Convicted Child Killer Darlie Routier Guilty or Railroaded

Darlie Routier is on death row in Texas, convicted of the murder of one of her two sons, Devon and Damon Routier, who were killed in the early morning of June 6, 1996. The media coverage of the murder investigation depicted Routier as another psychopath or heartless mother whose children were getting in the way of her lifestyle, so she killed them for money. Thats also how books such as Precious Angels by Barbara Davis, and the prosecutors at her trial portrayed Darlie Routier. Most found it believable in the aftermath of the Susan Smith case two years earlier. Since her conviction, Darlie and her family have learned a whole lot more about the legal system and have presented a far different picture than was originally shown by the press. Even Barbara Davis changed her mind about the case and added a chapter to her book disputing the prosecutors case. Read both sides and decide for yourself if this young woman is the she-devil portrayed by the prosecutors and press, or a woman naive of the inner workings of the legal system. Darlie and Darin Routier Darlie and Darin Routier were high-school sweethearts who married in August 1988, after Darlie completed high school. By 1989, they had their first boy, Devon Rush, and in 1991, Damon Christian, their second son was born As their family grew, so did Darins computer-related business and the family moved to an affluent area known as Dalrock Heights Addition in Rowlett, Texas. Life was going well for the Routiers and they celebrated their successes by surrounding themselves with expensive items such as a new Jaguar, a cabin cruiser, lush furnishings, jewelry, and clothing. After a few years of living an affluent lifestyle, Darins business began to falter and with it came financial problems for the couple. Rumors began that the couples relationship was in trouble and there was talk of extramarital affairs. Friends said Darlie, obsessed with her appearance, reportedly had little patience for the children. Despite the rumors, on October 18, 1995, the couple had their third son Drake, after which Darlie experienced postpartum depression. Desperate to lose the weight she had gained during pregnancy she began taking diet pills which failed to help and contributed to her mood swings. She confided to Darin about having suicidal thoughts and the two began talking and reviewing their future. Things were looking fixable for the young couple. But with this hopeful period was cut short by a tragedy  that no one could have predicted.   The Murder of Devon and Damon Around 2:30 in the morning on June 6, 1996, the Rowlett Police received an emergency call from the Routier home. Darlie was screaming that she and her two boys had been stabbed by an intruder and her boys were dying. Darin Routier, awakened by the Darlies screams, ran down the stairs into the family room, where just hours before he had left his wife and two sons lying by the television. Now, as he entered, all he saw was the blood-soaked bodies of his two sons and his wife. Darin tried to save Devon, who was not breathing. As reported by Barbara Davis, Torn between two sons, the horrified father momentarily panicked, then made the decision to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the son who was not breathing. Darin placed his hand over Devons nose and breathed into his childs mouth. Blood sprayed back onto the fathers face. Damon, with deep gashes in his chest, struggled for air. The house filled with paramedics and police. The paramedics began trying to save the children as the police searched the home for the intruder who Darlie said had run in the direction of the attached garage. Policeman David Waddell and Sergeant Matthew Walling noted a bloody knife on the kitchen counter, Darlies purse and expensive jewelry lying near it, a slash in the screen of a window in the garage, and splattered blood on the floor. The medics were unable to save either child. The knife thrusts left deep gashes in the boys chests and punctured their lungs. Gasping for air, they both suffered horrible deaths. Darlies wounds—more superficial and not life-threatening—were temporarily patched up while Darlie told the police of the horrific events that unfolded just an hour earlier. Darlie Routier stood on her porch in her blood-soaked nightgown and told the police what she remembered about the attack that had just occurred to her and her two sons. She said that an intruder had entered their home and mounted her while she slept. When she woke up, she screamed and fought with him, fighting off his blows. She said he then fled toward the garage and that was when she noticed her two sons who were covered in blood. She said she had heard nothing while they were being attacked. She described the intruder as medium-to-tall height, dressed in a black T-shirt, black jeans, and a baseball cap. Darlie and Darin were then taken to the hospital and the Rowlett Police Department seized the house and began their investigation. Within 11 days of the murder of Devon and Damon, the Rowlett Police Department arrested Darlie Routier, charging her with capital murder of her sons. The prosecutor’s case against Darlie was presented with these key issues: Coroner Janice Townsend-Parchman testified that the boys wounds were savage and deep, but described Darlies as hesitation wounds, possibly self-inflicted.Paramedic Larry Byford said Darlie never asked about the condition of her children when she was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.Charles Hamilton, a fingerprint expert who examined the scene, said that the only prints found belonged to Darlie and her children.Tom Bevel, a blood expert, testified that the blood on Darlies nightshirt belonged to her sons. It had been sprayed on her and he suggested that this could happen as she raised her arms upward in a stabbing motion.Nurses from the hospital testified that Darlie did not demonstrate grief towards the loss of her sons. They claimed she seemed more concerned with making a point to say she picked up the knife off the kitchen floor, which put her prints on the knife.Also mentioned was the blood found under a vacuum cleaner and blood spots on the cleaner itself, indicating t hat the vacuum cleaner had been placed there after the crime was committed.Charles Linch, a trace-evidence expert, said it was impossible for an intruder to leave that scene without a trail of blood. There was no blood found outside the Routier home.FBIs special agent Al Brantley testified that the window screen that was cut could have merely been removed by an intruder. Also that Darlies expensive jewelry had been left untouched, discounting robbery as a motive. As to the motive being rape, he said that a rapist would have used her children as leverage to get her to submit, not killed them. And finally, he addressed the savagery of the stabbing of the boys and said that in his opinion, it was a personal attack done with extreme anger, not by a stranger. Darlie took the stand against the advice of her counsel. They asked her why she told different versions of the story to different policemen. They asked about her dog, which barks at strangers but didnt bark when the intruder entered her home. They asked her why her kitchen was cleaned but under testing showed remnants of blood all over. To most of the questions, Darlie answered that she didnt remember or didnt know. The jury found Darlie Routier guilty of the murder and sentenced her to death. The prosecutions case against Darlie Routier was circumstantial and based on experts who theorized about evidence collected or viewed at the crime scene. The prosecution did what it set out to do, which was to get the jury to find Darlie guilty of murder, but was all the evidence shown to the jury? If not, why wasnt it? Websites that support Darlie Routiers appeal list many issues and facts that have come to light after her trial that, if true, would appear to provide enough evidence that a new trial would be appropriate. Some of those issues include: The attorney that represented Darlie Routier at trial had an apparent conflict of interest because he reportedly had a pre-arrangement with Darin Routier and other family members not to pursue any defense that could implicate Darin. This attorney allegedly stopped key experts for the defense from completing forensic examinations. Other areas of concern which were never brought to the attention of the jury include the pictures of Darlies cuts and bruises on her arms which were taken when she was hospitalized the night of the murders. At least one juror told reporters he would never have voted to convict if he had seen the photographs. Bloody fingerprints have been found that do not belong to Darlie, Darin, the children or any of the police or other people in the Routier house the night of the murder. This contradicts testimony given during her trial that there were no fingerprints found outside the home. Questions Her Defense Team Want to Be Answered A bloody fingerprint was found on the living room table. Who does it belong to?There was a bloody fingerprint on the door of the garage. Who does it belong to?Darin Routiers jeans had blood on them. Whose blood is it?A pubic hair was found in the Routier living room. Who does it belong to?How did the blood on Darlies nightshirt get there and whose is it?Did the police get debris on the knife in the kitchen while investigating the murder or did it come from the screen door? Darin Routier has admitted to trying to arrange an insurance scam, which included someone breaking into their home. He has admitted that he had begun the initial steps to arrange a break-in, but that it was to be done when no one was at home. No jury has heard this admission. The incriminating Birthday Party film that was viewed by the jury showed Darlie dancing on the graves of her son along with other family members, but did not include the filming of the hours previous to that scene when Darlie sobbed and grieved over the graves with her husband Darin. Why was the additional footage not shown to the jury? Neighbors reported seeing a black car sitting in front of the Routier home a week before the murders took place. Other neighbors reported seeing the same car leaving the area on the night of the murders. Were these reports investigated by police? Investigators during her trial invoked their fifth amendment rights against self-incrimination during cross-examination, preventing the defense from rebutting their testimony. What did these investigators fear by being cross-examined? There was some discussion about the police not protecting the evidence as they collected it which could have possibly damaged its origins. Did this really occur? More Questions That Need Answers The screen which investigators reported to the press as being cut from the inside was later proven in court to be cut from the outside.When the paramedics arrived at the scene they said that Darin Routier was outside, but Darin was inside trying to save his children. Who was the man outside?Was the testimony from the nurses in the hospital coached and rehearsed in mock trials by the prosecution prior to their testimony, as it has been reported?The surgeon who operated on Darlie said that the cut in her neck was 2mm of the carotid sheath but was superficial to the carotid artery. The necklace she was wearing was damaged as a result of the wound but it also blocked the knife from going deeper into her neck. Did the jury get a clear understanding as to the seriousness of her wounds?Was there an improper read-back of testimony to the jury by the court reporter, due to mistakes she made in the transcript?The prosecution has reportedly refused to provide access to any evidence in their cus tody in the case. Why is it not readily available to all interested parties?The advancements in DNA testing could put many of these questions to rest. Why is there such a reluctance to do the testing?Some writers who have interviewed Darlie Routier have decided to help her fight to get a new trial. Since reporting their opinions on her situation, they report that their ability to visit her has been blocked or made so inconvenient that little can be accomplished.

Communication and Friendship - 1593 Words

The movie being analyzed is the Sandlot. The relationship between the two main characters is a friendship, which begins with one boy who is desperate for friends and another who is searching for The Sandlot’s last teammate. The friendship between Benny and Small’s is an accurate depiction of the development of friendship in real life. In the movie, Scotty Smalls (Smalls) moves to a new neighborhood. One of his new neighbors happens to be the best baseball player in the neighborhood, Benny, who eventually teaches Smalls how to catch and throw so that the team has a ninth player. What begins as filling a baseball position eventually leads to a strong bond between the two main characters. Throughout the summer, the team plays baseball, goes†¦show more content†¦By running over to Smalls in the outfield, the space between them becomes more personal and intimate, which shows Smalls that he has a friend and someone to help him and be on his side. The boys on the team display their disappointment with Small’s through kinesics, which is a nonverbal form of communication that uses body language (Adler, Rosenfeld, Proctor, 2013, p. 191). Instead of encouraging the team’s laughter, Benny decided to run to Smalls where Benny said, â€Å"Just stand there and stick your glove out in the air, I’ll take care of it† (Evans, 1993). This scene depicts a significant development in their friendship. Adler, Rosenfeld, and Proctor II describe that having a concern for others and the motivation and attitude to develop a friendship is key concept for understanding people from other cultures (p. 48). Benny does show genuine concern for Smalls lack of confidence about baseball and is trying to make it easier for him because he does not want Smalls to feel incompetent. Benny has taken huge initiative at this point because he is going against the social norm that is set in place by the baseball team. 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Report for Frank Burgess

Questions: Prepare a report for Frank Burgess that addresses the following: a) The purpose of a product costing system. b) Preparation of a Schedule of Cost of Goods Manufactured and Cost of Goods Sold. (The schedules may be in the appendix). Explain why some items have been excluded from the schedules. c) Complete the T accounts and determine the following: i. Work in Process at the end of April; ii. Raw materials purchased in April; iii. Overhead applied in April; iv. Cost of Goods sold in April; v. Raw materials used in April; and, vi. Over or under applied overhead in April. d) Discuss how overheads can be over or under applied and how the company should deal with the over or under application. e) Evaluate whether ABC should be introduc. Answers: Introduction The report is prepared by the New Age Caravan Company. The company has been undergoing stringent technical constraints where the accidental fire affected the accounting data of the company. The company does not have a professional accountant and the report is intended for the cost information of the company. The report focuses on estimating and calculating the product cost and the cost per unit at each process. The incomplete ledger accounts are prepared for the company and the evaluation of activity based costing is done as an alternative to traditional costing method. a) Purpose of product costing system Product costing system is a combination of techniques that evaluates the cost of product of the organisation and provides timely data about the cost per unit of products for effective pricing and planning strategies employed by the company. It assists in a valuation of stock and helps in controlling production activities and lends notable help for preparing a financial statement. The purpose of product costing system is to provide a bird's eye view and strategic analysis of products of the organisation Product costing system underlines the complete procedure that is required during production activities. It underlines the study and evaluates the complete list of the data relating to the cost of a product and undertakes to deal with new and extra costing features. It provides in-depth study of billing and routine procedures of the materials. It creates the comprehensive understanding of the costing procedure of a product. It creates simulated cost and also deals with obsolete and frozen cost (Figge and Hahn 2013). Product Costing helps in computation and analysis of the cost of goods manufactured and the cost of goods sold for every unit of a product. It holds key importance since it sheds critical light about the operational activity of the organisation. It provides vital knowledge for a process called as roll up of cost. Product costing undertakes the breaking down of the cost to provide additional and cohesive knowledge about the cost of a product and the value added at each step of the production activity. It allows the user of such information to understand how the cost of a product is changing at each level and how organisations are operating, which causes the changes of cost at each level (Dai and Zhi 2015). The process of product costing helps in achieving the understanding of the optimum level of cost. Over production and under production are extreme cases for any organisation, which casts its evil on the production through adverse conditions leading to a decline of profitability. It allows the cost of goods manufactured to be optimum by employing costing on a comparative basis. This synchronisation is possible through "product cost controlling" and the information system existing in the organisation. Product costing is an effective analytical tool for profit evaluation and update on pricing equilibrium. It undertakes to highlight the efficiency of the production process and points the advantage, which the organisation possesses regarding production process. It, however, also depicts the shortcoming in the production process and raises the potential red flags for the organisation regarding production process (Bjrnenak 2013). b) Schedule of cost of goods manufactured and cost of goods sold i) Schedule of goods manufactured Opening balance of raw materials 12000 less: losing the balance of raw material (12000) Material transferred to production 180000 Direct Labour 182000 Manufacturing overhead Depreciation of factory building 8000 Depreciation of factory equipment 16000 Factory Insurance 14000 Repairs and Maintenance 8000 Land tax 4500 Indirect labour 118000 156000 total Manufacturing cost 518000 Add: opening work in progress 4500 Less: Closing Work in Progress (33500) Cost of goods manufactured 489000 Notes: Predetermined overhead rate = Annual overhead costs/ Annual direct labour hour = 1,800,000/ 60,000 = 30/ unit Direct labour hour for April = 5200 hours. Applied overhead = 5200* 30= 156,000 Actual overhead = 168,500 ii) Schedule of cost of goods sold Particulars Amount Amount Opening balance of finished goods inventory 11,000 Add: Cost of goods manufactured 489000 Less: Closing balance of finished goods inventory 16000 Cost of goods sold 484000 Certain items have been excluded from the schedule. The company's account section suffered because of the fire and certain information was not traceable. However, on completion of the schedule, it can be observed that the company follows the under application of overhead, where the manufacturing overhead is lower than the actual overhead. The cost of goods manufactured was fixed at 489,000. c) Determination of T account Raw materials a/c Particulars Amount Particulars Amount To balance b/f 12000 By cost of goods manufactured a/c 180000 To creditors a/c 180000 By balance c/d 12000 192000 192000 Accounts Payable a/c Date Particulars Amount Date Particulars Amount 1-Apr To balance b/f 12000 By purchases a/c 184000 To bank a/c 180000 30-Apr By balance c/d 8000 Manufacturing overhead a/c Amount Date Particulars Amount 168500 By Applied overhead 156000 By Cost of Goods Sold 12500 168500 168500 Finished goods a/c Amount Date Amount 11000 484000 489000 30-Apr 16000 500000 500000 WIP a/c Date Particulars Amount Date Particulars Amount 1-Apr To balance b/f 4500 By Finished Stock of Goods 460000 To Cost of Good Manufactured 489000 30-Apr By balance c/d 33500 493500 493500 Cost of goods sold a/c Date Particulars Amount Date Particulars Amount To cost of goods manufactured 489000 By goods available for sale 460000 To manufacturing overhead 12500 30-Apr By finished goods c/d 33500 To opening balance of finished goods 11000 30-Apr By balance c/d 0 512500 512500 d) Over applied and under applied overhead Over applied and under applied overhead arises due to the process of standard costing approach. Over applied and under applied overhead arises when organisations employ the rates of overhead on the estimation basis. This could lead to a curbed figure of the overhead figure. In the case of under applied overhead, the applied overhead value is lower than the actual value of the overhead that the company incurs during the operational process. The difference between the over and under application overhead is the under application overhead. Many organisations employ the under application of overhead, to curb and deflate the cost figure. This leads to a hike of profitability for the organization. The predetermination of the overhead rates is the sole cause of such deviation, which the company employ during the production process (DRURY 2013). On the other hand, many organizations employ over application of overhead. In this case, the actual value of the overhead is lower than the applied value of the overhead of the organization. The deviation between the two overhead is the value of the over application of the organization during the accounting year. This practice is undertaken by organizations to curb the profitability of the organization and show an inflated figure of the cost of the organizations. This method is employed to avoid taxes by showing deflated figure of profits. It also functions on the lines of predetermined rates of overhead and the estimation of the overhead rates causes the deviation between the actual value of the overhead and the applied value of the overhead. Either case of the overhead does not depict the true image of the overhead employed by the company (Clinton and White 2012). Its a case of extremities on the part of the company, where in one case the overhead is allocated excessively and the o ther case depicts the allocation inadequately. Spending on overhead cost needs proper control procedure and competency of accountants and personnel. Lack of competency and control on the part of the personnel lead to a situation where over an application and under application of overheads take place. Another reason of how under and over application of overhead takes place is because the overhead includes a certain portion of fixed cost, which does not increase in the same proportion as the variable cost of the direct labour or machine hours. There are certain points, which an organization needs to follow in case of over applied and under applied overhead. Theoretically, it can be inferred that the over-application and under application are caused due to the predetermination of rates. Therefore, the overhead application amount should apply to each item of the account, instead of the total account balance. But in practice, this is not followed. The application is carried out on the complete account balance. When the amount of application is insignificant, then the company offsets the amount with the cost of goods sold. In the case of significant application of overhead, the amount can be diffused among work in progress inventory, finished goods inventory and the cost of goods sold (Figge and Hahn 2013). The company can employ alternative measures like theoretical capacity measures, where the utmost capacity of an activity is measured against a standard time. It includes the future and historical data of production and cyclical trend in the economy. It ignores a factor like a machine breakdown and other factors leading to hindrances in operation. It produces results that cause the actual and budget cost to be near to each other. This leads to product cost being less deviate from the actual cost. This causes less deviation in the under and over application of overheads. This measure lends much more accuracy and in the product costing methodology and reduces the chance of risk and deviations (Messner 2015). e) Evaluation of Activity Based Costing More and more companies are approaching towards the adoption of Activity Based Costing technique. Many advantages and benefits are inferred from this costing technique. It is a method, which allocates the indirect cost and the total overhead cost based on the actual resources it consumes. This leads to the approximate evaluation of the overhead cost by the company. The company in the case study suffers from various issues of over and under application of overhead, which does not reflect the correct cost of the product and the profit in the financial statement of the company. The company in the case study has suffered significant losses due to fire and during the evaluation of the cost methodology, it was inferred that the under and over application of overhead had caused a significant problem for the company, which was needed to be dealt with it. This requires a customized environment of production, which assesses the indirect costs according to the resources and consumed and then th e true cost is depicted. It however, can be a challenging task for the company to employ this cost technique as it suffers from various benefits and demerits (Van der Stede 2016). Advantages The benefit of activity based costing can be traced from the fact that it improves the processes used in costing. It underlines and thoroughly detects all the processes that have an impact on costing and critically analyses it. In the longer run the overall processes can be evaluated and seen to be working effectively (Quinn 2014). Activity based costing calculates the costing of each overhead item by the actual resources it consumes. In such circumstances, it reflects the true and fair image of the cost of each item of overhead account. It assists the company in reducing and eliminating waste in costing process of overheads, which might give an inflated or deflated picture of the costing of the company. Activity is Based Costing technique initially removes waste from each item of the overhead process and then ultimately remove it from the business altogether (Messner 2015). Activity based costing is useful in identifying the true and approximate cost of each unit in the production process. This allows the company to identify the actual cost of the product and effectively apply price strategy in the sales procedure of the company. Price strategy of a company is a useful aspect to consider since it allows the company to understand cost and price strategy and the level of profit margin it can attain. It allows the company to employ better pricing strategies and marketing strategies, which is needed for the company (Leauby and Wentzel 2012). The activity based costing technique effectively allows the company to evaluate the cost and benefit between the cost techniques that the company uses. The concept of cost and benefit is an important aspect for the company to assess before applying any costing technique. Activity based costing allows the company to improve it business and overcome the loopholes of every facet of the operational activity. It helps in the functioning of the company and also improves the image of the company with working methodologies and principles, higher profitability and minimization of risks and wastes by the company (Parker 2012). Disadvantages The Activity base costing does suffer from certain shortcomings and loopholes. The company needs to evaluate these demerits as well to form a proper idea of the effectiveness of the costing technique. Activity Based Costing heavily depends on data and thus data is collected from many departments of the organization. The heavily reliance on data makes the technique heavily susceptible to deviations in case of untrue and misrepresented data. This is one of the shortcomings of the technique (Soin and Collier 2013) The period involved in activity based costing is long and therefore it involves a length period in the evaluation of cost as it carries an in depth analysis of the production process, employee action and also every aspect of the business (Parker 2012). The implementation and the cost of employing this technique is high. Therefore, the company has low wastage and therefore the high implementation cost might make it not prospective to employ thus costing technique. The activity based costing technique is not very effective if the over and under application of overheads is very high and very low. This leaves the business in a disadvantageous position. Therefore, it can be concluded that activity based costing requires careful and strategic evaluation before employing this technique. Conclusion On concluding the report it can be observed that the company has suffered a major technical hassle due to the fire, which caused the loss of accounts of the company. Certain information was traceable and the T account has been created using the schedule of goods manufactured and schedule of goods sold. The company follows the under application of overhead and the company follows standard costing method. Activity Based Costing has been the future plan of action as it holds certain benefits to the company. The purpose of product costing has highlighted the effective product costing process and the necessity to employ price strategy. Reference list Bjrnenak, T., 2013. 4. Management accounting tools in banks: are banks without budgets more profitable?.Managing in Dynamic Business Environments: Between Control and Autonomy, p.51. Clinton, B.D. and White, L.R., 2012. Roles and practices in management accounting.Management Accounting,94(5), pp.37-43. Cullen, J., Tsamenyi, M., Bernon, M. and Gorst, J., 2013. Reverse logistics in the UK retail sector: A case study of the role of management accounting in driving organisational change.Management Accounting Research,24(3), pp.212-227. Dai, L., Li, P. and Zhi, X., 2015. The institutionalization of management accounting change: an observation across societal, organizational field, and organizational levels. DRURY, C.M., 2013.Management and cost accounting. Springer. Figge, F. and Hahn, T., 2013. Value drivers of corporate eco-efficiency: Management accounting information for the efficient use of environmental resources.Management Accounting Research,24(4), pp.387-400. Fullerton, R.R., Kennedy, F.A. and Widener, S.K., 2013. Management accounting and control practices in a lean manufacturing environment.Accounting, Organizations and Society,38(1), pp.50-71. Fullerton, R.R., Kennedy, F.A. and Widener, S.K., 2014. Lean manufacturing and firm performance: The incremental contribution of lean management accounting practices.Journal of Operations Management,32(7), pp.414-428. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015.Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning. Leauby, B.A. and Wentzel, K., 2012. Linking Management Accounting and Finance: Assessing Student Perceptions.Strategic Finance,93(11). Messner, M., 2015. Does industry matter? How industry context shapes management accounting practice.Management Accounting Research. Nuhu, N.A., Baird, K. and Appuhami, R., 2016. The Association between the Use of Management Accounting Practices with Organizational Change and Organizational Performance.Advances in Management Accounting (Advances in Management Accounting, Volume 26) Emerald Group Publishing Limited,26, pp.67-98. Parker, L.D., 2012. Qualitative management accounting research: Assessing deliverables and relevance.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,23(1), pp.54-70. Quinn, M., 2014. Stability and change in management accounting over timeA century or so of evidence from Guinness.Management Accounting Research,25(1), pp.76-92. Soin, K. and Collier, P., 2013. Risk and risk management in management accounting and control.Management Accounting Research,24(2), pp.82-87. Van der Stede, W.A., 2016. Management accounting in context: Industry, regulation and informatics.Management Accounting Research,31, pp.100-102. e) Evaluation of Activity Based Costing Reference

Teaching Web Design in Secondary School Classroom

Introduction Teaching Web design in secondary school can present significant challenges. However, the need for Web sites among organizations makes it a worthy learning course. This is because most contents formerly available in other forms are now online.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Teaching Web Design in Secondary School Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Web design students and teachers should demonstrate skills in graphic, photography, and art among others. The three main areas of Web design are construction and layout patterns, content and images, and management of the site. These areas must focus on usability, mortised, and multimedia aspects of the site. The Web design industry experiences rapid changes. Thus, it remains difficult to predict the outcome of the coming years. However, students and teachers shall still rely on currently available technology for their works. Further, Web de signers shall apply different techniques in the creation of new sites. A notable change in the Web design industry is building the framework. For instance, we have experienced changes from the table-based HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language). There are also Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) based designs that use style sheets to style pages, rather than XHTML table structure which requires many codes (Eccher, 2011). Designers can use various approaches in Web designing. However, the guiding philosophy should be aesthetic (professional feel), usability (ease of accessing and processing information), and functionality (functional aspects of the site such as data contents) of the Web site. The practical nature of Web design requires teachers to facilitate the learning process. This is because Web design requires creativity and learners’ potential (Goldstein, 1986). Thus, the process must empower learners and enable them to have control of th e design process. Construction and layout Students and teachers must recognize that a good layout is necessary for presentation of professional image of the site. It also enhances usability of the Web site through ease of information access. Layout and construction refer to positioning elements of the Web site as necessary to improve usability. Web designers must consider positioning and scrolling when constructing the Web layout.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The initial stage in teaching Web designing involves learning the construction and layout. These are the basic steps in developing a functional Web site. The process may involve creating layouts through editing an existing template or creating a new layout. Students can use software packages like Adobe Illustrator for creating drawing and graphics and Adobe Photoshop for editing images to create Web sites. Web designe rs use Adobe Dreamweaver to connect both the Photoshop and Illustrator to the Web. This ensures that the programs are compatible with the language of HTML. Great Web sites designers accurately position their contents to eliminate the need for searching relevant information in the site. Such relevant information should be easy to locate. Thus, positioning the menu is crucial for Web site usability. Technically, designers tend to put the menu on the left or on the top of the page. However, it is important to note that layout should be able to accommodate all the necessary changes that may occur without compromising the design. For instance, the figure below shows that the site cannot handle such content unless the designer reduces the font size. Successful designers use many cached contents on the header section. This method reduces the download time for contents relying on the same header. Creating header for every section can hinder Web site communication. Designers should use exis ting and standard Web usability tools. This may include position of elements like the logo. This is how the designer should exploit Web site usability so as to enhance usability of a new site. The design layout should also consider the body. This is important because deciding on the best position has remained difficult. Users tend to ignore contents at the bottom of the page. Thus, upper sections of the site have provided usability by default. Therefore, the work of the designer is to make use of lower areas through creativity. For instance, the designer can use images and graphics to attract users to such sections.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Teaching Web Design in Secondary School Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Students and teachers must note that no design is perfect. Changes and evolutions of sites can prove this. However, positioning is critical to the design content and layout. Too ls used in designing Web sites are the same. However, how designers use such tools vary considerably. This is where some designers apply mortised designing. David Siegel refers to mortising as putting â€Å"two images together using a table† (Siegel, 1997). However, the term should also cover texts, functionality, and graphics. These should improve the form, usability, flexibility, and attractiveness of the site. Students and teachers can rely on mortising for creating both usability and multimedia in Web site designing. Mortising enhances the functionality of the site. In addition, it also enables the designer to apply various techniques in the graphic area. However, mortising goes beyond the site aesthetics. Novice designers can use â€Å"HTML editors like Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer (these are WYSIWYG editors) to create good sites† (Eccher, 2011). Teachers and students should realize that mortised sites depend on the knowledge of the d esigner rather than software packages. Such knowledge and skills provide the designer with the capabilities to use â€Å"CSS, XHTML, and images creatively to design fast and customized Web sites with less codes† (Eccher, 2011). This is an example of a site designed using WYSIWYG editor (see below). The designer used images and XHTML in a way that reduced the entire content to small content. Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Students and teachers must note that creating a mortised site is not hard. This is because creating such a site does not require extensive learning or introduction of new knowledge in Web development. Learners should only concentrate on learning application software like Adobe Photoshop. In addition, the designer must also learn basic, creative style using CSS, graphics, and XHTML. These are mandatory and common tools for Web developers. Still, learners can enhance their sites using applications like Flash, JavaScript (scripting language) and other programming languages. Teachers and learners must recognize the need for integrating theory and practice in Web site design course (Goldstein, 1986). This is because the differences between sites, in terms of their qualities, emerge due to different knowledge of designers, and how best such designers apply their theoretical knowledge into practice. The most important factor to creating such Web sites is applying the CSS knowledge in posit ioning most contents of the site appropriately instead of using XHTML, and compressing and saving graphics and images. CSS allows the designer to create homogenous site. This is because the designer can develop any form of layout using other programming techniques and compressing and saving images properly to enhance the attractiveness and usability of the site. There are some inherent advantages in using the CSS design over XHTML design that learners should know. The CSS design uses lesser codes to develop a Web site. This implies that the outcome (barring the style sheet) is simple and easy to follow. This provides opportunities for students to master techniques and procedures of Web development and how contents relate to each other. Thus, the main advantage learners can derive from CSS design over XHTML-table design is the difference in the amount of codes required in designing. CSS designs also provide considerably light weights and download sizes. This enhances the speed of the site and creates effective usability experience for users. CSS design also provides easy site management in terms of adding, editing, and deleting contents. A designer can make changes in a single page that cascades to the entire site just like in db-driven sites. CSS design also provides opportunities for easy printing of pages than in XHTML. Designers must also focus on Web site navigation during the design process. At the same time, the designer must also look at maintenance and usability of the Web site. Navigations are also the site menus. Menu must help users find any item they require from the site contents. Thus, a menu should be smart to improve Web site usability. Maintenance of a Web site tends to be difficult. This explains why navigation should be simple to ease processes such as detecting errors, deleting, adding, or editing items. Content and images Contents and images provide learners with opportunities of choosing sites that they want to create. In all these, learn ers must know the importance of the content management system (CMS) in powering the site. CMS provides easy steps in posting images and words in the site. This should also focus on search engine optimization (SEO) and the idea of inserting ad banners to the site. Web sites contents vary depending on their usability. We have low, medium, and high content Web sites. Low content sites may only consist of a single page e.g. an online brochure. The Web site may only have the basic information that users search. These can be services, products, client information, and contact details. Low content Web sites require much graphic to fill due to limited contents on the page. However, the entire site does not need a full image as designers may decide to leave some white space as shown in the below image. Thus, the designer must balance the content and image accordingly. Medium content Web sites are mainly in the business category. This is a strategy of avoiding the creation abundant informati on that can overwhelm the user. The site has limited contents on the homepage. However, the amount of contents and images are almost equal. High content Web sites mainly focus on providing information or on sales of products. These Web sites have many contents as the designer limits the amount of images (Black, 2011). The site may have small images or blurred images at a given point. These sites usually have more than five areas of contents as shown. All the CMSs perform the same task. However, their functions depend on the Web site capabilities, costs, and complexity of the system. Therefore, management of Web sites may follow certain specifications depending on the following scenarios. First, there is the basic CMS. These Web sites consist of small and medium-sized sites with standard and basic features. These Web sites have readily available functionality that is necessary for their content management. These contents may consist of basic information, corporate brochures, intera ctivity, and basic intranet for the workforce and the organization. Second, there is mid range CMS. This happens when the size, the number of contents, and complexity of the site increase. In this case, the CMS strives to achieve a given informational and communications objective as it acquires the status of an application platform. Such Web sites may have different micro-sites, interactive marketing tools, and intranet for the entire organization. Third, there is the complex CMS case. In this case, the site has fully achieved an application status and may have several interconnected contents. The volume of the Web site content may increase considerably depending on the size of an organization. This may be the case of most e-commerce and library Web sites (Peterson, 2006). Availability of such functions and applications require Web sites to accommodate complex processes regarding workflow, contents, and IT governance systems. Web sites that require complex CMS have heavy usages in e -commerce, multiple channels, intranet for the global employee, and other processes that require large quantities of data. The SEO delivers results to users. However, developers must apply search engine’s algorithm in order to achieve strong results. SEO algorithm performs analyses and calculates a site ranking. Algorithm must remain secret to their developers so that it can serve the purpose of ranking the site high among competitions. Designers can rely on some techniques when creating high-ranking sites. However, the strong SEO foundation is on the content. Strong contents provide better chances of high-ranking during a search. In addition, developers must also apply keyword research. The best place to start from should involve competitors search. Students should also learn about site management using various applications. Management also involves protecting the site and its contents. Some sites have disclaimer notices regarding the site contents to protect their owners fr om liability. Site management should also extend to marketing the site, gaining subscriptions, and conducting routine tests to ascertain the site effectiveness. According to Mendelson and Simone, site management has become robust with many tools such as GoLive (Mendelson and Simone, 2000). Such application platforms allow users to organize â€Å"files and folders, generate a site map, and centralize additional assets, such as external URLs and color palettes† (Mendelson and Simone, 2000). At the same time, users can also change contents through addition, deletion, or modification. GoLive also monitors the effectiveness of the site by reporting potential errors like orphan files and broken links. This application has capabilities of automatically fixing some internal links. Multimedia The designer should also pay attention to multimedia aspect of the Web site. Web site developers may use video, audio, and animation to develop interactive sites. Designers can compress â€Å" vector-based graphics smaller than bitmap images and still manage to maintain the images† (Eccher, 2011). Adobe Flash animation software packages are â€Å"useful in creating multimedia sites† (Eccher, 2011). Applications of multimedia technology in the Internet continue to evolve with developments in technology. Conclusion Students from a school in New Jersey demonstrate that Web site designing can be self-taught. They developed a standard-based Web site as a group by depending on each other for support. It is important to note that none of these students had formal training in Web designing. They acquired knowledge of CSS and HTML through self-learning. As a result, they have also acquired PCs refurbishing skills and are now Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher. This enables these students to provide technological support to the whole school (Borchardt, 2008). These students demonstrate humanistic approach to education. They have the freewill to learn. We can see that ap proaches to education are changing due to changes in technology. The Internet enables distance learning to take place. Instructors can share learning materials and communicate with students. A study by Oliver, Kellogg, Townsend, and Brady shows that virtual schools can provide online learning and course design through provisions of leadership elements like technical knowledge, constant feedback, and understanding of expectations between students and instructors (Oliver, Kellogg Townsend and Brady, 2010). Teachers and students should also note that Web site designers need professional skills in order to design Web sites that can offer effective usability. These should include online access, copyright and safety issues, and integration of different Web tools for site management. Students and teachers should know that usability of a Web site is critical in designing regardless of the available tools. Focus on usability eliminates issues of confusion for users through eliminating many c ontents and hyperlinks that access unrelated contents. The idea in usability should also show the ease of Web site navigation. This implies that site maintenance should be simple in terms of deleting, editing, or adding new contents. At the same time, the site should support quick downloads and be compatible with multiple Web browsers. Web sites must attract and retain its users through delivering valuable contents. However, this requires skills, knowledge, professionalism, and time. At the same time, Web sites require regular maintenance and updates. References Black, E. L. (2011). Selecting a Web Content Management System for an Academic Library Website. Information Technology Libraries, 30(4), 185-189. Borchardt, P. (2008). High Tech High School Wins School Web Site of the Month. Tech Directions, 68(2), 22-22. Eccher, C. (2011). Professional Web Design: Techniques and Templates (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Goldstein, H. (1986). Toward the Integration of Theory and Pr actice: A Humanistic Approach. Social Work, 31(5), 352-357. Mendelson, E. and Simone, L. (2000). Design A Great Site. PC Magazine, 19(10), 134. Oliver, K., Kellogg, S., Townsend, L. and Brady, K. (2010). Needs of elementary and middle school teachers developing online courses for a virtual school. Distance Education, 31(1), 55-75. Peterson, K. (2006). Academic Web Site Design and Academic Templates: Where Does the Library Fit In? Information Technology Libraries, 25(4), 217-221. Siegel, D. (1997). Creating Killer Web Sites. New York, NY : Hayden Books. This research paper on Teaching Web Design in Secondary School Classroom was written and submitted by user Bryant T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

SUB SEVEN VIRUS essays

SUB SEVEN VIRUS essays Imagine this, youre at home playing on the computer when suddenly your cd drive opens. You brush it off as it were nothing unusual but then a few minutes go by and out of nowhere you printer starts printing a page that says "you have a virus that allows people total access your files." You begin to panic when a message window pops up and its the person that printed that out. He tells you that the virus you have is called the subseven virus. I didn't have to hard of a time imagining that situation because it really happened to me. The guy that informed me of having the virus told me where I could download the program to access people files. So I, being the curious type downloaded and proceeded to get into people's computers. I have to admit it is pretty fun messing with people. I didnt delete anyones files I just looked around and when I was done having a little fun with the person I told them that they had the subseven virus. The operating program was well developed. It has a lot of options some of these options include flipping the victims screen, take control of mouse, revealing cached passwords, open cd rom drive, disable keyboard, turn monitor off, and much much more. My personal favorite option was the ability to access the c-drive and see what the person has on their computer. Subseven was discovered in May 1999. The creator calls himself Mobman. Subseven is a Windows 9x Internet Backdoor trojan. When running it gives virtually unlimited access to the system over the Internet to anyone running the appropriate client program. Subseven uses a persons ip address to access the system. It installs three files onto the computer. The first being NODLL.EXE which is installed into the windows folder and is used to load the trojan server. The next file is known as BackDoor-G.srv. This one is also installed into the windows folder and is the actual trojan that receives and carri ...

For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References

For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References Sometimes when you’re writing a paper, compiling a bibliography of your sources can seem pointless and annoying. You may wonder for who to write a bibliography, or why it may be useful to view a list of your sources. However, there are people who will be interested in your reference. Here’s a list of people to write a bibliography for. 1. Your Professor The most important person who will be interested in viewing your bibliography is your professor. The professor needs to know where you got the information concerning the paper topic to be sure that you have researched it thoroughly and have been working with credible academic sources. The professor also wants to make sure that you haven’t plagiarized any information and that you’ve given citations properly. Colleges check papers for plagiarism very seriously, so it is very important to cite your sources and include a bibliography to avoid being accused of stealing someone else’s work. 2. Authors of the Work You Used Speaking of plagiarism, authors of the work you used want to be cited properly. Writing is a creative and personal task for many people, and they do not want to see their ideas used somewhere else without mentioning their names. Even if you haven’t had a desire to steal one’s ideas or words and have done it unconsciously, without giving any reference, it is still plagiarism. To avoid it, simply include a bibliography in your paper. 3. Other Students Students who are writing papers on the same subject might be interested in viewing your bibliography. This will tell the students where they can find information on the topic that will help them in their academic studies. By including a bibliography in your paper, you can help other students avoid spending hours on researching. They can simply use the sources you’ve cited in your paper. 4. People Who Are Interested in Your Topic People, who have read your paper and find themselves fascinated with the topic, may want to read more concerning it. Your bibliography will point them in the right direction. Many college students are true scholars with genuine love for learning. When these students read about a topic that interests them, they will naturally want to learn more. This is another reason why you should include a bibliography every time you write an academic paper. 5. People Who Disagree with You People, who have read your paper and disagree with the arguments that you provide them with will be interested in the reference page as well. They may even think that some of your sources are not credible, or that you have included false arguments in your paper. The bibliography will point these readers in your sources and prove that your arguments are valid. Perhaps after viewing your sources, these people will even come to agree with your opinion! Bibliography including helps you enter the academic conversation due to your ideas, which is one of the best learning experiences that college has to offer. Although writing a bibliography can seem a bit tedious, it’s not a pointless task. There are several people, who genuinely want to see your sources, as well as you do not want to be accused of plagiarism, so you should always include a bibliography in your paper.

Leading Stragegic Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leading Stragegic Change - Essay Example Bear in mind the data it is possible to say that employees feel lack of HR support in the process of personal development. The increasing need for change is created by internal need to improve technology and labor skills; attitudes of employees; size of organization; need to improve performance. For most organizations, change is necessary to ensure an adequate supply of staff who are technically and socially competent, and capable of career advancement into specialist departments or management positions. There is, therefore, a continual need for the process of staff development, and training fulfils an important part of this process. Training should be viewed, therefore, as an integral pan of the process of total quality management. Strategic management is a process geared at detecting environmental threats and turning them into opportunities (Bolman & Deal, 2003). There are 7 C's of change which involve conversation, consistency, creativity, courage, commitment, change and celebration. 3ach of these C's has a great impact on organizational performance and functions of management. Management (supervisor and above) more positive than crew leaders and employees in their responses on most questions and indexes except those relating to interdepartmental cooperation and increased motivation as a result of reorganization. Crew Leaders more positive than employees in their responses to questions relating to clear understanding of job duties and sense of teamwork within their departments. Employees more positive than crew leaders in their responses to questions regarding trust and confidence in upper management, ethical standards, and increased motivation as a result of... This essay focuses on investigating the issue of sustainable strategic organizational change that can be explained as a continuous change which affects all areas of business activities. This change entails developing a business process model of how activities function, analyzing relationships among business units, and implementing changes that would eliminate redundant processes and make business units more effective. Performance deficiencies result from motivational problem which is closely connected with lack of skills. To improve this situation, the researcher suggests that organizations need to change employees' motivation taking into account rapid environmental changes. The purpose of strategic change is to provide management with a framework in which decisions can be made which will have an impact on the organization. A conscious effort to systematize the effort and to manage its evolution is preferable to an unmanaged and haphazard evolution. The basic planning problem is how to allocate the organization's limited resources. The researcher also mentiones some major benefits that to be expected from planning that include an improved sense of direction for the organization, better performance, increased understanding of the organization and its purposes as well, earlier awareness of problems and other issues, and more effective decisions. Long-range planning is most often an extrapolation of the present. It answers the question of how to get the job done in details.

Intorduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity Assignment

Intorduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity - Assignment Example The Targeted Audience 7 2.1.3.0 Promotion Activities 7 2.1.3.1. Personal Selling 8 2.1.3.2 Sales Promotion 8 2.1.3.3. Public Relations (PR). 9 2.1.3.4. Direct Mail 9 2.1.3.5. Trade Fairs and Exhibitions 9 2.1.3.6. Advertising 9 2.1.3.7. Sponsorship 10 3.0. Environmental Factors 10 3. 1) Outline what the environmental factors are and explain why marketers in all organisations should monitor these external factors. 10 3.2) Which of these environmental factors might influence your chosen organisation’s (the charity) marketing mix, and in which ways? 11 Competitors 11 Economy 11 Government 11 4.0. Marketing Plan 12 4. 1. Using a current marketing text book, outline (you may use a diagram) what a marketing plan is comprised of, and why it is useful for all companies to use marketing plans. 12 4.0. Conclusion 13 5.0. Bibliography 14 Introduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity) Executive Summary The National Trust Charity is an organization that incorporates both paid staff and volunteers. However, since it is an organization it joins other ordinary organizations in their quest for success. This report is written with regards to different aspects of the report on the National Trust Charity. ... In this regard the introduction will provide both the full time and the volunteers working in this organization. The second part of the report will entail an analysis of the marketing mix. There is a comprehensive outline of the marketing mix of the National Trust Charity that also considers the differences that will apply in an ideal organization. Here, the report will consider the purpose of the charity, target audiences, promotion activities and place. The third part of the report entails the evaluation of the organizational environmental factors with an explanation on the reason as to why marketers in all organizations should monitor the external environmental factors and to determine which of the environmental factors have the capacity to affect the charity marketing mix and the manner of their influence. The last bit of the report will incorporate the elements of a market plan and their importance in any organization before a comprehensive conclusion. 1. Give the name of the or ganisation, state where it is based and an outline of the focus of its activities. Highlight if it has a mission statement. Also, give a brief history of the organisation and a brief overview of the staff that it has. (Full time and volunteers?) 1.0 Introduction The National Trust Charity is an organization that focuses on conservation. The organization is based in England and due to its massive impact, it operate in Northern Ireland and also whales. Since the organization’s intention is to enhance conservation, the organization has geared all its efforts towards the conservation activities. It goes without say that the contemporary issues in conservation are becoming complex and this

Choosing Among Two Aspirant in an Office Essay Example for Free

Choosing Among Two Aspirant in an Office Essay During the work hunting days of the newly graduates and other professionals, there are lots of pressure and competition among the applicants in different offices or jobs that they are applying for. Let us take a closer look between these two candidates in an office, Obama and Hiliary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assuming that they are competing for a job in an office of personnel and communication of a corporation, Obama and Hiliary should meet the qualifications identified by the office as requisites before they could be accepted as staff. The office of personnel and communication is also commonly known as human resource department of a company. However, it scopes further networking and creation of press releases and other researches. It is very necessary for a person who is working in that particular department of the corporation to be socialized with different people, first and foremost, her co-workers. It is because in this job, staff will be meeting people from different walks of life. They are to deal and communicate with different networks. And since there could be loads of works in daily basis, one should be efficient enough to finish a one day job of paper works. Obama, is a graduate of a business related course three years ago in a one of the top universities in California. She graduated with honors and a very good scholastic background and affiliations. She has already three years experience from previous work in a non-government organization as training officer. She is very young at an age 23 going to 24. Hiliary, on the other hand, is of the same age of Obama. However, Hiliary graduated without any special commends but also from one of the top universities Los Angeles. She studied there also a business related course and took several extra short courses in psychology. After her graduation she works in a private company as personnel staff, and eventually, after consistent eight months of excellent work, she seats as the assistant head of human resource department of her previous company. And now, these two young ladies are candidates in an office as head of the personnel and communication of the corporation. There have been qualifications that are being specified a while ago. To choose among these two candidates, their educational background, credentials, and their personality could be tested and compared so as to choose the right person to fit the job. Obama, has a better scholastic standing and background as it shows by her honors and awards during her college education, than Hiliary, who graduated with her diploma only, taken into considerations that they both come from top universities in the world. However, Hiliary, as checked in her working experience and from the company where worked, it was found out that she had a very good social skills and was able to deal with top position people in the corporate world down to the most ordinary worker. She was promoted at the very early eight months of her work period as the assistant head of the human resource department. But Obama, was also found a very persevere and dedicated employee. In terms of their personality, both of the two could socialize and work well with different kind s of people. Since they are candidate in work of a head of the personnel and communication of a corporation, the one who deserves the position, must be acquainted enough and familiar enough with the nature of work. In case of Obama, she worked as training officer in her previous company. Meaning, that she could communicate and lead and guide other people in the company and outside the company. Both of the two have already endured the pressure of professional works. However, Hiliary has already her experience of working as assistant head of human resource department, which is very similar to the work that she is applying now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In selecting for the right position holder in the corporation, these comparisons and contrast could be one of the bases that could be used. Works Cited â€Å"Ethical Office Politics.† Lifehack.org. (No Date). November 19, 2007 http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/ethical-office-politics.html

Urban Life During the Second Industrial Revolution Essay -- essays rese

Urban Life During the Second Industrial Revolution The trend towards densely populated urban centers begun in 1800's continued into the 1900's. Man's development of urban centers was a major step away from what seemed to be nature's way of living: on farms and sparsely placed homesteads. Industrial production required hundreds of thousands of workers and, especially in the second industrial revolution, scientists. The urban centers that emerged during this period, such as Paris, London, and Berlin, were quickly changing the ratios of population from rural to urban Berlin's population, for example, went from 66% rural in 1871 to almost 66% urban before the first World War (see "The Second Industrial Revolution"). With the influx of people to urban centers came the increasingly obvious problem of city layouts. The crowded streets which were, in some cases, the same paths as had been "naturally selected" by wandering cows in the past were barely passing for the streets of a quarter million commuters. In 1853, Napoleon III named Georges Haussmann "prefect of the Seine," and put him in charge of redeveloping Paris' woefully inadequate infrastructure (Kagan, The Western Heritage Vol. II, pp. 564-565). This was the first and biggest example of city planning to fulfill industrial needs that existed in Western Europe. Paris' narrow alleys and apparently random placement of intersections were transformed into wide streets and curving turnabouts that freed up congestion and aided in public transportation for the scientists and workers of the time. Man was no longer dependent on the natural layout of cities; form was beginning to follow function. Suburbs, for example, were springing up around major cities. This housing arrangem... ...tion from their peers (Kagan, p. 564). So the natural layout of large urban centers eventually gave way to a structured, logically designed cities near the turn of the century. With the help of industrial products such as steel and concrete, new forms were being used to maximize utility in crowded urban areas. Sanitation reform was underway to combat the natural forces of disease and other health hazards, and science was beginning to find the origins of disease and decay. All these developments show mankind taking a less natural approach to society, and bending nature to its will. Other Sources: Kagan, Ozment, & Turner. The Western Heritage Vol. II. Prentice Hall, 1996 Pacey, Arnold. Technology in World Civilization. MIT Press, 1991 Kranzberg, Arnold and Carroll W. Pursell Jr. Technology in Western Civilization. Oxford University Press, 1967

Biography of John Fitzgerald Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States (1961-1963). He was the youngest person ever to be elected president. Also, He was the first Roman Catholic president and the first president to be born in the 20the century. He served in World War II on PT boat. He also helped to solve the Cuban Missile Crisis and started Peace of Corps to help 3rd world countries better them selves. Kennedy was assassinated before he completed his third year as president. Therefore, his achievements were limited. He was shot in the head and died within an hour. Kennedy was born on May 29,1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children of Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. â€Å"The other children in the family were Joseph, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Edward. â€Å"(Encarta' 95). â€Å"The Kennedys were an active family. With 11 people in the house, someone was always busy. The children took swimming, sailing, and tennis lessons. â€Å"(Potts, Steve – 7). The Kennedy family had long been active in politics. His brothers Robert and Edward Kennedy also entered politics. Kennedy's both grand fathers had been active in politics. His father was a self-made millionaire. He served as first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as U. S. ambassador to Great Britain during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Kennedy's family called him jack. He and his older brother Joe were strong rivals. Jack was quiet and often shy, but held his owns in fights with Joe. â€Å"The boys enjoyed playing touch football. â€Å"(The World Book Encyclopedia, 261). His childhood was full of sports, fun and activity. This all ended when he grew up old enough to leave for school. Kennedy attended elementary schools in Brookline and Riverdale. â€Å"In 1930, when he was 13 years old, his father sent him to the Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn. † (The World Book Encyclopedia, 261). One year later, he transferred to Choate Academy in Wallingford, Coon. He graduated from Choate in 1935 at the age of 18. He was promised a trip to London as a graduation gift but he became ill with jaundice and would have to go to the hospital. He spent the rest of the summer trying to recover. He was not entirely well when he started Princeton, several weeks later in the fall of 1935. The jaundice returned and he had to drop out of school. Before the next school year began, he told his father he wanted to go to Harvard. He entered Harvard University in 1936. There he majored in government and international relations. At Harvard, he tried to explain in his senior thesis why Britain had not been ready for war. Kennedy began to send his paper to publishers, and it was accepted on his second try. Wilfrid Funk published it under the title Why England Slept. It became a bestseller. He became a literary sensation. â€Å"In the spring of 1941, both John and Joe, Jr. decided to enroll in the armed service. † (Reevs, Thomas C. , 37)Joe was accepted but John was turned down. He hoped to fight in the WWII but he was rejected by the U. S. Army because of his back trouble and history of illness. He reapplied after five months program of special exercise and was accepted into the Navy as a desk clerk in Washington. He was disgusted and applied for a transfer. Kennedy was sent to Naval Officers Training School at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1941. Later he was sent for additional training at the Motor Torpedo Boat Center at Melville, Rhode Island. In late April 1943, he was put in command of a PT 109 in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Kennedy saw action in the form of night patrols and participated in enemy bombings. â€Å"On August 1, 1943, during a routine night patrol, a Japanese destroyer collided in the darkness with Kennedy's craft and the PT 109 was sunk. † (Falkolf, Lucille – 7). Kennedy heroically swam back and forth rescuing his wounded crew. Two were killed in the crash. The injury once again aggravated his back. Still, Kennedy pushed on swimming from island to island in the South Pacific hoping for a patrol to come by. Kennedy had no idea he had been in the water for eight hours. Finally, an island was spotted that could provided cover from Japanse planes. Kennedy realized that he and the crew must move on. He gathered the crew to move to another island in search of food. Kennedy swam for the next four days along a water route that he knew American ships used. Kennedy was now desperate enough to seek help from natives on a Japanese controlled island. He persuaded the natives to deliver a message written on the back of a coconut shell to allied forces. â€Å"The coconut fell into the hands of allied scouts and a patrol was sent. â€Å"(Encarta' 95) Kennedy and his crew were finally rescued. â€Å"For his courage, endurance, and excellent leadership, Kennedy received the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps medal, awarded for heroism not involving conflict with the enemy. â€Å"(Encarta' 95). John soon contracted malaria. He became ill. Then, he returned to the United States for medical. During recovery, Kennedy knew that his brother Joe, Jr. had been killed in action. Kennedy put his feelings onto paper and a second book was published for the family and close friends. † (Reevs, Thomas C. , 11). He called it â€Å"As We Remember Joe. † Kennedy's father had assumed that Joe, Jr. would go into politics. Both of his grandfathers had been active in politics. Now, Kennedy was the oldest Kennedy of his generation. His first chance in politics came when Congressman James Curley from the 11th District of Massachusetts decided to retire. It was his first Congressional seat by a margin of more than two to one. He was placed on the front page of the New York Times and in Time Magazine. He was often mistaken in Congress as a Senate page or an elevator operator. Later he ran against nine other candidates. He won the primary with 42 percent of the votes. He served three terms in the House of Representatives, during the Democratic Administrations of President harry S. Truman. He supported legislation that would serve the interests of his constituents. He also joined with Republicans in criticizing the Truman administration's handling of China. Kennedy easily won reelection to Congress in 1948 and 1950. â€Å"In 1952 he decided to run against incumbent Republican Senator henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Because Kennedy was little know outside his congressional district. † (Encarta' 95). He began his campaign two years before the election and met thousands of people throughout Massachusetts. The entire Kennedy family took part in the campaign. Kennedy defeated Lodge by 70, 000 votes. Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on September 12, 1953, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island. He had three children. One daughter and two sons. Kennedy's youngest son died in less than 48 hours after his birth. Kennedy underwent a spinal-disk operation in less than a year after his marriage. Soon after that, a second back operation was performed. He wrote â€Å"Profiles in Courage† during this time. A book of essays on American politicians who risked their careers fighting for just but unpopular causes. It was published in 1956. This book received the Pulitzer Prize in 1957. Many people had known little about Kennedy came to admire him because of the success of â€Å"Profiles in Courage. † In 1957, Kennedy became a member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he later won a place on the Senate Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor Management Field. His brother Robert served as chief counsel in the same Committee. In 1958, he spent many of his weekends campaigning for reelection in Massachusetts. â€Å"His Margin of victory, 874, 000 votes, was the largest ever recorded in a Massachusetts senatorial contest. † (Encarta' 95). Kennedy now began speaking out on foreign affairs. He was a severe critic of France's refusal to make concessions to its colony, Algeria. He advocated Algerian independence. Kennedy wanted the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. He began working for it and faced several major obstacles. Many party leaders considered him too young and too inexperienced for the presidency. Many also doubted that a Roman Catholic could win a national election in a country that was mostly Protestant. Kennedy won most of the larger states in the northeastern United States. â€Å"The election drew a record 69 million voters to the polls, but Kennedy won by only 113, 000 votes. â€Å"(Encarta' 95). He won49. 7 percent of the popular vote, and Nixon won 49. 6 percent. Kennedy received 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219. Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural address he emphasized America's revolutionary heritage. â€Å"The same†¦ beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe,† Kennedy said. â€Å"Let the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans-born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage-and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. (Encarta' 95) The words of his address were, â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country. â€Å"(The World Book Encyclopedia, 268). â€Å"During Kennedy's first year in office, the Congress of the United States passed a major housing bill, a law increasing the minimum wage, and a bill granting federal aid to the country's economically depressed areas. â€Å"(Schlesinger, Arthur Meier-17). Kennedy also oversaw a bill creating the Peace Corps. After his initial success with Congress, Kennedy found it increasingly difficult to get his programs enacted into law. Although the Democrats held a majority in both legislative houses, Southern Democrats joined with conservative Republicans to stop legislation they dislike. With one bill, however, Congress dedicated more than $1 billion to finance sending a man to the moon. The major American legal and moral conflict during Kennedy's three years in office was in the area of civil rights for black citizens. Although â€Å"Kennedy was in no way responsible for the growth of the civil rights movement, he attempted to aid the cause by enforcing existing laws. He also asked Congress to pass a civil rights bill that would guarantee blacks the rights to vote, to attend public school, to have equal access to jobs, and to have access to public accommodations. â€Å"(Schlesinger, Arthur Meier-59). â€Å"In the late 1950s and early 1960s the government of Cuba under fidel Castro became increasingly hostile to the United States. When Castro began to proclaim his belief in Communism, many Cubans fled to the United States. † (Encarta' 95). In 1961 a secret project begun during the previous administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower culminated. Under the training of the Central Intelligence Agency, more than 1000 Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at a place called the Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). â€Å"In Cuba both the bay of pigs occurred, in which U. S. supported rebels revolted in a poorly laid out plan of events that fell out beneath them, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in which the Soviet Republic were building missile silos in Cuba, 100 miles away from Florida. â€Å"(Encarta' 95). The Space Race was in full force with both Russia and the U. S. in competition to reach the moon during this time. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the world's largest approach to nuclear war. In 1960 Khrushchev decided to supply Cuba with nuclear missiles that would put the eastern United States within range of nuclear missile attack. In 1962 U. S. spy planes flying over Cuba spotted the first missile. Kennedy demanded that the USSR remove the weapons. United troops prepared to invade Cuba, but after a few tense days Khrushchev promised not to invade Cuba. The United States signed a limited nuclear test ban treaty with Britain and the USSR, outlawing nuclear explosions in the atmosphere or underwater, but allowing them underground. â€Å"John F. Kennedy was shot to death by an assassin on Nov. 2. 1963, as he rode through the streets of Dallas, Texas. † (The World Book Encyclopedia, 266). Two shots were fired in rapid succession. One bullet passed through the president's neck and struck Governor Connally in the back. The other bullet struck the president in the head. His car sped to Parkland Hospital but doctors couldn't save his life. He was pronounced dead at 1:00 p. m. Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him. Oswald was charged with the murder and arrested that afternoon. Two days after, Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot Oswald while being moved from the city to the county jail. Millions of television viewers saw Ruby kill Oswald, who was under police guard. On November 24, the body of President Kennedy was carried on a horse-drawn carriage from the White House to the Rotunda of the Capitol. Thousands of people filed past the coffin of the president. The state funeral of President Kennedy was watched on television by millions around the World. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Kennedy was the first President to be born in the twentieth century and was very much a man of his time. He was restless, seeking, with a thirst of knowledge, and he had a feeling of deep commitment, not only to the people of the United States, but to the people of the world. Many of the causes he fought for exist today because of what he did for the rights of minorities, the poor, the very old and the very young. He never took anything for granted and worked for everything he owned. Perhaps Kennedy summed up his life best in his own inaugural speech: â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country. â€Å"(The World Book Encyclopedia, 268). He was a very loved and respected president and will truly be missed.

An Analysis of ‘Giorgio Armani’

FASHION RESEARCH, MARKETING AND TREND FORECASTINGAn Analysis of ‘Giorgio Armani’ Victoria Joana Scherer Due: 14. 12. 2012 Word Count: 2219 +/- Abstract, Introduction and Conclusion not included Table of Contents Abstract4 Introduction5 1. Analysis of the socio-cultural framework6 Social trends6 PETA activists6 Size Zero7 Cultural evolution7 Economical evolution8 2. Analysis of the fashion trends/fads affecting the brand9 Mood-board9 Description of major fashion trends12 Colours12 Fabrics/ Materials13 Silhouettes13 3. Brand scan14 Analysis of targets/ customers14 Positioning14 Marketing Mix16 Analysis of fashion collections16 Competitive benchmarking compared to main competitors17 SWOT Analysis17 4. Definition of a forecasting plan18 Branding (image and recognition)18 Collection architecture18 Distribution plan19 Communications19 Conclusion20 Overall recommendations20 Appendix21 1. 121 Bibliography22 Articles22 Books22 Images23 Press Release23 Websites23 Youtube24 Abstract The following fashion brand forecasting plan stories Giorgio Armani’s previous and current designs, analyzing in terms of existing strategy, and market research. In the process of researching I paged through newspapers, extensively, many magazines, viewing past catwalks, scrutinized the internet media; in order to depict a sense of chosen colour, fabrics and styles, hence propose a new complete strategy. The project analyzes the four key aspects of: 1. Analysis of the socio-cultural framework (mainstreams in terms of social trends, cultural and economical evolution) 2. Analysis of the fashion trends/fads affecting the brand 3. Brand scan (analysis of targets/customers; fashion collections, competitive benchmarking compared to 2/3 competitors) 4. Definition of a forecasting plan The reason for me to choose this brand is that I did a summer internship which I greatly enjoyed and therefore had previous knowledge on the brand which I could integrate in my research. Further, did I use the same brand for my midterm assignment, having now the opportunity to make an even greater in-depth examination of Giorgio Armani. Introduction Giorgio Armani was born in 1934 in Piacenza, Italy. In the year 1975, he and his cohabite Sergio Galeotti founded the company ‘Giorgio Armani SpA’ in one of the worlds fashion capitals, Milan. Having studied two terms of medicine prior to the launch of the company, Mr. Armani completely changed his professional orientation when he started working as a visual merchandiser for department store ‘La Rinascente’. It was in 1990 when he first started to segment his company into sub-labels; ‘Emporio Armani’ & ‘Mani’. After some time he also created Giorgio Armani Prive, , Armani Collezioni, Armani Jeans, AX/Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, Armani Underwear, EA7, Armani Casa, Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, Armani Libri, Armani Flori, Armani Dolci and many more. The graph above, illustrates the various facets of Armani’s designs, having created a label which covers each category and customer interest. He is many celebrities favourite fashion designers; distinctive and famous for his elegant designs. His style is to be identified by unusual and unique cut combined with an elegant monochromatic colour palette. â€Å"Elegance doesn’t mean being noticed, it means being remembered. † – (Giorgio Armani) Armani is known for presenting himself in his signature simplistic style of jeans, silver/ grey t-shirt, black blazer. His look has become a holistic concept of life. Not only has he built an empire, he created a whole new world. 1. Analysis of the socio-cultural framework Social trends In fashion one â€Å"trend† chases the other. Nothing is as â€Å"old† as the collection of yesterday. Fashion trends are simply the surface phenomena of deeper social developments. They are the visual manifestation of desires and needs. The interesting question arises: What lies behind the current fashionable forms of expression and what kind of influence does society have on the fashion trends? What did constitutes for Armani and issues he had to tackle thereupon. PETA activists In the year 2009, PETA activists affronted Giorgio Armani, who promised to not produce any fur in his future collections. Anyhow, Armani failed keeping his promise. As a result PETA called for a boycott of his fashion – No Armani gowns at the Oscar ceremony! (February 22nd, 2009) Further did they publish a poster which shows Armani with a long Pinocchio nose. In several places such as Las Vegas, Milan, Paris, there were anti-fur demonstrations in front of the stores of the designer. See Appendix 1. 1) The social trend of fighting for animal rights was an issue Armani had to work upon. Instead, he claimed never to have made such a promise, anyhow apologized in public for any misunderstanding. It seems he did not deem it to be necessary to tackle this problem any further, as it is a small niche of society and would accordingly only have a small effect on Armani’s customers buying habit. Further, are other luxury brands, competitors using fur in their collections which makes the issue even less meaningful. Size Zero Size zero – a craze and controversy. As the 22- year-old Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos died after having starved herself to death, the organizers of the 2006 Madrid Fashion Week decided to ban skinny, size zero models. The World Health Organization is concerned that â€Å"the use of underweight models sends out dangerously wrong signals to girls, who look models as role models†. In November, the same year, the Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died at a young age of just 21 from anorexia. This tragedy made Armani being first of all luxury brands to introduce his own policy of only engaging ‘healthy-looking’ models with a BMI of 19. Many brands followed this social trend. Cultural evolution Today, regarding the ambience of lifestyle the Italians are seen as role models many societies: Espresso, Pinot Grigio, Tartufo Bianco, Gigli, Alessi, Armani. As any art mirrors design, whether for product or fashion, nothing represents a society more clearly. These mirrors are not placed in museums or elsewhere, we see them everywhere in life. Fashion is a sensual and rapid response to the now. Dealing with it, encounters the loving of surfaces, the study and cultivation which can be regarded as a profound thing. Milan, the origin and headquarter of Giorgio Armani, is one of the most famous fashion metropolis of the world. A mecca where various cultures come together, being inspiration for the designer himself and for society. Each trend emerges of society, having similar perception and emotions in different countries, can be combined together to then aspire a connectedness. Giorgio Armani receives lots of cultural influences of Asia for his designs. For example in 2010, he set the trend of an asymmetric neckline with a single sleeve (Sari), interpreted in a more modern way. When observing his catwalks, it is to mention that Armani engages ethnically diverse runway models. This emphasize the multi-cultural influence, Armani has on the world, as each customer, no matter which origin can feel connected to the brand. Economical evolution Due to the serious financial crisis that hit the world markets in 2009, Giorgio Armani proved outstanding staying power, when comparing it to the average performance of the industry. Giorgio Armani generated a turnover of 6â‚ ¬ billion at retail value (including licensed products), of which 4â‚ ¬ billion were made by their core business and 2â‚ ¬ billion from third party licences. The general slowdown in the fashion and luxury markets that also affected Giorgio Armani is largely due to a decline in GDP, in particular in North America, Europe and Japan†. Nevertheless, Armani succeeded and had stable increasing sales in China, a 32% boost, when comparing it to the year before which proves a momentum of recent y ears in the region. â€Å"I have to say that the interest of the Chinese public for Giorgio Armani is outstanding. I have experienced this through my stores and also through the welcome I was given in China. † (Giorgio Armani) 2. Analysis of the fashion trends/fads affecting the brand Mood-board The Timeless Description of major fashion trends The fashion maestro demonstrates in his haute couture a precision of unusual cuts, complex designs and valuable fabrics, all abiding the pure elegance in usual monochromatic colours. Elements of severe men’s wear are transferred to the women’s design, shaping the unmistakable Armani style. Colours Armani’s brand mark has always been the colour black, believing it gives a sophisticated and elegant touch to each and every design. Throughout the years, he complemented these with signal colours to create a modern look, being influenced by the Asian theme. In 2010, his collection emerges influences with a poppy red being its primary colour, as traditionally seen in ‘Qi Pao’s’. One year later, one could believe Mr. Armani himself has fallen in love. Into a theme which one would expect least of such a rationalist, the lascivious world of Boudoir. Powdery rose tones, a touch of grey complement his basis colour black. In the year 2012, mottled grey and black severe pantsuits harmonized with bright and vibrant colours such as pink, coral and tangerine. â€Å"Enlightened by bright ‘twinkle’ colours as in Tokyo†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Fabrics/ Materials When analyzing Armani’s collection from the previous year it is to recon that he has a distinct use of silk, categorizing it as his main fabric. Starting in 2010, where the fine lustrous fiber sticks superbly to the Asian theme, adding an incredible intense touch of elegance. Further, he used velvet which has a smooth dense pile and plain underside, creating a mysterious hint to the collection. Later in 2011, Armani uses flowing fabrics, such as chiffon and satin. Silhouettes The silhouette of Armani’s collection is based on the Asian culture, a theme which shows great influences on his collections in the past three years. In 2010, blazers, skirts and dresses are designed that fabrics overlap as seen in the traditional ‘Qi Pao’. Further, he gathered inspiration of the Sari; a long shawl which is wrapped around the waist and the end draped over the shoulder. The trend of an asymmetric neckline with a single sleeve (Sari), interpreted in a more modern way. The dresses are cut short, instead of long, slim cut – the western chic. In 2011, a paradigm of simplicity; straight-cut silk tops which is attached together with a brooch below the left breast and simply combined with matching silk trousers. 012 he referred back to his brand mark of transferring elements of men’s wear into severe pantsuits for women. Mottled grey ensembles on which huge rosettes of colourful pochettes are clinged together, complemented with diagonally placed trilby hats and men’s shoes. 3. Brand scan Analysis of targets/ customers Giorgio Armani has an iconic popularity amongst the elite of society, b eing one of many celebrities favourite designer. Nowadays, Giorgio Armani SpA encompasses a brand architecture of one corporate brand and five sub-labels, â€Å"each catering to different sets of target customers and at different price evels†. His main collection of apparel for ‘Giorgio Armani’ are of the ultra-premium price points, which accordingly more likely to target elderly consumers, therefore reaching the 35-50 year old age group segment. Positioning Defendability Operating in a small niche market, where 1st mover benefit and followers are at â€Å"disadvantage†. Erecting barriers to competition by discouraging entry through expertise, customer loyalty and continuous innovation of new designs, keeps the company ahead from its competitors. Differentiation Giorgio Armani’s brand concept is being sophisticated, targeting the upper-class with high-quality and innovative, elegant designs. â€Å"Elegance doesn’t mean being noticed, it means being remembered. † – (Giorgio Armani) Strategic Orientation Product leadership achieved through good performance having a clear mission for the company: â€Å"My mission has always been to help women and men feel comfortable and confident through the clothes they wear, rather than to create decoration for the sake of it. † (Giorgio Armani, Squidoo, 2012). Giorgio Armani’s symbolic expressive value appeals to consumer’s self-concepts and self-worth prestige, status image. Marketing Mix The 4 P’S demonstrate with what, where and how Giorgio Armani promotes his products in order to succeed with his marketing strategies. Analysis of fashion collections By means of the positioning and the marketing mix of the brand, it clearly illustrates how well Giorgio Armani integrates the concepts, making a clear statement through his collections towards his competitors. Due to the vast increase of sales in Asia, especially in China, after the financial crisis in 2009, the designer himself traveled regularly to the East for certain matters, by which he got the greatest experiences and influences for his pcoming collections. From 2010 onwards, one can indicate a strong emphasis of the Asian culture. â€Å"China approaches fashion with strong enthusiasm, and I believe that this enthusiasm can be translated into something interesting, economically speaking. Not only for my brand, but also for other brands†¦ We notice this, by wandering around in Shanghai â € ¦ Beijing †¦ and also smaller cities. † (Giorgio Armani) Competitive benchmarking compared to main competitors SWOT Analysis Even though Armani has high brand recognition, being well-known all over the world, faces fierce competition in its industry. Its greatest competitors are Hugo Boss and Gianni Versace since they target the same market. Especially the German brand, Hugo Boss is regarded as a great threat, since the brand implements stringent design and quality standards to produce superior products that deliver value for money. This is difficult to keep up with as Giorgio Armani’s price range is higher than that of Boss’. Further this strength may implicate the threat of brand duplicity. This is due as Armani is catering to a very small upper premium segment target group. An average salary in the UK amounts to approximate 30000? per annum (Council of Mortgage Lenders, 2012). This wage does not make it possible to purchase such expensive goods of Giorgio Armani wherefore brand duplicates seem as a good alternative for the customer. Especially in China, where Giorgio Armani seeks the opportunity of developing and expanding its branches, is considered as the mecca of fakes. 4. Definition of a forecasting plan Branding (image and recognition) Having sponsored the Italian team in the Olympics, Giorgio Armani made great awareness of its brand. Since, Armani is willing to have even greater brand recognition; the Olympics and the world cup in Brazil are a great opportunity to achieve so. Millions of people will be following these events, by interacting in such, Armani could gain a competitive advantage to Hugo Boss and Gianni Versace. Collection architecture The Asian theme appears throughout the years of Giorgio Armani’s collection. Being inspired by the ‘Qi Pao’s’ first, followed by ‘Sari’s’, both serve as great inspiration. In the year 2012, bright colours are combined with black and grey, which could be interpreted as the ‘up and coming’ colourful skyline of Tokyo. Due to the appearances of velvet and wave-like designs in 2010, it is to state that Armani could use these two variations as inspiration for the upcoming season in 2013. Blouses will be straight-cut with a balloon-like ending, such as seen in seasons 2010 and 2011. These will be combined with straight-cut trousers, edging it with a comeback of pointed shoes and a finish-off with trilby hats, as seen in the collection of 2012. These symbols represent power and being dynamic, as the fast-pasting metropolis of Asia. Colours will range from darker Bordeaux reds into degrees of purple, complementary to the beloved plain colour of Mr. Armani himself, black. Distribution plan Giorgio Armani employs 5500 in their direct workforce, having 13 factories and a perpendicular network of exclusive retail stores in 46 countries worldwide. In order to increase their annual revenue of 1,8 â‚ ¬ [=1. 453. 750. 000? (Exchange rate on the 13. 12. 2012) Press Release 2011] billion, Armani could increase their presence of branded flagship stores, with independent retailers and department stores, as well as increasing the availability of online distribution, as Brazil is not listed. Brazil definitely has to be included as this country will have great influence on future campaigns. Communications The world community will come together to celebrate the festivities of the Olympic Games and the World Cup in Brazil together. Brazil being host to many people around the world; creating a feeling of togetherness. Armani can be part of this by sponsoring the Italian team and making aware of themselves. Building up on this strategy, Armani should invest in advertising campaigns, billboards etc†¦, raising positive awareness and excitement towards the brand and the events. Conclusion Giorgio Armani is one of the most famous Italian fashion designers. His style is classic, elegant and discrete – this is reflected in each of his puristic designs. He is the creator of an empire which successfully operating due to efficient marketing strategies, using celebrities to raise awareness with advertising, engaging the company on events such as sponsoring the Olympic team or promoting the new James Bond â€Å"Skyfall† [Vogue, Germany Premiere), the movie in which he accouters the actors. To mention is the correlation between the movie and the designer’s inspirational Asian theme, as Skyfall’s settings partially take place in Shanghai, China (Movie Trailer, Youtube). By means of this, Giorgio Armani outperforms his competitors, bringing his competitive advantage to a new level. Armani, is that what one wants to wear – the oh so traditional, new trend. Overall recommendations When analyzing the world of Giorgio Armani, it seems nearly useless to give recommendation to the company, as he has been successfully managing the company, in all areas, since years. Anyhow, there are little areas where he could make some improvements. Even though Giorgio Armani is a luxurious brand, the brand could offer accessories slightly cheaper such as scarves, since these prices start from 248â‚ ¬ [=200,29? Exchange rate on the 13. 12. 2012) Armani Website] in order to make it possible for customers who desire the brand to make a purchase on a good which they could wear on a daily basis. This would increase even greater brand recognition and higher customer satisfaction, even for those who can’t afford Giorgio Armani itself. It makes them feel to be a small part of the world of Armani. Regarding the failure of interacting the social trend of â€Å"going green† and â€Å"being socially active† in 2009 where Armani presented fur in his catwalk, after making great announcements to PETA. To get rid of his negative image, and create a more valuable relationship to celebrities, he could get involved in social activities. Due to his great relations to celebrities, he might use these, to get those who are highly involved with PETA, such as Katie Holmes, to change his image. Appendix 1. 1 (PETA, 2008) Bibliography Articles| | | Fleuranvil, Fabiola. â€Å"Fashion Marketing Planning. †Ã‚  Ezine Articles. SparkNET, 11 July 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . | | Modeopfer. Modelabel Giorgio Armani. †Ã‚  Modeopfer 110. N. p. , 15 May 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . | Books| | | McKelvey, Kathryn, and Janine Munslow. Fashion Forecasting. Chichester, U. K. : Wiley-Blackwell, 2008. Print. | Images| | | * â€Å"Google. †Ã‚  Google. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. | | * http://image. rakuten. co. jp/playerz/cabinet/ax/img55589066. jpg| | * http://www. citypictures1. com/Tokyo-Pictures/Tokyo-Night-483-588-picture. htm| | * http://www. google. de/search? ource=ig&rlz=1G1SVED_ DEDE394&q=logo+armani+jeans#hl=de&tbo=d&rlz=1G1SVED_DEDE394&sclient=psy-ab&q=logo+armani+collezioni&oq=logo+armani+colle&gs_l=serp. 1. 0. 0i30j0i8i30l3. 2513. 15980. 0. 17458. 17. 17. 0. 0. 0. 0. 395. 4859. 2-13j4. 17. 0†¦ 0. 0†¦ 1c. 1. d2_ergZZgEg&pbx=1&bav=on. 2,or. r_gc. r_pw. r_qf. &fp=6d03cd0ad1005791&bpcl=38897761&biw=1366&bih=667| | * http://www. italiadesignerbrands. com/ekmps/shops/annajones198/resources/Design/aj-armani-jeans-logo-56aa0ab37e-seeklogo-com-1-20120718143314-8b93d953. gif| | * http://www. outlet-cities. e/uploads/pics/armani-logo. jpg | Press Release| | | * â€Å"FASHION LEGEND GIORGIO ARMANI ON CNN'S ‘TALK ASIA' – Press Releases – Turner Asia. †Ã‚  FASHION LEGEND GIORGIO ARMANI ON CNN'S ‘TALK ASIA' – Press Releases – Turner Asia. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. | | * Armani SpA, Giorgio. â€Å"2009 Annual Report. †Ã‚  Giorgio Armani Press Release. 2010 Giorgio Armani SpA. Via Borgonuovo 11, Mila no. Printed in Italy, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . | Websites| | | * â€Å"2011 Esc Pau Armani Final Ppt.   2011 Esc Pau Armani Final Ppt. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. | | * â€Å"Armani. com Online Store – Autumn-Winter Collection 2012-13. †Ã‚  Armani. com-Online Store. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. ;http://www. armani. com/gb;. | | * â€Å"ELLE a? â€Å" Home – Fashion, Kollektionen, Models, Designer, Mode, Style, Trends. †Ã‚  ELLE a? â€Å" Home. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. | | * â€Å"Fashion News, Latest Trends, Catwalk Photos & Designers (Vogue. com UK). †Ã‚  Vogue UK. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. | | * â€Å"Mode, Trends, Beauty Und People – VOGUE. †Ã‚  VOGUE. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 012. | | * â€Å"Oil Rich. †Ã‚  ELLE. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. ;http://www. elle. com/;. | | * â€Å"Peta. de. †Ã‚  :: Pinocchio Armani. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. ;http://www. peta. de/web/pinocchi oarmani. 1842. html;. | Youtube| | | * James Bond 007 Skyfall | International Trailer (2012) ; Gewinnspiel. †Ã‚  YouTube. YouTube, 31 July 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. This research is based on my experiences of the internship I took part during Summer 2012 in London.