Tuesday, September 21, 2010

In Class; First Paragraph

The space I chose is Yo!, a frozen yogurt lounge on University Drive across the street from the Texas Christian University campus. The shop itself is located next door to a few landmarks on the TCU campus. Dutch's a student staple and the TCU Barnes and Noble bookstore are located within feet of Yo! Making it easy and accessible to all students. The building is small with large windows in the front allowing students and visitors to look in and out as they please. The space inside is clean and somewhat neutral; white walls with brown trim and blue accents. The space is open to all kinds of people. The frozen yogurt itself is located in the back of the lounge and can be sampled as one decides which flavor to choose. The location of the frozen yogurt selection is key to the flow of the space. Patrons walk in the front door and go directly to the back in order to choose a flavor. As they make their decision they move closer to the large windows. After selecting one of the 12 flavors available, one must select toppings. There are many choices for toppings including; fruits, sauces and candies of all sorts. After filling a dish with fro yo and toppings, you move forward to the check out counter. There is usually a younger person, if not the owner who will assist you. One places their desert on a scale while the cashier converts ounces into dollars. Yo! prides itself on its accessibility and affordability. The posters on the walls use phrases such as "Put more bounce in your ounce, only 45 cents an ounce".

In Class; Experience with Writing Workshops

In my previous writing classes, we are always forced to read eachother's work in the hopes that the person sitting next to us will pick up on a mistake we have missed. I am not a huge fan of these writing workshops because I always feel awkward about handing over my work and hoping for the best. I never feel like the opinion of my neighbor matters as much as the opinion of my teacher. It always seems like the editor is just making stuff up to correct, or they lie and tell you your paper is perfect, when it is in fact terrible. And when I am put in the position of editor, I always feel guilty telling someone that their writing does not make sense to me. I want to tell them that I think something has gone horribly wrong...but I know as the author, that would kill my creative flow.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

In Class; Observation Notes Response

1. Could give a better description of Bounce in your ounce poster
-Who was the target audience of the music? How were the adults affected? Did they enjoy or even notice the popular music in the background? Did they notice the television that was on as well?
-Talk about samples and flavors more and how they are effective in attracting the target audience...

2. Yo! is a small space but large enough to hold a few large groups of people (college students travel in groups)
- A line is usually formed at the checkout- but it is a simple process - only one worker is necessary
-Talk about flavors (smell and taste oberservations)

3.Talk about colors and appeal to young adults as apposed to young children
-Talk about the different posters and how they appeal to the target audiences

In Class; Observation Reflection

This past week, I went to Yo! and made observations. When I was first brainstorming ideas, I made the assumption that Yo!'s main audience would be TCU students. I made this observation based on the location and appearance of the Yo! Frozen Yogurt Lounge on University. When I visited Yo! on Wednesday at 3:30 PM I expected to find it full of students studying or hanging out after class. I was instead surprised to find adults meeting and parents with their children fresh out of school. When I stepped back to take a second, objective, look, I realized that Yo! does cater to the needs of children and adults as well as college students. Yo! is now staying open until midnight on the weekends, and at that time I expect to find mostly if not all college students. During the day, when children are getting out of school, Yo! is the perfect place for a parent to take their child for a special treat!

Unit One: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Essay Number One: Observations
Ethos:
-"Yo! Its all good: 100% natural, no preservatives or artificial flavors" - ethical because they care for the health of Yo! patrons, they want the patrons to be eating healthy and not harming their bodies with chemicals and products that are bad.
-"Put some bounce in your ounce: only 45 cents an ounce" - ethical, fair price
Pathos:
-TCU vs. BYU pink out game poster- appeal to emotion because TCU students (the intended audience) know the importance of that game and knowing that Yo! cares too gives them something in common
-Theta 5K poster - appeal to emotion similar to pink out game, shared care for philanthropy with Yo! and patrons
-flatscreen TV with sports playing - appeals to the emotions of mainly men, but also everyone can relate when the TCU football team comes on because most everyone in the Fort Worth area are TCU fans
Logos:
-"Now open until Midnight on Saturdays and Fridays!" - logically one would assume that this is geared towards the student audience because they are the ones going to Yo! at midnight on the weekends - logical appeal would be that they are opening later to please their late night patrons
-outlets on wall on bar - logical appeal to students, they can plug in their computers for studying on the go, it makes sense that the audience Yo! is aiming to attract is the TCU student body
- Clean, white walls, with brown and blue accents - appeal to logos because people at TCU expect a clean environment, but the colors are good because they are attractive to an older audience...you would expect colorful walls with pictures of cartoon things if it were geared towards young children

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

In Class; Logos

The artifact I brought to represent logos is a scientific calculator. This calculator appeals to logos because it represents fact, observation and logic. Math is very straightforward, and a calculator is hardly ever wrong. For example, if I were in class and the professor asks the class a math problem and two people raise their hands, it is logical that the class would trust the answer coming from the student with a calculator. In order to make a logical argument that I am good at math and am often correct, I brought my calculator.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Unit One: Proposal

After brainstorming and discussion I have decided, for my essay number one: Public Space Analysis, I will choose "Yo!". Yo is a frozen yogurt "lounge" on University directly across the street from the TCU campus next to Dutch's, Flash, and the TCU bookstore.
I chose Yo because I believe that the space is appealing to everyone, especially TCU students. The colors and design of the Yo Frozen Yogurt Lounge on University attract people of all kinds. I do believe that I am a part of the target audience. Based on the location of Yo, I would assume they hope to attract TCU students to their lounge, and I am a TCU student.
I have been into Yo a few times before and have enjoyed the experience. I do not think that these previous experiences will influence my ability to observe objectively. I can go into Yo with an open mind and observe the space, people and atmosphere. I look forward to writing this essay and looking deeper into the arguments that this public space is making.