Self-Reflection Journal

Knowledge Gained Reflect on what you have learned about the design process while working on your three (3) cubes. How did your research, planning, receiving feedback and exploring design elements and principles influence your creative approach?  Researching – I have a tendency to get carried away with the open-endedness of possibilities, the divergent thinking. Planning – felt like a newer skill for me, I usually spend more time on the stages prior and following it (researching and design experimentation). Feedback – I think I was surprisingly ‘good’ at receiving feedback, as in, I did not feel my back arch up when receiving constructive feedback. I think I’m in an open phase of my life, a phase of learning, where I can accept that I do not have all the solutions and answers yet, that I am really at the beginning of a new journey.   Design elements and principles – Creating this cube felt a like a novel exercise at the time but, on reflection, was i...

  Knowledge Gained   Reflect on what you learned about the feedback process. How did receiving feedback from your peers influence your design? How did providing feedback to others deepen your understanding of your work? The feedback I received was fundamental to steering the course of my work in an improved direction. It enabled me to see my work from differing angles, I had become so deeply invested in it that I wasn't quite seeing where it didn't work, listening to the feedback and taking a step back led me to seeing my work more holistically and producing more cohesive results. In asking myself whether my peer's work was clear, cohesive, aesthetically appealing, and whether it addressed the brief, I was able to use the same reflective thinking on my own work.  Challenges Was receiving or giving feedback during this activity complex? How did you manage any discomfort or challenges related to constructive criticism? What strategies did you use to ensure feedback was both...

Knowledge Gained Reflect on what you have learned about designing patterns. Consider how your research and experimentation influenced your creative approach. I’ve learnt that patterns aren’t just confined to my previous, conventional understanding (florals,  geometric, tiled, block repeats etc.), that they can be created by almost any imagery, as long as that imagery can be repeated endlessly. My creative approach was initially influenced by abstract forms. As suggested in this module’s activities, I experimented with tracing images of dappled light and shadows. To give these traces some structure and repetition, I decided to mirror them rather than aiming to make then continuous. This trial and error with mirroring lead me to researching what was out there in the world of mirrored patterns, I eventually landed at mirrored animal patterns. Challenges Was it difficult to ensure repetition, alignment or variation? How did you address any issues that arose du...

Knowledge Gained Reflect on what you have learned about design principles and how they enhance the design process. Consider how your research and moodboards influenced your creative approach. Design principles feel a little like a formulaic godsend, for me, at the moment, they aid me in putting my finger on that ‘right’ feeling I have when viewing a design that pleases my eye. My mood board is leading me towards using more organic materials around my home - this is what I’m drawn to and we have plenty of natural, organic stuff to work with. Challenges Was finding the right materials to represent certain principles challenging? How did the constraint of working with analogue methods and found materials instead of digital tools influence your creative process? Given my current (lack of) digital skills, using found items did not feel like a constraint as much as a broadening of opportunity, I also found it quicker to alter and adjust found materials compared...

Knowledge Gained Reflect on what you have learned about colour theory and how different colour combinations enhance design. Consider how research has influenced your approach to colour in design. I've learnt that when I view an image like a photograph, for example, its colour scheme can contain complex variety in hue, saturation, brightness, tint, and shade, that there’s a science (or theory) behind colour, that colour schemes don’t just 'work' (or not) for no reason, but the success in their combinations is likely due to their relative positions on the colour wheel and what scheme type (monochromatic, triadic etc.) they follow. I also learnt that colour is incredibly emotive and can quite powerfully change your mood.  Challenges Identify any difficulties you encountered while engaging with the module content and finalising Assessment 2. I had some difficulty in replicating colours from photos/images I found online. I used various forms of media (e.g...

Knowledge Gained I suppose my biggest take away this week from learning about the design elements and principles has been that successful design is somewhat formulaic, that there is a design justification for why the eye is pleased (or not). I think the expression that Billy Blue has adopted – learn the rules so you can break them – will become a guiding force for me during my studies. Hopefully I can apply design principles as trusty formulas while also seeking ways to break free from them. Challenges Some conceptual challenges I had this week were understanding value versus colour, understanding shape versus form, and understanding how to distinguish between line and shape in ambiguous contexts. Some practical challenges I experienced – applying pigment liner to paper using a cross hatching technique and subsequently making a drawing too dark and imbalanced in one section, and learning how to correctly reference obscure images from the internet. Successes & S...