michyology

[michyology]

How to Introduce Your Work

As design students, one of the skills we need to possess is the ability to give presentations. No matter the size or importance of the work, we will always be asked to explain our ideas and the context in which we created them. The selection of the content of the presentation will be an important consideration. This is also very closely related to the context mentioned in the previous blogs. So, in addition to this, we should consider what to put in a presentation.

From my own experience, I will tend to filter those factors that I think are unique to highlight. For example, what matters to our newspaper project is the text layout design, and choice of illustrations, which we tend to talk about in detail in our final presentation; these are the aspects that are most worthy of consideration. In a short presentation, we should ignore the facts that everyone knows and drag the audience's attention to what we think are the strengths as much as possible. Design can sometimes be more personal, but it's best if you can get the audience into your world and see the whole thing through your eyes.

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Critique & Feedback

I am a person who enjoys participating in critiques and feedback. I think critiques and feedback are essential for every work, it gives me more opportunities to improve.

Some of the benefits of critiques and feedback： 1. It strengthens my content 2. Improve content in the future 3. Learn more about relationships with future clients 4. Creates satisfaction for future client 5. Essential to make you move forward 6. Insight into what you are good at 7. Knowing what can be done better 8. The strategy of possible improvement 9. Offer a helpful suggestion 10. Finding relevant references that can be applied to your own work

A good working environment will give your work more potential improvement, but while critique and feedback are important, it is also necessary that the person giving the comment remains fair and does not use overly aggressive language to bash the results of others' efforts. Everyone has a different way of looking at something, so they treat a piece of design in the same way. However, creators also need to be open to feedback that may have different opinions. Even though it is sometimes hard to face objections, it is also a method for us to improve.

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Context

What is the context?

Context refers to the context and environment in which a person, thing, or idea exists and occurs(UXdesign, 2021). For example, when writing a newspaper article, we need to take into account the context of the event, the facts, figures, statements, and the audience. Having a proper context will make your newspaper different from what others publish.

Context in Design Industry: 

Context is also an essential aspect in the field of design. It allows the audience to understand the overall direction before focusing on the details. context allows one to see a defined scope and the issues that are trying to be expressed and ensures that the entire design is transmitting the intended message to the audience.

Context is the framework for an idea and the basis for its existence in reality. It is a tone, a model that gives context, a way to address a need, and an impact. Anyone can have the same idea, but it is often the process of execution and the story behind it that is unusual, and that is what makes context so unique.

Especially in a group project, I would consider the context to be a necessity. In perhaps unfamiliar teamwork, miscommunication may be a frequent occurrence. But if we could explain the context in advance of each collaboration, we would be setting a general direction for the whole work. This will make the whole post-production work and countless details more and more directional. If the design field did not have the "rules" of context, it would be chaos.

Definition: https://uxdesign.cc/context-in-design-a-keystone-to-understanding-users-aeba93ce5dc4

Picture Reference: https://spring2innovation.com/innovation-context/

[michyology]

Field Notes

In this lesson, we learned how to make our own field notes and how to quickly count certain things, people, and characteristics. field notes use a kind of observation and their own unique characteristics to record. It is intended for scientist or researchers to provide evidence and understanding. Most of our general notes are in bullet point form.

Before this class, I did not know about this method of note-taking. And, because of the advanced technology nowadays, we also use typing to record things in a way that we think is easy. But it must be said that the act of writing is actually to engrave something more deeply in the memory, and in a way make it more permanent. The field note is the ability to record some observations that would normally be forgotten over time, as well as supplemented with data and follow-up observation documents. These notes will also become a permanent record of the investigation. They provide a short written record of events, times, places, suspects, witnesses and other information. Most of the time, field notes are the most direct way to provide the primary resource that design students need.

The most commonly filed note template includes: 

picture source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Field-notes-template-for-social-structure-archeology_fig38_333661562

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Content Selection

Similar to the selection of topic mentioned in the previous post, the choice of content also requires consideration of many factors. Moreover, a suitable reference text has become a main "ingredient". If we do not focus on content selection in the research process, we will get an article with no specific topic or particular focus. Therefore, how to choose a reliable and sustainable article as a reference has become a priority. In the research process, we need to ensure both fairness and accuracy of the content. If we read an article with bias, our thinking will likely be affected.

So how can we get the most realistic and comprehensive research? In my opinion, the most comprehensive and accurate investigation is to communicate with people. In the pre-research process, we can go to the local community to develop the most intuitive understanding of the current situation and solutions. On the other hand, we can conduct surveys and hear voices from different backgrounds. This way, we will create the primary conditions our group needs to have in the research process.

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Topic Selection

The choice of the theme will determine the contents and audiences of the newspaper. Therefore, we should think from a comprehensive perspective in the selection period.

For example, we are currently working on an environmental column, which seems to be a perfect topic to talk about. However, the effect is not cheerful due to the potential content being too broad. Thus we need to narrow down the range or perhaps pick another category to write about.

We can think from some aspects: First, the news should emphasize timeliness and social benefits, and can cause a broad discussion in public. Secondly, we need to consider whether the selected topic can positively influence and be informative to public opinion. Besides, we also need to consider our ability and understanding of the case and whether the surrounding environment allows us to do research and study. Based on Hong Kong's geographical location and public opinion, our group came up with topics such as shore cleaning, intensive farming, volcano incident in Japan, and wildfire. These topics are not only popular and well known, but they are also one of the most discussed hot topics nowadays.

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How I Define Symbols

A symbol is qualitatively different in comparison to the logos we have created in semester 1. In my opinion, a symbol's characteristics must possess certain traits, such as being concise and unambiguous. Moreover, a symbol needs to convey its message directly without questioning based on its appearance. On the other hand, a logo is designed with greater flexibility and freedom in mind. They can be abstract or a combination of different symbols.

In addition, I think the most appropriate symbol that matches the theme of environmental politics does not only represent an environmental problem but also allows people to recognize the current problem in society. Therefore, I'll concentrate on whether I can correctly relay the content based on the original sketch.

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Basic Elements of Design

When I create, it is usually based on the first institution, experiences and my own ways of interpreting. I’m not always concerned with the physical structure of art and often overlook the beauty of each principle. 

However, a small sketch that seems to be straightforward, may include a wide range of features. In this week's class, after viewing the paintings of the students, I was struck by the many kinds of beauty that each of the diverse shapes provided. Despite the fact that my team and I worked on the same themes, the graphics we expressed were fundamentally different since we came from different thinking and creative environments. In addition, I personally prefer to use irregular shapes and lines to demonstrate my symbols. I believe it fosters a sense of freeness and diversity. Moreover, everyone's use of lines, graphics, space, and texture combined with an understanding of dynamics, form, and balance is presented differently.

[michyology]

What is Communication Design?

I am Michelle, a university freshman currently majoring in communication design.

It is pretty often that I question why I chose to study this Program among all other creative industries while not knowing what it exactly is. Like most of my classmates in university, I have always found the design to be a source of intellectual curiosity. This kind of art consists of freedom and creative power, in my opinion, is also valuable.

It wasn't until this week that I had an idea of what communication design might be. The communication design that I understand has permanently been restricted to design itself and misses the importance of communication. As mentioned in the article Word as Material, I read in communication design 2 class. Designers tend to objectively separate themselves from writers, even though their goals are the same. Often, these results are a lack of trust and communication between partners. Besides, communication is the critical factor to many issues. Ideas and design concepts presented in words are often more reliable and straightforward in context. Moreover, knowing the fact that communication is the key to problem-solving, it is crucial how each individual collaborates in a team.