I’m finding when looking for imagery I want to be politically correct. I also am appealing to a child like audience where the game will most likely be played in a school like setting. Thus, creating a more neutral and less offensive subject matter. I also have to think about representing everyone as if I show one race, I feel as if I should show all walks of like. These thoughts can be somewhat limiting at time. I for the most part go with my gut feelings on design decisions and then reflect and mark up all my work to the point where I am my worst enemy – but it pushes me to do better by my own set of guidelines. I hope that this project turns out really well as I am excited to print and create the final hard copy piece, not just something digital. I want to function with these cards and make sure they function all the way around.

I see a lot of test printing in my future!

When I was in Undergrad my thesis focused on sound and space. I originally thought my idea would be something revolving around an interior space that would exemplify sound qualities or the thought of loss of sound. Instead, I was pushed in a completely different direction. I had to research the ear and then I turned to the search of an instrument and the idea of exemplifying those sound qualities by dissecting and analyzing the violin. I ended up drawing the violin in section drawings and looking at the hidden physical properties that are not normally scene by the naked eye. There is a hidden sound bar that not many people know exists unless they put the violin together. This piece helps the violin’s sound waves move and create a sound that resonates very loudly from a very small instrument. This was not a very orderly process. In fact, I bounced from the idea of dissecting the ear, to selecting an instrument, creating models, sound test to finally finding a part of sound and space that resonated not only realistically but with me. The end result was a great set of drawings that were something that related to the human form, the spine. I ended up questioning more aspects of the violin and its relationships with the human body.

Was this disruptive wonder? Not exactly… but the ideas were not linear and the final solution was something that I never would have thought I would have created. This thesis project needs to be resolved and will always be on my mind. Given the time and energy involved, I would love to take the concepts that Kelli Anderson has created and put it towards working on the solutions and design opportunities that would arise.

First I created a sourcebook which helped start the idea of look, feel and text that I wanted to represent in my infographic. I am leaning towards a vintage feel. I began to illustrate that with an image sourcebook and am working diligently to completely illustrate the look of the Beer Barrel Polka and the history it has behind the song.

After researching and expanding my word lists in greater detail I have found that my crutch and most relied on source of inspiration and help is the internet. I am sure many other classmates can attest to searching the internet when we are stuck in a rut and not moving forward. I also asked my parents who I don’t see regularly and are from a different lifestyle and genre what they thought of when they heard a word and to think about it and write a list of words, really anything that came to mind.

Again my three words were Dog, Polka and Tip. I struggled with Polka because I automatically thought of subsections – heritage, family, history, music, dance. In the end, when I created my visual map, I ended up leaning on those sub divisions to organize my questions and words that related to multiple words and categories.

This exercise has been challenging. I tend to think about small aspects of everything: color, line quality, hierarchy and the ability to structure a map so that the connections are clear. In the end I went with the flow and enjoyed making it.

These are the lists I have come up with for each one:

Dog

• Mammal
• Bark
• Cuddle
• Lab
• Vet Bills
• Expensive
• Unconditional Love
• Walk
• Play
• Ball
• Chase
• Waste
• Follower
• Herder
• People Pleaser
• Canine
• Best Friend
• Confidant
• Collar
• Blind
• Accessory
• Happy
• Beast
• Angry
• Fighter
• Lover
• Mate
• Shadow
• Beggar
• Friendly
• Energy
• Helpful
• Patient
• Feline
• Worshiped

Polka

• Dance
• Festive
• Heritage
• Nationality
• Music
• Bohemian
• Czech
• Polish
• Folk
• Dot
• Trendy
• Creative
• Type
• Polish Food
• Jacket
• Accordion
• Clogs
• Blonde Braids
• Food
• History
• Oom-pah
• Associations
• Beer
• Weird Al
• Slide
• Milwaukee Brewers

Tip

• Money
• Restaurant
• Preventative
• Helpful
• Falling Over
• Iceberg
• Crazy
• Hotline
• Parental Guidance
• Unwanted
• Lifestyle
• Means of Income
• Pencil
• Pen
• Knife
• Beginning
• Ending
• Front
• Back
• Creative
• Over the edge
• Tipping Point
• Information
• Hat
• Reaction
• Gratuity
• Push
• Knock
• Move
• Empty
• Dump
• Tilted
• Decorate
• Remove
• Attach
• Balance
• Tip Toe
• Peak
• Top
• Cap
• Predict
• Advise
• Reward
• Hint
• Suggest
• Withdraw
• Take Away

Thank you!

I have created a binder for this course to keep all my notes as I think they will be beneficial to getting “un-stuck” later on in my other design courses. What I really like about my style is my note taking. I have learned over the years that I am not one who can learn from listening from lectures, I tend to get a bit bored or multi-task and don’t absorb all the of the details needed. I am one that can learn from writing down specific parts, guidelines and inspirational quotes – which make my notes a great source to have if I can’t access the internet. One thing that I need to work on is thumb nailing. I have never been one who has kept a complete journal or sketchbook just for the heck of it. I am one who writes more than draws.

I also want to start collecting images. In GRDS 502 we created sourcebooks and I really enjoyed it. I think that is something else I would like to include in those journals. This is my assignment for myself for the next couple of semesters – daily sketch-booking and journaling. Let’s hope this will help me next semester during my design course.

From Jane’s project, I realized how great a good process journal is. I think I will start to scan pages in of my journal as I am done because it will be nice to flip back and see what my thought process was and how it has evolved from point A to point B. I will do this for those spur of the moments where I don’t have my journal near by.

April Bliss’s process book was interesting in the fact that she successful documented her research. In GRDS 502, we had to create sourcebooks for our typographic styles. I enjoyed documenting those inspiration pieces and found the use of April’s research reminiscent of my own. I liked how it help her become more in tune for the 18 year old audience she was trying to reach. One aspect of her process that I really think I will use in the future was her brainstorming word list. This was great! I really think this can help me in future projects when I have hit a road block. Another aspect that I liked and could see clearly defined in April’s process what her questioning of things… I have just recently started asking myself the “What if…” questions April did in her project and think it can help us design more effectively. April’s presentation was successful and interesting to read and clearly identified her thought process.

Last but certainly not least was Jamie Turpin’s design process. Jamie’s process is something that I aspire to achieve. Her use of research and thumbnails throughout the design process showed how invested she was to considering different options. Her detailed drawings and research in every aspect of her design process was something that I think we tend to skip over and minimize. Coming from an interior background, I could understand her thought process and aesthetics she was trying to achieve. I do wish she wrote more about what she was trying to achieve as her own commentary was lacking. I think this is something we should consider. Not only did her drawings show her great thought process, I think just summarizing after every step will help someone stay focused. Jamie was clearly focused during her process and her lack of reflection did not penalize her.

As I am refining and determining my own ideation processes, I will keep in mind the areas of each project that I hope to include in my own processes: a journal that is clearly defined by the project goals and deliverables, writing each process down and clearly defining my thought processes, brainstorming using word lists to create ideation, thumbnails that are sketchy and then clearly refined later on in the process to determine what ideas make the most sense and will be the most successful. I also can not forget research. Researching not only my audience but also materials used, past projects and creating source books will help me in the long run when designing. I am glad that these projects were shared!

So apparently I never hit the publish button last week to include this in my blog.

As most of you know, for my Project A I began to studying the effects of collaboration and multidisciplinary design studios. A good friend of mine who works for a great Graphic Design company in Baltimore, MD posted a link about Google’s GLASS project that really kind of illustrated an innovative project that has been researched to demonstrate forward thinking and combine two things that work well on their own – smartphones and glasses!

Many people are seeing flashbacks of Star Trek with the guy who is well known for his role on Reading Rainbow. (Side Note: I’m pretty sure that just told everyone my age. Don’t judge! I have NO idea what the guy’s characters name was.)

Google Glass

The prototype that has been established is something reminiscent of a pair of frameless eye glasses that with an attachment similar to one that jewelers wear when they need magnification. They are now offering prototype testing for those who are willing to look a little ridiculous for the greater good of design. I think they best thing about this product is the forward thinking that is clearly evident. Something that struck me as interesting was the idea of voice control for the product. However, when I originally read about it, I thought it somehow used eye movement to control the phone. In the video that they submitted to get everyone excited about the product they used someone who was skydiving and taking a video of the descent down to earth. One question I had was, why would you skydive with a $500+ pair of google glasses? Although kind of neat. I must admit.

I’m curious to see what everyones thoughts are on this product and if there will be any refinement in the product. Maybe if people looked a little less ridiculous then it will catch on? Thoughts are appreciated!

This week we were asked to read Hugh Dubberly’s “How Do You Design?”. I found myself focused not on the linear aspects of the design process but the cyclic posts that showed the designer evolving as he progressed in his designs, refining his design and then refining yet again after it met design requirements. The example that I mostly related to was ISO Human Centered Design Processes for Interactive Systems defined by Tom Stewart in 1999. In this model you can see the design is always asking and double checking his understanding of the context and specifying who the user is. These are things that I tend to forget when designing that I need to make myself more aware of.

In my specific work environment the ‘who’ never changes. I design for a Builder/Developer and they are trying to appeal to new home owners. I tend to forget that the user DOES in fact change and that I need to be conscious of the audience I am trying to appeal to. I recently starting working on their website as well as social media marketing. I tend to over think and analyze everything. I think I do this because I am always thinking of the company I am representing (which I need to always keep in mind) but I also need to think who is going to use the programs, navigate the website and follow our tweets/Facebook page. My boss is not someone who uses social networking so she challenges me to re-think who I am appealing to and make it accessible to everyone young and old and in between.

I also enjoyed and agreed mostly with the cyclic design process of Vijay Kummar’s Innovation Planning. What I liked about it was the headings at the top of the design processes: Research, Analysis, Abstract, Synthesis, Delivery, Real. What really sparked my interest was the Analysis and Abstract part. I think this is a great opportunity for someone to then pair there findings and to draw the specific connections they need to make for their design and implementation process that falls under the synthesis process. I am a rigorous note taker. I make lists upon lists. What helps me implement my ideas is pinning all my so called lists up and pulling bits and pieces of each list together to form a more concrete and organized idea that I then can move forward with.

I think Hugh Dubberly’s article had many great sources. I also think my classmates who have commented on the blog this far offered great examples of what to add to my design process. My process is constantly evolving and devolving based on the project, circumstances and time frame.