Free Writing
It is certainly not hard to get me to do free writing (see the attachments below). What is hard is determining what my concentration will be for my thesis. In my exploration I see that there are so many ways that human experience has informed my life and design. I think that it is important and I just want to preserve it in the design process. Whether it is using objects to generate ideas or whether it is to bring an actual real life experience to the virtual world — that is what I am aiming for in the development of my thesis. There are still a multiple of questions attached to this exploration. The only way that I will solve these questions is to begin my research exploration.
There have been others who have had the same concerns that I do. During research in an earlier course I did discover the work that was put into a workshop called “Artifacts in Design: Representation, Ideation and Process” that was given by a collective of professionals in the fields of computer technology and design. This was the initial catalyst that got me thinking about steps that can be taken to bring culture and life experience into the forefront again. The piece that I reviewed describes how artifacts can be used in the process and it also showed how the creation of artifacts could be part of the design outcome as well.
These are just some of my initial findings. This will move me into further exploration on the workshop developers John Kolko, Gayle Curtis, D. Scott McCrickard, Michael Atwood, Steve Harrison, Eric Stolterman and Shahtab Wahid.
Hi Keely,
I couldn’t agree more with your statement, “I think that it is important and I just want to preserve it in the design process.” I think this is our (or at least mine) biggest challenge – twisting our brain from a visual design process into a written mindset of our design process.
Your mentioned a workshop that you did prior to this course, was this at SCAD? I’d be interested in partaking in it, if so…
Thanks for sharing!
jamie
Hi Jamie,
You noted the one line that has great significance to me. I actually think that one line will help me reveal the focus of my thesis. When I went back in and read my entry after I wrote out the free writing piece, that line seemed to jump out at me. I loved that exercise and definitely felt that it did help guide my thoughts.
The material that I cam across was an Abstract on this workshop. I did not take it but the abstract did provide some insight on the subject. It would be a great experience to take part in such a workshop. My understanding is that this workshop was given in a conference on April of 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. The name of the group connected to the workshop is the Association for Computer Machinery.
I will still follow the leaders in the presentation of this workshop. There may be some other event that is more accessible and covers the same type of material.
Thank you so much for your comments,
~ Keely
Hi Keely,
As I was reading, many ideas came to mind. I thought about the significance of social media sites like Facebook and how people are given an opportunity to interact with one another via an online setting. I thought that maybe there was a way that design can work within these social settings? Then, further down in your reading, you mentioned how people can fabricate their lives online, and I think you are absolutely right. It seems that nothing can truly substitute actual physical interaction.
I don’t think I have any of the answers, but, considering this need for physical, social interaction, it made me think of these questions: If we (designers) want to be authentic in our communication… does that mean (for instance) that we must be well-traveled if we are designing branding elements for an international audience? Does it mean that the traditional “creative brief” that summarizes the intended audience is no longer enough?
Great job. I look forward to seeing where you end up with your thesis topic.
-Kaleena
This is really interesting. How do we, as designers, stay inspired by the real in a virtual environment? Does truly socially driven work require larger budgets or more time in order to build these real life experiences into the design process for optimal results? Similar to am argument whether non-Christians can create the most effective Christian art/design, can designers who have not had real experience with their subject create the most effective art/design?
Shala, you introduced some important questions. Is it a necessity for designers to be immersed in real experiences to produce effective design? That is a topic that would be essential for me to explore as I consider whether these exchanges are helpful in the design process. All aspects of the argument should be handled. I had not considered this point/notion in the past.
Thank you Shala. I will be curious about your own similar thesis question.
~ Keely
Keely this is a great direction. The example of your experience in the NICU offers insight to what you are expressing. Our world is being virtual by the second. Aiming to “push” the human experience even further is of essence. Think of the differences of emotions, environment, the senses, etc. How can you incorporate this into a virtual world to create similar experiences? I even think about all the other mechanical devices that now have taken over human performances. From surgeries, to bank tellers, to even the automated voices you get on the phone. We are losing the “human” in many things. This will be a great thesis for you to explore and it offers tons of examples.
Hello Lori,
Your thoughts were helpful. I was struggling to determine the ways that I could introduce real experiences on a computer platform. My mind automatically goes to the usage of video and sound. That may be shaped by my childhood exposure to the movie Soylent Green. That 1973 science fiction film left a deep impression on me and strongly relates to this very topic. Lori, you also bring up how “we are losing the human in many things. It is an issue that continues to grow.
I would love to have more senses reached in this initiative. I do believe that a repository of artifacts and experiences could be useful as designers build their concepts. It would be of high importance for me to frame this within the design discipline. If I do not, the content could become as vast and as diverse as the Internet itself.
Thank you for your feedback. I am excited about moving forward.
~ Keely