WEEK EIGHT

Building New Models and Tools for Future Practice.

Image 1 . Virtual Fashion - Skins — SCARLETT YANG

Futures in design is a fascinating subject. Humanity is driven by the need to move forward and imagine how life would be in another generation or millennium. With physical evolution we have the evolution of the mind and the idea. The 'what if ..?' is compelling.

Personally I try not to spend too much time with speculation of future needs. What drives me is understanding how best to communicate in the culture we're in and to the community I am designing for. If that includes a new idea or initiative then great. I am all for exploring a new idea if it is appropriate for communicating the idea to it's intended community. Using Tic-Toc to promote support stockings, or printing thousands of A5 flyers to promote virtual fashion would of course be non-starters.

It goes without saying that keeping up with innovation and futures in graphic design is hugely important to build confidence in idea initiation and development and to also track how the practice of graphic design is evolving. Paramount is the ability to understand the brief, the community you are designing for and then the inspiration to connect the necessary technology with how they will 'hear' the message.

Initial research on technology, innovation and design futures led me to this site which contains some interesting statements from current designers and thinkers. A few highlighted here;

hmmmm ... maybe he hasn't included the book publishing industry in his rather sweeping statement. I also find the phrase experience design rather ambiguous. When you are leafing through a book or magazine it is still an experience. In fact it is a much broader experience as it includes touch. Also - there are a lot of designers who think rather effectively about context and UX. It's not a third dimension - it's just common sense isn't it? Sorry Adam. Too many holes in that statement.

Moving on ...

3D printing. The first thing that springs to mind is how it has been used to advance the manufacture of prosthetics. Now we have mind controlled prosthetics! Incredible.

Yes - we have digital and interactive posters now. But good design is all about context. I think the move away from physical or graphic nostalgia as this guy says will be a lot slower. Nostalgia is in the eye of the user/beholder/intended community - isn't it? If it works and communicates intentionally then - it works. Job done - however you do it. It has to be about context first.

Graphic design via virtual reality is here - and if it works and communicates well then great. Contact lens and brain implants? No-ones putting anything in my brain thank you very much. It's cluttered enough as it is.

Having been disappointed with these responses I looked further and came up with this. For me, no matter what design technology comes up with it is all about how we navigate our way through life and the ever present algorithms to stay attached to our reality. We are far more interesting and complex than the decision of an algorithm or the whizzy things we can do with technology. If technological advances further the purpose and support of humanity and our environment for the good of all then we need to take full advantage. I suppose it all goes back to the 'why?' question. To stand back from an algorithm will enable the ability to shape our own reality and re-frame what we see. Which in turn - as graphic designers - enables us to respond with integrity to the community we are designing for.

I have a lot of time for what this lady is saying and creating;

This Weeks Challenge;

Develop a digital tool or process to aid the collaboration for future working from your

findings in the previous three weeks.

• You should ensure this response is to your own emerging ideas on your own working methodology.

• Present your idea as a designed visual proposal in the format of your choice.

Ideas for a digital tool or process to aid collaboration.

My ideas come directly from responding to a need around me. Responses from my reality using tools which the community I am thinking of will use.

1.Spark. a collaborative, evolving, on-line and physical resource of short projects for use as additional support and inspiration with core subjects in the development of influential graphic designers within graphic design design courses. This resource will highlight the benefit for collaboration with other practitioners alongside the traditional core subjects in order to grow a curious, confident, creative mind which sees others, collaborates to generate ideas and is then able to connect those ideas effectively with a given community. This resource will be an evolving, living collection of projects submitted by a global community of designers and practitioners of all generations and background. All with the same aim of encouraging and inspiring the development of ideas and good design.

As the module has progressed the outworking of the initial idea has also progressed to a point where I now can see this as an inclusive, living, evolving collection of creative challenges. All the challenges will be categorised into the sections outlined below. These sections - as far as I understand at the moment - make up the core practices and foundations of an undergraduate graphic design course.

The challenges within each category can be used to enrich an existing module. Don't worry about the design of the visual, colours, fonts etc depicted below. What I need to nail are the categories to involve in this creative ideas exchange tool.

Examples of initial short projects to be included in the appropriate SPARK categories are included in these pdf's in their raw format;

SPARK Type Projects examples.pdf

Download PDF • 3.87MB

SPARK Image project examples.pdf

Download PDF • 7.38MB

The central title will be 'creative process' and the user profile. Composition will be replaced with image.

So - to simplify, focus and work through navigation I am starting with the centre ring which I would consider the core or self awareness/personal development aspect of a curriculum module.

NAVIGATION;

Hover over or click each section to reveal its own categories.

Select a category to choose a challenge from its content.

Once a challenge is completed and posted in a 'gallery' it will be listed as 'achieved' on the users profile.

Each challenge has a profile of the contributor and an opportunity to dialogue.

The result of a tutorial thankfully proved my thinking that this is potentially too big a project for this module. I need to reign it in and focus. Or, use another idea.

2.UCAN. Grow a plant exchange community. Pop&Plant. Swap it Up. Pass it on.

A design proposal as a result of a challenge titled 'doing good while feeling good'.

This idea I would like to develop further as it deals with issues I am passionate about with a focus on inclusive community, empowerment, wellbeing and environmental issues. It comes from my personal ethos and life directions as outlined in week one. In terms of maintaining the passion to fulfil an entrepreneurial project UCAN. fulfil's that above SPARK.

Therefore I have decided to run with this one.

This is a page of a presentation/report for this project with research links. The starting point for the whole idea was a 'wicked' problem - outlined here. This will be expanded on in my submissions.

Having worked through the research connected with my thought process, the resulting idea linked seeded cardboard to a social platform. Having got this far I then wrote a brief;

Followed by the projects ethos;

These two short videos demonstrate in part what has informed my rational for the idea. Below is a collection of initial sketches which informed the brand development for this product. Brace yourselves;

Below is a collection of initial sketches and notes which informed the brand development for this product.

The artefact driving this idea comes in the shape of free seeded coasters with pop-out tags to plant or pass on and a QR code link to the website and app.