Monday, February 2, 2009

OMG WTF Concept Statement and Logo/Signage drafts

This is my potential concept statement for my Interior Design restaurant project this semester. I think I did a pretty good job forming the basis for understanding nerdery, but please share your opinions. Below the statement is a couple of rough drafts for the signage/branding.


Too often the nerd is uncomfortable in the typical night club atmosphere, I want to create a space where nerds and geeks feel at home. I will derive the style of the interior from common cultural interests of the geek, including math, sciences, literature, science fiction, and other pop culture. Cuisine will feature upscale versions of home made meals and comfort foods.
The distinction between nerds and geeks is precise, and often misidentified. Nerds are generally regarded as socially inept people who compensate for their lack of social grace with a heightened intellect or fondness for academic pursuits. Geeks on the other hand are specialists who focus their nerd energy on certain specific areas. A nerd may be interested in Math, Science, History, or Literature, while geek will take one of those categories and find an obsession within, such as Civil war history or pyrochemistry. Nerdery and Geekery often overlap, but not always. Its perfectly normal for a geek to obsess over Star wars while being uninterested in any real area of science. Likewise, a nerd may never find a specific area to focus on, and will therefore never become a geek.

One of the defining characteristic of a nerd and/or geek is the lack of social comfort. This is actually a stereotype that is only half correct. A typical nerd or geek will not seem interested in social interaction unless others of his kind are present. This anti-social stereotype gained credence due to the fact that nerds and geeks were a relative minority in most societies, and therefore seemed awkward without others like them around. However, with the shift in global economic influences from labor to information services, the population of the nerd has risen to its highest level in history. The result is meta-population with its own culture that transcends ethnic, racial, and religious social constraints. And where once nerd interests were considered irrelevant, they're becoming an important part of mainstream culture, and should be respected as such.

OMGWTF is the next logical step in the progression of the nerdification of the world. As the nerd population rises and nerd culture becomes mainstream, traditional venues of entertainment and leisure will profit by adapting to this new cultural norm.


No comments: