Integrated Practice

Week Eleven

University of the Future

My idea of what university could possibly look like in 2050 is very much using virtual reality. It would be so cool to be able to interact and participate in lectures overseas by using virtual reality and being in a virtual class. Methods that I looked at using to make virtual reality essential was Walking research method, human centered design and cultural probes. You could also use all the methods we learnt however, I found these most useful to virtual reality. Using these methods you could complete a whole degree from another country and can be catered to you but also keep you save from covid and harmful diseases. I have attached my present that I made on google docs if you wanted to have a little peep.

System Thinking

We went through system thinking in today’s session. I found it very interesting it was cool to use a tool that was clean and easy to follow. Our system was very simple we did a few different ideas which was interesting to look at. I think I could use system thinking in a way of presenting an idea to a group of people but also near the end as a means of description or benefits of a project. I think that this method would complement the creative process of cultural probes. This is because cultural probes has so many pathways and roots to ideas that it can be quite hard to explain or show without the user getting lost. System thinking perfectly compacts the idea into small areas that are easy to follow and keep up with. I definitely will be using this in future projects

Human Centered Design - Wallet Making

This week we looked at Human Centered Design which has been one of the most enjoyable things I have learnt this year. I love this ideology/concept it is definitely the best way to understand a person or even an idea. We designed a wallet for our partner. Mine were just basic drawings. I used my sister as my partner. I tested my wallet out on my mum. Her feedback was that it was cool and her input was that it needed to be blue because it was her favourite color. 

The idea of the wallet being skinny and hand size. When you squeeze it. It opens where on the inside there is 3 different coloured sleeves which help you organise your cards. Also a little hole so you can hang this on keychain etc

Sectional Drawing

This week we focused on sectional drawings. I’m not a very good drawer so my object I chose was a banana cut in half. My idea to use a banana is because it is simple but the shape could used for many different things. Firstly as a sculpture. My favourite colour is yellow as well so wouldn’t mind looking at a yellow banana. The making it smaller where you could climb up into the banana and that space could be used in many different ways. I just have people sitting there but you could also have houses and making it a live space. If the world was every to be covered by water we could live in a banana? Which is very weird idea. This method I found quite good because it challenges your everyday ideas to think bigger (and smaller). Basically using one idea to develop more which the idea of how it would fit into space and the materials used to make it. 

Lotus Diagram/Six Thinking Hats

This exercise really challenged me to think outside of the box but also cover all bases of the idea. Not only develop a concept but ideas to back up the idea. Also doing this at a fast pace. It helped me generate ideas fast like a mind map but more organised which I liked very much. I think I could benefit from this method a lot in my future work as I love using mind maps as a brainstorming method but this develops the idea more in depth and can cut down time with being stuck on which ideas and concepts to choose from.

Lo-Fi Prototypes

I chose Fort Lane and the idea I had was to have a flying fox or zip line that you can hop on during the day or on a night out. I’m not sure if there are still clubs on fort lane but a few years ago there was and it would be great to swing to each club not only would it be fun but also saves your feet from dying in heels lol. I just used some cardboard and drew the flying fox/zip line in. Not too sure how low it would be to the ground I guess if you wanna be safe it would have to be closer to the ground but that’s not really fun. Would be a good business honestly. 

Material Interrogation

These are earrings I was given as a present. They are significant because they have been handed down but also handmade. I haven’t brought myself to wear them yet because I don’t want to break but they are so beautiful. I used a picture of the earrings and used material interrogation method to manipulate the image online using a photo editing website. I wasn’t able to find the data behind the picture but I used different features to develop different outcomes. 

I learnt a lot about this method. I honestly don’t ever edit or manipulate my photos so it was interesting see the different things I could create from it. Also how one image could turn image into something totally different. If I was to apply this to my projects I think I would use it near the beginning of my creative process to brainstorm and help develop more ideas outside the box. I look forward to using this in my next project!

Week Three

This week the method used was Soundwalks which is used in Soundscape studies. It is known as a creative research practice. Using this method we went out to 3 different locations around the City. We visited Aotea Square, Myers Park and Auckland City Library. In these spaces we paid close attention to sounds and effects and how those sounds could be experienced differently if it was designed differently. All three spaces were completely different which was interesting especially because it is not something you would normally pay attention too.

Aotea Square

Sounds: crashing, tapping, beeping, birds, clanking, construction work - crane, digital space and muisc

I found that in this space the design of high walls and deep concrete ground if you were to even change one building to have a duvet over it. It would collect the sounds and it would sound quite different and you would have a different experience

Myers Park

Sounds: shuffling of feet, rustling, sizzle, flushing, banging from construction

In this space if there was a bubble dome over the play ground so when it rained or shined you could play that space would sound very different. Sometimes quite or busy. Depending on how busy it is this space would be quite a peaceful experience

Library

Sounds: screeching doors, wet shoes shuffling on the floor, ding - elevator, escalators

This week we looked at Cultural Probes as a research method. In our group we had to create a research tool for Farmers. We knew nothing about them but we worked for a company that made drones. Our task was to develop a research tool to help us understand more about farming. The idea that the farmer would describe what was useful and not useful in everyday tasks and it could be used in different contexts and delivered in different ways.

An issue that I found working with this method is that there are so many important gaps that need to be filled. If the creator doesn’t understand fully the context of the user or what the user goes through then this method could easily take up the same time as another method such as living in the users shoes for a few months or so. This is an important method however, the process of creating prototypes and getting the right one could take the spotlight away from actually collecting a range of research.

I could use Cultural Probes to help with mental health. I wanted to base my idea in areas where mental health is focused on and not focused on. Using this method where someone can interact with and enter in where they are feeling on a scale of 1-10 with mental and physical health would help great with collecting information for my studio project

Week One

This week we focussed on Walking as a Research Method. It was very interesting to actually realise how common this method is used and using purposefully. I found that while using this method it definitely made me feel more engaged in what I was focusing on but also a calmness that came with it. I was able to take in small details and look more closely at objects and contexts around university. I noticed the building structures and the way each building had it’s own curves which I had never really thought or seen before.