The Process Project : NCSU

Like I said the other day, I'm pretty interested in solidifying my process that I have really begun to explore in this class. I'd like to figure out how I use this stuff when confronted with a real project; how do I work it into a real project that I would get in the real world? At the same time, I don't want to just make a logo for parks and rec or whatever.

Hmmmmm, well...Im really interested in the whole macro/micro concept. Basically, taking the idea that Moore/Nash Square is one specific site that has themes carried out in a macro level...like my Bible project, or the Sister Cities, or people in general. I really would like to narrow this down though because MACRO/MICRO is such a broad topic. I guess its a start. I am also interested in my process as well because that is what this class is about. I think as I get more into my process book I may see some common approaches to my process. I would like to explore my process also, but I really dont know how to go about it. Is it good to have a similar process or should you switch it up and try different things?.......ahhhh my brain is hurting

I think that I'm most interested in the process of making and recording influences and how they manifest themselves in the final product... how is the typeface chosen? the colors? I am interested in my magazine/annual project and in perhaps a big extension of that into book designs.... and tracking and justifying decisions... but are all decisions justifiable? Also, I really enjoyed the power project and how we all went from this abstract concept and created something... maybe thinking of a new approach to designing through identifying an emotion/feeling for a project?
Something that has been pretty constant in all of my work has been this point to point process...as in... allowing myself to first go and then see where I land or what I find and then take off again with it. Maybe this kind of a process would be liberating and a different approach to the meaningfully-packed corporate identity design.

When I started wondering where I could go on this final project, I went through the things I had made so far. While none of them are completely resolved, I feel like my first project could be revisited. I talked about the collection as a tool and I'd really like to use it as some form of starting point.
Perhaps I would gather more information and come up with some form of classification. I couldn't say where I would go after that, but I'd like this final project to be a series of smaller studies (that could stand alone) that really inform my process and lead to something a lot bigger and comprehensive.
So far, I don't think I've really explored any sort of process yet. Well, there is a process, but since there's always a week-long time frame I don't feel like there's ever been enough time to consider it.

On one of my visits to Moore Square I was thinking about the series of events that led me to be in that spot at that time ... how far back it went and how irrelevant it seemed the farther away (more indirect) the event that got me to the square. That is, that taking this class, driving to the square, parking, walking to that spot would all be mostly direct ways of coming there and existing there in that moment. But you could also argue that my entire life was on a one-way path to that particular moment, if you believe in destiny or predetermination strongly. This thought came out of the fleeting project which was the one I felt most invested in and I think I'd like to do something with that. It reminds me of when Meredith was telling us in design theory class about the theories of communication. We got into how the user's experience with our designs is one moment of life, preceeded and followed by numerous other experiences, all of which are meaningful in the way that user specifically interprets and uses the design … I don't know what to do with this, but I feel it's one of the more compelling ideas I've gotten out of this class. And I backed into it, too.

I agree with Erin, about lacking time to really consider process; so in final project, will definately include more proper, systemmatic documentation of such.
As for content, have been thinking about the square, as but a gloried place to loiter, and kind of loosing signt, comparing it to other, more functional parks in the city. But i might explore its various roles, as simply that, as historical artifact, as a shortcut, etc..
Another topic might be a study of design itself or more specifically, typography found on monuments and surrounding business signage.

Thinking about the final project was overwhelming for me because there are infinite possibilities. I would love to make a series of products that inform others in some way. I have been very interested throughout the semester with human interaction but have had trouble creating a cohesive product involving this theme due to the time restraints. I am very interested in my second project where I took Polaroids of people and recorded that experience. I feel a good direction for this final project would be an experience based project where I would view others and record the outcome of our interactions. It might not even involve me, instead the experience would be found through my lack of control. It would be interesting to set up a situation where there was an accurate measure of something without my "designerly" influences. I could then take this "raw" information and compare it to my perspective. This process could be recorded through a web site or even a series of publications. At this point I want to keep it somewhat open.

Over the course of the first few projects I became very interested in the interaction of sound design and visual design. In my first project I explored how applying sound to an enviorment could influence an individual's perception of that enviornment. I felt that my solution (mp3 player whose visuals change when the music changes) only scratched the surface of what could have been explored. Another area that might be interesting to incorporate into the final project is more of a personal goal than the first. I have noticed throughout this semester that the main problem with my process is that I do not document enough of my process. This stems from the fact that a lot of my process is conceptual. To begin solving this problem i started converting my "conceptual" process to "finite" by constently writing, recording, and collecting. BUT NOW...
I have a fat stack of "stuff" that is WAY TO DENSE and it is begging to be edited organized into a simpler system so that others will be able to understand it all. I began to do this in my second project by compiling my "stuff" via an interactive website which was handicap excessible (for the blind). The outcome of that project was satisfying but I felt that there were many holes that could have been dealt with given the right amount of time.

I totally agree with Jess on this final project, as far as human interaction goes. I thought back to my favorite part of this studio thus far, and it was when I was promoting human interaction through one of the first projects. Just hanging out with the people of Moore Square was very humbling and I learned a lot, but I wasn't satisfied with my final artifact since we had such a short timeframe for the project. I would like to keep pushing it. I liked the idea of recording people's drawings/writings. Since we all had to reserach different artists who engage in "participatory art" as a means to communicate something, my thinking has been channeled more with the idea of how my process can be influenced by the participation of other people. And themes I could convey by using an audience of participants as part of the artifact.

still interested in opposites and contrast and how when opposing ideas are justaposed next to each other, the bias/educational background/ect of the audience can create their own meaning. As for what form this may take I have no clue. That will be determined by where my form studies take me.

i'm not really sure where to go for this. my favorite projects have been the sister cities and the last poster project. the sister cities was fun b/c i really enjoy working in motion, so i don't know that that's really a "direction" i could pursue. the poster project was a good one b/c i think it's the first one this semester where i was really fleshing out w/ my process. i thought about maybe continuing w/ a "theater in the square" idea and branching out into a whole identity/paper collateral/commercial/programs/posters kind of thing? i'm not sure if we're supposed to be thinking that specifically yet, though. ultimately i really want to push the whole process/exploration part b/c i haven't done that well in the past and i think it really helps my design.

ive had a couple directions floating through my mind but nothing really serious, i guess i was thinking that process would be the main part of the final project, like a couple weeks of exploration and form making and collecting and stuff so i guess i just assumed that would outline my path more than anything else probably. but throughout the course of the semester ive really liked thinking about how manmade structures form over time, and the moreorless direct correlation between the forming of manmade rules and practices. the distinct difference between whats there now (including how diff people are treated and thought of and what they do each day) and what was there 50 yrs ago, 100 yrs ago, 1000 years ago. theres also that everpresent city grid which seems so ominious a structure to me that it could just be begging for a project. but i dunno! there may be some more collection and form studies in my future =O

I've gotten so used to one week projects that the idea of one for 8 weeks is daunting and overwhelming...and I haven't figured out how to enter it. I have no idea yet what I want to do but these are by thought bubbles...

I've been thinking about several things simultaneously to begin with. One thought has been about different human perspectives because that's what a lot of our projects have touched on so far. Social and economic status has been a common theme but I feel like that would be an expected direction to go toward. I've also been toying with the contrast and comparision of inside vs. outside the square as a physical place as well as perceptions of it and of people.

That information booth is another thing I can't get rid of, mainly because it is an odd little thing to me. It seems like such an odd spot for an information booth and I only talked to the worker once but he didn't really tell me anything (he gave me a map). The booth makes the square seem like an important hub of the city, giving more value than it has.

And then there are the hours of the day when there is no one in there...
The guy asked me what I was doing and said,"I've seen a lot in here but this is the strangest." I think it is interesting that we are examining and studying the space but yet we are also spectacles to be seen in the square.

I want to make something.....
from the site, for the site

Thinking about looking at and processing all of the projects that have been made by everyone during the first part of this course and extracting something, element, or idea from each to all be combined into something else.

Sittin at the library...brainstorming about this current project and was sidetracked about the final project, and "how I personally could make a mark for my final project and this current one can lead me in the correct direction. I could also make "another" mark or "anyone's" mark because graphic design is also about taking ideas that already exist and re-representing them in a different way and how it is virtually "anyone's" but I created some kind of mark for anyone through me inspiration or personal thoughts. Geeeez, endless possibilites...maybe creating "anyones" mark could lead to a book that showed what design is and can be to non design affiliated people, or just talking about my process straight up through this class and maybe people could get something out of it, or reflecting back on the artist I researched, Jim Dine and how he was so enveloped in self psychanalysis. I kind of like the idea of creating an identity system for my "self" or self through design. Its kind of like that project that student did under the first speaker that came for the associate professor position. But I dont know if I want it to be so coorporate, I dont know. Or maybe I need to go back to the original site specific on the micro level and give comparisons to how it works on a macro level. I think I need to narrow down that idea though.

I dont know these are just some new ideas I have been having, kind of on a tangent, but maybe I threw something worthwhile out.

During the semster, I have felt like the first project had the most ideas to expand on. I liked finding form similarities in the body and natural parts of the square. However, what was most interesting to me was the sizing and combination of body parts needed to create the plants.

The nerves were connected to ams which went to parts of the ear and then to eggs. The arm was shrunk down and the nerves were huge. I want to figure out if this form could mean anything.

If not, there is more to explore from this topic, like how we create other things to resemble the human body, or how we react to objects that are very unlike us. For example, do we get a detached feeling from buildings with harsh lines or slick texture?

My problem is when do define a specific form. Even if this seems like something I could develop, I have no idea what artifacts to create! I am going to try especially hard on this project to try different ways of making, so I can get enough iterations before we have to focus on a final form.

For this final project I feel like I have a lot of concepts to pull from the one weekers we did in the beginning. The concepts and thoughts I had for projects one, two, and three interest me, but I'm not sure how to focus this into something big and practical. I also think that this next project may help me figure that out because for now it seems very conceptual and hopefully will turn practical. But then I think... well what is practical to me at this point? Is practical something that I'm very interested in and maybe proves some point or convinces someone of an idea, or is it something for my portfolio? Or both eh? It definitely should be something I'm using later in life, this is too big to be fleeting.

Kerr and Jess and I were talking in the car the other day about our critique of the Shakespeare posters. We all had the feeling that we just didn't know what we were doing there staring at pieces of paper filled with ink talking about how a word would look better here rather than there. It seemed trivial and again, "to what purpose?". These were conversations we had in Fundamentals class, but sometimes are useful to revisit for logistics purposes of communication. That may not be the right way to say that, but I think it would be interesting to explore why we feel like we need to teach each other what looks better where. I think all of us do this a little to people that are 'non-designers' because sometimes they just don't know how much thought we put into our work. But maybe sometimes the non-designers are right in not being able to verbalize why they put something where. This is another interesting point: Does verbalizing your decisions and purpose make something more valid and valuable? Or should we play the non-designer and sometimes be oblivious to why we choose to do something?
I love these questions because they complete the circle of thinking way too much about insignificant concepts.

I don't know what I'm doing for this final project yet.

I really liked some comments that Amanda made and wanted to respong really quick (sort of irrelevant to the final project, though).

I think Amanda raises some interesting questions about what it is we do as graphic designers. I personally think that we spend a lot of time trying to convince a world that doesn't necessarily understand us that what we do is important and needed. Like she said, graphic designers (at least the ones I know/have seen) have this air about them that seems to suggest that we're better than other people because we design or because we know what typeface they used in a billboard. We rarely give non-designers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to what they see in our work. The problem is, they're usually the ones that we're trying to communicate to. So many times we get worked up and go off on these rants in which we use lots of big graphic design words and phrases ("activate the space"?!? seriously, what does activating the space really have to do with anything important?). I think we could use a healthy dose of humility.

I think that what she said about verbalizing and articulating what a design does is really the important thing (bear with me, I'll try to explain). As graphic designers, I think one of our most important jobs is being able to realize and explain (and explain to NON-designers) why certain visuals do certain things. We have to learn to get out of our little bubble and try to explain this to the real world. That's where designers are invaluable: we see things that the world doesn't and we must learn to explain it in a way that is constructive and helpful (not condescending and filled with graphic design jargon so people will realize "how much thought we put into our work" as Amanda puts it—great point, Amanda).

I feel like in some of our critiques we end up fighting so hard for our preference (keyword: "preference") rather than spending time trying to articulate why we, or someone else, would prefer that particular thing. Many times (and I've done it too) we try to sound smart by telling someone they shouldn't do it that way, but don't really have any reason why or we make up something—most of the time using fancy graphic design jargon—so we sound like we know what we're talking about.

I think this may have gotten away from Amanda's original point about how graphic design is really important, but those arejust some thoughts that were stirred up in my brain by reading that. in regards to the overall importance of design, I think Maggie has really been on to something (as frustrating as it is sometimes) when she asks us "why does this matter?" I think that's one of the most important habits we can get into as designers (especially as we move from an academic environment to a professional one): making ourselves ask "why is this important? Why does it matter?" As soon as we can't answer that question, we should either stop or think really hard about what we're doing.

Hahaha...I just read over that and it sounds kind of angry. Sorry, I'm in sort of a grumpy mood and need some sleep. See everyone tomorrow :-D.

So, in thinking about this current project, I've started to think about more a systemed approach, which seems more suited for a final project. Before I mentioned that I was interested in how this kind of a process design can influence and create corporate identity. Now, I am thinking more a long the lines of bringing in some of my marketing experience and how can process affect the creation of a brand? (branding guide, brand mark, trademark, trade name, brand name......)

I know we have to go back to the square, but I want to get out of it. I'll try to connect it back but I think that downtown Raleigh is dulling everything I do. I think I want to get out for awhile and then try to come back later on and see if it can relate to what I'm doing, which will hopefully be something I want to do. Not sure yet about a topic but hopefully in the next couple of days I will have come up with something to post about other than current frustration …

So where's this new thread? Hahaha...j/k.

What I’m thinking of doing for the final project is examining our relationship with technology by using visuals. I think it’s really interesting how we can understand and explore complex ideas and relationships by visually representing them. Questions I’m asking myself are “how can mapping shed light on an issue like our dependence on technology?” or “how can we as graphic designers go beyond just organizing and how can we explore issues using visuals?” and “what can we learn about the world by visualizing it?” If a picture is worth a thousand words for communicating a concept to someone else how can I use a picture to generate a thousand words?

Yeah … progress is slow. I'm starting with collecting 50 things for this project, but I'm trying to be more focused about the collecting (walking the thin line between random and not). Haven't had time to go down to the school (or a school) yet, so I'm collecting online and then seeing if that'll get me anywhere. We'll see …