Picking up the Blogging

I've neglected this blog, since, well forever really. It's self esteem is probably at an all time low but i'm turning that around right now. My PPRD was going to be a combination of a work journal and this blog but i'm changing direction on a few things so now it's this blog and an expanded book from text and image, plus that journal on the side.

So after a little overhaul of the name and colour scheme (which I am digging 104%) I'm going to pick this up after Text and Image.

The feedback from my Text and Image suggested new ways of working. The feedback suggested that sometimes my ideas and thinking are 'jumping all over the place'. A comment such as this was expected as my ideas and thinking are jumping all over the place, I know this, as they are my ideas and thoughts.

There was a suggestion on a way to work to aid this in the feedback sheet, I have applied it to the current Visual Thinking project. It was suggested that I really reflect on what the brief is asking and then go on to generate initial ideas, then research, then deconstruct that work on the surface and use the findings to underpin and develop my own ideas. This has been a refreshing way of working as I've been using methods I gained on my foundation course which was to first research, then create ideas, then develop them. It's refreshing to be able to solve the brief in your own way first, as this is what I inevitably do anyway.

The other main difference I've had is to work in a folder, on single pages. This is to help keep a flow and coherent formation of ideas that is viewable and understable. In a sketchbook, I felt bound by the pages being in order already. I would not analyse research, not do a sketch, so that I could contemplate the order and make sure it all flowed seamlessley, showing my ideas in one long river of creation.

However it all it served to do was stop me from doing anything and fuel an already powerful ability to put off doing anything. I've found that the freedom to work on a single page and place them in a folder to be put in to a coherent order in the future has been a refreshing experience. It allows me to get down ideas, and analyse research when I need to and not be forced to create a beautiful coherent sketchbook first. I've felt my work growing from the ground up, and my research supporting my ideas, instead of feeling like I have un-recorded ideas, and gaps to fill before I display them.

Other than the improvements needed to my working method I was happy with Text and Image on a whole. I can see how I need to improve the undepinning of my ideas as a few elements in the final book of Text and Image were plucked out of my head at the last minute and the thinking behind them was probably missing in the final product. For Visual Thinking I am making sure I make note of why i'm doing everything, and fully relating it to the designers and information that has caused me to do it.

I was always thinking that next project i'll do it right and it's yet to happen, i've been thinking that the next project will be the one where I go about everything right but after chatting with friend on this topic we came to the conclusion that when this happens, you might as well go do something else, as you're not going to get any better.