the shower will be like a normal one and can be used however the user pleases. One thing the designer could
do to make the design even better would be to make the floor with extra grip. This would make elders and disabled people less likely to
slip. This design gives people with a walking disability freedom to take a shower on their own and be more responsible for themselves.
A design that is a poor example of flexibility of use is handicapped parking. Handicap parking allows for people who are hand icapped
and only people that are handicapped to park there. This lets handicapped people to minimalize the walk they have to take when they
are going out and parking in a large lot. The negative part is only seen in the exclusiveness. While I agree with the idea of handicapped
parking it does not fit the universal design principle of flexibility of use.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/328mf2/disabilit
y_is_not_inability/

Response to Survey, FIXED, and Stelarc
Currently, we have the technology for you to choose many of the survey characteristics
in your future child, and this ability to choose poses some ethical questions. Of course,
we all want the best for our own child. However, as we move into a more collective
situation, we need to consider how the consequences of majority choices for children
might change who we are as a species.
In the film trailer FIXED, you were introduced to the dilemma of living in a culture in
which the “science-fiction of human enhancement” has become almost a way of life,
from prenatal genetic screening to bionic body parts. In the video, “A Man with Three
Ears” you are introduced to an artist who is using current technology to move
humans beyond their current abilities. Last week, Juan Enriquez asked us if it is
ethical to evolve the human body. All of these videos suggest that the concept of disability ‘as we know it’ could cease to
exist in the future.
What lessons do you think we should learn from history when thinking about emerging enhancement technologies
and reproductive technologies? What are some of the possible consequences (both positive and negative) of being able to
design our bodies and the bodies of our children? What ethical quandaries do these technologies pose?
I believe its hard to take any lessons from history about the emerging enhancements of technology and reproductive technology
because the reality of the situation is that we are the first generation to do this. Any mistakes we make are going to be lessons to the
future generations after us. Consequences may include a large imbalance of nature. Messing with nature in my head is not a good idea.
The balance of children and the uniqueness we have in human race is something that we should hold onto. One negative consequence
I foresee is that everyone will become too similar. Certain traits may be favorites and a majority of parents may put those traits into their
child. Over time the diversity of the human race will be lost. Every person will be too alike in ability and competition in the human race
may be lost. Ethically I believe it is just not acceptable to give people that power in this day and age. Humans aren't perfect and don't
always make the best decisions and I believe the ability to design your child should be released to everyone if anyone.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/regulate-designer-babies/

Response to Titicut Follies
The state of Massachusetts tried to ban the 1967 documentary Titicut Follies, arguing that director Frederick Wiseman had
violated the patients’ rights by not getting written permission to film them. The case went to court, and Wiseman argued that
he had consent from their legal guardian, the institution. After a judge ruled in favor of the state, the legal appeals carried on
for several years: in 1969, Massachusetts allowed the film to be shown to doctors, lawyers, and health care professionals; in
1991, a superior court judge ruled it could be released for the “general public,” as privacy concerns were no longer at issue,
so many years later.
Should Wiseman have been allowed to film the residents of Bridgewater Massachusetts Correctional Facility? Why or why
not? How might this film be of value to designers (communication designers, product, designers, architects, interior
designers, planners, landscape designers, systems designers, and/or social designers)? In other words, what might they gain
from this film that they could use in their work?
I think Wiseman should be allowed to film the residents of Bridgewater
Massachusetts Correctional Facility. Like the question points out for
one the institution did in fact give him permission. I think it is evident
that the state of Massachusetts tried to ban it because the film showed
the people what was really going on. When the people realized how
terrible it was they were obviously upset, but if the state wanted to ban
it because it was so terrible a better fix would be to just try and fix the
system. The film would give insight on what exactly needed to be fixed
which is important. It would allow product designers to see how the
residents live and design things that help to avoid injury or accidents.
It would allow interior designers to figure out what kind of things would
be beneficial in the facility and what could cause problems. An insight
onto the way the people within the residents live can help all the
different designers to figure out a solution to problems.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/print.php?ID=33773

Response to PPT, The Architecture of Autism, Public Space
The Scenario: Imagine that you and your four children live in Amherst, New York in a $650,000 home at the end of a cul-de-sac
on the edge of a ten acre woods. The town has purchased a one acre lot three houses away from yours, and plans to build a
group home for ten intellectually challenged adults. As a resident of the neighborhood, would you support or oppose this
proposal and why?
You've learned additional information about the residents of the proposed group home in your neighborhood. In 2013, three
of the ten intended residents exhibited challenging behaviors including screaming, public masturbation, repetitive rocking,
and echolalia (elective incontinence). However, these behaviors have not occurred since then. How would this change your
opinion about the construction of the group home in your neighborhood?
The residents in your neighborhood voted (14-3) to reject the town of Amherst’s proposal to build a group home in the
neighborhood. Town officials agreed that the home would not be built in your neighborhood if you and your neighbors could
develop a workable alternative. What are some possible solutions that would allow the residents of the home to be provided
with “the same basic human rights as the rest of the population”?
Initially it doesn't seem like the impact on my life would be too much to handle and I would probably support the decision to allow them
to build the houses. As i learned of the possible challenging behaviors they exhibited it changed my view point. Although it may not
impact me very much, it would still have an enormous impact on my children even if they were to witness some of those things only
once. The impact on the way my children see others after seeing something along those lines could last forever and that is enough for
me to deny the housing. A solution could be to build the housing slightly away from the housing I live in, but let the patients have a life
outside of the housing as well. The only thing would be that if the patients go out to explore they must have a caretaker with them. I
propose this fix because in my home town down the block from my house there is actually a school for mentally challenged children.
The school is not excluded from the normal town and is actually on the same block as residents. The students in the school do not have
an impact on the houses nearby. Every once in a while I do see children walking around the neighborhood, with a teacher or guardian,
and doing things that keep them in the real world. Usually they will just walk by without taking notice or just give a wave to me. The
school has no negative impact on my life or the residents around the school. https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/alone/how-we-can-end-carer-isolation

Thread 1: Response to The Connection Between Religion and Urban Planning by David Engwicht
Identify a place of worship with which you are somewhat familiar. (If you are not familiar with any places of worship, do a b it
of research on one in your own city or town.) Show a photograph of this religious structure. (You may use photographs from
the web.) What roles has this place served in the development of your city/town? How has it influenced the design of the area
around it? How has its role changed over time? What roles could this place of worship play in the future development of your
city/town?
This is Maria Regina Church located right down the block from where I live. It is one of many religious structures in my town. All around
you will find buildings of many different religions. In my opinion this church does not play any role in the developement of my town. All
around my town you can see churches like this and they are generally not very memorialized. This church in particular is located on a
main street and is actually right behind a large shopping center. I don't believe it has any influence on the design of the places around
it. Although the architecture makes it
obvious that it is a church, its location has
no real significance to being a church. It
has changed over time and is now
actually a school as well as a church. A lot
of carnivals are held here and events take
place in the parking lot of the church. I
think the reason that my church is not
located in a special area is because i live
in the suburbs and all the houses are very
close together. There is a lot of building in
a little amount of space. It only makes
sense that the church was built after the
town was planned because it does not
play a significant role in my town.
http://www.lesko-associates.com/portfolio/other/mariaregina.php

Response to Prospects for the Future of Diversity and Design
At the beginning of this course, we discussed the idea that we are all designers regardless of our profession or field of stu dy.
We’ve asked some big questions along the way, and the conclusion section of our textbook raises additional issues that
require input from people who might not consider themselves to be part of the formalized design professions.
Think about your own major and/or future profession. What is the biggest challenge, problem, or question that your field
needs to tackle right now? What do you plan to do to address this challenge, problem, or question either as part of your
studies or professional life?
My major is architecture. A major issue in the field of
architecture currently is that a lot of the modern works
are turning into just box buildings. All the design in the
modern buildings are in the inside and the outside of a
majority them are very box like and boring. This may not
be one of the most significant issues in architecture right
now, but as time goes on the buildings are going to get
more and more boring and architecture will lose its style.
A possible solution to this problem could be to use the
site you are building on to influence the way that the
buildings get built. The big decisions made on the design
for buildings should be answered using the site. By using
the surrounding area and the cultural context buildings
can become fun again and not all have the same
orthogonal shapes.
http://www.himhministries.com/blog/breaking-out-of-my-box

ARC 211: American Diversity and Design: Brian Kennedy

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