There are two primary approaches to creating something: bottom-up design and top-down design . Top-down design is often seen in architecture. People do not build bricks randomly; instead, they follow the design drawings created by the architect. This method executes a plan that has already been established. When asked why something is built in a certain way, the answer is usually that the blueprint dictates its design. Conversely, bottom-up design does not start with a fixed goal, but rather involves setting and implementing small, actionable rules. For example, termite nests follow this approach. Small termites have a simple rule: to pile up soil. They do this without knowing the reason, but over time, the finished structure is remarkable and sophisticated. The appearance of the Sagrada Familia church , designed by Antoni Gaudà and still under construction, closely resembles a termite nest, differing only in size. Setting goals and planning is one way to create, but actual achievem...
In the Middle Ages, due to high illiteracy rates, paintings often served as the main medium of communication. Today, media communicates through monitor screens and their pixels. Pixels are rectangular dots created by hardware that combine to form text or images. Currently, the pixel is the smallest unit of media communication. Cryptopunks , NFTs created by Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson in 2017, are images composed of rough-resolution pixels. Although their value has increased due to their historical significance, ‘Cryptopunk #7523’ from the series was sold for $11,754,000 at Sotheby’s auction on June 10, 2021, because it conveyed rarity and history through its rough pixelation. This NFT, which utilizes square pixels as a tool, conveys a similar concept to Lego blocks , which are meant to be constructed with blocks. In media, messages are created, distributed, and valued based on the nature of the expression tool. The tool is the message . - Joseph’s “ju...