The Designer that I am brief intro & Initial thoughts

The Designer that I am brief intro & Initial thoughts

Studio Brief

This brief will give you the opportunity to build-on and apply your contextual knowledge and skills in critical writing; and using practice as a method of research. You will use a variety of theoretical and practical research methods to explore a specific graphic discipline (listed below) through the investigation and resolution of a question or issue of your choosing. Support from tutors will be given through tutorials, crits, seminars and workshops.

There are three deliverable elements to this brief; all of which will demonstrate a synthesized ability to research,
critique and examine an issue practically and theoretically.

(1) DESIGN CONTEXT BLOG #2

Develop an online portfolio of critical responses to lectures, seminars, set tasks and independent research activitys.
Use your Design Context Blog to document and evidence your engagement with, and understanding of contextual, 
theoretical and critical concepts and ideas that you have been introduced to during the course of the academic year.
Your Blog should include; lecture notes, records of activities undertaken in seminars
a collection of short writing tasks completed in response to set tasks and activities. 
You should also provide notes and visual records of any self-initiated trips, studio visits, galleries and research
activities relevant to the development of critical understanding of the context of Graphic Design practice. 

Your Blog will also become a space to evidence your developing understanding of the 
connections and relationships between the theoretical and practical contexts of Graphic Design.

 (2) 3000 WORD ESSAY & (3) BODY OF PRACTICAL WORK

Establish a question or issue and write a 3000 word essay AND produce a body of explorative practical work relating 
to a specific Graphic discipline (listed below). 
Your essay and accompanying practical work should demonstrate a developed understanding of the nature 
of academic writing and the importance of critical and analytical approaches to your chosen theme.

Your essay should aim to include:

• The selection of subject matter appropriate to your own interests that will allow you to critically analyse relevant source material.
• A logical structure that has an introduction, a developed argument that is supported by appropriate references to at least four different academic sources and a conclusion.
• A bibliography of at least 10 sources presented using the Harvard referencing system & the use of Harvard conventions within the main text of the essay when paraphrasing or quoting from other sources.

Your written and practical work will both approach the same overarching theme and give you
the opportunity to consider the interrelated nature of theory and practice.

Themes/Questions. 
Choose one of the following graphic disciplines as the focus for your Contexts of Practice 2 project.

• Editorial design
• Typography
• New Media
• Advertising
• Print-making
• Branding

With support from your tutors you will establish a question or issue in relation to your chosen theme (above) which 
will become the basis for your 3000 word essay and your practical investigation.

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Initial thoughts 

From Richard & Simons briefing of the module I understand that to get the most from the COP sessions and to 
inform briefs and essays I need to take a more self directed approach as opposed to last year were I answered a
set of given questions on studio tasks and essays. 

I will take forward a personal awareness and step up my critical understanding of contextual practice theories 
to inform my own opinions within my Graphic Design practice. 

In lectures I will note down what is important to me, what I can take from the lecture, don't just re-digest what is 
presented when blogging lectures. 
Take down points that will help define me and influence me and personally investigate certain points further. 

Its all about my creative concerns now, my interests, my influences. 
Focus all finalized works around me and my practice how I see it now and how I want it to develop. 

All tasks and briefs will aim towards the COP 3 proposal for the third year. 

Visit a lot of external exhibitions and do alot of personal research into things that interest me and
influence me be it theory based or practical based. Lots of personal investigation to inform myself on 
all aspects of design and artistic influences to give me plenty to work from for future tasks & briefs. 

Its all about Direction, finding a discipline that suites me or something I want to work towards and really investigate
it from all areas to inform the essay and the module outcome as a whole. 

Develop a question for ourselves rather than answering out own like last years essay, a question that is based 
on aspects that we want to investigate.

Bring all theory elements I have learnt and developed from and create a body of practical work. 

Buy a copy of Users guide to semiotics as its an area I really struggled on last year!