Design Practice 3 Rationale

Below are the forms I have filled in in relation to my intentions for the year. I have tried to be as direct as possible and use as few 'fluff' words as possible. I struggled slightly with the second set of forms, and no doubt realise I will have to go back and revise them in the future.

Rationale Workshop: September 23

Today we carried on from the previous workshop and took the time to really craft an appropriate rationale or 'umbrella statement'. At first I intended to use the phrase 'a subject driven investigation into promotional print and packaging with a focus on colour and composition', however I soon realised it wasn't quite appropriate. It became obvious the statement itself was a way of avoiding clear and concise terminology, because when asked what 'subject driven' meant I could not provide a specific answer. So I revised the original rationale and came to the conclusion I needed something that was both vague in parts, so as not to confine me creatively, but also specific enough so as not to confuse an outsider, not versed in my design process. The image to the left shows the exact statement I settled on.

"A PRINT BASED INVESTIGATION INTO POPULAR CULTURE 

WITH A FOCUS ON PACKAGING AND PROMOTION"

This is obviously something I will be referring back to over the duration of the next year, and will constantly have to ask myself if it is still appropriate? Do the briefs in my portfolio fit within these constraints? Or have I completely changed direction? At this point in time I don't know the answers to these questions. I will just have to wait and see, and make note if I seem to be veering off. I will also have to consider being more specific with the term 'popular culture', after it came to my attention I tend to pick subject matters that are not so 'popular' but instead more of a 'cult' persuasion. It's clear in my head what I mean, and what I want to create over the next year. Now I just have to communicate that successfully to my peers.

For the rest of the session we had to discuss the briefs that we wish to take forward for our Design Practice. Out of the ten I had composed over the summer there were a few that stood out to me still. For example I would really like to undertake a brief based on the films of Pedro Almodovar. I feel it would greatly benefit my dissertation and keep me motivated throughout the entire duration of the module. However after being informed that the name 'Pedro Almodovar' was not a well known one, and that it does not fit within the realms of pop culture I began to doubt my intentions. Then I realised I am not personally responsible for the interests of others and came to the conclusion Almodovar is an incredibly influential director and, if his work interests me and others then there is in fact an audience for my intended product. The other brief choices have yet to be made and will be something to consider in the immediate future.

Studio Workshop: September 22

Today was the first real day back in the studio. We were presented with the idea of communicating our aspirations for the year ahead of us. We were told to do this through the use of large pieces of A2 paper and simply writing down what we were thinking. The first task we where set was to split our page in half and state what we want to 'do' and what we want to 'achieve'. At first I thought these two strands were pretty similar but after thinking about it briefly I began to realise they where really different.

The image to the left shows what I assigned to each column, with key entries in the 'do' column being: screenprinting, use of colour and freelance work, and key entries in the 'achieve' column being confidence, communication and working to a professional standard.

The second task we where told to undertake was to split the page into three and accommodate each column one of the following three headings: themes, contexts or products. I found this particular objective easy to complete, probably because I feel confident in the direction I wish to take  my work in the third year. I filled the themes and products columns speedily, although hesitated slightly over the 'contexts'. Nevertheless I managed to note down key terms that will prove useful in the near future. It is obvious that I will be using these pieces of paper as references to inform my level 06 work.

With our last piece of A2 we had to make the distinction between what we 'want' to do and what we 'need' to do. This again wasn't as easy as I thought, but after completing the task came to the conclusion that everything I 'want' to do is in fact essential and needs to be done as well. The images show what each individual column featured on each piece of A2.

Left; task one
Below, l-r; task two, task three

We where then asked to create five statements that best represent our intentions for the last year of the course. We where assigned a template to use so that the task didn't seem so daunting, and all we had to do was allocate our preferred subjects/methods of production/tone of voice etc. in the appropriate position. Below are the range of statements I noted down, some a lot more successful at communicating my intentions than others. The one particular statement that I feel works the best at this specific moment in time has to be: 'A subject driven investigation into promotional print and packaging with a focus on colour and composition'. Whether or not this statement will alter in the near future is yet to be seen. 

Brief: “Our goal was to capture the raw immediacy of SNL’s writing process and live performances, which we achieved through hand-drawn illustrations of legendary characters and catchphrases. The package also communicates the fun of playing the game itself, which combines trivia, improv, and quick-fire team play.”

This is what I want to be doing. The subject matter, the production methods, even the bold use of colour. I wish I had created something as beautiful and intelligent as this.