DESIGN IN SOCIETY: Green Technology

Image Source: http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/green-technology

One example of a utopian design that aims to improve society is the designs of green technology, such as solar powered houses, electric cars, and other environmentally friendly technology.  Products such as these aims to improve society because they are made with the intention of reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and work with nature rather than against it.  These designs are meant to reduce the negative impact that human’s involvement in the environment, such as pollution and waste.  Usually they are made to be recyclable or reusable.  One of the main goals of green technology is to create sustainable designs that are able to fulfill the needs of modern society, but to do it in a way that does not damage or deplete the Earth’s natural resources.  This technology also seeks to find an energy source that is renewable, by employing natural elements such as solar power, wood, and water as a means for energy production.  Green technology not only aims to reduce the amount carbon emissions given off by society presently, but also to remedy at least some of the damage that has already been done to the environment.  With issues such as global warming and the depletion of the O-Zone layer posing such a risk to the Earth, it is extremely important that society works together towards the conservation of our Earth by trying to find alternative fuel sources and work hard to reduce our carbon footprints. 

DESIGN IS DANGEROUS: Guns

Image Source: http://innovativecustomguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/gun2web.jpg

One example of how design can be a very dangerous thing is the design of weaponry, such as a gun.  Of course, guns are dangerous because of their ability to kill a person. Bullets are fired so quickly from a gun that is impossible to dodge them or and with the exception of wearing a bulletproof vest or being surrounded by something bullet proof, it is virtually impossible to protect yourself against a bullet.  Guns were made with the intention to do harm.  There are a lot of arguments that deal with the regulation of gun ownership and use, and whether or not stricter regulations on guns would actually be better for society.  Many studies have been done to examine the relationship between gun ownership and homicide and suicide rates.  Guns today are designed to be sleeker, more compact, easy to use, and above all effective.  Guns are used in today’s society for recreational hunting, war, and personal protection.  They were made specifically with the intention to cause harm, and are effective in doing so, which makes them an example of how design can also be a dangerous thing.

Color Transforms

Image Source: http://listart.mit.edu/files/Albers.jpg and http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/images/Color/Albers1%20copy.gif

Color has an amazing ability to transform the look of an object and to create a particular mood for an image.  In Josef Albers book, The Interaction of Color, Albers talks a lot about colors transformative abilities and provides many examples (such as the ones shown above) where different colored backgrounds can make the exact same color look completely different.  In the world of design, color has the ability to evoke many different meanings and feelings depending on their use.   A dark color scheme for a movie poster gives the impression that a film will be darker, action-filled, or dramatic.  Green is a color often used in the design of logos for environmentally friendly companies or products because it evokes the idea of nature.  The addition of color can also transform what might otherwise be considered a plain or mundane design into something with personality.  Ever seen something as simple as a coffee mug or glass with a colorful design painted on them?  It’s an object that we all encounter every, single day and yet with the additional of bright, bold colors it becomes unique in its own way and more interesting.  

The "Doctor Who" logo

Image Source: http://filmreviewonline.com/wp-content/gallery/doctor-who-logos/196212.jpg

Over the many, many years that the British science-fiction television show, Doctor Who, has been on the air, the logo for the show has changed as many times as the title character has.  For the newest series, which aired in the spring of 2010, and the introduction of the eleventh Doctor, the new logo was very distinct from its predecessors.  Where previously the Doctor Who logo was simply made up of the words, “Doctor Who,” the new logo has the added element of the letters “DW” made into a symbol resembling the shape of the Doctor’s iconic space-time travel vehicle, the TARDIS.  I was personally very impressed by the new logo for the show, particularly by the addition of the DW-TARDIS icon incorporated into it.  The DW-TARDIS icon is place between the words “Doctor” and “Who” so the logo is not symmetrical, however I feel that the asymmetrical orientation of the logo adds more visual interest than if it were to perfectly symmetrical.  Besides, if it were symmetrical than either the DW-TARDIS icon would have to be in the middle of the word “Doctor” or “Doctor” would have to be significantly smaller that the word “Who,” in either option the design would look very strange.  The use of gradients on the letters creates a very smooth, shiny look to the logo, which coupled with the blue and purple color scheme evokes a futuristic feel.  The logo is simple, but overall I feel that it effectively and perfectly represents the Doctor Who series.

ERGONOMICS: The Sony E-Book PRS-505

Image Source: http://gadgetscrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/sony-ebook-reader-prs-505.jpg

Using the five basic principles of ergonomic design: safety, comfort, ease of use, performance or productivity, and aesthetics, I am going to analyze the design of the Sony e-book model PRS-505.  There isn’t really much that I can say about the safety quality of the device, except that it seems to be a very safe object.  I see no qualities in it that would suggest that it is unsafe. 

This model of e-book is very lightweight and thin, which makes it ideal for travelling.  As somebody who is in the habit of always carrying a book with them, I really like how easily this e-book fits into almost any bag or purse and the fact that it hardly adds any weight to the bag.  The e-book is a very good size, the screen is large enough to read from (and if you find that the text is too small, there are options to enlarge it), but the device is still very comfortable to hold and does not feel bulky when you are using it.  Also since the device’s screen does not have any backlighting, so it doesn’t strain your eyes if you are reading for long periods of time, like computers and other electronic device screens sometimes can.

This model is very easy to use, especially in comparison to other, newer models and brands I’ve encountered, which I have found to be more complicated and confusing to use.  The buttons are all very clearly marked on the device either with words, numbers, or small icons depicting the function of the button.  There are not a whole bunch of unnecessary buttons, just the ones to turn the pages, adjust the text size, go to the menu, scroll through the menu lists, bookmark a page, and turn the power on and off.  The device automatically opens the last page you were viewing when it was turned off, so you don’t have to worry about losing your page if you forget to bookmark it before turning the device off.  Charging the device is also very easy.  You simply connect it to your computer with the USB cable that comes with the device, and you can charge it while just working on your computer.  It is also very easy to manage your books and remove them from the device from your computer using the software that comes with the device or, if you lose the disk, you can download the program from the internet for free.  And if the device isn’t working properly, you can easily reset it by pressing the reset button on the back.

I have had this model of e-book for about five years now, and it still works very well for me.  The battery lasts a long time; however I don’t like that the battery lasts for a limited amount of time regardless of use.  So you can charge the battery completely, but even if you don’t use it at all, in a few weeks the battery will be empty again.  This is, in my opinion, the biggest flaw in the design of this e-book.  The device is able to hold many books at the same time, though I can’t remember the exact number, but even if you do manage to use up all the space built into the e-book, there are two slots for memory cards on which you can save and access even more books for the e-book.  The device also has the ability to have music and photographs saved into it, but it has been my experience that those files don’t save for long periods of time for some reason.  The e-book also allows the reader to choose between three different text sizes, to maximize readability.

I found the aesthetic design of the device to be fairly standard, but pleasing.  The silver color makes it look very sleek and shiny, and in general it is a fairly minimalistic design, with just the screen taking up the majority of the space and the necessary buttons.  However, there are a variety of different covers available for the e-book with which you can personalize the look of your e-book if you choose to.  Overall, I feel that the design of the Sony e-book is a successful one.  Yes, there are a few improvements that could be made, but it is easy to use, lightweight, and works well.

The Cartoon Art Museum: Storytime! Graphic Novels for Kids of All Ages

A few weekends ago I visited the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, and looked through the current exhibitions there, including one called Storytime! Graphic Novels for Kids of All Ages.  I really liked this exhibition because for many of the comics being exhibited they showed the process of creating that comic.  From initial sketches to the addition of text, I found the layout of seeing these comics, some of which I recognized as from the newspaper or as cartoons from my childhood and others I was completely unfamiliar with, very interesting.  I liked seeing the comics take form before my eyes, and seeing the creative processes of the different artists there.  The exhibit also included some animated films, such as the Disney films, and gave insight into some of the techniques used for some scenes and the development of certain characters.  Other parts of the exhibition showed cartoons from various past eras with descriptions of the time period during which they were made.  I found this also very interesting as it made me look at each cartoon differently and gave me a better understanding and appreciation of the way that the time in which a work of art is made affects that image.  I really enjoyed this exhibited and being able to see the creative processes and inspirations behind some of the cartoons I recognized from my childhood and the newspaper, and learning more about others that was had previously been unfamiliar with. 

Word and Image: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie poster

Image Source: http://www.oclumencia.com.br/galeria/

As you have already probably guessed, I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter novels (and the movies), and since the newest film is almost here I’m going to discuss the use of words and image for the final films’ poster.  This poster is for both parts of the Deathly Hallows film. The use of text on the poster is minimal, especially for a movie poster, but I believe that it is both effective and fitting.  The full title of the film is not presented, simply the initials, H.P. for Harry Potter, and the number seven for the book.  Beneath this are the years that each part will be released.  The image shows a destroyed and burning Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the distance, with its image reflected in the water blow.  This image shows the great battle that will take place in the upcoming films at Hogwarts and the devastating effect it will have in the world of the film.  Hogwarts has been the primary setting for all the previous novels (and films) and here we see it being destroyed in the final battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.  The image is dark and highly contrasted, conveying the dark tone the film will have as the heroes of the film are no longer in school and in the midst of a war.   Looking at this image tells me that the film will be dark and action-filled, but I feel the tagline is what really makes the poster strong: “it all ends here.”  The words not only convey that this will be the final Harry Potter films, but also tells us that this is where the final battle between Voldemort and Harry will take place.  This is where the story will end, and everything that has happened up to this point was all leading to this.

“It all ends here!”

Word and Image: Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fies

Image Source: http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/3250-23-tm.jpg?w=350&h=256

During his lecture in the Design 001 class, Brian Fies talked about the relationship between word and image in his graphic novel, Mom’s Cancer.  One of the images that he used as an example of his use of words and imagery was the image of his mother sitting with a panel bisecting the image between her head and her body.  He explains that he had multiple reasons for bisecting the image in such a way, the first was because the panel looked like a window, symbolizing that the reader is looking in on her.  The second reason was that it symbolized her medical condition; she had both a brain tumor and a lung tumor.  The words for this image are bisected in a similar way as the image.  In the upper panel, the words all describe her psychological condition, such as depression, while the bottom panel describes her medical condition, the pain she is experiencing and her physical reactions to the medications.  In this way the words and the images work together to show the reader what she is going through.  The words tell us this, but the image illustrates this for the reader, and together they create a powerful image that shows the reader the struggle that his mother is going through, both physically and mentally.

Forget the Comfort Zone

After watching Gary Hustwit’s documentary film, Objectified, a comment made by one of the designers reminded me of the topic of the role of play in design, discussed in class.  The designer, Chris Bangle, was talking about the designs of cars and how repetitive some designs are and how this shows that people are often very afraid to walk out of their comfort zone.  I really think that designers should always take the time to experiment and play with their designs.  It’s important to try new things and new techniques because that’s how you learn.  So often we get stuck in these trends and after a while of just simply seeing the same thing over and over again it gets boring, and we forget what made the original design so great.  Designers should never be afraid to experiment with their designs and try new things.  Even if you try a new technique and it doesn’t work for the design, you can still learn from it.  Maybe it’s a technique that you can use in a different design.  Or even if it’s just a failed experiment, you learn “well, don’t do this again!”  You should never be afraid to think outside the box and play around with a design.  You never know what you might learn.  Be creative.  Be unique.

The Motorola H710 Bluetooth

Image Source: http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/58/8d/a0/28588693-100x100-0-0.jpg

A Bluetooth is a wireless device that allows the user to continue talking on the phone without having to actually hold the phone.  The Motorola H710 Bluetooth is very compact, and hinged so that the microphone can be folded closed when the device is not in use.  A small plastic arch wraps around the user’s ear so that the device doesn’t fall off.  The largest button on the device is located directly in the center of the Bluetooth and allows the user to answer and hang up on calls with the push of a single button.  The design of this object does indeed address the issue of needing a hands free wireless device for your cell phone, and it is an aesthetically pleasing design, it’s very sleek and shiny.  I personally, like the combination of silver and dark blue; however I do feel that the design has some flaws that have been improved upon in newer models.  To begin with, while it is still small, the device still a little bit bulky in comparison to other models available.  The earpiece just sits awkwardly on your ear, held there only by the thin plastic arch, where newer models take some inspiration from the ear bud headphones to that they fit better and more securely into your ear. The build of this Bluetooth makes it more likely to fall off your ear if bumped than newer models.  The plastic arch is rather rigid, so it’s not the most comfortable to wear for long periods, where many newer models are more flexible.  I do feel that the design accomplishes its goal of being an effective hands free wireless device, and its sleek design and color scheme is aesthetically pleasing. However it is an older model of Bluetooth, about four years old, and I feel that the design has been improved upon in the last few years, to make the Bluetooth even more comfortable and easy to use.

Objectified: Form and Content

Image Source: http://www.moviegoods.com/images_blog/objectified.jpg

Gary Hustwit’s documentary, Objectified, examines the relationship between everyday objects and the people who design them.  One of the key ideas that are emphasized throughout the film by the different designers interviewed is that the form of a design is directly derived from its content.  Good design identifies the needs or wants of the public and seeks to meet that need.  One of the examples discussed in the film is the design of a potato peeler.  The designer of this object decided to improve upon the design of most potato peelers because his wife, who had arthritis, had trouble keeping a grip on the peeler.  Thus the designer sought to design a potato peeler which fit more naturally into a person’s hand and would require less force to keep a firm grip on it.  Designer, Dieter Rams, states that “good design should make a product useful” and understandable, while David Kelly states that “bad design is where the customer thinks it’s their fault that something doesn’t work.”  The film highlights the process of designing an object such as the potato peeler, where the designers considered a variety of different handles, really taking the time to consider how the handle would fit into the hand and whether or not it effectively solved the problem at hand.  Ultimately, their design was inspired by a bicycle handlebar. I think that the film does a good job at making the viewer think about the thought process that goes into the mundane objects that we use on a regular basis, things that we often take for granted.  The film challenges the viewer think about the details of design and what makes a particular design effective…or in some cases, ineffective.

Design as a Conversation

Design has an amazing ability to communicate with its audience. For example you can tell a lot about a person by the way they design their homepage for a personal website or their profile on a social networking site.  Are they minimalistic, fun, classic, quirky, energetic? You can tell a lot about them by the way they chose to design the things around them.  Similarly you can look at the advertisement for an upcoming movie, and often without even knowing anything about the film you can tell from the design what kind of film it will be.  Will it be a horror film? A comedy? A romance? A drama? Will it be exciting, mysterious, humorous, or a tear-jerker?  All these things can be communicated to you simply from the way a poster is illustrated.  The design for a clothing brand’s logo can tell you about that clothing line.  Is it classic? Modern? Fancy? Retro? Quirky?  The design of a company’s logo is its identity to the public, it conveys the main feature of its style, like the classic Gap logo which when changed created a major uproar amongst consumers.  Design is always communicating something.  It is our first impression when we encounter something and it communicates to us, in that first experience, the primary characteristics of what we’re looking at.

New GAP logo fails to impress

Last week Gap tried to launch a new logo for their company, replacing their 20 year old logo of a blue box containing the word Gap in an all-cap serif font, with a logo that incorporated the blue box in a different way.  The new logo had the word Gap written in a sans-serif font, no longer in all caps, with the blue box sitting just above and behind the lowercase p.  I suppose it was a design meant to be modern and fresh, but the design was quickly changed back to their original after the negative response it received on social networking sites.  I found it interesting how strong the reaction against this change received.  In the article I read on CNNMoney.com, the article stated that one person wrote how they would no longer be shopping at Gap because of the new logo change.  I wondered why a change in the logo would incite such a strong response.  The clothes aren’t changing, just the logo, so why threaten to stop shopping there? To me it shows the impact a brand’s image has, the old logo says classic, and I believe that it’s very classic style is a big part of Gap’s general appeal.  Personally I also prefer the old logo which I see as a very clean, classic image, while the new one just felt BORING!

Compare and Contrast

Image Source: http://iwritealot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone.jpg and http://www.bscreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows.jpg

In my very first blog post, I talked about the cover art for the first Harry Potter novel as one of my very first memories of realizing the power and impact of design.  Today I will compare the cover designs of the first novel to that of the final novel, released ten years later.  As someone who has read all seven of the Harry Potter novels (multiple times, I must admit) I can appreciate how the changes in the cover designs for each novel pertain to the changes happening throughout the overarching storyline of the novels.  Seven years pass by, the characters mature, the plots become darker, and these changes are evident in the way that Mary GrandPré chooses to illustrate JK Rowling’s novels.  The first book’s design is very whimsical, the characters are cartoonish, and the color scheme which employs a lot of reds, purples, and gold give the cover a very fanciful feel.  It is a much more colorful and lively design that is clearly meant to appeal to a younger audience.  As the novels progress GrandPré’s depictions of Harry changes too; with the passing of each novel the main character’s appearances morph’s from the juvenile, cartoonish figure to a more realistic and mature appearance.  The cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows shows an older Harry Potter with an intense expression and his hand stretched out as the main figure occupying the cover.  The cover is simpler than many of the previous novels, showing Harry alone on the front cover and the villain, Lord Voldemort, as the main figure on the back of the cover.  I always liked GrandPré’s approach to illustrating the Harry Potter novels, her cover designs were always fitting for each book, and I think that it was a very smart decision for her to subtly alter her depictions of Harry as the character matured throughout the novels.

What do we ask design to do?

Design is about making something that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional.  As a designer, we are often asked to create while adhering to the wants and needs of a client as well as society.  In exploring the question of what we ask design to do, one must also consider the questions of what design is and who the people of design are, both of which I attempted to answer last week.  I said last week that I believe that design is everywhere, and that I do not believe that there is a single definition that could truly encompass all that design is and its impact on the world.  Additionally I stated that everyone is in some way a person of design whether that’s as the designer, the client, or the consumer.  Design is the first impression we get when we encounter something.  In the case of the design of a book cover or a movie poster, the design will impact our first thoughts on that book or movie and whether or not we want to see or read it.  Through the images the designer will need to convey to us the important points of the story and (attempt) to make us want to read or see it mostly through images with a small amount of text.  In the case of a room or building design, the designer must create a space that is functional for the client as well as beautiful.  A fashion designer needs to make something aesthetically pleasing as well as wearable.  In every area of design, the designer must face the challenge of not only creating something that is beautiful, but also that serves a purpose.

Creativity From Without

As designers, we will often be working with a client who is asking us to design a product for them.  In this case the designer is asked to create not from an inspiration that comes from within themselves, but from without.  They are asked to draw creativity from the client’s ideas and from what the client wants and envisions for the product to make the idea a reality.  It is a challenge that designers often find themselves faced with, and every designer must learn how to handle and work within the restrictions that a client places on you.

 

I remember a show that used to air on HGTV called Get Color, in which the designer, Jane Lockhart, would create a personalized color wheel inspired by something that the client was passionate about and use that color wheel to design a room for the client.  Sometimes the inspiration would be a favorite place, a historical period, or a favorite past time such as cooking, gardening, or scrapbooking, but in every case the color wheel would be made up of objects that relate to the theme and was always different.  I used to really enjoy watching this show, because I found the designer’s approach to interior design and color use very original and interesting.  It was great to see how the designer and client could draw inspiration from absolutely anything and to see the way that color could be used to evoke the memory of a favorite place, time, or hobby.  It was definitely one of my favorite shows on HGTV and really made me think about the powerful effect that color can have on you ….I wish the show was still on the air.

Stone Soup

Last week in Design 001, we were asked to make something out of random objects we had brought with us to class.  The project was inspired by the children’s book, Stone Soup, written and illustrated by Marcia Brown, in which a village comes together to create a stew out of whatever they happen to have and end up sharing a delicious feast together.  Our group had a very random collection of items including an empty orange juice bottle, a little pink stuffed rabbit, some paper cranes, a sheet of cardboard, a stack of newspaper, paints, some hair bands, and a few other random objects.  The challenge was trying to find inspiration in this strange assortment and creating something with it.  When we started the project we really didn’t know what we were going to make, we just started working.  The cardboard sheet was folded into a triangular shape and we started to make a bunch of “cootie-catchers” from the stack of newspapers we had.  One of the paper cranes was placed upside down on the rabbit’s head as a crown, and we used strips of paper to tie together bundles of sticks together.  After compiling all these pieces together, we were a little lost for a while as to what to do with them, but quickly the idea of using these items to create a throne for “the bunny king” was proposed and after that the project quickly grew.  We painted the cardboard structure with a swirling leaf motif to relate it to the bundles of twigs that were framing the toy rabbit’s “throne” and further decorated it with the cootie-catchers we had assembled.  It was very fun to see how the project evolved as we continued to work, and transform from an arbitrary assortment of objects into a small sculpture of an elaborate throne for “the bunny king.”

Who are the people of design?

I think the short answer to this question is everyone.  Everyone is in some way affected by design and are part of the design world.  To begin with you have the designer whose job is to create an aesthetically pleasing and functional design for whatever it is they were hired to do. Be it to design the cover art for a book, a new skyscraper, a bedroom, or a new clothing line, the designer is expected to create something that is both beautiful and functional, and meets the needs of the client and/or consumer.  Which brings me to the next person of design: the client.  In almost every design endeavor the designer will be working with a person or a company at some point.  It is for the client that these designs are made so the designer must take into account what the client needs the design for.  Sometimes that means designing a room with a certain color scheme and motif, or creating the packaging for a new product to be put on the market, but no matter what the project entails the client will always have a strong impact on the final design.  Though often times the designer and the client are considered the people of design, there is another group that must be considered as well: the consumer or the public.  Since much of the time a designer is working to create a product that will be placed on the market and made available to the public, the design of the product will be affected by the wants and needs of the public.  The client will want their product to stand out to the public and make people want their product over the competitions, so it is the designer’s job to consider in their design what the consumer wants as well as what the client wants.

What is design?

After thinking long and hard about this question, I decided to check the dictionary that was sitting on my desk and see what Webster’s dictionary had to say on the matter.  And after reading a very long, eight part definition that ranged from design is “a particular purpose held in view by an individual or group” to design is “the creative art of executing aesthetic or functional designs,” I came to the conclusion that not even it would be able to help me with this question.  While all of those definitions do accurately describe the term, they just don’t quite seem like enough to define design.  Design is such a broad term that affects so many aspects of our lives that it is difficult to put into words what exactly design is.  Design is in almost everything around us from the layout of an apartment to something as simple as a water bottle, design is part of it all.  In class last week we were asked if design was a noun or a verb, and the reality is its both.  Depending on its usage, design can be considered either a noun or a verb.  You can consider the design of the new table you just bought or you can work on designing a new work of art to decorate your wall.  To me there is no definition that can completely describe what design is and the impact of it in our lives.  Design is simply design.  It’s the first thing we experience when we encounter a place or object: the design of the new restaurant that opened down the block, the design of the poster for an upcoming movie, the design of the clothing displayed in the front window of a store.

Memories of Design

Image Source: http://iwritealot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerers_stone.jpg

One of my earliest memories of the impact of design in our lives was the cover illustration for the novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling which would quickly become my favorite book, and continue to be a favorite series of mine into adulthood.  This was before Harry Potter had become as popular as it shortly would become and so I had never heard of this novel before, but the stylized cover illustrations by Mary GrandPré immediately caught my eye as I browsed through the shelves of my local bookstore.  A boy on a broomstick straining to catch a tiny winged golden ball. A great castle in the background with a giant three-headed dog hiding menacingly beneath an archway.  A beautiful, ethereal unicorn galloping across an open field with a great foreboding forest looming in the background.  I remember turning the book over to see more of the illustration and being further intrigued by the image of the mysterious cloaked man with a long silver beard.  All these images together had already given me a sense of what I would find in the world of this book: mystery, adventure, and magic.  Already I was fascinated and I hadn’t even read the synopsis of the book that was printed on the inside flap of the cover, I hadn’t even read a single word about the book except for the title and the author’s name.  I realized then the impact that the design of the cover art of a novel could have.  The information it had to communicate to the consumer with nothing more than the title and imagery with which to convey the mood of the novel.  It was amazing to me that in a single image the designer was able to communicate to me what I was going to find within the pages of this book.