Question of Research Synopsis

 Question of Research Synopsis

 

 

How did you approach this Module? 

 

I started by analysing by highlighting and note-taking the areas within the brief that I wanted to explore further. The question that I wanted to tackle from the brief was 'How can materiality enhance the user/audience experience within your practice? The reason for this was that I felt drawn to materiality and how I wanted to identify this further in my own practice. To help me find this out, I decided to use the library as my starting point to access books as well as books that I currently own. This is because I value credible sources as it has benefited me within my studies and further development. 

 

I decided to visit places that would benefit my current area of exploration through Hebrew typefaces and so I went to Krakow in Poland to help with my primary and contextual research. As part of my own methodology, I like to respond to research visually so I decided to attend the studios within the university through personal workshops using such materials to help with my current research in action of practice. As well as this attending lectures was another approach of mine to help better understand the question that I had picked and the brief that was set.

 

What was the most challenging aspect for you?

 

I would say the initial start, trying to get my head around the question I chose and how I can structure my weeks accordingly to explore materiality further. This was something I wrestled with for weeks whilst dealing with other responsibilities of managing my time as I have also been researching my other module which is the proposal for my major project. 

 

What was the most positive aspect of the group/course sessions?

 

Being able to share ideas from the perspective of other people's industry was really beneficial, as it highlighted areas and further ideas that I could explore within my own practice. I did feel at times that some of the group activities were not relevant to me but some of them turned out to be really rewarding to my personal development and to visually see other people's working practice. This helped me to understand that we don't always need to consider gaining knowledge from our own area of practice within the industry, sometimes we can glean from other people's perspectives within their reflective practice. 

 

However, there were times that I used my own rationale to organise my own workshops within the different studios at the university, this helped me to focus primarily on what I wanted to take on that day from the tasks that I set out for myself.

 

In addition to this, it allowed me to prioritise my day and improve my time management, which for me has been something I want to improve and have done within my studies and working life. 

 

 

How did you find keeping a blog/padlet for your research and development?

 

Having my own blog allowed me to be accountable for my research as a personal journey. It was great to share my thoughts and feelings about all that I did and wanted to do next. However, at times it was hard to stay on track posting and making sure I document everything. Because for me if you don't document something, did it even happen? I wanted to use my blog as a reflection of myself and my thought process because I have a tendency to just get on with something and document it at the end. I don't really get on well with having sketchbooks so I like to have a digital place where I can dump my ideas and development, which is more streamlined. 

 

However, documenting regularly through posts, allowed me to become more reflective in the moment by sharing my thoughts. In fact, this helped me to look back and ask myself why I thought that was a good idea at that moment in time, what did I glean from it, and how can I develop this further?

 

As time went on, adding posts to my blog allowed me to engage more within the work, it helped me to be more reflective within my practice. I am a visual person and so to document my journey in this way has allowed me to look back and see my journey of discovery and express to others how I tackle a brief. 

 

 

What would you change if you had more time?

 

If I had more time within this module, I would change how I tackled this brief by not spending as much time trying to find answers at that moment in time of the initial stages by getting frustrated. I would just embrace the unknown at first by reflecting upon how I would have tackled this brief if this was a client brief or a brief that I would have taken on in my BA. The question from the get-go wasn't explored as deeply as I would have hoped, this is because I was so transfixed in finding the answers and seeking advice from others on how they would have tackled the question. 

 

This for me expresses how sometimes I don't trust my process and judgment. I would have liked to also test out materiality from the perspective of digital design at first as this is my primary working method. I would then test this out in areas that I have been exploring before my MA in creative coding and digital design through visual identity. I would then move into print design which would allow me to further test out my digital working materials and then express these outcomes through print. This would allow me to express the difference of materiality within two different mediums and then express how you can infuse the two in ways that become more experiment within my current practice to support my understanding of how I see materiality.

 

What have you learned from this module?

 

From the initial stages of taking on this brief, I wasn’t expecting how open this journey would be. 
The openness of how I could tackle my question of choice was an interesting discovery and equally uneasy. This is because I am used to having some form of structure in tackling a set brief and further context within working towards a brief looking at visual examples. I always glean better from other people’s methodology and not so much my own. I think this comes down to the fact that I don’t trust my own judgment at times in the knowledge that I already have and the teaching that I have had over the years. Another aspect of this comes down to a lack of confidence, which has been said about me and is something that I want to improve on which for me has now become more apparent since taking on this question of research.
 
So, from what I have discovered within this module and tackling this question of research looking at materiality is the fact that it has shown me that materially actually plays an important part within my own working practice. It has expressed the importance of my working practice to be my own and how I apply structure to my work. Equally, my question has allowed me to adapt my methodology approach in my work, expressing that practice-based research is just as important as the resolution itself.
 
Having the flexible freedom in making my own choices in how I respond to my question, has allowed me to discover the essence of materiality within objects and printed mediums. This has helped me to articulate visually my own personal understanding within my current areas of interest. This for me has also been a rather rewarding aspect of my personal development, as it has allowed me to identify the importance of being reflective in my practice while visually responding to this in ways of experimental mindset.
 
I feel that having tackled this question has adapted my creative understanding within my current practice and will be something I adapt further on into my other modules to come. This will be further explored now in my major project which I am very excited by, this is because I want to use what I have learnt from this module and the discoveries that I faced, to then process forward into areas that I want to improve upon. 

 

Blog link: https://jordancreateresearchblog.blogspot.com/