So I handed all my work in for unit 1, aka the square project, on Monday and the next morning at 10.30 I was given the briefing for unit 2. Such is life. Not even 24 hours later and I am rammed with work again.
In short, this 2nd unit is all about planning for the 3rd unit. The 3rd unit being my final major project.
The two projects on the, go as of yesterday, are my final major project proposal (a 2k essay describing the work I plan to do in the 3rd unit) and a project called Design Rhetoric, which involves compiling all the work I will be undertaking in order to decide on my major project.
Essentially it requires that my final major project be epic, and that I spend the next 3 months working on ensuring this!
I’m not panicked, I think that I already have an idea of what I am going to do, it will involve creating an extension of the main things I looked at in my first unit… which I will explain fully when I have figured it out.
At the moment, I am still working on Elective A (that’s silk screenprinting to you) and Elective B – “Branding and Identity” starts in a week. When I have wrapped those up I will let you get a peek ^_-
Watch this space! I will update this post with the new briefs once I have scanned them in.
Winner! V4 of the site is now up and running smoothly, all the links now point to the old posts… like they were originally supposed to!! I haven’t updated some of the attachment pages of the blog but to be honest with all the work I have on at the moment it is a surprise I even found time to do this.
There are some rather lovely samples on their way to me from a couple of different clients, so hopefully will have some portfolio updates again soon, now that normal service has been resumed.
So yes, I haven’t posted in a while, but unit one or “Square Project” as it has become known is due in next Monday (19th). I will have it completely finished in loads of time to take lots of lovely pictures to update you with, which will hopefully give you a good idea as to why I have been AWOL for the last… [checks previous post date]… woah, month! >_<
Let me just say, I am so so SO excited about what I have planned for my body of work. It’s going to look brilliant… with any luck.
I would like to say a special thank you to Ripe, who printed all of my books, they have been brilliant putting up with me. I promise not to bother you again now for another 4 months?
This Thursday I have a kind of half-way evaluation of how this (damned) square project is going.
So far I have been researching the square, it’s cultural and historical contexts, then I had to pick out an area of interest in the work I had done so far and identify a theme… and then work towards a question which I would attempt to answer with the design of my final outcome.
So I’ve done that.
I am risking getting a slap on the wrists by my tutors (if any of them do infact read my blog – which I doubt) by saying I even know what my end outcome is going to be… and it IS going to be good!
BUT.
I have no idea what question it answers. To be honest, I wasn’t aware it had to answer a question until this previous Thursday when I was sent an email from University telling me it had to. I thought it would be just an *outcome* developed from a long line of research which I have been carrying out since January??
This could be problematic. I’m sure I will update you on Thursday about how my critical evaluation goes Hopefully I wont be crying.
So far, my area of interest is abstraction and perspective. I guess that’s two areas… It’s not when you see what I have been working on. ^_-
Firstly it was my Birthday on Monday so I thought it would be a good idea to give my blog a bday spruce up, fix the ever glitchy nav and add “proper categories”. According to my Google analytics click refs, people thought the “about” category was a link to a separate page about me… I can see how you did that, so I went to fix it. And I did.
But then I broke it.
By it I mean I somehow removed one whole database and therefore deleted everything on my portfolio page. Oh, and I broke my contact form. All in one fail swoop! Aren’t I talented?? >_<
The problem is, I had two entirely different sites. design.likeyougiveadamn.com and blog.likeyougiveadamn.com both with different log-in’s, I thought it would be a good idea to merge these into one domain and bin the subcategories.
Ahh it seems so simple now. I already regret it. I loved my subcategories! It was like an instruction or a demand that must be met immediately! [shouting] “blog like you give a damn!!” now it is just measly likeyougiveadamn.com/blog. Pathetic!
So you can guess the next problem is that now all my old blog addresses don’t link anymore and just point to my front page. I did know that was going to happen, but good ol’ Media Temple assured me they’d fix it. So fingers crossed for now, eh?
So the second thing is, can you believe it, the new unit (1.2) that just started at uni is entirely based around group discussions that I am having around set texts, and requires me to *blog* these discussions. More blogging!? Yes, god dammit, more blogging!
So if you want to keep track of that too, you can find that over at designdiscourse.likeyougiveadamn.com. There are 6 of us in the group, each have registered and we input our thoughts on the texts and related links into the blog …so we can be judged on our interactions in April.
You can almost guarrantee when I am not here I will be there from now on…
We have just started the second third of the first unit “context”, where we work to develop a brief based on all the formal experiments we have carried out on the Square’s form in part one. We find an area of focus and look to investigate it further and create the physical outcome for the final piece (part 3)
I have alot to catch up with, I found it really difficult to get into the swing of the new brief. Plus “investigting a square” was incredibly broad, in my opinion, so it took me a while to find an area of focus. But now I have narrowed it down to two options… either, the square in type and layout (looking into how the square is used in grid formations, layout, print and type) or… Juxtaposition of the square (looking at the implications of the positioning of the square either in “real life” terms or metaphysical)
The juxtaposition one is much more creative, I get to do lots of experiments, or on the other hand, the type and layout version has lots of potential for research… whereas the other one doesn’t.
It boils down to what area would I rather have difficulty with for the next 3 months.
The unit now over laps with another project that has just started called Design Discourse. The contextual part of the first unit which involves alot of reading, I will post separately about that because there are videos to accompany it and this could get confusing!
Basically stuff just got complicated. It is going to take a great deal of hard work, I feel like I might actually have a stress induced stroke!! I hate squares -.-
Last week I had my first tutorial, I may have mentioned before how pleased I was with the tutor I was assigned – I don’t want to go into details because I link this blog everywhere and JUST incase the other lecturers read this I don’t want to hurt any feelings – but this particular tutor really shared my ideas on how good design does not have to be complicated.
Just because this is an MA does not mean we have to get lumbered with design terminology. He said during this tutorial that he operates under the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) and that so does the university.
In my opinion, if your work is good then you will not *need* to talk it up with “big words” you should be able to establish the meaning of your work in a couple of sentences or it’s too complex, and also possibly too diluted.
I’m really optimistic about the remainder of this first unit of work, I know I will definitely start freaking out when I begin unit 2… which is the one where I need to define that I will be working on for my final major project (unit 3)… but for now I am having the time of my life. Really!
As I have mentioned before, until April I am supposed to investigate a square and it’s form, colour, rhythm, order, motion, sequence, void, mass, hue, tint, tone, transparency and opacity. Yes. A square is deep, and you didn’t even know it!
We had group work on Tuesday, and honestly, I had been dreading any kind of *group work*, when I was studying for my MA it was the most pointless excercise. There would always be one slacker who’d never do anything and one controlling fool who would want everything their way and their way alone. Therefore my work would suck because of it.
When it comes to my MA I wanted to avoid group projects just because this is a super expensive course and I was worried about relying on anyone other than me for the work I need to get done.
However, it turns out that it was really useful! The group I got put with were all squares too, not to mention they were all lovely people, and we got to compare work and ideas and managed to create a brilliant practical outcome. Win!
Something I have noticed, I am going to be a complete brainbox when I have finished this course. I can’t tell you how many ways I have analysed a square, seriously. By the end of the MA I wont be able to look at any object without disecting it into theories. I am going to be *annoying* to be around!
So anyway, I think I am on the right path for this project… still no idea what I am going to make for the end outcome but I guess that will just make itself apparent while I get stuck in with research, there’s still a long way to go.
Here are a few pages of my initial research to look at…
So I was given another load of briefs on Thursday, these are due to be handed in in around four months time on April the 19th. That will complete Unit 1 of 3. It’s of course alot more nerve-racking when you remember that this is just a one year course, making this project I have just been given 1/3rd of my MA. Eeek!
By the time Unit 2 has started in April I will already need to know what I am going to do for my final project!! Because the whole of Unit 2 is my final major project proposal. Again… eeek! Everything is happening so quickly it feels like the year is already over.
I have been especially busy recently as the Top Drawer Spring Trade Fair is on. Which means I am crammed with work. Which is always handy when you have a crap tonne of reading to do and an induction project due in on Wednesday!!!! >_<
Part 1.1, Design Literacy, of this new unit consists of 2 separate briefs. (I’ve linked the briefs under the project titles, if you fancy a snoop?)
The first brief, Input, has two parts, Object and Context.
Part 1, Object, says that I have to investigate my “selected shape” (which according to my brief is a square, although I would have preferred a circle) using first hand research. We watched this video which apparently summed up the aims of this section
And part 2, Context, asks me to consider the cultural contexts of the form using second hand research.
The second brief, Output, is where I compile my findings and create a piece of work, in which a particular, focussed aspect is developed into a design project intended to communicate to a specified audience.
Then 1.2 Design Discourse is where I create arguments posed for me in each of the 4 set texts for the course. I then discuss/argue in a group, blog our resolution (not here sadly) and then write a 2000 word essay.
…and finally 1.3 Research Methods is where I critically review my personal project development from this primary unit in a brief 700 word essay.
This is all jibberish to most of you, and for those of you who bothered to read the whole ream of text *highfive*
This is mainly just a process for me to have these briefs uploaded. I can access them from anywhere, or I have a back up copy if for one reason or another my sketchbooks and briefs burst into flames or I happen to spill noodles on them rendering the illegible… which is not to say that I haven’t done that at some point
Thankfully, this is the lot until April now. I can just get my head down and get on with things. Please have your fingers crossed for me, I have so much work ahead!!
So firstly, you might notice that it has been a while since I have posted. Last week I was completely rammed with work, freelance went crazy and oh did I mention I got 3 new briefs in ONE day at uni.
The Me, Me, Me project is due in this Wednesday and even though I have finished the end outcome, every time I get round to polishing up the details… I change my mind on it and have to start over.
I also got assigned to my tutor group yesterday and I don’t know if it’s inappropriate to say but… I’m going to say it anyway… I am really, really pleased with the tutor I ended up with. I know everyone has a favourite, and it does make a massive difference to my stress level which tutor I get. Atleast it did on my BA.
The good news is I’m not actually marked on this induction brief, but I want to use it as an opportunity to get back into the swing of things. All the projects I’ve been given towards this MA have been completely different from the things I’ve worked on before. From my BA to freelancing etc. it’s crazy!
I have to say, even though I am stressed out of my mind, I am having the time of my life at uni. I will post the 3 new briefs on Tuesday, just wait until you see them.
In the mean time, here are some (crappy iPhone) pictures of my swanky new university. The London College of Communication looks pretty suave inside, let me tell you.
