Field Reflective Journal

Product Design

Field Module Reflective Journal

Introduction

What is Design?

Design is based on the foundation of all craft, painting, dance, sculpture, writing. Design is the foundation of all Art. Girogio Vasar, as an artist and architect once stated during the renaissance. “Design is to create value. It is everyday life. It is an attitude to human being life, also is an attitude of reaction thinking.”

Design can create diverse spectacle of user heart. Creating new design technology and products could improve people life’s become better, more convenient, efficient, and more beautiful. Design is not grandstanding, not engaged in very complex idea’s, it is something on the right position. Capturing emotions with the most appropriate way to show strike a feeling on faces. Design product could be defined of a way to solve a variety of daily needs, and trying to make life better and easier.

In the second year of university, I fortunately have opportunity to choose two different field modules for my second term, which are “Play & Creativity” and “Drawing as Experience”. In the process of learning in these two modules were deepen my inspiration and creativity to create my design more outstanding also remarkable.

Session1 – Play and Creativity

In the first five weeks learning experiences in Play And Creativity of the field project, we had overview on aims and objectives to defending the factors and processes that affected in creativity. I found out that we had absorbed the links between play and creativity through this practicing exercise; Therefore we could deepening realize the role of play in relation to creativity, embrace the importance of our state of being creative and a range of useful tools to help encourage creativity which relate to academic theory.

I will explain how we use the skills from “Play and Creativity” to explore our own intrinsic motivations. Learning the skills of relaxation, focus and techniques of design through creativity exercises could inspire us with additional motivation and insight. Sharing ideas and individual experiences from the lessons we have learnt were the main factors to work in a group project. I define that the individual weakness point through the group project could improve better, development and communication skills in new design were the struggle. Play, state of being, motivation, environment etc. they are the factors affecting our creativity. How much anguish exactly we would feel that a life without play, jokes, movies, games or fantasy?

I have clearly understood how important between value, motivation and passion through different exercises in lessons. To achieve the goal I have set up for myself, I am learning to observe different designers and products to analysis the story behind the design; appreciate and listening I will hope to identify the other’s situation, feelings and motives.

We have been asked to complete a practicing exercise in the lesson to define the relation between play and creativity, to achieve this task I had to go and sit in a coffee shop, gallery, museum or anywhere in town and observe people. I had chosen a coffee shop in town named Nero to do my social experiment. By doing this I realized that we were often select one initial design to improve, therefore we had forgot about the design solutions such as being opening minded to reduce the original habit.

We had also used the cards, which given in the lesson were purposed to helping us as guidelines, to understand the importance of stimuli material, and cultural probes. A mood board could give us more inspiration of the being of the design, developing models are always require for any project to shown our development step of our design; therefore we can improve better. Materials and colour choice are the main issue also, due to users multi choices.

I have increased my design knowledge through the eighteen minutes “Marshmallow Challenge” exercise, which I was asked to build the tallest and freestanding structure. The rules of the task were the design cannot be suspended from a higher structures such as ceiling, projector or table also the team cannot hold the structures with hands when the time is up. Defining the freedom of choice and joy in play can give me more inspiration from playing. Spontaneity to giving advances and ideas in the group directed me to a right way to use critical thinking and problem solving skills when I came across any issue or struggle. This exercise has deepened my inspiration aspect of Play and Creativity.

1.2 Example of Video: TED talk

Tim Brown is a CEO of a famous creative design consultancy. He has a blog about his design concepts. He recorded some thoughts on creative design and logical thinking. The link above is the Ted show of Tim Brown, entitled “Tales Of Creativity And Play”, it is very interesting of defining the relationship between playful and creative. From the beginning of the show he let all the audience to play a little game, let everyone draw their neighbor in 30 second with a prepared paper and pen.

After drawing, a lot of sorry and embarrassed were heard around, because the drawer thought they were demonized others. We can see that the vast majority of people were feeling anxiety of their own creation with no confidence, in addition not willing to share to others no matter how well they painted. At the same test with a child, there would be no such anxiety; they are always willing to show their creation to others no matter how confidence they were painting. Children put everything as fun object, they would not have any Psychological burden. This distinction comes from a different mindset; and adult treat things with more serious attitude, therefore we would care about others views and would be more sensitive of others reactions. We will slowly become more conservative of the fact that we actually inhibition the talent of our creativity. Therefore, rediscover the feeling of playing is an important method to exert our creativity.

I believed that “Play” is a process of exploration. We need to exert our creativity thus we can truly enjoy the fun of playing. Tim talked about two kinds of play. One is for the entity creative of design to achieve “building play”; as like a kid loves playing in the sand and mud. He was telling the audience to think in their mind, using readily available materials build up models to express their thoughts. Another is aimed at the service of creative design, we can try to role-playing like children playing “hide and seek”. We posing as the object that we want the service to; thus find a good solution by converting the role. He gave us the revelation to re-thinking as a child, looking in different perspective and re-looking to the world.

We did the same experiment which Tim’s created while we creating new product in our group project. This small interaction was conducted in emotion of tension and laugher. Every group member were all enjoyed this game, even though everyone were saying something strange or fanciful, as a result we can see this experiment were inspired and reflected students creative thinking.

A person’s thinking will slowly being bound due to the increase of age, if we can try to restore to the original ways of understanding the world as children learnt things around; we will find that everything’s will be re- understanding.

Session 2.0 – Drawing as experience

From studying the sketching’s and renderings in product design, I have found out that my painting skills actually were my weak points overall. Therefore, I have chosen “Drawing as experience” to improve my drawing skills and an influence my design inspiration at the same time; thus combined the drawing techniques development and design. This is a very entertaining as academic purposes module. Capturing experiences such as sound, feel, texture, creation, music, line, and shape etc. The fun part of “Drawing as experience” is to provide differences in learning facilities and atmosphere for us to learn difference drawing skills and techniques.

2.1 Exhibition Gallery – “3AM: Wonder, Paranoia and the Restless Night”

I like going to museums and galleries to complete my primary research, Ithought the studying of the exhibition gallery was interesting and it seem to have an enthusiastic vibe, it benefited me deeply, increasing my definition of different materials to use in art. Therefore, I was able to initiate a more distinctive idea in creativity, in addition to expressing concepts, I hope to develop my drawing skills. There were three interesting Designs, which I thought that could become an inspiration in my further development examples.

 Pictures of Exhibition Gallery 2014

2.2 Psyho-Geography Exercise

We have been ask to decide our own considering from looking at an obstruction, using a map which tutor has prepare for us and be able to chosen our own journal and specific places to defined. I have chosen to tern left from our university walk to the beautiful Bute park to get more inspiration for my ideas, I had constantly looking for some small objects such as coins, bottle cover, flowers, rock etc. to represent shape, pattern and sound. As soon as we picked up a place which can relative to my chosen objects, I had draw four difference sketching to shown the North, East, South and West. The end of this exercise, I was glad that my consideration of combined the object and the chosen place ideas in to the same piece of drawing were able to work out in the development, in addition to further my drawing experience skills.

2.3 Welsh National Opera – Boulevard Solitude

The beginning of the start module, what I have been ask is to attend an opera to immerse our drawing skills and study a new method of drawing. I used a small sketching portfolio create a storyboard to present my work. We could use whatever materials as we wished, thus I was chose to use watercolour pencils and Gouache colours for the main project. I found out there was a bit difficult for us to draw in the darkness that was around us. Hence the only light I could get was on my mobile phone screen, It was still hard to draw also I was missed a lot of key moments when I was looking for light, therefore I changed my idea from using light instead, finally just using my feeling of sense from my ears and eyes, the fact that impacted me to created some new patterns of sounds and image which I was happy carrying to develop.

2.4 Nice resolve Francis Bacon/4 – Tactile and Visual 1945~1946

Bacon called sensory perception is to emphasize the physical of attributes, also functional and instinctive feeling. Consequently painting is not using observe, actually is using our body to create art. He said, ” After you received the image from the eyes, we must first go directly to the stomach motility, and then sent to the hand, the most unneeded is to go through the brain.”

To complete compliance with the requirements of an ideal visual form, we take orders from our eyes, hand and ears more often then other parts of our body. At the moment, our hand is just a tool instead an organ of sensing organ. We will suddenly have a perception of shuttle wonderful experience when our eyes and hands on an equal level without affiliation, It would be the time you use the body in the painting when yours eyes seem to have a sense of touch, also as your hand like you see.

By way of observe and perceive the sculpture of Francis created, I suddenly knew how to draw in a better method, his painting style called “structured paintings”. It might sound like a hopeless and romantic idea, but I truly believe that has improved in my drawing development skills in product design. Thinking outside the box, if you can paint in 2D as creating a sculpture, I can combined the “hand property” and “visual touch of” to create a unique piece of art.

Picture1. Francis Bacon Painting c.1929-30    

                                            Picture2. Francis Bacon Study for a Portrait of Van Gogh IV 1957

A good example in the second painting of Bacon, he was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait and learnt his way to paint to create this piece of painting, unfortunately the inspiration painting has been destroyed while the world war time. He was using dark shadows to represent the sense of foreboding and melancholy of Van Gogh feeling during he was painting.

Reflection on Skills Development

I wish to start off by play briefly explain the skills I have learnt throughout Play and Creativity’s experience. I have learnt that it is important to understand product development process. Because it will help with my timescales, and I hope to use this skill for my further future career, I have also acquired the skill of self motivation and individual morale, without me pushing myself, I would not have achieve to where I am today. I understand that sometimes things can come up unexpectedly and it can be rough, but I pushed myself through hard times. I have learnt to use many tools safely through this experience whilst experimenting with materials in my research and exploration. We were put in groups to discuss to experience we had as a collection, and at first we did have some communication barrier and development fails, but we manage to get our heads down and focused on what was required for the collaboration.

It is important to valuate and adapt how ideas and concepts work and also receive feed back and positive criticism in drawing experience. I have learnt that I have passion for Art and Design, I need to create art, when I do I become more happier with myself expressing something from nothing. I hope to develop my skill in improving my professional technological language when presenting design proposals. After a reflection on this topic, I have concluded that my weak points were time management because I felt the need to keep up with other studies and research. I hope to improve on this skill by accessing a calendar and being more organized, I will take more time to notice detail. I also had to learn to adjust my behavior and my way of thinking to interact with others. I feel that I’m giving my fullest of efforts in my designs and with my limited language I feel that sometimes I am unable to express my ideas and concepts.

Conclusion

This part of is the summary of my personal journey discoveries throughout my experience. I prefer the drawing as experience to play and creativity because I feel the need to strengthen up my drawing skills. Being a good illustrator will come in handy if I work in design. I want to express about the experience when I was involved helping children, I think the scheme we set up will help the children and further generations. Hopefully the social aspect of the community becomes more active and less violent.

I digress, I believe that there were some good and bad key points to mention, I did enjoy the experience very much and the academic atmosphere here is great I only wished the blackboard was more easier to navigate though, due to this mishap I spent an unnecessary amount of time trying to find a simple file or pdf, which cost me a lot of time. I have learnt a lot of new skills, educating myself about my independency and to work as a collective are both good skills to develop to help support my future.