This quarter in GRDS 702, Graphic Design Studio:  Methodological Practices has been a tremendous eye-opener. It has revealed to me so many great things about myself, as well as areas where I am lacking, academically, professionally, and personally. All of which have been moments of disruptive wonder for me, because I have been forced to see myself in a different light. There is no specific thing that stands out to me the most, because I have learned so much. So here is a breakdown of memorable lessons per unit:

Unit 1:

• I learned about heuristic biases, and was able to pinpoint how they affect my creative process. On and off throughout this quarter, I have made it a point to ‘orbit my hairball’ to achieve different design solutions.

Unit 2:

• I learned to slow down and be more aware of my surroundings. After viewing Rob Forbes’ Ways of Seeing, I realized that within the constant hustle and bustle of my life, I rarely take the time to thoroughly enjoy my surroundings. I realized just how much paying attention to beauty in the simple things around me can positively inform me personally and professionally.

Unit 3:

• I learned a very unique design execution process that I will certainly utilize in the future. This exercise taught me how to interact with members of different cultural backgrounds and demographics, as I was paired with two classmates that are very different from me. This taught me a lot about myself and was very insightful as to how other cultures think and interact, which is very useful knowledge in my chosen field. It also gave way to a unique means of challenging myself cognitively, when it comes to design planning and development. 

Unit 4:

• After this unit, I became more cognizant of my moments of ‘elusive inspiration’. I have always experienced them, but I have become more aware of them when they occur; and I am better able to document them for future or immediate use.

Unit 5:

• Through trial and error, with Exploration A, I was also encouraged to start stepping away from the computer more, when designing.

Unit 6:

• This unit was truly inspiring, as I was able to learn about Kelli Anderson’s Disruptive Wonder. It taught me that I am sometimes TOO SAFE and TOO SERIOUS in my design work, and I should let my hair down and truly enjoy the design process and interacting with my target audience.
  
• I was introduced to another very unorthodox design process, by converting a fairytale into a real life social issue. This exploration was really emotionally wrenching and put me in tune with a more emotional side of me as a graphic designer. This unit helped me to further realize my social responsibilities and the huge platform I have as a designer.

Unit 7:

• This unit further informed my social responsibilities as a designer and called my attention to how much my personal values inform my design decisions.

Unit 8:

• Although I hate to admit it, I learned that I am sometimes too much a part of the ‘karaoke culture’ and I have a need to be more authentic in my design and personal choices. I was also forced to admit that I am sometimes lazy and should take on a more noble pursuit. (THINGS TO WORK ON)

Not only have I learned from the coursework this quarter, but I have also learned from my peers, their very diverse backgrounds, and all of their very helpful feedback. Seeing their work has taught me a lot about my work, both strengths and weaknesses. Most of all, I have learned from my professor, who has truly encouraged me to push harder than I would normally. For her, my peers and the coursework I am truly grateful. I have learned more in just ten short weeks than I could have ever imagined. That alone is my disruptive wonder.

As always, thanks for reading!

Shonda,

Given that this is my very last post for 701, I have decided to take this opportunity to reflect on my experiences throughout this course. I’ll start by listing the new things I was introduced to:

• PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING!!

LOL! I must admit there were times when I felt like a fish out of water, like when it came to writing a Limited Literature Review for the very first time…BUT there is nothing that I was unable to grasp eventually. This course has truly been a complete learning experience for me, one that I will never forget and will utilize for the remainder of my graphic design career. I have learned more about research than I would have ever imagined existed in graphic design. This course has forced me to deeply examine everything that I do as a designer, and learn to incorporate more techniques into my process as I do it. Because of this, I feel that in just 8 short (VERY LONG) weeks, I have become a better researcher, writer, critic, DESIGNER and person. Thanks to my classmates, instructor and God for guiding me and getting me over the hurdles throughout this course.

Although there were a few difficulties, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience in GRDS 701. As always, thanks for reading!

Reshonda,

This unit, I had the luxury of reviewing three phenomenal and very inspiring process books, by Jane Dorn, April Biss, and Jamie Turpin. Here is my analysis of each of them:

1. Jane Dorn, Creative Brief and Inquiry
   • I think Jane successfully communicates her ideation process and guides the reader through the creative process, with her process book, but not so much with the execution. I think the book successfully communicates her ideation process, through labels. However, it does not successful breakdown the process. If her target audience is someone who wants to become a graphic designer, I don’t think her first stage is well-executed. The collage makes it very illegible and difficult to understand the process, and if someone were to use this as a sort of guide, it would not work. Also, I don’t think the content works as well as the content provided in the pages of the process book itself. Although a very good concept, I think that some of the important parts of each phase were cut off do to the layout. To someone who does not know what graphic design is, this layout may make it difficult to understand.
   • What I do like about this process book is the amount of time spent in the actualization process and working through the measurements to get the design just right. I too am not a geometry wiz, so I can relate to this phase of her process quite well. I also really like the cleanness of the production and the unique layout concept she chose.
2. April Biss, Observe. Think. Make.
   • I think April successfully communicates her ideation process and guides the reader through the creative process, with both her process book and execution process. She provides a very detailed account all the way through both phases of this design project, and successfully engages her target audience with the entire concept.
   • One thing that I love about this ideation process is that she repeats certain steps several times, like the research and analysis stages. I often repeat the research phase in my ideation process. However, I do feel that I could do more analyzing.
3. Jamie Turpin, Experimental Panel Design
   • I think Jamie successfully communicates the ideation process and guides the reader through the creative process, with both the process book and execution process. Turpin provides a very detailed account all the way through both phases of this design project, and successfully engages the target audience with the entire concept.
   • I love how clean the execution of the process and the project itself is. I thoroughly appreciate the schematic stage. I feel that I could improve and devote more time to my sketches and thumbnails.

Overall, these were really great projects and they have truly inspired me to place more effort in my process books. As always, thanks for reading!

Shonda,

Lately, I have been reflecting on my creative process quite a bit. Although I am fairly confident in my previous efforts throughout these reflections, honestly, some self-doubt has began to form. This unit’s discussion on Malcolm McLaren’s Reflections of Learning, as well as Kelli Anderson’s Disruptive Wonder have made me question if my designs-to-date have been catering to a karaoke culture, which McLaren describes as “a world immersed in a culture of desires, instead of needs and being content with acquiring a quick solution, rather than suffering to learn to be better”. I don’t think that I have.

For the most part, I do strive to make a noble pursuit at reaching my design solutions, and go beyond what today’s society expects. I always make a conscious effort to stay away from what is trendy and desired and uphold my responsibility to provide what is needed.  The only problem with this approach is that my job as a graphic designer is to cater to my target audience. As McLaren states, “To a graphic designer, the crowd should be as much a domain of passion as the birds of the air and the fish of the sea.” The problem arises when the target audience is unable to differentiate between their desires and their needs. Figuring out how to create this type of disruptive wonder, changes in the perception of how everyday objects and normals are perceived, is when I must figure out the avenue to my moment of performance. Since watching Anderson’s and McLaren’s videos, I have been trying to develop ways to be more successful at taking what society considers the norm and rerouting their views of it. This is by no means an easy feat, but I guess when I finally reach the end of my noble pursuit, I will have found my disruptive wonder in the way that I see graphic design.

As always, thanks for reading!

Reshonda,

I was asked, “What are you learning about yourself and your creative process as a result of this unit’s discussion of values? How do you find that values (personal, political, cultural, etc.) inform your creative practices?”

I am a person with a very strong system of beliefs and values. They inform everything about me:  the people I include in my life, the things I like to do, the things I say, the places I go, etc. So quite naturally, my values inform my creative practices. I am very passionate about protecting and positively influencing children and the people around me. One trend that I began to notice last year is that many of my projects and design concepts are centered on these beliefs. Last quarter alone, I explored three design concepts about positively affecting the lives of children. Coincidentally, my current exploration in GRDS 702, Graphic Design Seminar:  Methodological Practice, is about positively affecting and protecting children.

I mentioned that this is coincidental, but maybe not. I think this is just another example of my heuristic biases subconsciously affecting my creative practices.

As always, thanks for reading!

Shonda,

In GRDS 701: Graphic Design Seminar:  Methodologies, we have been exploring different research methods and design processes. In GRDS 702:  Graphic Design Studio:  Methodological Practice, we discussed the topic of heuristic biases. Heuristic biases are when the brain creates pathways of thought from learned behaviors and patterns that we follow. Given that my brain has been forced to digest information from two courses, I have subconsciously merged a great deal of the information I have acquired from them. From all of the studies, research and information I have been introduced to, I have formed a conclusion:  My personality shows through my ideation process.

Throughout this quarter, I have been practicing another concept introduced in 702, ‘Orbiting the Hairball’. The idea of ‘orbiting the hairball’ is to step outside of existing ways of behavior and abandon your existing ways of behavior. What I have noticed this quarter, though, is that your heuristic biases shape everything about you, including the way you design. What I am accustomed to, what I have been previously introduced to, and the life I live all in some way inform how I choose to design. So orbiting my hairball is so much easier said than done. As stated in a previous blog post, my creative process changes pretty often, but the fundamental elements, for the most part, remain the same. Not only does my creative process cater to the particular design problem I am working to solve at the time, but it also caters to my personality…what makes me feel the most comfortable with executing the project. I find that the more comfort I find in working through my ideation process, the more successful the design solution is.

I recently drafted a limited literature review about stress in graphic design careers. The reason I chose that topic is because, ironically, I am a very stress-prone person…BUT I love graphic design, and contrary to the stress factor, I have a very jolly personality. You’re probably wondering, “Why is this girl rambling and how in the world does all of this relate?” Well, this quarter, I committed to warding off stress and being my natural bubbly self, even while trying to solve the most stressful design problems. So, my goal has been to find as much comfort and enjoyment in my ideation process as possible. That way my personality shines through my work and my love for graphic design isn’t contradicted when stress rears its ugly head.

I would encourage everyone, if they have not already to take a moment and reflect on how there personality is revealed in their ideation process. I know that for the most part, designers use the typical:

1. Research
2. Brainstorming
3. Thumbnails
4. Sketches
5. Refined comps
6. Execution.

However, I find it pretty rewarding to adjust the components of each step to fit my liking per design concept. It makes the process all the more enjoyable. Make sense?

As always, thanks for reading!

Reshonda,

My creative process is always in a transitioning state. I choose what process correlates best with the design problem. As it stands today, my creative process is:

according to american psychologist graham wallas’ four-step model for the creative process, The steps should be:  preparation, incubation, illumination and verification.

My process relates to Wallas’ in the following ways:

• preparation:  relates to my research stage, in which I gain a deeper understanding of a particular design need.

• incubation:  relates to my brainstorming process.

• illumination:  relates to my concept development and sketching process.

• verification: Relates to my composite development, audience polling and collaboration stage

although the order of my stages, in comparison to wallas’ proposed stages, are totally different, the concepts are the mostly the same. I do think that I could stand to expand my stages a lot more though. For example, I would like to include more areas of wallas’ incubation stage in my process, like juxtaposing, blending, and imaging. I would also like to expand my verification process. i already explore style and technique, but i would like to conduct a more in-depth exploration. i feel that my process is sometimes a little lacking in those areas.

for the most part, my process correlates well with wallas’. However, i could use some refining. i am adding that to my to-do list. as always, thanks for reading!

shonda,

Kelli Anderson’s Disruptive Wonder is a very interesting video. Her ideas of innovation and reinvention of the existing are far beyond the surface of the concept. I have never experienced disruptive wonder in my design experience, at least not in the sense of how she describes it. However, her video has inspired me to take a different approach to my design thinking. It has caused me to ask questions like, “why can’t paper have audio quality”, “why can’t I create and distribute my own version of the New York Times“, “why does design have to be so careful”, and “why can’t I give new meaning and a new vision to ordinary everyday objects”? According to Anderson, that’s exactly what designers are suppose to do, reinvent the norm and how it is perceived. For the most part, I try to be innovative and fresh with my ideas and design thinking. Watching Disruptive Wonder has inadvertently encouraged me to create and experience my own disruptive wonder.

As always, thanks for reading!

All the best,

Reshonda

My first time ever hearing the concept of “Flow” was in my Graphic Design Seminar: Methodologies class. I have experienced flow many times. However, it never resonated with me what the process was called or what I was experiencing at the time. There are often periods of time when I am working, and I realize that over twelve hours have passed before I notice the time or decide to take a break. Ironically, many times that I experience flow are directly after an extreme creative block. This is because creative blocks have taken up so much of my time that I have no choice but to dive right in to my work. Also, my methods of getting out of a creative block are the same as my methods for generating flow.

When working, I often separate myself from all distractions, like the television, people, noises, music, etc. In extreme cases, I even fast from food until the work is done. Being hungry is definitely motivation to keep the flow going. Lol Then there are times when my means for generating flow are the complete opposite, like when I blast my music from the time I start my work until the time I finish it, when I HAVE to watch tv while I work or when I talk on the phone or talk to a friend the entire time I’m working. Mainly, my “flow” catalyst depends on my mood and the amount of pressure I am under to get the work done.

As always, thanks for reading!

Shonda,

One thing I can say about my creative process is that it never stays the same for too long. I personally feel that creativity should never be stagnant. My belief is that you cannot develop new things if you are constantly utilizing the same old practices. This does not mean that once you get bored with a creative process, you should totally abandon it and move on. It simply means that processes should work in accordance with the desired outcomes. I was taught the typical creative process described in the unit:

1. Research
2. Brainstorming
3. Thumbnails
4. Sketches
5. Refined comps
6. Execution.

However, over the years, I have begun to further develop my own creative process and what works for me. As it stands today, my creative process is:

Honestly, I don’t feel that I am the strongest that I could be in any area of design. There is always room for improvement. So I am always open to collaborating with someone with more expertise and experience than me as well as someone on the same level as me. I don’t feel that any two people or two designers know exactly the same things or have exactly the same skill sets, so there is almost always a chance that something I do not know can be brought to the table. I am not the most open-minded person in my personal life, but as it relates to graphic design, because the profession is fixated around people, I feel it is best to be as open-minded and as un-reliant on self as possible.

As always, thanks for reading!

Shonda,