Monday 30 November 2020

Week 4 [30.11-06.12.20] AROMATHERAPY

AROMATHERAPY

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine focused on treatment with essential oils.

The most frequently mentioned advantage in aromatherapy is the fact, that natural essential oils are used, and most of them have a relaxing effect. Aromatherapy is based on therapeutic use of specially prepared extracts from flowers, leaves, seeds, wood, roots or bark of plants, known as essential oils. Their active substances are various chemical compounds, including esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, phenols, oxides and others. The most commonly used are extracts from mint, eucalyptus, ginger root, lavender flowers, rose and sandalwood or cinnamon tree.

Aromatherapy distinguishes two mechanisms of their operation. The first is based on the influence on the brain through olfactory sensations, and the second is the result of the complex properties of essential oils, that affect the human body.

Aromatherapy can be applied in many ways, for example, by inhalation, massage, medical compresses, baths and mouthwash. Below you will find only some examples of the application of aromatherapy for individual ailments:

Essential oils used in medicine
Ailment	Essential oils
headache, mirena	lavender, mint, eucalyptus, grapefruit
rheumatic pains	pine, eucalyptus, clove, sage, cinnamon, rosemary
decrease in immunity	ebony, clove, thyme, lemon
hyperactivity, hypertension, insomnia	melissa, lemon, orange, lavender, geranium
obesity	lavender, rosemary, juniper
fear, nervousness	lavender, melissa, orange, sandal
sexuality problems	ylang-ylang, rosemary, patchouli
cardiovascular problems	rosemary, pine, lavender
low blood pressure, sleepiness	thyme, eucalyptus, sage, clove, cedar
hair loss	rosemary, thyme, ylang-ylang
stress, overwork	lemon, lavender
menopause	cypress, sandalwood, melissa, lavender, pine

INHALATION

Traditional inhalation consists of dropping about 5 drops of essential oil into warm water and then inhaling the floating fumes. This can be done under a towel to increase productivity. An alternative method is sprinkling porous ceramics or bedding. There are also special devices such as fireplaces, that allow us for easier use of the essential oils.

MASSAGE

The massage has a relaxing effect and improves blood circulation. For the massage you can also use essential oils (3-5 drops) diluted with neutral vegetable oil, such as almond, jojoba or evening primrose oil. Stimulation of the skin by touch alone allows for better absorption of the oils.

TREATING COMPRESS

For water-based compress, use 4-5 drops of essential oil per bowl of hot or icy water. Additional use of an emulsifier is recommended, e.g. a spoon of cream, Dead Sea salt or a few drops of synthetic emulsifier LV41. Then you need to use cotton cloth, which was soaked in the solution to cover the treated area.

BATHS

Bathing is a popular method of using essential oils. To a full bath of water at a temperature of up to 38°C add 10-15 drops of essential oil and thickener, the bath should take 10-15 minutes. In the case of more intense oils, e.g. floral, 1-2 drops are sufficient.

MOUTHWASH

Add 3-5 drops of oil and emulsifier to 50 ml of water. For mouthwash you need a spoon of the solution, which should be kept in the mouth for 2 minutes.

Air humidifiers, fireplaces, diffusers or scented sticks are used for frequently used atomizers in aromatherapy.

SCENTED STICKS DIFFUZOR

Source: 1: https://tiny.pl/784nh Source: 2: https://tiny.pl/78441

CERAMIC FIREPLACE HUMIDIFIER

Source: 3: https://tiny.pl/784n6 Source: 4: https://tiny.pl/784nd

Aromatherapy is a cheap medicine. A traditional ceramic fireplace costs about 30 PLN, and the cost of essential oil ranges from 6-30 PLN. Candles in the form of heaters will also be necessary for the ceramic fireplace, their price is about 10 zł per 100 pieces.

Of course aromatherapy has a much wider use, but I could write and talk about it for hours, but my goal is to awaken your consciousness and show you how you can deal with illness, stress, fatigue or irritation. Moreover, aromatherapy has a soothing effect and stimulates your cells to work! Believe it, it works! I use this kind of inhalation myself during my daily work routine at home.

QUESTIONS:

What do you think about aromatherapy? Have you ever come across this term before?
If you ever use aromatherapy, in what form? If not, what form appeals to you the most?
What is your favorite smell, even if you do not use aromatherapy? My for sure lavender :)

Sources:

[1] https://www.medonet.pl/zdrowie,aromaterapia---zastosowanie--rodzaje-olejkow--koszty-aromaterapii,artykul,1730063.html

[2] https://e-zielarnia.eu/blog/9_AROMATERAPIA---jaki-olejek-b%C4%99dzie-dla-Ciebie-/

[3] Article: Zdrojewicz Z., Minczakowska K., Klepacki K., 2014, „Rola aromaterapii w medycynie”, Wydawnictwo Continuo

Tuesday 17 November 2020

Week 3 [16-22.11.20] Back in vintage fashion

Back in vintage fashion

10 years ago, the 70's, 80's or 90's fashion was considered a great kitsch. Now it comes back

to us very intensively. 80’s was the craziest one, all the things that didn't fit in the previous

years were worn then. No wonder how the disco polo era reigned in those years. Disco style is

a pure madness! People in their outfits played with colors, materials and accessories such as:

sequins or glowing threads. I guess everyone remembers pants with extended legs and sewnin

frills. Sometimes they were also overalls. An important element that emphasized the crazy

look was the hair curled on the spring.

https://www.vintag.es/2018/12/80s-big-hair.html

At the end of the 70's a great frenzy for sportswear came. It was at that time that sports brands

such as Adidas, Nike or Reebook were prominent. It was popularized by MTV station, which

emitted hip-hop music, and sports street style was the rule in music videos. Until now,

sneakers are a cult project. Not only do young people wear them, but they have also appeared

in the closets of the older generation. Probably because the sports style is incredibly

comfortable, and in combination with some accessories it can look really elegant!

https://hypebae.com/2018/2/90s-fashion-trends-nostalgia-op-ed

The 90's trend is also coming back. At that time, the trend look was changing very quickly

with new idols such as rebellious Nirvana, sweet Britney Spears or hip-hop slack TLC. But all

these styles had jeans in them. It is hard to imagine those days without jeans, even though

there were a lot of varieties. Pants were wide, narrow, with legs extended, ankles open, light

or dark, and so on. At that time the Levi's brand was very successful. You could say that Kurt

Cobain introduced a rebellious look to these pants. Loose, rolled up and torn on the thighs or

knees. In the past they used to be worn to show their rebellion, now these pants are made in

the factory and have entered the fashion world permanently.

https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/258886678553261376/

Vintage fashion was created by the awareness of galloping consumerism. It will be one of the

main trends in the world of fashion. It has its own name "Trashion". It consists in reworking

old things, buying in second hands and using scraps left from production. The world is

sinking in garbage and burning throughout our lifestyle. We have to adapt our “fashion

attitude” to changing conditions.

Some people dig up old things as garbage and some consider them to be an incredible pearl.

Vintage clothes have not been so caught up in this way for a long time. A lot of vintage shops

are being created. Also, events with bazaars and exchanges under the slogan "vintage" are

very successful, where you can get things that are long out of use. Finding such gems gives a

lot more satisfaction than going to the network. The "vintage" tag has gained the title of

luxury.

If you are not interested in the subject of used clothing, I invite you to watch a movie about

consumerism.

1. What vintage elements can you find in your wardrobe?

2. What kind of vintage clothes from different era can you see in modern fashion?

3. Which part of vintage clothing shouldn’t come back in these time, and why?

Week 3 [16-22.11.20] Green wallpaper

Watch the presentation at https://konwersatorium1-ms-pjwstk.blogspot.com/2020/11/week-2-02-081120-how-green-wallpaper.html

and discuss it here.

Monday 16 November 2020

Week 3 [16-22.11.20] Can art be absolutely kind?

You certainly know what genre of music don`t care about morals, and where they talk about murder, violence and treat a woman as a sexual object. This is, of course, an opera. Yes, opera. Jose killed Carmen because she stopped loving him, the main character of "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk district" corrupts Katerina, and then they go together to kill people. There are more suicides in operas than in the other genres of music.

source: https://cdn.britannica.com/63/19263-004-C63ED192/Emily-Soldene-death-scene-Carmen-production-opera-1880.jpg

But 40 years ago, a genre appeared in the world, which in terms of violence can equal the Opera - it was the Rap genre. It seems that all rap is about violence and disrespect for women. But here's the question: is the level of violence rising because of rap or vice versa-rap reflects violence in society and spills out all the aggression in the lyrics?

At least once the art has become exceptionally good. In the 30s, this happened in the USA, one of the most conservative countries in the world.

Previously, the Hayes code was in effect in American cinema - it is a set of prohibitions, which were accepted by the film studios and distributors themselves. In movies, you couldn't show sexual images, even in the form of shadows or silhouettes, sexual behavior was not allowed, realistic fights and even more murder. Drugs, childbirth, race relations,insulting the feelings of believers and much more, not to mention homosexuality. The laws even applied to cartoons. Betty Boop, for example, in the thirties the dress has become noticeably longer, and the shoulders are closed.

source: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/bettyboop/images/c/c0/Betty_Boop_Hays_Act_Hays_Code_Pre-Hays_Code.png/revision/latest?cb=20190127131320

But most importantly, it should be obvious to the audience who is a good hero, who is a bad one. But everything always comes to an end. In the fifties there were television and movie theaters on wheels, where to see thrash. Also, more and more Americans were interested in independent Italian and French cinema. The main characters in the films of Godard and Fellini sometimes turned out to be prostitutes. In the movie "Blow-up" of Antonioni has a lot of erotic scenes. And the audience loved this movie. The fact is that the main characters in those films were complex. Villains have much more emotions than superheroes.

Does it provoke violence? Or does it reflect violence in society?

Artist Chris Bourdain in 1971 asked a friend to shoot him in the shoulder.So he said that violence has become an integral entertainment of Western civilization. As much a part of it as an American pie with a cup of coffee.

source: https://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/27225045/shoot-burden.jpg

These are two related processes: culture reflects society and is a part of it. For example, modern rap is the saddest in history. Rappers are increasingly reading about depression, fears and anxieties. Kanye West in his tweet says that rap about mental health is no longer taken as a joke. And perhaps for a reason, a year ago, Kendrick Lamar for the album "DAMN.", full of existential searches, won the prestigious Pulitzer prize. Before that, it was awarded only for classical or jazz.

source: https://static.billboard.com/files/media/02-kendrick-lamar-Pulitzer-Prize-2018-a-billboard-1548-compressed.jpg

We live in a time when there is a lot of violence in films, murders, black humor in comedies, and a lot of obscene words in music. The golden age of the porn industry has come. Bad things in modern culture can be listed for a long time. But the fact is that we live in the safest time in history - the rate of violence and murder is several times lower than during the 20th century.

Does rap provoke violence?

Can art be absolutely kind?

Why do we love scoundrels so much?

Monday 2 November 2020

Week 2 [02-08.11.20] UX in beauty industry

The beauty industry has a great potential for UX designers from innovative products and application methods to social media and augmented reality. It embodies beauty and functionality, combining UX, branding, social media, and new technologies. Understanding how people care about beauty and using makeup while delivering UX-oriented products will distinguish beauty brands soon.

Testing and sampling

In the cosmetics industry's purchasing process, users at the beginning of the journey prefer to test samples of several products with similar properties such as anti-wrinkle creams. After trying several of them, they choose the product that best meets their requirements - both in terms of effect and price range. Giving them this possibility increases the probability that the customer will be faithful to the brand and product for years. Therefore, the user needs to have the opportunity to test several products with similar properties, because the additional exposure of the possibility to order a sample positively affects the conversion of returning users.

In the digital version of the AVON catalog, instead of the scented "rub to smell" pages we all know, there is a possibility to order a perfume sample.

Online assistant

Many buyers who order a cosmetic product online happen to have a product that looks different from the catalog, has a different color, or causes a different effect from the intended one - e.g., lengthening and thickening eyelashes do not meet expectations. This, in turn, causes frustration and can potentially harm the brand.

That is why cosmetic giants invest in virtual assistants helping to try on makeup. LANCÔME

Virtual Mirror uses the technology of face mapping with the camera in the user's phone. This function helps to choose the color of pink, check the mascara's effectiveness, try out different shades, and finally help make a purchase decision.

Product page

The Content of the product page of the cosmetic should also be properly arranged.

Photographs portraying the scale of the product, showing the cream's formula or the matte finish of the lipstick on the lips, play a key role in presenting the product. If it has a unique way of application - often the case both with care products and in the makeup category - a video showing its unique selling point should appear on the product page.

With increasing awareness of chemical additives and their impact on health, customers want to know what they are buying. Therefore, it is good practice to separate a section containing the product's full composition in the description.

Product cards rich in video content are the key to increasing conversion and customer satisfaction and applications that, as in the case of the Sephora mentioned above, allow to "try" lipstick or mascara.

Beauty fans create a strongly committed community on internet forums and in social media. In matters of cosmetics, nobody can advise a beauty fan more than another beauty fan.

User-Generated Content is valuable because it shows users' testimonials on Instagram, Facebook, etc. The fact is that people look for inspirations and recommendations on social media. Exposure of UGC and opinions on the product pages adds authenticity to the product and leads to increased conversion.

In the beauty industry, appearance matters, the user likes and appreciates beauty, and pays attention to the website's aesthetics. They are more willing to buy in friendly, pretty stores. However, it is still the product that is supposed to be playing the most crucial role here and attracting attention. The design of the website, apart from high aesthetics, should not be imposed and limited to a minimum - especially with product pages filled with Content. The slogan less is more should be the motto for the design of such a site. Clean and bright layouts with medium contrast work best. Unfortunately, there is rather no place for dark mode.

Unboxing - the final experience

The last step in the user's journey is the moment when he gets the package - unboxing. And here, we should provide the user with a great experience and take care of the unboxing experience's high aesthetics.

Unboxing experience has a good influence on the brand image and the future purchase decisions of customers. It also creates an opportunity to generate another UGC - package picture. Adding free samples to the parcel gives the customer a chance to test the novelties and subsequent purchases. A well-designed aesthetic box can be used for a very long time or reused according to the spirit of zero waste, which is becoming more and more popular in the beauty industry.

_____________________________________

This is my original article issued in the Applover Agency's trendbook. (you can see the whole trendbook here :https://applover.com/blog/ux-ui-trendbook-for-2020-2021) I work at L'Oreal as an UX Manager, hence the topic of my article. The whole text is based on my observations and research, so I would like to know your feedback about it. Both as designers and/or ecommerce users. Let me know what do you guys think about it? Maybe you have some insights that I didn't include in my work?

Cheers!

Przemek

Week 2 [02-08.11.20] Ada Lovelace - First female programmer

In recent weeks, when women are protesting for their rights, famous female historical figures are mentioned on social media and press. I would like to introduce one of them to you today. Meet Countess Ada Lovelace - First female programmer!

Ada Lovelace was one of George Gordon Byron's two daughters. Is this person known to you? Certainly! Byron is considered one of the most important poets and playwrights of the Romantic era, and his life was full of moral scandals. However, Ada did not follow in father's footsteps, and due to the separation of her parents after a year of marriage, she did not have the opportunity to even meet him. A passion for mathematical sciences she inherited from her mother, aristocrat Anne Isabella Milbanke, jokingly called by Byron the Princess of Parallelograms.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ada_Lovelace.jpg

Young Ada was a bright and imaginative girl. As a child, she could not only design simple flying machines, but also practiced playing the violin. Her mathematical education began with studying with her mother, in her teens Ada corresponded with many famous English scholars and expanded her knowledge.

One of the most important people we met was the founder of mathematical machines, Charles Babbage. The inventor invited Ada and her mother to one of the Saturday evenings he organized, during which he showed his new work to an illustrious group. The delighted young mathematician asked Babbage to cooperate - she wanted to go down in history as well! They worked together on computing machines, the most important of which was to be the analytical machine.

Source: https://www.sophiararebooks.com/pictures/3544a.jpgDodaj podpis

The first program written by Ada is a diagram that appeared in an article about this particular machine. Mathematical has explained the algorithm for calculating numbers Bernoulli numbers. Although this device was not created in the times of Lovelace, her research was an inspiration and scientific material for the creation of the first computers and computer algorithms. In honor of the programmer, in 1980 the US Department of Defense approved a new programming language called Ada, and her likeness appears on the holograms of Microsoft product authenticity certificates.

Feel free to discuss in the comments and please answer the following questions:

- Are you interested in the history of programming and computers?

Who do you think is the most important inventor in this field?

- Do you think that the work of a woman as a researcher and scientist was something

special at that time?

- Do you know the poetry of G. G. Byron? If so, what is your favorite poem?

I also invite you to watch a biopic about her.