GD Capstone 09

SOLAR DUBAI

NEW MOVEMENT TOWARD SOLARIZING

DESIGNER: HANAN SAIF BELMEHAINA
ID:200425931
COURSE: ART 499 GRAPHIC DESIGN CAPSTONE
INSTRUCTOR: YUNSUN CHUNG-SHIN

BACKGROUND

•    2009 CAPSTONE BRIEF

TEAM PROJECT TITLE: ALTERNATIVE (BADA’AL)
Reflecting on who we are and who we are not in this hot, flat and crowded planet.

We are living in a place and time that imperatively requires the most urgent care for our planet, nations, and cities due to Climate Change. The UAE has the highest ecological footprint according to Living Planet Report 2006. This complex and discomforting news is a call for designers to exercise their social responsibilities. We designers have done much horrific harm to the planet with toxic materials, structures, processes, and developments that are not eco-friendly or harmful to both humans and nature alike. It’s time to examine the problems surmounted in front of us and to ponder potential solutions; in order to initiate positive changes in our lives. A promising solution, and perhaps the most vital, is to begin by educating the public with a creative communication of addressing these issues; whether they are immense or trivial.

This project focuses on redefining sustainable living and reflecting a current brand image of Dubai. Currently Dubai images have been established by a diverse range of people and perspectives; this project grants a chance for young Emirati designers to take ownership of shaping Dubai branding and envision a scenario of holistic city lifestyles covering various aspects of Dubai culture and urban living. It is a process of actively engaging in our duties as designers as we understand and exam contemporary definitions of Tradition, Fusion, and Vision of Dubai as a place and people.

This project aims 1) to understand sustainability problems and solutions 2) to envision city images and formulate customized solutions to address environmental issues specifically in Dubai from an Emirati perspective 3) to develop a campaign interacting with the public to participate in proposed campaign activities.
A design solution can be a campaign poster series as well as a media campaign to raise the awareness of the problems, or a more complex systematic design process. The final products include branding, promotional media and/or print products. Students will exercise their creativity, research skills, execution capacities, time management, and responsibilities through their unique stories and designs reflecting their creative solutions as a graphic designer.

•    GENERAL SUSTAINABLE RESEARCH
As much as we can think, care, aware and save; the World environment is still suffering from many diseases. It was a human fault in the time of the Industrial Revolution in the 1830s, where there was a major change in manufacturing and transportation. At that time, people were thinking of having a better life, while others were searching for a job to continue their lives, so they didn’t care about the environment or think of our future. The earth is struggling with huge problems; human, animals and plants are dying because of the environmental disasters.  Air, Water pollution, Global Warming, and Wastes..etc are some of the environmental problems and by time the numbers will increase. Do you realize that you are breathing thousands of dangerous chemicals and atoms? Nowadays, the situation is still going and fortunately there are environmental experts, solvers, businessmen, writers and designers who are taking care of the environment and trying to aware people. It is not easy to solve all these problems at once, but with cooperation and unity people are going to have a sustainable, healthy and green lives.

What is a sustainable Design?
Sustainable design (environmental design, environmentally sustainable design (ESD), environmentally-conscious design) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.  So the purpose of sustainable design is to minimize the negative environmental impact through a sensitive design, which touches people’s heart in a way to rethink and redesign their life styles. And to achieve sustainability in design we should 1) select the appropriate materials for long life 2) Lower energy impact by choosing or producing products with less energy 3) Design for reuse and recycling: “Products, processes, and systems should be designed for performance in a commercial ‘afterlife.  4) Biomimicry (redesigning industrial systems) 5) Quality and durability by having or producing long last, safety and healthy products 6) Healthy Buildings: sustainable building design aims to create buildings that are not harmful to their occupants nor to the larger environment. An important emphasis is on indoor environmental quality, especially indoor air quality.

Sustainable Graphic Design
As graphic designers we can make a huge difference to the impact of our environment. Running awareness campaigns and design creative poster and packages helps people visualizing the problem and act fast. Graphic designers engaged in sustainable practices use techniques, processes, and materials that will help reduce the detrimental environmental, social, and economic impact of their designs . In my point of view, we might consider reducing the amount of materials for production, and using recycled paper for printing.

•    EMOTIONAL STATEMENT
In 1987 I was born in Dubai, I opened my little eyes to see the light of Dubai’s sun. My body got familiar with the sunbeams which makes me feel to move and start a new day of smiling, happiness and it is energizing me to work very hard. Since I was a kid my parents taught me to love my environment and to follow the Islam rules by saving water and thanking Allah for all the natural resources. I always love to study in our garden to see the ¬sunshine and the green color, where my passion to the nature came. All the natural resources such as the sun, the water and the air are very powerful and we can’t live without them, but unfortunately people in Dubai missed the beauty and the importance of these renewable resources. On the other hand, they’re another environmental problems such as: high consumption of electricity and waste and problems of the marine life.

•    CAPSTONE BRIEF
” Solar Dubai” is an awareness campaign that aims to raise awareness of the high consumption of electricity, which affects the environment; it aims also on using the solar energy as a solution to reduce the amount of electricity consumption. The campaign would highlight the issue of insufficient consumption of our valuable recourses and burning fuel to provide electricity, which certainly would endanger our lives. The campaign would target Dubai’s community, and all the people who live in Dubai through media, visual posters and awareness lectures for people. Solar Dubai is a green campaign that visions changing people’s life to have a sustainable and a healthy life.

People in Dubai are polluting the environment due o their actions everyday. They are also wasting electricity and consuming millions of kilowatts everyday. The big problem is they are not using Allah’s gift that runs our lives. The reason of choosing this problem is because Dubai was placed among all cities in the world with the highest consumption of energy per person . The other reason is the lack of awareness among people regarding electricity that is provided from burning fuels. So as visual communicators we need to have an urgent action to save Dubai. Let us ask our selves as citizens; Allah gave as the sun as a very powerful gift. Why don’t we use this generous energy? Why do not benefit from it rather than burning fuel? Symbolically, in Islam the sun refers to the hero or worrier in the galaxy. Therefore, I used the methodology of the sun in Islam as a hero to fight the environmental problem by providing a powerful solar. For sure we cant
live without the sun; the sun is the foundation of energy for the entire living thing on earth.. In fact, the sun provides millions of energy voltage everyday, so why we are consuming electricity and money?
Dubai Place Branding is one of my campaign goals. It creates a value for the UAE and the Gulf region by sending the messages that Dubai sends out, in accordance with a powerful and distinctive vision, and to encourage people’s talent to reinforce and fulfill this vision. Dubai place branding is an important issue, which creates a new, and an effective way to give Dubai a more affective and memorable voice and to enhance its international reputation. In fact, there is a connection between place branding and the people. In my opinion, place branding should find, help and direct the talented people and promote the creative use of them to achieve a successful innovation in education, environment, art and business. For example, I used Dubai place branding as the main issue in the capstone project that focuses on the future vision of Dubai to have a sustainable life by solarizing Dubai and take the benefits of the sun’s powerful energy to energize Dubai to provide a healthy well being environment for the people.

Here I began my journey with Solar Dubai

•    PROJECT SPECIFIC RESEARCH
Problems: 1) When we talk about the consumption of electricity, we can imagine how many kilowatts we are consuming per day. Well, here is the point (Wasting electricity). Statistic shows that the electricity consumption grew 45% in the last three years due to the raising population and new industries that demand energy . 2) Most of people in Dubai are not awared about saving the enviroment or saving electricity, They are thinking of the fuel treasure that Dubai has (Based on Survey). 3) Do not care of the environment. 4) The problem of wasting the solar energy.
Facts: 1) The UAE electricity sector will require $8 billion in investment over the next six to eight years to add capacity and the government plans to expand its approximate 10 gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity by more than 50 per cent during the next decade. The country’s power consumption is expected to increase from an estimated 56.6 terawatt hour (TWH) in 2006 to 82 TWH by 2011. One terawatt hour is 10 trillion watt hours.  2) Average individual electricity usage at the time was said by DEWA to be 20,000-kilowatt hours per annum placing Dubai among cities with the highest consumption per person in the world.

Case Studies Projects/Solutions:
1.    Enviromena System Power
Vision: Enviromena has a strong commitment to the future of solar energy in the UAE, and provides world-class alternative energy solutions. By investing in technology and people, Enviromena aims to ensure that alternative technology and solar solutions can be implemented on a global scale assisting to create a sustainable, environmental solution to the world’s energy needs.

2.     Solar Energy International (SEI)
Vision: Solar Energy International (SEI) is a USA non-profit organization whose mission is to help others use renewable energy and environmental building technologies through education. SEI teaches individuals from all walks of life how to design, install and maintain renewable energy systems, and how to design and build efficient, sustainable homes. SEI offers trainings online and in 22 locations around the world.

3.    PTL Solar Company .. Energy Products and solution in Dubai
Vision: Green Energy helps companies, individuals, government organizations; NGO’s, Non-profit organizations, military and many others address their greatest challenges when it comes to power requirements. While Green Energy has earned a reputation for providing the best affordable and energy efficient solutions, there is no mystery to how we serve our clients. We apply a handful of core principles to every client engagement.

4.    Samsung (Blue Earth Mobile)
With Samsungs efforts to live sustainably, the company introduced a new type of green mobiles, which meets Samsung’s vision for environmental sustainability. It was designed to protect the environment through the design of eco-friendly products and a program of activities for its customers.  Blue Earth is recognized as the first solar powered full-touch screen phone, and it will be charged by absorbing the solar energy through the solar panels that is placed on the back of he phone. Blue Earth is made from recycled plastic called PCM, which is extracted from water bottles; even the package design is made from recycled paper and the charger is a 5 star energy efficient.

5.    Billboards powered by solar and wind power
Ricoh Company is trying to use natural resources to power a billboard in New York City’s Times Square. It is the first ever billboard, which is totally powered by natural resources in Times Square. The sign that is 47 feet high and 126 feet long is powered by 45 solar panels and 4 turbines o wind generation. Ricoh Company is reducing the amount of CO2. Ricoh also currently has a similar eco-powered sign in Osaka, Japan, that uses 100 percent solar and wind power.

6.    Life Port Solar
The Life Port Solar creates electricity for homes and also charges electric vehicles. The self-assembled kit can cut down electricity costs and minimize power consumption for a single-family dwelling. The system features 24 solar panels, 6.4 kilowatts hour per day. The Life Port Solar is constructed using a recycled steel framework, which leaves a perfect place to park.

7.    Heroes of the UAE Campaign
The Hero of he UAE campaign started its action in Jan 2009, which is supported by The Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) and The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi; and is endorsed by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Environment & Water, MASDAR, and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority.  The campaign is aimed to reduce energy consumption in the UAE and talks about the global warming and its impact. It is centered around the www.heroesoftheuae.ae website, where people can find out everything they need to know about the causes of the problem and also find out what they can do to help solve it. Principal features of the website include an animated sequence that explains the present energy and environment situation in simple, graphic terms, a calculator that enables households to establish exactly how and where they can make real savings on their consumption, and a unique pledge facility which enables households to positively state their intention to make a difference. The website includes also some useful articles about the policy of energy and nuclear power in UAE.

This campaign motivates me and pushes me toward a successful campaign; I realized that having a strong message is very important, which attracts people to participate. I also liked the media part, which includes a short movie and the simple yet strong concept behind the movie. The website includes also a calculator to calculate the electricity consumption for each person who wants to know whether he is consuming or not. Heroes of the UAE campaign targets people by using children in the posters wearing heroes clothes, is a brilliant idea. I was thinking of participating with them to have a stronger campaign.

•    DESIGNERS/MOVEMENTS:
1.    De Stijl is an artistic movement founded in 1917. Its style simplifies visual compositions to the vertical and horizontal directions, and uses the geometry of the straight line, the square, and the rectangle, combined with a strong asymmetrical.

DESIGNERS:

1        2        3

4    5        6

1.    EVOLVE Designed by Samantha Knocking, USA
2.     NO ENERGY Designed by Robin Hegarty Ireland
3.    LITTLE THINGS Designed by Teresa Trevino, Mexico.
4.    WE FOR NATURE OR NATURE FOR US? Designed by Reza Babajani Iran
5.    CHANGE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE Designed by Brian Hayes, USA
6.    SWITCH! Designed by Ana Barbara Aceves Pira Mexico.

SURVEY:
•    Question 1 : Do you know that Dubai is placed as the highest consumption city per person in the world?
Age 25-45 (Local)
They believe that there are a serious problem affecting the environment because of the electricity, and 5 of them (men and women) they knew that Dubai has the highest numbers of consumption per person. I asked another 4 people (men and women) and they did not know that we have a problem with electricity, because they believe that we have a lot of fuel that is enough to provide us electricity.
Age 20-25 (Local and non Locals)
Well 2 people, knew that there are a problem but they did not take it seriously and they were shocked when they knew about the fact. Another 2 non-local people were not surprised and they knew about this fact and they said that the electricity is very powerful and important for Dubai, and they told me that the government or DEWA should have fast actions to use the solar power.

•    Question 2: Do you save electricity in you home?
Age 25-45 (Local and non locals)
Most of them are saving electricity by switching off all the unused lights especially the morning time. They are saving electricity to save money (electricity bills).
Age 20-25
Few of them are trying to save electricity, but it is not very important for them to switch off the light when they go out. Few of them do not care especially (20s).

Question 3: Do you know how does solar energy panels work?
Most of them did not know about it and how it looks like and some of them saw these panels on the streetlights and some Radar. Some of them knew how does it work.

•    Question 3: If there is an awareness campaign to save electricity and to raise awareness of using solar energy panels? How you would contribute to it?
Age 25-45 (Local and non locals)
Age 20-25
All of them were very excited and they said that it is very important to have these campaigns especially when they knew that I am a visual communicator because hey like the graphic works. They were seriously talking about getting benefits from the solar energy and there should be rules and lows from the government to use solar energy panels. Most of them agreed that it is healthy and safety. One of the locals told me that he is thinking of having a sustainable home and living in a green space, so he was very happy of using the solar panels. Moreover, they all knew that the sun in Dubai is shiny, generous and beautiful so why we are wasting this power. They also believe that the awareness campaign will be successful especially with a strong message. And all the people should know about these environmental problems and should cooperate to solve these problems in the future.

•    Question 4: How can the campaign be successful?
Age 25-45
A Strong message is very powerful (strong tagline)
A video because it can send the message easily and people can contribute to it.
A new way of designing a poster (something not typical)
Using numbers (facts).

Summery
The survey helped me a lot and gave me a great feedback. In fact, it helped me in choosing the target audience and some fields that should focus on. After knowing the survey results, I realized that Solar Dubai Campaign would be essential for Dubai’s people. The awareness part should be very attractive and powerful, which I will apply it in designing posters.

ART DIRECTION
CONCEPT (BIG IDEA)
The Key Message:
•    We are wasting God-giver gift, Sun Energy!
•    Be generous and use the Sun’s generosity
•    One City, One Energy
•    Live with solar. Love Dubai
Big Idea: The Ray of light, in science, ray is one of the basic terms in geometry. We may think of a ray as a “straight” line that begins at a certain point and extends forever in one direction . I choose the ray of light, to begin my campaign and would extend forever with huge amount of light that is talking visually. The ray of light also has a powerful concentration of spotlight, and when it comes to a dark place and suddenly a spot light lighten a place, so the big idea is to use these straight lines (ray of light) to lighten Solar Dubai Campaign. These rays will spread through Dubai to aware people and to use the solar energy.

BRANDING
Naming: SOLAR DUBAI
It was very hard to figure a name that suites the campaign and the concept. I thought of words that attract people through solarizing and energizing Dubai.

Logo: The idea behind the logo is very simple yet strong in meaning. ‘SOLAR DUBAI’ is the campaign title; I used the sun rays as the main issue or style in the logo, and these rays are shining from the word “SOLAR”, which gives you a heal of the sun and to energize Dubai. The colors are very important in logo design that gives the logo a strong path. I used a Golden yellow for the rays and the word “SOLAR” and a black stroke to give the logo a strong feeling toward Dubai, which is colored with black that absorbs the sun light. The look and feel of the logo is strong, attractive, energizing.
Taglines:
•    New movement to sustainability
•    Save to be safe
•    Live with solar. Love Dubai
•    Always switch off
•    The generosity of Dubai
•    Energize your life.
•    Cherish the gift.
•    Solarize you life
•    Greenishing Dubai’s life.
•    The generous energy
•    What if everyone saves?
•    The light of change.

STYLE/LOOK AND FEEL
The application will have a machine look and feel, which defines it by using stroke of thick and thin lines (Rays). I want the feel of structuring and Industrializing that attracts the eyes.

TYPOGRAPHY
HAETTENSCHWEILER is a realist sans-serif typeface based on an uppercase metal-cast type called Schmalfette Grotesk (German for bold condensed sans serif . It gives the viewer a structure and a hard feeling.

COLORS:
•    Yellow: represents light/sun
•    White: brightness/ clearness
•    Black: absorbs light

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Rough Sketches

Explorations of sketches using lines, light bulb, and solar panels.

I changed the direction of using images or figures into using typography

Electronic Sketches

Final Version

CAMPAIGN APPLICATION
Campaign Plan
Targeted Audience: Dubai’s Community
Action:
•    Announce a day to save electricity in the University through the e-announcement.
•    JOIN (Heroes of the UAE campaign) and participate with them.

•    Posters: I wanted my posters to catch the eyes of the viewer, and affect them by the beauty of the design and to be   beneficial poster design. So a great idea should come first in the posters. In the first poster I used key lights, which symbolically represent electricity (Switch off). The whole poser will be filled of switched on light. The concept behind it is to…….

Media:
Art Direction:
The media is an important part of the campaign, because it should change people’s action and respond to message directly. I had many ideas to create the movie and here are the sketches (story boards). I wanted the movie the focus on the problem and show its impact; Firstly, I created the movie using Final Cut Pro, which is a professional software application that is useful for filmmakers. In the beginning of the movie I focused on the importance of the solar energy that shines everyday and the healing of energy. On the second scene I started to focus on the problem (Consuming electricity) by showing people’s action everyday with the electronic devices, The music I used was very energizing and encouraging,( the sound of switching on the electronic devices combined in a musical tone. I also added some impactful facts.
Design Development
Story Board 1-2:

Story Board 3:

Final Movies