'You will create a body of research that explores the relationship between content, context and product in relation to an individually chosen subject or theme. In this exercise, you will begin to research a range of information and responses that clearly and effectively communicate and utilises your concepts in relation to:

A brief history of...

A collection of...

An introduction to...

Things you need to know about...

An exhibition of...'

Upon getting this brief, I initially thought the best starting point would be recapping on some of the research that I gathered over the summer. That task was very similar to this and could give me an indication of where to take it. My summer brief can be found here. From this, I decided that I had two topics that could become very interesting research projects; these being: Magic and Film & Television.

Both of these subjects are very broad and open for a lot of scope. However, when thinking about current graphic design as well as my topics, another idea came to mind. Something that I enjoy doing in my spare time, as a break from design, that is also very popular within the design world at the moment, is play ping pong. This left me with three topics that are all viable choices:

Magic
Film & Television
Ping Pong/Table Tennis

In order to identify which area I felt would be most appropriate, I initially decided to create some basic mind maps in order to explore each topic before I began any in-depth research. These are my mind maps and an explanation of what I have discovered from each one:

(insert mind maps here)

As I discovered from the mind maps, the area that I feel will be most interesting and appropriate for this project is ping pong & table tennis:

'Table tennis or ping-pong is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve, players must allow a ball played toward them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side. Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage. When doing so the hitter has a good chance of scoring if the spin is successful.

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis Federation , founded in 1926. ITTF currently includes 218 member associations. The table tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF handbook. Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport, with several event categories. In particular, from 1988 until 2004, these were: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008 a team event has been played instead of the doubles.'

The above information was found here. This page, despite being Wikipedia, has some interesting information that I want to use as a starting point for further research. I want to ensure that I focus on ping pong as a sport; it isn't very widely appreciated or watched, in comparison with other sports such as football, rugby, golf etc.

Now that I know what it is that I want to research, and have began gathering basic bits of general information, I also need to think about the possible titles that I can use and ensure I am gathering relevant information. I think the best way to gather research, whilst making sure that what I get will be useful and relevant, is to research into each possible title. This will also help me generate ideas and understand which titles will be more applicable to my chosen topic.

A Brief History of Ping Pong & Table Tennis:

The history of table tennis (or ping-pong as it is also commonly known) is a long and interesting sequence of events, which would require a book to do it justice. In this article I'm going to give a brief overview of the origins of the game, as well as what are generally acknowledged as many of the important highlights of the game's development.

12th Century AD - The game of table tennis probably descended from the the game of "Royal Tennis" (also known as Real Tennis or Court Tennis), which was played in the medieval era.
1880's - Some sources claim that the sport was once known as indoor tennis, and was played in the early 1880's by British army officers stationed in India and South Africa. These officers are supposed to have used cigar box lids as paddles, rounded wine bottle corks as balls, and books for an improvised net.
1880's - The game had become fashionable among the upper classes in England.
1887 - According to the ITTF website, the first use of the name "Table Tennis" appeared on a board and dice game made by J.H.Singer of New York.
1890 - The earliest existing evidence of a table tennis game is a set made by David Foster, patented in England, which included table versions of Lawn Tennis, Cricket and Football.
1891 - John Jacques of London introduce their "Gossima" game, which used drum-type paddles, a 50mm web wrapped cork ball, and a 30cm high net.
1890's - By this time, several patents with basic rules had been registered.
1890's - Parker Brothers begin making an indoor tennis kit which included a portable net, a small ball covered in netting, and paddles.
1900 - Englishman James Gibb is credited with bringing hollow celluloid balls back to England from the USA, although some other sources claim they were plastic balls. Previously most balls were solid rubber or cork, often covered in material. Some sources also credit Gibb with inventing the name "ping pong", which was supposed to have been derived from the sound of the ball bouncing off the drum battledores (paddles), each of which had a different sound.
1901 - John Jacques register "Ping Pong" as a trade name in England. The American rights to the name are sold to Parker Brothers.
1901 - On the 12th December 1901, "The Table Tennis Association" is formed in England. Four days later, "The Ping Pong Association" is also formed in England.
1901 - Table tennis is first brought to China via western settlements. (Guide note - Thanks guys - now look what you've done!)
1902 - Englishman E.C.Goode is credited with putting pebbled rubber on his wooden blade, allowing him to put more spin on the ball. This is the forerunner of the ordinary pimpled rubber racket, which will dominate table tennis until 1952.
1903 - On the 1st May 1903, "The Table Tennis Association" and "The Ping Pong Association" amalgamate, forming "The United Table Tennis and Ping Pong Association". This association will later revert its name to "The Table Tennis Association", before becoming defunct in 1904.

1920's - 1950's - Classic Hard Bat Era - Europe Dominates the Sport

1920's - In the early 1920's the game began to revive in England and Europe.
1922 - "The Table Tennis Association" is reconstituted, with the name "English Table Tennis Association" being adopted in 1927.
1926 - The International Table Tennis Federation is formed.
1926-1931 - Maria Mednyanszky of Hungary wins the Women's Singles event at the World Championships five times in a row.
1930-1935 - Victor Barna of Hungary wins five of the six Men's Singles events at the World Championships (and was runner up in 1931).
1935 - The American Ping Pong Association, US Amateur Table Tennis Association, and National Table Tennis Association merge to form the US Table Tennis Association (which was renamed USA Table Tennis in 1994).
1936 - Repainted tables (which made the playing surface very slow) and a high net (6¾ inches high) combine to make attacking play very difficult at the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. This results in the longest rally ever in a World Championships taking place, lasting over two hours.
1938 - The ITTF lowers the net from 6¾ inches to 6 inches, and bans the fingerspin serves which had been used with devasting effect by American players.
1940-1946 - No World Championships held due to World War II.
1950-1955 Angelica Rozeanu-Adelstein of Romania wins six Women's Singles titles in a row at the World Championships. Since her last title win in 1955, every World Champion in Women's Singles has been an Asian player.

1950's - 1970's - Sponge Bat Era, Rise of Japan and China

1952 - Hiroji Satoh of Japan becomes notorious for his use of a wooden racket covered in thick foam sponge rubber, which produces much more speed and spin than conventional pimpled rubber rackets. He wins the 1952 World Championships over Jozsef Koczian of Hungary, and begins a period of Asian male domination in the sport which will last until Sweden rises to supremacy from 1989 into the early 1990's.
1957 - The World Championships changes to a biennial event (once every two years), due to the logistics of hosting an event of such size, and difficulty in finding suitable venues.
1958 - The first European Championships is conducted in Budapest, Hungary, and sees the USSR's debut in international table tennis.
1959-1960 - The ITTF standardizes the thickness of ordinary pimpled rubber and sponge rubber.

1960's - In the early 1960's, the loop drive was invented and become popular around the world.
1960's - From around 1965 to 1971, China under the rule of Ma Tse-Tung disappears from world table tennis events.
1961-1965 - Zhuang Zedong of China wins 3 Men's Singles titles in a row at the World Championships, each time over compatriot Li Furong.
1960's - In the early 1960's, Xhang Xi Lin of China uses a "Yin-Yan" bat with normal rubber on one side, and long pimples on the other - the first recorded instance of successful combination bat play.
1971 - China returns to International Competition at the 1971 World Championships.
1971 - The US Table Tennis Team takes a "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" trip to China, in a world first effort to use sport to establish and improve diplomatic relations.
1971 - Jean-Paul Weber of France uses the first anti-spin rubber in the World Championships in Nagoya, Japan, and enjoys some success with its use.
1971 - The first Commonwealth Championships are held in Singapore.

1970's - 2000's - the Age of Speed Glue & Technology

1970's - Table tennis players discover that using bicycle tyre repair glue to put rubber on a blade dramatically increases the speed and spin that can be produced. This discovery is often credited to Dragutin Surbek of Yugoslavia, and Tibor Klampar of Hungary. This discovery is called speed glue.
1970's-1989 - China is the dominant force in both men's and women's events on the world scene, winning multiple events at all world championships.
1980 - John Hilton of England wins the European Championships using a combination bat of normal rubber and antispin, twiddling the racket and playing aggressively.
1980 - The first World Cup event is held in Hong Kong.
1982 - The initial World Veteran's Championships is conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden.
1980's - In 1985, the two colour rule is adopted to reduce the effectiveness of combination rackets.
1988 - Table Tennis becomes an Olympic sport, in Seoul, South Korea.
1989-1993 - Sweden breaks the Chinese stranglehold in Men's World Championships, winning the 1989, 1991, and 1993 Teams Events, and producing the 1989 and 1991 World Men's Champions (Jan-Ove Waldner and Jorgen Persson respectively). China continues its dominance in female ranks.
1995-present - China reasserts its control over the Mens Team and Mens Singles events at the World Championships.
1997 - Jan-Ove Waldner wins the Mens Singles title at the World Championships for the second time, this time without the loss of a single game!
2000 - A brief blip in the Chinese men's dominance occurs when the aging Swedish trio of Jan-Ove Waldner, Jorgen Persson and Peter Karlsson combine to steal the Mens Team title in a thrilling final.
2000 - The ITTF increases the ball diameter to 40mm.
2001 - The ITTF changes the scoring system, moving to 11 point games, and using a best of 5 games or best of 7 games match.
2002 - Table Tennis becomes a Commonwealth Games Sport, at Manchester, England.
2003 - Werner Schlager of Austria breaks the Chinese stranglehold on the Men's Singles World Championship title, saving several match points along the way against opponents in Wang Liqin and Kong Linghui. He meets Joo Se Hyuk of South Korea in the final - Joo is the first defensive player to make the Mens Singles final since the Eberhard Scholer of Germany in 1969 (Scholer also lost in his final, to Japan's Shigeo Itoh).
2000's - In the early 2000's, frictionless long pimples become popular among many players, in an attempt to negate the the power and spin produced by modern technology and speed glue.
2006 - The intended banning of frictionless long pips and speed glues with toxic organic solvents is announced by the ITTF.
2007 - The ITTF withdraws its approval of all table tennis glues, following a health incident involving a speed glue user in Japan.
2008 - The use of speed glues with illegal VOCs is banned for all ITTF junior competitions as of January 1. Machines that test for illegal VOCs are introduced to check for rules infractions.

The above information was found here. This website covers a lot of the history of table tennis and is very informative. However, I am unsure as to whether this information would be very useful to me in terms of this project. I am however interested in certain aspects of the history, such as its origins and previous winners. I found that the Wikipedia page had an informative section that explained that origins of table tennis and ping pong further:

'The game originated in England during the 1880s, where it was played among the upper-class as an after-dinner parlour game. It has been suggested that the game was first developed by British military officers in India or South Africa who brought it back with them. A row of books were stood up along the center of the table as a net, two more books served as rackets and were used to continuously hit a golf-ball from one end of the table to the other. Alternatively table tennis was played with paddles made of cigar box lids and balls made of champagne corks. The popularity of the game led game manufacturers to sell equipment commercially. Early rackets were often pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, and the sound generated in play gave the game its first nicknames of "wiff-waff" and "ping-pong". A number of sources indicate that the game was first brought to the attention of Hamley's of Regent Street under the name "Gossima". The name "ping-pong" was in wide use before British manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. The name "ping-pong" then came to be used for the game played by the rather expensive Jaques's equipment, with other manufacturers calling it table tennis. A similar situation arose in the United States, where Jaques sold the rights to the "ping-pong" name to Parker Brothers. Parker Brothers then enforced their trademark for the term in the 1920s making the various associations change their names to "table tennis" instead of the more common, but trademarked, term.'

The above information was found here. I really like the way in which ping pong was invented, through the use of items such as cigar boxes for paddles and books serving as nets. I also think it is interesting that the name came from the actual sounds made from the action of playing.

A list of World Table Tennis Championship medalists can be found here. It dates back to 1926 and covers all of the possible winners including:

Mens Singles
Mens Doubles
Women's Singles
Women's Doubles
Mixed Doubles
Mens Team
Women's Team

From looking through these lists, you can clearly see various areas of similarities, almost like trends. You can see how in the more recent years countries such as China and Japan have dominated the sport. This type of information would lend itself very well to information graphics, a route that could be interesting to look into further.

A Collection of Ping Pong & Table Tennis Items:

The items that are needed in order to play a game of table tennis are very basic and only really consists of three things (information taken from here):

A Ball -

The international rules specify that the game is played with a light 2.7 gram, 40 mm diameter ball. The rules say that the ball shall bounce up 24–26 cm when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm onto a standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Olympic Games. However, this created some controversy as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to give non-Chinese players a better chance of winning since the new type of balls has a slower speed, while at that time most Chinese players were playing with fast attack and smashes. A 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than the original 38 mm (1.5 inch) one. The ball is made of a high-bouncing air-filled celluloid or similar plastics material, coloured white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball colour is made according to the table colour and its surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on a gray table. Manufacturers often indicate the quality of the ball with a star-rating system, usually from one to three, three being the highest grade. As this system is not standard across manufacturers, the only way a ball may be used in official competition is upon ITTF approval. The ITTF approval can be seen printed on the ball.

A Table -

The table is 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 1.525 m (5 ft) wide, and 76 cm (30 inch) high with any continuous material so long as the table yields a uniform bounce of about 23 cm when a standard ball is dropped onto it from a height of 30 cm. The table or playing surface is uniformly dark coloured and matte, divided into two halves by a 15.25 cm (6 inch) high net. The ITTF approves only wooden tables or their derivates. Concrete tables with a steel net or a solid concrete partition are sometimes available in outside public spaces, such as parks.

A Racket -

Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two sides depending on the grip of the player. The official ITTF term is "racket", though "bat" is common in Britain, and "paddle" in the U.S.

The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly features anywhere between one and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, and Kevlar are sometimes used. According to the ITTF regulations, at least 85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood. Common wood types include balsa, limba, and cypress or "hinoki," which is popular in Japan. The average size of the blade is about 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) long and 6 inches (15 cm) wide. Although the official restrictions only focus on the flatness and rigidness of the blade itself, these dimensions are optimal for most play styles.

Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket. Various types of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of his racket, and one that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the racket in play, different types of returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between the rubber used by his opposing player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be black.The player has the right to inspect his opponent's racket before a match to see the type of rubber used and what colour it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges, a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used to hit the ball. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any time during a match.

However, although the above items are the essential things needed in order to play the game, there are also other items that are used. The image below shows the sort of clothing that would be commonly worn when playing table tennis. Obviously the clothing needs to be comfortable and allow a lot of movement, and so a t-shirt and shorts combination is the ideal choice.

An Introduction to Ping Pong & Table Tennis:

I think that 'An introduction to Ping Pong & Table Tennis' is a tricky title to pin down, as you would need to include small aspects of all the other titles in order to successfully introduce someone to ping pong and table tennis. However, if I was to focus on this title, I would also like to include some more technical aspects of the actual game. The following information was all found here:

Starting a game -

According to ITTF rule 2.13.1, the first service is decided by lot, normally a coin toss. It is also common for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other hand (usually hidden under the table), allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball is in. The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the option to choose to serve, receive, or to choose which side of the table to use. (A common but non-sanctioned method is for the players to play the ball back and forth three times and then play out the point. This is commonly referred to as "serve to play" or "rally to serve"or "play for serve")

Service and return -

In game play, the player serving the ball commences a play. The server first stands with the ball held on the open palm of the hand not carrying the paddle, called the freehand, and tosses the ball directly upward without spin, at least 16 centimetres (approximately 6 inches) high. The server strikes the ball with the racket on the ball's descent so that it touches first his court and then touches directly the receiver's court without touching the net assembly. In casual games, many players do not toss the ball upward; however, this is technically illegal and can give the serving player an unfair advantage.

The ball must remain behind the endline and above the upper surface of the table, known as the playing surface, at all times during the service. The server cannot use his body or clothing to obstruct sight of the ball; the opponent and the umpire must have a clear view of the ball at all times. If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service they may first interrupt play and give a warning to the server. If the serve is a clear failure or is doubted again by the umpire after the warning, the receiver scores a point.

If the service is "good", then the receiver must make a "good" return by hitting the ball back before it bounces a second time on receiver's side of the table so that the ball passes the net and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly. Thereafter, the server and receiver must alternately make a return until the rally is over. Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move is often the least predictable and thus most advantageous shot due to the numerous spin and speed choices at his or her disposal.

Let -

A Let is a rally of which the result is not scored, and is called in the following circumstances:

The ball touches the net in service, provided the service is otherwise correct or the ball is obstructed by the player on the receiving side. Obstruction means a player touches the ball when it is above or traveling towards the playing surface, not having touched the player's court since last being struck by the player.

When the player on the receiving side is not ready and the service is delivered.

Player's failure to make a service or a return or to comply with the Laws is due to a disturbance outside the control of the player.

Play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.

Scoring -

A point is scored by the player for any of several results of the rally:

The opponent fails to make a correct service or return.

After making a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net assembly before being struck by the opponent.

The ball passes over the player's court or beyond his end line without touching his court, after being struck by the opponent.

The opponent obstructs the ball.

The opponent strikes the ball twice successively. Note that the hand that is holding the racket counts as part of the racket and that making a good return off one's hand or fingers is allowed. It is not a fault if the ball accidentally hits one's hand or fingers and then subsequently hits the racket.

The opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface is not covered with rubber.

The opponent moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly.

The opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.

As a receiver under the expedite system, completing 13 returns in a rally.

The opponent that has been warned by the umpire commits a second offence in the same individual match or team match. If the third offence happens, 2 points will be given to the player. If the individual match or the team match has not ended, any unused penalty points can be transferred to the next game of that match.

A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points unless both players score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games. In competition play, matches are typically best of five or seven games.

Alternation of services and ends -

Service alternates between opponents every two points (regardless of winner of the rally) until the end of the game, unless both players score 10 points or the expedite system is operated, when the sequences of serving and receiving stay the same but each player serves for only 1 point in turn. The player serving first in a game receives first in the next game of the match.

After each game, players switch sides of the table. In the last possible game of a match, for example the seventh game in a best of seven matches, players change ends when the first player scores 5 points, regardless of whose turn it is to serve. If the sequence of serving and receiving is out of turn or the ends is not changed, points scored in the wrong situation are still calculated and the game shall be resumed with the order at the score that has been reached.

Double game -

In doubles, all the rules of single play are applied except for the following.In addition to games between individual players, pairs may also play table tennis. Singles and doubles are both played in international competition, including the Olympic Games since 1988 and the Commonwealth Games since 2002. In 2005, the ITTF announced that doubles table tennis only was featured as a part of team events in the 2008 Olympics.

Service -

A line painted along the long axis of the table to create doubles courts bisects the table. This line's only purpose is to facilitate the doubles service rule, which is that service, must originate from the right hand "box" in such a way that the first bounce of the serve bounces once in said right hand box and then must bounce at least once in the opponent side's right hand box (far left box for server), or the receiving pair score a point.

Order of play, serving and receiving -

Players must alternate hitting the ball. For example, if A is paired with B, X is paired with Y, A is the server and X is the receiver. The order of play shall be A→X→B→Y. The rally proceeds this way until one side fails to make a legal return and the other side scores.
At each change of service, the previous receiver shall become the server and the partner of the previous server shall become the receiver. For example, if the previous order of play is A→X→B→Y, the order becomes X→B→Y→A after the change of service.
In the second or the latter games of a match, the game begins in reverse order of play. For example, if the order of play is A→X→B→Y at beginning of the first game, the order begins with X→A→Y→B or Y→B→X→A in the second game depending on either X or Y being chosen as the first server of the game. That means the first receiver of the game is the player who served to the first server of the game in the preceding game. In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of them will do so. The receiving pair, however, can only choose in the first game of the match.
When a pair reaches 5 points in the final game, the pairs must switch ends of the table and change the receiver to reverse the order of play. For example, when the last order of play before a pair score 5 points in the final game is A→X→B→Y, the order after change shall be A→Y→B→X if A still has the second serve. Otherwise, X is the next server and the order becomes X→A→Y→B.

Expedite system -

If a game is unfinished after 10 minutes' play and fewer than 18 points have been scored, the expedite system is initiated. The umpire interrupts the game, and the game resumes with players serving for 1 point in turn. If the expedite system is introduced while the ball is not in play, the previous receiver shall serve first. Under the expedite system, the server must win the point before the opponent makes 13 consecutive returns or the point goes to the opponent. The system can also be initiated at any time at the request of both players or pairs. Once introduced, the expedite system remains in force until the end of the match. A rule to shorten the time of a match, it is mainly seen in defensive players' games.

I also wanted to look further into the actual gameplay of the game, this being something that could be interesting to work with. I looked at the various grips and strokes that are used within the sport (information again found here). I think that the technical side of the sport is something that I find very interesting, the way in which it almost becomes completely about mathematics and technique.

Things You Need To Know About Ping Pong & Table Tennis:

In terms of what I think people need to know about ping pong and table tennis, I feel like I have already covered the vast majority of the information. This title is very similar to the previous title of 'An Introduction To Ping Pong & Table Tennis', both of them involve communicating a little bit of information about a lot of areas of the sport instead of focusing on one area and communicating a lot of information about just that.

An Exhibition of Ping Pong & Table Tennis:

Currently within the graphic design community table tennis seems to be something of a trend, there have been a few various events and exhibitions based around the sport. When researching into table tennis, looking for examples of the combination of table tennis and graphic design, Harrison told me about this website called Hypebeast, which is 'a lifestyle magazine that features the latest in men's fashion, art, design and music.' On it, I found this:

'The Art of Ping Pong for BBC Children in Need Art Show -

To help support BBC’s Children in Need charity organisation, design agency Fivefootsix will be auctioning off a selection of ping pong paddles customised by illustrators and creatives alike across various disciples. With collaborators like Robert Ball, Kate Copeland, James Dawe, Hello Marine, Remi Rough, Camille Rousseau, Lorna Scobie, Hattie Stewart, Swifty and Chris Wormell, the artful auction will close on Friday with all proceeds going to the aforementioned charity. To grab a closer look at the collection or to place a bid, please visit The Art of Ping Pong.'

Here are some examples of the work they created in order to raise money:

This is one of the various ways that I could approach the brief. However, I think that although this type of outcome would be very suitable for the title 'A Collection Of', it has already been done. I would like to try communicating something new, or old information in a new way. I am going to try thinking about what it is about table tennis that I want to communicate; whether I want to inform, educate, persuade, entertain etc. as well as the types of outcomes I am thinking about designing.

Although the images above represent an art exhibition, when thinking in terms of the sport, an exhibition is a way in which players can show off their skills without the pressure of competition. For example, the video below shows highlights of an exhibition: