Benjamin Romney      tel:  (208)496-4590  fax: (208)496-6017 
Office: STC 310E        Studio: BEN 147/150  < romneyb@byui.edu>
Mobile: 208 313-4287 web page: romneyben.com

Course Description:

This course is designed to assist the learning to recognize how various cultures affect and influence the designs, the art, the living environment, and, to contrast that with how designs influence culture. This is a study of the cycle of influence that design and culture nurture in human society, and how it influences the way we use plant materials to create a wholesome environment. The culture of art, humor, family structure, industrialization, and societal organization are all considered.

Outcomes or Objectives of the course:

Be able to explain how people use plants in their living environment, and how those uses have been influenced by culture past and present.
Demonstrate how designs have evolved historically, and how they continue to adjust to changes in society.
Describe how these influences will better prepare each learner to create a pleasant home environment that strengthens principles of family, whilst also preparing to share design ideas with clients.

Assessments:

Brief book review of "The Design of Everyday Things," by Don Norman
Investigative review project, "the final point"
Experience reports
Design Application Assignments
Attendance and participation in class and group discussions, and other assignments.

Grades will be based on:
reports, assignments, participation & attendance  600 points
investigative review project      400 points

      Total points 1000
standard % grade distribution:  >90=A's, 80-89=B's, 70-79=C's, 60-69=D's, <60=F

Assignments in more detal:

Brief book review of "The Design of Everyday Things," by Don Norman
after a quick review of Don Norman's book, write a three page essay on the design process, and how you see it affecting your life and work.

INVESTIGATIVE REVIEW PROJECT
This is a report that will involve a close look at your personal culture, heritage, and future, whilst comparing your perspective to that of other cultures.

Experience Reports
brief writeups about some of the podcasts, discussions, and observation exercises you will be assigned to do in class, or on your own time.
Deep Learning Investigation
Garden Comparison
The Millenials
New Old Technology
the radio podcast is fast becoming a great way to learn about a variety of topics. You will be assigned to listen to, and write a brief comment page on a minimum of four podcasts, and prepare to discuss them in class:
>Water wars on Reveal
>your choice on 99 percent invisible
>your choice on TED Radio Hour
>your choice on any other podcast

Design Application Assignments
>Hand-tied bouquets
>Asian design
>branch bending

Discussion topics for DEEPER LEARNING...

Design evolves in society. How it is manifest, and how it begins to influence behaviour and memory results in our culture. As different cultures intermingle, they influence each other. Design is a barometer of change as cultures shift, gathering ideas and affecting each other in pattern, food, and behaviour.

Don Norman, who has written a few books related to design in the modern world, says "All artificial things are designed. Whether it is the layout of furniture in a room, the paths through a garden, or forest, or the intricacies of an electronic device, some person or gourp of people had to decide upon the layout, operation, and mechanisms. Not all designed things involve physical structures. Services, lectures, rules and procedures, and the organizational structures of businesses and governments do not have physical mechanisms, but their rules of operation have to be designed, sometimes informally, sometimes precisely recorded and specified. But even though people have designed things since prehistoric times, the field of design is relatively new, divided into many areas of speciality..."

We will dive deep into Norman's thinking by studying his book "The Design of Everyday Things."

We will also discuss current societal issues that affect design.

It is recommended that students become familiar with podcasts that are very informative. We will discuss topics from various sources, such as:
99 Percent Invisible https://99percentinvisible.org/ from Radiotopia®

Core77 http://www.core77.com/

Obsessed with Design, Josh Miles http://www.obsessedshow.com/

Design Matters, with Debbie Millmanhttp://www.debbiemillman.com/designmatters/
for example, this interview with Richard Saul Wurman, founder of TED talks
https://designobserver.com/feature/richard-saul-wurman/39729

Ted Radio Hour https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510298/ted-radio-hour

Revealhttps://www.revealnews.org/
have a listen to this podcast about water issues in California
https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/water-wars/

and others...

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European Discussion topics:

European colonial history
    how did design influence spread throughout the world, and where did it end up?
    and, who ate the chocolate?

How does Asian art influence European styles?
    why can I find fantastic Asian art and artifacts on the Singel canal between the Koningsplein and the Muntplein streets in Amsterdam? 
    "Japanese art is something like the primitives, like the Greeks, like our old Dutch painters, Rembrandt, Potter, Hals, Vermeer, Van Ostade, Ruysdael.  There's no end to it"   Vincent Van Gogh

Where are our roots?
    what nourished my family tree?  We are all transplanted from somewhere.

What is a "British sense of humour?"
    it is all so very proper, but this is where our modern floristry was given a place to grow.

The world's finest designers, coming home or going back?
    sample some of the very best design, and see where these artists are taking us next.
    Gregor Lersch, Thor Gunderson, Daniel Ost, Jane Packer, Paula Pryke, and others

Let's review a bit of History
 Egyptian--symmetry, repetition, hairpieces
 Classical, Roman, Byzantine--wreaths and garlands
 Renaissance--symbolism
 Flemish--the gatherers and the growers, multi-seasonal designs
 English, French country--Georgian, Victorian
 German influence:  a modern interpretive style

What do we call these styles today?
 Clustering, Grouping--the "euro look"
 Parallel influence, and New Convention,
 Vegetative and Dekorative
 Neo-Classical--viedermeyer 

design links

Here is a link to some floral terms that will help you understand some of the modern designs that result from European influence:

Contemporary Floral Terminology this is a reference that may help you as you look at some of the designs, and wonder where they originated, or what some of the techniques involved are called.

Reference texts:  

The Art of Floral Design, by Norah Hunter

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Asian Discussion topics:

Floral design theory has been driven by the use of line and form, heavily derived from interactions between European and Asian creative thinkers.  Historical and contemporary techniques learned particularly from studying Japanese schools of Ikebana, ancient and modern are historically significant, and informative.  There are several different art forms from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other perspectives.

Oriental, or Asian influence
    where did it come from, and where did it go?

Japanese design schools:  Ikenobu, Sogetsu, Ohara
    Principles of  Ikebana
    Styles, influences, and language
        Rikka, Nageire, Seika, Moribana, Jiyu-bana, Zenei-bana

Observations in nature
    Branch bending and shaping
    Contemplation

Influence in Western Design
    Art, architecture, food, family

Recommended texts: 
The History of Ikebana, by Kudo Masanobu,  ISBN 4-07-975090-0  Shufunotomo co. ltd.
The Art of Floral Design, by NorahT. Hunter, Chapter 16
Ikebana Terminology
Please look over this link for Ikebana terms, and links to helpful sites.

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Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office (208) 496-9210. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the students and instructor by the Disability Services Office.

BYU Idaho standards will be followed in class.  Failure to comply with them, and your failure to attend class,  may be reflected in your grade in the course.
 One of the major goals at BYU Idaho is that of providing quality educational opportunities in a rich spiritual environment.  To obtain this desired level of spiritual influence, students are asked to observe all points of the Code of Honor including the dress and grooming standards.
 Let me remind you of the commitment you made to live the Code of Honor:  specifically...be honest, refrain from plagiarizing or any other form of cheating; obey all university rules and regulations; help others in fulfilling their responsibilities under the Code of Honor; and comply with the college dress and grooming standards.
 The dress and grooming standard is fully defined in  the BYUI catalog.  The appearance hoped for in dress and grooming is best achieved through the guidelines of modesty and cleanliness.  We encourage our students to be modest in their attire and neat and clean in their personal appearance.
 Conscientious attention to appropriate dress and grooming will enhance your performance  in class and contribute to the spiritual environment of BYU Idaho.  We invite your willing participation in this expectation

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