Week 05 - Industry Set
You will be working towards achieving the following learning outcomes detailed in the Assignments tab:
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.
LO6: Make — Select and utilise relevant tools, skills and technologies in the delivery, iteration and sustainable production of an outcome.
LO7: Collaborate — Demonstrate inclusive and empathetic strategies to plan and execute a project across distributed collaborative situations.
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.
TUTORS ADVICE
Engage with all four project briefs before making your selection. It is important to read and reflect on all the projects before making your final decision.
Remember, projects that seem daunting at first glance can sometimes be the most fulfilling in the long term.
Lecture Introduction - watch and reflect
On the introduction to the second project brief, I caught up with the new set of practitioners offering insights into identifying, developing, project managing and delivering industry projects, hoping this would give me some inspiration on which topic to choose.
These practitioners were asked to answer the questions:
Q: How do you research and identify new industry projects or opportunities that you would like to participate in?
Torsten - The FELD Studio for Digital Crafts, Berlin
Torsten talks about FELD, which is a multidisciplinary design studio. Originally their background comes from diverse ranges from music to design, and packaging; but also interactive installations and spatial kinetic, moveable, slightly abstract design.
They established their studio based on this foundation.
FELD is always trying to combine computational design skills, with a mixture of the computer, but always being in full control of the outcome.
“The medium itself is, first of all, not so much important for us, it’s always the way we approach things and always focussing on the outcome, despite the question of the media itself.”
Torsten talks about our upcoming projects and how to choose, whether on purpose with something that interests you or by discovering something new that you are not normally comfortable with to push yourself as a designer.
Week 05 - Research: Reviewing which brief to choose from Industry set
Brief 1: Science Museum
Definitely the favourite given that it’s a live brief and the opportunity to work and get feedback from John Stack, Digital Director of the Science Museum.
Task: An amazing opportunity to generate innovative solutions for conveying information to the public regarding the digital archive collection. Work with and utilise the provided assets, including catalogue records and images from the Science Museum Group Collection, to conceptualise and craft a range of visualizations, user interfaces (whether existing or conceptual), or exploration tools for uncovering insights within the collection. Engage in the iterative process of idea creation, testing, play, and prototyping to refine and enhance your design solutions.
Initial thoughts: What to do?! - These solutions could take various forms, such as interactive interfaces, built applications, animations, machine-generated outputs, storyboards, or a series of detailed proposals. My initial thoughts are that this is an incredibly exciting project to work on. But what to create? In my last module, it was mentioned that I should try something new so this could possibly be an opportunity to explore the digital field of design and development.
Brief option 2: Live brief Creative Conscience or RSA live brief
Live brief option 1 - Creative Conscience
Another exciting opportunity to engage and contribute to the global environment through design. This initiative focuses on leveraging design as a force for positive change, promoting socially valuable, human-centric approaches to transform communities and the wider world. As a graphic designer, I think working on Creative Conscience projects could provide a chance to channel creativity into solutions that inspire action and genuine impact.
Live brief option 2 - RSA student Awards
The briefs are carefully crafted to encourage students to think critically, work collaboratively, and apply design principles to make a positive impact on the world.
The RSA Student Design Awards represent a prestigious platform that challenges students to address real-world problems through design thinking and innovation. This annual competition, hosted by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), invites students from various disciplines to tackle complex societal issues, applying their design skills to propose creative and practical solutions. Engaging with the RSA Student Design Awards as a designer provides a unique opportunity for professional development and exposure.
Initial thoughts: By participating in these awards, I have the chance to showcase my design talents, gain recognition, and contribute meaningfully to addressing contemporary challenges.
Brief Option 3: Global Competition
D&AD New Blood brief
This is a ‘concluded’ brief so probably not as exciting as the ‘live’ briefs but still an amazing opportunity to work on the prestigious awards
Initial thoughts: Although this is a great opportunity, the fact that this was an already concluded project meant I quickly ruled it out to work on a more current project that I could develop and get live feedback from. Also, am I too old to be classed as ‘New Blood!!!!’
Brief Option 4:
Collaboration (Live project) Another opportunity to develop and deliver a creative project in collaboration with an existing contact, client, industry partner or professional body, of my choosing, that you have already established a working relationship.
Initial thoughts: I felt this was too similar to the self-initiated project, I’d already been working on in weeks 1 to 4 so quickly ruled this out.
Reflection - Thoughts and ideas from the briefs presented
So many good ideas and too early to say as there is still a lot of reading up to do… thankfully this coincided with the visit to DDW in Eindhoven so gave me a bit longer to think things through. Hoping I will be inspired by the Graphic Design Falmouth Flex MA on tour!