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week 2
Parsons School of Design Summer Intensive Seminar
the patterns of culture
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plot
setting language
perspective conflict
past present future
trends are stories motivation and action are driven forward by cognitive dynamics
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plot
setting language
perspective conflict
past present future
everyday trend narrative these narratives manifest in the products and experiences we engage everyday
notness
“I’m not doing it that
way”
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authenticity is a cognitive map the answer is relative to your perception of culture
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past present future
simplicity
signifiers reveal codes
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past present future
vice
these codes are patterns in culture
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(signifiers)
connotation and shared meaning
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modern
commercial
high tech
past present future
nostalgia
local
craft
NOT
the pattern of authenticity is about “NOT”
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the choices a brand makes in how they make and sell stuffauthenticity and brand stories
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data analysis to analyze how that narrative is evolving
past present future
plot
setting
conflictperspective
language
forecast
closed corpus
books, magazines,
speeches etc.
open corpussocial mediamedia feeds
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Google Ngram as a cultural analytics toola tool that allows to test linguistic patterning on a large corpus of scanned texts
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tracking language to understand cognitive shifts
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tracking language to understand cognitive shifts
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tracking language to understand cognitive shifts
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tracking language to understand cognitive shifts
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tracking language to understand cognitive shifts
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so what can learn from these patterns?
past present future
plot
setting
conflictperspective
language
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victory gardens as expressed language
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
19
victory gardens as an Ngram visualization
TREND FORCES
victory garden
WW2
meaning
context
patriotism
war/rationing
1970s
meaning
context
recession
frugality
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1969 1981
drug culture as expressed languagewhat trend forces correlate to the peaks in narrative?
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TREND FORCES
PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
21
drug culture as an Ngram index
marijuana
cocaine1960s 1980s
meaning
context
rebellion
civil unrest/grassroots activism
(against)meaning
context
(affirm)status
globalization/market deregulation
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identifying hidden meaning of how the product fits in cellphones as signifiers of cultural codes
1980 to 2008
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
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cellphone as signifier - the context of signals
meaning
context
luxurymeaning
context
aspirationmeaning
context
utility
1980s 1990s 2000s cellphone
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yuppie culture - cultural systems / connotation
1980s
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
25
1980s yuppie culture - cultural systems / connotation
economic boom + new money
status + fraternity + rank
meaning
context
espresso
sushi1980s
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yuppie culture - cultural systems / connotation
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
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rank
the power suit as expression of meaning
meaning
context
economic growth
power suit
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decoding the bourgeoisie bohemian
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in the 2000s a new culture of aspiration emerges
2000s
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
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codes of Bobo culture - cultural systems / connotation
made in usa
guilt + tactile + local
meaning
context
9/11 + recession + urban migration
locavore
post WW2
recession
2000s
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codes of Bobo culture - cultural systems / connotation
PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
meaning
context
local coffee
community
urbanism
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codes of Bobo culture - cultural systems / connotation
PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
meaning
context
moonshine
potent
urban
meaning
safe
suburbancontext
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defining the strategic opportunity: the future of _______placing cultural analytics in the context of innovation
past present future
patterns in perception/behaviorcode code
TREND FORCES
scenarios
context context
languagelanguage
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the future code of packaged foodwhat trend forces are likely to impact future patterns?
past present future
transparencyquantity quality
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frozen foods shaped behavior towards quantity and conveniencesourcing past codes of packaged food
future scenarios tv dinner
quantity convenience
fortified improved
progress
frozen
suburbia cheap appliances globalismindustrial farms
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FROZEN
35
fixed / standardized clean / wisdom
our move to fresher food reflects a shiftcodes inform the broader narrative
1960 2014
FRESHFRESH
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patterning the codes of past to present reveals potential future scenariosthe evolution of food codes
FIXED LIVING
1960 2015
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
TREND FORCES
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language reveals the point that culture begins to change coursetracking inflection points
meaning
context
convenience craftpatterns
tv dinner
fresh dinner
1980s
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future
forecasting futures: farming/retail hybrids
frugallocalseasonal
integrated practical transparent
urbanism fuel costs water food scares
physical
collective
future scenarios
what signals do we see today hint at future scenarios?
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what is your favorite retail story?
display interact buy
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culture impacts the perception of brand & retail
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levi’s as an ngram over the last 100 years
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CODE
CONTEXTtechnology + economics + global politics
economic growth
recession
2006 2009 2015
recovery
CODE CODE CODE
CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT
42
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
2006CODE
TREND FORCES
economic growthCONTEXT
DECODE THE NARRATIVE ELEMENTS
characters
setting
plot
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language provides some cultural clues
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competition shaping retail narrative
2006 characters
setting
plot
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american
relaxed
commodity
past 2006 future
european
fashionable
designer
NOT
the pattern of authenticity in 2006
2006
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translating trend narrative into retail storytelling
2006 characters
setting
plot
display interact buy
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
2009CODE
TREND FORCES
recessionCONTEXT
DECODE THE NARRATIVE ELEMENTS
characters
setting
plot
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european
fashionable
designer
past 2009 future
american
existential
utility
NOT
the pattern of authenticity in 2009
2009
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translating trend narrative into retail narrative
2009 characters
setting
plot
display interact buy
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PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR
2015CODE
TREND FORCES
recoveryCONTEXT
DECODE THE NARRATIVE ELEMENTS
characters
setting
plot
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american
existential
utility
past 2015 future
american
essential
simplicity
NOT
the pattern of authenticity in 2015
2015
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exercise: map a retail story that reflects this context
2015
display interact buy
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tomorrow: soho retail trend tour
meet at 10am: Galeria Melissa (102 Greene Street)