GIDE 2012 + Other Business

mind maps + scribblin'

I have been rather quiet as of late on this blog, as I have been beavering away so to speak at several other things.

GIDE is one of the main things on my mind at the moment - for more information see my separate blog for all related posts over on the dark side at Wordpress!

Aside from that I have been working away in the studio, and have taken well to the new course structure, including my new module entitled Critical Making. I shall post separately on this.

I have also this year become a student ambassador for the University of Dundee, attending visitors days and helping the University promote itself to potential future students by providing tours. This has been a fantastic opportunity to meet other students as well as learn more about how our campus operates.

We have of course also moved to our new studios, which, although are having heating issues at the moment look set to be brighter and more spacious than our old location - and I also have a wall space to populate, which I can't complain about!

Sketchup and AutoCAD however, are calling...I have to admit I've missed the project buzz!

Design Studies: Summer Reading Material & Other Plans

Part of our last assignment for the year with regards to Design Studies is to identify 5 books I will read as a result of this module, 5 things I want to do to my blog etc. and 5 people I will make contact with.

These include (and have already purchased some):

- Blink - a book by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of first semesters read "The Tipping Point".

- Semiotics: A Graphic Guide by Paul Cobley, as I found semiotics very interesting.

- Designing Infographics by Eric Meyer, I have become increasingly interested in infographics and data visualisations as a result of several paths during Design Studies and would like to learn how to incorporate this clean presentation style into my future projects.

- I plan on investing in several of the books in the series for my course anyway, however Basics Design offer one called Design Thinking, which is something I need to consider more deeply, namely the user and the effect a design can have on it's surroundings as often we get caught up on the aesthetics only (stemming from reading about ethnography).

- Wordpress for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson. This sort of leads me into my next top 5 catagory of what I plan to do over summer, and as you tell, regards moving over to Wordpress very slowly but surely.

All of these are available on www.amazon.co.uk.

The 5 things I plan to do over summer are:

As I am already an avid blogger and tweeter, I have not added these to my list as it is something I already regularly do.

- I do plan however, to move from Blogger to Wordpress over summer, and archive my posts.

- Finances permitting, I'd also like to take a short trip to The Netherlands to visit, along with visiting Norway (which is already booked), allowing me to visit their Architecture & Design Museum, as well as possibly visiting a Jewellery exhibition as I plan to travel with JMD student(s).

- Complete my LinkedIn profile and begin to use this more thoroughly.

- Organise my Flickr account into a more manageable system, along with updating it with recent albums.

- And finally, StumbleUpon more things every day - and as a result try to blog about a new find at least once weekly.

Finally, 5 people I would like to make contact with:

- HKU Utrecht if I am lucky enough to be invited to apply directly to them for an exchange opportunity.

- Continue to follow people on Twitter, while always looking for new companies and designers to follow. (I currently already follow most guest lecturers from this year's lectures etc.)

- Although it would not be a new connection, I plan on staying in contact with our current 4th years, keeping up to date with their job prospects and life as IED graduates, hopefully giving me an insight into life after DJCAD.

- Aim to get published by finding an amateur online design magazine, and make contact about perhaps submitting an article.

- Get, and start using Skype - as suggested by Lauren Currie (@RedJotter) some weeks ago.

Thank You, and Goodnight!

I hope!

I'd just like to take the opportunity to say a huge thanks to Jonathan Baldwin for this years Design Studies programme.

Although we joked about the annoyances of the assignments throughout and perhaps praised guest speakers more openly - I for one have highly enjoyed the module as a whole. The lectures were far from boring (ok, I maybe nodded off during one, but for JB's sake I'll say I was out the night before), and his innovative teaching methods kept us amused like toddlers at the Zoo.

The reading material (apart from the recent excerpt from Bourdieu) has been interesting to say the least - albeit perhaps not what I would have expected. In fact, I have gone on to purchase more from Malcolm Gladwell as a result.

I suppose I'm just trying to say I'm glad I had the chance to attend this module, and think it's a great shame that the changes leave a questionable future for these specific lectures. In that respect, I feel very lucky to have been part of it.

Hopefully what I've learnt this year will set me up with the skills I need to tackle the forthcoming monstrosity that is 3rd and 4th year.

Thanks again JB (and to all the speakers that have accompanied him throughout) - you the man!

although this perhaps might be too far come graduation,
well, unless I get a 1st!

In the words of David Bowie: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Today we had a lecture/meeting about the proposed changes to the DJCAD programme structure, with several members of the academic faculty present, along with students from Textiles, Jewellery and Metalwork and Interior and Environmental Design - although a substantial amount of JMD students were unavailable due to course commitments. 

Firstly I'd like to point out to those who read this who study in a different discipline from myself that I voiced several issues from the IED perspective - some of which are not entirely my personal issues with the changes, but are talked about in great depth amongst my fellow classmates during studio time. However, after kicking up sh*t for a meeting so we could all be properly informed about the changes - people suddenly lost their voice when it came to voicing these aforementioned concerns. 

Enter Shona. 

When busy people such as Andy Milligan (our head of IED) and Jonathan, along with Mike and Frances from Textiles give up time out of their busy days to give us a chance to question all these changes - why does the powerful voice heard so much in class suddenly evaporate as if it never existed? In fact, people changed their tune in front of the masses - but yet back in the studio, the same moans and groans can still be heard. It made me feel like the big bad wolf from IED in that lecture and left me less than impressed with the lack of voice when it mattered. 

Frustrating.

Although I can see that everyone stands to benefit from the proposed change (use of other facilities, and knowledge from other disciplines etc.), it will always feel somewhat of an odd choice of grouping. Yes "craft" may be taken as a term meaning to belong to a creative profession, it's just craft in it's main sense is rarely what we do. I don't know what my personal distaste for the word "craft" is, I just don't like it. Perhaps it's because I "use software or computers and stuff" - the irony of being described as that amused me, as this was said while trying to convince me IED is a craft. Furthermore, having even more people using the woodwork workshop will probably render our furniture module obsolete as space is already an issue during this project - which ironically is the IED project that has the strongest tie to the damned "craft" word that's getting banded about. 

Another thing that is bothering IED more than the other disciplines is the loss of our first year. A huge amount is learnt during this crucial learning curve, and, on thinking back to the knowledge I came in with and the level of IED we are currently at now - it is difficult to expect newcomers to maintain 2nd-4th year levels when only entering in their second year. The "T" shaped graph of knowledge that was talked about is all very well, but we struggle to get our projects complete as it is. We have for example just been given an extension over the Easter break to accommodate for the masses of work within our discipline that is due, let alone a module here and there based in other fields. I guess what I am ultimately concerned for is the final outcome of our degrees, and not just for our individual years, but the course as a whole - by giving us these new options and opportunities to learn new skills across varying areas, are we diluting our specialised knowledge and therefore jeopardising the strength and quality in each field come degree show? This isn't even just from an IED perspective, the same goes for all disciplines.

It feels like a car sales man's trying to persuade me, sell it to me, make me think it's good - when really we've all got a sinking feeling and a knot in our stomaches, wether it's voiced or not.

I'm scared all courses will end up a mish mash of several inter disciplinary modules that leave you graduating a jack of all trades, master of none - and I don't think anybody, from any field, would like this to happen to what they are passionate about.

DJCAD: New Studio Space

We have been told that DJCAD is set to be going under serious renovation over the next few academic years. As exciting as it is, it causes almost immediate disruption to the Interior & Environmental department as our current studio space inhabits most of floor 5 in the Matthew Building - which is set to be developed into the new cantina area. As a result of our current area being designated to other uses, we are being moved up stairs to the top floor - level 8 - over the next academic summer. Such upheaval has caused a mixed response within our department, leaving a lot of us a little perplexed at the thought of getting ready to move. There was a lecture provided to explain what exactly will be happening, however it unfortunately landed during the critical height of our projects, so few people made it. Nobody seems to be sure of how it will pan out - as the layout on the floors above is somewhat different, meaning we will have to alter our working layout. 

Currently there is a large studio housing first through third year, with two a-joining critique spaces, allowing us to showcase work and conduct meetings during group work. We also unofficially inhabit the gallery space on level 5, allowing us to mark out large spaces during early development work. Fourth year are housed opposite in a long private studio, with an additional crit space at the end, which can also be used by all years. All in all, the current layout works well, and with the main studio acting somewhat as a "hub" for the bustle and energy, allowing fourth year to continue in peace. I&ED is after all, renowned for their nursery like ways - paper planes and paint everywhere. 

Being interior students, we had to investigate our to-be studios. Upon conducting our  investigation upstairs, we were a little surprised and found that it was a totally different atmosphere to what we were used to. I can't help but feel that when I step out the lift, I have just entered a floor of The Overlook Hotel: 

And having an overactive imagination such as I do, it means I then expect to return along the corridor to be confronted with the iconic blood elevator: 

But as I say, I just have a terrifying over active imagination. 

I hope something interesting is done with regards to the studio spaces, as it looks as though we are going to have two studios - perhaps splitting first and second year from third and fourth. This may work well, as it allows the latter stages to bounce ideas off of one and other, as they are more developed in the course. 

I do hope the orange doors are painted, or removed altogether - it's currently a Stanley Kubrick nightmare. Bare breeze-block is bearable to an extent, but I find the whole attic like space quite terrifying. I can't imagine I'd be staying behind late on my own, in the winter, and snow...it's sounding more and more like The Shining. 

On discussing this with fellow classmates, Ross suggested it may be good to incorporate "Idea Paint" into the new studios - a paint that once dry acts as a drawing space that may be cleaned and reused. This would be fantastic for group work and brainstorming - and even mind maps! I'm unsure as to the expense of such a product, but it is surely within reach. I hope sustainability will be high on the agenda as well, as I would feel awfully hypocritical to study sustainable building in a space that contributed hugely to waste!

Although it will be sad for us to leave what we have considered a home from home over the (almost) past two years, in a way, it will be a nice thing to happen...as what is more interesting to an I&ED student, than a studio refurbishment? 

...just leave out the horrid carpets, please. 

*Shudders*