In chapter two of The Language of New Media Design, the idea of simple non-linear models is discussed. Simple non-linear models are some of the most basic models of media design. Diagrams, like the given and new, tree, and star, “help map out the conceptual structure of texts or domains and that make explicit how such texts or domains are generally understood” (15). Simple non-linear lines also establish a contrast between the known and unknown, and are considered a design element because of certain cultural prejudices.

The most basic simple non-linear model is the star model. A star model has a centralized structure. The central element is the core information, and unifies the surrounding items in some way. However, all of the surrounding information may not necessarily be related to one another. Star models are multimodal in the sense they do not real in a linear fashion. This can also be said for a number of other simple non-linear models. The most obvious example of a star diagram used in a website is Wikipedia. At the center is a globe made up of puzzle pieces, surrounded circularly by various links to Wikipedia’s websites in different languages. Each puzzle piece represents a different language that surrounds the centralized element. The separate websites surrounding the image do not necessarily relate, yet they coexist in the same environment.

Another type of non-linear model, but definitely not as common as the star or tree model, is the table. Tables are used when comparing different items of information. Processes are listed vertically, while “attributes in terms of which they are compared” (35) are listed horizontally Simply put, it combines the aspects of the star and tree diagrams, yet tables allow for a comparison. An obvious example of this is the Craigslist website. Horizontally listed by most common usage are US cities followed by countries and then continents (i.e.: Canada, Asia, Americas). Vertically listed are links to help pages, job boards, and blogs. The table is used in this case to summarize vast and complex domains, yet it is important to note it is not structured around comparison. It could even be called a database since it has the table structure, but is used to store information.

in The Language of New Media Design simplistic non linear models are detailed and highlighted. These are what we discussed in our last class meeting about how we will design our web page. These consist of a design that outlines diagrammatic images and styles such as a tree and star etc.

The star model is the most easily recognizable and most basic model. There is a centered idea and premise detailing the website and then it breaks out into a larger arms with more detailed information that is either related or strictly unrelated. This model is extremely nonlinear. There are many sites that explore and utilize this model, but the main premise is to have the focus be in the center of the page and then expand out to the arms and explore other areas of content.

Tree models are also one of the most prevalent styles on the Internet and in publications as well. There are vertical listings of important links and information and as well as horizontally. An example of this is the UWL homepage and also eBay. This is a combination of two models as there is still important information that stems from a center point of the page, similar to the star.

Personally, I don't believe that it matters what the content of the page is, but more importantly, how the information is mapped out on the page.

In chapter two of The Language of New Media Design, the idea of simple non-linear models is discussed. Simple non-linear models are some of the most basic models of media design. Diagrams, like the given and new, tree, and star, “help map out the conceptual structure of texts or domains and that make explicit how such texts or domains are generally understood” (15). Simple non-linear lines also establish a contrast between the known and unknown, and are considered a design element because of certain cultural prejudices.

The most basic simple non-linear model is the star model. A star model has a centralized structure. The central element is the core information, and unifies the surrounding items in some way. However, all of the surrounding information may not necessarily be related to one another. Star models are multimodal in the sense they do not real in a linear fashion. This can also be said for a number of other simple non-linear models. The most obvious example of a star diagram used in a website is Wikipedia. At the center is a globe made up of puzzle pieces, surrounded circularly by various links to Wikipedia’s websites in different languages. Each puzzle piece represents a different language that surrounds the centralized element. Although each separate link does not necessarily relate to the others, they all coexist in the same environment.

Another type of non-linear model, but definitely not as common as the star or tree model, is the table. Tables are used when comparing different items of information. Processes are listed vertically, while “attributes in terms of which they are compared” (35) are listed horizontally Simply put, it combines the aspects of the star and tree diagrams, yet tables allow for a comparison. An obvious example of this is the Craigslist website. Horizontally listed by most common usage are US cities followed by countries and then continents (i.e.: Canada, Asia, Americas). Vertically listed are links to help pages, job boards, and blogs. The table is used in this case to summarize vast and complex domains, yet it is important to note it is not structured around comparison. It could even be called a database since it has the table structure, but is used to store information.

Google.com

Martinec and Leeuwen discuss five simple non-linear models for website design in their book “The Language of New Media Design: Theory and Practice.” The five designs include Given and New, Ideal and Real, Star, Tree, and Network. All of these structures can either be used individually or at the same time.

When examining the Google homepage, I found that the design of their website uses both the Star and the Ideal and Real structures. The essential information, the Google search bar, can be found directly in the middle of the page, as seen in the Star design. Martinec and Leeuwen state that “the central element provides the core information, the most important part” (p. 24). All of the other information can be found in various places around this center point. “The peripheral elements represent the attributes or characteristics of the central element, or define its identity” (p. 25). Links such as “I’m Feeling Lucky” and “Google Search” are examples of the peripheral elements.

The Google website also shows the Ideal and Real design. “The Ideal and Real model is based on polarization and divides information into two contrasting halves, or poles” (p. 20). Beginning in the top left hand corner and moving horizontally toward the right hand corner, links such as “Images” and “Videos” appear. These appear at the top of the page because they are seen as ideal or what viewers should see as important. As the viewer moves down the page, links such as “About Google” and “Business Solutions” appear. These are shown lower on the page because they are the more concrete or specific information.

The Google website incorporates both the Star and Ideal and Real models in their design. These structures are used to draw attention to the most important information first and then draw the viewer to the more general information.

New Media Design's Language

Radan Martinec and Theo van Leeuwen discuss some important concepts in their book "The Language of New Media Design: Theory and Practice." They claim that the idea of their book is that new media are connected to images, sounds, and texts. They write that we call this connection non-linear models which are "semantic constructs that map out the relations between concepts in the semantic fields, or fields of meaning, that underlie new media products" (1).

New media is models after systemic linguistics. Systemic linguistics describes language as something that starts of as something general and becomes more specific. This is accomplished as a result of numerous choices. There are sex key elements from systemic-functional linguistics. Some of them explain that "there are systems of choices for all aspects of meaning" and that "linguistic choices are driven by communicative purposes" (4). An important argument is that new media does not have they physical limitations of books though since it is electronic.

Based off of this model, there is usually one underlying topic. For the sake of explaining, I am going to use the topic of countries. There are two models that are explained as non-linear models. First, there is the tree. In this case, there would be the topic of countries. Then it would branch out into northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Then it could branch out further into those that are a part of separate continents. And it can go from there into government style, population, etc. Second, there is the star. This would start off with countries as the topic in the center. Then there would be sub-categories that are different from each other but are connected by the fact that they are countries. So, there can be some countries chosen at random (Brazil, Japan, Canada, France, Egypt) where the only thing that they have in common is that they're countries.

The models can be a lot more difficult than these two standard models. There are cases when there are no "center" topic. That is something Martinec and van Leeuwen discuss later in the book.

Simulating Truth

Jean Baudrillard expresses an interesting perspective in the article “Simulacra and Simulations: Disneyland.” It begins with a quotation from Ecclesiastes that reads “the simulacrum is never that which conceals the truth – it is the truth which conceals that there is none. The simulacrum is true” (471). What does this mean exactly? Doesn’t it go against itself in a way?

Baudrillard writes that “simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being, or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal” (474). She goes on to say that there are four phases of an image that applies to this concept. First, an image reflects reality. Second, the image masks a basic reality. Third, it masks the absence of reality. Finally, the image has no relation to reality at all. It is simply a simulacrum. Images are not appearances, therefore, but instead simulations of what is real.

Disneyland is used as an example by Baudrillard to prove this point. It is a territory filled with illusions such as pirates and the future world and characters from television shows. Disneyland is presented as something that is imaginary to make Americans believe that the rest of the world is real. It conceals the fact that it itself is real. Los Angeles is no longer real, but instead the hyperreal. It is simulated.

This concept has really got me thinking about life in general. In class Avatar was mentioned as something that has given the illusion of reality. There was even a rumor that went around about people getting depressed after seeing it. In the movie, there were brilliant plants and trees that illuminated unbelievable beauty and splendor to the viewers. After people see the movie, they leave and compare the images to the real plants that exist in the world. They compare fictional plants to real plants but hold them on equal terms. The ones in the movie are simply simulated though.

So it comes back to the original quote stated above. Is there any truth? We surround ourselves with images everyday so what exactly separates the illusions from the real? What distinguishes a 3D movie from a play or from actual life? It seems like with the advancement of technology we are closing the gap more and more with each passing day.

Panopticism

In his article, Panopticism, Foucault introduces the idea of Bentham’s Panopticon. The Panopticon formed as a way for guards to “watch” over prisoners, however, the structure was built in such a way that prisoners would never know if they were actually being watched or not. This instilled a sense of fear and made them the objects of the vision. Foucault states “hence, the major effect of the Panopitcon: to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power” (65). The Panopticon was said to be so effective that the bars could be taken off of the cells and the prisoners would not escape.

Foucault relates the idea of Bentham’s Panopticon to our society today. We are either the seer or being seen, in power or not in power. Being seen, as prisoners were, causes us to behave in certain way. For example, knowing there are surveillance cameras in a store we are shopping at causes us to be well behaved. Whether the cameras are actually on is not known to us, however, we are instilled with the same sense of fear as the prisoners by just seeing the cameras. Our behavior is censored because we know we may be being watched.

So what does this say about our existence? Do we believe that we don’t exist unless we appear on film or in an image? As a society our idea of what is real is being shaped by the image. Images become the evidence of our existence in reality. They both change and shape our behavior, just as the behaviors of the prisoners were.