OUGD 406 - Studio Brief 2

For this brief, we have been given an animal at random and have been asked to create a double page spread on it; I got a guinea pig. Although I could go down the route of making my spread consisting of all facts and figures about guinea pigs etc. I would rather do something a little bit more creative. My idea at the moment is to create a spread that argues that guinea pig's are the best pets you can get (even if I don't believe this) To start, I need to gather some research about guinea pigs that I can use to argue my side.

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This is some information that I have gathered from www.aspca.org about Guinea Pigs. I am going to go through this text and pick out parts, by highlighting, that I think are interesting or could be of use later on in this brief.

'They’re not pigs and they’re not from New Guinea! Read on to find out what these South American natives need to stay happy and healthy.' - ASPCA

Larger than hamsters, but smaller than rabbits, guinea pigs can weigh a couple of pounds and generally live for five to seven years. The three most common breeds of guinea pig are the Smooth-Coated, with short, glossy fur; the Abyssinian, whose hair grows in fluffy tufts all over the body, and the Peruvian, with long, silky hair that flows to the ground.
Guinea pigs make wonderful companions. These docile members of the rodent family rarely bite and are known for squeaking with delight when their favorite humans enter the room. Guinea pigs are excellent starter pets for older children who have mastered proper handling techniques.
When you first get your pet, you’ll need to spend about $35 for a cage. Food runs about $75 a year, plus $25 annually for toys and treats, $50 for an annual veterinary check-up and $400 per year for litter and bedding material. We recommend adopting your guinea pig from a shelter or small-animal rescue group.
Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. If you keep two or more females together, they will become great friends. If you want two males, it’s smart to choose two babies from the same litter. Since guinea pigs, like all rodents, multiply rapidly, keeping males and females together is not recommended.
As a rule of thumb, you’ll need to provide a minimum of four square feet of cage space per guinea pig—but please try to get as large a cage as possible. You’ll need a solid-bottom cage—no wire floors, please, as they can irritate your pets’ feet. Plastic-bottom “tub cages” with wire tops also make great guinea pig homes. Never use a glass aquarium, due to the poor ventilation that it provides.
Always keep the cage indoors away from drafts and extreme temperatures, as guinea pigs are very susceptible to heatstroke. They’ll prefer an environment kept at 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line the bottom of the cage with aspen or hardwood shavings or some other form of safe bedding, such as grass hay. Do not use cedar or pine chips—the oils they contain can be dangerous to your pets. (P.S. Yes, you can train a guinea pig to use a litter box—but please note that this will require lots of time and patience!)
Guinea pigs love to hide when they play, so be sure to place cardboard tubes and/or empty coffee cans with smoothed edges in the enclosure for this purpose. Plastic pipes and flower pots are good, too, and bricks and rocks for climbing will be much appreciated. All guinea pigs need a cave for sleeping and resting, so please provide a medium-sized flower pot or covered sleeping box, readily available at pet supply stores.
Commercial guinea pig pellets should make up the bulk of your pet’s diet. Nutritionally complete, they’re available at pet supply stores, and are made from plants, seeds and veggies. Feed your guinea pigs twice daily, in the morning and in the evening.
The ASPCA recommends offering small amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables to your guinea pigs every day. Try grapes, cucumbers, corn, peas, carrots and pears. Half a handful of veggies and a slice of fresh fruit per pig is plenty. Always make sure to clean up any leftover fresh food before it spoils. You’ll also need to make grass hay available to your pets at all times. It’s great for the digestive system, and will also satisfy your pet’s need to gnaw.
Unlike other animals, guinea pigs cannot manufacture Vitamin C, so you’ll need to ensure that your pets get enough of this essential nutrient every day. A quarter of an orange will do, but you can also include some fruits and veggies that are high in C to their daily ration of fresh foods, such as kale, dandelion greens and strawberries.
Fresh, clean water should be available at all times. Use an inverted bottle with a drinking tube, and change the water daily.
Remove soiled bedding, droppings and stale food from the cage daily. Clean the cage completely once a week by replacing dirty bedding and scrubbing the bottom of the cage with warm water. Be sure everything’s dry before adding fresh bedding.
Did you know that guinea pigs’ teeth grow continuously, just like those of other rodents? That’s why it is important that you provide yours with something to gnaw on at all times. Branches and twigs from untreated trees will work, as will any small piece of wood that hasn’t been treated with chemicals.
It’s crucial that you get your pets used to you—and used to being handled. Start by feeding them small treats. When they’re comfortable with that, you can carefully pick up one pig at a time, one hand supporting the bottom, the other over the back.
Once you have hand-tamed your piggies, you should let them run around in a small room or enclosed area to get some additional exercise every day. You will need to carefully check the room for any openings from which the guinea pigs can escape, get lost and possibly end up hurt. These animals must be supervised when they are loose because they will chew on anything in their paths—including electrical wires.
Guinea pigs are very conscientious about grooming themselves, but brushing them on a regular basis will help keep their coat clean and remove any loose hairs. Long-haired guinea pigs should be brushed daily in order to prevent tangles and knots from forming.
If you think one of your guinea pigs is sick, don’t delay—seek medical attention immediately. Common signs that something isn’t right include sneezing, coughing, diarrhea and lethargy. Guinea pigs are also susceptible to external parasites such as mites and lice. If you think your pet is infested, head to the vet for treatment.

This research was taken from http://www.guinealynx.info:

General rule of thumb in terms of Guinea Pig weight loss:

• One ounce weight fluctuation is OK.
•  Two ounces - Go on alert.  
• Three ounces - Extreme red alert.  
• Four ounces - Get the pig to a vet.

The safest way to introduce a new guinea pig to a pet you already have is to quarantine any new pig for 2 to 3 weeks behind closed doors.

Warning: Young children should not be allowed to carry a guinea pig. They may squeeze too tightly or accidentally drop a cavy with tragic consequences.

This information was taken from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-guinea-pigs.html:

Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Though they are called 'guinea pigs', neither do they come from Guinea, nor are they related to pigs. Some believe that they were named guinea pigs, as they were sold for a guinea (a gold coin worth 21 shillings) in England.
They grows to a length of about 8 to 10 inches and weighs between 700 to 1200 g. Its average life expectancy is 4 to 5 years, but with proper care they can live up to 7 or 8 years. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest living guinea pig lived for 14 years and 10.5 months.
These rodents are born with their eyes open. They sport a fur coat at birth. Although, they are small enough to fit into the palm of our hand when born, they grow very fast. They can start running within four hours of birth.
The most common breeds are the American, the Abyssinian and the Peruvian guinea pigs. These breeds are differentiated on the basis of their fur coats. The American breed has a short and smooth fur coat, while the Peruvian breed sports long hair.
Like human beings, they can't produce vitamin C on their own, so they have to depend on external sources for the required amount of the vitamin. Fresh fruits, vegetables like carrots and broccoli, fresh hay and green leaves like spinach and lettuce should be included in their diet. Though, they need to be fed only once a day, they can occasionally have small meals.
Boars become sexually mature 3 to 5 weeks after birth; while sows attain maturity at the age of 4 weeks. Sows can carry litter even before they become adults. Being social animals, these animals prefer to stay in pairs, but a male-female pair will indulge in frequent reproduction.
Guinea pigs have been of great use have been of great use in medical research. They were used in a research experiment conducted in 1890, when an anti-toxin for diphtheria was discovered. They are used even today in research work pertaining to human ailments such as tuberculosis, scurvy and juvenile diabetes.
They can be good pets for kids because they don't bite or scratch like other rodents. Their teeth continue growing with age, so some twigs or chew toys can be offered to them, to ensure that their teeth don't grow too large.
They don't require vaccinations, but they can suffer from ailments such as respiratory infections and diarrhea. Mange mites is observed to be a common cause for hair fall and excessive scratching in this animal. They also suffer from lice and fungal infections.
Cavies are easy to domesticate because they have a very good memory. Their sharp senses of smell, hearing and touch fill-in for their poor eyesight. When they are attacked by a predator, they run haphazardly - it's their defense mechanism to confuse the predator.
Guinea pigs, which were domesticated for meat by ancient tribes, have become a major part of the diet in many parts of South America today. People of Peru alone consume around 65 million guinea pigs every year.

From looking through all of the research that I have gathered, whilst thinking about the publication that I am to create from it, I have decided to look further into two aspects: 

• Guinea pigs have been of great use have been of great use in medical research. They were used in a research experiment conducted in 1890, when an anti-toxin for diphtheria was discovered. They are used even today in research work pertaining to human ailments such as tuberculosis, scurvy and juvenile diabetes.
•  Guinea pigs, which were domesticated for meat by ancient tribes, have become a major part of the diet in many parts of South America today. People of Peru alone consume around 65 million guinea pigs every year.

I think from my two choices, I am going to look more into the experimentation and animal testing side. I think this is a very interesting topic as everybody has an opinion in terms of whether it's a good thing or not. I am now going to look for research about experimenting and animal testing etc.

This information is found on http://www.ehow.com/list_5920812_science-ideas-using-guinea-pigs.html:

Sight, Memory or Smell -
This project assesses whether a guinea pig can find its way through a maze to a carrot or other treat, through sight, memory or smell. First construct a maze large enough to accommodate the guinea pig with walls preventing it from jumping over them. Then, place a carrot at a far end of the maze. Outline a clear path to the carrot using bright tape on the bottom of the maze. See if the guinea pig can follow the path to the carrot. Record your results.
Take away the tape and rub the trail with a strong carrot or treat scent (rubbing the trail with the guinea pig's favorite fruit or vegetable will help). See if the guinea pig can follow the smell to the carrot. Record your results. Remove the smell and see if the guinea pig can remember the path to the carrot, without any other forms of help. Watch carefully and record your results.

Artificial Light and Sleep Habits -
This project is a bit more involved, requires more than one guinea pig and constant vigilance. For your control group, you need a guinea pig in a cage kept in a room with natural light. Don't stick the guinea pig cage directly in a window as this can make the guinea pig too hot or too cold. Just have it be normally exposed to only natural light.
For your variable group, you should have a guinea pig in a room without windows, set on a precise schedule of artificial light (lamps, overhead lighting) and total darkness. You would have to monitor each group closely and record their sleeping and waking patterns. This might be difficult to do, as few people can be home all the time, but perhaps you can set up webcams so that you they're under constant surveillance.

Aromatherapy -
While this experiment was originally created for hamsters, you can easily convert it to use guinea pigs. This project gauges how different smells can affect the sleep and feeding habits of a guinea pig. Take four film containers and punch holes into the lids. Inside each film container place a cotton ball. Soak each cotton ball in a different scented oil such as: orange, lavender, lilac, ambrosia, sweet fennel and cardamom. Each day, put a different scent in the cage of the guinea pig. Watch your guinea pig closely and evaluate how much it sleeps, eats, plays with toys, and runs around. Just make sure the film container is sealed tightly so the guinea pig will not ingest the cotton.

This information was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea-pig:

Guinea pig being injected to test a chemical for its carcinogenic properties

The use of guinea pigs in scientific experimentation dates back at least to the 17th century, when the Italian biologists Marcello Malpighi and Carlo Fracassati conducted vivisections of guinea pigs in their examinations of anatomic structures. In 1780, Antoine Lavoisier used a guinea pig in his experiments with the calorimeter, a device used to measure heat production. The heat from the guinea pig's respiration melted snow surrounding the calorimeter, showing that respiratory gas exchange is a combustion, similar to a candle burning. Guinea pigs played a major role in the establishment of germ theory in the late 19th century, through the experiments of Louis Pasteur, Émile Roux, and Robert Koch. Guinea pigs have been launched into orbital space-flight several times, first by the USSR on the Sputnik 9 biosatellite of March 9, 1961 – with a successful recovery. China also launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as passengers.

In English, the term guinea pig is commonly used as a metaphor for a subject of scientific experimentation, or any experiment or test in modern times. This dates back to the early 20th century; the Oxford English Dictionary notes its first usage in this capacity in 1913. In 1933, Consumers Research founders F. J. Schlink and Arthur Kallet wrote a book entitled 100,000,000 Guinea Pigs, extending the metaphor to consumer society. The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement. The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel The Guinea Pigs by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.

Guinea pigs were popular laboratory animals until the later 20th century; about 2.5 million guinea pigs were used annually in the U.S. for research in the 1960s, but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s. As of 2007, they constitute approximately 2% of the current total of laboratory animals. In the past they were widely used to standardize vaccines and antiviral agents; they were also often employed in studies on the production of antibodies in response to extreme allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation. Since the middle 20th century, they have been replaced in laboratory contexts primarily by mice and rats. This is in part because research into the genetics of guinea pigs has lagged behind that of other rodents, although geneticists W. E. Castle and Sewall Wright made a number of contributions to this area of study, especially regarding coat color. In 2004, the U.S.'s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.

The guinea pig was most extensively implemented in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases. Common uses included identification of brucellosis, Chagas disease, cholera, diphtheria, foot-and-mouth disease, glanders, Q fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and various strains of typhus. They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria. Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans, cannot synthesize vitamin C but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy. From the accidental discovery in 1907 that scurvy could be induced in guinea pigs, to their use to prove the chemical structure of the "ascorbutic factor" in 1932, the guinea pig model proved a crucial part of vitamin C research.

Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of the guinea pig. Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation, and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin antibodies. Present at a level 10 times that found in other mammals, the insulin in guinea pigs may be important in growth regulation, a role usually played by growth hormone. Additionally, guinea pigs have been identified as model organisms for the study of juvenile diabetes and, because of the frequency of pregnancy toxemia, of pre-eclampsia in human females.

Guinea pig strains used in scientific research are primarily outbred strains. Aside from the common American or English stock, the two main outbred strains in laboratory use are the Hartley and Dunkin-Hartley; these English strains are albino, although pigmented strains are also available. Inbred strains are less common and are usually used for very specific research, such as immune system molecular biology. Of the inbred strains that have been created, the two that are still used with any frequency are, following Sewall Wright's designations, "Strain 2" and "Strain 13".

Hairless breeds of guinea pigs have been used in scientific research since the 1980s, particularly for dermatological studies. A hairless and immunodeficient breed was the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation in inbred laboratory strains from the Hartley stock at the Eastman Kodak Company in 1979. An immunocompetent hairless breed was also identified by the Institute Armand Frappier in 1978, and Charles River Laboratories has reproduced this breed for research since 1982. Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as "skinny pigs".

I then looked into animal testing, a lot of information about this subject is available online. This information can be found on http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/animal_testing.htm (WARNING: website contains graphic imagery):

"Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are like us.' Ask the experimenters why it is morally OK to experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are not like us.' Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction."

- Professor Charles R. Magel

This information was taken from http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Animal_testing:

In the fiscal year ending in 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported a total of 1,177,566 primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other species used research. (A 7% increase in one year.) The breakdown by species was: 66,610 dogs, 57,531 primates, 58,598 pigs, 245,786 rabbits, 22,921 cats, 176,988 hamsters, 32,260 sheep, 64,146 other farm animals, 221,286 guinea pigs and 231,440 other animals.

According to the last year which the United Kingdom published vivisection statistics (1999), 2.66 million animals were subjected to experiments "likely to cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm". This includes 64% of experiments which were conducted without any anesthesia. All animals either die as a result of the experiments or are destroyed at the end. Additionally, approximately 9 million animals are bred and destroyed (gassed or decapitated) to fulfill "surplus requirements" for the industry.

This information was found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_testing:

This shows the ratio of animals that are used for testing; the types of vertebrate animals used in lab research in Europe in 2005.

Other rodents commonly used are guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. Mice are the most commonly used vertebrate species because of their size, low cost, ease of handling, and fast reproduction rate. 

- This is the symbol used to represent if the product hasn't been used on animals.
I have decided I am going to look also into brands and companies that don't, or do, test on animals; also looking into the organisations set up that are against it. I would like to find out more about how they test on them and the effects it has on the animals.

This information was taken from http://www.thevegetariansite.com/ethics_test.htm. This is a list that states all of the companies, and associated brands, that still tests on animals. It was updated on September 8, 2012 and so is an up to date list:

• Alcon Labs
• Allergan, Inc.
• American Beauty
• Answer
• Aramis
• Arm & Hammer
• ArmorAll
• Arrid
• Aveda
• Avon
• Axe
• Aziza
• Bain de Soleil
• Ban Roll-on
• Banana Boat
• Bausch & Lomb
• Benckiser
• BenGay
• Biotherm
• Block Drug Co. Inc.
• Bobbi Brown
• Bounty
• Boyle-Midway
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
• Bumble and Bumble
• Cacherel
• Cargill
• Carpet Fresh
• Carter-Wallace
• Chesebrough-Ponds
• Church & Dwight
• Clarion
• Clairol
• Clear Choice
• Clinique
• Clorox
• Commerce Drug Co.
• Consumer Value Stores
• Coppertone
• Coty
• Cover Girl
• Crest
• Daisy Fuentes
• Dana Perfumes
• Darphin
• Dawn
• Del Laboratories
• Desitin
• Dial Corporation
• Diversey
• Donna Karan
• Dove
• Dow Brands
• Drackett Products Co.
• Drano
• EcoLab
• Eli Lilly & Co.
• El Sanofi Inc.
• Elizabeth Arden
• Erno Laszlo
• Estee Lauder
• Faberge
• Fantastik
• Fendi
• Final Net
• Finesse
• First Response
• Flame Glow
• Flirt!
• Garnier
• Giorgio Armani
• Givaudan-Roure
• Glade
• Glass Plus
• Good Skin
• Grassroots skin care
• Helena Rubinstein
• Helene Curtis Industries
• Herbal Essences
• Huggies
• ISO
• Ivory
• Jhirmack
• Jo Malone
• Johnson & Johnson
• Johnson Products Co.
• Jovan
• Kaboom
• Keri
• Kimberly-Clark Corp
• Kiton
• Kiwi Brands
• Kleenex
• La Mer
• Lab Series
• Lady's Choice
• Lancaster
• Lancome
• Lava
• Lever Brothers
• Lipton
• Listerine
• L'Oreal USA
• Lubriderm
• Lux
• Lysol
• MAC Cosmetics
• Mars (candy company)
• Mary Kay
• Matrix Essentials
• Max Factor
• Maybelline
• Mead
• Michael Kors
• Missoni
• Mop & Glo
• Nair
• Naturelle
• Neutrogena
• Neutron Industries, Inc.
• Ojon
• Olean
• Orange Glo
• Origins
• Oscar de la Renta
• OxiClean
• Pantene
• Parfums International
• Pearl Drops
• Pennex
• Pfizer, Inc.
• Pine-Sol
• Plax
• Playtex Corporation
• Pledge
• Polident
• Ponds
• Post-It
• Prescriptives
• Prestige Brands
• Prince Matchabelli
• Proctor & Gamble Co.
• Quintessence
• Raid
• Ralph Lauren Fragrances
• Reckitt Benckiser
• Redken
• Resolve
• Richardson-Vicks
• Sally Beauty Supply
• Sally Hansen
• Sanofi
• SC Johnson & Son
• Schering-Plough
• Scotch
• Scott Paper Co.
• Scrub Free
• Sean John Fragrances
• Sensodyne
• Signal
• Smashbox Cosmetics
• SmithKline Beecham
• Snobal
• SoftSheen
• S.O.S.
• Stanhome Inc.
• Sterling Drug
• Suave
• Sun Star
• Sunsilk
• TCB Naturals
• Tegrin
• 3M
• Tide
• Tilex
• Tom Ford Beauty
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Trojan
• Truvia
• Unilever
• Vaseline
• Vichy
• Vidal Sassoon
• Visine
• Vivid
• Warner-Lambert
• Westwood Pharmaceuticals
• White Shoulders
• Whitehall Laboratories
• Windex
• Woolite

As you can see, this list is still huge.

This information is from http://www.ehow.com/list_6708821_effects-animal-testing.html, as explains the different effects that animal testing can have on the animals:

Illness -

Often, chemicals tested internally on animals lead to illness. Animals often become lethargic or exhibit signs of distress. In some instances, this illness is because of a problem with the chemical being tested and in others the animals petite bodiesare ill-equipped to handle the dosage administered.

Skin Irritation -

Skin irritation is the common result of testing products topically on animals. Cosmetic companies are the most well known for animal skin testing, as in years past they tried cosmetics on animals prior to taking the products to market. This skin irritation can range from a minor rash to a serious skin infection.

Pain -

Many chemicals and medicines result in general pain for the animal test subject. This pain is often unquantifiable because animals cannot express their discomfort, but this pain is often exhibited by animals who refuse to eat or remain still instead of engaging in normal activity. 

Genetic Mutation -

Extensive testing, particularly testing involving radiation or medical procedures, can result in genetic mutations in test animals. In some instances, genetic mutations are induced to test the validity of a scientific principle or the effect of the manipulation of one or more of the animal's genes. These genetic mutations can result in the death of the animal or the inability for the animal to interact with other animals effectively.

Death -

Many test subjects die as a result of the testing they undergo. Often test animals are not given medical treatment to counteract the effects of the testing they are subjected to, resulting in eventual loss of body function and early death.

Images relating to animal testing and genetic mutation:

 
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To get some sort of understanding of what publications and double-page spreads look like I am going to do some research. To start, I am going to use the websites/blogs I gathered for my PPP blog.

www.shillingtondesignblog.com -

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www.archizines.com -

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www.magazinspiration.tumblr.com -

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These are some examples of publications that I have found and really like on Pinterest:

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Looking at this idea of a more scientific approach of imagery and design, this relating to the experimentation and testing that occurs, I looked for imagery that shared this similar aesthetic. This is what I found from looking on www.designspiration.com:

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I love the layout of this design and think it perfectly suits the style of double page spread I want to try and create; I want my final outcome to be more about aesthetics than practicality (readability etc.) This will become my main guide and reference point when I am creating my own double page spread.

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All of these examples use this idea of white on black, or black on white (sometimes the black is slightly lighter, making a dark grey colour), which is something I am going to use within my own design. This emphasises the idea of an x-ray and the scientific/experimental theme is much more obvious. I think that I am going to make my publication all black and white with another colour on top, perhaps for imagery or possibly even larger text. For this colour, I am thinking about using a bluey-green colour as this is the sort of colour that is associated with science and x-rays etc. (as you can see in this image)

 

 I am going to look at different colours and how they look on a white and black background, as I don't completely know yet what I will end up choosing. I am going to look at a range of blues and greens to see which I feel works best.

 I think that against both the black and white backgrounds, they all work nicely in portraying my clinical vibe. I think that one of the colours in between the blues and greens would work best alongside my text and imagery.

I want to use quite a basic, simple sans serif typeface for any headings or titles I may use. But, however, for the body copy I am thinking about possibly using a serif font to further portray my clinical, scientific representation. However, I shall look at different fonts and see how they look in conjunction with my colour scheme and imagery. In terms of layout, I am thinking about making my double page spread look like an x-ray sheet. I could accomplish this by placing text and information in the corners of the document and a large image central, like this:

 

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