spend some time reflecting on the work you've made. tell me what revelations you've had about the following areas throughout your process:
- conceptual / ideation
- formal / craft
- project scope
- technical / building / coding
- organization / deadlines / discipline
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
as far as the conceptual/ideation process in my degree project, i've realized that no matter what kind of preconceived notions you have about what you're going to do, after ever discussion (with peers, teachers, or advisors) the idea will always change in some form or another. i don't think i've ever made SO many changes to an idea for one project.
my formal/craft hasn't really changed, although the ideas about how to make the artifact has. at first i wanted to use existing art, and when i found out that the faculty felt it would be stronger to design my own album cover, i was kind of thrown for a loop. i was scared that i wouldn't be able to meet my deadlines. however, i changed a few projects around and was able to make time for the process. i really wanted to use illustrator, but when i realized a collage might be better i had to, start all over again. while it was frustrating it has really taught me to be flexible.
my project scope started out really broad, and i wanted to make 2 animations, however when talking about it, the time alloted for working just wasn't possible. narrowing down what i could accomplish took the stress away and made me feel really good. having one solid animation with my own album art and a storyboard of how this would work in another setting (iPhone) feels very strong to me and i'm content with it!
the technical part of this (animating) has been a chore for sure. i had to remember a bunch of little stuff about flash, and then on top of that i have to actionscript which is completely foreign to me! once i got back into the swing of things though, it was only a matter of time before i would be able to breeze (somewhat) through the building of this animation.
it's been hard for me to feel like i'm meeting deadlines because i have to keep revising my projects and processes. i've been really disciplined, at least for me, in trying to chug this out. there have been times where i've felt like i was going to drown in the pile of sketches and ideas that i had and it became extremely anxiety provoking, however taking a little bit of time to look away from the screen, or from paper, just to breathe and put everything in a notebook has really helped me get my ideas straightened out. it has also helped me rationalize some of my thinking better and cleared my head for knocking out the art making in a relatively fast matter.
all in all, this has been stressful, and there are times i wanted to rip out all of my hair because i thought i would never get it done. but looking at my changes in the project and seeing all the work i've done to get, at least, this far has been really encouraging for me. now i know that if i just sit down and plug away, i can get so much accomplished under an extremely stressful situation.
♥
teenuh
Well, as I made the schedule for the process I noticed that the more I got into the project the more time seemed to be needed to get the idea in a complete form. As far as organization Im pretty much got that under control, besides the naming of the new files they get a little messy. The discipline it has taken a lot more then i thought because there are times were i dont want to work on it or even look at it, but i have to push it as far as i can to make it a great piece. Conceptual from the start i think i have had a strong concept with the crown ball shield and the logotype, i just needed to refine the idea over and over to make it even stronger. as the craft goes i have not got there yet but it is right around the corner and i must take my time and have every thing exactly the way it should be.
12 spawned-long lessons I learned from Tactile Light
1 Coming up with new Interface Concepts is easy, making them work both visually and physically is a bitch
2 No one person can do this unless they have a long period of time. A team of experienced designers and coders is probably the only effective group dynamic to take on this kind of role.
3 I hate coding with a passion.
4 People usually aren’t satisfied with presenting the concept of an open platform, you need to define it for how it could work in a specific case as well so that they can understand.
5 Most users are retarded, but you still have to design with them in mind.
6 Designing interactions is probably the slowest design process ever.
7 Despite the fact that some people believe that society possesses amazing innovative technology they are wrong. Our industries are backwards looking and designers are doing tomorrows tasks with yesterday’s tools.
8 I really needed longer than 6 weeks.
9 Simulating or testing interactions within your own means is a good thing.
10 Nothing in this field is ever intuitive or simple. It is all designed to be learned through visual or physical implications.
11 Giving up on an idea is sometimes necessary. It can help you to focus on what is the most important.
12 Be weary of what old designers tell you. Modernism died for a reason.
I would say that I've learned quite a bit more in areas that I didn't think would have dominant weight. I feel like most of my time has been spent in the coding realm, an area I feel could really trap me when interviewing for jobs. But, there is something kind of beautiful in ActionScript 3.0. It's primary difference between past versions is its approach to setting up the code. It sets up an environment, rather than a series of statements that are continuously "asking." This has been incredibly influential when thinking about interface design. I'm able to create a more solid structure now... as an interface should logically work, rather than working around the system to make it "seem" real. Such forms of avoiding the system would be telling the script to goTo other frames in order to change the content presented. This helps me keep everything modular–the way I wanted it to be used in the beginning.
I would say that my ideation has worked well with this system. I find myself saying, "if it worked here, then I can apply it here." This obviously cuts a lot of corners and doesn't allow me to work out all possibilities in subsequent solutions. But, I also think it helps with consistency in the message. It's helped me trust Ms. Kimbrell in her knowledge of the subject matter. She knows what works, and how to apply to more than just her classroom.
It's gotten to the point where my research has almost become intuition now. I find myself forgetting to acknowledge certain things when designing the forms. Yet, in actuality, they still fit the research. It's nearly impossible for one individual to consciously generate materials while thinking about how it responds to what they've learned. I've come to know the material and the ways of thinking. I can now focus on how to make it fun and unexpected at the same time.
the biggest lesson i've learned is one in practicality of time! when thinking about a project it theoretically seams that i could get more done than i actually can in an amount of time, well get something of quality produced at least. continually going back, redefining what i have done also really has a way of pushing the end product. plus when i feel something looks better, has more levels to it, i feel better about it, more excited about it, and want to work on it more, it almost has its own energy. i have even spent a few nights thinking i need to start homework then i look at what i'm doing at that moment and realize i'm all ready working on my degree project. i've pushed conceptual ideas further than i have before, and it really does help me out more than i thought. i believe my craft has improved, i've become more critical as i mature with my growing attention span to design itself. on the technical front i know i can think up something, and be able to actually produce it, i have the knowledge base to create something and see it through to production. this project had not needed mass production, but i do have the skills to do that if it did become a reality. my organization has improved a million times, and now i can see how that helps me, and it's a huge stress reliever now that i can see how a document book can help, and just making a process book like i have into almost its own entity series allows me to enjoy the progress i made and have something to look back on. adding organization, keeping track, really gives a sturdy foundation that i believe i've been really lacking. i have felt really unsteady about my relationship to design, and now i see no matter what happens after i leave here design has given me a leg up. i have had advice from actual bar owners to make my project a reality and that it's all ready a big step ahead of most people who try to open a bar, where i understand the importance of design and an identity and most people don't. design and most of all this process has enlightened me to almost having like x-ray vision into consumerism, and our world at large. the deadlines have been fast, but i'm amazed with what i have produced in the time, and what i can produce when i actually get down to business, don't procrastinate, and keep the ball rolling allows ideas to keep moving, progress to go more smoothly because i'm not having to re-trace steps or think about where i left off. now that i've worked in a way that actually works my confidence in what i can do has greatly improved as well as realizing that design can improve anything i end up doing.
Conceptual:
I've found that going from pie-in-the-sky ideas to down-to-earth realities is a fast drop. Equip yourself with the proper parachute.
Craft:
Sometimes being a perfectionist isn't a good thing. I've wasted time fiddling with details rather than blocking out large parts.
Project Scope:
... got narrowed down severely. Developing a site like this in mind, by myself in six weeks, is extremely hard. Trying to do multiple things at once doesn't help either. Now I understand the benefits of doing things in small chunks, linearly.
Technical:
I am not a programmer. I will make a tshirt that says this. Still, I think I do understand web design better, which is one of the goals of my project.
Organization:
Managing time has been the biggest obstacle. This is a fact that isn't going away as I leave school. I haven't found an answer to that one yet.
... and yet it feels I haven't learned a thing.
I think with my project I changed what some of the focus was on from what I initially thought would be the most important thing. Originally I was running with the concept that I would be working on the education of sustainable design, but the main focus would be on the actual production of a couple of physical artifacts that "led by example". When it came to the actual formal exploration though, it started seeming much more important to try and figure out how to others involved in the process, rather than just myself showing a couple examples and hoping people would take something from them. I now feel more connected to the project in trying to organize it as a whole campaign, rather than thinking about it as one person creating a couple of single artifacts. I've learned more about what's I feel is the most important ways to advocate a message I feel strongly in.
I've been able to refine my skills when it comes to producing work that fits into a whole design system, rather than producing individual parts that aren't working cohesively (whether through the visuals or formally). I tried carrying over that visual system technically also, in the methods of how the user interacts with my website(s). I'm trying to make my sites navigate with the same type of feeling (focusing on the proximity of information in relation to how it's arranged around a circle). I also feel like I've gained a lot more working knowledge of the technical possibilities and limitations of software (mostly flash). Because of the things I've learned having messed around with the software in this class, I feel like I'm in a lot better position to understand how I'll build my own design site soon.
Following the very quick deadlines has been a challenge, because every time I got to a point where i felt like something was working well or made sense, I felt like there was so much more exploration I could then go back and do on the earlier concepts to make those fit in with the new ideas. It's been a balancing act of trying to keep up with the "current" due project, while still investing time in refreshing the earlier projects to follow the new ideas and language. It's been good practice though for what's soon to come in the real world, when we'll have to quickly jump from job to job, and usually be working on multiple jobs concurrently.
things i have learned in my degree project so far:
newspaper is a means of harnessing information, which is a nearly impossible task
information is fluid
right when your idea is sold in your mind, it drips away
layout is everything
respect the grid
everything thats printed in the new york times is golden.
the limitations of print remained a constant battle to the end
without new media, i could never of finished this project, so in a way, print owes just as much to its current life as new media does to print.
there are as many products that deliver news as there are products that don’t
news is everything, everywhere, and can manifest itself quite differently each time
there is some hope in the fact that when you think about it, though the internet has such a hold on us, most homes still own a printer, and teachers still require a term paper in physical form. tax forms, receipts, paychecks, everything in the mail and in the mall, its printed.
even when we have a deadline of 2 weeks for each project, its nice to know the amount of work depends on me, and i felt as though the amount produced was never enough, which means i still have greater expectations than what is suggested. it’s a good thing to want more.
newsprint is a sticky business, i hardly touched it since freshmen year, and now i went through an entire newspaper degree project without using it. perhaps the news needs a new paper.
its an interesting twist that though my project was so based on print media, my first project was in fact a digital interface. we can’t all be perfect.
Through my process of my degree project there have been many ‘light bulb’ moments, as I like to call them. Conceptually I have learned that it is difficult to visually represent data or information in a memorable way. I have also come to realizations that once I have a singular idea I tend to only slightly stray from that if asked to pursue another direction/idea. I always have the first one in the back of my mind reminding me of what I had already come up with. The formal/craft attributes are important to my project because I have come to realize that my artifacts will best be represented and most informational in the actual environment intended for them. I have not actually begun that step but it will come shortly. The project scope was huge at first, there was no focus it seemed. Then thinking and reacting to my research helped narrow the overall idea to a more detailed outcome. The research naturally brought me through those stages in which I am grateful for. Without that I would have been lost. The technical aspect wasn’t that challenging to me because i was comfortable in the medium I was working in. I guess that is one area I could have pushed myself more in, making strides in other technical areas I was not familiar with. With organization, deadlines and discipline I have learned a great deal. The largest part I feel is keeping up with the discipline of the project and keeping focused while working through problems. Getting distracted will only hinder the outcome of the project(s) themselves.
Another large revelation for me and the class I believe is speaking and writing about your work in a clear concise way so the viewer will understand what the heck you are talking about. We all have so much we want to say about out projects but at this point I feel that it is imperative that we only choose what is top priority and what information can best frame out degree project as a whole.
I underestimated just how long of a process the human body would take to figure out. It seemed that every mock-up resulted with a different problem or idea. i studied all of the pop up books i could find for inspiration. In the beginning i had yet to even translate it to the computer, and that was the estimated time i had given myself to complete it! I overshot every expectation i had for myself. at first I was stressing about whether my test results would fit with my project purpose ( if it really could get the students to learn better) but now im scrambling to finish. After examining the best method for a layout format (Through review feedback) i had to start over from scratch the original design. i changed the layout from a complicated mess, to a much more structured book, although the layout reminds me of spring formal and i hope that my originality in my project isnt shaded over by the use of another concept weve used previously. Ive come to a point where i feel that this is going nowhere, i should just move on to teaching my next project. Its difficult to push projects that require so much attention, and i hate interrupting the process to go to another class, or because its 1 am or i just have too much other homework. Also the process in which to print and how much it will cost. how professional does it have to be? should i get it dye cut or can i do it by hand? well i dont have that great of craft so im wondering if its better that i have it done, but how long does that take and how much does it cost... I came across these "flash cards" that werent the size of flash cards, but 8 1/2 by 11 two fold cardstock laminated and were of the different subjects needed in class. There were tons of curriculums. really, you could probably build a great lesson/homework plan or binder with these. I suddenly imagined a similar quick concept for me. A simple one or two page insert that effectively taught and interacted with the students. this has been my obtained goal for a while, thats why they seem to be portable and normal size.
then 2 days ago i almost cried in the middle of barnes and noble... there was a pop up book on the human body... and i was disappointed. I forgot no original idea still exists. so my objective now is to finish this and move onto economics, where there is absolutely NO pop up on, because if there was i would probably have an easier time trying to research the subject.
Things i have learned from my degree project.
Conceptual/ Ideation
I learned the most about conception in the beginning of the project when I first started brainstorming ideas. The process we went through tought me how to see where there could be improvements and how to solve them.
Formal/ craft
Because most of the project was creating the poster and not finalizing the piece, I learned how to present my process work and ideas so people would be able to understand what I was doing.
Project scope
This one really threw me off. I conceptualized and prepared for the project to be the main focus in our studio classes. I planned for more time and emphasis on the project. I set my goals too high. While I was trying to meet these goals my work suffered. Although I got a lot accomplished, I feel that it is not the best I would have been able to do. It's the best I was able to do.
Technical/building/coding
Because my project requires a lot of technical knowledge in both software and hardware, it affected my design. It limited me on how and what I wanted to do. My goal for the project was to learn how an interactive screen could be beneficial. If I would have had all the technical skill or was able to collaborate more with someone who did all the building, I would have been able to fully pursue the projects goal.
Organization/deadlines/discipline
I think I handle all three very well. I think that I found a balance between the deadlines, technical skill, learning outcomes, original project intention, and craft. I pushed myself in everything I did for the project. Looking back I can see how easily it could have turned into a failure. If I would have slacked or not balanced everything it would be easy for the project cascade down and loose direction. I think I tried to take too much on for the project. Although I gave everything I could to each part, I wouldn't call each part 100%. I think the project as a whole I gave 100% and overall I am happy with the results.
1
Feel that idea of digital vs. analog keeps accruing. I know I needed to figure out how to better merge these two, and how they can be push in the realm of art therapy.
2 Just because I’m working with a younger audiences I don’t’ have to automatically start designing stereotypically. Like using an over load of colors, images, bubbly letters and images, and over jazzing the space. That clean and simple forms of design, are effective and leave room for clearer communication. I’m not out to prove that I know how everyone else designs for my audience, but show that I understand theirs needs.
3
On this one I realized that the scope of my project had the possibility become very broad and branch out to more than a website but a movement.
4
I’ve father my navigation techniques and have come to realize that while working on it I need to looking at from as many different angles as possible.
5
I can meet deadline when I push hard enough and don’t let myself get stuck in one area of the project. As for organization I would automatically say I still suck at it. But I have come to the conclusion that I need organizing my work differently/ keep on looking for a method that work better for me. Not necessarily going with all the traditional forms of organization.
ummm.... don't say um.
before i began, i assumed that my project could be either extremely "commercial" and easy to understand and use or it could be deeply conceptual but then difficult to understand and use. i didn't know how to combine both (easy to use/conceptual depth) but now that i look back, i feel like my project has naturally combined both.
i've developed this second layer of craft awareness in the making of final files. making sure everything measures right and there is consistency in all elements and things that need to line up are perfect. i have yet to produce these things so that craft will come later.
also i've set a standard for my illustrations (illustration being a particular interest of mine) which i have not met yet. the illustrations are ok as of now but i know they could be better so i've been pushing to make that happen.
i have done a lot of technical planning in order to make the building of the book and sign go smoothly. i know now that i need to have these types of things planned ahead of time instead of figuring it out while i am actually making it.
i usually work consistently so i don't have to do a lot right before the deadline but something that has been difficult is having 2 or 3 projects that completely blend together and inform each other's process but having to separate the work time for that into 3 chunks. i couldn't build the sign because i didn't have the 5 booklets designed yet and they could completely alter the sign-structure in the end, and the same with the packaging. i don't know if i would've been as diligent in getting things done if i didn't have those 3 deadlines though.
overall, i am surprised at the amount of work i've put in to the intangible process which defines the signs and the artifact. it ended up being a design project in itself but i can't really mount it on a board and show it off because it is just inherent in the project.
good times, good times...
The concept is growing further than what I had originally intended for it to be, and I'm not entirely sure if I'm comfortable with it. At the very basis of it, I wanted to focus on three different categories that I myself was interested: consumption, transportation, and diet. Each category would have been addressed with a different project, using different media, though still containing visual elements that tied them all together.
However, it was changed to something a little more broad, I guess, for winter break and research. The three 'subjects' that I had wanted to focus on suddenly became a general 'green-ifying' thing, in which I researched different ways that a person of my audience could, initially, become more green, and for the first project, I chose something of a 'kit' that allowed the person to be green without spending anything by reducing their waste, energy, and water consumptions.
I basically wanted to keep those subjects to that specific project, and move on to something else, but now it seems like I'm keeping to those three subjects throughout all three projects, and I feel a bit of a loss. Had I known that I was going to go into this direction, I may have stuck with the transportation/consumption/diet route.
I'm faced with a decision I need to make that I've been trying to debate over all week: stay with the same three subject matters [waste/energy/water] to tie everything together, or add-on to things on the website and to the guerilla art, and think of something else to unify all of the projects into a cohesive degree project.
I didn't want to completely go into the "cheesy horror movie" concept throughout all projects; I wanted the first project to specifically communicate to the apathetic portion of my audience, and as I've stated before, move on to something different to engage my more eager-for-green half of the audience with a different media, and then finally, the two of them together for the last project.
So, I'm not sure. I guess I'm stuck in a block in which I have no choice but to get out of in order to finish all of this on time. Maybe I should just accept the direction my project is going and trust it. I just don't know.
So in short:
My concept/ideation is moving away from its original intention, the craft and technical aspects of the project are slowly but surely coming together, and my inability to meet my own deadlines have definitely been a burden. I have no discipline when it comes down to it, especially when I get feedback so late into the project and then I change things. However, that is my fault, and my fault alone.
- conceptual / ideation
i had a pretty well-formed idea of what i wanted to do here but it's still been a struggle to translate that into concrete terms. studying ideograms and the formation of written language has been really useful in understanding some basic primordial principles of design; i think it's informed my typographic work since then. i have become less interested in making things accessible and obvious and condescending to expectations, and you may recall that i wasn't real interested in that in the first place.
- formal / craft
experimenting with the hand/vector style has gone really well for me. just trying to render some mutable icon of the human form was a good learning experience. if you look at my process work from exploration two you can see the supremely goofy and crappy running animation that i started out with, contrasted with the good one. better one.
- project scope
the funny thing is i still want to accomplish everything i set out to. i guess we'll see how that dedication holds out over spring break. not having class or homework to worry about will be good, i think. i know from past experience that i'm entirely capable of going into total idiot savant mode and coding and drawing and animating for hours. it helps to be depressed for that. i think graphic design demands a certain strain of geeky obsessiveness from its adherents. i mean look at us.
there'd be something horrible and defeatist about saying "here's some fake screens from a video game i almost made." welcome to third grade. it has to work on its own terms. it shouldn't demand an explanation from me.
- technical / building / coding
i have forgotten more about this than i relearned, but ive been able to improvise well enough. the initial frustrations of "why is the guy falling through the floor" and that kind of thing are dealt with and it's now a matter of just building the thing out. the bastardized objectbased C++ that game maker runs is becoming familiar to me. also i figured out by accident how to stop photoshop from antialiasing bitmap graphics when it really arbitrarily wants to. i think figuring out on your own how to do things in a wrong but totally effective way might be the best way to learn.
- organization / deadlines / discipline
i think i've gotten better about this. in some ways. it used to be that i felt i was owed some sort of reward for time i put in regardless of the results but that's a bad way of thinking. i can get out from eight hours of work and go to the studio and work for some more hours and not feel like i'm being martyred. i hope that bespeaks some maturity. determination at least.
i feel an obligation to make this thing work that goes beyond the demands of you or the class or the school. it's a chance to prove that i'm capable of something and it won't be halfassed and it won't be boring. probably it comes from seeing some of those frankly shitty projects from past years. i know that isnt nice or professional to say and i'm not going to name names but you know.
i want to be in this school and this program and this line of work for some reason other than white privilege. i want to prove i'm worthy to do this and i can do more than obey and imitate.
I think the greatest thing that I have achieved so far is a better understanding of a field of design/designers that up until now was not familiar with. While improving design skills is important, I feel as if knowledge of design or what you’re designing is equally, if not more, important. Its been very refreshing to find an area of design that incorporates both analytical and creative aspects. Who knew my obsession/love for numbers would fit into a creative field.
Formally I have learned that infographics are not as easy as they seem. Striking a balance between simple and complex is almost impossible, seriously. I guess this is why numbers are numbers and not images.
I definitely underestimated the research portion of my project by not realizing how much time would actually be spent researching as opposed to designing. It seems like for every hour I design, I have done 6 hours of research. With this being said, my scope last semester was and has been completely unrealistic. I feel like I am just now starting to understand project one and yet we are more than half way through the semester…craaazzzzzzy!
Post a Comment