Chapter 5

This chapter inspired me to think about visual products in a different perspective. Specifically, I would like to talk about these questions below. What do people use as the criteria when evaluate pictures or paintings? Why do they hold those measurements as criteria? How do the criteria change over time?

1. What do people use as the criteria when evaluate pictures or paintings?

The authors categorized the criteria into 4 kinds of orientations, that is, technological coding orientations, sensory coding orientations, abstract coding orientations and the common sense naturalistic coding orientation.

Generally, those orientations can be summarized in this way:

• Technological coding orientations (TC): the principle of effectiveness
• Sensory coding orientations (SC): the principle of pleasure
• Abstract coding orientations (AC): the principle of generalization
• The common sense naturalistic coding orientation (CSNC): the principle of likelihood

2. Why do they hold those measurements as criteria?

I think which kind of criteria people choose to use depends on their personal experience, such as education and jobs and so on. On the other hand, it also depends on the contexts of the communication. And it is also possible for people to combine several criteria together under certain situations.

For example, due to their education, scientists would more like to use technological coding orientation when they are writing research articles. However, they will also choose to use the common sense naturalistic coding orientation when they draw pictures for their children at home.

3. How do the criteria change over time?

Since the choice of criteria depends on people’s experience, the content of criteria is also vulnerable to the experience of the society as a whole. For instance, before the arrival of computers, people are not likely to appreciate the orientation of interface design. And until now, senior citizens are still not as used to navigation interface as the young people.

In addition, I think the arrival of MACs and other Apple products also brought some changes to the orientations of computer interfaces. Its smooth and light-reflecting tool bars were appreciated by so many people that a lot of byproducts came out, such as Apple style desktop background pictures.

4. Besides, I have one question I failed to find the answer for the chapter: which kinds of orientations does Ryman use in his paintings?

I don’t think any of the orientations introduced in the chapter apply to it, because his paintings barely have content to be evaluated. And what is the representation of representation process? Is Ryman trying to present a generalized presentation process (AC)? Or is he doing this for his pleasure (SC)?

But one thing I’m sure about his paintings: he use the orientation to get him detached from the mainstream community.