603: Statement of Intent Reflection

Statement of Intent at the start of 603:

I’m interested in learning more about design and its psychological impacts, helping me understand the audience better and thus designing more effective outcomes. Ways of thinking really interest me, why people think the way they do and how that affects lifestyle, by incorporating this into my work I aim to become better informed about the effects of design in the real world. Throughout my practice I really question my work and pull it apart, this usually turns into doubt but I’m wanting to learn how to embrace this and allow it to improve my design skills.
Regarding practical work I really enjoy designing publications and is something I want to explore further, however, I’m still wanting to produce a range of outcomes to develop a well-rounded portfolio exploring multiple topics of interest.

Reflecting on my practice:

I feel I have changed how I approach ways of thinking, this is still something I consider deeply within my practice but instead of designing to fit into someones existing way of thinking I design to encourage new ways of thinking. This is more of interest to me as I can apply design principles and rules when needed, but also am able to break the rules to introduce new experiences for the audience.

I have really explored publications this year, and I'm so glad I did as I've learned a lot more about the medium. At the start of this module, I was interested in the more formal structure of the book, line length, binding, layout, etc., and how this influences the reading experience. This is still something I have an interest in but throughout the year I've been expanding on what I perceive a book to be and how the medium can be used to explore new ways of experiencing design. 

I still enjoy questioning and interrogating briefs, however now I feel I do this with more intellectual rigor and confidence that I didn't have at the start of the module. 

I've also developed a tone of voice for myself as a designer that is formal yet personable, I feel this was lacking from my original statement of intent as I was unsure about myself as a creative. 

What to include about my practice?
- Concepts
- Materiality/physicality
- Questioning (in a good way)

Updated Statement of Intent:

Investigating, questioning, and interrogating are processes at the heart of my practice, and have become a strength of mine; these approaches encourage new thought, propose new challenges and lead to new designs. Asking 'why?' is okay, it's great even! It doesn't mean you're doubting yourself, instead, it gives you space to find new answers. 

These techniques work in relation to a wide range of projects, I enjoy challenging myself to try new things, as I can learn from them and continue to grow as a designer. Where I find most joy as a creative is within publication design, this medium allows for experimentation, rule-following, and rule-breaking to all be combined in one place. I'm able to develop an experience for the individual reader to interact with. Within publication design materiality and physicality can be explored to enhance or completely change an experience. This is an area I aim to continue to push further with my practice.