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WEEK3:
PEN TO
PAPER
02/08/2024
REPORT
This week, I finished writing notes for all the human ethics modules and received two more certificates; 'Conflict of Interest' and 'Consent'. Additionally, I updated all my scope plans after speaking with Diana and analyzing the precedents she shared with me, as she told me that workshop solutions are adequate for my problem space and that multifunctional app solutions can be a holistic answer; influential work from Judy Jin (2023), Tauiwi Tautoko (2024), Tanagata Tiriti (2024).
Since updating my scope plans, my plan A has become a marketing campaign that will launch in conjunction with a multifunctional platform on Figma that has the following functions: a hiring method that primarily focuses on removing ethnic bias and amplifying qualifications, a social function where members can add each other and share resources from the resource webpage that showcases relevant articles and job postings, and lastly a workshop tab where the organizations can hire facilitators to run workshops. Furthermore, I consolidated my preliminary research from my DES300 report and created possible brand names and logos for my project.
RESPONDING
Completing the human ethics modules felt tragic to me. It took me quite some time to write notes on each topic, and most of the modules were irrelevant to my research project. Updating my scope plans with Diana made me feel a lot better about my solution to my problem space because the examples she shared with me were relevant and still effective, even though previously I thought workshop and app solutions were boring. It felt nice to re-educate myself on my problem space by consolidating my most relevant preliminary research from the DES300 report and placing them in one area to remind me about statistics/data for which I am creating solutions. I enjoyed creating brand names and logos for my project; it felt nice to design and be creative again, which I had missed since redesigning my website in Week 1.
RELATING
Going through readings is nothing new to me as a 4th-year university student, and it reminded me of my early commerce days. 'Notion' has been a fantastic help and has made it easy for me to flick through all my notes on one intuitive platform. Updating my scope plans with Diana reminded me why I should talk to lectures more often. When I was younger, I was afraid to get my work judged or be wrong in front of my teachers. I have realized that this is the best approach to getting better grades; it is a million times better to know that you are wrong now than to find out down the line when it is too late.
Creating brand names and logos reminded me of when I was designing logos for my group in DES201, where we were creating workshops. This activity slowly woke my illustrator skills up again, as they have been lying dormant for quite some time, and unfortunately, it shows. It also reminded me of the ideation and iteration process as I quickly ideated soft ideas that I later tried to develop further into more complicated concepts once I received feedback from peers.
REASONING
This week's most significant aspect is that being a designer does not mean I will always have fun and be creative 24/7. To be a holistic designer, I must do my due diligence before creating a solution and, therefore, go through tedious tasks such as notetaking the human ethics modules. This mindset derives from Baytas' (2021) podcast episode with Erik Stolterman, who discusses design philosophy and preaches that every designer should think in systems; every design aspect is equivalent to a cog that is part of a complicated machine. Moreover, Stolterman refutes modern society's take on design as easy to pick up and instead labels it as a highly disciplined way of working where principles are learnt and applied.
I firmly believe that without the lows of a project, the highs wouldn't exist; my creative energy is growing with each moment of academic design practice. Based on Meister & Stavskaya's (2023) article, there is an argument that feelings of boredom can be effective and channelled into new ideas. Therefore, I will take this opportunity!
RECONSTRUCTING
Based on my previous reflection stages, I have learnt that I need to communicate with Diana more often about my project to make my vision more precise and thus feel better. I will try to take every opportunity I can to have 10-minute sessions with Diana during our Tuesday or Thursday classes. Additionally, when I get bored with design research, I should channel that energy into creating something for my project; even if it may not be appropriate for my current stage of work, it may play a significant role as I progress into my project. If I do this, it will be the most productive energy use and a way to get dopamine during the study.
REFERENCES
Baytas, M. A. (2021). Erik Stolterman: Design Theory and Philosophy. Design Discipline
https://www.designdisciplin.com/p/erik-stolterman
Jin, J. (2023). THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND DESIGN
PROGRAMME. reDESIGN. https://redesign.ac.nz/projects/pathway
Meister, A., & Stavskaya, A. (2023). The Benefits of Being Bored at Work. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2023/07/the-benefits-of-being-bored-at-work
Tangata Tiriti. (2024). Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People educational activities. https://treatypeople.org/educational-activities/
Tauiwi Tautoko. (2024). Home. https://www.tauiwitautoko.com/
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