Individual Topical Report

Posted on November 10, 2013 by simidai

Evolution of Visual Communication (New Media Design)

Eric Sim Wei Sheng (eric.sim.2013@business.smu.edu.sg), 1^stYear student, Bachelor of Business Management, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University

Executive Summary

This paper seeks to explore the development of visual communication since prehistoric times to the modern world and where it might head in the future in forms of new media designs. It delves into the present phenomenon (both good and bad patterns) brought about by the advent of new media (namely, QR code, LCD and touch screen, Location Based Mobile and the Semantic Web). In addition, the paper examines how the economic, technological and social development of societies have always been changing the way we receive visual messages, and how new media technologies and shifting consumers behavior can be harnessed by visual communicators and designers to deliver visual messages more effectively in the modern digital era.

1. Introduction

Throughout the history of mankind, communication through visuals aids has been an integral method of relaying information, creative expression and recording of events. As humans have evolved over the centuries, our demands and methods of communication have also followed suit. Furthermore, with the advent of different communication technologies, the ways we spread and receive information have been constantly changing. According to Chen (2012), the spreading of messages has developed from the traditional word of mouth, to script and writings, print, wireless electronics and channels, and eventually communication through digital media.

The late 19th to the current 21th Century witnessed a rapid and unprecedented growth in communication technology, with the invention of Mass-Printing Technology, Television, Radio, Internet, Digital & Wireless Technology and New Media Technologies. Chen (2012) and Gwizdalski (2009) agree that the rapid development of communication has resulted in the trend of Globalization and brought the “society to a highly interconnected and complex level…” (Chen, 2012, p2).

In this era of mass-media communication, it appears that visual communication can be more powerful than other forms of communication for a few reasons. Firstly, people pick up and retain visual information better than verbal information (Stokes, n.d.; Lester, 2006; Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2004), hence we process information more rapidly and keep them in our minds longer. Secondly, the advent of internet has allowed more resources and platforms for visual presenters to create and distribute visuals. (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2004).

As a result, there has been a wide-spread use of visual communication in marketing of products since the birth of early advertising, from simple posters and flyers announcing the availability of certain products, to multi-million advertising campaigns that aim to cajole and persuade the masses through various channels.

On the flip side, according to Bellak and Lipowski (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), our society is now bombarded with more visual information and more attacks of the senses than any other age induced by mass communication media. This may bring about issues like us allocating less time to deal with stimuli and people, our non-involvement with others, and the fierce competition for scarce resources in the city (Malhotra, 1984). In addition, a recent study conducted by Microsoft/MTV discovered that global youth believe that there is too much advertising in their lives (Kim, 2008). In that case, where can we strike a balance between effective propagating of ideas and messages through new media technologies, and limiting the effect of visual pollution in our lives? Can new media technology be deployed to mitigate problems arising from visual bombardment, or would it make things worse?

This paper examines the development of visual communication through traditional to new media and it delves into present phenomenon (both good and bad patterns) brought about by the advent of new media technologies. Lastly, this paper examines the potential of the development of new media technologies and predicts how new media technologies and shifting consumers behavior can be harnessed by visual communicators and designers to deliver visual messages more effectively in the modern digital era.

2. Development of Visual Communication (Past to Present)

Print as a form of visual communication

Since the beginning of human civilization, humans have been deploying visual communication for various reasons: expressing ideas, for decorations and for symbolization of dominance and power. According to Ayiter (n.d.), the first evidence of visual communication appears in cave paintings. It was followed by development of pictograms used by different ancient cultures around 9000BC ago which began to evolve into writing systems (For example, the Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Chinese Ideogramatic Characters) in around 5000 BC (Ayiter, n.d.). Paper was invented in AD 105 which made sharing of complex information over long distances easier (Kinsella, 1989).

The invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenburg created the publishing industry and paved the way for the industrialization of visual communication because works could be mass- produced and books became widely available (Ayiter, n.d.). Print enabled consolidated information to be shared amongst the masses and also enabled generations to improve on the intellectual achievements of their predecessors.

Following the printing press was the invention of Lithography by Alois Senefelder in 1800 during the industrial revolution which allowed reproduction of artwork in color and gave advertisers the opportunity to use eye-catching posters to sell their products (Hupfer, 1997). The industrial revolution changed visual communication in advertising from informative flyers marking the availability of goods in 17th and 18th century Europe to multi-million dollar campaigns that attempted to instantly cajole consumers around the world. In addition, poster propaganda became a widely used tool during the first and second world war to drive up morale and recruit soldiers (Hupfer, 1997).

Since the industrial revolution, the development of visual communication picked up rapidly and mass media was born eventually with the invention of television, computer, communication devices, internet, ICTs and other digital technologies. These have led to a major shift in how we communicate now compared to the past and opened doors to the rapid sharing of information like never before.

The author points out in particular that, visual communication has started to take a turn since entering the digital age with the prevalence of internet and digital technologies, where the powerful could no longer enforce tremendous influence over what the world thinks and feels through controlled channels such as the newspaper, radio or television. This is because unlike the past, message production and distribution are now free for whoever has access to the internet and these user-generated contents are driving a culture of rapid sharing of ideas and creativity to people all over the world.

Power to the People – Dawn of New Digital Media and Technologies

According to Gray (2008), it began in 1984, when Apple introduced the Machintosh computer and the Graphical User Interface. These are powerful tools for creative work which ordinary people had access to for the first time, and it means that individuals could now become publishers. In addition, Tim Berners-Lee came up with the World Wide Web in 1991 that revolutionized how ideas are transmitted (Gray, 2008). Message production and circulation can longer be controlled by any church, agencies, state and government, instead, the individuals are empowered with the tools and connectivity through digital media to create ideas and share them with anyone with a device connecting to the internet. Information can be shared via blogs, youtube channels, social media platforms and more.

The success of the digital media is due to various factors such as speed from broadband, interactivity, user-generated content and infinite reproduction of content (Mulhern, 2009; Kim, 2008; Taylor, 2009). The author notes that there is a growing sophistication in the demands of the consumers because of the digital revolution and marketers around the world are quick to react to consumers’ evolving behavior through the use of new digital media to reach out to them. According to Rishard (2013), marketers must now upgrade to meet the demands and the dramatically new habits of the empowered consumers in the way they understand, examine, buy and support certain messages.

In more recent times, the innovation in digital (or new) media, which include QR code scanning, LCD touch screen, 3D Augmented Reality, location-based mobile, are taking Visual Communication to a higher level. The digital media has also resulted in the development of the semantic web which improves the level of automation in advertising allocation and placement each time an ad is clicked. It interprets data like the human mind and serve ads to the appropriate person at the correct time and location (Mulhern, 2009). New media designs combine technology with modern ideas to convey strong messages and they also seek to reach out to people effectively.

3. Impact of New Media on Consumers (Current Situation)

While the print medium controlled the market in the 19th Century, advance of technology led to modern forms of medium like cinema screens and television which increased the reach to consumers. Currently, the usage of computers and mobile devices with the wireless technology has also re-defined the concept of communication in terms of its rate and nature (Rungta, 2013). We shall zoom into some of the new technologies that are taking visual communication to a higher level and how they will affect consumers’ experience and impact society.

a) QR (Quick Response) Code

A QR (Quick Response) Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) that allows its contents to be decoded at high speed. Created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994, they are the most sought after type of 2D codes in Japan. Most recent smart phones can recognise this code with their camera and it works in the same way as barcodes, where the code scanner (or smart phone) recognizes and reads the code for information stored in the code. Comparing QR code to bar code, the former holds a significantly greater volume of information than a bar code.

The free market demands for codes to be printed on smaller surface area and be capable of storing more data. The application of QR code in advertisements, in particular, saves advertising space and allows interested consumers to scan the codes and have the access to more information directly from the web (Denso Wave Incorporated, n.d.). This creates a form of user-interaction with the advertisements which would not be possible with traditional print medium. The author highlights that the use of QR code can help user bridge the gap between the reality (offline) and the digital world (online). In addition, it allows measurement of engagement with consumers and includes analytics capabilities that provide marketers with greater information about the progress of their campaigns (Amendola, 2013).

The author notes that these information may include age, purchasing habit and preferred means of communication, and marketers can use such results to better craft their marketing campaigns to target specific customer segments more effectively. This will result in marketers carefully allocating resources at the right place and time to reach out to the right people, and thus reducing the situation of mass sending of ineffective messages to everyone in the hope that it will hit a few individuals. When marketers know what what they are doing and who they are doing it for, it is easy to keep them and consumers in harmony.

b) Digital Signage – LCD and Touch Screen

LCD technology can be found in nearly every form of modern electronic display, from high-definition television screens to alarm clocks and computer screens. It is often used as a communication tool to display moving images in locations with high human traffic like shopping districts, malls and transportation stations. They can be referred to as Digital Signage.

Some properties of LCD screen include, thin and slim visual display, display optimized for both high-resolution still images and dynamic high frame rate video content, and it is more energy efficient (Tyson, n.d.). It is sometimes combined with touch-screen technology to deliver an interactive and engaging experience for its users.

Unlike using a mouse or touchpad, touch screens makes one feel like he is directly interacting with the objects on the screen which is more natural and convenient. The author notes that the application of LCD panels and touch screen allows intuitive interactivity of visual elements and will represent the way we express ourselves in the digital spaces. Kim (2008) states that this could open up opportunities to new audiences in new places, and represent dramatic results for the digital advertising industry.

Some of the key benefits of Digital Signage include, ability to captivate audience, increase in interactivity resulting in the effective retention of of displayed information (Stevens 2013), and ability to change the display (stills or moving images) cheaply as content is digital (Helander, 2010). Stobbe & Just (2006) state that interactivity and improved means of monitoring advertising effective are strong advantages for the industry. However, while LCD and touch screen technology can be interactive, it lacks the ability to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign because it is hard to keep track of who on the street actually responded to and interacted with the advertisement, and ultimately the return of investment (ROI) of the advertisement.

The author suggests that this issue can be mitigated by deploying mobile advertising concurrently with digital signage which encourages user to respond to the digital advertisement they see via SMS to receive discounts or promotions. This way, marketers will then be able to judge the effectiveness of the digital campaign with the numbers of SMS received from certain market segments. We will discuss more about mobile advertising next.

c) Location Based Mobile

The prevalence of the use of smart phone leads to a new form of advertising that combines mobile advertisements with location-based services. Marketers are developing creative strategies and approaches to exploit this medium (Sultan & Rohm, 2005; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). It is broadly defined as service that depends on information about a mobile device’s physical position (Unni & Harmon, 2007), and represent powerful and innovative ways to communicate with consumers anywhere and anytime (Unni & Harmon, 2007; Galloway, 2013).

A notable benefit of LBM is the customised advertising messages and promotions for products that are relevant to consumer’s location (Kalakota & Robinson, 2002; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). It is exceptionally beneficial as many marketers have claimed that consumers want services and products that are tailored to their needs instead of more choices (Pine, Peppers & Rogers, 1995; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). The author therefore points out that it will help save time in delivering relevant messages to the relevant crowd. The use of LBM advertising may be considered non-intrusive because according to a study by Trappey & Woodside (as cited in Helander, 2010), level of acceptance of such advertisings is high when they are related and relevant to the consumers’ interests. It thus presents a positive impact in a sense that advertisements only go to people who are receptive to them, and it reduces the bombardment of redundant messages to the masses.

The above are the various technologies that are beginning to gain foothold in visual and advertising communications in recent times, and next we delve into some of the impacts that arise from the prevalence of new media in our lives. They are namely, rapid globalization, increase in interactivity in advertisements that targets specific needs, increase in visual noise and the lack of privacy.

Rapid Globalization

New Digital Media paved the way for globalization as information is transmitted rapidly all around the world causing the birth of a global culture. According to Gwizdalski (2009), places and people around the world become greatly interconnected and cultural globalization may bring about a similar way of life and communication across cultures. Globalization through New Digital Media also “redefines political, cultural, economic, geographical and other boundaries of human society.” (Chen, 2012, p. 1). This presents great opportunities for the development of the world as human interaction becomes highly interconnected and sophisticated. In sum, the impact of the adoption of new digital media includes, a smaller world, the compression of space and time, closer societal interaction and global connectivity, accelerated competition and cooperation (Chen & Starosta, 2000; as cited in Chen, 2012).

The impacts of the integrations of new media on globalization can be seen in a small yet cosmopolitan country like Singapore, for example. Our tastes and preference are shaped by the exposure we obtain from the mass media, the food and shopping choices available in the market are the result of growing global competition from corporations all around the world, even our way of thinking are influenced by a global culture born from the advent of mass and digital media.

It is observed that our exposure to a common global culture gives rise to similar aspirations and patterns of expression as we become more interconnected and share similar experiences. Tomlinson (as cited in Gwizdalski 2009) states that globally circulating subjects and ideas alter local cultures, individuals and economies. With the help of new digital media, global culture will be even more pervasive as it reaches out to the masses more effectively and readily.

In terms of visual communication, globalization has caused a rise in similar patterns of visual expressions. For example, in a study conducted by Gwizdalski (2009), when respondents from around the world were asked to make a visual representation of a drink, majority depicted the drink in a disposable cup with a straw leaning to the right side. In addition, according to Griffin (2002), another example would be that the western ideals of feminine appearance have proliferated around the world making western fashion models a global standard of beauty. This shows how global culture plays a pivotal role in influencing people’s visual expression and preference around the world.

It is often lambasted that globalization dilutes the individual cultures and promotes unhealthy “western” ideas like capitalism, ideals on beauty, and liberal views on sex. However, in the author’s opinion, the rise of globalization brings about progress and awareness in a sense that people from different cultures can exchange values and ideas to one another and contribute to this ever-changing global culture. Competition between countries can also increase because of the awareness of what is available out there in the global market. It is therefore good for any country and any individual to be open about possibilities beyond their geographical, social or economical landscape, and use the knowledge and awareness to stay current and relevant. New digital media definitely brings about positive benefits to the society in this manner.

Increase in interactivity in advertisements that target customised needs

There is an increase in media options for consumers in the past decades and it has consequently increased the expectation of control and choice among audience. Furthermore, audience are no longer satisfied with passive information fed to them by traditional medium. Hence, the author points out that, it is important for visual communicators to reach out effectively to them by leveraging on new media technologies to engage them with digital interactivity, and better measure the effectiveness of the messages that is of real need and value to consumer.

McMillan et al. (2003) found that interactivity is a key driver of success for website effectiveness because the internet has the ability to engage the consumer for a longer period of time and in greater depth than traditional media (Taylor, 2009). With the help of new media technologies like the QR code, touchscreen displays and location based mobile, it further enhances the engagement and digital experience of the intended audiences, sometimes even giving them great entertainment value.

Another advantage of interactive advertising is that when a consumer chooses to respond to the advertisement, he has already shown interest and advertisers can easily direct them to more information without going through the trouble of creating interest (Helander 2010). Visual communicators can take advantage of the interactive technologies and build a relationship with the consumers, because according to Taylor (2009), consumers can move quickly from awareness to action quickly in an interactive platform.

New digital media also encourages a “participatory culture”, which according to Jenkins et al. (as cited in James et al. , 2010), refers to “a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations …” (p.220). In another words, through the virtual space, it gives the individual the platform for self-expression and the choice to control what he wants to create and consume. It is mainly because the individuals are relieved from the physical constraints of real-life and they can experiment openly and flexibly in the virtual world.

Interactivity is an important component in new digital media and is set to bring various advantages to both the consumers and marketers. The rise of interactivity in new digital technology is thus seen as a positive impact that shapes the way we receive and retain information, and the way marketers reach out to us.

Visual noise and Lack of Privacy

According to Bellak (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), our modern society is described by the growing amount of noise, information and more contact with people and bombardment on the senses. Furthermore, in the face of different types of visual and noise stimuli, we are constantly encouraged by mass media to make all sorts of decisions which could lead to sensory overload. According to Ostfeld and D’ Atri (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), overload leads to us allocating less time to deal with stimuli and people, non-involvement with others, and fierce competition for scarce resources in the city. These are common traits of city-dwellers and would continue to worsen with the increase and flagrant use of New Media in advertising, because advertising messages are now taken from physical space into digital space, trying to engage consumers from all directions.

To illustrate an example, as opposed to the consumption of traditional media (which takes place in defined period and place), most of us leave our devices on for most of the time, which allows advertisers to reach us almost anytime and anywhere (in the case of location-based advertising), and bombard us with unwanted messages. In addition, the idea that we can be tracked creates discomfort due to the lack of privacy.

Hence, the author recommends some measures to curb the bombardment of information. Starting from the individual, who can limit the intake of external information by consciously avoiding the sources of information not relevant to his or her current needs. In addition, we should manage our online privacy more vigilantly so that we do not share all of our personal information on the digital media. According to James et al. (2010), to many of the younger people, privacy involves carefully managing the disclosure of our private data – what is shared, how it is presented and who can see it, rather than concealing information all together. Hence it is important we safeguard our personal data by being more cautious in putting things up on the web.

It is followed by the marketers who should carefully limit the amount of information delivered, optimize ways of message delivery and leverage on the existing technologies to encourage voluntary subscription of advertising messages. For example, the use of QR can reduce information displayed upfront to the target audience and can encourage their participation to find out more. Further more, studies have discovered that getting permission from users prior to advertising to them led to higher acceptance and effectiveness of mobile advertising (Taylor, 2009). These shows that marketers need to be more aware of users’ concerns about privacy so as to achieve effectiveness in their strategies.

4. Potential of the development of New Media and Consumer Behavior (Future Consideration)

The potential of digital new media is limited only by our imagination. In the futuristic film ‘Minority Report’, Tom Cruise is probed by digital advertisements talking to him about his personal needs as he walked past advertisements boards. This might be the future of visual and advertising communication – showing what is relevant and customised to the specific consumers. Judging from the technologies that are available in the market, it is very possible that it will one day be a reality.

The author thus notes that this could bring about opportunities for the advertising industry to deliver advertising as a form of value-adding service, where consumers pay to choose what they want or do not want to see, where and when to see it, or pay for guarantees that advertisements targeting to them are authentic and relevant. Unni & Harmon (2007) suggest that preliminary surveys conducted by market research agencies showed a great level of interest in consumers to subscribe and pay for more utilitarian services that give direct benefits and perceived value to them. It is deduced that if smart ads can be developed in a way that adds value to the consumers, they will be more acceptable or even highly sought after.

Thus, planning advertising is going to be about matching the messages to the individuals, which also means that visuals do no need to be as attention-seeking as today’s interruption-based advertising (Mulhern, 2009). This is actually a good thing in mitigating the growing amount of visual noise and information overload in our lives, because with smarter placement of visual communication, it will only reach specific target audience at the right place and time, and this shall not affect members of the public that is out of the targeted segment.

According to Pilotta et al. (as cited in Mulhern, 2009) recent research shows that many consumers engage with several electronic devices at the same time and personal electronic devices allow media messages to travel with consumers. This creates a hybridization of public and private spheres on and off the web. The formation of virtual groups and communities through Digital Media overcomes all physical boundaries and will impact the way we look at reality and the way we define ourselves (Bessa, 2012; Jones 1995, as cited in Chen 2012). As technology is becoming more a part of us, there will be a rise in integrated visual communication that is capable of targeting any audience, time, device and place. Such effective mass media advertising can change people’s perception of needs and will become a powerful tool that will propel development of future technologies or markets as it creates demand, desire and need.

5. Conclusion

We are indeed living in exciting times where technology and innovation is changing how we live our lives, distribute ideas and receive messages. Visual communication has come a long way since the beginning of civilization and will continue to shape the way we live and connect, at the same time, to be shaped by our changing demands and social patterns.

Firstly, we looked at how visual communication has evolved from traditional print (in forms of books, newspapers and posters) to digital platforms, how visual communication is used by organizations to reach out to the masses and the changing patterns of how we receive and distribute visual messages.

Secondly, we explored the current new media technologies used by message distributors and how it will change the landscape of visual communication in the near future, followed by the effects on people and the society.

Thirdly, the author suggests some of the possible outcomes of visual communication and advertising influenced by current mass communication technologies. Such development of modern visual communication technologies can revolutionize the entire communication and advertising industry.

From a bigger perspective, the author concludes that the existing technologies are pointing towards a smarter and more interactive form of visual communication that relies heavily on consumer’s participation and data input. These will induce great influences on globalization, customization of advertising messaging, how we can reduce public visual noise and address privacy issues.

In sum, the future of visual communication presents much opportunities to be explored as we take to the digital sphere. However, the perils of digital communication exist and steps must be taken to mitigate such problems as we make the leap to a revolutionary forms of visual communication.

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TWC Session 11

Posted on November 10, 2013 by simidai

Presentation 1 – Futuristic Buildings

Key points: Susceptibility – Strength of Building. Material use and engineering methods to cope with natural disasters. Future possibilities of materials used for building. Speed of construction (tools and techniques) – Important to be Disaster resilient and expandable. Sustainability – Efficiency Energy Use. Interesting building designs that can overcome natural disasters, constraints and limitations.

Innovative approach to include a model as visual aid. Topic covered seems to be too wide a spectrum, the content might not be very concise and flow of presentation is not so smooth, especially in the application of new technologies. However, research is well-done. Great job!

Presentation 2 – Clean Energy

Creation of electricity by tapping into natural cycles and systems. Good introduction of current issues. No visual aid was provided, making presentation hard to digest. Covered several types of clean energy generation, great depth and width of research done. Supported by casestudies. However, presentation is too lengthy, can highlight a few important facts and move on quickly.

Presentation 3 – Nano Technology

Good introduction to the use of nanotechnology and how it can be applied on various areas. Several impacts of nanotechnology is presented by the group and covers a full range of sub-topics. Contents are supported by pictures and multimedia making presentation interactive. Impacts- Information is insightful and concise. Overall great presentation with good flow and content.

TWC Session 10

Posted on November 3, 2013 by simidai

Brief overview:

TOMORROW BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE WHO PREPARE FOR IT TODAY – African Proverb

More people are moving from rural to urban areas & there will be drastic change in global demographics, and it will lead to a series of issues that require us to come up with innovations to mitigate such issues. There will be a growing demand for healthcare, mobility, safety security, water & energy. A video by Siemens showed how they are committed to look into the future and map out plans to innovate to meet the demands in those different issues. However it is discussed that openness is a double-edged sword. Siemen could invite feedback and collaboration by publishing their plans and strategy to the public, but could lead to sabotage or imitation by competitors. However from a consumer’s point of view, both ways is great for us. But we have to think of social implication of the new technologies. We have to assess how will it impact people and society? Where is it likely to take us? Is it prime time to introduce such technology?

Some drivers for Technology Assessment and Forecasting

– Exponential growth in the range of new technologies with potential world changing significance

-The need to gain an understanding of what kinds of changes a new technology might bring – social, economic, ethical/legal, environment etc.

-The need to prioritize our decisions and considerations as to when to invest in R&D of new innovations.

-The need to prioritize, given limited resources, our decision as to when to implement new innovations and technologies. (in developing countries) Are we in the position/ Do we have the resources to invest?

Interesting observations:

– Future technology and the Net 50 years Megatrends

Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality / Education / Cloud Computing / Geo Based Location Services / Bionic / Robotic / DNA (Genomic) / Nano robots / Energy / Exoplanet

– 6 Key trends of the future- Fast, Urban, Tribal (new tribes of interests and commonality), Universal, Radical, Ethical.

– Discussed several methodologies to generate foresights, which include, brainstorming, environment scanning, delphi approach, expert panels, essays, literature review, surveys, trend extrapolation, cross-analysis etc.

-Common uses for foresight output. Common applications are policy recommendations, analysis of trends and drivers, scenarios forecast etc.

The seeds of the future are already planted today.

Key Takeaway Points

Sahana’s presentation about this article illustrating the observing the trends of technology. It is more important to predict “when” rather than what. An example brought up was the DVD that went through stages like Critical Price, critical mass, commoditization. Understanding innovation trends earlier will save resources, money and time for us to grab opportunities as they come.

Yuan Quan brought up an example of the introduction of a technology (suicide seeds) without good assessment of the impact such technology will bring. The social result was devastating and far-reaching.

Rating: 8/10

TWC Session 9

Posted on October 27, 2013 by simidai

Brief overview:

How have we changed over the past 9 weeks? From asking “Why” to “Why not”. Opening our eyes and possibilities and take advantage of innovation to change the world. We re-visited the concept of rising/falling star and derived a conclusion that in order to constantly stay at the top, it is long and arduous journey to innovate and asking “why not?” constantly. Innovation itself is not enough, leaders of innovation must be supported by believers, backed up by good management and should have the insight to deploy the 4 smarts in developing their ideas.

We discussed some of the drivers for the development of Emerging and Future technologies, such as:

– Unmet opportunity and need
– Growing body of scientific and technological know-how. New insights and discoveries lead to previously unimagined needs
– Supply can sometimes create demand
– Mass media and advertizing – changing perceptions of needs
– Confluence of the 4 Smarts – smart people, ideas, money, partnerships.

Bottom line of today’s lesson is: If you can imagine, you can make it happen with the confluence of the above drivers.

Interesting observations:
– AI Robotics – Perfect woman -Lisa. Imagine having a female partner to take care of all your needs. It was noted that AI has suffered in funding because according to researchers, the hype generated adversely affected advances after delivery did not live up to expectations. Should the media be blamed for creating high expectations in scientific research? Is every viable new idea a “breakthrough?”

– Augmented Reality / Facial Recognition – Layers of new information displayed on reality. There will be alot of information on the web, and the pertinent question is how do we maintain our privacy? In my individual report, I touched on this topic and concluded that we should manage our online privacy more vigilantly so that we do not share all of our personal information on the digital media. To many of the younger people, privacy involves carefully managing the disclosure of our private data – what is shared, how it is presented and who can see it, rather than concealing information all together. Hence it is important we safeguard our personal data by being more cautious in putting things up on the web.

– More technologies: Biotech, nanotech, surveillance tech, biometric, fuel cells, computer-based simulation tech, knowledge management etc.

– Wireless Transmission of Electricity- Originated from ideas from Tesla, who was a genius that was undermined by the world. It dawned on me that his failure could be due to the lack of support and confluence of the drivers of Emerging technology during his time. However, with support, funding, resources and information so readily available now, it is definitely worth it to revisit some of the greatest ideas that were buried with time and re-shape them to fit our modern context.

– Electric cars – multiple sources of sustainable energy, cars can be lighter etc. Many possibilities in moving towards fully electrified system that requires less energy and more efficient. Smart homes to receive and generate electricities.

Key takeaways:
Jun Kai talked about Nuclear Fusion and the viability of this piece of technology. I feel that instead of spending astronomical sums of money investing on a technology that has yet proven its viability, we might as well spend money on existing technology that will solve the same problems and put more effort and creating a supply and demand for such existing technologies. For example, solar energy, wind energy etc.

Ratings: 6.5/10

Personal Bookmark:

Click to access 5886.pdf

Click to access emergingtechnologies.pdf

TWC Session 8

Posted on October 21, 2013 by simidai

Brief Overview/Summary

We look at Energy and World change in this lesson.

When we shift our current unsustainable fossil fuel-based energy intensive economy to an environmentally sound and clean and green approach, it will prepare us for a totally new economy that is driven by changes stated below:

-Rising Energy Consumption and need for economic development.
-Need for sustainability ie. Brazil turned to agriculture (gasohol programme) due to their lack of natural fuel resource to produce alcohol-energy, leader in this type of green technology
-New technologies and approaches; energy conserving technologies – increase energy efficiency and lessen impact on environment
-Cost (Environmental Pricing: People are increasingly realising the market price of tapping onto resources are different from the true price.)

We also looked at some key considerations:

-Energy Security – fuel and source diversity, increasing efficiency
-Energy as a source of national income – Middle East, Nigeria (petroleum), these countries are trying to diversify their economy because they realise oil supply are not infinite.
-Energy for the poor – biomass stoves (traditional source of energy, burning coal and wood), solar refrigerators etc.
-Global carbon market
-Energy and transportation technology (how to generate more effective energy usage in transportation?)
-Biotechnology and energy (Plant-based technology and bio-fuels to produce energy generate interests and awareness.)

We looked at our global primary energy consumption and the consumption by region- Oil and natural gas consumptions are growing in recent years and asia mostly using coal. Fossil fuels form 78% of global consumption, followed by renewables which form 19% and nuclear 2.8%.

Interesting Observation and Ideas

A video by WWF Brazil that illustrates old unsustainable technology versus new ideas that drives a cleaner and more sustainable economy.

The amount of energy given by the sun in one hour is more than what humankind currently uses in an entire year. The potential to tap on the energy of the sun is great.

How much energy can be generated by 1 sq km of land? Studies showed that wind can capture 25 times more of energy than biomass, and finally photovoltaic (solar energy) can produce 170GWh/square sq km of land! Wind and solar could possibly be a solution, but we have not been looking at it due to various reasons like lack of investments, initiative and infrastructures.

China is investing the most in clean energy in R&D because they realise they cannot depend on coal to power the country’s economy which pollutes their land. Countries like US, Germany, Brazil, Italy and India are all joining the bandwagon of clean energy. While government initiatives are being rolled out to develop clean and renewable energy, the individuals must be supportive of such plans and say yes to the use of alternative energy. We have resources and technology to spearhead the renewable energy revolution, but who is going to take the political initiative to change the attitude and consumption habits and behaviors?

Make sure infrastructure, job opportunities and facilities that benefits people of hosting countries for renewable energy. It requires good leadership and governance who possess good negotiating powers for hosting countries of solar technology to ensure locals are not taken advantage of by other countries investing in them.

We discussed about policy tools for facilitating change to a green economy, ie. Education Campaigns, subsidies/ investments/ tax credits, incentives, taxation, voluntary industry agreements, compulsory standards. However there are disadvantages to these strategies for example, uncertainty, weak ability to enforce, regressive, negative economic impact on industry etc.

Key Takeaway Points
Climate change is real, we have the capacity to change to cleaner energy. Government and consumers can play apart in supporting renewable energy and increase in our demand for clean energy, there by opening up the market for clean energy.

Benedict talked about the possibilities of burning trash to turn it into energy sources (adopted in Sweden)and Sam presented examples of renewable energy sources that could replace our traditional sources of energy. One bizarre source is energy from faeces that can be used as biofuel.

Government can adopt a few policies to promote clean energy: update fuel economy standards, encourage reduction in fuel use, increasing electric train use, incentives for reducing passenger transport demand, more clean buildings, encourage and invest in clean energy.

Personal Rating
7/10

Individual Topical Review Report Draft 1

Posted on October 13, 2013 by simidai

Executive Summary
This paper seeks to explore the development of visual communication since prehistoric times to the modern world and where it might head in the future in forms of new media designs. The paper examines how the economic, technological and social development of societies have always been changing the way we receive visual messages, and how new media designs and consumer behavior can be connected to benefit the modern society and economy at large.

Introduction
Through history of mankind, communication through visuals aids has been an integral method of relaying information, creative expression and recording of events. As humans have evolved over the centuries, our demands and methods of communication have also followed suit. Furthermore, with the advent of different communication technologies, the way we spread and receive information has been constantly changing. According to Chen (2012), the spreading of messages has developed from the oral tradition, to script, print, wired electronics, wireless electronics and eventually digital communication.

The late 19th to the current 21th Century witnessed a rapid and unprecedented growth in communication technology, with the invention of Mass-printing Technology, Television, Radio, Internet, Digital & Wireless Technology, New Media et cetera. Chen (2012) and Gwizdalski (2009) agrees that the rapid development of communication has resulted in the trend of Globalisation and brought the “society to a highly interconnected and complex level.” (Chen, 2012, p2)

In this age of mass-media communication, it seems that visual communication can be more powerful than other forms of communication for a few reasons. Firstly, people pick up and retain visual information better than verbal information (Stokes, n.d.; Lester, 2006; Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2004), hence we process information more rapidly and keep them in our minds longer. Secondly, the advent of internet has allowed more resources and platforms for visual presenters to create and distribute visuals. (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2004).

As a result, there has been a wide-spread use of visual communication in marketing of products since the birth of early advertising. On the flip side, according to Bellak and Lipowski (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), our society is now bombarded with more visual information and more attacks of the senses than any other age induced by mass communication media. In addition, a recent study conducted by Microsoft/MTV discovered that global youth believe that there is too much advertising in their lives (Kim, 2008). In that case, where can we strike a balance between effective propagating of ideas and messages through new media, and limiting the effect of visual pollution in our lives?

This paper examines the development of visual communication through traditional to new media and it delves into present phenomenon (both good and bad patterns) brought about by the advent of new media. Lastly, this paper examines the potential of the development of new media and predicts how consumer behavior might change with the evolution of new media.

Development of Visual Communication (Past to Present)
Since the beginning of human civilization, humans have been deploying visual communication for various reasons: expressing ideas, for decorations, for symbolisation of dominance and power et cetera. The first evidence of visual communication appears in cave paintings. Pictograms were then developed and used by different ancient cultures since around 9000BC which began to evolve into writing systems (For example, the Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Chinese Ideogramatic Characters) around 5000 BC. Paper was invented in AD 105 which made sharing of complex information over long distances easier.

The invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenburg created the publishing industry and paved the way for the industrialization of visual communication because works could be mass- produced and books became widely available. Print enabled solidified information to be shared amongst the masses and also enabled generations to improve on the intellectual achievements of their predecessors.

Following the printing press was the invention of Lithography by Alois Senefelder in 1800 during the industrial revolution which allowed reproduction of artwork in color and gave advertisers the opportunity to use eye-catching posters to sell their products (Hupfer, 1997). The industrial revolution changed visual communication in advertising from informative flyers marking the availability of goods in 17th and 18th century Europe to multi-million dollar campaigns that attempted to instantly connect and persuade consumers from across the world. In addition, poster propaganda became a widely used tool during the first and second world war to drive up morale and recruit soldiers.

The author hereby points out that, visual communication has started to take a turn since entering the digital age, where the powerful could no longer enforce tremendous influence over what the world thinks and feels.

It began in 1984, when Apple introduced the Machintosh computer and the Graphical User Interface. These are powerful tools for creative work which ordinary people had access to for the first time, and it means that individuals could now become publishers. In addition, in 1991, Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web that revolutionized how ideas are transmitted (Gray, 2008). The control of message production and dissemination is no longer a entitlement owned by any church, state and government, instead the individuals are empowered with the tools and connectivity through digital media to create ideas and share them with anyone with a device connecting to the internet.

The success of the digital media is due to various factors: speed from broadband, interactivity, user-generated content and infinite reproduction of content (Mulhern, 2009; Kim, 2008; Taylor, 2009). The author notes that there is a growing sophistication in the demands of the consumers because of the digital revolution and marketers around the world are quick to react to consumers’ evolving behavior through the use of new digital media to reach out to them.

In more recent times, the innovation in digital (or new) media include, QR code scanning, LCD touch screen, 3D Augmented Reality and location-based mobile et cetera are taking Visual Communication to a higher level. The digital media has also resulted in the development of the semantic web which improves the level of automation in advertising allocation and placement each time an ad is clicked. It interprets data like the human mind and serve ads to the proper person at the proper time and location (Mulhern, 2009). New media designs combine technology with modern ideas to convey strong messages and they also seek to reach out to people effectively.

Impact of New Media on Consumers (Current Situation)
While the print medium controlled the market in the 19th Century, advance of technology led to modern forms of medium like cinema screens and television which increased the reach to consumers. Currently, the usage of computers and mobile devices with the wireless technology has also re-defined the concept of communication in terms of its nature and speed (Rungta, 2013). We shall zoom into some of the new technologies that are taking visual communication to a higher level and how it will affect consumers’ experience and impact society.

1. QR Code
A QR (Quick Response) Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) that allows its contents to be decoded at high speed. Created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994, they are currently the most popular type of two-dimensional codes in Japan. Most current smart phones can read this code with their camera and it works in the same way as barcodes, where the code scanner (or smart phone) recognizes and reads the code for information stored in the code. Comparing QR code to bar code, the former holds a significantly greater volume of information than a bar code.

The free market demands for codes to be printed on smaller surface area and be capable of storing more data. The application of QR code in advertisements, in particular, saves advertising space and allows interested consumers to scan the codes and have the access to more information directly from the web. This creates a form of user-interaction with the advertisements which would not be possible with traditional print medium. In addition, it allows measurement of engagement with consumers and includes analytics capabilities that provide marketers with greater information about the progress of their campaigns. (Amendola, 2013)

2. LCD and Touch Screen
LCD technology can be found in nearly every form of modern electronic display, from high-definition television screens to alarm clocks and computer screens. It is often used as a communication tool to display moving images in locations with high human traffic. Some properties of LCD screen include, thin and slim visual display, display optimized for both high-resolution still images and dynamic high frame rate video content, and it is more energy efficient. It is combined with touch-screen technology to deliver an interactive and engaging experience for its users. Unlike using a mouse or touchpad, touch screens makes one feel like he is directly interacting with the objects on the screen which is more natural and convenient. The author notes that the application of LCD panels and touch screen allows intuitive interactivity of visual elements and will represent the way we express ourselves in the digital spaces. Kim (2008) states that this could open up opportunities to new audiences in new places, and represent dramatic results for the digital advertising industry.

3. Location Based Mobile
The prevalence of the use of smart phone leads to a new form of advertising that integrates mobile advertising with location-based services. Marketers are developing innovative strategies to exploit this medium (Sultan & Rohm, 2005; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). It is broadly defined as service that depends on information about a mobile device’s physical position (Unni & Harmon, 2007), and represent powerful and innovative ways to communicate with consumers anywhere and anytime (Unni & Harmon, 2007; Galloway, 2013). A notable benefit of LBM is the customised advertising messages and promotions for products that are relevant to consumer’s location (Kalakota & Robinson, 2002; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). It is exceptionally beneficial as many marketers have claimed that “consumers do not want more choice, but want products and services that are tailored to their needs.” (Pine, Peppers & Rogers, 1995; as cited in Unni & Harmon, 2007). The author therefore points out that it will help save time in delivering relevant messages to the relevant crowd.

The above are the various technologies that are widely used in visual and advertising communications in recent times, and next we delve into the impact that arises from the prevalence of new media in our lives.

Rapid Globalization
New Digital Media paved the way for globalization as information is transmitted rapidly all around the world causing the birth of a global culture. According to Gwizdalski (2009), places and people around the world become greatly interconnected and cultural globalization may bring about a similar way of life and communication across cultures. Globalization through New Digital Media also “redefines political, cultural, economic, geographical and other boundaries of human society.” (Chen, 2012, p. 1). This presents great opportunities for the development of the world as human interaction becomes highly interconnected and sophisticated. In sum, the impact of the use of new digital media includes, a smaller world, the compression of space and time, closer societal interaction and global connectivity, accelerated competition and cooperation (Chen & Starosta, 2000; as cited in Chen, 2012).

We can look at Singapore as a result of globalization. Our tastes and preference are shaped by the exposure we obtain from the mass media, the food and shopping choices available in the market are the result of growing global competition from corporations all around the world, even our way of thinking are influenced by a global culture born from the advent of mass and digital media.

Increase in Engagement and Interactivity in Advertising
McMillan et al. (2003) found that interactivity is a key driver of success for website effectiveness because the internet has the ability to engage the consumer for a longer period of time and in greater depth than traditional media (Taylor, 2009). With the help of new media technologies like the QR code, touchscreen displays and location based mobile, it further enhances the engagement and digital experience of the intended audiences, sometimes even giving them great entertainment value. Visual communicators can take advantage of the technologies and build a relationship with the consumers because according to Taylor (2009), consumers can move quickly from awareness to action quickly in an interactive platform.

New Digital Media also encourages a “participatory culture”, which according to Jenkins et al. (as cited in James et al. , 2010), refers to “a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations …” (p.220). In another words, through the virtual space, it gives the individual the platform for self-expression and the choice to control what he wants to create and consume. It is mainly because the individuals are freed from the physical constraints of real-life and they can experiment openly and flexibly in the virtual world.

There is an exponential increase in media options for consumers in the past decades and it has increased the expectation of control and choice among audience. Furthermore, audience are no longer satisfied with passive information fed to them by traditional medium. Hence, the author points out that, it is important for visual communicators to reach out effectively to them by leveraging on new media technologies to 1) engage them with digital interactivity, 2) deliver messages that are tailored to their needs and are of real value to them.

Visual noise and Privacy
According to Bellak (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), our modern society is described by the growing amount of noise, information and more contact with people and bombardment on the senses. Furthermore, in the face of all kinds of stimuli, we are constantly called upon by mass media to make all sorts of decisions which could lead to sensory overload. According to Ostfeld and D’ Atri (as cited in Malhotra, 1984), overload leads to us allocating less time to deal with stimuli and people, non-involvement with others, and fierce competition for scarce resources in the city. These are common traits of city-dwellers and would continue to worsen with the increase and flagrant use of New Media in advertising, because advertising messages are now taken from physical space into digital space, trying to engage consumers from all directions.

To illustrate an example, as opposed to the consumption of traditional media (which takes place in defined period and place), most of us leave our devices on for most of the time, which allows advertisers to reach us almost anytime and anywhere (in the case of location-based advertising). This gives opportunities for us to be bombarded with unwanted messages. In addition, the idea that we can be tracked creates discomfort due to the lack of privacy.

Potential of the development of New Media and Consumer Behavior (Future Consideration)
The potential of digital new media is limited only by our imagination. In the futuristic film ‘Minority Report’, Tom Cruise is probed by digital advertisements talking to him about his personal needs as he walked past advertisements boards. This might be the future of visual and advertising communication – showing what is relevant and customised to the specific consumers. Judging from the technologies that are available in the market, it is very possible that it will one day be a reality.

According to Mulhern (2009), the digitization of media has brought automation in advertising allocation to a higher level with the development of the semantic web which will process information like the human mind. Advertisements will be “smarter” and interpretive of the users’ preference and history of browsing each time they click on it. The model is already existing with big companies like Google and Facebook. The author thus notes that this could bring about opportunities for the advertising industry to deliver advertising as a form of value-adding service, where consumers pay to choose what they want or do not want to see, where and when to see it, or pay for guarantees that advertisements targeting to them are authentic and relevant. Unni & Harmon (2007) suggest that initial surveys by market research agencies showed a high level of interest in consumers to pay for more utilitarian services that give direct benefits and perceived value to them. It is deduced that if smart ads can be developed in a way that adds value to the consumers, they will be more acceptable or even highly sought after.

Thus, advertising planning is going to be about matching the messages to the individuals, which also means that visuals do no need to be as attention-seeking as today’s interruption-based advertising (Mulhern, 2009). This is actually a good thing in mitigating the growing amount of visual noise and information overload in our lives, because with smarter placement of visual communication, it will only reach specific target audience at the right place and time.

According to Pilotta et al. (as cited in Mulhern, 2009) recent research shows that many consumers engage with multiple media devices at the same time and personal media devices allow media to travel with consumers. This creates a hybridization of public and private spheres on and off the web. Furthermore, Bessa (2012) notes that it has fewer distinctions and boundaries between technology and people as technology becomes more part of us. There will be a rise in integrated visual communication can target any audience, time, device and place.

Conclusion
We are indeed living in exciting times where technology and innovation is changing how we live our lives, distribute ideas and receive messages.

Will continue after peer review.

TWC Session 7

Posted on October 6, 2013 by simidai

Brief overview:

Today’s lesson touched on the topics of Agri-Veterinary & Food BioBiz and Environmental & Industrial BioBiz. We focused on the impact of modern agriculture (deforestation, growing demands for food, pollution caused by fertilisers etc) and the innovation in sustainable farming. We were introduced to the various colours of biotechnology:

Red – Applied to humans

Green – Applied to plants and animals

Blue – Applied to marine life

White – Applied to industrial

Interesting observations:

1) For Agribiology, we discussed about growing GM food and innovations in agro-biotech to ensure food security for all. In addition, we discussed how humans have been “toying with nature” by selective breeding. And example is the selective breeding of dogs.

Now here is where the first human genetic engineering comes into play. Once dogs were domesticated enough so that humans could handle them and control their breeding, we could start to tinker with and modify the species.

http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-dogs-were-created/12679?fb_action_ids=10151384032944058&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

We have been selectively breeding animals and plants for ages to suit our needs, I don’t see why GM food is bad, unless certain GM foods really pose a health risk after eating. By selectively incorporating certain genes into our food supply, it can increase yields by making it resistant to pest and lessen environmental damage agriculture brings.

2) The global population is increasing and moving to a more urbanisaed environment. We are at the threshold of change, as more countries are progressing towards a more urbanised setting. It will definitely bring about increased energy consumption which will impact on the world’s resources and environment. This is due to the shifting taste and preference of people demanding more goods and resources to cater to their urban lifestyles. We have to come up of ways to increase food productivity to feed the increased population. Ironically, it is said that the current food production is enough to feed the entire world’s population, but why do people still go hungry? There is an obvious gap in resource distribution. While we need to think of ways to increase food productivity, we have to come up with strategies to ensure food is distributed fairly to poorer countries, and reduce wastage in more affluent countries.

Key takeaways:

Jinghui raised the differences between traditional and organic agriculture, and showed us the future of agriculture. Is organic really better? Organic agriculture produces fewer crops on average by 25% using more lands. She also mentioned about the uneven distribution of food.

I think we will need to deploy different kinds of techniques for different regions, borrowing the strengths of each agriculture region and develop innovations through farming knowledge to make the best out of each region to create sustainable agriculture without damaging the land. Also, affluent society should be conscious in our food consumption and prevent food wastage.

Eva also discussed some of the ways to go about tackling food crisis. She asked if we need industrial farming to feed the world. It is ultimately the corporations benefiting the most – oligopoly. Unsustainable industrial farming pollutes environment and cause sick livestock. However being industrial does not mean its unsustainable. The more pertinent question here is whether sustainable farming can be adopted to feed the world.

Ratings: 6.5/10

Session 6

Posted on September 29, 2013 by simidai

Brief overview

Today’s lesson introduced Bio Business as a massive commercial activity that contributes to 25% of global GDP, and it is growing even bigger in the sectors like agriculture, healthcare, food and bio-technology. We are also introduced to several key bio-business opportunities that will revolutionize the bio-business landscape, the way we live and interact with one and other. These opportunities are 1) Biomedical Bio Business, 2) Agri-Veterinary and Food Bio Business, 3) Environmental and Industrial Bio Business, 4) Life Sciences and Bio IT.

Innovations in the life sciences and biotech is growing rapidly because of our changing needs and developing technology that complements those needs. We then zoomed into the healthcare and biomedical sciences sector and discussed the key drivers.

As Singapore is faced with the problem of aging population and people are getting more affluent, it presents an opportunity where top quality healthcare services and wellness products will be much sought after. We should catch on the bandwagon of the healthcare revolution as more people are looking to maximise their well-being, finding complementary therapies and open to nutraceutical products etc.
Interesting observations:

1) It is interesting to note that BioBusiness does not solely represent the business of healthcare and medical technology, it also encompasses other commercial activities such as agriculture, food and R&D; anything that has to do with life sciences and its technology . In the chart presented in class, Global BioBusiness Market Size, different region of the world gained more on certain sectors compared to other sectors. For example, South and East Asia gained more in Agriculture (considering most of the countries depend on the agriculture sector for sustenance + profit), while USA reaped the most from Healthcare (US is the biggest spender on healthcare). Estimated global GDP in 2001 for BioBusiness is estimated at US$ 32,239.0 Billion, and I believe this figure has been climbing since then.

There are unlimited summit opportunities in the field of biobusiness, but we only focused on the biomedical and healthcare arena in this session.

We watched a cool video presented by Microsoft, about its vision of healthcare in the future. Some of the technological ideas include: speaking to healthcare practitioner on broadband (Tele-consultation), automatic monitor of body condition, e-wallet, reminder to take medication etc. In my opinion, some of the ideas can already be developed into reality given today’s technology, and I don’t think it will take long for other technologies to catch on and reshape the medical industry and how we perceive healthcare. What I find extremely interesting is the ability to tele-consult with a doctor because it saves alot of traveling and waiting time and will be more cost efficient. Number of patients to one doctor can increase, reducing the impact of shortage of health practitioner, at the same time, people living in the rural area can also have access to healthcare via this method.

2) Some key drivers of change in healthcare includes: Demographic and epidemiological change, translating R&D to real application, advances in IT and Bio-engineering tech, Changing consumer needs and demands. As people in developed countries are getting more affluent, they are less susceptible to communicable disease, however as their lifestyle is also more sedentary, there’s an increase of Chronic illnesses, such as heart and cerebrovascular diseases.

The topic of obesity was discussed today and it is alarming to know that Obesity has become a major problem in the world. Doctors have often attributed this trend to unhealthy eating habits (fast food), and less time on physical activities. For example, China has the fastest growing overweight population with 25% of its population overweight, it is due to China’s 1 child-policy where children are more spoilt in all aspects, including their dietary choices.
Key takeaways:

1) People from the more developed countries are moving from disease management to wellness management, and are embracing the notion that prevention is better then cure. This is a major opportunity for growth in the healthcare sector. Also, as research and development of medical technology advances (like stem-cell and tissue engineering, prosthetic and bionics, etc.) it will benefit and change the lives of so many people, as well as make lucrative profits for the bio-industry. The possibilities are endless. However, the rising cost of healthcare is an issue that has to be noted, because it would be unfair to only reserve good healthcare technology for the wealthy and neglect the rest. Hence development in health should take into account the provision of highest level of care at the lowest possible cost.

2) In the presentation by Rebekah, she posed a question that as future parents, would we want to find out about our babies’ disposition to certain illness, and had a stand that if parents knew, they can limit the potential of the child. I feel that it is our right to find out how to better care for our children should we know about certain disposition of illness, and at the same time, we should exercise freedom for our children to explore their (physical) talents but with extra caution. I think the most, just nurture other talents? Like painting or playing an instrument? However she has given us a good perspective of the ethical implication that gene-mapping/sequencing can bring.

Ratings:
I would give the class a rating of 7.5/10 .

TWC Session 5

Posted on September 19, 2013 by simidai

Brief Overview/Summary

Technology has been extending the human-being’s capabilities and re-writing the concepts of who we are and what we have. An important and crucial technological development would be the development of Information Communication Technology, because it brings people all over the world closer, and resulted in us being more inter-connected than ever. ICT brought about a highly inter-connected world and individuals can thus harness this relationship to make collective decisions that can make the world a better place. Have we used enough of today’s technology to help build a better world? After today’s lesson, I learned that it is apparently not. Digital divide is still apparent, and people in developing countries need to have equal access to digital information to change their lives.

Interesting Observation and Ideas

In the lesson, several key ICTs were discussed, namely, the Mass Media, Internet, Social Network, Gaming, Wireless Technology etc. The internet has perpetuated many important changes of the world and has led to the revolution of how we communicate and perceive information. Gone were the days where information were only transmitted via a few selected channels. Instead of one-to-many, the social media revolution has allowed many-to-many conversations and diverse ideas to be communicated all around the world at incredible speed. The lesson today also covered the amazing would-be capabilities of Web 3.0, which will simplify our lives so much more, making daily living more efficient. On top of our smart phones, in the future, there will be smart homes and smart appliances, technology will literally be part of us, which is kind of cool. However as we get more connected we are also exposing ourselves to the lack of privacy. This is not so cool.

Secondly, the ‘digital divide’ is being highlighted in class today. It refers to the inequality between groups/countries in terms of the access to ICT. ICT is a powerful tool to change lives, eradicate poverty and help elevate the position of developing nations in this knowledge-based economy. Without quality access to information on the web, the gap becomes larger as the rest of the developed world progresses leaving those without relevant knowledge behind. I am surprised to note that ICT has a huge role to play in changing the lives of many.

Key Takeaway Points

ICT has become so powerful in a span of a few decades that many things achieved were considered unimaginable in the past. Take the internet for example; previously, communication were relied on traditional medium, now Internet opened doors to so many forms of interaction and spreading of information. This high-speed sharing of information is rapidly changing the world, the economy and our values. The human needs are getting more sophisticated and we are no longer satisfied with what we have, constantly looking for innovation that will make our lives easier.

For Session Two, I wrote this in Issues for Further Discussion: “I was hoping for the lesson to cover more about how technology can be harnessed to enable a more well-balanced world not just growth of countries in economic power, but also growth in spirituality (not religion) and humanity (awareness of the plight of the world). These issues deserve more air-time for discussion because the world seems to be fixated on innovation for the purpose of benefiting economically and keeping up with global competition. Maybe in the lessons in the future, such areas would be covered.”

I am pleased to learn that ICT is one way people can reach out to one another to spread knowledge and skills to the rest for them to cross the digital divide. The important thing is to make telecommunication affordable and to build wireless systems cheaply and deploy them everywhere.

Famous spiritual leaders would advocate that we are connected and inseparable, because what happens to one entity may affect the other. Through ICT, I hope to see a rise in universal spirituality and for people to see that we can have the power to affect others positively because of this “expanding concept of what it means to be human”. (John Naisbitt)

Issues for Further Discussion

In Katty’s presentation about The role of ICT in Sustainable Development, she posed a question whether the promotion of ICT will gear the rest of the world to a more “westernised” culture. I would think that communication is two-way, for example in a communication between an Asian and an American, both are learning of the cultures of each other, ICT helps to speed up such exchange and the result is a more “Globalised” culture, instead of a “westernised” culture.

However I wish to discuss more on how ICT has produce such a globalised culture and whether consumerism / capitalism has a role to play in it. For example, everyone around the world recognises the big M logo from Macdonalds, to what extent did ICT help to propagate such visuals to every corner of the world?

Personal Rating

Class is enjoyable and informative as usual, most importantly, we are beginning to touch on what it means to be human in this era of rapid digital revolution, such knowledge will definitely help me cultivate a better self. I would rate today’s lesson a 9/10.

TWC Session 4

Posted on September 13, 2013 by simidai

Brief Overview/Summary

We discussed about the Drivers of World Change and Change Management vs Leadership. We begin the lesson by discussing about the responsibility we all as consumers have, with regards to choosing the products that support sustainability. As long as we believe strongly in sustainability, we can pressurize governments and companies to listen to us. We can play a DIRECT role in changing the world. I believe so, because the shifting values of people, with the help of social media, can propagate changes to the world we live in. People is a strong driver of world change, as I have discussed in my oral presentation.

On top of that, a globalised country will be more adept to reacting positively to world change, be it Evolutionary change, Revolutionary change, or Disruptive change. And these are the countries that will do better because of their awareness of standards which may help them imitate and innovate at the same time. According to Charles Darwin, only the ones being able to adapt to change may thrive.

In Change Management and Change Leadership, we discussed the difference between a leader and a manager and came up with a conclusion that leaders formulate new paradigms while managers follows these paradigms and get things done. To be a good leader of change, one has to be far-sighted and be proactive in preparing for change.

Interesting Observation and Ideas

1. We discussed about the differences between Drivers of World Change in reading 1 and reading 3. The first reading, Global Drivers of Change to 2060 predicts several trends that might take place in 50 years times, while the next reading suggests world trends specifically to security, economy and power shift. It was insightful for me because now I am aware where we are heading and can anticipate the imminent changes for the world. These trends serve as a guideline to let us examine whether are we heading towards a better direction, or to change the path that we are currently undertaking. Identifying potential paradigm shift may help us to prepare ourselves in time of change and to be ready in responding to changes. This acts as a tool to stimulate generation of new ideas to cope with the changing needs of the world.

2. The pessimism – time curve is a great illustration of the reality of life. It proves only one thing, that is only the ones who persevere to reach past the “informed realism” will get to the completion of a launch of an idea/ business/ relationship. I can connect with this notion because I experienced the process of setting something up and giving it up half way due to difficulties faced and business partners withdrawing from their commitment. If this is the guiding principle of all successful ventures, I would definitely abide by it and try and try till I make it past the “informed realism” stage!

3. The shirtless dancing guy illustrates a good point about how the first follower of a lone nut can transform him (the lone nut) into a leader. Video was hilarious but very insightful. We always give credit to the leader of change but neglect the fact that it was the first few believers that enabled the change to spread.

Key Takeaway Points

The ultimate message taken from class was that keeping an open mind about change is an essential attitude to thrive, and managing change is as difficult as leading a change. Both are constant and demanding affairs. We have to think ahead of time to anticipate changes and stay relevant before they catch us by surprise.

On change leadership, I learned that as a leader of new paradigms, one needs to have the first followers who believe in him and help turn him from a lone nut to a leader. One must also constantly be preparing for change and never give up in times of informed pessimism. This tells me that having the right partners and fellowship is as important as the new idea itself.

Issues for Further Discussion

I am lucky to have a lot of time for people to discuss about my oral presentation, but I wish to hear more views on what people think about the power of people and social media, especially in the context of Singapore. Is the Government’s policy to regulate internet content a form of regression, instead of progression in terms of development? Should there be better policies implemented to ride on the power of social media rather than to try and control it?

Personal Rating

I enjoyed the class tremendously due to the new knowledge and insights gained. I rate it a 8.5/10.

Technology and World Change 2013

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