by victoria | Oct 5, 2012 | design methodologies
This week I would be a therapist dream client. Afraid to start because the failure factor looms. However survivor will kick in — the feeling will pass. Most designers experience this overwhelming feeling at times. Giving voice helps yet what most likely will help is tackling a research project as one would any other, through process, methodologies and a strategy. Ironic then that in reading through bootcamp bootleg, put together by the d.school at the Institute of Design at Stanford, that one of the first methods speaking the loudest is DEFINE. DEFINE as put forth by the d.school is this, “The define mode is when you unpack and synthesize your empathy findings into compelling needs and insights, and scope a specific and meaningful challenge. It is a mode of ‘focus’ rather than ‘flaring.’” My research is leading me to a paper that will defend or propose a position on the education of graphic designers in a changing technological environment. Before I can investigate how we might anything I need to pull together a defined statement or purpose. This step will take care of the fear of getting started, or fear of failing. The very act of figuring out what it is I have and what it means will undoubtedly help me pull it all together. WHAT HOW WHY would be secondary. Perhaps this is basic yet as I compile and read, especially a challenge for me in digital format, I am not tying the pieces together. Despite having a mind map or in addition, the areas of the map need to be explained. Once regrouped and back on track with determination other bootcamp bootleg methods will be...
by victoria | Oct 1, 2012 | design methodologies
Watching a video from the AIGA New Contexts presentation on shifting paradigms, Holly Willis was talking about the changing classroom. At one point Willis asked if the term “graphic” was even necessary in the term graphic design. She wondered if the nomenclature had been outgrown given the changes in the industry today. Of course she alluded to the loss identity many designers would feel if that word was dropped. We are in a phase of emergent technologies and the way we communicate is shifting daily. As well as the role of a designer. If we are moving away from artifacts and into systems of design, then what does the artifact designer do? And what if? Is it wrong to want to create? Willis continues with this move away from artifacts and isolation as designers and what they might mean to the classroom. Is it necessary to be tethered to a drafting table anymore? Or can the classroom move away from the indoor lab. And if we do retain the lab should we consider it the making lab? Because eventually there will be a merging of what happens in this classroom. Another idea that came through as a way to teach was to allow for less determined outcomes. This is what we experience as MFA students. Can it become part of earlier levels of education as well? This year I was asked to teach advanced projects at the community college. This course has print, web, illustration, multi-media and animators in the course all creating advanced projects. My role is not to teach software rather art direct the students as they create final portfolio pieces and a book. In effort to keep in mind the work the...
by victoria | Sep 26, 2012 | design methodologies
AIGA is playing a major role exploring the changing face of design education. In one article written by Jon Kolko, which highlights points made by Shelly Evenson at the New Context/New Practices educators conferences, Jon puts forth several changing dynamics of design education. Among the listed changing criteria, is specializing in one area. In the case of a designer it may be that we specialize on typography. This is in response to the pace that design is changing today. Rapidly. The idea is to focus on the traditional yet specialized. The article discusses the use of foundation courses as early entries into the design field. In contrast to this, the article offers that perhaps the early years should focus on typography, color and composition. This is a consideration that would free up the students to get into the core of design, sooner. However many schools which perhaps are finding their foundation arts programs dwindling, might lose even further ground. In the example given they layout the industrial designer with a greater understanding of anatomy, anthropometric and human factors. This may be at the expense of CAD training yet it also seems that the designer would be more effective having this grasp on human physicality. Similarly the designer who spent a year studying typography would find themselves using 2D concepts to work out a design. As time progressed in the program the student would have a working ability to create as well as communicate on a variety of typographic levels. Animators would do better with anatomy as well as life drawing. Yet does the multi media designer need the same courses?...
