Revisiting Petra Loffler

I first discovered Loffller and her theory on distraction in September with an interview (original blog post here), however I have now found that several months ago, at the start of 2013, Loffler talked at a conference.

I decided to revisit the theory and see if it can be applied to aesthetics again as I once attempted originally. 


When discussing a Robit's views on attention, Loffler concludes quite literally that attention is an abnormal state of mind. Although Löffler talks about modern mass media such as cinema I can relate the gawker theory that she discusses in terms of  applied graphics in packaging design. There is a lot of brain science and academic thought in Loffler's theories, much of it irrelevant to my investigations into craft beer sales, however I feel that there is much to be said about how the brain can process "several streams of attention".
It is possible that when looking at several pieces of design in context such as a crowded bar, something which distracts the mind towards it can become the focus of a spontaneous decision to purchase a product, such as a bottle of beer. If Loffler interprets Robit's ideas of attention to be abnormal states of consciousness then perhaps macro produced products are bought because they are always bought. They are mass produced, and therefore by nature consumed en-mass. Something that is produced at a smaller scale which more care and consideration can be harder to sell to the wider public because they simply do not see it. 

I have Harvard referenced this video below, for the purpose of using it in the dissertation.






Unlike Us #3 - Petra Löffler: A History of Distraction From a Media-Archaeological Perspective from network cultures on Vimeo.

Still image of video

Original video link (here)

Harvard Reference

Network Cultures. (2013). Unlike Us #3 - Petra Löffler: A History of Distraction From a Media-Archaeological Perspective. [Online Video]. 22 March. Available from: http://vimeo.com/64056087. [Accessed: 31 December 2013].