lydiadesign

[lydiadesign]

Week 10

The Experience:

My goal is to create a poster that advertises a new gallery about human destruction through the lens of war. This week I wanted to do something different. I did not have a lot of time this week to focus on this project, which does mean that I only made one poster but I do plan to change that next week. This week after considering my thoughts over the past few weeks I decided to go forward with my idea of advertising for a gallery. It is still important to me that I continue using mixed media but I do not yet know how I will implement it. This is why it was not part of my goal this week. 

For this poster I only came in with two requirements. I wanted to have a timeline and a photo of one of the pieces I completed over the last few weeks. I wanted this poster to stand out but not busy. The use of red and black is used as a reminder of the darkness of the topic. I decided to use a white background to make the poster look clean and be easy to hang, post etc. anywhere. The goal for this poster was to bring light to what could be. The art piece in the middle was my other requirement for this poster as it helps tie in with the mixed media and abstract art scope as well as show the kind of artwork the gallery is looking for. I did find that it was hard to get a clean photo that truly showcased all the texture of the piece, but I did get as close as I could to what it looks like in real life. 

Reflection on Action:

I really struggled with constructing the poster. It took a lot of maneuvering for me to be happy with the placements of all the different elements of the poster. I also wanted to make sure that the text was easy to read, which is why I used such a simple font. I do really enjoy the fact that I added part of my last piece into the poster as I feel that it both brings purpose to what I have been doing but is also a great representation of what I want this gallery to look like. I do think that there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to this poster. The main problem I am having with it is that it does not feel professional. I would like to in the future make it more sophisticated as it is meant to represent a gallery. I do like the pop of deep red as it really ties in with the theme. My favorite part was the timeline. It gives a hint of the history that I am wanting to portray.  

Theory:

This week I wanted to research galleries and what a war gallery would be like. The closest thing that I could find was this article about war museums and I found it really interesting. THe discussion on whether or not we should showcase something that highlights horrors and violence has been debated for years and will most likely continue to be debated. A statement that I found most intriguing was “…in most cases, the presentations of war and violence oscillate between, on the one hand, the fascination of terror and its instruments, and on the other hand the didactic urge to explain violence and, by analyzing it, make it easier to come to terms with or prevent.” This statement gave an excellent explanation around this debate. I have to consider when reading this article that galleries and museums are not the same and I would be allowed more freedom with the gallery as it does not have the history that museums have. 

Muchitsch, W. (2013). Does War Belong in Museums?: The Representation of Violence in Exhibitions. In W. Muchitsch (Ed.), Does War Belong in Museums?: The Representation of Violence in Exhibitions (pp. 9–12). transcript Verlag. 

http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxr1z.3

Preparation: 

Next week I plan to further this concept and also get feedback on what I have been doing. This will be important to get a better understanding of what my peers think about my work and what they think I could do to further my project. Next Week I also want to make sure that I fully integrate mixed media and abstract art into what I am doing to ensure that it sticks to my goal. My goal for what my final piece will be is a mixed media website that showcases my work and what this gallery could be. This will most likely take up the next two weeks to create something that truly represents everything that I have learned and experimented with over the last will be 12 weeks. 

[lydiadesign]

Week 9

The Experience:

This week my goal was to take all the lessons that I have learned about mixed media and abstract art and execute it at a larger scale. I really played with texture and pushed my boundaries when it comes to painting. I knew coming into this week that I wanted to hone in on everything that I have learnt throughout this project to create pieces that showcase what I learned so far and I believe I have succeeded. I ended up creating one very abstract piece, but I surprisingly created a portrait as well. This was not what I was planning for when I started painting but once I saw it come to life on the canvas, I could not paint over it. 

My experience creating the abstract piece was long. I painted this canvas in so many different colours, not being able to decide which I thought would fit. When I begin I do not plan what it is I am going to create. I do have a list of materials that I would like to use. But I do not let that list dictate what I end up creating. For this piece I believe it shows this best. As stated before I could not pick a colour, so I ended up using a few and painting them using different techniques to differentiate them. To me each of these colours represent an aspect of war, of chaos and that is what I wanted to portray. I also used new material on the piece. The wooden pieces at one end of the canvas. I wanted to add some more dimension to the canvas and when lined up they kind of look like a fence. The gaps between the wood represent the lack of safety people have in war zones. The wood is painted in a dark grey almost black with splatters of either red or white paint representing death and innocence. This is a reminder that it is not only soldiers who are killed during war but also innocent people like children, elderly, etc. there is nowhere safe when you are in a warzone. I also used the black fabric again. Ripping it apart, making a hole, painting it to look worn down and used to create the effect that it is scrapes from somebody's uniform. I also added more of the modelling paste just to add some more contrast and depth to the piece. Overall this mixed media abstract piece represents war destruction. It does not matter what war, what time period, at the end of the day, if there is war there is death. This piece is death. 

After spending so long on the other piece, I was planning to create something more stripped back. I was just brushing watered down brown paint around the canvas when I noticed that I had created a face. Instead of covering it, I decided to embrace it. The other side is beer, it represents the cloud of unknown, unknown of who we are and our future. The brush strokes are the different directions we could take ans how they overlap and blend together to the degree that we cannot even tell that we are even making a decision. I decided to use this technique after I discovered the face as it reminded me that most wars begin with one small decision that is miniscule at the time. This is highlighted by the wires that I sewed into the canvas. These wires wrap around the length of the canvas, as well as being embedded into it. There are many different meanings these wires could mean, but my favorite is the never ending whispers of a third world war. This is a war that has been conspiring about for years and one that watches over all the other wars that are currently happening. What I mean by this is that while on the canvas you see the past, the wrapped wire represents this impending doom day. Some believe that it will never come, others think it is around the corner. But no matter your beliefs you have thought about it. Which is why the wire can also represent humanity being trapped in never ending wars. Finally the scrape of fabric that again has been torn and painted to look old and worn, is placed in a way that it almost looks like a part of a sash or uniform, barely covering where the heart would be. Show how exposed we are to all this hatred and death. Overall this piece represents humanity and how each of us could be the person in the painting. Our lives are so uncertain and so two is war. We would not be human if war did not exist. But I also like to think that there is hope for change even if it is against all odds. 

Reflection on Action:

This week I really went further than I could have imagined. My pieces still are not perfect but I have come to the conclusion that that should be the point. This whole time I have been trying to understand war, figure out the emotion behind it, and what I created this week is the closest I have come to figuring that out. Mixed media is an extraordinary tool. I have used different aspects of it to bend and adapt my work to create something unique. What I love about mixed media is how original it is. Everything you create is so different from each other even when working around the same theme. My first piece was just chaos, I truly did throw everything I had learned at it and watch and wait to see what it would turn out like. My favorite part was the fabric. The layering and playing around with destroying it was fun. I surprised myself with the portrait. It goe against my abstract path but I was still able to add both abstract and mixed media elements to it that I feel that it can still work with. My concern now is that I do not want to continue creating more and more canvas pieces. Last week I was thinking about the gallery idea and I think next week I should begin to explore that. 

Theory:

This week I wanted to look into portraying emotion in my art and I discovered this article that discusses emotion in the visual world. A statement that I ultimately found intriguing was when discussing ‘definitions and models of emotion’ as it striked me as the different views of emotions. This is proven with William James’s statement, “...arguing that the experience of emotion is ultimately our experience of distinct patterns of physiological arousal and physical behaviors associated with each emotion” This was fascinating because it made me think of all the different ways this could be highlighted and displayed in an artwork. The power that it could make when you look at emotion as  more than just one's feelings but something so much more. 

Wang, J. Z., Zhao, S., Wu, C., Adams, R. B., Newman, M. G., Shafir, T., & Tsachor, R. (2023). Unlocking the Emotional World of Visual Media: An Overview of the Science, Research, and Impact of Understanding Emotion: Drawing Insights From Psychology, Engineering, and the Arts, This Article Provides a Comprehensive Overview of the Field of Emotion Analysis in Visual Media and Discusses the Latest Research, Systems, Challenges, Ethical Implications, and Potential Impact of Artificial Emotional Intelligence on Society. Proceedings of the IEEE. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 111(10), 1236–1286. 

https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2023.3273517

Preparation: 

After all these weeks of working with mixed media and abstract art, I think I am ready to take it further and create a promotional poster that would advertise a gallery where work like mine from all different countries and cultures could showcase their idea or view on war. This would be a mixed media and/or abstract gallery to continue connecting it to my goal. Mixed media and abstract art are incredible ways of displaying one's emotions and thoughts to the masses and I believe this gallery would perfectly portray this. 

[lydiadesign]

Week 8

The Experience: 

This week I further explored mixed media using the same small canvases as last week. I ended up creating two more pieces. But my goal is different. I wanted to further explore mixed media and abstract art while also intentionally creating pieces that connect to war. The experience of this week was interesting, as I started to feel more confident in my work and became more comfortable in my project. Similarly to last week I created new artworks. But what is different is that I used what I learnt last week to focus on creating meaning in my work. I did not want to straight out declare that these pieces were about war, instead I wanted to show two different points of views of war that I find the most compelling. 

The first piece I created I named If Only. The goal for this piece was to explore the consequences of those who fought in wars. I deliberately used different types of metals to represent different endings for those who fought. The only thing missing really is a bullet. But war has been happening a long time before bullets were invented and truthfully I could not figure out how I could create something that represented a bullet. I used three different types of metals, each one representing a different type of torture. Barbed wire, chains, and rope. The reason why I used a metal chain to represent rope is because to me metal seems indestructible and inescapable and that was the reality for many who went off to war no matter the time period or the scale of war. I also played with texture, adding fingerprints, modelling paste, a sponge, and a paint brush to create this idea of mere existence. Meaning that whoever views it does not know what it is meant to be but can see that nothing could survive. Another important aspect to this piece was colour. As stated last week I was worried that because the topic is war that my work will all be dark and that is the truth with this piece. When I look at the world now and when I researched about war a few weeks ago, I see how war is friends with humanity. I could not find a time where humans lived without war and cannot imagine a world where war does not exist. I put all those thoughts and feelings and came up with this colour that could be mud, could be blood, but definitely is despair. It is not just one flat colour but has lighter and darker parts as well as droplets of red in a few areas as a reminder that this piece is created to represent those we lost to war. The last thing that I added to the piece came from an idea I had last week about using one of my old poems from years ago in my work. The part that I chose is from the beginning of my poem Three Words which I wrote in 2019. This poem is about lost but also about remembering the sacrifices these people made to fight for their country etc. I used a similar technique that I used last week with the paper. But this time I coloured the paper before I write on it and tat worked a lot better. I wanted the piece of paper to feel like it was discarded onto the canvas and that at any second it could be blown away. This represents how easy it can be to forget about those who fought in the past. That war is more than just politics. It is about sacrificing lives for the hope of something more. This piece of paper represents that. 

The second piece that I made this week is a reminder. After all the darkness that I was expressing in the last piece I wanted to explore something that felt lighter. This was because I wanted to see if it was possible to create something light about such a dark subject. I began with painting the canvas in a light green. I used a large brush just to cover the canvas then went over it multiple times to add more dimension. I then added using a scrunched up piece of paper and white paint, splotches around the whole canvas. I then used a tiny bit of mixed brown and black paint and did the same technique that I did with the white in a few areas as a reminder that this work is still a part of a darker subject. I chose green because for many it is seen as growth. It is also the colour of our land, the same land that we declare war on and end war on. That is why I ripped the canvas and painted the edges in the same colour as the darker splotches I made earlier. Because behind it is another list of wars from our past. This represents war as something that is embedded into the very land we walk, the very people we are. It is a reminder of what came before us. I hope that it can mean many other things to those who see it, because everyone's idea of war is different and everyone remembers history differently. The last thing that I added to this piece was the jewelry metal, which I twisted and embedded into the canvas to resemble barbed wire. Another small reminder of being trapped in a world where even if it is safe now where you are, war still exists and it is still impacting millions of people's everyday lives. 

Reflection on Action: 

This week I really just honed in on aspects of what mixed media and abstract art that I liked from last week and used them more intentionally to create two pieces that represent different aspects of war. Neither one is perfect, nor do I believe that they are everyone's cup of tea but they are beautiful to me. I still do not think that I have perfected the readability of the papers I use. My main issue with the writing is that I have to write small to fit more in but that also means that it cannot be read unless you are right in front of them. I also only used a distinct colour for each piece which I enjoy as I think it helps give that piece an identity. This week I really just further explored what was giving me excitement last week. I reimagined what different materials could do and fixed the issues I was having. My main issue this week was the paper. Any writing on my work seems to be hard to read and I have not yet found a solution that I think would work better than what I am already trying. 

Theory:

This week I looked into the importance of brushstrokes. I was interested in learning about this subject because I wanted to start experimenting with my strokes. What I found was outstanding. I discovered that paint strokes ignites action. But this has not been to my findings researched further than this article. But I still found the article extremely interesting, this is specifically shown when discussing how viewing an action leads to other learning said action. “These imaging studies suggest that viewing writing evokes simulation of the actions required to produce the text. These studies support the idea that observers can recover a dynamic motor plan simply by observing its static trace.”  I can see how this thought process could be converted to painting and could open doors for more learning opportunities. 

Taylor, Eric & Witt, Jessica & Grimaldi, Phillip. (2012). Uncovering the connection between artist and audience: Viewing painted brushstrokes evokes corresponding action representations in the observer. Cognition. 125. 26-36. 10.1016/j.cognition.2012.06.012

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230869987_Uncovering_the_connection_between_artist_and_audience_Viewing_painted_brushstrokes_evokes_corresponding_action_representations_in_the_observer .  

Preparation: 

I had an idea this week about creating a poster advertising a gallery that would showcase work like those that I am creating. This gallery would house many people's different views on war. It would need to come from people with many different backgrounds as war is so vast and viewed so differently around the world. I do not know if I will follow through with this idea but it is something that I believe is important and would show the vast history and importance of war. But it would also be able to showcase my mixed media and abstract work, giving purpose to what I am creating. It is because of this thought that I plan to create two larger pieces next week to test what I have learnt on a larger scale. But also to see if I can create something that I would want to display in a gallery.  

[lydiadesign]

Week 7

The experience: 

This week my focus is on exploring mixed media. I know that the only way to go further in this project is by experimenting. That is why this week I plan to use small blank canvases to try different techniques and mainly play around with what I can do. 

The first piece that I created was the one where the colours are all split (As shown below). The reason for it was not to create something perfect, or even something that looks good. 

I started with using tape to block out the canvas. I then played around with different colours and covered the canvas in them. I used different techniques like using a sponge to paint the canvas. After the paint was dry and the tap was off I used modeling paste to add a 3D element. I still wanted to keep a hint of war when I was creating this piece which is why I added a crumpled piece of paper with names of different wars written and glued to the art work. The goal for this piece was just to explore with different materials. It has been a long time since I had done something artistic like this, which is why I decided to experiment with mixed media to begin with. 

The second piece I tried a few days later. For this piece I stripped away all the colours and just focused on trying different materials. In one corner there is a group of jewelry metal that I cut and poked into the canvas. I also used the modelling paste again. The goal with the paste was to see what the texture would be like after colouring it. I wanted to test if the thickness and if it would set the same as before. I also added black fabric to this piece. When I was originally deciding to explore mixed media, fabric was a material that I was interested in using. I experimented with sewing the material into the canvas using the same jewelry metal I already used for the piece. This became difficult to achieve and I only managed to get the metal through twice. I believe this is for a few reasons. The metal that I am using is thin and can easily bend. The other reason I believe that this was difficult was because of how many layers the metal had to get through. There were two layers of fabric, the paste, and the canvas. The end result still achieved my idea but not to the same execution that I planned on. The last thing that I tested was the paper in the middle of the piece. I wrote out different wars from human history and then with paint added lest we forget and dead onto it. This along with ripping and aging the paper using water and paint I came up with what you can see below. 

Reflection on Action: 

Looking back, this week was fun. I finally just began to explore. I have been caught up on trying to create something meaningful that I forgot that this was the whole point. It was by painting and using metal, paper etc. that I got to figure out what material I liked working with as well as the strengths and limitations of each. Finally actually creating something felt so good and reminded me why I love design in the first place. This is because it has given me an opportunity to experiment with materials that I otherwise would ont use. I have been creating things using my laptop or IPad for so long that I do not even remember the last time I created something physically. Mixed media and abstract art is so diverse, which is why I wanted to experiment with so many different types of materials. I still wanted to hint at war through this work but my main goal was just to explore. This I did successfully. For the first time through this project I felt a connection to what I was doing, a purpose. What I lacked was meaning and creating something that actually looked presentable. This is what I want to focus on next week. I improved greatly from the last few weeks where I have been feeling lost and redirecting myself with what my goal is for this project. But what has remained clear is bringing awareness to war and its influence on humanity. Along with this I also started to think about sustainability which is why the material that I am using (minus the canvases) are things that I already had, from second hand stores, or something that was given to me. This is important to me because I am thinking about human destruction and I am trying to figure out where that fits with my project. To me being sustainable is as much a part of my work as war is. 

Theory: 

This week I was looking into different ideas of mixed media. Tate is an extremely well viewed museum and has so many different mixed media works showcased that it was imperative to me to look into it. The work that is being presented comes in so many formats and further proves to me that the sky's the limit when it comes to mixed media. But there is an art to it and every decision made is done purposefully and with meaning. This is something that I want to take into my own work as I further explore what mixed media means to me. 

Preparation: 

Next week I want to take the experiments I did this week further. I plan to create more mixed media and abstract work that have a deeper connection to war. I used so many different materials, but I did not use them with a purpose. Next week I want to change that. I am someone who has to have meaning in their work. I love deep emotions. That is what I want to begin to create next week as I continue to explore mixed media and get a better understanding of what it is and what I can achieve with it. I am still very new at using the medium and I do not expect my work to be ‘perfect’. But I do want to leave an impression and I hope that it will start next week. One of my biggest concerns is colour as war is surrounded by darkness. I do not know if I want to go down that road with my work or try to create something that is more light. There is always the option to do both so then I can get an idea of both sides and see what one I am leaning towards. I also want to go back to some of the poems I wrote years ago when I was visiting all these different war memorials and cemeteries when I was in europe. The reason for this is that it was during this time that I was closest to those who had experienced war and experiences around war. Next week I am going to further explore but I am also going to dig deeper into understanding what these pieces are leading me towards.

[lydiadesign]

week 6

The Experience: 

This week my goal for my experiment is to have a deeper understanding around abstract sculptures. This is important to my experiment as I am coming to terms with the idea that what I originally wanted to do is not reflecting the techniques that I want to experiment with and learn from. Last week I was focusing on researching the history of war, when I was looking back at last week's work I realised when faced with it, that it is not what I am looking for. At the very beginning I was interested in working with mixed media and over the span of a few weeks I have lost that. That is why I came back to look into mixed media and more specifically abstract sculptures to see what it could look like to mesh the two. 

When I started this assignment, in my head I thought that I could do it all. The truth is that I can not. I can not draw. My Original idea relied heavily on drawing. But I am good at abstract. What I want out of this piece is to show what war has done to us. We have become conditioned to believe that if humans walk the earth war will follow. It is something that has been around from the beginning but from the way we are heading it will also be our end. This piece is only one of a bigger collection that I want to portray the human condition. As designers we are always looking to find new solutions when met with complex problems. This work represents these issues. The goal is to leave people thinking. Time morphs throughout the piece that you won't be able to see anything but war and what it means for us. The top of the chair will be burnt to show how if war wins we will be Near ask. I now plan to use images from the past as a collage for the base of the work, followed by paint, metal, and other resources that will be useful when I am at that point. That is the plan for the prototype. For the real sculpture I would want to work with a range of people from different perspectives to ensure that the piece remains bold and unbiased but also that everyone who views it feels a connection and a responsibility to acknowledge What it means to be human right now.

My new timeline - 

Today I remade my timeline. It is very brief with not a lot of substance which at this moment is really important to me. I have still kept in mind the idea of creating a chair sculpture but it is no longer my end goal. I want to experiment and try different forms of media under the umbrella of war as a concept. In the end I may still create something with the chair, (which is why it is still a part of the timeline) but it is no longer my end goal. 

Reflection on Action:

This realisation led me back to a question that I have had for many years now. It is not new, but it is always there. Are humans inherently good or evil? I don't know why or when it started but it is always with me. Through this prototype I plan to  show what that currently looks like to me. Some of the questions that I got this week as feedback was, How will I realistically create it? Why is it impactful? How will I show evolution? These questions though really important are ones that I still do not have the answer to. Not because I don't want to answer them but because I do not have the right answer yet. I have only just realised that I want to change how I present my work, so I am still unsure of what I will actually look like. What I did do was create a new timeline, because I want to be realistic, but I still want to make an impact. 

What I did - 

At the beginning of the week I created a vision board, displaying visually how I view war. This was done to get a more well rounded idea of what war looks like to me. But more importantly for this week it showed me that there is still so much that I want to learn and develop when it comes to mixed media and war. I have decided to continue looking into war, which I will continue next week. I also plan to begin to look into the different types of materials I want to explore. 

Theory:

This week I wanted to look into abstract sculptures to see what type of work they were. I looked at both modern and ancient sculptures to try and get a better understanding about what makes them so special. What I did discover on the way was that none of them that I could find was like what I wanted to create. This does not mean that I believe I am creating something completely new, just that it is different from what I have researched. But what I found most interesting was that most were made of some type of stone, having been carved into their shape. That is not what I want to do with mine. The stone allows the pieces to not be affected by time nearly as quickly as other materials. But I want mine to be able to decay overtime, it makes sense with my goal. After doing this research I realise that my abstract mixed media sculpture is going to be quite different to what is around now, and I hope that it is because of this difference that it will be able to make an impact. 

This photo - 

This photo was my inspiration to change. The use of man made objects that are displayed in such a way inspired me to further look into both mixed media and abstract work. This is because I want to experiment with these types of mediums and to do that I need inspiration. That is what this image gave me. 

The following images were ones that I found when researching what types of mixed media and sculptures already exist. I did this not because I  want to create something exactly like them, but as inspiration after I decided to change what my goal was for this week. They all depict different representations of war. This shows me how people view war in many different ways, which is something that I want to keep in mind when I begin to experiment with materials next week.

Preparation: 

This week, I shifted my idea to better fit what I believe I should feasibly be able to execute. This was a hard decision, but I believe it will mean that I will have a better result in the end. I am all for trying new things but I think what I am doing already is new enough and I do not want to over complicate my design so much that I won’t be able to create something I’m proud of, though I know that is not the point of this assignment, it is still something g that I hope for.

[lydiadesign]

week 5

The Experience:

This week, I was focusing on researching war. My focus this week was on the first recorded wars. I wanted to look into what war looked like at the time. This is to eventually be able to showcase it in the final prototype. Because war has been around for thousands of years, and I cannot showcase every single one, I am instead looking at the ones that had the most impact. I am still unsure about how I am going to visually showcase these early wars, but I have found photos that I hope to use as a guide to what war might have been like then. 

Reflection on Action:

When reflecting on this week, I wish that I had been able to do more research than I was able to. It had been very busy both in classes and out. But the work that I did is important for my overall goal. This week, my overall question that I wanted to answer is how much has really changed in human behaviour? And I believe that I have started to figure it out. I recognise that there will never be a true answer. What I now believe after doing some research is that humans have always had conflicts, we are not always good at handling emotions, I do not believe we are that different from humans thousands of years ago, we have just evolved, everything has just become more. I did not get any feedback this week from classmates or tutors, but do plan to get feedback next week after I get more research done. 

Theory:

This week, I also wanted to focus on the impact I wanted my piece to make. This began by looking into sculpture impact, to see what qualities make a sculpture impactful, so that I can then implement them into my own prototype. Some of the key takeaways from this article were that in most sculptures, there is a cultural element that transcends multiple cultures. This is already a main point of my piece, and I knew that many sculptures I have personally seen have this element, but it was still a good reminder that I should stay focused on that element. But the key takeaway was the historical element. Sculptures have been around throughout history and have made a mark on portraying our history over the years. This confirmed that a sculptured chair was the right decision, as I feel that it is fitting that for as long as humans have been creating sculpture, they have also created war. 

Preparation:

This week I do wish that I spent more time on this project, but I am still in the early stages and have time. I did focus on the first recorded wars as I did want to have a better understanding of what war looked like in the beginning as well as who was at war. This is important to me as the world has changed so much since then that I want to make sure that this part of our history is not forgotten. We all start somewhere. I want my prototype to make an impact, though I know that it will not be to the full extent to what the full sized sculpture would be, but it is a start. 

[lydiadesign]

week 4

The Experience:

This week my focus was on deciding my subject for the next project. I want to explore the evolution of human destruction by using a man made object (a chair as the prototype) to understand how design can capture the errors of our ways and the future we are heading towards. When discussing my idea with fellow students and tutors, I got a lot of positive feedback surrounding this idea. The main question was how I was going to execute it. I am planning to use mixed media as well as a physical chair as a prototype to demonstrate what this would look like. I am planning to begin with looking into the different materials I could use as well as spending the next two weeks researching  war in many different angles. I am going to be doing this first because the concept of war is vast and all encompassing so I need to make sure that I have a clear idea of how it is going to work before I move forward with sketching it out and beginning to create the design. This is my timeline for the rest of the semester.

Reflection on Action:

When deciding on my topic I had to think about what I thought I could both achieve but also be proud of. My brain is always thinking up ideas that I cannot execute yet. So when I was writing down what I thought would be feasible I was more restrained. I believe that is why I ended up choosing this idea. Out of all those that I write down, this to me was the most exciting. When I told people my choice, it intrigued them, and that is what I was after. Not because of this assignment, but because that is the feeling I wanted people to feel. The feedback that I got was reassuring, but also confronting as I was given different ideas that I could use such as, integrate chair into the corresponding environment, would the full scale chair be made to last the test of time? for the prototype would I limit myself to the same constraints? These thoughts I do not yet have answers for but I plan to before I begin designing the prototype. 

Theory:

When deciding my topic, I also decided how I wanted to portray it, which was through mixed media. Mixed media is a technique that I have not experienced properly before. After doing some research, mainly the one linked below, I began to understand what mixed media is and how I could use it. The type of mixed media that I believe will encompass my work is called assemblage. This is a 3D form of collage. I do not think that this will be the only form of mixed media that I will be using but it was very interesting and gives me a lot of opportunities. 

Preparation:

This week I really focused on getting an understanding of the assignment and choosing what I would want to do. There is a lot that I am still unsure about when it comes to this project, but I am passionate, and optimistic that I will be able to achieve something that will show human destruction through war. I also want to note that the goal of this project is not to have a perfect end result, my goal by the end is to have a finished prototype because I would not be able to realistically create a full scale sculpture of a chair and all the different elements within both the time frame and my budget. I want my end result to still be impactful. We as designers I believe should always, at least once create something that has no other purpose than to just be viewed and still make an impact. 

[lydiadesign]

Week 3

Description: 

This week my focus was on creating my presentation for my tech demo. The tech demo was centered around the concept of baking under the design umbrella. This was achieved by exploring the intersection of culinary arts and design principles. The actual presentation showcased various aspects of baking, such as the importance of having the correct ingredients. This all relates to having a broader design concept like structure, composition, and user experience. My presentation utilised visual aids including a step by step instruction to create the biscoff truffles. 

Feelings: 

When creating my presentation I felt like I was missing something but it wasn't till I was actually in class that I realised I missed a whole chunk of the instructions and had to quickly add anything more onto my presentation and still handing it in late and not to my standards at all. This made me lose a lot of confidence in my presentation. But I know how to present well. I have done it for at least 10 years now. This meant that even though my submission did not have everything I was able to say everything to my audience which was something at least. This was definitely a massive lesson for me as I do not ever want to feel like I did when I realised my mistake ever again. 

Evaluation: 

Some things that I did well was the interactive and visual nature of my presentation. This included images, video, and the biscoff truffles for everyone to try. Explaining the connection between baking and design was also something that I believe I did well in the presentation itself. What went wrong was my lack of organisation and at the end of the day my reading skills that led me to missing half of the information I needed on my presentation slides which then led me to handing in my assignment late. This is also due to my procrastinating tendencies which I really need to work on. 

Analysis: 

The strengths of my presentation comes down to how I was able to sell my presentation after my slides were incomplete. What really helped was the visuals that I had as well as the video at the end which people seemed to like as I created it using a trending sound and style from TikTok. My lack of preparation hindered my hand which in turn made me  want to crush the actual presentation so then I would at least have something that I felt confident in. I still do not know how I missed all the things needed in the presentation but it is definitely something I will be learning from. 

Conclusion: What Can Be Learned?

The presentation successfully demonstrated the value of using baking as a metaphor for design, showing how iterative processes, material constraints, and aesthetic considerations all play a role in creative problem-solving. However, it also highlighted the importance of tailoring explanations to the audience’s knowledge level, balancing pacing, and incorporating more direct engagement to enhance learning.

My presentation was able to successfully demonstrate the value of baking as a metaphor for design, by showing how interactive processes, material constraints, and aesthetic considerations all play an important role in creative problem solving. However it is also important to consider the audience's knowledge of the topic. But most importantly I have learned the importance of triple checking the instructions because I never want to come unprepared for a presentation again. 

Action Plan:

In the future I am going to make sure that I have everything on the presentation slides as well as being smarter with my time. As I have stated constantly throughout this week's blog, this presentation did not go as I thought it would. But I am still proud of my delivery and ability to explain everything without having slides to fall back on. Something that I thought about doing and would want to do in the future if it was feasible would be to increase audience participation by letting them make their own baked goods during the presentation. This is because I believe being able to work with your hand while learning means that you absorb more information and you can learn skills as you go. I believe that by implementing these adjustments, future presentations would be more inclusive, engaging, and educational, which in turn would ensure that the intersection of baking and design is communicated effectively. 

[lydiadesign]

Week 2

Description:

This week my focus is on planning my tech demo. I did this by coming up with ideas for my tech demo and in the end creating my tech demo. For this tech demo after brainstorming ideas (shown in week 1s blog) I chose baking as my focus. The goal was to explore the process of baking as both a creative and technical practice. I did this by analysing its parallels with ensign thinking. I then created my recipe that was both creative and precise. This is the final recipe:

Feelings: 

Initially, I struggled to figure out what I wanted my tech demo to look like. I knew what I wanted to create but did not know how I was going to execute it. Then I decided to just have fun with it. The idea of applying design principles like iteration, problem solving, and user experience with baking which is tangible and edible was very intriguing to me. I admit that my final product was not flawless but I am still proud of what I did create at the end and it was delicious. This project also reinforced my appreciation for baking as being both an art and a science. 

Evaluation: 

My biscoff truffles I believe demonstrated the relationship between design and baking especially when emphasising structured creativity. What I struggled with was time management caused by indecision at the beginning stages of the project. This also meant that I did not focus a lot on the aesthetic elements which is one of my favorite parts of design. 

Analysis: 

The success of creating something that I was proud of was also met with challenges. This was due to my bad time management and indecisiveness. Understanding the design process helped in structuring the baking process methodically. Unlike digital or graphic design, baking is something that is tangible and has constraints that can not be easily adjusted once the mistake is made. For example one wrong measurement and the whole consistency of the truffle is ruined. At the end of the day it all comes down to trial and error. By highlighting the importance of precise execution, reinforces the connecting between baking and engineering disciplines where consistency and control are crucial to success.   

Conclusion: 

This project emphasised the importance of structured creativity, execution, and problem solving under constraints. The parallels between baking and design extend beyond just aesthetics to include methodology, precision, and adaption. All very important skills. Additionally, understanding the importance of limitations of physical materials which in this case was ingredients highlights the importance of testing and iteration that is important for real world design application. 

Action Plan: 

If I was to redo this project or take what I learnt from it for future projects I would want to work on my time management. I do not know if it was because it was still early in the semester but I was not on my game throughout this project and that definitely needs to change moving forward. I would also want to enhance the difficulty of my recipe to be able to showcase more baking skills such as piping and tempering chocolate. But maybe most importantly I would want to experiment more to  be able to incorporate iterative testing by baking smaller batches before committing to the final product because even though I love the final product I would have loved to experiment more with different flavours and ingredients. By implementing these improvements in future baking endeavors whether it is for a design assignment or a personal project the outcome will hopefully be more effective, enjoyable, and refined.

[lydiadesign]

Week 1!

Going into this semester knowing that it was going to be my last year doing this degree did not feel real. The person who I was when I started this journey, I do not even recognize anymore. But the world has also changed a lot over the last four years. I do not plan on changing the world. I do not plan to live to work. What I plan on doing though is creating a space where people can feel safe as well as one that separates you from the reality around us. My escape over the last four years has been reading. Last year alone I read 146 books. This is not normal or a goal I set for myself but merely just the number I reached. It was my passion, my safety net. I am writing this because that type of feeling, that type of experience is what I want to create. I do not yet know how I am going to achieve it but I have a reason to keep searching for one. In saying this I do not believe there will be one perfect solution, that just is not how the world works. I am also considering the fact that what I decide to create could be helpful for a range of different ages, genders, disabilities, etc. So it will be very important to find a target audience to design specifically for this assignment/s. 

First class

During the first class I brainstormed a lot about anything that was an interest of mine, both good and bad. I then just wrote them all out onto my Ipad. This was my first step to see what my mind could think of something. This is what it turned out like: 

I chose a brainstorm method as it was the most freeing to just write down anything that came to mind. I was not looking for connections, thinking about what each subject could lead to. I merely just wanted to have all my thoughts on a page. Another reason why I did it this way is because I have aphantasia, meaning I can't picture anything inside my head. So this was a way for me to visualise my thoughts before breaking them down. 

Then using a piece of paper and a pen I categorised the subjects that I found most interesting into two groups, things I love and things that hurt. This was a different take on the template shown in class. This is what it ended up looking like. 

I then started writing down my tech demo ideas as seen below. I still have yet to decide which topic I am going to choose. I don't even know if I will be using any of these ideas but it will give me a stepping stone to figure out what it is I want to do for the tech demo. 

This first week flew by and has left me feeling like I already have to play catch up. This course I can already tell will push me along with me pushing myself as well. I am not going into this looking to create something perfect nor do I believe that my final idea will be world changing. As stated before I do not believe that any one person would be able to achieve that. But what I do want to achieve is to create something that will make an impact. That is my goal for this class and this year.