Competitive Context.
Task 5:
For this week's challenge, our research task is to carefully read, analyze, and reflect on the four 'Industry Set' project briefs to encourage deep thinking and demonstrate our thought process. We are asked to make notes about each brief and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. We also have to ponder the creative challenges each of them might pose. Some projects that appear challenging at first can often be the most rewarding in the long run. Moreover, I'm looking forward to hearing the creative practitioners answer the question: "How do they research and find new industry projects or opportunities to get involved in?"
To be honest, this particular brief didn't excite me much. I tend to lose interest when working on something for as long as 8 weeks. I get bored easily, and sticking to the same subject for an extended period can make me lose interest in it. Nevertheless, I'm willing to challenge myself and explore new things.
Learning Objectives:
LO1: Research — Select and deploy appropriate research methodologies to inform the needs within a project.
LO4: Distil — Position a creative strategic insight that has been distilled and refined through an informed investigation.
LO5: Imagine — Deliver appropriate and innovative ideas that embrace risk, have contemporary relevance and question the boundaries of the discipline.
LO6: Make — Select and utilise relevant tools, skills and technologies in the delivery, iteration and sustainable production of an outcome.
LO7: Collaborate — Demonstrate inclusive and empathetic strategies to plan and execute a project across distributed collaborative situations.
LO8: Design — Realise a final solution that evidences its strategic journey and clear relationship between form and function.
LO9: Communicate — Communicate effectively in a range of contexts and situations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
BRIEF OPTIONS:
Brief 1: Research & Development (Science Museum)
The Science Museum is an institution renowned for its commitment to science, technology and innovation. Although the prospect of collaborating with such a renowned institution was captivating, I found myself detached from the challenge of designing creative solutions to present digital archive data to the public. While this brief would certainly put me out of my comfort zone within the realm of design, my lack of interest in science and lack of personal connection to the topic make it a project that I would not wish to pursue.
Brief 2: Global Competition (Live)
Creative Conscience:
Creative Conscience Awards are a series of awards that recognize and celebrate innovative solutions that aim to make a positive difference in society and the natural world. As I considered their briefs, the one on education and learning appealed to me the most, as I am a firm believer in the eternal development of knowledge, extending beyond one's lifetime. However, having applied for this award during my university years, I did not have the passion to participate in another live event. I didn't feel prepared or motivated to engage in the process at this time.
The RSA Student Design Awards:
RSA Student Design Awards (RSA) is an award-winning platform that promotes creative solutions to real-world problems. Their brief submissions are renowned for their originality and attention-grabbing nature. I was mainly captivated by one brief in particular, which focused on helping young people feel confident in their own skin. This topic resonated with me personally, as I battled severe acne four years ago, which left me feeling like I wanted to vanish from the face of the earth. As a result, this brief had a special meaning for me. However, the kickstarting of the project posed challenges due to my emotional attachment to the subject.
Brief 3: Global Competition (Concluded)
Design and Art Direction (D&AD):
Design and Art Direction, commonly known as D&AD, is a prestigious organization that celebrates creativity and excellence in the design and advertising industry. I was initially excited to hear that I could participate with them, but I was disappointed to find that their briefs were concluded and not live. However, the wide variety of briefs they offered intrigued me. Normally, I feel overwhelmed when faced with many choices, but browsing through the D&AD awards proved to be less daunting than I expected. Two briefs, in particular, captured my interest - the Monotype and the Pantone briefs.
As a visual-oriented designer who enjoys the art of creating, I'm less inclined towards branding and extensive research. The Pantone brief was especially appealing as I've always wanted to work with Pantone and their world of colors. For the Monotype brief, I have a genuine passion for typography, but I tend to play it safe and avoid taking risks. However, I felt it was the right opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and explore new possibilities in the realm of typography.
Brief 4: Collaboration (Live)
This project offers the chance to work on a creative endeavor in partnership with an existing contact, client, industry partner, or professional body with whom I've already established a working relationship. However, despite the potential advantages, this brief did not appeal to me. The reason for this is that I believe creativity thrives when one has the chance to explore new areas and face new challenges. I found that working with established contacts lacked the enthusiasm and creativity that I experienced when working on creative projects. Additionally, given my limited job or client experience, collaborating with them might be challenging to arrange.
INTENDED CHOSEN BRIEFS:
Brief 2: RSA
Brief 3: D&AD
After reading almost all the briefs, I felt a stronger connection with these two briefs. Just reading their titles made me feel like I was envisioning a full project. However, when reading the RSA brief, I noticed that it focused more on research, especially in the field of medicine. This inspired me but made me feel overwhelmed. I was looking for a project I could easily engage with but also push myself to my limits. I decided to use the monotype brief, D&AD, to test my abilities and push beyond the limits of my imagination. I am excited to experiment and push myself in the world of typography.
D&AD AWARDS “Monotype” winners:
This project revolves around the Protecting Pubs campaign, highlighting the essential role that pubs play in local communities. It addresses the growing threat of these establishments being demolished or repurposed by large developers and encourages individuals to nominate their favorite local pubs as assets of community value. The message of this campaign truly inspired me, and it was the driving force behind my choice to pursue the Monotype brief. The happiness and sense of enlightenment I felt while reading and viewing the final designs were undeniable. These designs not only met but exceeded expectations, and in my opinion, they deserve an even higher award for their exceptional quality and impact on the cause.
I was absolutely blown away by this project. The level of effort put into every letter, the vibrant colors, intricate stitches, and overall perfection were truly unbelievable. The project's core idea centers around the preservation of "Zmijanje embroidery," an intangible cultural heritage that champions diversity, creativity, and non-verbal communication. The poster design reveres tradition by incorporating essential elements of Zmijanje embroidery, like the deep blue thread and improvised geometrical shapes. It successfully blends tradition with modern communication methods, providing a fresh perspective on safeguarding this invaluable heritage. This project left me feeling deeply moved and inspired, reinforcing my belief that with determination, nothing is impossible.
Case Studies:
The FELD Studio for Digital Crafts, Berlin:
I guess you are at that point where you would need to make a decision for your upcoming projects, what to choose and how to choose that. And I guess this is something that relates to all of us.
Torsten, one of the founders and directors of FELD Studio for Digital Crafts in Berlin, shared insights into their multidisciplinary design approach. FELD's background spans music, packaging, interactive installations, and more. They believe in diversifying their projects to keep their work engaging and exciting, combining computational design skills with hands-on work, irrespective of the medium.
From Torsten's talk, I've learned about personal preference and how it informs my choice of projects. But I've also learned that intentionally exploring unknown domains can lead to surprising creative growth and broaden my knowledge. It's a mindset that helps me be open to the unknown and to embrace it on my design journey.
Accept & Proceed, London:
Accept & Proceed, led by Matt Jones, is a design agency firmly committed to creating positive change in the world. They've gone from being a design agency to a "design for good" organization that works with clients and makes a difference. Based in East London, they have a diverse team of designers, project managers, and strategists who love to work together and embrace different types of design. From their approach, I've learned that it's valuable for a design agency to grow and diversify to make a positive impact. They stress the significance of having dedicated project managers, which lets designers focus on their creative work. They also prioritize working with responsible clients and exploring self-initiated projects. This has inspired me to think about the broader social and environmental effects of design and to stay informed about industry trends. Accept & Proceed's approach highlights a thoughtful and responsible design process, which is helpful.
Studio Dumbar, Rotterdam:
At Studio Dumbar, Wouter Dirks, the Operations Director, talked about the agency's history and how it focuses on branding, design, and motion. Studio Dumbar works with DEPT, a global digital agency based in Rotterdam. Wouter explained that Studio Dumbar has a good reputation and clients, which means they get lots of new projects without having to do a lot of marketing. This shows how important it is to get good work done and have a good client base, which means you'll always have new projects and opportunities.
Contextual Research:
Michael Bierut:
Michael Bierut’s video on “How to Think like a Designer” is a must-watch for anyone looking to adopt a designer’s mindset and creative approach to problem solving. In the video, Bierut talks about how to start with a problem, how design is visual, how to view constraints as a source of creativity, how to value research & context, and how to advocate for prototyping & iteration. I’ve learned a lot from Bierut on how to think like a designer, and it’s made me more structured, more efficient, and more impactful in my work as a designer.
Marian Bantjes & Jessica Hische:
Marian and Jessica’s presentation offered valuable insights on maintaining success in design. They stressed on authenticity, ongoing learning, and community. These lessons impacted my design mindset and how I see the road to success. They also discussed the value of building solid relationships within the design community and highlighted the benefits of collaboration and networking, which can foster professional growth. This part of the talk, which focused on community and mentoring, changed my perspective on design.
Reflection:
This week was a bit of a challenge for me, mainly because it was the start of the project and choosing between all the briefs was a bit overwhelming and took a lot of time and reading through them all. I have to say I didn’t like it. I don’t think design should have too many boundaries or limitations. Creativity is what pushes me as a designer forward. I don’t like the ‘Industry Today’ brief. It doesn’t interest me at all. I find it much less appealing than the open and creative side of design.
