desn2002-blogpost

[desn2002-blogpost]

ONLINE BLOG - DESN2002

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY 

My main areas of concentration in our group project were marketing strategy and future expansion planning for the King Edward Park prototype venue. I focused on how we could raise awareness, encourage participation, and expand the initiative beyond a single event or site while others worked on the actual construction and community consultation.

In order to draw in local audiences as well as possible partners (such as Newcastle City Council, nearby cultural organisations, or possible sponsors), I oversaw the development of promotional materials, such as posters and social media posts. Using strong visuals, vivid colours, and unambiguous message, I made sure our visual identity captured the spirit and inclusivity of the local music scene. In addition, I created a press release and a prototype for a website that might eventually serve as a booking and promotion centre for regional performers.

The most fascinating thing to me was considering the potential growth of this prototype. In my scaling approach, I suggested a few things to be considered such as possible seating, food venues and markets and forming alliances with other festivals, music collectives, and schools. I researched comparable ideas, such as the Music Cities movement, which promotes the idea that music should be viewed as more than just entertainment in cities. Our long-term vision was influenced by the laws that cities like Austin, Texas, and Melbourne have implemented that actively support grassroots venues.

By mapping out potential funding sources (such as Create NSW or Australia Council for the Arts) and outlining a phased development plan, I helped the group ground our creative ideas in a realistic roadmap. Without this future focus, our project might have ended with the prototype alone—but my contribution helped position it as a sustainable, scalable initiative.

This work also directly connects to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, by proposing long-term cultural infrastructure that is locally driven, socially inclusive, and environmentally responsible.

Through this role, I learned how design is not just about objects or spaces, but about systems—how we connect people, tell stories, and plan for lasting impact.

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT 

ASSESSMENT 1

When we got into a group for the first assessment, our first hurdle was to pick a prompt. Out of the three options of the problems I personally relate at the most to making Local music thrive, as a musician myself. And because I'm in this new environment of really dissecting the process of coming up with a solution I thought that this prompt will make my way of thinking and decision-making flower bit better because it's something that I'm passionate about and that I have some understanding of but there's a lot of ways to go about it. 

Our goal for the first assessment was to create a bunch of ideas and possible solutions For creating a better space for musicians in order to make local music thrive. Even though this first assessment was a good chance to come up with a few prototype ideas and gather intel from people about the success or lack thereof of local music, It was a really good opportunity for us to really understand our wicked problem, keeping the focus on it and keep relating back to it so we don't stray too far away. By also looking over the week three required course reading and helping me understand what the goal of this course is, and that I really need to focus on the process of coming up with a solution and not just jump straight to it.

ASSESSMENT 2

This project started with a big question: how can we help local music thrive in Newcastle? We saw that many musicians struggled to find affordable, accessible spaces to perform, and the community lacked a consistent venue that truly celebrated local talent. That’s where the idea of a prototype venue in King Edward Park came in.

We chose the park for its visibility, atmosphere, and strong connection to the community. Working closely with musicians, council reps, and locals, we developed a small, modular, semi-permanent stage that’s easy to assemble, eco-friendly, and open to everyone. We tested the design during a series of live performances and got valuable feedback that helped shape the final concept—acoustics, accessibility, power needs, and audience comfort all played a role.

The possible impact would be immediate; artists now having an extra space to play, people gathered for a free event, lots of food trucks and sponsors supporting the event and it brought new energy to the park. Long-term, this could be a scalable model for music placemaking across the city.

Reflecting on the process, I realized how deeply creative culture ties into bigger systems—urban planning, community identity, even sustainability. This project connects to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities), Goal 8 (Decent Work), and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption). Building with local materials and solar power showed me that supporting the arts can also support the planet. This wasn’t just about building a stage—it was about building a future where local music is valued, visible, and sustainable.

PROBLEM SOLVING

This course pushed me to tackle a real-world wicked problem—how to make local music thrive—by working directly with the community and thinking creatively about sustainable solutions. One of the main challenges we faced was figuring out how to develop a prototype that was both imaginative and realistic.

My group and I believed King Edward Park had a lot of promise from the beginning, but we soon discovered that the park's current stage is already well-liked and frequently used by the public. We had to carefully consider how our prototype could enhance the space rather than compete with it because we couldn't simply replace it or disregard its existence. Following several site visits and local input, we determined that the prototype might be placed close to the open grassy slope. This would allow for more flexibility and intimacy, making it perfect for pop-up shows or up-and-coming musicians who might not yet attract large crowds, while still being visible from the main stage.

One of the main conceptual problems that resulted from this was how to provide something significant to an area that is already culturally vibrant. We understood that the value lay not so much in creating a larger or better structure as it did in providing something more affordable, scalable, and accessible—something that could accommodate community events and smaller-scale performances without requiring a large setup.

The realistic creation of the prototype presented another difficulty. Budget, weatherproofing, and maintenance were significant problems, even though we had innovative ideas for sustainability (such as modular panels and solar-powered sound systems). While maintaining the larger goal, we had to streamline our concepts and concentrate on what could be prototyped with the resources at hand.

From a personal perspective, I found the promotion and strategic planning side easier, as it aligns with my strengths. What was more difficult was the technical side of prototyping and understanding spatial constraints—I had to learn a lot about local council regulations, environmental impact, and public safety considerations. This gave me a new appreciation for the balance between creativity and practicality in design.

In the end, the biggest learning curve was not just about the design itself, but about designing within a community context—understanding that spaces hold emotional value, and that any intervention must be respectful, responsive, and adaptable.

REFERENCES

Thomas, P. (2018). ‘What’s the difference between Design Thinking and making?’ [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@parkerthomas/what-s-the-difference-between-design-thinking-and-making-614cb089bc5e.

‌www.e-education.psu.edu. (n.d.). 1.3 Principles of Sustainable Design | EME 807: Technologies for Sustainability Systems. [online] Available at: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eme807/node/687.

Wahl, D.C. (2017). Facing Complexity: Wicked Design Problems. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/facing-complexity-wicked-design-problems-ee8c71618966.