5. OF CYBORGS AND STORY TELLERS.

Oh COME ON! Don't tell me that didn't get you - even just a little bit?

Once our copywriting skills have adapted and adjusted to working with LLM's, our greatest point of connection with others is still and will always be story.

https://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2013/03/27/cyborg-writing-becoming-the-tools/#:~:text=Cyborg%20writing%20is%20the%20process,been%20aware%20of%20our%20enhancements%E2%80%9D.

During my research for this subject I came across a definition of the concept of the cyborg writer.

Cyborg writing is the process of making and unmaking and remaking the world in all of our own images. Cyborg writing is the internal made powerfully, dangerously, lethally external. We have never “been aware of our enhancements”.27 Mar 2013

In writing on social constructs from a feminist perspective Donna Hathaway promotes the idea that the written word dictates how society is constructed. Those who write and have influence in this area are writing out of their own meaning and world views. Therefore our world is made in our own image and social constructs become a norm which is rarely challenged or questioned.

My limited understanding is that large language models in their current state of management are an evolutionary demonstration of the 'internal made powerfully, dangerously, lethally external."

Within our immediate and transient media culture and the change in how we communicate and how messages are passed on, is there a need for dedicated copy writers within the design industry? Is this now a luxury for those who can afford it?

Or has instant messaging changed the culture of copy writing as our words can be instantly published on a global level. We have all become copy writers to some extent. Therefore, is there a greater need to develop copy writing as a skill set within the education of graphic design rather than purely focus on academic writing?

Mixed in with this is the development of LLM's which have accentuated the need to look at how we work with this fast paced technological development. My question is that with all the interest and input on futures within the design education sector, how was the escalation and impact of LLM's not seen? Considering the times we are in it seems increasingly obvious that the education sector requires the ability to respond quickly in adjusting educational input demonstrating a greater awareness of the industries students are trained for. This will enable the education of communication graphics to be relevant in equiping students with far more current employability skills.

But, even without looking at the inclusion of LLM's, I would argue that copywriting as a module within the education of graphic design creates a more rounded approach to what good design is. Words and image together. In my view the acceleration of ai brings the need in to an even sharper focus.

What is effective copy?

I can remember a story but data and sound bites defeat me on every level. If I cannot connect with the words I cannot remember them. Relationship, community and culture is rooted and developed in living out or telling a story. Stories connect on an emotional level. That is how we begin to form relationship. How we create bonds. We are all story tellers. Stories are part of what makes us human.

Everyone is aware of the insatiable thirst for content that has helped content marketing grow. However, despite the volume, only 5% of it accounts for the majority of engagement, according to Beckon data discussed in a 2016 Venture Beat article. Many estimates say that the average person encounters thousands of ads every day, so there is so much noise that it’s increasingly difficult for brands to stand out.

One of the biggest challenges facing the modern marketing team is how to break through rather than be drowned out by the content tsunami. Instead of pinning your hopes on the next magical adtech tool or some other marketing tactic in your arsenal, you should reorient everything around storytelling. This is because I’ve found that people don’t remember data or speeds and feeds; it’s stories that transcend time, people and cultures. And for marketing to cut through all the noise and thrive, it should infuse storytelling in everything. Otherwise, you may be stuck on the hamster wheel of spending more and more money to stand still

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/06/09/why-storytelling-wins-in-marketing/

This is not news to the average person! We tell stories all the time. Stories connect us with each other on an emotional level. Story telling is part of what makes us human. Therefore to connect on a basic human level says honesty and authenticity. That is what we all look for. It says that the writer has thought about the reader and what their felt needs are. Stories transcend data, technology, numbers and hit at the heart. This then creates a feeling of being known and of being able to connect. That this could be for you - because we get you and because we understand the culture we share..

So is there a need to develop the art of story telling as graphic designers?

CASE STUDIES;

John Lewis christmas ads

NIKE

...

Design Element 1.

For this module I have the opportunity of demonstrating the language of things with a 'live' project.

I have been approached by a client I have worked with previously to market a relatively new and unknown product. This product is known as Wood Vinegar - or to give it the formal name pyroligneus acid.

The client is Whittle and Flame, eco friendly charcoal makers. Several years ago I worked with the founder and owner of the company to set up The Oxford Charcoal Company.

Since founding Whittle and Flame 'Charcoal Matt' has designed and built eco friendly charcoal burners which distill the smoke in to Wood Vinegar, creating a charcoal by product.

This then comes under the much needed search for regenerAtive agriculture products - providing one very good reason for getting involved.

The second very practical reason for needing to sell this product on is simply that Whittle and Flame have thousands of litres of Wood Vinegar, taking up precious storage space for the charcoal.

However, over all of this is the link between the client, the product and the story of a brand. People buy in to Whittle and Flame products because they buy in to 'Charcoal Matt'. People bought in to The Oxford Charcoal Company because they connected to Charcoal Matt. When he starts explaining the product - in this case Wood Vinegar - everyone is hooked. It feels like you have just been told the biggest, most magical secret our planet has always possessed - and nobody else knows it.

To link this back to the subject of this module - how do you translate 'Charcoal Matt' to the page - to the label - to the marketing content?

How do you bottle 'Charcoal Matt'? How do you write the language of Whittle and Flame Wood Vinegar.

The other challenge, which I think is a huge part of the product is its smell. The smell is really intense and reminds you of so many things - smoked cheese - barbecue sauce, whiskey - and it lingers! You keep smelling it long after the cap is replaced.

And the earth has created this!

That is the magic. That is why I have agreed to the challenge of combining all these things to create a language for Whittle and Flame Wood Vinegar.

Part 1.

Outline of practical outworking.

Writing a language to include words and image around a product. In this case Wood Vinegar.

Inspiration

Type-of-Graphic — Chris Ashworth's Swiss Grit (maekan.com)

Part 2.

Draft Proposal;

Angela Moyler. Draft proposal 750.pdf

Download PDF • 1.41MB