End of Week 6
Write down the similarities and differences in approach between the first and second projects, Design and Media:
Similarities:
- both required research about the context
- both require creativity
- although media was less structured than the design project, I still followed the basic creative process from research to idea development to materials and methods, then the final outcomes.
Differences:
- design was more linear and structured in the process, whereas media had a degree of play and experimenting involved
- media was more about presented the opinion of the practitioner, whereas design was about completing the brief
- we had to follow more of a structure with the design project
Identify overlapping themes, particularly in your personally directed work; are there connections between ideas, approaches to materials or attitudes that you have you used in both projects? If so, what are these? If not, what are the main differences?
I followed a basic structure throughout both projects, although I did let go and allow my project to have an element of chance through experimenting with the media project, without restricting myself to the brief, like I did in the design project. I tried to push myself away from my comfort zone and allow the project to progress and move forward in a non-controlled fashion without trying to keep to any brief. I found that I was able to link both projects to costume and set design; the design project was literally about costume design, whereas the media I was able to step out my comfort zone but at the same time focus on something that really interested me, by making my project about the setting of the photos as well as the model, in a Tim Walker fantasy style.
Compare how you have used your time between this project and the last, and consider how you have managed the projects during these weeks, for example:
- planning and organisation.
- being open to different ideas and potential changes in direction.
- exploring and evaluating different material possibilities.
- creating more complex or unexpected outcomes. - developing an understanding of different artists and designers working in a similar area.
- creating a better understanding of the different approaches to practice in each area.presenting and/or explaining your ideas to others.
I started the 2 week period out by trying to keep to a plan but at the end of the first week I decided to allow myself to be more open to changes in direction and veering away from my original plan, to push myself and let go of some of the control. I think that by the end of the project I had managed to do this and the outcome was very different to how I originally imagined, which was exciting. I was able to experiment using different computer programmes and found that i really liked using photoshop, so I would like to use it again in the future. I also used a graphics tablet for the first time which was unexpected and so fun, and I loved the outcome that I produced. After this week, I definitely have a much better understanding about the way that Media practitioners work, and I found that somewhat unexpectedly, I really enjoyed that way of working.
Using this in-depth reflection, describe what you might do better next week?
As next week is the start of the art project, I am going to try and really push myself to be as open as possible and to give up control over the project, especially as the project title is 'chance'. In a way, the order that we have done the projects makes compete sense as I went from design, which I am very comfortable with and works completely to a brief, to media which is much more open and experimental but still with that element of structure, to art which is totally open. I think that by the end of the art project, this will have provided a good learning curve for me and allowed me to open up a lot.
