Week 01 - Brief Analysis
You will be working towards achieving the following learning outcomes detailed in Brief 3:
LO1: Research – select and deploy appropriate research methodologies to inform the needs within a project.
LO4: Distil – position a creative strategic insight that has been distilled and refined through an informed investigation
LO5: Imagine – deliver appropriate and innovative ideas that embrace risk, have contemporary relevance and question the boundaries of the discipline.
LO8: Design – realise a final solution that evidences its strategic journey and clear relationship between form and function.
LO9: Communicate – communicate effectively in a range of contexts and situations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Introduction - Stuart Tolley
Week 1: Brief analysis Aims, objectives, brief development and audience
Here we go again! Module 740.
Stuart introduces our task for the next module. This is the start of the first week of the Self-Initiated project brief, which runs for the next four weeks.
We have to reflect on our work from Module 1, and identify a subject that challenges our personal interests, identity or experience.
First task - remind myself of what I produced and revisited in the content I created in this module such as: contemporary design practice, locality, noticing the ignored, self-evaluation and my place within the creative industries.
This concept of this is that it will lay the foundations for a four week, self-initiated project, so we are advised to make it something that captures our imagination and interest. For this week we have to develop a project brief that identifies the subject of your self-initiated project and outline a clear aim, objective, critical context, audience and final outcome.
Our research this week is to watch a series of case study interviews, with practitioners who have experience setting, developing and completing a self-initiated project.
Lecture videos - What actually is a self-initiated project?
Sometimes creating a self-initiated project is a bit overwhelming as to where to start.
On week one, when I’ve been told I can do ANYTHING, my creative mind has gone completely blank. Having been used to daily tasks in the studio involving an already written creative brief and set client guidelines, it is now time to turn the tables and come up with my own ideas in project form.
But where to start?!!
Fellow student Beccy Burgin put a link in the Ideas Wall to designers &Walsh for inspiration to help with ‘self-initiated’ creative block. I found this incredibly helpful. And put her theories to fruition. The following is based on their advice.
Breaking it down into bite-size chunks:
1. Coming up with an idea or ideas - make it interesting to engage with my curiosity but simple. I have only 4 weeks to turn this around. Create a list of whys, then address the ones that I am really passionate about.
2. What can you do about it? Trigger my creative process, by making mind maps, mood boards, adding to the padlets and ideas wall to trial concepts.
3. Create a plan/brief. How am I going to produce my idea and in what medium? Set goals, achievements and milestones and stick to them.
4. Set the rules. The when and how. What are you going to achieve within the first 4 weeks. (12 in total). Although this is a 4 week-initiated project, it is most likely I will revisit this in week 7-12 as I won’t like what I have originally produced, or will what it to evolve.
5. Develop a unique style. What is going to be my medium for my work - online, print, social media etc.
6. How am I going to get yourself noticed? As its only me and not a huge PR team to tap into, I have to think creatively for getting my work noticed. Could this be through social media, websites a blog?
Creating self- iniated projects. How to come up wth ideas
“ I believe many of the best concepts start with the question - why”
Jessica Walsh
Where to start? Write a brief…
To give my mind a reboot, I revisited my 710 presentation to see which areas I wanted to expand on creatively. I decided that my week 6 ‘noticing the ignored’ was an intriguing history lesson about the Martyrs burned at the stake opposite the High Street where I work must be worth a revisit.
I was sure the rest of the High Street, must also have fascinating stories from the past, so I went to the local museum to see if anything would capture my imagination about any local knowledge. What I did find, was a town trail map. The original version I picked up was published to mark the Millennium (!) but also to foster an interest in the historical and architectural heritage of timber-framed buildings.
East Grinstead Trail (No 2)
Not sure which demographic this is appealing to. It is very text-heavy and predominantly talks about the buildings and architecture in a formal tone.
I did wonder how can we get a younger demographic interested in our High Street history?
Reflection - Finding my motivation - Start. Doesn’t matter what you write, just write!
It’s always hard to get back into the flow after a break. I know my motivation will come, (normally in week 10), so from my notes from the last module, it is to get writing/typing and the flow will return. (Fingers crossed).