Category: Communication

Transparency

 

Abstract – that / this / things / work / jeans / hat

Hi everyone! Ready for some conceptual development? Let’s go!

Transparency is our ability to see through the madness. If you walk alongside an ad, a banner or a billboard, you are shuffling ahead, trying to get by the crowds surrounding your body and your spirit. This leaves you with little to no time to stop, to take a breath and to analyze what you see. But if you do have a moment, take it. Stop, breathe, then look. Let’s analyze this image as you would see it, if for example, you were walking through Burrard skytrain station (Vancouver, BC) trying to catch your ride home.

It’s so bold, you have to stop. Even if for 1 second. You’re wondering about the colours, the use of red + blue & light purple. Why would they do this? But look – a rabbit. It’s in the centre of the circle. I suppose we are trying to catch it, but it is getting away. That’s interesting! Softly positioned underneath, we see some text – A Technical Creative Company. Hmm. I guess this business is in the business of creating technical and creative things. And that is enough to think. A slight nod of his head, then he walks away.

From Wikipedia –

Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is a statistical Markov model in which the system being modeled is assumed to be a Markov process with unobservable (i.e. hidden) states.

In simpler Markov models (like a Markov chain), the state is directly visible to the observer, and therefore the state transition probabilities are the only parameters, while in the hidden Markov model, the state is not directly visible, but the output (in the form of data or “token” in the following), dependent on the state, is visible. Each state has a probability distribution over the possible output tokens. Therefore, the sequence of tokens generated by an HMM gives some information about the sequence of states; this is also known as pattern theory, a topic of grammar induction.

The adjective hidden refers to the state sequence through which the model passes, not to the parameters of the model; the model is still referred to as a hidden Markov model even if these parameters are known exactly.

Hidden Markov models are especially known for their application in reinforcement learning and temporal pattern recognition such as speech, handwriting, gesture recognition,[7] part-of-speech tagging, musical score following,[8] partial discharges[9] and bioinformatics.[10]

Transparency. It is hard to see the writing, but I suppose this is a play on words. Let’s take a step aside to identify another idea that could possibly contribute to our exploration of transparency.

Shakespeare wrote –

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

As an exercise for my readers, let’s remove ‘seven ages’ and replace it with ‘seven goals’, which we can create to incorporate more visuality into our practice. If you are a business owner, define these seven goals around the fields of branding, marketing and sales. And in case you were wondering about the word visuality, https://www.merriam-webster.com describes it as –

Definition of visuality

1: the quality or state of being visual or visible : VISIBILITY
2: a mental image or picture : VIEW, GLIMPSE

So, seven goals to incorporate more visuality into my business (acting as a business owner for Blox. Communications) –

(Goals should relate to the quality or state of being visible, as in advertising/PR and should relate to a mental image or picture, as in HOW our customers perceive our business and our products/services.)

  1. Define 1 main logo and 1 main tag;
  2. Consistently promote ChonaBLOX. blog (with URL) across all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter);
  3. Come up with a consistent slogan for each identity (BLOX, ChonaBLOX. and Blox. Communications);
  4. Ensure each project/document aligns with established goal attributes – transparency, accuracy and responsibility;
  5. Speak and write using vivid and bold description;
  6. Speak and write following a linear and logical pattern;
  7. Establish brand identity using colour + text as a visual tool across all platforms.

Can you come up with something like this for your own business? For myself, transparency is creating an abstract concept, breaking it down for my reader, so that they can begin to understand the ways we see and interpret visual and/or written data, using innovative + mainstream techniques. This is a skill and it must be honed. If you are trying to establish or refine your brand, your marketing strategy or your sales approach, comprehension of innovative + mainstream ideas is imperative, especially in a visual state. Do you agree with this?

Back to our analysis…

(Ask yourself, can we jump from paragraph to paragraph? Does it distort the message?)

And it relates to the two images, because the first one is bold and the second one is more transparent. However, messaging does not exist along the same plane. Which image has more popularity? More relevance? More authority? More credibility? (These are SEO metrics to keep in mind.) The man, who I forgot to mention, wears a khaki-coloured trench coat and matching hat. He takes 5 steps back to re-read the word ‘transparency’. He quickly glances further back at the bolder image, then walks forward 8 steps to be faced directly with the more transparent image.

We have engaged our viewer. Transparency is a particular context that comments on HOW things work. Transparency, which lexico.com defines as – an image, text, or positive transparent photograph printed on transparent plastic or glass – is able to be viewed using a projector. Just as a frosted window engages its audience to peer in closer, these images encourage the same experience. Perhaps if the man looks closer, deeper, further into, he will begin to question HOW the messaging is working, while still taking in a normative meaning that most average ads, banners or billboards intend.

And visually speaking, the projector has imprinted the image in our minds, in our short and long term memory. In our digital collaborative state, the aim is to be able to study another’s work and run a real-time comparison to understand how someone else’s chosen elements could apply to and improve our chosen modes of communication. Again and again, we see that the stage is experiential and we must involve ourselves with interest and intention to reap any benefits for our business and our customers.

Members of the advertising discipline are playing many intentional ‘games’ that are designed to engage, enrapture and captivate a specific, targeted audience. Would you want your audience to be enthralled? Are there any downsides to this type of engagement? Is the experience itself enough?

Welcome

Hi everyone!

What type of woman would you hire to help brand your business? What marketing skills should she hold? What type of sales personality will she have? Is she strong, independent and willing to change in order to meet and exceed current industry objectives?

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Influence

Hi everyone!

We want to fit into the human experience, but in today’s digital condition, it can all seem very confusing. Let’s explore the idea of illusion and HOW it relates to social media marketing.

An illusion is a misrepresentation of a “real” sensory stimulus – that is, an interpretation that contradicts objective “reality” as defined by general agreement. For example: reach, likes, your interaction with a mirror or the selfie.

The psychological concept of illusion is defined as a process involving an interaction of logical and empirical considerations. Common usage suggests that an illusion is a discrepancy between one’s awareness and some stimulus.

Are you able to identify some LABELS OF ILLUSION used in social media today? Do the labels impart a lesser or greater influence in terms of how we see ourselves and others?

Case Study

Label:

She is in a bikini, showing the world her body. She is smiling, so she is happy with her appearance and comfortable in her own skin.

Hypothesis:

Influence, as opposed to reach, can extend beyond numbers/demographics and descriptors/psychographics.

Explanation:

Within our cultural/societal context, the labels identified in pink can impart a greater influence on ourselves and others. (Note: influence does not always have a positive effect/affect.) HOW? Cultural appropriation (in visual arts, to appropriate means to properly adopt, borrow, or recycle) effects/affects everyone using the same medium. Marshall Mcluhan, considered by many to be the first father and leading prophet of the electronic age (leaderu.com) argued that, “The medium is the message.” Therefore, the more people exploring similar labels influence more people and the message itself becomes more significant or important. WHY? Cultural integrity says that everybody is included and can be a part of the message. Support is shown by repeating labels within both our cultural/societal context and the content of our individual situations (message). (Note: again, support can have a positive or negative effect/affect.) The more we relate to one another, the greater influence can be.

Exploration:

What we want to know is – HOW then, can we substantiate, quantify (excellence) or qualify (perfection) the labels that we see across channels and platforms? You’ve probably come across messages proclaiming, “She just looks that way online, but in real life, she is miserable.” Or captions that comment, “That is just a flattering angle, I’m posing.” And, “She used filters to slim her waistline and to make it seem like she is wearing makeup.”

Within our cultural/societal context, the labels identified in red impart an even greater influence on ourselves and others. HOW? Cultural integrity causes a competitive sentiment which promotes unique content and more importantly, individuality. This brings us back to asking WHY? And, we can answer in the same way as above — cultural appropriation says that everybody can be included and is a part of the message. Support is shown by repeating labels (or opposing labels) within both our cultural/societal context and the content of our individual situations (message). The more we relate or contend with one another, the greater influence will be.

So, how can we discern true ownership in a digital condition riddled with illusion? 

Cultural appropriation: to explore further

Cultural integrity: to explore further

Effect: to explore further

Affect: to explore further

Strong values and ideas in branding are important. This is cultural appropriation + cultural integrity. Everyone can play a role because as a whole, we are impressing cultural/societal change and development for ourselves and for others. No matter WHAT the message is, it is being shared and released within a free, digital democracy and thus, the content we create and HOW it is transmuted becomes a message in and of itself.

Influence is an original, unbiased and rare phenomenon. It can create a streamlined effect in messaging (communication), which affects WHY we think.

The questions become:

WHY do we choose to direct the flow of creation, messaging and communication (our omnichannel experience)? To change the human experience? To change negative thought processes? As an outlet to comprehend the difference between analog and digital meaning? To explore our digital condition? To belong to a revolution? To simply participate?

To expand:

Use Digital Presence – A Business Model (exploring left and right-brained equalization through messaging/communication management)

Conclusion (for now):

Blox. Communications is always looking for ways to impact the greater picture. We are a POWER OF INFLUENCE and we want to ask: HOW can we influence positive change in the human experience psyche using a digital mind frame? Can our channels become more transparent if a few simple rules (i.e. questioning ASMR) or set practices (use of the selfie to elevate self-esteem, rather than self-image) were put into place? Can our platforms be used for something other than self-promotion? This competitive nature that we rarely talk about, it is happening and what is it serving us? Do we need to adopt digital minimalism? Studies show anxiety among youths has skyrocketed and Generation Z is suffering the consequence with increased cases of depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsive disorder, problems with mental functioning, paranoia, and loneliness (adaa.org). Needless to say, our society is up to speed. We know this is going on, but WHAT are we going to do to change it?

Worry is a false attribute. That is the argument – that our involvement in the digital condition is impacting the human experience, our psyche, modes of thinking and ways of communicating messages. We can choose to negate the entire experience, or we can believe that change is already happening. And, for the better.

We don’t need physical collaboration. It occurs spontaneously through the power and magic of digital media. We are all potentially working together, depending on how you choose to see it.  Your perception is bold enough to see outside of regular composition. You can see more than the truth that the regular world presents to us. You see an ideal, an ideal that is off the grid and too good to conceive. So, it is a matter of comprehension. HOW will we bring the world together in our new digital condition? Can we teach youth HOW to go beyond apparent teachings? Can humankind collectively push the boundaries of medicine and science (through art and language), so that our human experience can be brought into a new time frame that will change the very aspects of our health and wellness?

Continue to imbue your force upon other forces. In this great way, wild things will occur. Changes guys, changes!

This journal (thesis development) is TBC. If you have any inquiries, please reach out – info@chonsfecanlas.com.

A Blox Manifesto

Hi everyone! I present this creative manifesto to portray myself, art director. It is theoretical and abstract. Have a read and please share your comments!

My odd discoveries are niched between innovation and the mainstream. For instance, if you have to think with a reason, you will create a chain reaction. You can force it, think it or enable it. It comes from within, like the mass of a tornado picking up speed or fear that the same wind will blow you off a bridge. So, how can we make these constant discoveries without becoming lost? As it always was, record your ideas and when I return, if it does not make sense, then time has passed. Take note that the world needs new things – disconnection from belonging, then suddenly, an objective and rational zen. We can’t automate knowledge, no matter what the group thinks; we can’t copy, steal or pretend. Because those with the ability can argue that it cannot be contained. Try to study da Vinci. Can you reproduce his 19 notebooks that included studies of the human circulatory system and plans for aircrafts and submarines? Our renaissance involves top channels urging the resistance to stop cowering behind boring practices and facades of knowledge or the world will never know the peace of language, nor the nature of our true digital environment. I will be here to plug it all together, make sense of it all, then present my findings with one goal – to substantiate a realistic definition and record of our Digital Presence. You will be listening through the air and the speed by which you can travel will be determined by creativity, activity and selflessness. You can make it in seconds. It also takes decades, in fact thousands and thousands of years in time and space. Topics pertaining to analytics, insight and AI. Cures for psychosomatic disease, body dysmorphia, cancer. Working our thinking capabilities. Our capacity to believe. Our ability to organize and refocus thought. Updating medicine. Explaining mental illness. Change in everything, even radio. Our everyday landscape will keep the same weather; we will occupy the same ability to choose, the same emotions and relationships. It can all be achieved, simultaneously. I will be the one to write about it; every inch and element – watch!

Stay tuned if you’re hardcore enough!

A Work in Progress

Hi everyone!

People wonder what I do, how I do it and why (golden circle). My blog provides answers to these questions.

To get you started, here is a profile and business model that I have been developing for BLOX/Blox. Communications.

As BLOX –

  1. I do writing, art and design.
  2. I do it for enjoyment, for education and for the development of my brain.
  3. My work targets a specific niche that caters to creative and technical authors, digital artists and designers who are innovative yet mainstream, and who work passionately and effectively in their particular domains.

As Blox. Communications –

  1. I do branding, marketing and sales.
  2. I do it for guidance, for learning and for the development of my ideal customer/source audience (1000 followers on Instagram by September 2020).
  3. My work targets a specific niche that caters to brand experts, marketers and digital specialists who are innovative yet mainstream, and who work passionately and efficiently in their particular domains.

I’m excited to share this information with you and welcome any comments.

Let’s start!

PROFILE

Blox is an artistic identity that was developed in the early 2000s. Since then, it has become a moniker for Chona’s creative + technical work embodying explorations of (a concept called) Digital Presence. She explores its relationship to topics surrounding the business and execution of art in digital marketing.

It is important to focus on our direct connection to customer needs, emotions and competitive environments. Selling is often an important feature and for success, we should present fluent work for customers to engage with.

As a creative director, Chona dreams of influencing the corporate landscape, impacting HOW and WHY companies use art in digital marketing applications. For the next year or so, she plans to either upgrade her educational background or find a permanent position with an agency open to art, growth and creation.

In order to breed success, I understand that I must learn the ins and outs of working in an ad environment, how to manage marketing clients and how to fit in with the demands of a competitive and ever-changing industry.

 BUSINESS MODEL

This business model creates objective goals for  my work as a digital specialist, social media/brand strategist and creative director focused on Digital Presence. I would like to create projects that incite wonder, plus change. I believe my experience and approach can create long-term impact for clients engaged with today’s latest digital platforms.

I will ask you this about your business:

  1. How did it all begin?
  2. What does your business need help with today?
  3. What is the spirit of your company?
  4. How can we improve your Digital Presence?

GOALS

a) To develop BRAND IDENTITY via transparent, accurate & responsible communication.
b) To promote GROWTH + ATTENTION using state of the art processes and techniques.
c) To cultivate COMPREHENSION of digital presence using a Simpler & Larger approach.

MISSION

Simpler & Larger – To produce work that is easily understood and done, so that businesses can consider a greater capacity.

VALUES

1. INTEGRITY is a choice of being honest; it encompasses consistent standards & ideas that impact a greater picture.
2. TRANSPARENCY is how actions are observable; it brings clarity & accuracy to communication where multiple parties are involved.
3. BELIEF is trust and confidence in our audience and work; it promotes the realities of the digital landscape through careful management of the creative process & its outcomes.

APPROACH

I approach my work with professionalism, courage and open-mindedness. I break it down this way –

I) Be professional; make a statement.
II) Have courage to make large moves; understand the difference between path and journey.
III) Be optimistic; express gratitude – open-mindedness can create a tidal wave effect.

FOCUSES

Communications
Strategy Development
Art Direction
Branding
Advertising
Promotions
Digital Marketing
Design
Research
Social Media
The Customer Journey
Creative Writing
Technical Writing
Campaign Creation
Content Creation
Sales
Adaptive Learning
Analytics
AI

This document is updated regularly, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

8 – Swimming

The chlorinated water stung her eyes. Daisy continued to grimace, holding her breath and paddling her arms amid graphic stingrays and intermittently exiting, bobbing jellyfish. The clock’s numbers were vibrantly green and for everyone waiting in the pool hall, silence waiting for Daisy to come up again.

That should do it. One red bling and one blue, right? She dove down deep to retrieve the jewels, opened her sight side and slipped each bling around one elbow at a time. She started to feel pressure building up and the water was shifting to purple. She knew, she only had so long to carry herself back to the top.

The audience gasped. Would she make it up in time? Nothing was blinging. The tiny green flags that sporadically twitched began releasing scents of star anise. The animals started to exit. They’ve seen enough of this to know, they had won once again. Even Shady and Slime left carrying newspapers and bamboo fibre mugs filled with nothing.

Daisy was officially up and her yellow-lime, green suit still had a bit of light going off. She carefully pruned her wet hair and felt a bit of black grease on the surface. Her fingers vibrated, making her starved. Is someone going to bring me a ham and cheese biscuit? It didn’t seem like it. It seemed freezing. Off-putting, really. She shook her head in a frenzy.

Down at the discotech, animals mingled with Others and creatures of all kinds. This particular store had been up since 1915, although only known to mankind since 2020. It became an entranceway for exportation. Stuff like new bed reclines or barbecued pork chop muffins. A discotech was not so much for dancing anymore. It was a space for replacing products that required an elevated service.

Daisy only visited once a year. She brought two blings, hoping to exchange them for sweet lemons and grass seed. When she would be able to return home, she would plant both, growing an aromatic space conducive to Each Other showing their faces once again. She missed them. When they left, there were no more sarcastic antics, there was only commenting.

Seventeen clutched her way through the jungly roughage, trying to bring sight back to her millions, in a way so they could both understand. Their relationship was deep, so deep that they barely communicated anymore. Thoughts were transmuted through IT or in sets of threes (the three most dominant voices in Daisy’s mind – Being, Artha and Manipura). It was hard to decipher love during digital warfare. She was right across from him, but they were a thousand years apart. He looked away, confused and horrified.

She sweated once. The mirror sang. They both waited for the reflection of Being; the union of Elevententeen.

Fighting is not complicated, it’s wrong. We should not resort to id. So, where does our ego belong?

Logo Design

Hi everyone! Here are a couple of funky collages containing recent logo work designed for Blox (Blox. Communications requires a corporate image, so more on that later).

The Blox logo is a study on minuscule composition, where the subject matter is paradoxically enlarged in comparison to the traditional meanings we normatively attach to logos. Each logo is a project in itself, undertaken with massive charisma as the final piece must speak to the idea of liberty in design and the humour found in the seriousness of brand identification.

A logo thus indicates fun. Why does it have to be the same every time? Can our audience begin to understand the concept of change? And can this change be something ethereal and definitive, because gosh darn, it compels you to say, “I don’t understand?”

So then, we must connect our audience to basic things that work underneath context to bear a logo with simplistic meaning. Visual design elements are a foundation to understanding the essence of a statement. The viewer will say, “Oh, that green and that red are complimentary. This works for me.” Or, “That paint pouring down resembles the shape of that banana. Why is there a banana in this?” WHY is there a banana in this logo? Peel. Peel away the layers, to find a tasty meaning. “The peony, is it for me?” Well, doesn’t that make you feel nice? 

We must find ways to evolve harmlessly. It doesn’t hurt anyone to have fun. But it hurts to see thoughtless design. But, who am I to judge? The show must go on (onto the next logo) and the work will still appear on a van. Have a look and edit it in your mind. Make it better. Make it run and most importantly, try to consider a logo as a gift from the world of design. 

Which is your favorite? What type of imagery would you like to see? Colours?

 

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Hub Concept

Hi everyone! This post applies mainly to web design. Find strength in your structure and harmony in your layout using The Hub Concept.

Composing Experience

The Hub Concept is a compositional structure that creates an effective visual centre of information. By strategically composing numerous content and design elements in a way that reflects the brand’s motives, viewers can become a part of the total, encompassing experience (the experience is a motivating force that captivates the audience).

At VanWhistle Media, this concept was used to develop the website for 360 Integrative Medical Centre. Their modern facility approach focuses on providing customers with an immersive centre of services, so it made sense to parallel  their mission by ensuring that the structure of their website was also, an effective visual centre of information. When used alongside the 3-click rule, The Hub Concept can decrease bounce rate and increase viewer satisfaction (or the motivating forces that captivate your audience).

The Hub Concept can be applied to other areas of advertising and digital marketing. For example: billboard/banner design or social media post formats.

Just Like School

Always think of building fortitude (through strength in your structure and harmony in your layout) with determination. The key is to apply your original ideas in their fullest state. You need to make notes mentally or physically, so that you can remember what your original intention was. Then, research and find connections. Clarify your original ideas, don’t change them necessarily, make practical and structured edits, so that the real (fullest) idea can come into fruition.

Determination builds character and so it will do the same for your website. Don’t think about making things the same as others; think about defining your business’ identity through formatting and careful, structured planning. The Hub Concept represents the full evolution of your content and design elements working together, with integrity + synergy.

Then, you arrive at the next level, acquiring a Simpler & Larger capacity. The way it feels is that things should start to roll off your shoulders and you will probably feel more calm and relaxed. We don’t need to feel pressure or anxious at all. It will come together naturally. Even during the next stage of criticism. The power of The Hub Concept is that, it is all there – explanation and  information. We don’t fall, we slide down! Hear what they have to say, and believe me, room will remain.

Do you have other examples of this idea put to work? Let’s hear about it! 

 

 

Digital Presence

Hi everyone! Let’s get right to it!

Digital  presence. As marketers, we want to talk about it. We want our clients to be aware, so they can be responsible for their own success. We want to give them a model to follow so that they can apply their ideas, optimize process and make streamlined business decisions more effectively. One way to understand how this can work, is to follow a simple model that outlines four core digital marketing services + concepts, working alongside a digital marketing strategy (Digital Presence Business Model).

Here’s a brief synopsis –

The Digital Presence Business Model simplifies the functionality of four core digital marketing services. When I developed this model for VanWhistle Media, the four core services used were – web development, social media management, SEO and branding. Following another model called Simpler & Larger, we connect the services to a few simple ideas as a way to keep a primary focus. Simpler & Larger is a basic notion that work should be easily understood and done, so that the business can consider a greater capacity. The harmony between concept and functionality makes it easier to apply the services each step of the way. And used together, the services become intact, stable and strong. Your brand’s core attributes will become more refined and you will begin to see fluidity and consistency throughout your total business approach.

image

The 4 core services and their core concepts are:

  1. Web Development – IDENTITY (analytical, logical, objective); left-brained; efficiency
  2. Social Media Management – IMAGE (intuitive, thoughtful, subjective); right-brained; passion
  3. Branding – CORE (central, definite, overall); heart; innovation
  4. Search Engine Optimization – FOOTPRINT (forward thinking, capacity, evolution); brain; mainstream

I am currently using a variation of this model to explore social media as a tool to establish/solidify brand strategy/identity. Using the brain, we can equalize the impressions we create based on our personalities and emotional predispositions. This is in development, but if you would like to hear more about it let me know! Also, check it out on my Instagram account – @chona_canlas.