2nd November 2018

Today, instead of going to class, we asked to go to the Horniman Museum in our groups (preferably). We were to look at the world gallery and document it as well show in a map or in a series of maps our route from home to the museum as well as the exhibition itself.

The gallery was divided according to regions and had on display various items that showed us the lifestyle, culture, makers and users of objects from the respective regions. What I also found interesting was the fact that at the end of the exhibition there was a wall where the audience was invited to draw an object that meant something to them. It was interesting because that closely relates to our IGMD project as well. I think that we were asked to go have a look at the exhibition to not only learn more about different cultures but also maybe get an idea about how we can use this information in our own project

26th October 2018

Today's class was to learn more about the facilities that are available to us as UAL students. We learnt how to use the library website to access databases which allow us to search the "deep web" and hence will help in making the quality of our research better.

Each of the groups was given a different task and at the end, each group had to present to the class how to access that specific database and how it can be used. It was very informative and I definitely feel that it was a good thing that one lecture was dedicated to this as it is going to help us all throughout the university years. 

19th October 2018

Today we were given a box filled with Andrew's collection of graphic design examples and things that he liked. Out of the various things in the box, each group was to choose one object. We chose this book -

We were all intrigued by its cover - the overlapping of photos that created the stripes on the front cover made it stand out from the others. Moreover, we also really enjoyed looking at the photography that was displayed in the book.

Once we chose the book and spoke about it, it was time for our first exercise - Primary Research.

To do this we were to gather all the information we could just from the book without using any other source.

While we were discussing this, we also found a few connections of this activity to the book we have been asked to read - "How To See The World". We started talking about question 2 and how although the drawing gave as much information possible, it would make it easier for a third person to see a photograph of it. And then this led to the conversation how photographs too can be manipulated which relates to what Mirzoeff says in his book - "it is noticeable that people today often put more trust in a less-than-perfect photograph or video that takes an effort to decipher than they do into a professionally finished work, because they suspect that the latter will have been manipulated."

Next, We moved onto Secondary Research.

For this, we used the internet to find out more information about the book that wasn't previously known or was previously assumed.  For example the audience, we assumed it was for students, parents and visitors who came to see the MA photography show but on research, we found out it was a booked event and you had to sign up through Eventbrite first to enter.

Finally, we did some creative writing where we had to imagine ourselves as the object and using the information we had gathered, we had to write the object's story. We decided to get really creative and tried to make ours humourous. 

12th October 2018

Today we started the day by watching the film "Objectified" by Gary Hustwit. In this film, there are various designers who talk about the creative process that goes on before we receive the final result. I found that the most common processes of making were prototyping, exploring materials, re-iterating, attention to detail and needs of the audience.

They also touched upon the topics of sustainability, innovation and design thinking. 

During the movie, we were asked to make constant note of things that felt important to us or anything that may have made us think a little more about the topic. After the film, we compared our notes with our group members and on an A3 sheet wrote down the common ones. Although the objects in the film were more about product design, I think the creative processes that they spoke about applies to any area of design. For example, in my course, problem-solving, multiple iterations, attention to detail, audience-oriented (there are so many more) are perhaps few of the most important things to consider when designing something. 

After each group wrote down their points, we discussed our points in class and tried to find similarities and talk in detail about a few of the points.

Other than this, we were also given a worksheet where we had to find some information about the film and make some comments on it and we were also encouraged to look at the design of the CD packaging.